Alps, Monaco, Cannes, Nice and why I've been MIA

For the past few days I've been very sick. Nothing is worse than being sick in a foreign country. I thought being sick away at college was hard, but at least the pharmacies speak English and I know how to get to a doctor! Luckily some of the others on the trip have been sick as well, so a group of us went to the pharmacy together. Through broken French, English and gestures we were able to secure some cold pills and cough syrup. Hopefully that will help. I don't want to dwell on my illness, however. This post will focus on my past few days as best as I can remember them.

Hiking in the Alps was unbelievable. We had to wake up at an ungodly hour, but as a wise woman (my maman) once said "I've never regretted waking up early for something." So I went and it was sooo worth it. After about an hour and a half up a winding mountain road in a bus that was far to large to be attempting the narrow roads (side note French bus drivers are magicians! more on them and public transportation later). Luckily I was able to sleep through most of it. When we finally arrived we realized just how cold it was! None of us were expecting it, as we had just come from the coast which, even at 7am is hot. Once we finally got moving, though, we warmed up and made it all the way to the top! Views were gorgeous, I'm so glad I went.

Unfortunately I am experience technical difficulties, which are made worse by the fact that I don't speak, read or write French.....so no pictures yet. I will work on that and get back to you. I hope my French adventures are enough to engage you for now....

Back to the Alps. After hiking back down, which was much quicker than the hike up, we stopped at a charming little restaurant. Best olive oil, hands down! We couldn't get enough of it, or the delicious homemade omelettes we ordered. Then we went on to a cafe and sat and talked for a while, enjoying hot chocolate and coffee to warm ourselves up. Who knew just a two hour bus ride could make such a difference in the temperature! The bus ride back was uneventful, or so I'm told. I fell asleep again!

The Alps was Sunday (7/17) and the rest of the week was fairly uneventful. This Sunday, however, was Monaco! Another gorgeous place, although mostly uneventful. Well at least now I can say I've visited! I saw the casino and even went into the lobby. It was beautiful and I wish I could have gone inside to see the rest of the glamour, but I'm too cheap to pay €10 to get in. Perhaps if I meet a prince... I also saw the church were Prince Albert was recently married (oh mon dieu, such rumors!) and the castle itself! The group I was with was able to take a guided audio tour of the part open to the public. While beautiful, as one girl pointed out it was a bit like Disneyland. Very clean, almost fake looking and lots of shops for tourists. Ah well, the views from the top of the hill where the castle was were beautiful.

On Tuesday we went to Cannes. I had a similar experience in Cannes as I did in Monaco. It was beautiful and I'm glad I went, although nothing special really stood out to me. Perhaps I need to come for the film festival...again, where is my prince?!

So many days blur together here so I don't recall the exact date this happened, but I had so much fun I thought I'd share. I was feeling restless in my room and unproductive (I have two research papers to do while I'm here!) so I thought I'd take a walk into Old Nice. On the way I mailed some post cards. Once I made it into Old Nice I felt so much better! It's filled with so many ally ways that twist and turn you could get so lost. Luckily shops line the allies so it's easy to keep yourself entertained while you try to find your way out of the maze. I stopped for a Nutella crepe for energy. They are quickly becoming my weakness! And then on to one of the cutest shops ever! It's filled with salts, spices, mixes, flavored sugars, soaps and I don't even know what else. The best part is it's not just any salt or spices, but really unique ones. Of course I immediately knew what my father's gift from France would be. Ever the foodie (http://soundfood.blogspot.com/) I knew he'd LOVE anything from this shop. Me being my mother's daughter (AKA total shopaholic) quickly got to work picking out what I thought he'd have the most fun experimenting with. My haul: Egyptian salt, seaweed salt, some kind of red salt that I think I read goes well with chicken, chocolate flavored sugar, a fish rub, a steak rub and another mix I think is supposed to be for vegetables. Most signs were in French, but I could translate a bit and I know that my dad will have fun with anything I get him. Successful day! I can't wait to see what he mixes up for me....hint hint :) 


This post is far too long to be with out pictures, so I will end here and hopefully get my technical difficulties sorted out soon! 

Antibes!

Oh, Antibes....how I wish I could stay forever. It was beautiful. Only a 15 minute train ride from Nice, I will definitely be returning while I still can.

We arrived early in the morning, around 10:30 and explored the harbor with our helpful guide Igor. Yachts galore! We could not believe the size of them.

This gorgeous sailboat was my favorite:

Next we walked through town which was so cute! Patisseries, gelato shops, restaurants, an open air market selling all kinds of knick knacks and antiques, and the most amazing food market called the Marché Provençal. 

Marché Provençal

Best olives I've ever had, hands down

Fromage

Next we walked along the coast line seeing the beautiful sites. We saw gorgeous French maisons (houses) and the beautiful view. 

   Our guide then decided to torture us with a steep hill covered in jagged rocks. Keep in mind is about 90 degrees, so of course we're all in flip flops. The view from the top:

worth it

After safely making it back to the bottom of the hill (I had some serious doubts that I would) we sat out doors and had a drink and a snack. After we continued to wander around the town, admiring the beautiful architecture and the novelty of a beautiful French town. The day concluded with dinner at Le Chaudron (the Cauldron). An adorable hole in the wall restaurant with amazingly fresh seafood. If you are in Antibes or anywhere near I highly suggest it. The service was wonderful, as was the food and wine. 

