Cassis

The darling chocolate shopppe with Nutella cookies (see below).

Isn't this great? Better cover up in the summer!

Outdoor gardens!

We do love some soft serve

Boats!

We had to walk about 1.5 miles from the train station to town

The gals I decided to go to Cassis this weekend!

It's about time we really take advantage of our proximity to the French Riviera, so we took the train to the small port town for the day.

We arrived around 2pm, and had the most delicious lunch at a darling seaside restaurant. It was slightly cloudy and grey, but really set the ambiance for a spring day by the sea.

As we sat inside our little diner, we stared out huge glass bay windows, into a small park with green grass and palm trees swaying in the wind. The park, under cover of the giant palm frawns, was littered with all types of men, old and young, playing bocce ball.

They were all dressed very nicely, in collared shirts and lovely sweater vests, playing despite the weather conditions. It must have been some sort of Saturday tradition.

After our lunch of some much needed salad, we walked the street right on the harbor, and indulged in some soft serve frozen yogurt, which happens to be my absolute favorite treat, especially during a day at the beach.

Walking on the beach in the winter is always an emotional experience, at least for me. Whenever I am near the water and it's cloudy and stormy, it makes the ocean seem so powerful and angry, like at any moment it could just swallow us all up.

In my imagination, King Triton or Posiden will just appear on a rock with that three-pronged thing they always have, and give the Greek Gods something to talk about. It feels like there is a much greater force out there, that is much more powerful than me.

I always feel this way during a storm, especially near the ocean.

So, of course, while we are enjoying our proximity to the waves, it begins to downpour, and we seek shelter inside the charming seaside shops and cafe's. The late afternoon was spent ducking in and out of pint-size shops with charming, chintzy trinkets.

Navigating the streets of a small town in Southern France is not only completely entertaining, it is also tends to bring you back to another time, when things were simpler, and things moved a little more slowly.

The streets are so narrow you practically have to walk single file, and the outdoor gardens are something to be written about in plant magazines. Petite little tables with two single rickety metal chairs sit outside, with the wine glasses still out from an afternoon delight.

It was wonderful and sometimes soothing to waltz through the streets together, sometimes being chatty, sometimes being lost in thought. I always look at doors and windows and wonder what the lives of the people who live inside them are like.

Are they young, or old? Do children live there? Are they happy with their lives? How did they come to live in this picture-esque French Riviera town? Are they even French?

After the afternoon of shopping (window ONLY), and winding through the streets and hills, we ended back on the main street, and discovered a lovely chocolate shoppe (see above) where we got cookies sandwiched in nutella. What could be better, I mean really?

There are so many things I will miss about France. I can't even begin to list them all, but one I think of often is a independent patisserie, where the owner works the cash register, and everything is made on location, even the huge chocolate eggs that are for Easter festivities.

I can't help but go into a vintage chocolate shoppe..even if it just to smell the aroma of freshly made pain au chocolates (chocolate croissants for my fellow anglophiles).

We have plans to go back to Cassis the first week in May and spend the night. We left something there, our hearts.

The Luck O' the Irish

St.Patrick's Day, a long and honored tradition in the life of a college kid.

We made green everything.

It was so fun!

I painted my nails green, wore a green headband, and even dyed my club soda green!

The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment

I am always looking for a way to relax.

For the better part of my life, I have been described as "outgoing, high strung, talkative, bubbly", and various other adjectives that suggest that I have a lot of energy.

For the most part, this is all true...and was never news to my parents during parent-teacher conferences in elementary school.

As I have moved into my adult life (I use adult loosely, mind you) I have begun a quest to better myself (haven't we all), and have a more zen-like attitude toward challenges and special trials that come hurling my way.

Along with yoga and deep breathing techniques, I have also been going long and hard at the gym to keep myself from getting anxious (and gaining weight, let's be real).

But lately, it has felt like I needed another component to the mix, something for the mind.

Then it happened, one Saturday afternoon at Book In Bar, where things of a intellectual nature often manifest themselves.

I was glancing at a section of books in my favorite English bookshop, and there was a small card tent atop of a pile of books that read, "Book singing, Isabelle Losada, March 4th, 5:30pm".

Underneath the card tent were two books:

The Beginners Guide to Changing the World (Way too much pressure)

AND

The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment.

