Today was a serious of small issues but in general, everything worked out just fine.

Due to mosquitoes, I didn't sleep well last night and had to get up bright and early to make my train at 7:20.



After a few hours I arrived in Marseilles, hoping to miraculously find this phantom bus running to Cassis. I heard from a friend it was a really beautiful place, so I wanted to fit it in. I searched the whole train station for the Gare Routiere (bus station) it is also supposed to house, finally found it, and then couldn't figure out for the life of me which bus to take. I decided to take the train and then the bus from that train station into the city (complicated!). I bought my ticket after buying a coke from good ole McDonalds to get coins (the regular line was super long, and the train was leaving in like 15 min), and then I was trying to check the train number so I got on the right one (the Marseilles train station is huge!), and my computer and the Mickey D's internet crapped out, and I missed that train. So I had to wait an hour. Okay.



Got to the Cassis train station, waited for the bus, and eventually, finally, arrived in paradise!

  

It is absolutely gorgeous in Cassis with lots of small shops and cafes and beautiful views. It has Calanques, which are essentially Mediterranean fjords, so it was very beautiful. I was hoping to hike on them, but unfortunately the hiking trails were closed because of the heat causing a fire hazard.



Instead I hung around the beach and relaxed in the sun and explored the city a bit.



Heading back to get to the train back to Marseilles, our bus driver knocked his side mirror off which caused a delay, and caused me to miss my train. So I had to wait another hour. But I got back!



I really wanted to pass out in the hostel after I checked in (my first hostel experience!), but instead I walked down to the Old Port in Marseilles. The architecture here is gorgeous, but there is trash and graffiti everywhere, and the city doesn't feel very safe. I was hoping to get dinner at the Old Port, but I changed my mind because I didn't want to walk home in the dark - it was scary enough! I definitely made the right decision to go to Cassis today instead of staying in Marseilles.

Tomorrow I will be doing my wine tour - SO excited!

"‘Alors, un Ricard.’ She poured a generous shot into a glass and placed it on the pockmarked zinc bar next to a jug beaded with moisture. Max added water and went to sit at a table on the terrace... Max took his first sip of the cloudy liquid, sharp and refreshing with the bite of aniseed, and wondered why it tasted so much better here than the few times he’d had it in London. The heat, of course; it was a warm-weather drink. But it was also the surroundings. Pastis was at its best when you could hear the click of boules and the sound of French voices."

Pastis is a local anise and licorice liqueur made in the south of France. There are many different manufacturers, but it seems to be quite the phenomena here, so I thought I would give it a go despite my inclinations to avoid all things licorice. But doesn't it sound so delicious when Peter Mayle writes about it? I mean he totally sold me on it.



First, you collect your ingredients. You will need Pastis, I chose the Ricard variety, and then some ice and water to dilute.



When you first mix the Pastis and water together, the Pastis shifts in color. In the bottle it's clear-yellow, but it quickly becomes cloudy when mixed as directed.

Of course, I went ahead and tried it out...







Yeah. Definitely not my thing. Although I can see how it would be really good if you were into licorice!

Finally! Train success!

Went to the train station again with enough coins, bought a ticket, and asked the attendant what to do next. Then I got on the train!



It was a quick hop to Antibes (pronounced An-te-buh, I said it wrong when asking) and you could see the beautiful beaches inside the train. They never looked at my ticket or anything so I'm not really sure how that works.

The busses don't run on Sundays, so I walked on down to the harbor to follow my Rick Steves walking tour of the town. Also, I have decided the best course of action with my tour guide is to rip out the pages I need so I don't have to carry the book around, or look too much like a dumb tourist.



I began at the Old Port with a view of Fort Carre. The old port is Europe's first and biggest pleasure-boat harbor, and it's filled up with gigantic yachts. Because of all these yachts, Antibes has a pretty large population of English, Irish, and Australians, which I definitely noticed when I was walking around. Lots of English speakers.



There was a little shell-shaped sand beach just outside the ramparts protecting the city.

I walked on down to the Picasso Museum - it was a great museum!



After that I walked all the way down to the farther beaches hoping to hike either Cap d'Antibes or Chapelle et Phare de la Garoupe but I couldn't find the signs. Also, it was getting late and the busses weren't running, so I knew I would have to walk all the way back to the train station. Maybe some other day though!



I liked Antibes a lot - it had a small town feel with good beaches and some touristy stuff. Also, there seemed to be a lot of people my age and a good amount of English speakers. It was definitely a cool place, I think I am going to try and go back soon!

