Au Revoir France & Merci a Tous

This is simply to let you know that I am still alive & well here in La Rochelle, France & to say au revoir to such a great experience!

Believe it or not, I have been a little busy.  Well, a little busier than I've been here.  I just finished up a law class today & I begin and end my last course next week.  I still don't understand how this school works - I just follow my schedule & go where it tells me to go & take the exam.  My law professor is from Argentina & I'm not sure that he understands the school either.  He has been my favorite professor up until now (not that I've many to choose from) & is helping me with my little incident - he's also married to an American woman so he obviously is doing well with his life.

I'm getting ready to wrap up my stay here.  My sister arrives on Sunday April 29 & will stay here with me unil Tuesday.  We will then begin our trip together to Paris, Rome & finally to Greece where we will take a cruise around the Greek Islands.  & before I know it, I'll be on my way home!

I'm going to guess & say this will be my last post here. So...
Though I had regretted my decision in the beginning of all this, I'm glad I stuck it out.  I have met a lot of great people here from all over the world - China, Korea, Mexico, Norway, Netherlands, & my 'locals' from the US.  I'd recommend studying abroad to anyone - but one piece of advice - you have to just do it without thinking about it.  I found that was my one problem - I thought too much of what & who I'd miss from home.  But that all will be there when you get home & you'll learn to appreciate it all even more.  Although I may not have received much education in the past 4 months, I have still certainly learned A LOT - about myself, about life, about other cultures, & so much more.  I thought these 4 months would've taken forever to go by - but it feels like just recently I was arriving.  It will be sad to leave my host family - they have been great to me - but it will be great to see my family & friends at home.  I'm looking forward to so much when I get home along with seeing everyone - driving myself to where I need to go, having an income, watching the Phillies win, dressing down more than dressing up, a constant hot shower, using my cell phone to call & text, graduating from college & entering the real world, Ang finally turning 21, speaking English all day everyday, the last sibling to graduate high school (!) & of course summertime!

THANK YOU to all who have read my blog throughout my journey & all your kind words.  I land in Philadelphia on Saturday May 12 & after visiting family, you'll know where to find me - hint: it starts with a V...

Merci & au revoir!
& when I find the time, I will share some photos of my upcoming travels! 

happy Easter

I hope you have/had a nice Easter holiday.  A lot different here than being at home today.  It's practically just another day here.  Yes, she bought some chocolate, & I think we will have a nicer meal than usual later today.  Coming here I had expected France to be religous - & it's far from that.  It's only my host mom & the 2 younger kids.  The older 2 come home next weekend.  The good news is that my sister will be here in exactly 3 weeks from today!

In other news, I finished another class this past week.  Which leaves me with 2 more classes - & the next 2 Saturday's of another class I had started about a month ago.
Last weekend, french students from this school currently studying at Shippensburg visited Philadelphia and stayed with my aunt & uncle.  They had a great time - not sure when they're leaving the US if I'll get a chance to meet them when I get home. 

Students are required to be abroad for 2 years - including an international internship.  They usually go to 2 or 3 different countries. 

I really have no news to share with you.  Enjoy your holiday weekend.

Happy Easter!

a Wonderful Visit to London

I spent the week in London, & it was one of the greatest trips I've taken.  Perhaps it was because I was able to speak English naturally (is that the correct word?), but it was a really nice time.  I'll tell you now, since I'm back in France, but I did travel alone this trip.

I left La Rochelle Monday afternoon - this was by far the smallest airport I've ever been to - one runway used for landing & take off, one baggage carousel, about 3 baggage check desks, one security line, & customs consisted of 2 men standing at the exit checking passports. I arrived in London 3:30 p.m. local time. England is one hour behind France, & the flight is just over an hour long so it was like I didn't even lose part of my day. I didn't fly into Heathrow so I wasn't right in the city upon landing; rather is was Stansted which is outside, Northeast of London. A family acquaintance currently living in London met me at the airport and saw that I arrived to my hotel. We had to take a train from the airport to Liverpool street (about 1 hour) and take the tube (the underground metro) to Notting Hill where I was staying (about 20 min). I checked into my hotel and we went to a pub close to my hotel. Had the famous 'Fish & Chips' for dinner. I met with him again Tuesday & saw SO MUCH that day. It felt like I saw the whole city of London.

