Monaco, Most Beautiful Place in the World

I am a little tired from writing that giant post about Nice (I am using a French keyboard and the layout is different- very challenging), so this post will be mostly photos. Monaco is a tiny, independent country right next to France. It is technically a principality and is home to the famous Monte Carlo Casino and numerous museums, old palaces, and forts. We visited the Aquarium and Natural History Museum (which explains the pictures of animal statues), a church (where I saw beautiful tile mosaics), and Monte Carlo (the photos with expensive cars and the shiny silver disc are of Monte Carlo) before driving back to France to visit a mountain village called Eze. Monaco and Eze are by far two of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. (I don't have photos of Eze but it was magnificent.)

A quick note about the silver reflecting disk in front of Monte Carlo. I have noticed that Europeans do a fantastic job of integrating modern art into older cities and buildings. One might think modern art would look out of place in front of an old place like Monte Carlo, but this particular piece fits right in.

One of my new friends, K, with Pistachio gelato.

A bientot, mes amis! I am going to grab lunch over looking the Seine then climb the tower at Notre Dame Cathedral to get a bird's eye view of Paris.

Out and About in Nice

I am going to start this post with a little lesson in geography for those who are ignorant about the layout of France. My first two weeks in France were spent in a small town in the South of France called Cannes, home to the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is on the Mediterranen Sea. Just down the coast from Cannes is a larger city called Nice, known for centuries as a playground for rich Europeans who wanted to escape cold Northern climes during winter. Paris, where I am now, is much farther north.

My roommate and I visited Nice one day after class and a few days later, all the American students went together to visit a modern art museum and take a tour of la vielle ville, or the old city, the oldest part of Nice. Nice is very close to the French-Italian border. As such, the city is a mixture of Italian and French culture. My first visit to Nice, with just my roommate, entailed a visit to the Museum of Art and History in the Palais Massena and a quick walk around town. The bus took two hours, so we didn't have a lot of time to explore, but as the bus ride itself was nice we definitely weren't complaining. Here are some photos from the Musee de Massena.

European museums definitely aren't as well-labeled as American museums, so all I can tell you about the rooms in these pictures is that they were once the dining room of someone rich and important, probably of the family Massena.

The coronation robe of Empress Josephine WAS well-labeled, so here it is!

J and I spent a while relaxing in the gardens outside the Palais Massena. We pretty much had the gardens to ourselves and it was pleasant to sit for a while with this view:



Sometimes I get tired of running around, trying to see everything in Europe all at once, so sitting on a bench with a new friend is always appreciated.

I'm going to fast-forward a few days to our group visit in Nice. For this, we all boarded a tour bus and drove straight to the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMAC). We had an adorable French woman as a guide, which was much appreciated because I don't know much about modern art. Here are some of my favorite pieces:

The museum itself was a work of art. From the roof, one can view much of Nice.

After the museum, I grabbed gelato with a few friends. I tried a flavor that I THINK had chile in it (?). It was good but definitely a little strange.


My new favorite artist calls himself simply Ben. He produces works such as these, and I fully intend to buy notebooks for school decorated with his little sayings.

One final image from Nice:

Happy Birthday, From Paris

So I'm a few hours early because of the time difference, but...

With love from Paris, 

Melody

Cannes

Bonjour!

It is beautiful here in Cannes. Palm trees, red tile roofs, and the Mediterranean Sea. I go swimming almost everyday after my morning class. There are students from all over the world here, and at lunchtime one can hear all different languages in the courtyard and dining hall.

I just returned from a trip with my roommate into Cannes itself. We visited a museum and climbed a tall tower to get fantastic views of the port and city. I have had several opportunities to practice my French outside of the classroom, chatting with French people on the beaches and speaking the language to shopkeepers, museum curators, etc. Everyone has been very kind so far- maybe I will start running into more grumpy French people in Paris.

I will be in Cannes for the next week, and as the internet is not great, do not expect photos until I leave for Paris! But believe me when I write that Cannes is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.

Bon apres midi, mes amis!

London : 48 hours and 159 Photos

September 10: London

Arrived at 2pm London time, which was of course 5am California time. Not much jet lag to speak of the first day. London is incredible! The buildings are beautiful, everywhere there are gardens, and the people are friendly and cheerful.