I found myself thinking, "I'd like to be enlightened...when else am I really going to get the chance to do this..sounds excellent"

10 Euro later I had my blue book in hand and was off to be enlightened!

It has been an excellent read! It was really fun to have read it when we did in fact meet Isabelle. Sarah read the Beginners Guide...as she is more youthful and idealistic than me.

We were the only Americans in the room, and the youngest gals there by at least 15 years...but it was worth it! Isabelle was as hysterical as she writes, and just as charming.

Quite a NICE day.

I love the ocean.

Have I mentioned that?

I got a good, solid dose of rolling coastlines and shimmering blue waves crashing against rocky beaches today in a famous southern France vacation spot, Nice.

The gals and I headed to the 4th largest city in France Sunday morning with a group of other American students to spend the last day of Carnivale on the palm tree- lined Promenade D'Anglais.

When you first pull into Nice it feels a little like you are heading to LAX, as the palm trees are plentiful and line all the streets. The lightly clouded sky is a perfect blue, with patches of golden sunlight beaming through.

We started the morning off with hot chocolates and cafe au laits so we could perk up after the 3 hour bus ride from Aix. The streets were busy with anticipation for the coming parade later in the afternoon. There were all manner of people dressed in costumes as pirates and princesses. Colorful masks, like those used for Mardi Gras were plentiful on the faces of attendees of all ages.

The best part about Nice is that it is a big town with a small town feel. Nikki, Sarah and I made our way into the "old city" and spent the morning walking up Lombard Street- style alleyways and in and out of both vintage and kitchy tourist shops alike.

We splurged for lunch and went to this fabulous Italian restaurant right in the center of town and had delicious pizza and pasta. It was a long, leisurely, 2 1/2 hour lunch...a great break from the stress that has been school lately.

In the afternoon, it was of course, The Carnivale. Like Mardi Gras, Carnivale is a huge party that celebrates/kicks off the beginning of Lent.

The official day of Carnivale is actually February 16th this year, as that is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday...but in Nice it is celebrated every Sunday the whole month of February.

Venice, Italy is where the largest and most famous Carnivale takes place, and it officially ended February 16th. So strict!

Carnivale is every colorful, and I'll admit, a little bizzare to me. The floats were themed, which was cool because it was a blue planet/environmental theme this year...so the huge float of President Obama was holding trees in his hand. There were also floats of corn husks and a lot of dancing trees.

Most of our viewing of the parade was done from the beach! We perched ourselves at a seaside cafe with darling plastic, white outdoor furniture that belonged at the beach and sipped more beverages as the floats glided past.

It was an absolutely perfect day.

The Real Madrid

Churro's Con Chocolate... amazing!





...is a soccer team. I'm aware of that. But let me tell about how REAL Madrid got for Nikki and I.

Where we last left off, Nikki and I jumped on the 8 hour bus to the country capitol to sight-see just the two of us while Sarah and Alex spent some time in the Basque country.

Our travels started out simple enough.

We met up with Nikki's friend from Sonoma State who is studying with our program in Madrid, because she had graciously let us stay with her for our 3 days in the huge city.

After a good nights sleep, we got started in the "Sol", which is the center of the city, with some shopping and warm beverages from Starbucks, while the snow drifted softly outside. We chatted, mapped out some things in the city worth seeing, and were just glad to be warm inside the haven we know and love.

The thing about Madrid (and Spain in general) is that it has a very outdoor feel, so you want to be walking around...but when the snow is really coming down and its like 30 degrees outside, one is a little unsure of what the plan REALLY is.

After we hit all the stores we love, it was late afternoon and the sun was setting, bringing the temp. down to a hearty 25 degrees. Brrr.

Just as we were hopping on the metro we got a text from Nikki's pal insisting we meet her for churros con chocolate at this DARLING restaurant just a few blocks away.

Let me tell you, churros con chocolate is AMAZING! It's churro's dipped in melted baking chocolate. Possibly the best dessert on the planet! The cafe we went to serves almost exclusively cafe con leche (lattes, basically) and churros con chocolate.

The place was rather San Francisco-esque, with green trim and white walls, old lamps with charming round lampshades and old wiry ice cream shop feel chairs. It was the perfect end to a Spanish day.

