I must admit that I have a fabulous husband. It was two weeks before my birthday. We had just finished dinner when Mark laid out an evelope on the table that read "Happy Birthday!" I could tell that it was not a card - instead it was a TGV train ticket to Paris!
We headed to Europe's romantic city the Friday afternoon before my birthday. I highly recommend the TGV to anyone travelling from Paris to southern France - we had a gorgeous view of the French countryside, plus the train only takes 3 hours without the hassle of going to, and waiting, in an airport.
We arrived at our hotel, located right down the street from the train station (a big thanks to my brother for helping with the room upgrade!), and immediately started our sighteeing. Our first stop was Notre Dame, and Mark was pretty amazed with the sight of it. That and the fact that on every corner is another phenomenal building to look at. Suddenly we realized that although the sun had barely begun to set, it was already 10:00 pm! So we began to look for the restaurant recommended by our friend from Paris. When we reached the address, we found a restaurant with a different name, which I'm sure was still good, but the ambiance wasn't quite right - the outdoor tables were facing a large construction site across the street. Instead, we found a cute little place near a fountain square. Eventhough I live in France, there's something about being in Paris that just makes you feel like you're truly in France. Because of that feeling, I had to order Duck a l'Orange. Naturally, it was fantastic. Poor Mark, who was super excited about the large 300-gram steak that he ordered, was given Duck a l'Orange also. When they finally brought out his steak, it wasn't the big entrecote that he ordered. At least he still enjoyed it. At the end of the meal, I was surprised/excited when the waiter told me that I spoke French very well (it's always nice to hear that from a real French person). Too bad it wasn't good enough to tell the waiter they charged us for the larger steak when Mark received the smaller one. Oh well. It's France.
Saturday was our crunch day. We headed back to Notre Dame, hoping to go inside, only to discover the longest line I'd ever seen. So we took a ton of pictures and then headed to the Louvre - and boy did we encounter a few interesting things along the way:
1. There is a small banister-like wall next to the sidewalk that runs along the Seine. One side of the wall is the sidewalk, the other has a bit of a drop to the small street below. There was a guy sleeping on the "wall" in a full suite. However, when several police officers came up to him, Mark and I realized that he was not asleep... he was passed out! At 11 am! The officers could not get him to wake up, even with several good shakes. Instead, three of them were able to lift the guy up and put him on the sidewalk. If he had tried to roll over, that guy would have fallen straight to his death. As Mark and I continued to walk, we looked back and saw the guy finally sitting up, albeit his head was hanging over and he did not look, well, concious.
2. Upon reaching the Louvre, we went in through the side entrance and were greeted by two men with clipboards. Mark stopped when the first one reached him while I tried to continue walking past the second guy. The guy started telling me to sign his petition to help free Zimbabwe, so I figured, sure, I'll just sign it and move on. Then he tried to tell me that I needed to donate 10 euros for signing. That's when I realized it was probably not legit. When I said no and tried to walk away, he said it was 10 euros to get into the Louvre courtyard... that I would not fall for. Sadly, I was too late to save Mark and he gave his guy the 10 euros. Hopefully he's learned his lesson.
Eventually, we made it to the Louvre courtyard, and I was absolutely delighted to see Mark's jaw drop once again. The Louvre was a wonderful site for me to see again, of course. If you haven't been, the museum is quite impressive in size. I heard that if you stood in front of every piece of artwork inside the Louvre for 10 seconds each, it would take you 4 days to see all of them. Following our walk through the courtyard, admiring the grandeur of such a place, we strolled through the gardens and on to La Musée de l’Armé. At the time, the Army Museum was hosting a 50th Anniversary celebration/graduation, and so we got to see all kinds of people dressed in somewhat traditional French military uniform. Since we were in such a crunch for the day, we weren't able to go inside and see Napoleon's tomb - but of course I got a nice picture of the outside.
Next came my favorite part of the trip... La Tour Eiffel. I caught a few glimpses of it from afar while we were walking across the Seine at Pont Neuf, but it wasn't until Mark and I finally reached the Eiffel Tower that I knew I was in one of my favorite places in the world. And at that moment, the morning clouds cleared and the sun came out! Naturally, we took photos upon photos: pics of the tower, pics of us and the tower, abstract pics of the tower, and even pics from underneath the tower. I brushed off Mark's silly comments, calling it the "Awful" Tower, only because I was in such bliss.
Our lunch that afternoon was in a small cafe a few blocks from the Champs Elysees and Arc de Triumphe. I think it was my favorite meal of the trip, eventhough it was just a salad with warm goat cheese (my favorite!). The waiter was extremely friendly - a rarity in Paris - and recommended some fabulous rose wine. The sad thing is that I forgot the name... =( Maybe I'll just have to go back to that restaurant again just to find out.
The afternoon was filled with a walk down the Champs Elysees and a visit to Sacre Coeur. There was a huge crowd of people near the basilica, including some guy wearing nothing but a bright green sash that pretty much just covered his you-know-what. Mark and I also tried out the very interesting public restrooms that clean themselves after each use! Luckily there wasn't a huge line to get into Sacre Coeur, and we were able to see the beautiful interior of the church as well. We weren't allowed to take pictures, but Mark just might have snuck in one...
One thing that we saw pretty much everywhere in Paris was the gypsies. Gypsies, gypsies, gypsies. Basically, these consisted of men selling souvenir trinkets of the Eiffel Tower and other little toys throughout every square inch of every tourist area. Plus, women walking up to everyone with their clipboards, making a signature motion with their hand - luckily we had already learned that lesson.
After our long day of sightseeing, Mark and I headed back to the hotel for a nap before venturing back out that evening. The train station brought on another talking point for our trip. We heard some huge commotion as we were exiting the station. I thought it was someone famous walking through, Mark realized it was actually a bunch of cops surrounding a guy causing trouble of some sort. While keeping our distance, we tried to see what was happening. Mark tried taking a picture and got the camera slapped down by a cop. When he tried taking another photo, a group of about 10 cops came sprinting in towards this guys, and one of the cops smacked Mark's hand down, hitting me on top of the head, and continued running toward the guy making trouble. I still don't know what actually happened, but it was quite the scene!
Saturday night was La Nuit des Musées. All of the museums in Paris were open until late in the evening with free entry! I had never been to Musée d'Orsay, so we took a quick trip there. I know Mark is not a fan of art... not at all... so we didn't spend too much time inside. I was more interested in the building itself, the beautiful main corridor, and taking a look at a few of the paintings from some of the most famous artists. I saw pieces from Van Gogh, Cezanne, Monet and Renoir. Afterwards, we wanted to visit the Architecture Museum or the Army Museum, but then we realized that it was already 10:30 pm! Once again, we would have a late dinner. This time I took the advice of my sister. She had a client raving about this restaurant in Paris called "Aux Trois Petites Cochons", meaning The Three Little Pigs. I figured we'd give it a try (especially since I forgot the name of the place my brother recommended... oops). Mark and I walked quite a ways to reach the 2nd arrondissement, all the while he kept saying, "This place better be good." When we reached the restaurant we were lucky to get a table since it was so late. Mark's luck with restaurants continued when he ordered the lamb only to be told that they were all out. So instead he ordered chicken. Poor Mark. I had a fabulous piece of fish and was really enjoying the food, as usual. The night took a slight turn when Mark headed to the restroom and returned with a very interesting map that pointed out all of the gay spots in Paris. Hmmm... According to Mark, what was even more interesting (or disturbing for him) was the actual bathroom. Apparently it was decorated with pictures of naked men in a pool. Plus, among all of the little pig statues throughout the restaurant, Mark saw one that was two pigs having sex. Hmmm... maybe we were in the gay arrondissement? That would explain the reason why all of the tables around us were filled with all men. Jill was going to get a phone call on Monday for sure!
Sunday we had the exciting pleasure of meeting up with Mark's sister at Versailles! Marie was in town for a school sports event and had Sunday free. So the three of us got to spend the first half of the day standing in line to buy tickets and the second half of the day visiting the fabulous palace and gardens. Mark gave the afternoon a theme: Chandeliers and Fountains. That's the vast majority of what you see inside and outside the palace. The weather was a bit chilly, but we made it through and enjoyed touring the grounds, looking at everything with awe. We even saw a fountain that performed a water show... just like the Bellagio! (This is the reaction you get from three people who have previously lived in Las Vegas).