On Friday, I tried to use the train station again and was thwarted. I have to figure it out eventually!

I decided to go ahead and walk over to the Musee Chagall, right around the corner from where I live. I had been saving it for a rainy day, but I figured trouble with the train is about the same?!



The Chagall Museum is set back off the road in an unassuming modern building surrounded by a small and tasteful garden.

The exhibit itself was missing two rooms of the modern art accompaniment to Chagall, which was perfectly alright with me because the admission was less.

Chagall specifically commissioned all the large artwork for this museum. Almost all the pieces included are religious in nature.



My favorite piece is above, depicting an angel stopping Abraham from sacrificing his son. I liked the composition and the colors.

After Chagall, I took the bus for the first time (didn't know how to pay, so took my first ride for free - oops!) up the road to the Matisse Museum.



This museum was much less impressive than the Chagall (very few recognizable or interesting works, no English pamphlets), although the grounds were fun to explore. It is on the site of Roman ruins, an olive orchard, and a chapel, and there happened to be a large and very beautiful garden on the property.

While I was disappointed with the Matisse showing, the garden more than made up for it. Gorgeous views, hidden trails, shaded benches, varying color schemes, porticos, what more could you ask for?



All in all it was a very nice trip. In fact, if I have time I may pack a picnic and go back up to the garden sometime!

This morning I awoke unrested after strange dreams. I did not want to get up but I wasn't going to let my Entrevaux plan be foiled a third time. So I got out of bed.



Last night I made a deal with myself that I could rest if I actually went to a cafe this morning. I knew there was one on my way from the attempt yesterday. I ordered a croissant and a cafe.

The croissant was phenomenal, so buttery. I ate it on the train to Entrevaux!

I sat next to a family who was from Singapore! They told me that since I was there it has changed a lot, which I knew. They said they built casinos and that they bring in more revenue than Las Vegas. They said that Singaporeans have to pay $100 to gamble there though to discourage gambling. Sounds about right.



The train/bus combo to Entrevaux wasn't really the ideal train ride I had pictured in my mind, it was definitely an experience! The views along the way were amazing - on both sides we were surrounded by mountain ranges and we followed a small river with that same milky color blue water as the ocean. We went by several small train stations that look like the type of thing they show in movies.



The group of people I was traveling with was small, a few older couples, a German couple, a large American family. It was strange because we were all on the same train and then all cooped up in the same little city.



Entrevaux itself is a small little village walled in at the base of a peak. It is also surrounded by the river. When you cross over the bridge into the city, there are small homes and shops for exploring. Unfortunately, the guide papers were all in French.

I climbed high to the citadel (what a workout that was!) to tour it and see the amazing views.



After returning down, I ate lunch at one of the cafes (and paid 3.50 Euros for water, I was tricked) and walked around the city some more.

My train was departing at 4:20, so I had a little bit more time than I needed there, and everytime I would sit down to read, there were flies all over me and it was uncomfortable. I kept looking for a spot with no flies, but I didn't find one.

Returning on the train, I was totally exhausted and hungry, so when I got home at about 7, I made some dinner, read, and then went to sleep!

And as always... more pics over on Flickr!!

I've been in France for a little over a week now, so I thought it would be good to reflect on all the new and different things here.



Everyone says that the French are rude, but I would have to disagree. Nice is a fairly small city with about 350,000 people normally, but in the summer all of the Cote d'Azur is a tourist hotspot. So there are a lot of tourists here, and most of them are French. Most people are just going about their own business and enjoying their time here. Of course, there have been rude people and also really nice people, but I think that's usually how it goes in tourist towns. Also, I don't speak the language well, so if they had any reason to be rude to me, that would be a pretty good one. If a non-English speaking tourist in the US expected to be spoken to in their language, it would be off-putting to say the least. The French people are generally reserved and polite; although, as Rick Steves advised, you do not go down the street here saying "Bonjour" to everyone who passes by. You do say "Pardon" if you get in someones way in the grocery or on the street and "Bonjour" to anyone serving you at all, so in that way the French are more polite than a lot of Americans.

As far as other sterotypes go, no, the French are not all thin, tall, impeccibly dressed, and overwhelmingly beautiful. In fact, they look normal. Body sizes run the gamut, although there are less overly large people. As for clothing, the standard is a bit higher (people tend to wear nicer shoes here, something I always notice) but nothing shocking. This is a touristy beach town though, so I'm sure Paris is a lot different.



