Corse

The weekend following my trip with my family was a weekend cruise to the island of Corsica. This years Rotary District Conference was a lovely little cruise out to the island. I was extremely excited to go for a few reasons. First of all, I've never been on a cruise. Then, we were going to get to see some of Corsica and finally because I got to miss school that Friday. Paul, Cara, and I left with a rotarian and his wife for Toulon where the boat debarked. We spent about an hour or so in Toulon, taking a quick spin through the mall, before heading over to the dock where our big, yellow, Corsica Ferry cruise ship awaited us. As we were signing in and getting our name tags we saw the other exchange students in our district and got to catch up a bit before heading up the big ramp. Once inside, we looked around just enough to find our rooms and relieve ourselves of our bags. Our rooms slept four but fit about two (no, I think we managed to squeeze all ten of us in one at some point). We then set out to explore our weekend home. We managed to figure out how to get to the dining room and then to the "Dancing Palace" where the welcome speech would be given that night. After a good hour or so of walking around and catching up we went and grabbed our lovely Rotary blazers to go have a cocktail with the rotarians. The ten of us found some tables in the dance hall, which had a huge window showcasing the Med. We were served champagne as we listened to the District Governor give his welcome address to the rotarians. Note: the Governor was, from this first night onward, called the Guhvnuh *cue British accent*. Following the opening words was our first buffet dinner in the dining hall. The Corsica Ferry was loaded down with food from main dishes to cheeses to fruits and desserts. I knew I wouldn't starve on this trip to say the least. Most of the night was spent hanging out with one another and talking into the next day. Sleeping on the sea was very bizarre. I didn't really notice the movement of the ship until I was lying down in my little fold out bunk bed. But, I made it through the night without problems.

The next morning we had to wake up at the crack of dawn (six to be exact) in order to make it to breakfast in time. We grabbed our plates with half-open eyes and sat in the dining hall looking out at the beautiful water underneath us. Soon we would arrive. However, once we got to Corse we could not get off the boat. We sat in conferences for the majority of the morning, and then we had lunch. That afternoon we were given some free time, but we were too exhausted to head out on the island for an hour or so. We ended up napping for a bit then had some time to shower before heading off the boat and seeing some of Corse. All ten of us walked around a bit and went to a café with our youth exchange district rotarian and his wife for a drink-yes, there's always a lot of café-ing and coffee drinking. After this little break and moment on the island, we went back to the ship just to change into nice clothes in order to be presentable for the evening's activity. We had the opportunity to meet the mayor of Ajaccio, Corsica at the town hall. It was actually quite a spectacle. We walked up a large staircase, flanked by snare drummers and horn players, until we made it to the reception type room with large portraits of Napoleon Bonaparte and his likes hanging on the walls (he was born there). The mayor gave a speech addressing the Rotary and also a few other people/organizations. He called all of us (us being the exchange students) up to the front of the crowd to applaud us and give his thoughts on the importance of youth exchange. Overall, a very nice little function. Afterwards we found ourselves among finger foods and live music but only for a minute; we had to head back to the boat for the night's event. We got back on the boat and headed back to our rooms for just a minute before going to eat our last dinner on the cruise. The meal the last night was a sit-down dinner, not just a buffet. It lasted a good, long while like most French meals do. That whole afternoon Cara, along with two other girls, had been preparing to sing at the event of the evening. So after dinner we went back to the "Dancing Palace" to join in the fun. The only problem was that it was rather late already and we were all completely wiped out. Lack of sleep, apart from common thought, does not always work so well for teenagers. We get tired too. It turned out that the three could sing tomorrow since the docket was already full that night and because we were all half asleep. We called it night to try and catch up on some sleep.

The next morning we all woke up, again at the ridiculous hour of six, to go to breakfast and then get ready for some free time on the island before leaving. Paul, Cara, and I went out on the beach and found some sea glass, walked around, and took some pictures. We ran into everyone else and saw a little bit more of the area before getting ready to head back to Toulon. It would take about six hours to get back which meant that we still had a good bit of time on the boat. The rest of our time on the boat consisted of starting a mambo line across the Dancing Palace and going out on the deck of the boat and nearly getting blown away. The wind was INCREDIBLE! We had to hold on to the rails just to walk. It was absolutely ridiculous and so much fun. We were all shouting and cracking up while trying not to get blown into the Mediterranean. As the sun went down we packed everything up and went into the lobby of the boat. We were expected to arrive in Toulon around six, but we soon found out that there was a delay due to weather I believe, and we wouldn't be getting in until around eight or so. We sat in the lobby with our bags, for a couple of hours and then arrived back on solid ground. It was about an hour and a half/two hour drive to make it back to Cavalaire and to our houses. But, we did and were exhausted from the weekend excursion. The next week was a short one of only three days though because we were leaving Wednesday evening to start our twelve day adventure across Europe.

Provence

The first thing Avignon rendered us was wind, lots of it. It reminded me of home, well home in France. The wind can be brutal in Cavalaire. The four us found the line of taxis, that had napping drivers at the wheel, and woke one of them up to take us to our hotel. The first thing I noticed about Avignon was the size of the streets. They were miniscule! And this is coming from someone who has lived in Europe for eight months and is used to the particularly small size of things: roads, cars, houses, people. The streets of Avignon were something else though. We winded down the cobblestones to our hotel. The hotel was actually more like a bed and breakfast sans the breakfast. We met the owners-a husband and wife- who were extremely nice and helpful. They showed us up to our two little apartments and gave us maps of Avignon along with some helpful hints. We got settled in a bit and then headed over to the pedestrian streets in the center of town to find a restaurant. We sat down at a nice local place, and this is when my use of French kicked in. In Paris one can easily get by speaking English (although it's definitely preferred to at least attempt French); however, in Avignon we found this to be quite the contrary. Our meal was again delicious, and we left to walk around the streets a bit more.

The next morning we woke up and got ready to head to the Office of Tourism to meet our tour guide. His name was Alain, and he would be taking us all around Provence. Each day we went to several little towns, saw the sights, and then came and spent the nights back in Avignon. This first day, we loaded up in the van, after Lucie had a molten chocolate cake for breakfast, and headed out to Gordes. Gordes was a ridiculously beautiful town all made of white and gray stone buildings that spiraled up the huge hill upon which it was set. My first thought was that it looked like Minas Tirith from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Apparently many celebrities and artists have homes there-it's too expensive for us normal people. We went for the Tuesday morning market where many Provencal items are sold by the vendors. It was very similar to the markets around my town but still very interesting. We walked through the town, going down little streets and passageways, and our tour guide pointed out some of the interesting historical points of Gordes. For instance, there are still several little stone huts called bories dispersed throughout the countryside, and also there are stones placed vertically on walls to hold the other stones in place because cement was not used in those times. We went into the cathedral that sits on the very top of the hill and afterwards found a spot with the best view of the valleys below. Provence is breathtaking.

