Salut tout le monde! I didn't post yesterday because it was a rather boring day to write about. Really the only exciting events were that I started a new book, The Poisonwood Bible, I went to the school (just for a moment though, I didn't see much), and I had my first trip to a French supermarket. We didn't get too many items there, but it is near the school and we were out.
Today was a bit more eventful. Around noon I began descending the hill from my house to the main part of my new little town. I had a rendez-vous with Paul and Cara, the two other exchange students in my town. Paul's host family (who will eventually become mine; the three of us are switching among the same three households) owns a pizzeria in town, so we decided to meet there for lunch. I saw this pizzeria my first day in Cavalaire, so I had to do some searching through the haze of my memory from the past few days here. The days run together. I finally stumbled upon the cozy, little restaurant. After kissing the cheeks of my already known acquaintances, I greeted Paul with the same gesture. While we waited for Cara to arrive, we folded pizza boxes to pass time. Finalement, Cara came and soon following the three of us ate some delicious homemade pizza. Half of mine was cheese, goat cheese, and mushroom, and the other portion was made up of tomato sauce, cheese, olives, bell peppers, and artichoke. C'etait fantastique! It was also a relief to speak non-broken English with normal people (you can never tell with exchange students; sometimes they can be quite "interesting" characters). The three of us conversed in French as well and helped one another recall vocabulary.
After dejeuner, we were off a la plage! I think if one wants to become a member of the Cavalaire community, they must first, have a tan (even if one is as pale as a ghost, they will have a tan line), second, be skinny, and third, look very attractive without makeup (since daily life is spent on the sand or in the water). I think I'll get there, at least to some extent. The tan, I am working on. Usually, I just burn, but today after two or three hours at the beach I became a darker shade minus some of the redness. Perhaps the French sun will be my miracle worker! Swimming in the Mediterranean cooled me off an extreme amount. The water is as clear as crystal can be. I can always see my feet. Ahhh, and it is oh so refreshing after a hot day without air conditioning. I think the Office of Tourism will be my sanctuary on the hottest days because it seems to be the only place on the whole Cote d'Azur that has le climatisation. It is nice to be able to keep my window open all day and night though. In fact, since I've gotten here I haven't closed my window. All the windows in the house have huge shutters that we close during the hot times of the day and open back up mid-afternoon. All our meals are eaten outside on the patio with the true French doors open to lead into the house. The outside space is very much a continuation of the rest of the house.
I never thought I would be the kind of person that could live on the beach. That was before I came to live on the French Riviera. I do believe that I could spend eternity out on those sandy shores. It is just so incredibly beautiful. This whole region is! I think it will be nice to start school and have the structure that comes with a routine, but I'm glad I'll have time to relax sur la plage before I begin. Tomorrow afternoon I think I will repeat the afternoon of today. Time on the beach and in the water with friends.
Here's a fun fact: In France, Dora from Dora the Explorer speaks in French and teaches English words. Interessant!
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