Ma famille en Provence

The day my family arrived in France began very early with a 6:58 shuttle train ride to the TGV station. They just put this shuttle train in Avignon, calling it le Virgule, and although it was very fast (getting us from Avignon Centre downtown to the TGV station in 6 minutes), I think they should not have gotten rid of the shuttle bus they had before, as this doesn’t run nearly as often. Alas, all went well and I arrived on time to Charles de Gaulle airport to pick up my extremely tired parents, Dan and Brenna. After taking the bus to Gare de Lyon, we had a quick lunch (and nap in their case) and made our way on the train back to Avignon. We were all supposed to sit together but as the woman next to me said that she gets motion sickness sitting next to the window, I agreed to sit there and speak across her to my family. She joined in our conversation, understanding nearly all English while speaking French to me. In fact, when asking about what I am doing here in France, she exclaimed that she knew where Apt was and had friends who lived near my new French home. This would soon become a pattern for the rest of the two week vacation.

After a nice train ride enjoying the views of the countryside*, we arrived at the Avignon TGV station and picked up the rental car. And so began the critiques of Dad’s driving in a foreign country, which continued all week, ranging from funny to mean. Really guys, he did an AMAZING job navigating roads in a place he had never been before, especially in such a ridiculously small car with the winding, narrow mountain roads (which in many cases had no guard rails). Though for navigation, I really do think the in car GPS ended up being a lifesaver – my road map I had bought of the South of France would barely have been able to lift a finger in helping us. That night, we got pizza from Pizz’Avenue and relaxed at the hotel. I had been dying to try Pizz’Avenue for a while as everyone raves about it. My review? Incredibly disappointing, undercooked and flavorless. Let’s just say the meals got better as their week in Provence progressed.

Sunday, I woke everyone up and we went to get pastries from my favorite boulangerie here in town, Caractères. This again would become a pattern: what I didn’t realize about vacances de fevrier in Provence is that nearly EVERYONE takes this as an annual vacation. Including businesses. Throughout the week, as we would walk up to a shop, café, or restaurant that I had been so excited to show my family, most times my eyes were met with a gated door and a handwritten sign saying “congés annuels”. Like normal, I never know what to expect around here! I felt bad that my family couldn’t see some of the things I had planned to show them, but they were completely understanding the entire time. And plus, they got to experience my way of life here in France: expect the unexpected!

After breakfast, we headed to the Sunday market in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. I had been told by many that this market is the best in Provence and, as I have been to many a market, I was excited to see what this new place had to offer. I can officially say that this market is definitely the best: with its enormous size and variety of vendors set in this quaint little village, it was wonderful just to wander around and buy some souvenirs on the beautiful sunny day. 

The Sorgue River that runs through the city

Then we were off to Avignon, where I showed my family the quintessential tourist sights of the Palais des Papes, the Pont d’Avignon and the view from the Rocher des Doms. Although they were extremely tired, this being their first true day combating jet lag, they definitely were in high spirits to see the details of this walled city. Even so, we called it an early day and drove back to Apt, and as no restaurants are open in town on Sunday, we might have partaken in a McDonald’s meal slightly outside of town. You gotta do what you gotta do…. plus they have wifi!

Cheesing in front of the Pope's Palace

With the bridge in the background - on y danse, on y danse!

Monday morning, we were greeted with another blue skied day. We took our pastries and ate them in the Jardin du Monde in town. Then, as Brenna’s leg had been hurt from a soccer accident and the pain was getting worse, we stopped by the emergency room here in Apt and I got to practice my French medical terms. Although these are pretty non-existent, I helped out as much as I could, as none of the nurses and staff spoke English, besides the doctor that saw Brenna. After getting more meds and information about where to get bequilles**, we were off to our first stop of the day: Roussilion. As my Mom has her degree in geology, I was extremely excited to show her this place and knew that it would easily be her favorite. They were just floored by the dramatic colors of the ochres, especially with the extreme contrast against the blue sky, and it led to a wonderful afternoon exploring this natural wonder.