 Westminster Abbey

 Big Ben

London Eye

Side of Big Ben along Thames River

St Paul's Cathedral

 Poor School Kids

Groups of school children EVERYWHERE.  All wear uniforms, & some wear these neon vests that I had to laugh about. 

 Rosetta Stone in British Museum

Piccadilly Circus

Buckingham Palace

Queen was home; all week actually.  Changing of the guard only occurs on odd even days during the off season - I did not see it. 

Wednesday, I spent the day alone.  But it was a good day alone.  There are so many people walking around London that you don't know what their story is, so it really wasn't a 'weird' thing.  In fact, I had a lot of people come up to ask me questions as to how to get places; then they realized I really wasn't a local.  I did a bus tour which I could get on and off anywhere it stopped.  I got on close to my hotel, and saw basically everything I saw Tuesday, but from the top of a bus giving my legs a rest.  I got off at Buckingham Palace and never got back on.  It was about 2:00 so I stopped for lunch, re-fueled & walked around the rest of the afternoon.  I debated seeing a show at night because while on the tour I saw so many.  But then I told myself I wouldn't; but everytime I'd get on the tube to go somewhere, I'd get off and walk around & somehow still manage to end up in the SAME area EVERYTIME - I figured it meant I was to see a show.  So it was about 6:00 & I bought a ticket to see 'The Lion King' at 7:30.  This was actually my first 'Broadway' show, if you will, that I saw.  I enjoyed it.  It let out about 10:00 which meant I had to find my way home.  London is a very safe city; in fact I never felt scared, even after being robbed, on the tube or walking around at night alone.  I of course couldn't find the tube station but saw a businessman walking so I asked him if he was going to it & of course he was so I followed. 

My tour bus

Police Escort

Wonder if it was the Queen?!  It was probably a political person or could've been someone royal - per the tour guide.

London Bridge

St Paul's Cathedral (again, but a better picture)

London Bridge

Buckingham Palace Guard

I need to do research on a few things.  One being why they were in gray & not red. 

Buckingham Palace

an Olympic countdown in Trafalgar Square

Lyceum Theatre

View from my seats; not bad.

This brings me to Thursday - my final day in London.  Wandered around again -  went to Madame Tusaud's wax museum.  & went on the London Eye.  By this time it was about 5:00 so I headed back towards my hotel.  I had to be up VERY early Friday morning.  So Thursday was kind of a low key day.  I walked around the area of my hotel for a little before getting myself dinner, but was back by 9. 

about as close as I got to meeting the Queen

& about as close as I'll get to meeting President Obama

my other current president (but hopefully not much longer): Nicolas Sarcozy

the London Eye

Holds up to 25 people per car.  Takes 30 minutes to go the complete way around & provides great views of the city. 

Friday morning - it was a rough one for me.  My flight left at 8 a.m.  The tube doesn't start until 5 a.m.  I had to take a taxi from my hotel to Liverpool street where the train is.  Taxi picked me up at 4:30.  The train is specifically for the airport, that goes to and from Liverpool Street to the Airport daily.  Got to the airport just around 6 and had long lines to wait in!  Good thing I got there early!  I am not a morning person whatsoever, 4 a.m. is just awful for me.  But I made it & enjoyed a relaxing day at home in the sun.

The weather in London couldn't have been more perfect.  Everyone I talked to said it's more gray & overcast than sunny - & it was sunny & 60 everyday I was there.  I was VERY thankful for that. 

I suppose I'll take the month of April off from traveling & actually go to school before Katie & Ashley's arrival at the end of the month for some more excursions!  Just to clarify, I haven't missed any class time from my travels (in case you were concerned).  April is a little more spent at school & no week long breaks - bummer - so hopefully will fly by as this is my final month here (in France that is...)

