Sunday, January 31, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Monaco!
Bonjour tout le monde (hello everyone)!
Last Saturday I was very fortunate to be able to go and visit Monaco! We went by bus, and it was very inexpensive, always a welcome thing! Finding the bus in itself was hard enough because there is a main bus stop in the town by La Rotonde and so there are many buses. Gretel and I finally found it and got on the bus with all the people (half students, half adults) avec George. We quickly realized though that we did not understand what the trip actually entailed, so we just kind of went with the flow. The countryside was a little...poor looking...I've learned that (to me) Europe is very dirty and not very nice in a lot of places but that it's more important to appreciate to age of it all and the history behind it instead. The landscape confused me a little at first...even still. I thought that it reminded me a bit of a mix of Florida, Texas, and Wisconsin. Weird, I know. But it was filled with evergreens in the distance on the HUGE rolling hills, parts of desolate farmland kind of like Texas in some parts, and then there'd be palm trees, all within a few feet. It's crazy!
When we drove into Monaco, I cannot even explain to you the BEAUTY of the mediterranean and the cliffs. It was just...BREATHTAKING! The cliffs are so high up and the houses just dumbfound me as to how people EVER built all these houses on such high/steep cliffs. It is truly amazing.
The first thing we did was visit the Grimaldi royal grounds/palace. We got off the bus and walked up the cliff, which is right on the Mediterranean. The view was just incredible. It's amazing to see that such beautiful places exist! So we scaled the cliff and then walked through the gardens, which were beautiful, up to the palace (also the former home of Princesse Grace Kelly)...a true fairytale. :) We saw the changing of the guards, which was also cool. Afterwards we got a little lunch on the mini streets on the grounds, which I have to say, quite oddly resembles the fake streets in Disneyworld, but I think that people actually live in these little walking streets surrounding the palace, for which I think there are people who live above the shops and such. The cathedral was also beautiful and HUGE.
After that, the bus took us to Monte Carlo, where the world-famous casino is, and also where I found my next ride...the Bentley. ;) It was beautiful, and I wanted to go in and play the slots one time because I've never been in one before, but it was a 10euro cover charge (like $15.00), so most of us opted out. But we took beautiful pictures of the grounds, gawked over the wealth and cars and clothes and all the diamonds in the Cartier stores and all the Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Dior clothes. Then we walked around the streets of the city-state close to the casino. This place...it is like, a dream and a curse all in one fowl swoop I feel like. It was DRIPPING with wealth. The women walking their posh dogs on the insanely clean streets with the Mercedes Benz and Lambouguinis lining the streets up and down the hills, wearing furs coats with the expensive high-heeled leather boots and sunglasses makes it seem like what everyone wants to have. On the other hand, I know that these people live a selfish life, with all their money, and you can see that they don't understand what it's like to live a more modest life and that they could do so much more with that money. So, I have mixed feelings about the city itself, which I imagine to be like a small-scale New York City with its parts of the city-state that are divided almost like the New York City boroughs, I feel like.
Next we went to the Japanese Gardens there, and they were beautiful. I think with the waterfall and plants and lake and fish and the Mediterranean in the back-drop, it was the first time I've felt completely at ease the whole trip so far. Just simple tranquility.
The last thing we did was go to the Perfumerie in between Monaco and Nice. We were taken on a tour of the lab where they make perfume, the first lab in the world. Perfume originated in Grasse, France, very close to Nice, where a woman commissioned the city to be able to harvest the flowers and such for essential oils and was eventually moved to the lab where we were. And so, Fragonard (pronounced Frag-o-nar) is the first perfume company in the world. It was good, but the perfume was very strong because it is mostly pure concentrate and not diluted like the eau de toilette and eau de perfume we see in the stores with all the other fancy perfumes, but it was cool to see that this is wear the essential for all the expensive perfumes come from France and such come from (they are distributed to companies like Dior and Chanel to then make their own unique perfumes).