Tuesday came to us with a torrent of rain and half snow..sort of like sleet. Again, Nikki and I set off for the Sol, to pick up a few items and again map out the day.

During our morning cocoas, we decided to hit up an art museum in a different part of town, because it was free and seemed worth going to.

A hop, skip and jump on the metro later, we arrived at the Sophia Reina, only to find it closed on Tuesdays.

Dejectedly, we walked back to the metro, deciding on a new plan.

As Nikki rummaged in her bag to look for chapstick, horror crossed her face and I saw the panic set in as she realized her wallet was gone.

Frantically she threw the contents of her purse onto the cement floor of the metro station in desperate hope that this was some sort of joke.

The contents of Nikki's wallet was valuable for several reasons. The first and foremost being that her passport was in there. Now it was gone.

We had a 2pm flight from Madrid to Marseille the next day. How on earth was she going to leave Spain?

An hour later we were sitting in the Madrid police station reporting the crime to this sweet Spanish lady, who connected us with the US Embassy in Madrid so she could get an emergency passport before our flight the next day.

I had no IDEA that you could get a passport made in under and hour...legally at least.

It took us roughly 3 hours in the station in Madrid that is reserved only for tourists who have fallen victim to small crimes.

The Spanish officers were so good to Nikki! They let her call and cancel her Bank of America cards, and gave us a map and metro info for the Embassy so we could get there bright and early the next morning.

I was so impressed by the US Embassy, let me tell you.

When Nikki called to let them know what happened, and to ask what to do next, the gal on the other end was so calming and told her not worry and that she would be taken care of. She noted that it happens often, and that they would get her in and out and back to France before she knew it.

When stuff like that happens, it makes me so emotional. I love living abroad, and I love France more and more everyday, but sometimes I forget how kind and chipper Americans can be as a culture.

Often the French are not ones for small talk, and sometimes appear ( to someone used to a smily, friendly culture) surly and rude. It wears on you sometimes, always feeling like no one likes you...but to hear this chipper lady, in her very American English reassure Nikki, nearly brought me to tears it made me so homesick.

So naturally, when we arrived at the Embassy the next morning, I was again positively fighting tears as I saw my very own stars and stripes flying high in such an unfamiliar place. It has been so long since I've seen The United States of America written anywhere but my passport, I just stopped and stared for a minute.

As promised, Nikki and I were in and out of the Embassy in about an hour and 1/2. She got right in (sans appointment may I add) and the 20 something gal who helped us was as wonderful as can be.

With temporary passport in hand, we walked across the lobby with a mosaic of the eagle we all know and love, and I looked to my left to see three pictures hanging elegantly on the wall.

Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Hilary Clinton smiled at me as I grabbed my backpack and headed back onto the streets of Madrid.

No Hablo Espagnol

No, really. I don't speak Spanish.

BARCELONA:

The gals and I began our 7 day Spanish adventure with an 8 hour bus ride from Aix to Barcelona. It wasn't as bad as it sounds. We made stops along the way as we cruised along the coast of France to the coast of Spain.

Let me quickly note that we purchased backpacking backpacks for this trip (and our April trip) so we could more easily maneuver on metros and busses...ect.

We arrived in Spain around 9pm, a tidy 45 minutes ahead of schedule. As we reached ground level from the stairs of the metro, backpacks strapped to our backs, we made our way to our hostel, which was located on the famous and popular, La Ramblas...which is the main street of Barcelona.

Our hostel was recommended to us by a friend who had a really great experience with this particular sleeping arrangement. When we arrived, having been wandering around lost for a good 20 min due to some bad directions, we were told our room was in one of the apartments located down the street.

Huh?

We located the appropriate building and opened the iron gate-esque door and began to climb the three marble-staircased floors to the 4th floor.

Upon turning the key that looked like it belonged to a pirate's treasure chest, we stepped into a small room with a kitchen that smelled like corn chips and stagnant water.

When we opened the second door to our actual room, we found a quaint bunk bed for us, a cute little table and chairs and a lovely closet for our belongings. Things were looking up as we crawled into bed for a good nights' sleep.

