la vie Aixoise

Salut! It's been about a month since I last wrote, so I have a lot of tidbits to share:

I am officially settled in, and feel less lost and more relaxed in Aix! I am doing lots at the conservatory, and am finding my classes interesting and more and more manageable. I no longer have to use a map to navigate Aix, and have successfully done some traveling and hiking. Overall, a very successful first month. 

I have hiked up Mont Sainte Victoire 3 times! The first, we chose a very difficult trail (at noon) and did not make it all the way up. Nevertheless, we had a great time! 

The second time we made it up, and it was even more fabulous! 

The third time we hiked up with sleeping bags and lots of food and water and spent the night in the priory. The night before there was a massive thunderstorm, and the night of was blustery and intense. We hiked up expecting to be the only ones spending the night, but by sunset there were about 20 other people on top of the mountain. Ethan brought To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, so we had the pleasure of being read aloud to in the early evening. We hiked up to the cross and saw the panoramic view, and after sunset we saw a massive orange moon and sweeping clouds.

I've had some food experiences too, of course. My host dad fried flowers! 

And we have had quite a bit of Ratatouille: 

And my German friend Nela and I have attempted to make quiche and brioche:

(her oven is also a microwave/oven, so the top of both dishes got a little brown....but they tasted delicious!)

In addition to food, I traveled to Arles and Avignon with Nela in one day! It was jam-packed and very fun. 

Marseille Gare St. Charles early in the morning:

Arles:

Avignon:

Other highlights: seeing Julia Fischer play Bach, Prokofiev, and Brahms (plus two encores!!), performing in an orchestra concert of the first 3 Beethoven Concertos, making French friends, spending time with my host family and Maddy, being the go-to-person in my classes for the pronunciation of English words, studying Elvis in France, 

eating lots of pastries, wandering Monoprix, receiving some amazingly beautiful flowers from MR, going to an impossibly hard dance class, going to a French yoga class (inspirez! respirez!), discovering fascinating cultural differences, and growing more independent and adventurous. 

Bisous! À la prochaine!

FIONA

Aix-en-Provence (finalement!)

I have been in Aix for two weeks now! Everything is going quite swimmingly. My host family is super nice, musical, and large....everything I was hoping for. I have two host sisters, and another girl from the Wellesley program in the house. There's a grand piano, and there's pretty much always someone playing it from 9h-21h.

We also have a pool!

Aix is an incredibly picturesque and sunny city! The cathedral is really beautiful, and is home to a 12th century cloister. I got a private tour of the cloister from an elderly french lady who works at the cathedral. She explained every detail of the carvings.

Outdoor markets are always popping up. I have been to many food markets, but have not yet made it to the clothes market. At the market you can find anything from olives to spices to flowers to cheese. 

Bisous,

Fiona

Paris - la deuxième partie!

The rest of my time in Paris was just as thrilling as my first moments there.

Despite all of the millions of things to do in the city, I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to Giverny and Versailles!

Giverny is where Claude Monet lived and painted from 1883 to his death in 1926. Using water from the Seine and plants and aesthetics from Japan, Monet created a natural utopia in which to work.

Here I am in front of loads of nymphéas (water lilies):

Here is Monet's front garden:

Les nymphéas encore:

After visiting Monet's gardens, water lilies, and house, I visited his tombe in the village cemetery:

Versailles was astonishing, as expected. The crowds were shocking (despite being forewarned), but the gardens were truly mind-blowing. The fountains, rows of perfectly groomed trees, intimate passageways, and grand views...

I visited on the perfect day, because many of the fountains were in full bloom, featuring water displays accompanied by various pieces by Lully. 

Me looking a bit exhausted after escaping the crowds in the palace. The famous Galerie des Glaces:

Entering the gardens (imagine hearing one of Lully's overtures as you walk past these mythical sculptures): 

Everything I did in Paris has stuck with me. I hope that the images never fade...

À bientôt mes chères,

Fiona

Une semaine à Paris.

Hello friends and loved ones!
I have spent the past five days in complete awe. Paris is an unimaginably beautiful city, and I've been cramming in one experience after another. I am here for 10 days after which I will travel to Aix-en-Provence to meet my host family and sign up for classes.

The minute I landed at Charles-de-Gaulle my world switched into French. The following are some highlights of my «passage» so far through Paris.

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Megan and I shared a cab from CDG to the Citadines apartment-hotel near St. Germain-des-Prés in the 6e arrondissement:

Bought groceries with Megan and ate my first Parisian dinner at the hotel:

I have walked (and boated!) along the Seine many times...

L'Opéra Garnier was a highlight for me! The architecture is so luxurious and striking, and it's so fun to imagine the social scene at the opera during the mid to late 19th century. The WIA group is fortunate enough to have two personal guides for our week in Paris. Both are incredibly knowledgeable and engaging - all in french of course!

My friends and I are becoming experts on the metro and the map of Paris:

Megan avec la carte:

Laura et moi sur le métro vers Pont Neuf:

I have eaten a Croque Madame, countless croissants, crêpes, and galettes, some baguettes, the most amazing Thai dinner, and finally a delicious Italian dinner:

I have traversed the Latin Quarter, seen Notre Dame and the absolute center of Paris, walked in the Jardin de Luxembourg, the house of Victor Hugo, and La Place des Vosges. I have bought amazing high top sneakers, and European seamed pants, gone on a boat tour down the Seine, eaten ice cream at Berthillon and countless other things. 

Stay tuned for more updates!!

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Autres commentaires: Pain au chocolat is heaven. Wine costs less than 5 euros here and is wonderful and smooth. Parisians are insanely fashionable. French is a quiet language, and most public places (without tourists) are very tranquil. Le jardin de Luxembourg is an average Parisian's jogging spot and is shockingly beautiful. Parisians are very helpful and love to speak French with you, despite any mistakes.