The people here are very ethinically mixed, and there are a lot of Islamic people. If I listen hard at the right times I can hear the prayer calls. There are also a lot of people who I would think are American but then I hear they are speaking very French French. People here seem to like to wear t-shirts with American/English things on them. When I was hiking on Castle Hill, I saw a family all wearing college t-shirts from the US and they were definitely not speaking English. There are also a good amount of non-French European tourists. At McDonalds one day, there was a woman in front of me who did not speak French or English - and I thought I had it tough! She was trying to say her order and her and her friends were just laughing at her "try at English." I see quite a few backpackers and every time I am so glad I am not carrying everything I have with me!



The architecture in Nice is unique, although it doesn't feel totally different here. Most of the buildings are about 4-8 stories. The outsides are fancy and the rooves are almost all terracotta. The city is set up on a grid and the roads are one-way. This is not a driving city. So far, I have been able to get everywhere by walking (I like just taking it all in and getting some excercise at the same time), although the tram through the center of the city is a great option as are the Velo Bleu bike rental stations seen all over town. Public transit here is amazing.



My favorite thing here has been the food and wine. Hands down. The grocery store has several cheese areas and a big (and relatively inexpensive) wine section. Those 2 things (my favorites) take up a lot of the store. I can definitely write a whole post on this and I will as soon as I work up the guts to look like a big tourist taking pictures at the grocery. Almost none of the packages have nutrition information, which flies in the face of our numbers crazed American society that wants calorie/fat/carb/everything counts plastered everywhere. A lot of the food is organic ("biologique" - thanks Angela!), as are some body products and wines!

For me it has been a week of adjustment. I almost never do anything alone these days so that in itself has taken some getting used to. The language barrier has intimidated me more than I thought it would but I'm getting much better! I'm pretty familiar with Nice now and I'm ready to venture out, so expect some new destinations to be featured soon!

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If you all wouldn't mind, I would like to get some feedback from you as well. My new posts about my trip are a lot different from my writing in the past. I am wondering if you all are interested? Are they boring? Seriously! I can take it! Anything you would like me to write more or less about? I appreciate positive feedback just as much as constructive crisicsm. Thank you in advance!!

After relaxing and McDonalds-ing this morning (trick: keep a used cup so they won't bother me about buying more stuff there), I headed over to the Russian Orthodox Church. It was pretty cool, although I was expecting a little bit more.

  

I took a bunch of pictures outside, but wasn't allowed to take any pictures inside.



I found one on flickr though! (This is also a great picture of the exterior)


Source: zsoltika

I then walked down to the Promenade des Anglais and the water was just gorgeous today.



I tried to go into the Negresco hotel like my guidebook suggested to look around, but I was told it is for customers only. Okaaaay.



And now I'm back at McDonalds! I finished all the Sookie Stackhouse novels (which got progressively worse) and now I'm reading What is the What - definitely a little more brain-enhancing :) I've been logging my stuff over on Goodreads, and I'm way ahead of my goal for the year of 36 books (3/month) - woohoo!

Also, now that I am really looking at these pictures I can't believe how great they came out with my crummy little $60 Kodak digital camera. This is my second (very cheap) Kodak digital camera and they have both been the best digital cameras I've ever bought. Surprising! Also, I've been posting lots of extra pictures over on my Flickr just in case you want more!

Just been bumming around - planning on going to the Russian Orthodox Church later today.

Yesterday the city was packed and I walked though some shops and got more groceries at the Monoprix.

I thought I would give you a little tour of my apartment! I like it a lot (except for the internet situation - but at least it's close to McDonalds!!)



I put a bunch of photos over on Flickr, so I thought maybe that would be the easiest way for you to view them: Le Pautremat (My Apartment in Nice!)

Hope you enjoy!

Finally, I got some good sleep last night and the night before. Obviously taking the pressure off myself was the right thing to do. I just need to relax - I feel like my body has been on high alert since Sunday with adrenaline coursing through it. I know that level of stress isn't good.



I was thinking about it this morning and if I schedule 2 weeks for my big trips (Barcelona and Paris, about 3 days each?), I still have 3 weeks to do all the small trips I want (Monaco, Cannes, Antibes, Provence, etc). So why have I been so worried?



I feel like when traveling there is this expectation of constantly being on the go and making sure you see everything and do everything - go, go, go. Like how some people do all of Europe in a month. I knew before I came here that that was definitely not for me, I am just not that type of traveler. My intent with coming here was never to do that - in fact, one of my big reasons for not coming sooner was that I wanted to live here not just travel here. I know from my experiences in Singapore that living in a place is a much different thing than just quickly stopping in for the tourist sights.