After that, I was done. Long day, but beautiful sights. It made me really appreciate the region I chose to go with all that southern France has to offer...in my opinion, probably the best/most unique places to go in the shortest distance. I want to go to Arles, Avignon, Cannes, Marseille, Montpellier, Bordeaux, and the best part is, all of these cities are only a few hours away. How's that for traveling. :) Much more to come! I hope you are all doing well and miss you all!
Last Saturday I was very fortunate to be able to go and visit Monaco! We went by bus, and it was very inexpensive, always a welcome thing! Finding the bus in itself was hard enough because there is a main bus stop in the town by La Rotonde and so there are many buses. Gretel and I finally found it and got on the bus with all the people (half students, half adults) avec George. We quickly realized though that we did not understand what the trip actually entailed, so we just kind of went with the flow. The countryside was a little...poor looking...I've learned that (to me) Europe is very dirty and not very nice in a lot of places but that it's more important to appreciate to age of it all and the history behind it instead. The landscape confused me a little at first...even still. I thought that it reminded me a bit of a mix of Florida, Texas, and Wisconsin. Weird, I know. But it was filled with evergreens in the distance on the HUGE rolling hills, parts of desolate farmland kind of like Texas in some parts, and then there'd be palm trees, all within a few feet. It's crazy!
When we drove into Monaco, I cannot even explain to you the BEAUTY of the mediterranean and the cliffs. It was just...BREATHTAKING! The cliffs are so high up and the houses just dumbfound me as to how people EVER built all these houses on such high/steep cliffs. It is truly amazing.
The first thing we did was visit the Grimaldi royal grounds/palace. We got off the bus and walked up the cliff, which is right on the Mediterranean. The view was just incredible. It's amazing to see that such beautiful places exist! So we scaled the cliff and then walked through the gardens, which were beautiful, up to the palace (also the former home of Princesse Grace Kelly)...a true fairytale. :) We saw the changing of the guards, which was also cool. Afterwards we got a little lunch on the mini streets on the grounds, which I have to say, quite oddly resembles the fake streets in Disneyworld, but I think that people actually live in these little walking streets surrounding the palace, for which I think there are people who live above the shops and such. The cathedral was also beautiful and HUGE.
After that, the bus took us to Monte Carlo, where the world-famous casino is, and also where I found my next ride...the Bentley. ;) It was beautiful, and I wanted to go in and play the slots one time because I've never been in one before, but it was a 10euro cover charge (like $15.00), so most of us opted out. But we took beautiful pictures of the grounds, gawked over the wealth and cars and clothes and all the diamonds in the Cartier stores and all the Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Dior clothes. Then we walked around the streets of the city-state close to the casino. This place...it is like, a dream and a curse all in one fowl swoop I feel like. It was DRIPPING with wealth. The women walking their posh dogs on the insanely clean streets with the Mercedes Benz and Lambouguinis lining the streets up and down the hills, wearing furs coats with the expensive high-heeled leather boots and sunglasses makes it seem like what everyone wants to have. On the other hand, I know that these people live a selfish life, with all their money, and you can see that they don't understand what it's like to live a more modest life and that they could do so much more with that money. So, I have mixed feelings about the city itself, which I imagine to be like a small-scale New York City with its parts of the city-state that are divided almost like the New York City boroughs, I feel like.
Next we went to the Japanese Gardens there, and they were beautiful. I think with the waterfall and plants and lake and fish and the Mediterranean in the back-drop, it was the first time I've felt completely at ease the whole trip so far. Just simple tranquility.