Happy Palm Sunday! Very non-religous here; wonder what Easter will be like! I'll be sure to let you know!

a Trip to the French Riviera

Believe it or not, I've been a LITTLE busy since I've returned from Nice. But I'll begin with sharing my experiences on that amazing trip.

I had left Saturday, St. Patrick's Day, evening from La Rochelle, changed trains in Bordeaux (which I had visited back in February) and took a 12 hour, overnight train ride to Nice. There were 3 of us traveling all togehter, but were meeting one there.  We arrived Sunday morning at 8 a.m. and began our day right away. We walked around Nice, sat on the beach, touched the Meditteranean for my first time, visited the market, climbed a lot of stairs & enjoyed the beautiful city.  We stayed in a hostel, about 3 blocks from the beach, for a very reasonable price.

 Arriving in Nice on the train, along the coast.

 Nice.

Spices at the Market.

 I eventually climbed up there.

 From 'up there'

 again, from 'up there'  View of the City Life

 Beach view from 'up there'

 In the Meditteranean for the first time. 

Nice at night. 

After a nice dinner Sunday night, we called it a day.  Monday we got up and adventured to Monaco - the 2nd smallest country nestled in the French Riviera.  Talk about fancy - this country was it.  A very inexpensive 30 minute train ride - 3 euro one way - but to one of the most beautiful places I've been to.  We walked around Monte Carlo, saw nothing but fancy cars - Rolls Royce, Ferrari's, Audi, Mercedes, Porsche - fancy people, fancy architectural buildings, & of course a beautiful beach.  We also walked to see Prince Albert's Castle & saw where Grace Kelly is buried.  & how could I forget the yachts?! There were a lot of them too!

Monte Carlo.

Some fancy Yachts.

Beautiful blue water and Green green grass.

Casino in Monte Carlo.

10 euro 'cover charge' to actually go in & play - I didn't dare.

Taken from Prince Albert's Home.

I've never been, but reminds me the Caribbean.

Prince Albert's Home.

He wasn't there.

Beach in Monte Carlo.

From the front step of the Casino $

Outside the Hotel de Paris.

We made our way back to Nice for 2 euro on the return train.  Walked around for a bit and enjoyed a nice dinner.  Dinner time isn't until at least 7 p.m. so you must occupy yourself until then.  But most eat between 8-9. 

Tuesday was departure day, but not until evening.  So we took another inexpensive train ride to Cannes.  This mean absolutely nothing to me, but the 2 girls I was with were of course impressed with the Film Festival that is held there.  I don't think I knew such a thing existed there.  But we walked around Cannes for the afternoon before returning to Nice to catch our train home that left at 8 p.m. 

We arrived in La Rochelle about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.  Unfortunately I was robbed 200 euro on my overnight train while I was sleeping, but the fool dropped his ID and was shortly caught by the police - I may or may not see that money in September (!) after he goes to court. 

My next class began Wednesday - the schedule of course changed within the time of our trip being planned, and I missed the morning session of it - though I don't think I really missed anything.  Made it to the afternoon session, and had it again Thursday morning & afternoon.  & now, what a surprise, another break.  Headed to London Monday-Friday & mostly looking forward to the English part of it. 

We changed our clocks this morning, so I am again 6 hours ahead of EST.  The weather has been nothing but beautiful here - 60's/70's & Sunny.  & everyday I find another reason why I am so glad I chose to live with a family & how fortunate I am to have received the family I did.  She just told me she will pick me up at the airport when I come home on Friday.  The airport in La Rochelle is very very small.  It's about a 20 minute drive from the house.  There is a bus to the airport which is how I'll get there tomorrow.  I have no set plans while in London - adventuring, seeing, & speaking as much as I can in 3 full days.  I will share my adventures when I return!

Hope you're enjoying your time - without me.  I'll be home in 7 weeks!