The weekend finished off with one last adventure. The subway train from Versailles to Paris got delayed right before our stop due to some security issue at our stop. Oh goodness. Mark and I were on the verge of missing our train back to Aix, and we still had to stop at our hotel to grab our bags. So once the subway finally got to our stop, we sprinted through the streets to our hotel, grabbed our bags and continued sprinting to the train station, desparately trying to figure out where to go for our train. We made it by two minutes.
Once again, Mark and I had a fabulous adventure, filled with lots of sightseeing, great food, and a few surprises along the way. J'aime Paris! (et mon mari)
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Adventure #6: Malta
Mark and I were trying to figure out where to go for Easter weekend. We had so many ideas: Rome? Greece? Paris? Barcelona? There are just so many choices! So when Mark looked at prices for flights out of Marseille on Easter weekend, we found a very interesting option... Malta. The flight was short and inexpensive. As a bonus for Mark, the Maltese speak English! We had never heard about the island before, so I had my mom send me info from the travel agency, and it seemed great - medieval towns, beautiful water and beaches, and of course - English.
The first adventure on our trip was our flight - our first time flying on RyanAir. Boarding was similar to Southwest Airlines, however not quite as organized. Once we were herded onto the plane, I was blinded by the bright yellow overhead compartments. While Mark and I tried to watch a movie during the flight, we were continually interrupted by various "advertisements" for food & drinks, souvenirs, and even lottery tickets! It was surely a new experience for us both.
It was about 11pm when we arrived at our little hotel. We decided to go out for a quick drink and found a few interesting little places: a pub called Muddy Waters playing American rock music, a pub owned by a Norwegian man with no teeth, and eventually a Karaoke bar. The last of the three was the biggest mistake because by that point I thought it would be a great idea to sing Karaoke. Not only sing Karaoke, but sing Baby Got Back. It was an awful mess. So awful that we left immediately after my fabulous performance. Luckily I will never see those people again, and I learned that Baby Got Back is for dancing only... not "singing".
Saturday was our day for the Hop On Hop Off Bus tour through the northern side of Malta. It was time to finally learn a little more about this new and impressive island. Here are a few details for those of you who are not familiar with Malta:
Malta has been inhabited since 5200 BC, originally by the African country of Carthage. Later came the arrival of the Phoenicians and the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabians, the Kingdom of Sicily, the Knights of St. John, the French and finally the British. In 1964 Malta became an independent state, and in 1979 the last of the British forces left the island, leaving Malta as a free nation which became a member of the European Union in 2004.
For more details, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Malta
What I enjoyed most about Malta was how many of the medieval towns still had the buildings from the times when the island was inhabited by the Knights of St. John, better known as the Knights of Malta. As hospitallers, one of their main tasks was to provide medical assistance, and even today the eight-pointed cross is still in wide use in ambulances and first aid organisations. The Knights Hospital is also one of the main attractions on the island.
Our first Hop Off was in the former capital, Medina. It was an adorable walled-in village located in the center of the island. Mark and I took some time to walk through and admire the beautiful buildings and churches, a great view of the entire island, and a visit to the stocks and pillaries. We rode past the Golden Bay, a beach that we would visit later in our trip, and hopped off in a town called Buggiba. We enjoyed a nice little lunch on the coast, surrounded by a bunch of British people sitting at the outdoor tables in the restaurant with no shirts on... I guess the Britts need to soak in as much sun as they can when they can.
Dinner on Saturday night was at a restaurant called Malata which had been recommended to us by a couple we know in Aix. They told us that it was a fabulous French restaurant in St. George's Square within the capital, Valletta. Mark and I figured it would be nice to treat ourselves to one really nice night out. When we arrived at the restaurant, we found it to be such a charming place, situated like a cave below the square. We enjoyed some wonderful Maltese wine while waiting for a table. Upon looking at the menu, my jaw dropped at the prices. We were both expecting to stretch a little on the evening, but this was beyond expectations. The prices in the fabulous restuarant were cheaper than most places in Aix! Chateau Briande was only 23 euros/person... and since that is what we were recommended to order, we did. I cannot even describe how fantastic that dinner was. The Chateau Briande just melted in my mouth, it was so delicious! We could not have asked for a better meal.
On Easter Sunday, Mark and I took a boat tour through the Grand Harbor around Sliema, Mancel Island, and Valletta. We saw many of the famous buildings created by the Knights of Malta (Fort St. Elmo, Fort St. Angelo, the Knights Hospital) and other interesting sights like The Black Pearl (Popeye's boat), a watch tower created by the French with eyes and ears engraved on the top (to remind people to keep their eyes and ears open at all times), and a yacht that costs 25,000 euros/person to rent for one week! Following the boat tour, we walked through the town of Valletta. Although most things were closed for the holiday, we were still able to enjoy lunch in one of the squares and visit St. Paul's Cathedral. Upon leaving the Cathedral, the gentlemen attending the collection plate looked at Mark and asked what his shirt meant (it was a Blackhawks shirt, of course). When Mark told him that it was a Native American, the man remarked that he thought it looked like George Bush... well... okay?
After another long day of sightseeing, Mark and I thought we'd try to relax and pay a visit to the hot tub at our hotel only to discover that the hot tub was not so hot. Instead, we enjoyed a giant caraffe of wine on our balcony. Since our dinner Saturday night wasn't as pricey as we thought it would be, we tried another really nice restaurant in Spinola Bay. Mark went all out and ordered a pizza, while I tried my hand at the fish of the day: sea bass. One great thing about living in Europe is that we've been eating a lot more fish. And with my acceptance of trying new food, eating a fish served whole seemed like a good next step (plus the additional glasses of wine always seem to help). When dinner was served, I kindly asked the waiter to explain to me how I was supposed to cut the fish. I thought I had done a pretty decent job for my first time eating an entire fish (I only got a few bones in my mouth), and I am so glad I gave the experience a try because the fish was, of course, delicious!
Dinner was followed by the random idea to visit the casino. Sure, we left Las Vegas to get away from casinos, but why not visit one in Malta? As it turns out, not such a bad idea. Mark won a few hundred euros playing Roulette! Our celebration brought us back to Muddy Waters where we continued to enjoy the evening with American rock music and a few drunk dial phone calls to our siblings (in France and in the States). Needless to say, it wasn't a typical Easter Sunday, but it is one we will never forget.
Monday was supposed to be our all-day boat tour through the Blue Lagoons. Sadly, the wind was too strong, making the waters too rough, and our boat tour was cancelled. Instead, we took the public transportation bus (which looks like a bus from the 70's) to Golden Bay for lunch and a relaxing afternoon at the beach. It ended up being the perfect way to wind down at the end of our trip.
Although Mark and I were both disappointed about the cancelled tour to the Blue Lagoon, it was still a wonderful trip. I'm delighted that we were able to learn about this island which contains such rich history.
The first adventure on our trip was our flight - our first time flying on RyanAir. Boarding was similar to Southwest Airlines, however not quite as organized. Once we were herded onto the plane, I was blinded by the bright yellow overhead compartments. While Mark and I tried to watch a movie during the flight, we were continually interrupted by various "advertisements" for food & drinks, souvenirs, and even lottery tickets! It was surely a new experience for us both.
It was about 11pm when we arrived at our little hotel. We decided to go out for a quick drink and found a few interesting little places: a pub called Muddy Waters playing American rock music, a pub owned by a Norwegian man with no teeth, and eventually a Karaoke bar. The last of the three was the biggest mistake because by that point I thought it would be a great idea to sing Karaoke. Not only sing Karaoke, but sing Baby Got Back. It was an awful mess. So awful that we left immediately after my fabulous performance. Luckily I will never see those people again, and I learned that Baby Got Back is for dancing only... not "singing".