    

Next up: the Alps!

For those interested in the academics...

http://www.northeastern.edu/studyabroad/programs/description/?id=125

Course credits:

SOCL 4535: European Union: Social and Political Issues - The course deals with current challenges being faced by the European Union countries, with special emphasis on economic problems, status of the welfare state, political issues, immigration, effects of recent EU expansion, European policies regarding neighboring regions, and the future of EU integration. Particular attention will be given to the role of France and the recent changes in French domestic and foreign policies.

Learning objectives: Students will learn about the origins of the European Union and the reasons for its creation; the important role played by the EU and by its member states in global affairs; the challenge of integrating separate nations into a more unified economic and political entity; and the ways in which the region is dealing with the challenges of a new century. Given the historical and cultural connections between the USA and Europe, it is important that American students have an informed knowledge and understanding of the latter. Because the Dialog will be based in France, special attention will be given to the ways in which France is responding to challenges to its way of life.

Assignments:In addition to lectures and assigned reading, students will be responsible for conducting a research project on a topic to be decided in consultation with the instructor. The precise topic will be chosen to fit with the student's interests, and will be designed to build on courses they have already taken at NU. The results of the research will be presented in a research paper, which will be due on August 15.

SOCL 4580: Special Topics in Sociology: Societies and Cultures of the Mediterranean Region - The course looks at the ways in which the societies on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea have been connected during the last two millennia, the conflicts that have occurred, the ways in which cultural perceptions and definitions have developed, the religious and political differences that have emerged, and the recent rise of terrorism as a factor in the region. The course will also look at recent attempts to integrate the region into some kind of Mediterranean Union, the reasons for their failure, and what can be expected in the future.

Learning Objectives: The aim of the course is to understand why this region, where continents and civilizations meet, is of special global significance in the Twenty-First Century. Students will gain an understanding of the trends and tensions in the region, of the sources of conflict and cooperation between Mediterranean nations, and of the possible consequences of a failure to improve relations. Finally, students compare the Mediterranean experience with attempts in other areas of the world to create regional programs and identities.

Assignments: In addition to lectures and assigned reading, students will be responsible for conducting a research project on a topic to be decided in consultation with me. The precise topic will be chosen to fit with the student�s interests, and will be deigned to build on courses they have already taken at NU. The results of the research will be presented in a research paper, which will be due on August 15.

More on my first few days....

Here are my first few days as best as I can remember:

Thursday: arrived in a haze and settled into my room. It's very European and tiny! Thank god I don't have to share it. It's just a bed, desk, small closet and bathroom (perhaps I'll post pictures when it's not so messy!). To give you an idea of how big the room is, sitting on my bed I can pretty much reach everything. The shower is so tiny I, at a proud 5' 2" can't comfortably shower. I can't imagine how my 6' 4" classmate does it. Bonuses: mini fridge and full length mirror! After unpacking I got a pizza from a truck at the bottom of the hill. Parked in an ally this truck is pretty much just a a counter top and oven. The man doesn't even keep the dough in the food truck, but in his car parked across the way. Slightly sketch, but so delicious it was worth it.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday ran together in my mind: exploring old town, eating, and going to the beach. It was amazing! 

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we had classes. I won't bore you with those details :) Thursday was Bastille Day which, for those of you who don't know, is like 4th of July in America (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastille_Day). We had no classes. Instead we spent the day at the beach and then watched beautiful fireworks around 10pm. 

This weekend was absolutely amazing. Saturday we spent the day in Antibes, a small town about a 15 minute train ride from Nice, and Sunday we went hiking in the Alps! A little less than 2 hours from Nice...amazing. I am planning on devoting two separate posts to those days. For now all I will saying is I am having the most wonderful time here in France! 

À bientôt 

A sneak peek of Antibes and the Alps:

Finally a post!: First week in Nice, France.

Bonjour (hello),

Finally I am posting for the first time! It has been such a crazy week, I feel as though I've hardly had five minutes to myself. I know, however, that people are dying to know all about my European adventures, so I will write them down as best as I can remember. Thankfully I've been journaling on a semi-regular basis, so I can hopefully remember them as best I can.

First a little background: I'm here in the South of France studying Europe and the Mediterranean from a sociological prospective for five weeks (more on my classes in a later post). This is my first time in Europe and I am beyond excited to be here!

My class of 23 students, 2 interpreters and 1 very English, very hilarious professor arrived on Thursday 7/7. My wonderful boyfriend who has been interning in India for the past 6 months (http://x6monthsinindia.blogspot.com/) decided to stay in France for a few days on his way back to the states. My first few days in Nice were spent in a wonderful blur of reuniting with him, making friends with my fellow students, eating good food, drinking good wine, exploring the city and spending time at the beach.

France is everything I had hoped it would be and more. The city is amazing and the weather wonderful.

Tomorrow I am waking up at 5:30 am to go hiking in the Alps, so I must sign off. Hopefully my next post will be longer and more organized!

À bientôt (talk to you soon).