This week's new pastry: pain au chocolat et noisettes. Basically, a chocolate and hazelnut pastry. Pure HEAVEN.

Just chilling underneath the palm trees in Apt.

The red rock in Roussillon

Miss Geology with the ocres in Roussillon!

Working up a hunger, we stopped by a terrace café for lunch and soaked up the sun while we munched on crêpes, croque-monsieurs and ice cream. Then, it was off to the scenic overlook onto the town of Gordes. Although I have visited both Rousillion and Gordes in the past, it was so much more enjoyable being able to share these little villages with my family. As we drove up to the viewpoint, I knew what to expect, but hearing their “ooh”s and “aah”s made me see the beauty of the light shining on the white walls of the posh buildings in a completely different way.

Early evening light on Gordes

On our last stop of the day, making it just before sundown, we arrived in the middle of an uninhabited valley where the 12^th century Abbaye de Senanque sits. The isolated, yet still active, abbey was proceeded by lines and lines of lavender. Though not in bloom right now, you could still imagine the beauty of the place in the summer. Not to mention that it still had a lingering, fragrant scent of lavender, which added to the sense of calm one has when visiting this place.

The next day I dubbed to be Roman day, as we spent the day exploring many Roman ruins in cities scattered around this region. In the morning, we drove to Vaison-la-Romaine which has two sites of ruins nestled within the town center. It was amazing to see how the rest of the city has been built around these ancient ruins, and great to see how well they have been preserved. Plus, another wonderful morning market to wander around in was a nice way to start the day.

Queen of the ruins.

Then, we were off to Orange, which boasts a well preserved Arc de Triomphe as well as an ancient Roman theatre. Though it became windy and cold during this part of the day, we climbed the many steps in the theatre and tried to imagine the performances that took place at the venue in ancient times. Today, it still hosts the Choralies festival during the summer, a world renowned opera festival!

Arc de Triomphe in Orange

Who doesn't love a good photobomb?!

Theatre Antique

For the last stop in this tour of Roman Provence, we left the Vaucluse region and traveled into the Gard, visiting the magnificent Pont du Gard, a massive Roman aqueduct that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Though I have wanted to see this site ever since I studied abroad here, I was not expecting how big it was truly going to be. Staring up at its large beams, I couldn’t help but wonder how the Romans could have built something so large and lasting with the limited amount of technology at that time. It was definitely the highlight of “Roman day” in Provence.

No picture can quite capture its massiveness.

That night, we ate at one of my favorite restaurants in town, Chez mon cousin Alphonse. Again, because many of my favorites were closed during this week, Chez became a place that we frequented. My family nor I did I mind, with the dessert menu that nearly competes in size to the regular one, we enjoyed nice meals of tartiflette, wood stove pizza, fondue, duck, and other favorites, washed down with wine for the ladies and beer for the men.

Dad's poison (left) and mine (right). Papa Bear and Little Bear. :)

Wednesday, we woke up and were greeted with rain. A lot of rain. As I had seen this in the forecast, we made it a simple day of driving through some of the littler villages around Apt, including Bonnieux, Lacoste, and the famous Ménerbes where Peter Mayle lived and wrote about in his book a Year in Provence. Because it was rainy and there was a lot of fog, we didn’t get out and take any pictures but more or less took in the view and feel of the cities from the car. Then we were off to Lourmarin to visit the Château de Lourmarin. We stopped in town to get a small lunch beforehand and ended up having a nice leisurely lunch, full of conversation with our waiter Benjamin who had just returned to France after living in San Francisco for several years.*** Again, always expect the unexpected here in France!

We made it back to Apt early that night and decided to catch a movie at the cinema, something I tend to do normally on a Wednesday night. They had August in Osage County playing in English, so we enjoyed a quick flick and then a nice French dinner at a crêperie called le Chant de l’Heure. As my family all adores cheese and sweets, they loved trying the savory and sweets crepes in this homey lofted restaurant.