Saturday was our day for the Hop On Hop Off Bus tour through the northern side of Malta. It was time to finally learn a little more about this new and impressive island. Here are a few details for those of you who are not familiar with Malta:
Malta has been inhabited since 5200 BC, originally by the African country of Carthage. Later came the arrival of the Phoenicians and the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabians, the Kingdom of Sicily, the Knights of St. John, the French and finally the British. In 1964 Malta became an independent state, and in 1979 the last of the British forces left the island, leaving Malta as a free nation which became a member of the European Union in 2004.
For more details, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Malta
What I enjoyed most about Malta was how many of the medieval towns still had the buildings from the times when the island was inhabited by the Knights of St. John, better known as the Knights of Malta. As hospitallers, one of their main tasks was to provide medical assistance, and even today the eight-pointed cross is still in wide use in ambulances and first aid organisations. The Knights Hospital is also one of the main attractions on the island.
Our first Hop Off was in the former capital, Medina. It was an adorable walled-in village located in the center of the island. Mark and I took some time to walk through and admire the beautiful buildings and churches, a great view of the entire island, and a visit to the stocks and pillaries. We rode past the Golden Bay, a beach that we would visit later in our trip, and hopped off in a town called Buggiba. We enjoyed a nice little lunch on the coast, surrounded by a bunch of British people sitting at the outdoor tables in the restaurant with no shirts on... I guess the Britts need to soak in as much sun as they can when they can.
Dinner on Saturday night was at a restaurant called Malata which had been recommended to us by a couple we know in Aix. They told us that it was a fabulous French restaurant in St. George's Square within the capital, Valletta. Mark and I figured it would be nice to treat ourselves to one really nice night out. When we arrived at the restaurant, we found it to be such a charming place, situated like a cave below the square. We enjoyed some wonderful Maltese wine while waiting for a table. Upon looking at the menu, my jaw dropped at the prices. We were both expecting to stretch a little on the evening, but this was beyond expectations. The prices in the fabulous restuarant were cheaper than most places in Aix! Chateau Briande was only 23 euros/person... and since that is what we were recommended to order, we did. I cannot even describe how fantastic that dinner was. The Chateau Briande just melted in my mouth, it was so delicious! We could not have asked for a better meal.
On Easter Sunday, Mark and I took a boat tour through the Grand Harbor around Sliema, Mancel Island, and Valletta. We saw many of the famous buildings created by the Knights of Malta (Fort St. Elmo, Fort St. Angelo, the Knights Hospital) and other interesting sights like The Black Pearl (Popeye's boat), a watch tower created by the French with eyes and ears engraved on the top (to remind people to keep their eyes and ears open at all times), and a yacht that costs 25,000 euros/person to rent for one week! Following the boat tour, we walked through the town of Valletta. Although most things were closed for the holiday, we were still able to enjoy lunch in one of the squares and visit St. Paul's Cathedral. Upon leaving the Cathedral, the gentlemen attending the collection plate looked at Mark and asked what his shirt meant (it was a Blackhawks shirt, of course). When Mark told him that it was a Native American, the man remarked that he thought it looked like George Bush... well... okay?
After another long day of sightseeing, Mark and I thought we'd try to relax and pay a visit to the hot tub at our hotel only to discover that the hot tub was not so hot. Instead, we enjoyed a giant caraffe of wine on our balcony. Since our dinner Saturday night wasn't as pricey as we thought it would be, we tried another really nice restaurant in Spinola Bay. Mark went all out and ordered a pizza, while I tried my hand at the fish of the day: sea bass. One great thing about living in Europe is that we've been eating a lot more fish. And with my acceptance of trying new food, eating a fish served whole seemed like a good next step (plus the additional glasses of wine always seem to help). When dinner was served, I kindly asked the waiter to explain to me how I was supposed to cut the fish. I thought I had done a pretty decent job for my first time eating an entire fish (I only got a few bones in my mouth), and I am so glad I gave the experience a try because the fish was, of course, delicious!
Dinner was followed by the random idea to visit the casino. Sure, we left Las Vegas to get away from casinos, but why not visit one in Malta? As it turns out, not such a bad idea. Mark won a few hundred euros playing Roulette! Our celebration brought us back to Muddy Waters where we continued to enjoy the evening with American rock music and a few drunk dial phone calls to our siblings (in France and in the States). Needless to say, it wasn't a typical Easter Sunday, but it is one we will never forget.
Monday was supposed to be our all-day boat tour through the Blue Lagoons. Sadly, the wind was too strong, making the waters too rough, and our boat tour was cancelled. Instead, we took the public transportation bus (which looks like a bus from the 70's) to Golden Bay for lunch and a relaxing afternoon at the beach. It ended up being the perfect way to wind down at the end of our trip.
Although Mark and I were both disappointed about the cancelled tour to the Blue Lagoon, it was still a wonderful trip. I'm delighted that we were able to learn about this island which contains such rich history.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Adventure #5: Nice - Carnivale
"Nice is nice." That was Mark's thought when I asked him what he wanted me to include in our blog for this weekend's adventure. March 5 and 6 marked the last weekend for 2011's Carnivale celebration in Nice, and Mark and I decided that we wanted to be a part of it. Although Carnivale in France isn't as crazy as Carnivale in Rio, nor as crazy as Mardi Gras in New Orleans, it was still a fun and worthwhile experience.
The bus from Aix got us in to Nice around 11:30 on Saturday. We picked up our essential city map, walked around town a bit and grabbed some lunch before we were able to check in to our hotel (side note: I had the warm goat cheese salad with honey for lunch - fantastic!!). Even though we planned at the last minute, I was able to find a cheap hotel room near the parade route... it was a dinky 3-star, but it's not like we were there for the hotel. We had an itty-bitty room with an itty-bitty bathroom - I had to sit sideways on the toilet because there were only a few inches between it and the shower! Mark's favorite comment is how everything in France is smaller (mainly the beers).
Saturday afternoon was the Flower Parade. We got tickets for the "standing area", which we both thought was ridiculous that you had to pay to stand and watch a parade. But it was nice because the girls on the floats would throw out mimosas (tiny yellow flowers) to the crowd. The floats were incredible. There were about twenty flower floats and they were completely created by, you guessed it, flowers. Even the girls on the floats had costumes made of flowers or a nature-like design. Of course a super tall dude was standing in front of me, so it was difficult to get good pictures without his head in them. Another entertaining aspect of the parade was the crowd. Silly string and confetti is a big part of the celebration. Plus, you have people shouting at the girls on the floats to throw them the mimosas - like how Americans shout for candy. There was one little girl near us that would start shouting, "Madame! Mimose!" when the floats were still 50 feet away. Mark helped me catch a bunch of flowers, but I ended up giving them away at the end since I didn't want to carry them around all day. The parade also included dancers and performers, people in festive costumes, large ocean animal balloons and even a girl dancing on a giant red ball. We even saw a woman get attacked by a confetti machine. My favorite was the float that blew out bubbles, and Mark enjoyed the mechanical, "fire-breathing" dragon. They were all pretty cool.
Saturday night was the Parade of Lights. Basically it was the regular Carnival parade with all the floats lit up for nighttime. We decided not to buy tickets this time and were able to find a good spot to watch in the "gratuit" area. Apparently there is more free space for this parade since flowers aren't being thrown out to the crowd. The floats are all huge with intricate details and made of papier mache. They were also somewhat odd with very animated characters, all of which had big noses - Mark's main observation (other than the floats with topless female characters). The ambiance for the parade was fantastic! People were having huge silly string fights, several of which Mark and I got caught in the middle. One little girl even came up to Mark and just threw a bunch of confetti on him. I found dried silly string and pieces of confetti on my purse the next day. After the parade we were able to find an English pub near our hotel with a live band. It was a "nice" and energetic way to end our evening.