The last thing we did was go to the Perfumerie in between Monaco and Nice. We were taken on a tour of the lab where they make perfume, the first lab in the world. Perfume originated in Grasse, France, very close to Nice, where a woman commissioned the city to be able to harvest the flowers and such for essential oils and was eventually moved to the lab where we were. And so, Fragonard (pronounced Frag-o-nar) is the first perfume company in the world. It was good, but the perfume was very strong because it is mostly pure concentrate and not diluted like the eau de toilette and eau de perfume we see in the stores with all the other fancy perfumes, but it was cool to see that this is wear the essential for all the expensive perfumes come from France and such come from (they are distributed to companies like Dior and Chanel to then make their own unique perfumes).
After that, I was done. Long day, but beautiful sights. It made me really appreciate the region I chose to go with all that southern France has to offer...in my opinion, probably the best/most unique places to go in the shortest distance. I want to go to Arles, Avignon, Cannes, Marseille, Montpellier, Bordeaux, and the best part is, all of these cities are only a few hours away. How's that for traveling. :) Much more to come! I hope you are all doing well and miss you all!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
A Few More Things
1) I'm going to monaco this weekend I think!! Super cheap trip of only 25euros!!! :) I want to go later in the semester because it'll be warm and magnificent with the warm weather and ports and sea but at least it'll give us something to do because...we are ALL SOOOO BORED already :) we live in a .3 mile radius I think, and it's already getting a bit boring... :/ school is hard to understand but there is no homework...and so nothing to do outside of the 4 hours of class a day. but, I think I am going to join a gym where students get better prices and try to volunteer somewhere if i can. also, maybe teach english to some kids or adults? It would be good cash in an expensive place...
2) Also, a little fact. People here are OBSESSED with american things. I'm sure it's all of europe, in fact, but it's a bit disappointing because for every french or european thing, there is always an american thing that slips in... ALL the stores play american music constantly, there's american apparel (clothing store) and sephora among other things, and they all know about american movies and even obscure reality shows that we barely even pay attention to. For example, my friend Stine (stina) from Norway and I were talking about our political systems at lunch today in our respective countries and we started talking about where we like to vacation. haha weird and I don't know how it came up but we then started talking about California and American stereotypes and how people in NORWAY watch stupid American shows like A Shot At Love with Tila Tequila. I was like American stuff is EVERYWHEREERERERE. Most of these people here have seen more of the U.S. than I have. It's ridiculous. I've talked to SO many people already who have traveled all of the U.S.
Anyways, I just thought you guys would like to know that. It is just so bizarre to me because this is by no means Paris, it's a little city in the south of france and they STILL have tonssss of American things. ughhhhh. haha. I guess at times it can be comforting? but I will have to try to ignore this stuff lol and try to enjoy the actual FRENCH things.
2) Also, a little fact. People here are OBSESSED with american things. I'm sure it's all of europe, in fact, but it's a bit disappointing because for every french or european thing, there is always an american thing that slips in... ALL the stores play american music constantly, there's american apparel (clothing store) and sephora among other things, and they all know about american movies and even obscure reality shows that we barely even pay attention to. For example, my friend Stine (stina) from Norway and I were talking about our political systems at lunch today in our respective countries and we started talking about where we like to vacation. haha weird and I don't know how it came up but we then started talking about California and American stereotypes and how people in NORWAY watch stupid American shows like A Shot At Love with Tila Tequila. I was like American stuff is EVERYWHEREERERERE. Most of these people here have seen more of the U.S. than I have. It's ridiculous. I've talked to SO many people already who have traveled all of the U.S.
Anyways, I just thought you guys would like to know that. It is just so bizarre to me because this is by no means Paris, it's a little city in the south of france and they STILL have tonssss of American things. ughhhhh. haha. I guess at times it can be comforting? but I will have to try to ignore this stuff lol and try to enjoy the actual FRENCH things.
Aix so far...and letting everyone know I'm still alive
The last few days i was kind of in a slump because the things we were doing were very difficult. Imagine opening a bank account, dealing with signing up for a foreign country's social security system for health insurance, and signing up for classes all in anotehr language!!! It's SUPER hard. My first lecture was 2 hours long and I was like...what did you say? Except like almost the whole lecture...but the other class was better and today was much better because I could understand the professeur better. I still dont really know what's going on, but it'll get better I'm sure.