Friday morning dawned cold, but very sunny. We met up with Sarah's boyfriend, Alex, who is (as I have mentioned before) studying in Bilbao this spring. He was such a doll and took an overnight bus to Barcelona, but still was ready to roll out for a day of sight seeing, complete with being our own personal Spanish translator. Big shout out to Alex :)

We first stopped at La Boqueria, a colorful fresh (everything) market. It had the most gorgeous and colorful fruit I have ever seen! We all purchased strawberries and smoothies (for a euro, mind you) that were so fresh it was unbelievable!

Plus, as always, there was various meat particles hanging from some of the stands...but I'll pretend I didn't see that! Sad.

The rest of the day was spent in the square at the end of La Ramblas feeding the pigeons, visiting Gaudi's most famous church, The Sagrada Familia (complete with visit to the museum and gift shop, always), a walk through Parc Guell, where all of Gaudi's statues and some buildings are constructed..it was such a fun day!

No day in Barcelona would be complete without tapas! Around 10pm, we headed out to this great restaurant right off La Ramblas, called Sinatra (like, Frank). We all ordered a few small dishes (olives, curried chicken with asian veggies and tomato bread for me) and shared everything. Plus chocolate ice cream for dessert...best in Barcelona.

Saturday was a BLAST! We started off by headed to Starbucks (city mugs!), then headed to the harbor and boardwalk to see the ocean.

I was really looking forward to breathing in some sea-salty air.

At the end of La Ramblas, there is a huge glass-looking bridge that extends into the harbor, and at the end there is a HUGE shopping center. It is quite the architectural feat. As you gaze into the bay, there is a cross- harbor cable car that flies above the grey waves. The London Eye of Barcelona, if you will.

We spent the morning and early afternoon shopping, talking and walking all around the ocean...looking at the boats and enjoying the ocean we all hate to live without.

True to Spanish culture, we went back to the hostel around 2pm to take a siesta so we could be up for the long evening of Spanish night life we had planned.

We talked about going out all the nights we were in Barcelona, but lets be real, that's just not us. We voted on just hitting the town Saturday night.

Sarah was dead set on going to this club, Razzmatazz, and with its 5 different mini-clubs and 15 euro cover charge, going there was sure to be a night to remember. The dance floor(s) are located in an old warehouse that houses concerts of huge proportions when big bands come to Barcelona.

I should mention that this month is "carnival" in most of Europe because of the proximity to Lent..especially in really Catholic countries.

We figured this out as we jumped on the metro at around 2:30 am (yes, that's right) to GO to the club.

Everyone was dressed in CRAZY costumes with feathers and masks..it was slightly frightening! I was wearing jean capris and plain black shirt. Ooops, left my face paint at home.

Razzmatazz was as crazy and fun as we thought it would be. The music was true European techno that only should be heard in huge clubs with lots of friends. I will say there was a notable absence of the newest Britney song...and Lady Gaga and Black Eyes Peas sure weren't on ANYONE'S playlist that night.

When I woke up Sunday morning (four hours after I had gone to bed, mind you), I was ready to embark on the next leg of our journey...Madrid! I was sad to be leaving Sarah and Alex (they were headed to Bilbao for a few days), but I felt Barcelona had been good to us.

We had one last Starbucks breakfast together, and Nikki and I boarded our bus West.

Driving Slow On Sunday Morning

Enjoying our treats on the Cours Mireabeau

Other lovely Frenchies enjoying some cafe

The fountains in Aix are very plentiful!

Sarah shopping for a book

I love Sundays.

Today was no exception.

After church, the gals and I decided to hit up a local book fair in the square next to the "Hotel De Ville", or City Hall.

Sarah, Nikki and I donned our sunglasses and flats, and made our way out into the late winter weather. It was lovely to be out in the sun, with the thermometer hitting the high 50's.

The books at the small fair were old french books, including "War & Peace" translated into French, and some fun childrens books on display upon the tables.

We spent the better part of the afternoon at a cafe, sipping hot cocoa and eating gelatto (Sarah, of course). The sun felt so good on our faces after the long winter we have endured.

Around 4, we made our way to the local English movie theatre to see Sherlock Holmes. It was really excellent, filled with action and over two hours of Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr., which was lovely.

I love when the streets of Aix are slightly deserted, and the shops are all closed. With the sun streaming in between the tall buildings, and just our six feet pounding the pavement, it made Aix look a little brighter than it has the past few weeks.