Thursday brought an early morning but a promise of beautiful weather, as we were heading to the coast town of Cassis. Anyone who has asked me the question “What is your favorite place in France?” will know that this has been and still is my answer. I fell in love with this small coastal beach town during an excursion that I went on when I studied abroad, and my love for the clear blue waters splashing up onto the beach surrounded by Cap Canaille and the calanques has only continued to grow. Although we spent a short morning here, going on a boat tour of the calanques and relaxing by the Mediterranean Sea, I am so excited that I get to return here for my last weekend of the assistantship. I was so happy to be able to show this little gem to my family, who seemed just as enthralled by its beauty.

Pure happiness.

I said that Tuesday was dubbed “Roman day” – going with this theme, Dan decided to dub this day “Becca day” as we went to all my favorite places. The afternoon was spent in Aix-en-Provence. Although my mom had visited here before, it was wonderful to show the rest of my family where I studied for six weeks, my walk to school, my favorite gelato and crepe place and of course, all the fountains. After exploring the city, I took them out to the Barrage de Bimont where they could see the Montagne Sainte-Victoire that I hiked just the weekend before. 

Family in front of la Rotonde!

Alumni representin'

Dan and Brenna with Cezanne's muse in the background

We awoke Friday finally feeling the effects of a non-stop tour throughout Southern France. That, along with the rainy weather, scrapped the plans for the day and we decided to hang around town, resting and writing postcards while spending some quality time together. That night, we were invited to go to my coordinating teacher Cathy’s house for dinner. As I have been there a few times, I felt at home instantly, though I was worried about how my family might fit in. I needn’t have worried; Cathy, Marc and their children made my family feel so welcomed, offering us pissaladière, pot-au-feu, bread, cheese, and homemade ice cream for dessert, all washed down with a lovely Alsace white wine, a round red wine made in nearby Ventoux, and even a light organic red wine. They talked and talked to us for hours and loved hearing about life in America. After finally saying our goodbyes and many thanks at midnight, we drove back to the hotel with our bellies full and our spirits high.

Saturday morning marked the beginning of our last day together in Provence and it could not have begun better. A sunny blue sky greeted us as we made our way through the Saturday market here in Apt. I was happy to show my family the little windy alleys of Apt, and help them buy some souvenirs from this place as they got to experience one last market. For lunch, I introduced another French tradition to them: a wine and cheese tasting at Chez Sylla. With each of us getting something slightly different (the men got sausage platters while the women got salads and cheeses), we got to try each other’s food and wine choices, leading to good discussions with our waiter about how the wine was made and how each one is different. My family loved this meal, boasting that it was maybe their favorite, which showed as they bought their favorite wines and confitures from the store room.

In the afternoon, we headed off to Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, a small village which holds la source, or the source of the Sorgue river. As it is winter, everyone says that it is the best time to visit this sit, as the water is incredibly high and rushing throughout the village. As the beautiful weather continued, it was clear that we were not the only ones that had the idea to visit the source, which was shown by the overflowing parking lots throughout the city. We followed the mass of people going towards the source, all the while taking in the sights and the sounds of the gushing water of the river next to us. When we reached the beginning, we noticed that there was a large rock face that people were climbing to get a better view. Although I was not really equipped for climbing, Dan, Dad and I climbed up to get a better view and a few pictures. It was certainly worth almost slipping down the side of the hill, as the pool of blue water below was a beauty to see.

Dad looking like a kid in a candy store after climbing the rocky trail for a better view!

La Source

Our last night in Apt, we decided to have a small dinner, as we would be up at 4:30 to leave for Avignon.**** So what fine dining establishment did we visit, you may ask? Since I had told my family so much about it, we had to make a stop at Pizz’Burger. One of my students took our order, gave us a meal for free and even offered us coffee after. I talked to my favorite French woman, who I finally found out refers to me as la fille avec l’ordinateur, or the girl with the computer. Wifi junkie, much? But anyway, we spoke in French about my family and we translated the conversation back and forth, always so welcoming even if they barely know any English. I am glad that I did take my family there – though it is not exactly French cuisine, it has that laid-back, welcoming Provencal attitude that I want my family to remember. 