Following Gordes was Roussillon, but before stopping in this red and orange town (explanation to come!) we passed by the Abbey of Senanque. This abbey is still in use today and is in the absolute best location. It is down in a valley surrounded by lavender fields (sadly we didn't get to see them in bloom) that the monks tend. The abbey is the most tranquil looking place I've ever seen; it's in complete peace and quiet which makes for a perfect area for monks. We continued on to Roussillon, a village which used to be an ochre quarry; thus, all of the buildings are shades of red, pink, orange, and yellow. Our guide dropped us off at the start of the ochre walk where we passed through the rolling hills and woods colored in these sun tones. Again, exquisitely beautiful. Lunch was after the ochre walk on the terrace of a restaurant overlooking the town and the fields of Provence below.

Our next stop was the town of Ménerbes, but on the way we stopped to see Le Pont Julien, a Roman bridge built around 3 B.C. that crosses the river Calavon. As we were walking across the bridge, we were mesmerized by the fact that we actually could walk across a bridge built in 3 B.C. The Romans never cease to impress me with their architectural feats. We arrived in Ménerbes and passed Dora Maar's house while heading up to the Maison de la Truffe et du Vin du Luberon (House of Truffles and Wine of Luberon). We got to the little truffle museum and discovered the wonders of a black truffle. We even got to smell some of these mushroom delicacies while reading about the history of finding and selling truffles. Downstairs of the House of Truffles was a wine cellar filled with wines from the Luberon region in Provence. Wine and truffles all in the same building; who could ask for more! The day of exploring Provence came to an end after taking a stroll through Ménerbes. We were dropped back off in Avignon and had dinner in the town that night.

The following morning was spent in the city of Arles. I never realized how much Roman influence was left in France, especially in the Provence area. The first thing we saw when getting to Arles were the columns left from an ancient Roman bridge. Arles was a major port for the Romans seeing as it sits on the Rhone river. We walked along the river a bit before having breakfast at a café in the Place du Forum. The Place du Forum is where two columns of the old Roman forum rest. From here we walked over to the Place de la République and saw two well-known monuments of Arles: the Obelisk and the Church of St. Trophime. The obelisk is from the 4th century, erected under the Roman rule of Constantine II, and the church dates back to the 12th and 15th centuries. Next was a walk around the amphitheater and past the Roman theater, both of which were sadly under renovation. We did get to see some aspects of the incredible architecture. Arles is also very famous for its more modern history. Vincent van Gogh moved to Arles in 1888 and spent that year painting many landscapes and buildings in the area before being hospitalized months later. Many of his most famous paintings came from Arles. Gauguin also spent some time in Arles with van Gogh and created several paintings there as well. Throughout the city there are several markers indicating places that van Gogh painted. It was interesting, for me, to know that such an influential artist stood where I was standing and saw what I was seeing. We exited the great Roman walls surrounding the city to drive to Les Baux-de-Provence.

Les Baux is a village on a hill surrounded on every side by a white, grayish stone similar to that of Gordes. All of the buildings are built out of this stone making the whole town an off-white color. We stopped to have lunch outside and ate a delicious meal under the sun topped off with big ice cream desserts and crème brûlée for Lucie. We continued on through the village passing by the picturesque shops and restaurants and got to the Musée des Santons. Santons are little figurines made for the Nativity scene at Christmas. These are very popular in Provence, and many of the French have vast collections of santons. The santons are various people of Provencal life: bakers, painters, shepherds, and even a village dunce. The handcrafted works of art were displayed in the little museum and showed how the figurines changed throughout the years. After seeing the santons we walked up to the Château des Baux, taking us into the medieval period. Today, mock catapults and weapons are dispersed throughout the fortress allowing visitors to see what defending this town was really like. We got great views of the area as we climbed to the tops of some of the intact towers. Lucie and I were put in the stocks before finishing our day at Les Baux.

The next day we were off to Nîmes, a large city laden with Roman history. Nîmes is home to the best-preserved Roman arena in France. We went inside this amphitheater, which is still used today for bull-fights and other events, and learned about the history of what took place there. We saw a bit more of Nîmes before driving over to the Pont du Gard. The Pont du Gard is a giant bridge and aqueduct built by the Romans to carry water the town of Uzès to Nîmes. The size of this bridge is absolutely phenomenal, seeing as there was no conventional equipment. To make things more impressive, no mortar was used on the Pont du Gard. Every stone was cut to fit the other perfectly. As we walked across the bridge we saw the how the gigantic stones fit together like puzzle pieces. Dad, Lucie, and I walked up to where the aqueduct sits on top of the enormous bridge. Sadly, it isn't open for viewing until May when the tourist season kicks in. That afternoon we had lunch at an eclectic little restaurant in Uzès. The restaurant was famous for selling all types of olive oils. The place was covered in various bottles holding delicious oils that varied in all types of flavors. As late afternoon approached we headed over to the famous Châteauneuf du Pape. This huge wine region in Provence was home to the Popes of Avignon who were apparently avid lovers of wine. The vast vineyards stretched as far as the eye could see, and the small grape plants sprouted out of the rocky terrain. We stopped at one of the vineyards, Château Mont Redon for a wine tasting which consisted of red wines of various ages and eau de vie, a type of brandy. Châteauneuf du Pape ended our outings for the day, and we went back to Avignon for our last night there. We had our last dinner at a restaurant called La Fourchette, which had wonderful Provencal food and was definitely a good meal to end on.

Our last morning in Avignon consisted of us dragging our multiple suitcases through the tiny streets to meet our guide. We packed up to car to head to Cavalaire! I was so excited to have my parents and Lucie come see my semi-permanent home and meet Cara, Paul, and my host parents. We stopped about halfway between Avignon and Cavalaire in a town called Cassis. Cassis is a gorgeous town situated on the Mediterranean among mountains. As we were walking over to a café on the seaside we passed by the port which is down in a calanque. A calanque is a little valley or inlet submerged in water. After our coffee and breakfast we got back on the road and headed towards "home."

We were greeted in Cavalaire by Paul and Cara at my second host parents' pizzeria. After the introductions (which weren't really needed seeing as my parents have already spoken to Cara and Paul multiple times over skype) we went into the pizzeria were more introductions were made. I was so happy that Christine and Michel got to meet my parents and Lucie, especially after spending time with Lauren when she was with me before Paris. My family and me, along with Paul and Cara, went to have lunch in a restaurant on the seaside in Cavalaire. I was radiant with everyone at the table together. My first host mom, Laurence, invited us all to the house after lunch for dessert and coffee. It was so wonderful to have Mom, Dad, and Lucie meet Laurence and Christophe. A strong connection was already in place between my parents and my first host parents because their daughter Deborah is doing an exchange in Tupelo. We literally swapped places. My parents got to talk with Laurence over tarte tropézienne and tarte aux mirabelles (merci Laurence et Christophe!). Christophe came a little later before my parents and Lucie had to leave. That night they were staying in Marseille so they could catch their plane the next morning. I was so ecstatic to have them all finally meet. I really couldn't have asked for more. I told my parents and Lucie goodbye before they got back in the car with our guide to leave. It was hard to see them go, but I know I will see them again soon-plus the internet, especially skype, does wonders.