On Sunday, we dropped our extra bags off at the train station since our train wasn't until later that afternoon. When I went to put the money into the locker, I realized that I didn't have enough money in coins. All of a sudden, the change machine for the lockers spit out about 10 euros in coins! It was a like a slot machine, but I didn't even have to press any buttons! Mark and I just kind of stared for a minute, and were like, "Okay, that'll help." So we pretty much got a free locker for the afternoon, with change to spare. We took a little train tour through the old town, past the port and up to the chateau overlooking Nice. It was such a gorgeous day and we had remarkable views of the city, with the Carnivale parade going on down below. Afterwards we just wandered through la Vieille Ville and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. Plenty of people were bathing in the sun along the "beach" - Mark doesn't consider it a real beach since there's no sand, only rocks. I tried to tell him that's how the beaches are in several areas of France, but he wouldn't have it. No matter, the sea and the view are spectacular even if the beach is made of rocks.
The bus from Aix got us in to Nice around 11:30 on Saturday. We picked up our essential city map, walked around town a bit and grabbed some lunch before we were able to check in to our hotel (side note: I had the warm goat cheese salad with honey for lunch - fantastic!!). Even though we planned at the last minute, I was able to find a cheap hotel room near the parade route... it was a dinky 3-star, but it's not like we were there for the hotel. We had an itty-bitty room with an itty-bitty bathroom - I had to sit sideways on the toilet because there were only a few inches between it and the shower! Mark's favorite comment is how everything in France is smaller (mainly the beers).
Saturday afternoon was the Flower Parade. We got tickets for the "standing area", which we both thought was ridiculous that you had to pay to stand and watch a parade. But it was nice because the girls on the floats would throw out mimosas (tiny yellow flowers) to the crowd. The floats were incredible. There were about twenty flower floats and they were completely created by, you guessed it, flowers. Even the girls on the floats had costumes made of flowers or a nature-like design. Of course a super tall dude was standing in front of me, so it was difficult to get good pictures without his head in them. Another entertaining aspect of the parade was the crowd. Silly string and confetti is a big part of the celebration. Plus, you have people shouting at the girls on the floats to throw them the mimosas - like how Americans shout for candy. There was one little girl near us that would start shouting, "Madame! Mimose!" when the floats were still 50 feet away. Mark helped me catch a bunch of flowers, but I ended up giving them away at the end since I didn't want to carry them around all day. The parade also included dancers and performers, people in festive costumes, large ocean animal balloons and even a girl dancing on a giant red ball. We even saw a woman get attacked by a confetti machine. My favorite was the float that blew out bubbles, and Mark enjoyed the mechanical, "fire-breathing" dragon. They were all pretty cool.Later that day, following a nap, we took a long walk along the Promenade des Anglais to watch the sunset and finally found La Rue Massena, a stretch of street for pedestrians only. I remembered it from my trip to Nice 7 years ago, but couldn't remember the name or exact location. Turns out Mark and I walked around for over an hour looking for it, only to discover that we had walked past it several times earlier that day. Oops! Rue Massena is a great place for people-watching. Especially during Carnivale. All of the children are dressed in costume like it's Halloween, and of course some adults are dressed up, too. We stopped at a brasserie for a "happy hour" aperitif and then looked for a restaurant for dinner. We got a table at this nice looking restaurant filled with people and good-looking food. A table is all we ended up getting. The staff seemed flustered and the man who I guess was our waiter was dashing through the restaurant. After 20 minutes of nothing, we decided to leave. I understand that service is slower in France, but Mark knew that if we hadn't been acknowledged yet then everything else would take forever, too. And as a former server, I could tell our server was "in the weeds". Luckily we ended up finding another nice restaurant which had better service and better selections. Bon!
Saturday night was the Parade of Lights. Basically it was the regular Carnival parade with all the floats lit up for nighttime. We decided not to buy tickets this time and were able to find a good spot to watch in the "gratuit" area. Apparently there is more free space for this parade since flowers aren't being thrown out to the crowd. The floats are all huge with intricate details and made of papier mache. They were also somewhat odd with very animated characters, all of which had big noses - Mark's main observation (other than the floats with topless female characters). The ambiance for the parade was fantastic! People were having huge silly string fights, several of which Mark and I got caught in the middle. One little girl even came up to Mark and just threw a bunch of confetti on him. I found dried silly string and pieces of confetti on my purse the next day. After the parade we were able to find an English pub near our hotel with a live band. It was a "nice" and energetic way to end our evening.
On Sunday, we dropped our extra bags off at the train station since our train wasn't until later that afternoon. When I went to put the money into the locker, I realized that I didn't have enough money in coins. All of a sudden, the change machine for the lockers spit out about 10 euros in coins! It was a like a slot machine, but I didn't even have to press any buttons! Mark and I just kind of stared for a minute, and were like, "Okay, that'll help." So we pretty much got a free locker for the afternoon, with change to spare. We took a little train tour through the old town, past the port and up to the chateau overlooking Nice. It was such a gorgeous day and we had remarkable views of the city, with the Carnivale parade going on down below. Afterwards we just wandered through la Vieille Ville and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. Plenty of people were bathing in the sun along the "beach" - Mark doesn't consider it a real beach since there's no sand, only rocks. I tried to tell him that's how the beaches are in several areas of France, but he wouldn't have it. No matter, the sea and the view are spectacular even if the beach is made of rocks.Other than the fact that "Nice is nice", Mark and I both agreed that we loved the town and wish his work was closer to Nice than Marseille. We'll just have to make it a regular weekend-town-to-visit this summer.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Adventure #4: Barcelona
Seeing that it was almost 5 pm and I was getting cold, I decided to have a glass of wine at the Hard Rock Cafe (really expanding my horizons) and wait for Mark there. I was delighted when the bartender told me that someone had bought my first glass of wine. How nice! I was slightly put off when I saw that it was some creepy looking guy in a cowboy hat. Still, I raised my glass and mouthed "Gracias". When he came to say hello, he asked if I was Venezuelan. Huh? Really, no clue how he thought that, but since his English was poor, I could only conclude that he thought I was someone else... some Venezuelan woman, apparently. Thanks to his lack of English vocabulary and my lack of knowledge of Catalan, the Spanish cowboy with rhinestones set in the middle of each of his upper teeth, went back to his seat and left me in peace. After Mark arrived and enjoyed one drink with me at the Hard Rock, we walked around the west side of town some more before dinner. Of course, I had to take him to see "El Diablo"... the picture will most likely end up in the RV (in tribute to Ricky Bobby). We did stop at one bar which made Mark's day, month, year. They served beer in stein glasses! Aurevoir/Adios 8 oz beers... Mark's getting a stein! We then met up with Marie for an "early" dinner (8pm is early in Barcelona). If only Mark was here to help me write this section of our adventure because by this time I had had my share of white wine. I remember that dinner was delicious - Mark had a steak with Bernaise sauce and I had fish. At the end of the night I was determined to find the Irish pub we visited 2 years ago when we spent 1 night in Barcelona. I didn't remember the name of the pub or the hotel next door where we stayed, but I knew it was somewhere in the Gothic area. Surprisingly enough, we didn't find it.
Overall, Mark and I had a wonderful time, as we usually do on our little adventures. It was great to see Marie, and we hope we can go visit her again before she finishes school, which I'm sure we will. Plus, now we know a little more about Barcelona and what to see next time!
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| Statue of Christopher Colombus |
This weekend Mark and I went off to Barcelona. Mark actually had to be there last Monday for work meetings throughout the week, and I left Aix on Wednesday afternoon to meet him. Mark drove down with his coworkers and I took the bus. Reason being is because there are no direct flights from Marseille to Barcelona. Quite odd, if you ask me. Both cities are the 2nd largest cities in their respective countries, yet there's no direct flight. You have to connect either in Paris or Madrid. So odd! Anyways, my bus ride took 7 1/2 hours! I could've flown home in that amount of time. At least I had my iPhone and could watch movies during the ride.
When I arrived in Barcelona around 9pm, I met Mark and his coworkers for dinner. I was a little late, but the paella which was served tasted delicious. Plus, the wine was a welcomed treat after my long trip. On Thursday, while Mark was working, I ventured next door to the mall. I was anxious to try out my Spanish skills once again, slightly nervous that I would get it mixed up with French. Upon entering the mall I realized that I would be way more confused than anticipated... I completely forgot that Barcelona speaks "Catalan", not Spanish. Regardless, a mall is a mall, and I was able to keep myself occupied until Mark came to meet me for lunch. The mall had some adorable little outdoor cafes, plenty of tapas restaurants, too. Eventually I realized that most people in Barcelona speak English, so I would be fine.