Yesterday I just relaxed, got some more groceries from Monoprix, hit up McDonalds again (UGH) for some internet. I definitely have to take some pictures of the Monoprix for you all - it will be embarassing though pulling out my camera at the grocery.



Today I went to Old Nice and Cours Saleya again (need to get there ealier though!) and then proceeded up to Castle Hill. It was awesome! Great views and some good walking trails. The pics in this post are all from there. Well, except for these ones:

   The tres delicieux "deluxe potatoes" from McDonalds France. They should have these on the menu in the US, they were really good!!

And on that note, I will leave you with this lovely picture:



It just cracked me up! And also, people definitely don't do this here, which is gross!

I have decided the best thing I can do for myself is to just relax and take this week to get to know my way around the city, practice using French (saying it in your head is a lot different than out loud, to a person, who is waiting), getting into the time zone, and doing all the little touristy things here.


Source: Phlegrean

I think I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to do Stuff (ya know, important sight-seeing, life-changing travel type Stuff?) and I was feeling pretty let down by myself for not doing a whole lot, although I am definitely out of my comfort zone. My sleeping and eating patterns can attest.

Mostly I've just been doing what I did the first day, going to the grocery, walking around a lot, reading, going to McDonalds for internet... Luckily, I do have the luxury of time, so I can really soak up the culture here. Although I am worried I am going to look back and wish I had done more Stuff. I dunno, I mean, I've never been much for the touristy things anyway.

This morning I went for a run around the city, down a different way than yesterday (yesterdays walk was not great, I went north and west and theres not much up there to see unless you like fairly unappetizing-looking middle eastern food stalls and the like). I ran past the library, the modern art museum, into the old city, through the Cours Saleya, onto the Promenade des Anglais, and then back through the streets after the Palace de le Mediterranee. I didn't run the whole time because my knee was achy, but it was definitely a workout, which will hopefully help my sleep tonight.

After stopping in to McDonalds for free wi-fi in the middle of lunch rush, picking up some more SFR credits for my mobile (which I figured out to to use after much confusion and listening to the french instuctions on the phone multiple times), dealing with my Kindle issues (ugh) and getting a few more groceries, I headed home. The plan was to relax for a bit, eat some more cheese and wine, and to head down to the Promenade for sunset to write some, maybe read, take some pictures.

I got there and the sky was beautiful, but I sadly realized that because of the direction Nice faces, the sun doesn't set over the water at all, so sunrise is definitely a better time to go down there for views. Maybe tomorrow I can get up early enough to climb Castle Hill for sunrise? More likely that I will still be up, at my going rate.



Anyway, as I was sitting there enjoying the scenery, a man came up and kept trying to make conversation with me in French/Italian, although I was clearly not wanting to talk to him. I swear, not one single person has bothered me at all here until this guy, and of course he tells me he's Italian (and a doctor? massuse? something?). After he started asking too many questions and was scooting too close on the bench for my comfort, I told him I had to meet my friends (I think? That's what I tried to tell him in French, I am always doubting what I actually said after the words come out of my mouth) and jetted so I didn't really get a chance for any pictures (except one of that tall metal thing - not sure what it is? art?) but I put a few I found on Flickr for you :)


Source: jimg944

I stopped into McDonalds again (AH need internet!) on my way home, but the internet wasn't working at that location. Although, I was pretty much surrounded by Americans, which is kind of sad I think. I know I sure as heck wouldn't be if it weren't for the wi-fi (prounounced wee-fee in French, haha).

I am just trying to relax and not worry so much about the French judging me for my poor French speaking skills - at least I am trying right? It's almost like a constant mind game here - what does that say? What is this person asking me? How can I even try to say what I want with the vocabulary I have? Why do I remember the word for tie (cravat) in French, but can't remember so many other important things? Why would I need to talk about a tie anyway? Haha, you see where I'm going with this right?

Now I am sitting at the apartment, getting ready to relax with a book and hopefully go to bed early, wishing I didn't have the kind of wine opener that you have to use your own strength to pull out the cork, cause I sure as heck can't get the bottle of wine I bought today to cooperate.

My friends who advised me that I may have mixed feelings about my trip on the first few days were definitely right.

The plane travel was less than delightful, due to my attempt at sleeping on the long leg from JFK to Nice (about a 7 hour flight + time change of 6 hours). I decided the best route was an Ambien and a few glasses of complimentary wine (the stewardess actually thought I was underage! Ha!) - I felt woozy until I finally passed out and then I woke up about an hour before landing feeling seasick. I would not advise this route.