(Don't forget to read the Paris post right below; it's new too!)

Paris

Once again I've been an unfaithful blogger. I'm sorry... the time goes by fast (especially these past few weeks). The blog is about to be littered with updates all at one time. So back to the Paris trip with my family. Lauren and I got to the Nice airport early Thursday morning, checked our bags, got through security, and then waited. Our plane was delayed about an hour and a half so we didn't take off until around 11. We arrived at Charles de Gaulle, found our bags and the RER, and headed to the hotel where we were to meet our parents and Lucie. Lauren and I love each other very much, but we are not always the best travel companions; just in more stressful situations. I tend to be rather stubborn, headstrong, and figure things out as I go. Lauren, on the other hand, likes to have more of a plan and ask someone for help if there's a problem. Not always the best combination. We discovered this as we were looking for the RER in the airport. Eventually, after finding the RER, we had to buy tickets which required me to go to an ATM then take that money and change it into coin pieces that would work in the ticket machine. All this sounds very simple, and it is, but at the time it was stressful and complicated. We got situated in the RER for the half hour trip into Paris. Lauren was lucky enough to grab a spot across the aisle from an old Venetian man. He began speaking to her in broken English about his life in Venice and how he plays the piano. Lauren, being the kind, caring person she is, did not want to be rude to the old, slightly creepy man so she began answering his questions and making small talk with him. I would have been worried if an American woman fluent in Italian hadn't been sitting next to us as well. He got off a stop or so before us, and we finished the ride with a laugh about the unusual conversation that had fallen upon my sister.

We made it to the hotel all in one piece only to find that our parents had not yet arrived. We weren't expecting them to be there until a little after us so we stored our bags and went to get lunch about a block away. Our hotel was in a perfect spot on the Rue de Rivoli, right across from the Jardin des Tuileries, and in between the Louvre and the Champs-Elysees. Lauren and I walked down the Rue de Rivoli after lunch until we could check into the hotel. Again, we arrived at the hotel to no parents. At this point we checked in and went up to the room (which had a staircase-it was cool). After unpacking a few things I got my computer up and running only to find that the internet did not work. Several failed connection attempts later, Lauren finally convinced stubborn ol' me to call the front desk. The internet man came to our room to try and fix the problem, got on the phone, and told us that he couldn't do anything (Macs and France don't mesh too well yet). Lauren, at this point, was freaking out-to say the least-and began to curse the country that I've lived in for the past 7 months. In the middle of this rant my first host mom called to make sure that we had gotten there and that my parents had arrived as well. I explained our situation and then she got online to see if I had any emails or facebook updates. Turns out my parents had missed their flight in Atlanta due to weather conditions or something of that sort, and they would be getting in the next day. Finally Lauren and I could begin enjoying ourselves knowing that our parents weren't lost in the Atlantic Ocean. By this time it was already about four in the afternoon so we headed out to find Les Galeries Lafayette. The gigantic department store was not far from our hotel at all, and we got to pass by the lovely Paris Opera on the way. Time went by fast as we climbed up the floors in the immense Parisian store, exploring every nook and cranny. We left and grabbed a sandwich at a nearby restaurant before heading back to the hotel.

The next morning we waited anxiously in the room for the travelers to get in. I couldn't keep still and had to pace back and forth in the confined space to keep from going crazy. At last we heard that beloved knock on the door signaling that my parents were there with Lucie. I could not have been happier. Lucie has grown up so much. She was bigger and taller and talked just as much as before. My parents looked exhausted after three days of traveling in the same clothes. Plus, their suitcases did not make it with them after this ongoing journey which tends to add a whole other layer to the awfulness that often is traveling. It was so nice to be with my family after six months without them (if only Will could have made it out; it's ok Brother, I know you had farm duties). Dad and Lucie took a nap-jetlag is never an easy state to battle-while Lauren, Mom, and I walked over to the Champs-Elysees to have lunch at Ladurée, the famous macaroon shop. The restaurant was breathtakingly beautiful; the multi-colored macaroons covering every square inch of the place probably played a small part in this. The food was equally wonderful and the macaroons that we bought after were simply scrumptious. Ladurée was followed by GAP to buy clothes for the three vagabonds. Thankfully, the clothes ended up not being needed. Their suitcases came that night only after we got back from having a nice meal at Le Restaurant in L'Hotel on the Left Bank of Paris.

The next day we had a tour which started at Victor Hugo's house in Le Marais-a district in Paris which still has its old feel because it wasn't reconstructed by Haussmann like the majority of Paris- and ended at the Notre Dame, or Quasi's house as Lucie calls it. Our guide was incredibly nice, and we saw a good bit of Paris on the tour. Lucie's jaw dropped when we saw the Notre Dame up close-a priceless moment. We had an incredible lunch in a little restaurant we stumbled upon on L'Ile St. Louis. (Just a little side note, it's taking all that I have not to describe every morsel of food I ate on this trip. Everything was simply fantastic.) That afternoon/evening we wandered around the streets soaking up the Parisian atmosphere.

Le Louvre was next on the agenda. The day started at the huge pyramid before the tremendous castle. The tour was a scavenger hunt geared more towards Lucie since the rest of us have hit the major highlights before. It was still fun to run around the Louvre with her looking at all the wonderful art. She got a book from the guide that even I was jealous of. It looked like fun. Following the Louvre was more time spent on the Champs-Elysees and just walking around the city.

That night was the big meal on the Eiffel tower. Lauren and I got ready before and took the metro to go find her friend's cousin who is studying abroad this semester in Paris. We had planned on meeting him at the Starbuck's on Avenue Victor Hugo, not too far from our hotel. We took the metro until the end of the Champs-Elysees and not the next stop in the middle of Avenue Victor Hugo. We thought this way we could see the Arc de Triomphe a bit closer and the Starbucks wouldn't be too far down the road. We were wrong. We definitely should've gotten off at the second stop. After booking it down the first half of the huge avenue we got to one of the circles of death that have roads shooting off from every end. We ended up getting completely turned around after completing the circle in its entirety and started walking back down the street we came up. Finally, after much confusion, we ended up at the Starbuck's and talked to her friend's cousin for a bit. We left only to get turned around again trying to get to the Eiffel Tower (I'm convinced that the maps in Paris are backwards just for the record). We ended up making it in time to find our parents with Lucie standing in line, waiting to get on the big elevator that would take us up to the restaurant on the first level. All five of us made it up after waiting in the long line. We got our table, which had an excellent view, and once again had a gastronomical overload of goodness. Lucie finished off her meal with an Eiffel Tower chocolate cake. Paris was seen by night again as we walked a bit, found a taxi, and made our way back to the hotel where the packing commenced. Finally, the suitcases were filled, in a somewhat organized manner, and we could get some rest before waking up at the crack of dawn to head out to the airport.