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| "El Diablo" |
Once Mark returned to his work meetings, I took the subway into town, not really knowing where to go or what to see. To my surprise, the subways were SO nice! My guess is that the public transit system was redone for the Olympics in the 90's. No matter, they were clean and easy to use. (If only Chicago could develop a similar, non-odorous type of transportation like Barcelona's.) I got off the train at Vila Olimpica and just walked along the Platja de la Barceloneta until I reached the Rambla, one of the main streets in Barcelona, filled with shops and street venders. Then I wandered up the Rambla, checking out the beautiful architecture, the shops selling pets (birds, lizards, guinea pigs, etc) and the "human statues" dressed like different characters: robots, cat woman, aliens, fruit trees, and more! I even ventured into an open art gallery with some extremely, extremely odd figures. Impressionist, maybe? Not too sure since everything was written in Catalan. There was a statue of "el diablo" - the crazy chicken!, the Giants of Barcelona, statues of crazy-eyed sheep and goats, and two half-woman half-pigeon figures. Finally, I made it to Placa de Catalunya at the end of the Rambla. You wouldn't believe how many pigeons (actual pigeons) were in the plaza. Seriously, it was like a see of birds surrounded by a bit of cement.
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| Mark's Stein Beer |
The next day was much clearer. Mark was done with work early (I slept in, of course), and after checking out of the hotel we took the train to Marie's apartment in Gracia, on the north end of the city. Since Marie had several projects due the following week for her classes, Mark and I let her be while we went out to experience the city together. I had gotten in touch with one of the Sales Managers at Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona, and she kindly invited us to come see the property. It was GORGEOUS! of course. We did a short tour since the hotel was full and we couldn't see the rooms. Upon entering the spa, I was greeted by a wonderful and familiar smell of the relaxing salon products. Just wish Mark and I could afford to actually experience the spa. At the end of the tour we received 2 drink coupons for the Banker's Bar, which was really generous of our guide.
Following our tour, Mark and I hopped on the hop-on-hop-off bus to tour the west side of Barcelona. Since it was already 4pm we didn't hop-off, but it was nice to learn more about the city. Plus, now we know for the next time where we want to actually visit during our stay. For all of our soccer-friends, the bus tour went past Camp Nou, the stadium for FC Barcelona. We obviously didn't go in, but it was quite impressive from the outside. I can't imagine what it would be like on a game day, but I hear it's pretty intense. After our tour, we walked over to see the Sagrada Familia. Sadly, it was 6pm and the church was closed so we didn't get to see inside, but I've been told that the outside is more impressive anyways. Something to see next time, too.
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| Banker's Bar at Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona |
Friday night we went to a wonderful tapas restaurant with Marie in Gracia. Afterwards we went back to MO for our free drinks at Banker's Bar. Apparently the bartender there won the award for best bartender (or mixologist) in Spain. Not sure if he was working Friday night, but if it was him, then he is also the slowest. No complaints, though. It was a great atmosphere to be in while waiting for our Banker's Martinis. Following drinks, we headed south near the Rambla to meet some of Marie's classmates and to go to a night club. We arrived around 12:30 am, but the club was still not open. So we went to a nearby pub and waited until 1:00 am when the club actually opened. Marie's friends are all very entertaining and very nice people. By 3:00 am, Mark and I were ready to head back to Marie's apartment since we wanted to wake up at a reasonable hour and do more tourist stuff. However, we were told by her friends that the night was just starting! At 3:00 am? Seriously? They party late in Spain. Regardless, Marie said we could go, and I went to get my coat out of the coat check... little did I know what a shit-show that was going to be. Sorry to curse, but I have no clue how else to describe it. Did I mention that Europeans don't really get the concept of lines? This was a clear example. Well, the "line" was quite long (people waiting to CHECK their coats), and once you got into the little area in front of the coat check counter, it was a mosh pit. People were pushing and shoving and cutting in front of others to get closer to the counter. Others were tossing their coats up to friends further up in the mosh pit so they wouldn't have to wait. Basically, it took me over 30 minutes to get my coat back. Never again. If we ever end up in a club in Spain again, I will leave my coat at home.
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| Sanctuary of Montserrat |
The three of us were able to wake up at a reasonable hour on Saturday morning, so we took the train to Montserrat, just outside of Barcelona. The train ride in itself had some entertaining moments, like the musical duo in the subway: one man playing an achordian and the other "playing" a violin. First of all, it didn't sound like they were even playing the same song. Second, the violin was so intensely out of tune that we were all in agony. I was tempted to give him money just to stop playing, but then I figured with the language barrier he might not get it. So we endured the "music" for a good 10 minutes only to be greeted by another musician at our train stop. The second train ride, which was about an hour, was music-less, thank goodness! We got off just before Montserrat so we could take the cable car up the mountain instead. It was pretty cool. At times it actually looked like we were going to hit the mountain! I'm sure that the view of Barcelona and the Mediterannean is beautiful, but eventhough it was a sunny day, there was a lot of haze over the city, so we couldn't see much. Just another reason to return! It was still a beautiful view, and I scared Mark by sneaking up on him and giving him a little push while he was overlooking one of the cliffs. (Don't worry, he didn't fall off the mountain). After checking out the view, we went to visit the church, which I believe is just called the Sanctuary of Montserrat. The church was absolutely breathtaking. I took so many pictures because of all the intricate details throughout the building... it was still hard to capture the beauty of this church. We did a little more walking through the town before catching the cable car back down the mountain. There was still more to see, but we'll have to save the additional hiking for our next visit as well.
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| Bar El Rincon |
When our cable cab reached the train stop, we still had about an hour before the train arrived. Luckily, we saw a sign for Bar El Rincon which was right next to the train stop. Once we saw Bar El Rincon we wondered if we should actually go. From the outside it looked a bit shady, but as it turns out, the place was pretty cute... it would be great in the summer. So we enjoyed a drink at the intriguing train stop bar before heading back to Gracia for the night.
Overall, Mark and I had a wonderful time, as we usually do on our little adventures. It was great to see Marie, and we hope we can go visit her again before she finishes school, which I'm sure we will. Plus, now we know a little more about Barcelona and what to see next time!
Monday, February 7, 2011
French Class, French Parties, French Football
I started receiving a newsletter for Mark's company and learned that they are offering French classes to spouses of ITER employees at L'Institute des Etudes Francaises pour les Etudiantes Estranges (IEFEE), which means I started taking French classes last week. The classes include 10 hours per week of French language/conversation... a great review for me about a lot of what I have forgotten over the past 7 years. I am also taking an elective class on the Mythology in Art - all of which is taught in French. Hopefully my skills will be back in full force soon. In the meantime, I'm already sensing some improvement. Plus, I've met a few people through Mark's friends at work who will help me practice conversation when we're out.
Last week and this weekend proved to be quite festive.
On Tuesday I attended a "Tastevin" with members of AAGP, one of the groups I joined in Aix. A Tastevin is basically a wine tasting. Someone from the group hosts it each month. Since it was a "school night", Mark was not able to join me, but he was missed. Several of the members work with Mark, which is actually how I heard about the group. We tasted wines from a vineyard in the northeast region of France. I wasn't too impressed with the reds (too oaky for me), but I did buy a bottle of the Chardonnay. The charcuterie and cheese served with the wines were actually my favorite part of the night, including chevre (goat cheese). That and getting to know the members of the group better was a true highlight. I'm excited because Mark and I will be hosting the Tastevin in April!