Arrived at the Regency hotel, with white pillars out front and a covered awning. To my surprise, the weather was lovely. Blue skies, a few clouds, and not a drop of rain nor wisp of fog in sight. Went exploring with a new friend: metro from South Kensington station to Piccadilly Circle. The metro is JUST like BART in the Bay Area, except for one thing: the announcer frequently asked us to “mind the gap”.


We took a whirlwind tour of downtown London. Climbed giant lion statues in Trafalgar square, took photos of an enormous sculpture of a ship-in-a-bottle, dashed through the National Gallery (an art museum- spectacular), stopped by St. Marin in the Fields (a church; when it was built it WAS in fields, but since then the city has grown up) to take a peek into the crypt. Apparently, Londoners are planning to put a new statue up in Trafalgar Square. There are 6 miniature statues that are vying to be the chosen pick. My friend and I each voted for our favorite before heading out of the crypt under St. Martin in the Fields.

We found ourselves in Chinatown. We stopped to get a bizarre-looking waffle from a Chinese woman on the street. She told us the waffle was a staple in Hong Kong, and it was delicious! We passed the waffle back and forth while we lazily tried to find the correct Metro Station. It was drizzled with strawberry syrup and hot off the griddle, and the perfect way to end my first afternoon in London.

We met up with most the American students for drinks before dinner, then walked out of Kensington into Chelsea for a noodle dinner. I was happy to make some new friends, and began to feel like I have a place in this strange city.

September 11: London

This morning I woke up early to grab breakfast before our arranged bus tour. The only food that was unfamiliar was museli, a Swedish take on oatmeal / granola which was delicious! The oats are not toasted, so I found it much easier to eat than American granola.

Our tour guide was a Scottish man with a great accent. We began with the sites in our neighborhood, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. We saw a beautiful park and a statue of Prince Albert before heading into downtown London. Buckingham Palaces and Westminster Abbey are both stunning, but I was blown away by the Parliamentary Buildings, more commonly called simply “Parliament”. The intricacy of the carvings on the façade of the buildings was incredible, and the tour guide said it was done in the style of “Victorian Gothic”. We drove by some of the few remaining Roman ruins in London (a town which I now know was originally founded by the Romans as a fort) on our way to St. Paul’s Cathedral. While the Cathedral was beautiful, in my eyes it paled in comparison to Westminster Abbey. St. Paul’s is 365 feet high, in honor of the 365 days in a year, and I’m pretty sure it is the Cathedral filmed in “Mary Poppins” when the old woman is feeding the birds. Near St. Paul’s there was a modern looking footbridge over the Thames, featured in the most recent Harry Potter film. In the flim, Death Eaters destroy it, I believe, but we were able to walk across it and look out over the Thames. Saw roast chestnuts for sale, but managed to restrain myself! Pounds are expensive by American standards, so I will buy roast chestnuts in Paris, where the dollar to Euro ratio is more favorable.

We drove over London Bridge and over Tower Bridge before heading to Covent Gardens, where our tour came to an end. I purchased a small watercolor of Big Ben and a trademark London double-decker bus before heading to the British Museum with a few new friends. I am glad I was able to see the Rosetta Stone, but was completely blown away by the Egyptian statues and bas-reliefs at the museum. Assyrian lion statues were equally impressive, as were Greek sculptures and parts from ruined Greek temples. The British Museum features an “Enlightenment Room” which is a fairly hodge-podge collection of British THINGS from the 18th and 19th century. My favorite feature of this room was the thousands of books that lined it in beautiful wooden floor-to-ceiling shelves. These books had titles such as Voyages of James Cook and My Adventures in Nigeria, so I of course wanted to read them all. Too bad they were behind glass, eh?

After the British Museum a few of us walked halfway across the city to visit the Tate Museum of Modern Art. By this time I was getting pretty tired, but I enjoyed the view of London as seen from the restaurant on the 7th floor, and it was interesting to see some of Andy Warhol’s work as well as works by surrealists from the WWI era. We didn’t have time to see everything, but the walk back to our hotel was gorgeous, if exhausting. My feet were killing me by the time we made it back (stopping for a Panini and some breakfast for tomorrow on the way), but I would not have given up the chance to walk through most of London for anything! The city is so much more beautiful than most cities I have seen in America. Every street corner has something to offer, the cars are adorable, the people incredibly pleasant, flowers grow abundantly everywhere and in all different colors, and a stunning river provides the backdrop. Streets meander rather than going in straight lines, which is as charming as it is frustrating. We were blessed with beautiful weather and no rain, so my only complaint is that I have to leave tomorrow!! 2 days is not enough time to see London. I will be back.

