Le 14eme

So I live in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. Yes I know it's not the Latin Quarter, but it's the closest I could get to my school without paying both arms and legs (I'm already paying an arm and a leg, but lets not get into that). It's a couple miles from school, which isn't too bad.

Twelve miles around Paris

So today was a busy, but not so busy day. Forcing myself to relax a bit, the only thing on the agenda was to meet my landlady in the afternoon.

I walked down to the Bastille market. I love the markets in Paris; stalls abundant with produce, fish, breads, and even merchants hawking their odd wares. I even found an Asian stall and bought myself a spring roll for lunch! True they didn't get it quite right, serving it with sweet and sour sauce instead of peanut sauce, but it's still a small reminder of home.

After lunching by the Bastille, I walked through the Jardin du Luxembourg to Rue du Chateau to find my new apartment. By apartment, I mean studio. By studio I mean glorified closet. And by glorified closet I mean tiny shoebox that I'm not sure how I'll manage to live in. However my landlady is really nice and accommodating, so we'll see how it pans out. I'll save the apt rant for another post.

By the time I got home, I logged 12.5 miles on the pedometer. Time to give my feet a rest, perhaps tomorrow I'll opt for the metro.

Le Palais and bouillabaise

Today was our last day in Marseille before heading back to Paris via the TGV in Avignon. My dad went on a boat tour in the morning, but I decided to stay in and be lazy. Plus with temps in the high 90s, I think I did myself a favor.

I did however make a foray over to the Palais de Longchamp. Kinda dirty and overgrown with moss, but maybe that's the look they're going for.

Le Vieux Port

My dad and I are in Marseille for a couple nights. Our hotel is perfectly situated along Le Vieux Port and today you can still find fish markets aplenty. Marseille is the oldest city in France dating back over 2,600 years when it was originally founded by Greek settlers. It is a vibrant town full of diversity, but with equally as much crime. Even the police officers here don't walk the streets alone. We noted that they walk in pairs or triplets.

Still, it's quite picturesque.

Cannes you handle it?

I sure cant. :) Cannes that is. Seems like the French Riviera is amounting up to be the same, especially popular cities like Nice, Cannes, St. Tropez. I feel like there's enough glitz and glam to make me go blind. It's a haven for designer brands and it gets a bit ostentatious in my opinion. A guy who looks no more than twenty-five driving a Ferrari, a girl younger than me with a Birkin bag, and countless tiny yorkies with Louis Vuitton dog collars. Really now, is that necessary?? It's enough to drive me mad.

Don't get me wrong, I do like nice things. I love nice things as much as I do a good meal. It feels though that if you have an overabundance of glamor, glitz, and high end goods, you forget how special each and every thing is.

Aix marks the spot

Today was another day spent in Aix-en-provence. Since we have the car, I decided that a quick trip to the Citadelle de Sisteron would be fun. I left my dad outside, as I climbed up the many stairs, walked out to the turrets, peeped out of sentry posts, and ran amok with my explorers cap on.

The fortress sits high up in the mountains and provides breathtaking view of the Haute Provence valley below. Pictures only capture part of the beauty. I can only imagine troops stationed and armed infantry storming up and down the ramparts!

Round the roundabout and pass the Sault

So today we left Avignon and began our travels by car. Though the French drive on the same side of the road as we do in the states, I forgot about the roundabouts.

I used to believe that roundabouts where chaotic circles of doom, implemented by road designers as a mean joke on indecisive or skittish drivers. The first time I encountered one was as a passenger and just remember careening around the bend worrying that we would slam into another car. How do you know when to go? When to exit? What lane to be in?

If executed correctly, I've found roundabouts to be a harmonious orchestra of cars, each drifting off in their own direction. Mind you only if executed correctly. If you stop, this defeats the purpose of the roundabout; suffice it to say, my dad isn't allowed to drive anymore.

Today we drove to Pont du Gard which is an ancient Roman aqueduct. Up to 5000 people visit the aqueduct daily, some families come to bathe in the river below. It really is a sight to behold.

Sur le pont d'Avignon

Today was a hot day in Avignon, and though we didn't do any dancing on the bridge as a famous French nursery rhyme would suggest, my dad and I did do some sight seeing. We visited the Palais des Papes, a great example of Gothic architecture once occupied by several generations of Papacy.

Here are some pictures of the palace and the bridge:

It was so hot today, that I didn't really have an appetite. From the morning until around 8 PM, I had coffee, a croissant, and an orangina to hold me over. For dinner we dinned at one of the many outdoor restaurants at the Place de l'Horloge. I ordered the coquilles st. jacques gratinee (scallops), pasta, and ice cream! Yum. For dessert I decided to order deux boules de la glace (two scoops of ice cream) of strawberry and chocolate, and my dad ordered vanilla and coffee. I have to say the chocolate was insanely good. Very dark, slightly bitter with chunks of chocolate in it. Definitely tasty and I don't feel so bad since I skipped lunch and walked four miles today!