All you need is Love!

What can I say that hasn't already been said already about Paris?? Beautiful, a dream come true, romantic, one of the words that comes to mind for me is speechless. Everywhere that we went in Paris during one point or another I was literally speechless. Im sure there were a couple of tears as well. That's what Paris does to you, it really is the City of Love. A city that is rich in history, everywhere you turn there is a museum or a plaque telling you the history behind a building or that certain area. Being a humanities major I learn about this stuff everyday, about the arts, the history behind it, the who, what, where, when and why? That is all and good, but to see some of the art pieces and places that you learn about and see in books, does not do them justice.

 

Some of them were overwhelming like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and  the Arc de Triomphe. In the Louvre, the art of David, was beyond what I was expecting. The Mona Lisa was "smaller in person" but that didn't take anything away from her splendor or her famous smile.  On a boat tour we took on the Seine they informed us that if you were to spend a minute in front of each art piece in the Louvre it would take up four months time. So I'll need at least 2 years with the Louvre to feel like I've at least seen a glimpse of some of the greatest artists ever known. At the Musée d'Orsay I had a nice little chat with one of my favorites, Mr. Van Gogh, while looking at his self-protrait. Yes I am one of the few that refuse to believe he killed himself. ;-) paintings like this for example are the ones that you have to experience in person, I felt like I was looking into his soul, there is so much emotion in that painting! The Musée Rodin was another one that was fascinating, pretty much every museum in Paris you can find something that will captivate you. 

 But enough about all the art and history stuff, and more about what everyone is really interested in......the food! While in Paris not only did we have crepes by the Eiffel Tower. But we had the best hot chocolate I have yet to taste, at Angeline's, it was like drinking a melted candy bar. Laduree the best Macroons in the world, by far!!

    A little pastry called Paris & New York at Versailles, which was heavenly.   Also Escargot, that was surprisingly delish and hopefully gives me some extra credit! ;-) Thanks to Tammy and Brent for sharing their treasures!!!

   

Antibes!

Today Blandine took us to Antibes. Its pretty cool to see all the little towns that are on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea! The "vielle ville" of all the towns are so picturesque. The houses are so quant and small. I feel like I am in a painting when walking down the streets.! I Love it here. I love the Sea too. The view is always so pretty. 

Just a lonely fisherman. 

We also got to visit the Picasso Museum! Pretty cool to see some of this not so famous art pieces. He lived in this area and at one time worked inside the building which is now this museum! 

School in Paradise

Even school in South France is better than school in Utah. Granted, a significant amount of this difference is attributed to the incredible city, the vivant culture of the area, and les belles plages, but the culture of education makes the largest difference. At Actilangue, we study alongside other students from many different countries, with many different backgrounds. In some instances, the only way to speak with these students is through the French language. I have learned a significant amount since I made it to Nice, mostly due to the assistance of the professors and the overall culture of education. My only regret is that I cannot finish my French Minor out here over the next year. The professors of the school lead excursions at least twice a week, which helps us to learn much more about the significance of the culture and landmarks here and further our knowledge of the French language and culture. Thus far we have made the tour of Nice, Cagnes-Sur-Mer, and the Principality of Monaco.
Books purchased primarily in Paris and at Le Festival du Livres de Nice.
The Alps from Cagnes-Sur-Mer.
The second smallest country in the world: Monaco.

The Culture of Nice

I have always had high hopes for living right next to the Mediterranean for a month, but these hopes have been eclipsed by my experience in Nice. Whilst walking to Actilangue every morning, I encounter 21 real estate offices. This number is not an exaggeration and I am sure anyone who has seen me counting the Century 21s of Niece can verify the above statement. I count these offices in order to avoid them, because everyday I spend in Nice is another day closer to me leaving behind everything at home and moving here. Unfortunately, I have pretty substantial ties in the United States, for the moment at least, and I cannot live here despite the pile of apartment classifieds on my desk... Our host madame is an angel and a saint. Her apartment is clean, accommodating, she is hilarious, her food is divine, and she is one of the nicest ladies I have ever met, French or Foe... Fortunately for Nice, there is not a cornucopia of tourists flooding the streets and beaches. The city is incredibly clean and the people are friendly. Amorino's is pretty good too. The view from the Chateau is one of the most spectacular views in the world. As for the school, I will leave that open for a later post...
As always, pictures, and Apartments from 100,000€:

Prettiest Views in France

France is a gorgeous country.  Everywhere I go I am constantly amazed at how pretty everything is! While we go on these excursions we always visit the old cities and they almost always are at the highest point in the city so we usually get a good view.  Even though the walk up all the stairs and buildings isn't fun, I love the view from the top! Favorite view of all time has been from the eiffel tower, that is the prettiest place in the world I think! But here are some of my other favorites from my time in France!

walking around cap ferrat

view of the yachts in cannes during the film festival

view in St Paul Vence

View from the top of the Citadel, Entreveaux

My favorite view from the Eiffel Tower at Sunset

My Favorite Beach, Villefranche

One of my favorite cities in the world, Nice!

Actilangue

Well, since we are here for school I just wanted to give a little shout out to Actilangue.  Actilangue is great and it has been so fun going there! All the teachers are so great, especially Blandine! She is the nicest and most patient french person I have met! Their are so many different students and each one at a different level in French at the school that it makes for a really fun learning environment. I am so glad we get to go to school here. I have  met so many people from other countries and some from the States too (ha, Donna) who have made school so fun! It has been the neatest experience being able to get to know other people and learn a little bit about their culture! I love it and am so glad i'm here!

Beaches

The beaches are some of the things I love best about being here. Basically, I love any beach, as long as it's got sunshine and clean water. And the warmer the water/softer the sand, the better. Unfortunately, the water at the beaches here is pretty cold, but they've still got their strong points. I've been to the beaches at Cannes, Monte Carlo, Villefranche, and of course Nice and they've all been pretty good. Nice is the only one without sand, so it's not as good for napping at, but you also don't get sand up your swim suit. I had sand in my swim suit when we left the beach at Monte Carlo and I paid dearly for it. Nice is also the closest. But Villefranche isn't very far away at all. Like 5 minutes on the train. That one is probly my favorite. It has the best view. I'd try to describe it, but you need a picture to do it justice. Actually, you really just gotta see it in real life to do it justice. Monte Carlo is further away, and you have to walk a long ways after you get off the train, but you get to see tons of cool cars along the way. Bugatti's, Bentley's, Ferrari's, Lambo's, Rolls Royce's, you name it. The water is also super clear, and you can see all the fish swimming around. It's also the only one with a dock. I like having a dock cuz that way you can just jump right in and it's easier to get in the water that way when it's kinda cold. The water is probly the dirtiest there tho. Not super bad, but just like crap floating around near the dock and the shoreline. Cannes was the most crowded, but that mighta been because we went during the film festival. But they also had people walking around selling cold drinks, so that was cool. I've still got a few more beaches that I gotta get to, but as far as I can tell, they're all good. Shelby's got all the pics tho, so you'll either have to ask her or Google if you wanna see what the beaches look like.