I always love waking up at five in the morning to travel, but that doesn't make it any easier to actually wake up. Yet another taxi took us out to Charles de Gaulle. The baggage was unloaded, and it was time to say goodbye to the big sis. Lauren left after the sad moment (it's ok, we'll be together ALL summer) and Dad, Mom, Lucie, and I headed to the train station in Charles de Gaulle (extremely convenient). We grabbed breakfast then waited for the train after some confusion with the platform number. Our seats were comfortable which was nice for the four hour ride. It went by fast. Initially, I had had the intention of sleeping; however, adorable, talkative Lucie made that impossible. I was more than happy to stay up and talk to her though. We even took a walk around the train a bit. I think I'm still a six year old at heart; that's why Lucie and I get along so well. Every time another train would pass by we would just look at each other and laugh. Four hours later, we were in Avignon.

Lauren Chez Moi

Friday I came back to Cavalaire after spending five days in Paris with Lauren, Lucie, Dad, and Mom then five days traveling around Provence with Mom, Dad, and Lucie. I have much to tell about the Paris trip and seeing many towns all around Provence, but I plan on posting those tomorrow because this post will focus on when Lauren came to Cavalaire.

Saturday, March 6th seemed like a rather long day. Lauren's plane from Munich, Germany did not get to Nice until around three that afternoon. My first host mom, Laurence, drove Cara and me to the airport to pick up Lauren. Cara was leaving the next day to go skiing with her class so she only got to spend a little time with Lauren. We get to the airport, right on time I might add, only to see that Lauren's plane was delayed an hour. As if it wasn't hard enough to wait until three! Now, I had to wait until five! Finally, it landed. Whoever designed the Nice airport was just mean. The baggage claim is separated from the waiting area by automatic doors that only let passengers come out. Cara and I paced back and forth trying to locate Lauren while the doors momentarily opened to let someone through. At last, we spotted Lauren with her red backpack. Excitedly, I waved and screamed her name. Of course we had to stand there waiting and waiting until her bag came out. I was so happy to hug her when she walked through those doors. As we walked to the car Lauren told us about her flight... apparently Germany wasn't her favorite country. She was amazed at how much the scenery changed from cold, gray, snow in Munich to sun, palm trees, and bright foliage in Nice.

Two hours and much conversation later we arrived safely in Cavalaire. We were greeted at the house by Paul, who was equally anxious to make the acquaintance of my sister. After a moment of byes from Laurence and Cara, I showed Lauren the house I've been living in since the beginning of January. The tour didn't take too long; it is a European house-everything's smaller here. A quick dinner of baguette and cheese-never gets old- and it was off to bed to ease Lauren's jet lag.

Sunday, after eating several pain au chocolat (I think Lauren would have braved the international travel just to have these... it's ok, I understand) we got ready to go eat at my host grandparents' house just like every Sunday. Paul ate over there with us as well. It was good to have him to translate with me, that way Lauren got to follow the conversation as well. The food was delicious (as usual), and Lauren got to try a little foie gras and rabbit. Welcome to France! Oh and for dessert it was a delicious pound cake type cake with mousse au chocolat. mmmm!! These Frenchies sure can cook. We walked downtown to show Lauren Cavalaire in the daylight. She had no luck with the weather the whole time she was in the south with me. The week before was beautiful and the week after she left was too. What she got was wind, cold, and a bit of rain; it was still better than Munich though. After seeing the grand sites of Cavalaire- which included my host parents' pizzeria, several bakeries, the little bookstore, and the few number of boutiques- we went back to the pizzeria and eventually came back up to the house to eat a pizza. What a hard life!

Lauren and I had planned to make a trip over to my high school on Monday. We got all ready to go down into town so we could catch the bus, go to the school, have lunch at a restaurant nearby, and then head back. However, I did not pay attention to the fine print on the bus schedule saying that the 12:30 bus only ran during holidays. Typical. Our plan ended up falling through. Instead, we had a sandwich in a restaurant on the seaside, and then we walked over to Carrefour (the local grocery store/hang out for Paul, Cara, and me). Lauren and I had a nice little moment sitting on the bench that Cara, Paul, and I frequent. We waited there for a while until the bakeries opened back up- they close everday from 1:30 to 3:30. The long wait was payed off as we ate our pieces of apple pie and tarte tropezienne (something everyone must taste at least once in their life). The rest of the day was spent just hanging out and being together once again.

My current host mom, Christine, took us to the market of St. Tropez Tuesday morning. It wasn't as hoppin as it can be in the summer, still a bit too chilly for tons of people, but it was quite adequate. We walked around listening to the rapid speaking salespeople pitch their advertisements as to why we should buy their products. It seems to help that they call all the women Mademoiselle and Princesse. We continued by walking through the market and over to the port of St. Tropez. It is quite a beautiful town, especially when it's not so crowded. The downside is that a lot of stores are closed. After admiring the beautiful boats, views, and gigantic yachts, we sat down to have a coffee at Senequier, a very well known cafe right on the port. The three of us had a relaxing moment looking out over the water sipping our little espressos, well orange juice for Lauren. We left St. Tropez, and Christine drove us by some other close by towns. Port Grimaud is a mini Venice not too far from Cavalaire. The roads are canals and one can park their boat right by their house. We didn't get the chance to walk around, just drive by, but I plan on going back once it gets a little warmer. It seems like a beautiful and interesting little place.

That night we went over to Laurence and Christophe's house (my first host home). Lauren has spent a good amount of time with Deborah, Laurence and Christophe's daughter, who is in Tupelo. It was exciting for Lauren to meet Deborah's parents and see her house/room because she knows Deborah and also because I am so close to her parents now. I feel that her house is my house too. We had a crepe party. (Again, welcome to France!) It was quite scrumptious. The conversation worked out well seeing as Laurence speaks quite a bit of English and then of course my translation. I know Lauren had a wonderful time getting to know them a bit and seeing where I've been. We watched Mean Girls that night (in English) before heading off to bed.

The next day was picture day around Cavalaire. Thankfully, we had some nice weather. My friend Eva from school came to Cavalaire that afternoon. She was so excited to meet my sister, and the two of them seemed to get along quite well. Lauren, Paul, Eva, and I walked around Cavalaire (especially on the port) taking pictures and just having a fun moment together. It was great to have Lauren, who plays such a huge role in my life, meet the people that have impacted me so much throughout my exchange this year. The bonds I have made with my friends over here is something that can never be broken, and it's rare that people from my life in the states get to meet the people I've become so close to this year. I'm definitely grateful for this fact.

