Going Back...

I am officially back on US soil (kinda), and it's been an extremely long day, which started with my student director calling me at 705 this morning to kindly let me know that my alarm didn't go off and the bus was leaving in 10 minutes. Needless to say, the adrenaline rush didn't wear off for a couple of hours after sprinting down that hill one last time in inch and a half heeled boots. Good times. And then there was the debacle in Atlanta, which I'll just say was exhausting. I'm currently currently in the air somewhere between Atlanta and Dallas. I'm using the wifi provided by Air Tran, and that combined with the fact that they are also providing me with sweet tunes of the early 00's (correct?), Air Tran and I are on our way to becoming fast friends. Even though we all know I'm a Southwest girl. Anyway, while I'm incredibly glad to be going home to the land of Dr. Pepper and real Mexican food, I do miss southern France quite intensely. So, in what I'm thinking will be my last post on this blog-o-France, I'll put up some pictures that I took yesterdayish - my days are all confused. The poppies are in full bloom.

Apt Again

Went to Apt market again this morning and finally got around to taking some actual pictures. It was exceptionally busy today, what with the weather being so nice. See that kitten? Her name is Chloe. I wanted to buy it, but I don't think my student coordinator would have been all that happy with me if I had. Or my parents for that matter. Sigh. She was precious.

Vernissage

It's here. Well, actually it started yesterday. For those of you who don't know, a vernissage is essentially an exhibition, but in France. Today is the big day, where we have the reception and the Bon Voyage diner provided by the Cafe du Sade, which is guaranteed to be amazing. So much of the students work has already been sold, but that's not surprising since everyone did amazing work this quarter. I will likely be posting at least one more thing today, and will probably leave tonights photos for tomorrow.

Wandering

This weekend we are getting ready for the Vernissage, which is the big showcase of all the students work that has been done this quarter. Finals are next week as well, so things are pretty hectic here. Here are some shots I took Sunday morning when I went for a walk. This may be the last thing I post until the weekend after next (weekend of the 21st), no promises though.

Avignon

It's incredible to think that we have been here for six weeks now. Today we took a day trip to Avignon, which was great. We went to the Popes Palace first thing, and walked around in there. It was nice enough, but pretty bare. Really large, though. And then... there was shopping. If you know me, you know that nothing else needs to be said on that front. So all in all, it was quite a nice Friday. - Two weeks left!

Dordogne - Rock Art Trip

This weekend we drove Northwest for seven hours until we hit the area of Dordogne, which is absolutley lovely and made me think of Beauty and the Beast constantly. I have myself a perfect chateau picked out for when I inevitably move there - it's not the one pictured. Also, the area is loaded with caves that have prehistoric rock art all throughout them, which was the reason for our trip. Unfortunately, we couldn't take pictures inside the caves for copyright and preservation reasons, but I did manage to get a shot of outside of one and of our tour guide from another. All in all, we visited five caves, from the very famous Lascaux II (it's an exact model of the original Lascaux that was closed due to damage from the constant human interaction) to a privately owned cave in which we were led around by an old man whose lamp was lit from a car battery. He's pictured, kinda flirty. Sadly, the younger man who gave us our last tour was quite easy on the eyes, but he wasn't as flirty and I doubt he would have been okay with me getting a few snapshots. The area itself is so lush with plant life and was made even more beautiful with the rain and fog.

Fifth Day in Paris

Our last day. I never wanted to leave even though I was so exhausted from the constant craziness. I have no doubt that I'll be going back many, many times. We went by the Opera House on our way out, which is another building that I know entirely too much about. We walked by the Notre Dame to get there. J'adore Paris. My love affair is far from over.

Fourth Day in Paris

Versailles. No one does opulence like Louis XIV did. Lots of gold and waterworks and fancy clipped hedges. So many gardens and paths that its easy to get lost. Unbelievable. Oh, and that pretty Lamborghini, there was a line of those and other cars just as expensive lined up outside the palace. Homage to old Louis' love for the not so little things in life? Perhaps.

Third Day in Paris - Part Two

The Pantheon. Obviously I did not go to Greece for a day, so it's not the Pantheon your likely thinking of. This building used to be a church called the St. Genevieve back in the 1800's but was converted to be a shrine of sorts to all the greats of France. I know entirely too much about this building and the library across the street from it (which I will not bore you with - your welcome) due to a class I took last Fall, so it was neat actually seeing them.