I took a taxi to my studio and was greeted by friends of my landlord. My taxi driver spoke excellent English; however, less people here speak English than I was expecting. I haven't really had any trouble getting what I need, but it sure makes me feel like an idiot. I was always praised in French class for having a good accent and now, yeah, I don't know about that.

After sleeping some more, I ventured out to look around, and complete my main task of the day - getting a cell phone. At first I was reserved, kinda wanting to just stay in the safety of my studio, not having to preface every conversation with "parlez-vous anglais?"

But I gathered myself up, made sure I knew how to work all the doors, locks, etc, and I walked down Avenue Jean Medecin to see what I could see and hopefully find a cell phone and some food.

The weather today was very nice, sunny, breezy, not too hot.



I walked all the way down to the ocean through Espace Messena with the fountains. Definitely some prime cafe sitting and people watching to be done there.

I walked through the Old City area, which on first impression seems more dirty than anything, to the shore.
The ocean is a beautiful hue, similar to that of the Caribbean, but more milky? And the beach itself is entirely smooth rocks. It is definitely unlike any of the other beaches I've been to. I am still undecided if I actually plan on doing some actual swimming here, the rocks are pretty intimidating.



After walking around, I went to the Monoprix to pick up some groceries for dinner. It was definitely the highlight of my day. The cheeses and wines took up about half the grocery section, and I was totally overwhelmed. I am still a bit nervous of interacting with the people because it just ends up making me feel silly and embarassed. In the grocery, I picked up essentials and went to check out feeling like things were okay. But of course, I didn't weigh my produce ahead of time and I looked like an idiot in line. No bananas or apples for me today I guess!!

The wine I got was actually cheap than most wines in the US, and definitely more tasty. I am not sure exactly what it was. The cheeses I picked up were awesome; buffalo mozzerella and some other kind of brie-like cheese with an orangeish rind. What a dinner!!

Now I am not sure if I actually want to eat out much here or just go to the grocery and markets!

Written in flight - I haven't had internet since I was at home, but now I am sitting in a McDonalds catching up a bit.
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This morning I awoke, ready to get the day going. Everything was abustle with the packing, double checking, packing some more, going to the airport and waiting, the delays, the rush, the relief, and then the boredom. And of course, through out, the excitement and nervousness.


Source: caribb

At times the excitment was so overwhelming it was bringing me to almost-tears, embarassing me. And sometimes the nervousness was so high I could feel my pulse beating, going into that state of panic, and then trying my best to calm down with a few deep breaths.

This is a difficult day, although I don't really have to do much except doing what I need to do and getting where I need to go. There are people to help me, people I will have to ask to help, but in the end, everything will work out as its supposed to, and I will be settled into my place. In France!!

But isn't this also how life is? Those murky areas outside of routine. They induce such anxiety, such nightmareish trains of thought, when really, if you just take a deep breath (or a couple) and do what you need to do, one foot in front of the other, life will go on. And you will have done something unfamiliar, far from mundane.

I really enjoy challenging myself, it has this way of making me feel so alive. Can I take a long vacation to another country I've never been to? By myself?

As I read my tourist books, I keep realizing how wonderful it's going to be, actually getting to do what I want, on my schedule, without anyone's comments on anything, except for my own. I get to decide for myself the way I feel about everything. Freedom.

I am having some regrets about my planning skills for these 6 weeks, and the more I read, the more I wanted to pack in there (and the more time and money I wish I had!). But then I look back on what I really wanted from this trip to start with, and I realize that it was mainly just to get in the culture, experience the people, and add a little more joie de vivre to my life.

And then to come back, and incorporate that into my everyday life and also, job search.

I want to remind myself of the good things in life. The things that are really important: being present and mindful - taking time out just to appreciate exactly where you are at the moment. I feel the French remember these things and value them appropriately, where at home it is easy to get lost in endless comparisons, competitions, and the needs for having so many things, so much security, so much power. I believe it is true we are at odds with our selves: creatures of habit who are mind-numbingly bored by our habits.

This is my attempt to spice it up! Already I am for-sure out of my comfort zone. But I am on a big plane again, the big ones like I use to go to ride when I was young and we lived in Singapore. And something inside me just keeps saying finally. Finally. You are proving it to yourself that you can do it. And you can do it again whenever you need to. Mix things up. Feel alive. Find yourself. Again. And again. And again.