The next morning started off at 5:30 so that we could get to the airport on time for our Paris flight. We would soon discover that this early morning was only the beginning of our Parisian adventure.

Horseball

I watched my first ever horseball match today. Quite an interesting sport. Cavalaire has a nice sized equestrian center with several stables and trails and also courts for horseball. Horseball is a sport that is played on a relatively small field of sand. The players pass a soccer ball that has leather straps encompassing it (the ball looks as though it is in a cage) and try to score in the hoops at the end of each field. When the ball falls on the ground the players have to lean off the horse to pick it up. They must all have KILLER abs. From what I deduced players have a time limit for holding the ball. It was very exciting to watch. I'd never seen anything quite like it. The players would also really fight the other players for the ball, all while on horseback. It really made me want to go ride some trails. I haven't been on a horse in quite some time.

We had a half day at school Thursday thanks to the teachers' conference. Cara and I decided it would be fun to dye our hair; something we'd been talking about since almost the beginning of the year. She decided on chataigne (chestnut), and I went with the slightly redder tinted acajou (mahogany). After laughing and singing Wicked while trying not to stain the tiny European bathroom in dye, we both ended up with darker, slightly redder hair. I can happily say we used our half-day successfully.

Friday was a girls' night. Cara and I made her peanut butter-butterscotch chip cookies. Her mom brought rice crispies and butterscotch chips when they were here last week. Cara melted the butterscotch chips and peanut butter together on the stove; then we added in the rice crispies. After, we made spooned the dough onto trays that we put in the fridge. We waited until they chilled and hardened and then ate delicious cookies!! After our cookie making (and again belting out more Wicked) we decided to put the Veet leg hair removal cream to the test. We bought it with the hair dye to try out. Long story short, it doesn't work. We were mildly disappointed but had cookies to make up for it.

Lauren comes in 6 days!!

Avatar

This post is going to be much more than just a spilling of wonderful emotions that came after seeing Avatar, but I felt that the movie merited a blog title; it was just that incredible.

The second week of vacation went by way too fast (doesn't it always?). I did end up, finally, seeing Avatar and was quite impressed, even with the French dubbing. That film was just beautiful to watch, and I will openly admit that I wish I could live in Pandora. I'm not even ashamed to say that it would be awesome to be one of those people. I went to the larger movie theater in Sainte Maxime to see it with Paul and my host mom.

The second week of vacation was rather rainy. I was trapped inside for a few days which is not normal here. Everyone has said that we've been unlucky with the weather, but it's definitely not something I can complain about. I feel like it's barely been rainy or cold but mostly sunny and picture-perfect. My Spanish teacher today made a comment in class about how French southerners are just fragile when it's not perfectly sunny; nothing works if it rains, snows, or is windy. I've found this to be true.

Cara left with her family from Saturday to Saturday of the second week. I met her parents, two brothers, and grandmother the Saturday they got here. We all went and had coffee and apple tart at Paul's house (this was Cara's first host family). Paul and I went out to lunch with Cara and her family once they got back the following Saturday. It was nice to finally meet people I've heard so much about but also a bit bizarre to see Cara with her actual family. Two worlds collided but in a good way. Maybe it's better to say that the two worlds met. Soon, I will have my southern life from the States meet my southern life in France. Lauren comes in one week and two days, and Mom, Dad, and Lucie are following on the 11th. I am so very excited and can't wait to see everyone and do some traveling.

February has flown by. I can't believe that several weeks ago we were celebrating Paul's birthday, and now Lucie's (March 2nd) is approaching. I have officially spent six months in France. I told this to one of my friends this morning in class and she responded by saying that I know officially live in France. Technically you don't consider yourself a habitant of another place until you have lived their for sixth months. I can now fully say that I live in France. It still seems like such a distant concept to grasp. I still remember standing in the Memphis airport not letting myself cry to much while leaving Daddy and Mama. I can remember stepping off the plane into the hot, humid air of Nice and seeing my host parents with big smiles waiting for me while I hauled my suitcases out of baggage claim. I remember being so excited and adventurous while at the same time feeling completely overwhelmed, scared, and questioning my decision to live in a foreign country. I have no regrets and would not change one moment of this experience so far.

Les vacances ont commencé... encore (Vacation has begun... again)

I'm now on February vacation. Yes, I do actually go to school here, (for long, tedious hours I might add) but I am once again profiting from a two week vacation which started the 6th and ends, unfortunately, on the 22nd. I actually enjoy school now so I probably shouldn't add in that unfortunately.

Friday night started off the vacation. We (Paul, Cara, and I) planned on going to a little soirée at one of our friend's house. She lives right across from the high school; therefore, we planned on taking a bus out there-out there being a wee 20 minutes away. We were chatting away with my host parents at the pizzeria, a few meters from the bus stop, when we saw a bus go by. Surely our bus for 6:30 would not leave 15 minutes before it's scheduled time. Or would it? We now have enough knowledge of the French bus system to feel a bit anxious when we see buses passing without rhyme or reason at bizarre hours. We went to wait at the bus stop and much to our dismay, and that of the other girl waiting, we missed the bus. At least this time it was in Cavalaire and not a city an hour and a half away. That was definitely a plus. We did, however, miss the party and ended up coming back over to my house. It was a successful night all the same as Paul and I met Cara's friends, Cara and I met a friend of Paul's, and Cara and Paul talked to my sister and Anna (best friend) via skype.

Saturday night the three of us were invited to a Rotarian's apartment to eat. She's one of the few young Rotarians in the club and was kind enough to let us come over. Her apartment was very modern, decorated in reds and blacks. After l'apéritif we had une raclette. I'm pretty sure I've blogged about this meal in a later post. It's a little grill with slots beneath to melt cheese which you then put on potatoes or different types of meat or smoked salmon if that's your preference. Following the raclette was a raspberry flan accompanied with a pear sorbet and a rousing game of Pictionary. Pictionary brought about much laughter, as we're not the most artistic group when it comes to drawing out French nouns, adjectives, and verbs.

The start of the first week of vacation began, not lazily, but actively. We had planned to run and exercise everyday during the two week break, and we succeeded with that Monday. We were lucky enough to have really nice weather Monday afternoon, warm enough to wear a t-shirt and shorts. However, our luck ran out the next day with clouds and wind. The wind here can be intense, and it made it impossible to run on the Promenade de la Mer because sand was blowing up off the beach. Instead, we took a nice long walk in the vicious gusts that would have definitely flipped another sailboat and cut my other ear open if we had been on the water. Monday night, after our successful afternoon beach body preparation, Cara came back over to my house, and we made quesadillas. Immediately after we began learning Michael Jackson's Thriller dance, naturally. We're quite the experts now and could give any of those back-up dancers in This Is It a run for their money.