Friday night was an Aperitif Dinatoire, hosted by IFIP, the other group I joined. Many of the members are the same people who are involved in AAGP which is nice because I get the opportunity to do a lot with them. Mark's boss and his wife were the ones hosting Friday's event, and it was an absolute blast! An Aperitif Dinatoire is like the evening version of a brunch. Normally it should start around 6:00 pm, but since it was a Friday we had to wait for people to get settled in after work and started at 7:00 pm. Rather than a sit-down dinner, it was just a buffet of appetizers, and delicious appetizers at that, plus a lot of great wine! After a few hours of eating and socializing, we teamed up to play a game about idioms. Some members of IFIP are Americans/English and some are French. So we each had to write an idiom in our native language, put it in a hat and then draw a new one. We teamed up into groups mixed with French and English speakers to continue the game. Once we drew a new idiom we had to come up with 3 definitions for it, 2 false and 1 true. If you read an idiom in English, the French speakers had to choose which definition they thought was the true one and vice versa. It was a little tough for Mark since he couldn't understand what was being said during the French idioms, but one of his team members was helping to translate for him. In addition, Mark's idiom of choice was the hit of the night: "Up shit creek without a paddle." The French thought it was hilarious! The French woman on my team turned to me and asked, "What's a creek?" Overall we had a great time with our wonderful company.
Saturday was the crazy party night. After enjoying a beautiful 60-degree day in February (sorry to all you Chicagoans stuck in 2 feet of snow), we headed to Mark's co-worker Mike's house for the start of our Poker Run party. Mike had bought quite a few bottles of white and rose champagne for the evening, along with several delicious cheeses, foie gras (which I liked) and caviar (which I did not like). At 10:00 pm we ventured to our apartment (since Mike's building has a noise ordinance) to continue the evening's festivities. Of course, our dear friend Phil has this obsession with a pink and purple wig known as the Tina Turner wig. I made the big mistake my very first weekend in Aix of putting the wig on while at O'Sullivan's and dancing around the bar to Tina Turner's hit "What's Love Got to do With It". Ever since then the wig has followed Phil during every night out. I like to think of the wig now as Bud Light - a sure sign of a good time. Needless to say, the wig made it atop my head on Saturday night while we blasted Tina's classic hit. At least I was not the only person to sport the wig that night. I have photographic evidence that quite a few people were enthralled with the wig as well. Since the champagne also accompanied us from Mike's apartment to ours, it made for an evening of sing-along, dancing and even our friend Tanja being hoisted into the air by two guys, Gregory and Mike, and then Gregory dancing around the room with Tanja on his shoulders. I'm pretty sure the party went until 3am, but we don't have a clock in our living room, so I can't be sure. Regardless, Mark and I received several texts on Sunday (afternoon) thanking us for a wonderful night. Looks like we'll have to do it again soon.
Once Mark and I finished cleaning the apartment on Sunday, we decided yet again to take advantage of the gorgeous weather in Aix. The Argonautes were playing at 2:00 pm, so we moseyed over to the Stade Georges Carcassonne to see what an American football game would be like in France. Yes, Aix has its own American football team. Surprisingly, there were a few hundred people at the opening day game. It was kind of like a high school football game, I guess. Still some very odd differences. First of all, the announcer was quite energetic and slightly more informative than most. In the States we are used to them saying the name of the person making the play and the stat of the play once it has been completed. In France, the announcer gives the audience (which is situated only on one side of the football field) a full play-by-play throughout the game. And as I said, a very energetic play-by-play. What was funny was that he would even describe what the penalties meant over the megaphone so that the fans could understand the technicalities of everything taking place. At half time Mark and I walked over to concessions, just a little "booster" table selling t-shirts, sodas and chips. Definitely reminicent of a high school game. I still want a t-shirt next time we go, though. The most intersting aspects of half time were the following two things: 1. The teams didn't have locker rooms. The players just sat on a bench next to the stands and rested there. 2. One of the refs came into the stands to say hello to his girlfriend and friends and to take a cigarette break. Something else to add to my list of "Things that make you go Hmmm..." What threw me off the most was the dance team that came out at the beginning of the second half. To preface, this game was obviously NOT being held at an "NFL-stadium"... think high school again. It was a field that was used for both soccer and football, and the dance team performed on the track surrounding the field. Back to my point, they began dancing at the start of the second half... while the game was being played. So the announcer would be talking about the game plays and then all of a sudden shout "Soul Force!" - the name of the dance team. Mark and I were like, "Shouldn't they have been performing during half time?" At least we got to see real football on Superbowl Sunday, regardless of the quality of play. Plus, the Argonautes won 28-0! Oh, and did I mention that the head coach of the Argonautes used to be a punter for the Kansas City Chiefs. Yeah, that's right. Go Argonautes!
Last week and this weekend proved to be quite festive.
On Tuesday I attended a "Tastevin" with members of AAGP, one of the groups I joined in Aix. A Tastevin is basically a wine tasting. Someone from the group hosts it each month. Since it was a "school night", Mark was not able to join me, but he was missed. Several of the members work with Mark, which is actually how I heard about the group. We tasted wines from a vineyard in the northeast region of France. I wasn't too impressed with the reds (too oaky for me), but I did buy a bottle of the Chardonnay. The charcuterie and cheese served with the wines were actually my favorite part of the night, including chevre (goat cheese). That and getting to know the members of the group better was a true highlight. I'm excited because Mark and I will be hosting the Tastevin in April!
Friday night was an Aperitif Dinatoire, hosted by IFIP, the other group I joined. Many of the members are the same people who are involved in AAGP which is nice because I get the opportunity to do a lot with them. Mark's boss and his wife were the ones hosting Friday's event, and it was an absolute blast! An Aperitif Dinatoire is like the evening version of a brunch. Normally it should start around 6:00 pm, but since it was a Friday we had to wait for people to get settled in after work and started at 7:00 pm. Rather than a sit-down dinner, it was just a buffet of appetizers, and delicious appetizers at that, plus a lot of great wine! After a few hours of eating and socializing, we teamed up to play a game about idioms. Some members of IFIP are Americans/English and some are French. So we each had to write an idiom in our native language, put it in a hat and then draw a new one. We teamed up into groups mixed with French and English speakers to continue the game. Once we drew a new idiom we had to come up with 3 definitions for it, 2 false and 1 true. If you read an idiom in English, the French speakers had to choose which definition they thought was the true one and vice versa. It was a little tough for Mark since he couldn't understand what was being said during the French idioms, but one of his team members was helping to translate for him. In addition, Mark's idiom of choice was the hit of the night: "Up shit creek without a paddle." The French thought it was hilarious! The French woman on my team turned to me and asked, "What's a creek?" Overall we had a great time with our wonderful company.
Saturday was the crazy party night. After enjoying a beautiful 60-degree day in February (sorry to all you Chicagoans stuck in 2 feet of snow), we headed to Mark's co-worker Mike's house for the start of our Poker Run party. Mike had bought quite a few bottles of white and rose champagne for the evening, along with several delicious cheeses, foie gras (which I liked) and caviar (which I did not like). At 10:00 pm we ventured to our apartment (since Mike's building has a noise ordinance) to continue the evening's festivities. Of course, our dear friend Phil has this obsession with a pink and purple wig known as the Tina Turner wig. I made the big mistake my very first weekend in Aix of putting the wig on while at O'Sullivan's and dancing around the bar to Tina Turner's hit "What's Love Got to do With It". Ever since then the wig has followed Phil during every night out. I like to think of the wig now as Bud Light - a sure sign of a good time. Needless to say, the wig made it atop my head on Saturday night while we blasted Tina's classic hit. At least I was not the only person to sport the wig that night. I have photographic evidence that quite a few people were enthralled with the wig as well. Since the champagne also accompanied us from Mike's apartment to ours, it made for an evening of sing-along, dancing and even our friend Tanja being hoisted into the air by two guys, Gregory and Mike, and then Gregory dancing around the room with Tanja on his shoulders. I'm pretty sure the party went until 3am, but we don't have a clock in our living room, so I can't be sure. Regardless, Mark and I received several texts on Sunday (afternoon) thanking us for a wonderful night. Looks like we'll have to do it again soon.