With speedy and a little stressful packing for the rest of the night, our week together in Provence came to a close. I can’t even begin to explain how wonderful it was showing my family around where I live, work and studied. I hope they understand why I like it so much in this region in France, that it is all about slowing down and enjoying what is around you: the beautiful sights, delicious food and wonderful family. I think that they felt welcomed and at home, in my home away from home. It was truly a week that I will never forget.

*Read: Me enjoying the countryside, everyone else napping. Jet lag is rough, folks!

**Translation: crutches. I had to google translate that one on my phone while in the hospital – yes technology!

***I know, right? What a small world! Brenna, Dan and him chatted like old pals about the Bay area.

****In hindsight, the 7am TGV ride might not have been a great idea. But hey, it was cheaper and we got into Paris earlier!

Home Improvement

The past four days have been a lovely long weekend here in Provence. I am sitting in my kitchen looking out onto the sun setting over the hills. Although the blue skies and sunshine never seem to fade, there are some autumn traces starting to show, with the gusting chilly wind and the colors of the foliage starting to yellow.

View from my kitchen window this evening.

On Friday, Amy and I ventured into Avignon to try and figure out our phone situation. Originally, we had planned to just keep our pay as you go phones, as it seemed the cheapest option. However, rates changed and it made more sense for us to go to a different store and sign up for a monthly plan. When we got there though, we were told that we would have to buy a new phone entirely to take full advantage of the internet that comes with the plan. Not expecting the prices of the phones to be so high, and while re budgeting my entire month's allowance in my head, the salesperson ran back in telling us he had a solution: the Telib. Now, the velibs are quite popular here in France: they are public bikes you can pick up from their various stations along the street, after it reads your credit card of course. You can ride the bike around town as much as you please, just as long as you put it back in a marked velib spot once you are done. If you don't return it, that is when you get fined and your card gets charged. Besides this, it is entirely free!

Virgin has taken this idea and applied it to phones: for 20 euro a month, I will get unlimited calls, texts, and 10 Go of internet on a smartphone with all apps provided. And the best part, I am in essence borrowing the phone, so I don't pay for it! When I am done using it at the end of this school year, all I have to do is return it to the store. Pretty awesome, right? Not so awesome: they were out of these phones when we were there, so we are returning Wednesday afternoon to officially get this plan.*

After the visit to the phone shop, Amy and I indulged a bit and went to IKEA. As I had never been to one before, it was quite overwhelming! But I was happy to get many things to make the apartment feel more like home. After sprucing this place up, I do have to say that it feels much better to spend time here.

New bedding, rug and blanket. And yes, the color theme was on purpose. Not pictured but also part of the home improvements: a new lamp, cinnamon candle and a new shower caddy!

Saturday morning was another typical day of wandering around the market. I happened to notice the amount of stares I was getting though - as since it was a beautiful day, I was wearing a t-shirt, jeans and sandals. Passing by a vendor visibly shivering while bundled in a winter coat and scarf, hiding his hands underneath his legs for extra warmth, I thought only one thing - you think this is cold?! Come to Michigan, man! That morning we also spent some time at our favorite Bar l'Aptois, where I checked off another thing from my bucket list here: I tried a cafe au lait. I wouldn't say I liked the first sip, but as I kept drinking it, I did learn to enjoy the taste quite a bit.

The rest of Saturday and Sunday was spent at home, reading, relaxing, cleaning** and watching movies. During these past few days, I have also been trying to plan many trips, which I will reveal later on. But there is one trip that I can't hold in, because I am so excited about it! I am so grateful that as my Christmas present this year, my family has helped me a buy a ticket back home for the holidays! Though I was not planning on going back to the States until next May, I cannot say how thrilled I am to be able to see family and friends, especially during the holiday season! I am enjoying my life here in France and traveling around Europe, but there is nothing like being home for the holidays.

Also part of the home improvement. Can you tell I am excited for Christmas??

Today, Amy and I decided to make a little hike to a nearby town called Gargas. After walking for an hour, we stopped for refreshment and a bit of discount shopping and then, having realized we didn't really know where we had to proceed to get to the town, we turned back to Apt. Either way, it was a nice way to get out of the apartment, enjoy the beautiful weather and exercise a bit. And we decided to practice our French on the way back, something we are going to try to push ourselves to do more often when we are around the apartment.