Wednesday we took a day trip to Toulon, except this time we added two more people to our group. One of our friends from school, who is originally from England but has lived in France for several years, and his step brother, who resides permanently in England and speaks very little French, joined us on our quest for fun. The five of us went to the center of Toulon, not the mall 30 minutes before. The bus ride was spent getting to know our new English friend who turned out to be, possibly the most amusing person I've ever met. By the end of the afternoon I was laughing so hard at all his little anecdotes from back over in Queen Elizabeth's country. His British accent added a bit to his humor too. We spent the day walking around, having sandwiches on baguettes, dressing one another up in bizarre outfits from Galeries Lafayette, and having an overpriced, tiny cup of coffee before hopping on the bus to head back home.

Thursday, our friend-whose soirée we missed-came to Cavalaire to have lunch. I haven't eaten out much in Cavalaire. In fact, I believe only once or twice, not counting the times I've eaten pizza from the pizzeria. We found a decently priced restaurant with some good looking food. I had an Ocean panini while everyone else got the American-some sandwich with meat, sorry I can't be more specific; I didn't pay too much attention. After staying at the restaurant and talking for a while, Paul went home and us girls went to find ourselves a crepe. We went to a creperie after walking around town for a bit. My crepe was cinnamon and apple. Cara had a crepe with sugar and lemon, and Agathe had the classic crepe with nutella. All good choices. Agathe caught the bus back to her house, while Cara and I began walking back up to her's. We spent the night couple of hours planning out all of her outfits for the trip that she's about to take with her family. That's right, her mom, dad, two brothers, and grandmother arrived in France today! I'm meeting them this afternoon and cannot wait. Cara is extremely excited. They're staying in France for a week and taking Cara with them to visit Paris and Normandy. We're all excited to meet them!!

Soon I will be seeing my parents and little sister and now my big sister too!!! Lauren is coming to stay with me in Cavalaire for the week of her Spring Break. She'll be here for five days, and then the two of us will go up to Paris to meet my parents and Lucie. Lauren is going to fly back to the U.S. the day that Mom, Dad, Lucie, and I train down to Avignon where we'll see some of Provence. Words can not express my joy! She'll be here in three short weeks. Oh, I'm so excited!

Yesterday, I had escargot for the first time. It was yummy too. Mostly the flavor came from the butter, garlic, olive oil, and parsley that the snails were cooked with, but they did add some substance and texture to the garnishing. After this very French dish, my host mom and I made an American staple, donuts. It was the first time she had made donuts and my first time too. She found a recipe online and had already prepared the dough. We heated up some grease and got to cuttin and fryin. We didn't end up perfecting the size and thickness until this morning when we finished using the dough. The next time, they'll be perfect. They turned out to be quite good. Not the perfection of a hot glazed donut from Shipley's or the deliciouness held by a blueberry donut from Connie's, but it was definitely a start. Who knows what the next week of vacation will hold.

Joyeux Anniversaire Paul (Happy Birthday Paul)

The first day of February marked an important moment in the life of mon ami Paul; his 19th birthday! Paul, Cara, my first host mom (Laurence), and my new host grandparents all came over to eat chez moi with my host parents and me. It was my host mom's-Paul's previous host mother- idea to have a big American lunch with hamburgers and french fries. Everyone got to the house around 1:30. We started this meal, just like all the others in France, with un apéritif- a drink before the meal. After Paul began to cook the burgers, and one piece of tofu, and soon after we found ourselves, hamburger buns and all, at the table. It was my host grandparents' first time to ever eat a hamburger. A weird concept for those of us who hail from the U.S. of A. I can't speak for the carnivores, but my tofu burger was quite yummy as were the fries. We finished off the meal by singing Joyeux Anniversaire and eating a tarte tropezienne after Paul blew out his 19 candles.

Paul and Cara spent the night at mine that night. Paul gave Cara her Christmas present, a little overdue. Cara was a bit surprised when she unwrapped Paul's old advent calendar. He made a little scavenger hunt leading her to eventually find a USB jump drive with all the music she's wanted from him since the beginning of the year. Cute idea Paul! Cara and I gave him the best present!! Paul writes music and lyrics (he's going to major in guitar at college). So, Cara and I came up with the idea of giving him a notebook that he could keep all his music in. We cut out pictures and placed them randomly throughout with little thoughts and quotes from things that have happened so far throughout this year. We figured it would be a good way to inspire his musical thoughts. We waited until that night and gave it to him. It was absolutely perfect... I'm proud of our work. After several hours of talking and laughing, we all went to sleep in the wee hours of the morning.

Sunday was spent lazily. It was a bit chilly, but the three of us had breakfast on the balcony anyway. I ate lunch at my host granddad's house. He lives right next door, and we eat over there every Sunday for lunch. We had coq au vin. I didn't eat the rooster, but I did have the sauce with pasta and it was quite delicious. I definitely cannot complain about French food. I literally like everything here (except oysters...)

Speaking of food (why is it that I can't go one post without talking about food?) yesterday was La Chandeleur or jour des crêpes. This is the day in France where everyone eats crepes... like we need an excuse to eat crepes. My host mom and I made some which we ate with my host dad before they went down to work. Nothing can beat a crepe with nutella. Perfection.

Le Loto (BINGO)

Only in France would I be able to win three and a half liters of wine playing Bingo sponsored by the Rotary Club. You gotta love this place. Not this past Sunday but the one before, Cara, Paul, and I went to help out with the annual Rotary Bingo in Cavalaire. We were expecting to put out tables and chairs, help pass out chips and cards, things of that nature. Much to our surprise (and satisfaction) we just got to sit and play for free. I was working three cards as were my other Americans. (It was actually good practice for hearing numbers... yes, I know how to count in French by now, but let me be the first to say it ain't easy. All the numbers in the seventies are sixty+a number-soixante-dix, soixante onze, soixante douze, etc.-and the eighties are four twenties + one, two, etc... and the nineties are the worst... four twenties + eleven, twelve, etc.-quatre vingt dix neuf = ninety nine). The three of us were on a role, quickly covering each number as it was called. At one point, all I lacked was 13. Of course, it was 13 that made me lose. A few rounds later, I got to call out that blessed word: BINGO. Well actually I raised my hand while Paul and Cara started shouting "Elle a gagné! Elle a gagné!" It was quite a momentous occasion which turned out to be even better when I saw the numerous prizes that awaited me. As I said before, two bottles of wine-one of which is of tremendous proportions-a video camera (not high-quality, but a video camera nonetheless), a belt, an ipod shuffle, a dinner for two, and a decorative candle holder. Not bad for a Sunday evening.