My favorite things today? 1. Stopping by St. Paul’s just as a wedding was letting out; 2. Free admission to the British Museum and Tate Museum of Modern Art; 3. Kind and humorous people. So who's coming with me next time I go??

Last thing I wanted to say about London before I get totally focused on France. All my life, I have known that my father is somewhat different from other Americans (hi, Dad, if you're reading this). Dad was born in England and moved to North America when he was 11, for anyone following along who doesn't know much about my fambam. I know that EVERYONE is unique, but my dad definitely has some quirks that set him apart from Americans. In England for the first time, I came across some characteristics in Londoners that I recognized from seeing them all my life in my father. These include my Dad's bouncy and very rapid walk, his willingness to stop and help strangers, and giving off a vibe of naivete (which does not necessarily mean Londoners are naive, merely that they can seem to be that way). I now have a better grasp of what aspects of my father are British, and which belong to him alone.

PS will post more photos after lunch- sorry im trying to update this asap, but my schedule is packed today. Merci pour votre patience!!

Quick Post Due to Tempermental Internet

Hi all! This was supposed to be my post about London (48 hours and 159 photographs), but the internet on my computer is currently unreliable so instead I am using my roommate's computer to write a brief note about Cannes and my first day in France.

We flew in to Nice early this morning. I put my French to productive use almost immediately, when one of my new friends discovered her bag had not arrived. My friend is just learning French, and the employee at the airline only spoke a little English, so my language skills were actually useful. I was not at all nervous to use French; I guess when there is a need I will overcome my complex about my painfully American accent and imperfect grammar!

Spent some time this afternoon on the Mediterranean Sea. It is amazing! The water is turquoise and so clear that one can see to the bottom even when the water is fairly deep. Saw plenty of French women sans bikini tops, which emphasized for me how different the European attitude towards the human body is from the American viewpoint.  Will write more on this later, but it is quite liberating to see so many people who are unashamed of their bodies. 

Now it is bed time for me! This post will go up around 8:45pm my time, and if I can get to bed by 9:00 and sleep until 8:00 tomorrow, that will pretty much double the amount of sleep I have gotten this entire trip :)

Bonsoir, mes amis!!

Countdown: 1 Week

Today should be the same as every Thursday this summer. Slept through my alarm, decided to waste money on a raspberry mocha, went to work. But today definitely does NOT feel the same. This partly due to a long list of THINGS TO DO BEFORE EUROPE that is causing me a fair amount amount of stress and partly due to the fact that, every few minutes, I remember that just one week from today I will be all packed and ready to go and heading to the airport. To go to Europe. For a long freaking time.

When I feel suspended between worlds, as I do today, I start thinking of Time. After all, I don't usually dwell on thoughts of what will I be doing in 7 days? or where will I be living in 2 weeks? Usually, the answers to these questions are easy, as in well in a few days you'll be doing exactly what you always do. duh. But for now, the answers are hard to believe: In two weeks, you will be lying on a beach in the French Riviera and In 37 days you will putting a coat on to walk home from class in Paris. And of course, my reflection doesn't end merely with thoughts of the future. Thinking of Time must include reflection on the past. Where was I sitting exactly 3 weeks ago? and what was I doing on September 2, 2009?

To make this even more complex, I have to factor in a 10 hour time difference. So as it turns out, the answer to the question: what will I be doing x number of days from now? is almost always going to be: sleeping, because it is past midnight in France, you idiot.

What do YOU think about when you are living liminally? As it turns out, I waste a lot of time trying to add up hours and days and factor in time differences, all because I am on a simple quest TO FIND OUT WHERE IN THE WORLD I WILL BE in such-and-such a number of days. This "simple" quest is actually much more challenging than I thought it would be.

Perhaps it would be easier were I better at math.