Once Mark and I finished cleaning the apartment on Sunday, we decided yet again to take advantage of the gorgeous weather in Aix. The Argonautes were playing at 2:00 pm, so we moseyed over to the Stade Georges Carcassonne to see what an American football game would be like in France. Yes, Aix has its own American football team. Surprisingly, there were a few hundred people at the opening day game. It was kind of like a high school football game, I guess. Still some very odd differences. First of all, the announcer was quite energetic and slightly more informative than most. In the States we are used to them saying the name of the person making the play and the stat of the play once it has been completed. In France, the announcer gives the audience (which is situated only on one side of the football field) a full play-by-play throughout the game. And as I said, a very energetic play-by-play. What was funny was that he would even describe what the penalties meant over the megaphone so that the fans could understand the technicalities of everything taking place. At half time Mark and I walked over to concessions, just a little "booster" table selling t-shirts, sodas and chips. Definitely reminicent of a high school game. I still want a t-shirt next time we go, though. The most intersting aspects of half time were the following two things: 1. The teams didn't have locker rooms. The players just sat on a bench next to the stands and rested there. 2. One of the refs came into the stands to say hello to his girlfriend and friends and to take a cigarette break. Something else to add to my list of "Things that make you go Hmmm..." What threw me off the most was the dance team that came out at the beginning of the second half. To preface, this game was obviously NOT being held at an "NFL-stadium"... think high school again. It was a field that was used for both soccer and football, and the dance team performed on the track surrounding the field. Back to my point, they began dancing at the start of the second half... while the game was being played. So the announcer would be talking about the game plays and then all of a sudden shout "Soul Force!" - the name of the dance team. Mark and I were like, "Shouldn't they have been performing during half time?" At least we got to see real football on Superbowl Sunday, regardless of the quality of play. Plus, the Argonautes won 28-0! Oh, and did I mention that the head coach of the Argonautes used to be a punter for the Kansas City Chiefs. Yeah, that's right. Go Argonautes!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Adventures #2 and #3: Marseille and Cassis
I would have to consider our trip to Cannes as Adventure #1. Since our official move to Aix at the beginning of this month, we have added two more small trips to our list.
Adventure #2: Marseille
Our last venture of the evening was at La Fetische for dinner. Mark and I enjoyed a nice bottle of local wine and a fabulous meal. Me: Caprese salad with pesto (diced tomato and mozzarella - slightly different, but delicious), steak and frites and an apple tart. Mark: Shrimp with avocado spread, sashimi tuna and tirimisu. It was the perfect way to end our day in Marseille.
After our site-seeing, we visited Brian's friends Lionel and Tiffany (he and Lionel had worked at Club Med together back in the day). Lionel is French, and Tiffany Canadian. They have a young son named Seven who is absolutely adorable. What a fun couple! We were only going to stay for a drink or two, but instead ended up staying for six hours. We ordered pizza, tried some more fabulous wine and enjoyed great conversation. I hope to see them again soon.
Adventure #2: Marseille
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| Weird band in Marseille |
Mark and I were trying to figure out what to do for our 2nd anniversary, other than a steak dinner at home. We debated about going to Lyon for the weekend, but after buying a new TV screen for our apartment (much needed), we settled on spending a day in Marseille. For 10 euros/person roundtrip, we were able to take the bus from Aix to Marseille. Since we had gone out with Mark's coworkers the night before, we had a bit of a late start, but still got to Marseille by 2pm. During our walk through the center of town from the bus station to the old port, we saw quite a few interesting sites. And I'm not talking about the beautiful architecture. We saw two protests and a really weird band. The larger of the two protests was about Tunisia - they didn't want the former President to stay in Paris, and the smaller one had to do with the government - probably protesting the extension of the retirement age to 62. On a happier front was the really weird band. I think it must have been students, but they were wearing incredibly odd clothing and playing tubas, trombones and trumpets. One guy even had a Batman belt. I didn't get a good look at what was written on their collection box, but since there were 10 or 12 of them, I figured they were students raising money for their school band.
We could not have asked for better weather. It was sunny and about 15 C (mid-60's F). Mark and I found a table outside at one of the restaurants along the port. We had tickets for a tour ride at 4:00, so we decided to just order a drink while we waited. In one of my previous blogs I wrote about "customer service" in France (or lack thereof). Well, this was another classic example. Mark and I had been sitting at our table for about 10 minutes before the waitress finally addressed us. She then asked if we were eating, and when I told her we were only drinking she replied that it would be 5 minutes because she wanted to have a cigarette first. Hmmm... We ended up spending more time waiting at the table then actually drinking our beer because by the time we got them we had to go meet for our tour. At least we don't have to worry about tips!
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| View from Notre-Dame de la Garde |
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| Notre-Dame de la Garde |
After our drinks we took a little train tour through part of Marseille. The tour started in le Vieux Port and passed by several forts, la Corniche and Notre-Dame de la Garde. One of the forts was Chateau d'If, the famous prison from Alexander Dumas' novel "The Count of Monte Cristo". Yes, it was a prison, but it was really neat to actually see the place that inspired part of the book. One day Mark and I plan to take a ferry tour out to see the chateau. Notre-Dame de la Garde was exquisite. The golden statue at the top is 12 1/2 meters tall and weighs about 20,000 pounds! This was Mark's first visit to a European church, so needless to say he was quite impressed with the interior of the basilica. In addition, the view from Notre-Dame de la Garde at 531 feet altitude was breathtaking. We could see all of Marseille, the various ports and the Mediterranean.
Following our tour we decided to walk through the town for a while. We stopped at a few pubs for a drink and almost stopped at an Irish pub called O'Malley's (Apparently this should be a tradition - going to Irish pubs in every town we visit). Sadly, O'Malley's was packed for a rugby game and we couldn't find a place to sit. We did get to watch the end of another rugby match at a different bar. It wasn't as exciting as the first match I saw, but anything is better than soccer.
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| La Prefecture |
During our ramble we walked down one of the main pedestrian shopping streets, which I believe was called Rue Saint-Ferreol. At the end of the street was a gorgeous building called La Prefecture. At the time, Mark and I had no clue what the building actually was, but Brian informed me later that it's an administration building. La Prefecture is probably where we will have to go to renew our visas next year.
Adventure #3: Cassis
Brian and Joan came to visit us this past weekend! They came in Friday night, we had dinner at our apartment (4-cheese stuffed shells and homemade meatballs) and then headed out to O'Sullivan's. It was pretty crowded so we only stayed for one drink before venturing out to some new bars Mark and I wanted to try. It was a long night, followed by drinking games back at our apartment. Needless to say, we had a rough start on Saturday. Well, at least Mark did. Since Brian and Joan drove their car to Aix (a small car that still could not fit in our garage!), we drove down to Cassis for the afternoon.
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| Cassis |
Yet again we had a beautiful day. Slightly chilly, but warm in the sun. Cassis is normally known as a beach town, and I believe it is very popular in the summer... especially with the boat tours to the Calanques (these beautiful inset waterways where people anchor their boats and spend the day in the turquoise water - a definite adventure for the future). We found a table in the sun and enjoyed a nice lunch. Brian's friend Nicole, from Nice, her son and her "manny" joined us as well. Lunch was accompanied by some tantalizing rose wine from a vineyard 5 minutes away. Oh was it good! We tried to visit the vineyard after leaving town, but got there right as it was closing. Then Brian wanted to drive us along the Route de Crête, a road that goes along the cliffs of the Med with breathtaking views, but it was also closed due to too much snow along the road. We were still able to find a path that led us to the top of a cliff overlooking Cassis to the west and Ciotat to the east.
After our site-seeing, we visited Brian's friends Lionel and Tiffany (he and Lionel had worked at Club Med together back in the day). Lionel is French, and Tiffany Canadian. They have a young son named Seven who is absolutely adorable. What a fun couple! We were only going to stay for a drink or two, but instead ended up staying for six hours. We ordered pizza, tried some more fabulous wine and enjoyed great conversation. I hope to see them again soon.
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| Lunch in Aix |
Brian and Joan's visit ended on Sunday with lunch at a restaurant along Le Cours Mirabeau. We were all decked out in our Bears gear and tried to stay in the sun during our meal (as you can tell, we mostly eat outside at restaurants - even in the winter). Mark and I gave them a quick tour of the center of town and visited Saint-Jean-de-Malte, one of the churches in Aix, before they headed back to Perpignan. I look forward to visiting them soon... possibly for a rugby match!
It's Official!
It's official - we live in France!