This weekend, once again, the three of us returned to Toulon, this time going down to the actual city and not just stopping at the shopping center before. After checking out some music stores, we walked down near the port to find the mall that is in Toulon. The huge sales in France were still going on so we wanted to profit from some of the slashed prices. I must say, the three of us can entertain ourselves with just about anything, especially if there's a camera to document our spontaneous acts of amusement. We found two statues of men situated at a table playing cards. We proceeded to then talk to Tim and Dan (yes, we named them), dress them up, and take numerous photos with our new friends. One group of women stopped and asked if we'd like a picture of all three of us. Oh how I love my friends. The exchange student gods were seriously looking out for me when they chose these two crazy people to live with me in France. I couldn't ask for better friends. Eventually, we left Tim and Dan in search of bigger and better things a.k.a. half-priced clothing. As we walked down the cobbled stone streets of Toulon, one store called out our names. More accurately, the rap music pouring into the street screamed, "Americans come listen to music from your country and save yourselves from another techno beat!" A few pictures of Cara with the salesman and the brand Oakwood (the town from which she hails) later and off we went to find the mall. About 20 minutes later we stumbled upon our destination and started with the shopping after grabbing sandwiches on baguettes. We took the second to last bus back, not wanting to continue the misfortune that has plagued our ability to make it back to Cavalaire from Toulon.

I returned to my original house to spend the night with Cara and see Laurence and Christophe. We had a crepe party! Oh this country and their crepes. Laurence knows me all too well. I was more than happy to go back to my house. I think I'll always see it as that. At one point I referred to the bedroom as mine, Deborah's, and Cara's... eventually Paul's. Sunday for lunch we ate bouchée de la reine. Mine was with fish and oh so delicious. We finished the meal with une galette and a piece of chocolate with our afternoon coffee, as usual. I felt right at home. I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to live with them. I'm sure I sound redundant in saying this (I feel like every post I talk about how much I love Paul, Cara, and my host parents), but it's the truth.

I've been in a blissful mood since this weekend, and I know this is where I'm supposed to be. This exchange has taught me about myself, another culture, different people, and so many other things which I will go into more detail about in the future. Words can't begin to express how marvelous my past five months here have been-yes, five months as of Sunday. I am certain that the remainder of my school year here will be equally indescribable.

J'adore la France.

Le Grand Changement (The Big Change)

Sunday two major events occurred. I will preface the first with a bit of information about what happened in Tupelo last week. It snowed. And not just a few flurries... it down right snowed, and Tupelo High School was actually closed for a snow day. Yes, the high school that stays open even if a tornado, tsunami, and hurricane are all about to hit town closed for the snow. Of course it snows the year I'm not there. I think Mother Earth knew I was bummed about missing the snow (even though I saw snow in Alsace; schneit is the Alsacien word for it's snowing) so she sent some to the French Riviera. No you are not mistaken, I did say it snowed on the French Riviera. I was jumping up and down (quite literally) with excitement. The snow didn't stay, and I had to go to school the next day BUT I can say I saw snow on the French Riviera.

The snow fell as I finished packing up all my things to move to my next host family. I was not anxious to leave my host parents and my house. I was extremely settled in there and really felt that it was my home. But, it had to happen (Rotary rules), and I am already very happy at my second house. I spent about all day Saturday and Sunday morning getting everything packed. I've acquired a few more items since I've gotten here. I ended up leaving with my two suitcases, my computer bag, my purse, another small bag, and two boxes full of things.... so just a little bit more. Cara and her host parents brought all her things to my house to get her moved in. Paul had already moved into Cara's house, and I was the last one to move (I'm now at Paul's). Around 4:30 my host mom, Cara, and I drove over to Paul's (I think we're all keeping the previous host parent/house references). Paul's house is on a gigantic hill and the driveway is not paved for one of the steepest parts. It rained a good bit at the end of last week so driving a car up to the door was definitely out of the question. We had to haul all my stuff up the mini-mountain. We made it, though, and now I'm all settled in with pictures on the walls and clothes on shelves. I already know my Paul's host parents/my new host parents really well. I've spent time with them and everything so there wasn't so much of an awkward get-to-know you time.

My host parents now own a pizzeria down in town. They work nights so I am here alone. We have one dog and two cats, and when the cats want to go outside they go stand by the door. So I let the cats out my first night here, Sunday. As I put my things away in my room I kept hearing a noise that I thought was the cats. There are three sliding glass doors off the kitchen and living room and each one has a set of blinds that close all the way down with a push of a button (quite cool). So every time I heard this noise, I would open the blinds a little to let the cats in, except that every time I opened the blinds, there was never a cat. I'm sure the neighbors thought I was crazy and wondered why I kept opening the blinds every 3-5 minutes, but I was worried about the cats freezing in the cold. Finally, as I was leaving the bathroom I got the life scared out of me by an automatic air freshener. It sprays a little burst of some corny-titled scent into the air at regular intervals. I finally put two and two together and realized that I was hearing the air freshener go off, not the cats at the door. Now I know.

The change has definitely been weird. I find it odd that all my things are in Paul's room, and all Cara's things are in my room. However, I do see why Rotary makes us change; how we'll get to experience a different family's way of life. I was extremely lucky to have such an incredible experience for my first four and a half months, and I can't wait to see what the next ones hold. I know I will be very happy with my new parents and routine. It's already settling in after a day.

Pictures: packing everything up in my old room... I have yet to take pictures of my new room or house. Also, attempted pictures of the snow... but you can't really see anything.

Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year) Continued

Sorry, read this after the post below it. I accidentally posted the wrong one first.

Christmas Eve quickly approached, and I was very much in the Christmas mood after the snow, markets, gingerbread-looking houses, and the magic that is Alsace. After breakfast, we went to the grocery store to pick up a few last minute items. We had lunch, and afterwards my host mom and I took a walk around Soultzbach. We walked on a path that wound around the back of the town and then down into the center. Even though Cavalaire is a small town, there isn't much open space. Houses and buildings are very close together. This walk in Soultzbach was the first time I had seen just open plots of grass. There were some horses and other animals on small, personal farms. I even saw some chickens! We walked through a section of woods-yes, woods! I was so excited!-and found some remnants of snow. It was enough to have a quick snowball fight and make a snow angel. Also, in these woods there was a clearing with some benches and a Virgin Mary grotto built into a rock hillside. It was beautiful. We made our way down into the quaint center of town where there is a butcher, a bakery, the mayor's office, a school for small children, several fountains, and a little river called le Krebsbach. Soultzbach used to be a source for bottled water, so some of the fountains have fresh drinking water. The town came to life as my host mom told me stories about her childhood there. She showed me her grandmother's house, and we even stopped by to visit a friend she's had since childhood before heading back up to the house. We returned to find our party of five turned to six with the arrival of my host mom's sister. Sophie was busy in the kitchen preparing the big Christmas Eve meal when we arrived. That night we ate Baeckeoffe au poisson-a traditional Alsatian dish generally with meat but adapted to fish for me. Baeckeoffe means "baker's over." It is potatoes, carrots, onions, some herbs, butter, scallops, frog, and salmon all cooked together in a gigantic, sealed dish. Oh c'était trop bon! Following supper was present time. With ornament earrings dangling down and santa hat securely on my head (thanks Parker!) we started. I was given the responsibility of being Santa. My host grandmother helped me pass out the gifts though. I was given mass amounts of chocolate along with other wonderful presents. Everyone was very happy with all. We returned to the table to eat une bouche de Noel but in ice cream. Again, just another delicious dessert to add to the list. The night winded down. Sophie went back to Colmar, and everyone got in their pajamas and watched a Christmas song program. I was in my new pajamas that my parents sent me along with my other Christmas presents. It's somewhat of a tradition in my family to all get matching pajamas on Christmas Eve so that Christmas morning we all have them on to open presents. My host family found this to be quite amusing.