Tomorrow ends our long weekend of relaxation, with classes once again. I quite enjoy going back to teaching after the week end though - it gives me something extra to busy myself with. Until then, enjoying this lovely evening here in the South of France.

*Typical day here in France: don't ever expect for things to be done the same day you go out to take care of a certain task. You will almost always have to return.
**I see your face reading that, Mom. Yes, I know - it is hard to believe.

Lazy Weekend in Apt

Bon soir from Apt! After the crazy week of traveling and orientations, Amy and I decided to stay in this weekend, having a nice relaxing weekend in this small, quaint town.

Yesterday, we explored the market together as well as did some shopping at the Intermarche, the closest grocery store* we have here. I finally made a necessary purchase that every woman who lives in a provincial town needs: a straw basket. I feel oh so français now, carrying around my food purchases in this bag. And we had a lovely French conversation with the vendor at this tent, full of advice of when the market is best and parted with him saying "à bientôt!"(translation: see you soon!) We spent Saturday afternoon planning out trips for coming weekends - next weekend, Cannes for Amy's birthday and for our first two week vacation that begins on October 19... well I guess you will just have to wait and see what that one will be, won't you?**

pain au chocolat et amandes - basically an almond and chocolate croissant. delicious!

Last night, we decided to try and cook our first full real meal on this hot plate business we've been given. Though this apartment is nice, I have to say it is quite annoying that we don't have a kitchen. Or even an oven. Or even a functioning hot plate. Our's is constantly making weird popping noises and sparking. Not fun. Even with this, we managed to make delicious poached salmon with green beans, served with fresh baguette topped with olive tapenade from the market, rosé wine, and mini desserts from one of our favorite patisseries in town.

Wine straight from the Luberon, plus a view of our new tablecloth!

After dinner, we decided to go to a movie. There happens to be a small cinema in town here, with three theaters and an incredibly musky smell inviting you to walk through its doors. We saw Diana, the movie which depicts the life of Princess Diana. Considering I was very young when she died, I did not know very much about her or her life, so I quite enjoyed it. Amy had a different perspective, as she is from England and has been brought up seeing the change in the royal family. It is really interesting to hear the different points of view, and to know the story from the lens of someone else's eyes. Not to mention that I am learning so much about the differences in what Americans call things versus what English people call them. For example, what do they call a flashlight? A torch. How awesome is that? Pulling a torch out of your bag to see where you are going... I would be so excited to use one if it was called that!

Sunday, we decided to get a bit of fresh air and exercise. So, we packed a pique-nique and headed on the nearest walking trail which lead to the nearby village of Saignon. The sign said only 3km of a walk. Not bad, eh? What it left out is that the walk itself is quite a steep climb, leaving us out of breath and quite hot on our little Sunday stroll. Once we reached the top though, the views of Apt from Saignon left me breathless from its pure beauty.*** We enjoyed our lovely lunch of salad, baguette and tapenade, wine and tarte au miel et amandes, followed by an afternoon of reading, cat-napping and soaking up sun on the hill.

Trail was marked by these lines on trees, rocks, etc.

Hidden vineyard along the hike.

See that group of beige-ish colored specks in the middle? That is Apt. Pretty beautiful, right?

Our pique-nique

Honey almond tarts!

Such a peaceful end to a wonderful weekend leads me to potentially dread this week. Tomorrow, I start my mandatory week of observation of the classes I will be assisting. I still have yet to receive a schedule of what times my classes are though... so I am not entirely sure when or where I have to be tomorrow, if I even work tomorrow. Oh well, for now I will enjoy the bits of weekend I have left, as time seems to be slipping through my fingertips already.

*Really, what I mean when I say grocery store is not what we would even consider to be a Meijer or Walmart. The place I go to sort of resembles like a Hardings or Family Fare back home, but cheaper prices.
**I know the suspense is killing you.
***Or maybe it was all the walking.