I've made tons of friends already, but am just in that stage of finding out who I really want to hang out with...and esp. travel with. It's like freshman year all over again. But so far, i pretty much like all the Wisconsin girls and some Indiana girls and have also made a really good friend it seems like already with a girl named Stine (like Stina) from Norway, Sandra from Mexico, a girl from South Africa, and a few others. I think we've already found our group of 3 french boys who loveeee those blonde american girls lol and hopefully they will become our guy friends who show us around and teach us all the fun things about being a 20-year-old french person. haha
I'm living with a women in her 60s who is SUPER interesting. She was born in paris, studied in london, went to brown for her masters and started her ph.d but didn't finish. She married an american man who went to Yale and blah blah and got his ph.d, too. she has 2 daughters (25 and 23) one went to indiana, the poli sci school i go to for her masters, and now lives in london, going to the school of economics. The other goes to harvard. Needless to say, they are incredibly intelligent. She's divorced tho now and has lived here i think for like 5 years. I also live with a girl from indiana who is nice and outgoing like me named Leigh.
What else...the city is beautiful and very old (being a former Roman city, actually), lots and lots of shops and cafes and fountains and people, but it's cold and SUPER expensive....just as expensive as Paris because it's the 2nd most expensive town in france. :( but, it's close to everything, so it has it's pluses. my room is good (15 ft ceilings, i would guess) but is kinda...old lady? If you know what I mean. But i need to find a place to print pictures...maybe get a bulletin board or something for pictures and maybe some posters to livin up the place a little. Tomorrow this international students organization organized a club night for 10 euro, so a bunch of us are going. :) I also signed up for the ski trip at the end of January for the Alps!!! soooooo excited!!! 3 days, 2 nights, 3 day pass, a restaurant meal, and 2 breakfasts for only 100 dollars!! soo cheap and fun i'm sure. lots of people are going and I'm SO excited!
I've made tons of friends already, but am just in that stage of finding out who I really want to hang out with...and esp. travel with. It's like freshman year all over again. But so far, i pretty much like all the Wisconsin girls and some Indiana girls and have also made a really good friend it seems like already with a girl named Stine (like Stina) from Norway, Sandra from Mexico, a girl from South Africa, and a few others. I think we've already found our group of 3 french boys who loveeee those blonde american girls lol and hopefully they will become our guy friends who show us around and teach us all the fun things about being a 20-year-old french person. haha
I'm living with a women in her 60s who is SUPER interesting. She was born in paris, studied in london, went to brown for her masters and started her ph.d but didn't finish. She married an american man who went to Yale and blah blah and got his ph.d, too. she has 2 daughters (25 and 23) one went to indiana, the poli sci school i go to for her masters, and now lives in london, going to the school of economics. The other goes to harvard. Needless to say, they are incredibly intelligent. She's divorced tho now and has lived here i think for like 5 years. I also live with a girl from indiana who is nice and outgoing like me named Leigh.
What else...the city is beautiful and very old (being a former Roman city, actually), lots and lots of shops and cafes and fountains and people, but it's cold and SUPER expensive....just as expensive as Paris because it's the 2nd most expensive town in france. :( but, it's close to everything, so it has it's pluses. my room is good (15 ft ceilings, i would guess) but is kinda...old lady? If you know what I mean. But i need to find a place to print pictures...maybe get a bulletin board or something for pictures and maybe some posters to livin up the place a little. Tomorrow this international students organization organized a club night for 10 euro, so a bunch of us are going. :) I also signed up for the ski trip at the end of January for the Alps!!! soooooo excited!!! 3 days, 2 nights, 3 day pass, a restaurant meal, and 2 breakfasts for only 100 dollars!! soo cheap and fun i'm sure. lots of people are going and I'm SO excited!
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