Now, my host grandparents do not have a computer which results in them not having internet. I brought my computer with me, and they got the internet code from their neighbors so that my host family could skype with Deborah and me with my family. The neighbors live right across the street, but for some reason the internet reception was not strong at all. My host mom never managed to connect with her laptop. The only places where I had internet were in the den behind the coach next to the sliding door or in my room with my computer sitting on the window sill with the shutters open. My host family and I got plenty of laughs with this one. Thankfully, I got to see my house full of my family on Christmas Eve, and Deborah got to see her family all in Alsace.

Christmas Day, just before lunch, my host granddad's sister-my host mom's godmother- and her friend and Sophie all came back over. After exchanging gifts with them we had a big Christmas lunch which included foie gras (again not for me) and another bouche de Noel for dessert. My parents back home planned to skype with me at 3 o'clock my time 8 o'clock theirs'. A few minutes before, I changed back into my pajamas and gathered all my presents from them behind the couch. I got everything ready and logged on. My mother wasn't on skype. I waited, and after a few minutes, my mom's best friend called me via skype. She informed me that there was a terrible thunderstorm that night and that the internet was not working at my house. This was a huge blow to me as my family and I had planned to spend Christmas morning together. My mom was on the phone with Mrs. Valerie as she told me the news. However, I held it together and opened my presents with Mrs. Valerie, Dr. Earl, and Sami. After my mock Christmas morning in Tupelo I changed and finished the afternoon with my French family. We said our goodbyes to Sophie and my host mom's godmother then began to pack everything up. That was a challenge. Squeezing even more stuff into my already full suitcase was not an easy task. I had to wear some of the things I got as gifts and carry a backpack as well as my computer bag and purse. About an hour before we left I checked my computer one last time to see if the internet was back up at my house. I was ecstatic when I saw my mom's name lit up on skype! During our conversation everyone told me to hold on; they wanted to show me something. I jokingly asked if it was another animal to add to our small petting zoo of six dogs and one cat. They said not quite but close. My father came back holding a cardboard me. Well the torso was cardboard. My legs were two extremely skinny pieces of wood. It was dressed in my clothes with a picture of my face for the head. They spend Christmas Eve and morning with the almost-me. Thank you Lauren for being the craftiest sister I know! After I saw everyone, in their matching Christmas pajamas I might add, and Deborah saw her parents, we stuffed ourselves into the car. I empathized with my clothes in my suitcase. We were packed in their, but it wasn't a long drive. We made it to the airport, and once again I was a bit anxious to see how much my bag weighed. 21.5 kilos-the max is 20. The woman at the counter let it slide though because it was Christmas. My host mom gave her a chocolate Santa in return. The flight went by quickly. We flew over a section of Italy right before getting to Nice, and I saw snow-covered mountains, illuminated for skiing and snowboarding. I saw Nice all lit up too.

Flying back into Nice brought back memories of my first flight into this airport August 24th. It honestly feels like yesterday that I first arrived. My time here has gone by unnaturally fast. I'm coming up on my five month anniversary in France. Already five months. I feel so much at home here, and while I will definitely be excited to be reunited with my family and friends, I'm not looking forward to the next time I'll be at the Nice airport.

The rest of the vacation was spent lounging around my house and hanging out with Paul (Cara left for Brittany France the 23rd and came back the 3rd, so I didn't get to see her for the whole vacation-our reunion at monthly Rotary meeting the Monday after she got back was quite joyous!) Paul and I did go to a town, about an hour away by bus, called Hyères. We began to walk around and saw a sign for a circus. Excitedly, we decided to find the place and go see the circus after lunch. One pizza later and we were ready to go (I don't know why we always eat at pizzerias when we go to a different town). The circus was not good. We were lured in by the bright colors and pictures of cool animals, like a hippopotamus. I don't know how it's legal to have all those poor animals kept in those tiny cages like that. I really wanted to free them but figured my French wasn't quite strong enough yet to explain to le Gendarme why I let six lions, six tigers, and a hippopotamus loose in Hyères. I think I'll stick to Cirque du Soleil from now on out if I have an urge to see a circus.

For New Year's Eve I went with my host parents to their friends' (Sophie and Philip) house. The five of us has appetizers and champagne and a wonderful dinner. We brought in the New Year throwing steamers in our party hats at one another. Definitely a fun way to start of 2010.

The first Sunday of January is l'Épiphanie- when the three Magi Kings came to visit baby Jesus. In celebration of this, the French have les galettes. A galette is a somewhat flat, round, flakey cake with, traditionally, frangipane filling-which is made from almonds. I love these cakes (thankfully, my host mom does too. We cheated a little bit and ate some galette back in December). We had Sophie and Philip and my host parents' other close friends Winfried and Anna Laure (they're German) over to eat galette with us. In each galette, there is a little figurine, and whosoever finds this figurine is le roi ou la reine and has the privilege of wearing a crown (the King Cake that's eaten around Mardi Gras derived from this tradition). My host dad used to be a baker and made a galette for everyone. Philip is currently a baker, so he also brought a galette and a round brioche with candied fruit and raisons, called la couronne-crown. We ate our galettes and brioche with our coffee under mine and Philip's rule after we found the figurines in our cake. I don't think I've ever seen a galette in the U.S., but maybe they can be found. I think I'm going to have to master the art of making one so I can have it back home.

School started back the 4th. I was not happy to wake up early again, but I was glad to see all my friends. It is now Saturday. This week went by incredibly fast. I'm about to start packing up all my things because we change host families tomorrow. I am going to Paul's house, Cara is coming to mine, and Paul is going to Cara's. While we all really like the others' host parents, no one wants to change. I honestly feel at home in my house with my host parents. I'm so comfortable around them and everything. I'm also not looking forward to getting all my things together. Ooo la la, it's going to be difficult. However, I do see the positives of living with another family and experiencing a different way of life at another household. I love my next host parents too; it will just be hard, but I guess most change is hard at first. Sorry these updates took so long. I'll be more diligent next time. I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année!