Our trip back to Chicago was longer than anticipated. I arrived in Chicago on December 14 and Mark came the following day. Unfortunately our meeting with the French Consulate got pushed back from the 15th to the 27th so we weren't able to spend Christmas with Brian and Joan in France or go to Palermo for New Year's Eve. There's always next year, though, and it was great to be able to spend the holidays with our families in Chicago and go out with our friends again before the big move.
The visa meeting wasn't quite what I expected. I thought we were going to have to sit down with someone and get interviewed, but all we did was hand our paperwork to a woman behind a counter, pay for our visas, and electronically get fingerprinted. That was it, and it only took about 5 minutes. The next day, while we were out in the burbs, Mark got a message from the Consulate saying that his passport was only valid for one more year, but it needs to be valid for 15 months. So we had to drive back to the city on Wednesday to get Mark a new passport. Luckily, Chicago has an expedited passport office. However, I thought it was going to take another week for us to get our visas. When Mark dropped his new passport off at the Consulate on Thursday morning, they told him to come back that afternoon for our visas. After the stress of those past few days, it was great news to know that we would get back to France on the 2nd. (Mark stopped getting paid on the 3rd if he was still in the States).
We flew into Barcelona via Pakistan International Airlines. That alone was it's own experience. The airline was very nice, plus it was a new plane. We had our own tv screen with several American movies and tv series, although we spent the majority of the flight sleeping. The food was fine... airplane food. And the staff was really nice. Yes, there were a lot of Pakistani's on the flight, and there were several passport check points, but all in all, it was totally worth it for a direct flight to Barcelona. Brian picked us up in Barcelona (which was slightly stressful since my cell phone wasn't working and we just had to hope Brian could find us), but we did get to spend Sunday night at Brian and Joan's in Perpignan.
Mark and I walked through the outskirts of town our first Sunday in Aix. It was pretty quiet since most places are closed on Sundays, but then we noticed a large crowd near the Rotund. Apparently there was a big parade for La Feter l'Epiphanie which commemorates the end of the holidays. The parade consisted of peopled dressed in traditional Provencal clothing and playing traditional music on flutes and drums. Once the people reached la Rotund, several of them performed a dance while the crowd gathered around. There were even three camels! It was quite interesting and unexpected. Afterwards, Mark and I walked through the antique shops set up along the Cours Mirabeau. It seems to me like there is always something happening along that street, which is wonderful because it always tends to surprise me!
Since my days mostly consist of going to the market and trying new dishes, I feel that I should always have a small portion of the blog dedicated to my culinary adventures as well. I previously mentioned the cod I made, which was fabulous, but nowhere near the phenomenal swordfish I made our second week in Aix. Kudos once again to the fresh fish market. The woman who sold me the swordfish even gave me tips on how best to cook the fish. With those tips and Bobby Flay's recipe for Grilled Caponata, I was set. To my delight, it was another success with Mark as well. On a side note: Mark and I have come to the odd realization that in French grocery stores chicken is very expensive while pork is ridiculously cheap. I bought 4 chicken breasts for about 7 euros and 6 pork chops for 3 euros. Guess I need to work on my pork recipes.
Our trip back to Chicago was longer than anticipated. I arrived in Chicago on December 14 and Mark came the following day. Unfortunately our meeting with the French Consulate got pushed back from the 15th to the 27th so we weren't able to spend Christmas with Brian and Joan in France or go to Palermo for New Year's Eve. There's always next year, though, and it was great to be able to spend the holidays with our families in Chicago and go out with our friends again before the big move.
The visa meeting wasn't quite what I expected. I thought we were going to have to sit down with someone and get interviewed, but all we did was hand our paperwork to a woman behind a counter, pay for our visas, and electronically get fingerprinted. That was it, and it only took about 5 minutes. The next day, while we were out in the burbs, Mark got a message from the Consulate saying that his passport was only valid for one more year, but it needs to be valid for 15 months. So we had to drive back to the city on Wednesday to get Mark a new passport. Luckily, Chicago has an expedited passport office. However, I thought it was going to take another week for us to get our visas. When Mark dropped his new passport off at the Consulate on Thursday morning, they told him to come back that afternoon for our visas. After the stress of those past few days, it was great news to know that we would get back to France on the 2nd. (Mark stopped getting paid on the 3rd if he was still in the States).
We flew into Barcelona via Pakistan International Airlines. That alone was it's own experience. The airline was very nice, plus it was a new plane. We had our own tv screen with several American movies and tv series, although we spent the majority of the flight sleeping. The food was fine... airplane food. And the staff was really nice. Yes, there were a lot of Pakistani's on the flight, and there were several passport check points, but all in all, it was totally worth it for a direct flight to Barcelona. Brian picked us up in Barcelona (which was slightly stressful since my cell phone wasn't working and we just had to hope Brian could find us), but we did get to spend Sunday night at Brian and Joan's in Perpignan.
Finally, Mark and I made it to Aix on Monday afternoon and moved into our new apartment. We did some shopping the following Saturday to get the last few essentials for our place; including an oven!!! Yes, it's an oven that sits on the countertop, but it works. On top of our excitement for having our own place (finally), Mark is thrilled that our Slingbox works (thanks Charlie!). Now we can watch American television and not just CNN International.
I've spent most of my time walking through town to get my bearings. I've visted the market practically every day and really enjoy cooking with such fresh ingredients. Our first week here I bought fresh cod from the seafood market, and boy was it good. Jill got me an amazing Provencal cookbook for Christmas that provided me with the wonderful cod recipe. The best part was that Mark actually ate fish and liked it.
Mark and I walked through the outskirts of town our first Sunday in Aix. It was pretty quiet since most places are closed on Sundays, but then we noticed a large crowd near the Rotund. Apparently there was a big parade for La Feter l'Epiphanie which commemorates the end of the holidays. The parade consisted of peopled dressed in traditional Provencal clothing and playing traditional music on flutes and drums. Once the people reached la Rotund, several of them performed a dance while the crowd gathered around. There were even three camels! It was quite interesting and unexpected. Afterwards, Mark and I walked through the antique shops set up along the Cours Mirabeau. It seems to me like there is always something happening along that street, which is wonderful because it always tends to surprise me!The next night was our 2-year anniversary. I surprised Mark with a gigantic steak dinner. We were both pretty excited that I found such a big steak in France, but our super market is great. So was the steak. I was able to bring some Chicago Steak Seasoning back from the States, so that definitely added to the deliciousness of our meal. We may not have a grill, but I'm learning to improvise on a lot of things in the kitchen and bought a grill pan to use over the stove.
Wednesday, January 12 was a slight breakthrough for me. I joined a group called International Friends in Provence (IFIP), an Anglophone group in Aix, and decided to attend the coffee morning scheduled for that day. I went to the cafe, not really knowing anyone in the group or who to look for. I just sat outside and hoped I would spot a group of people gathering together. No such luck. Eventually I spotted a woman who was looking around the cafe and had a very American-like resemblance. An easy way to spot an American is by their shoes. Most French will wear flats or Sketchers as "comfy" shoes, but Americans will wear your basic gym shoe. She was wearing black, somewhat baggy clothes and white gym shoes. I was able to stop her before she left and turned out I was right. She was American and a part of IFIP. AvisAnne and I took a table inside, and as it turns out she had met Mark during the Thanksgiving dinner he had been invited to for another Anglo-group I am joining. She was very friendly and informative, and I'm excited to get more involved with these groups. Mainly it was just nice to meet someone new. Eventually we were joined by another two women, one French and one American. The American, Valerie, lives in Florida but also has an apartment in Aix and another in Paris. Valerie was also looking into joining the group, and she and I ended up walking around together after coffee. She showed me her gorgeous apartment on the Cours Mirabeau and then took me to the bookstore in town with native-English books and DVD's called Book in Bar. We had both planned to participate in IFIP's book club the following week, so we reserved copies of The Elegance of the Hedgehog (since they didn't have any copies in stock). I was able to pick up my copy the day before the club meeting, and amazingly read this very intense, very philosophical book within a day and a half. I met some more women at the meeting, all very nice, but of course all older than I am. Still, I really enjoyed myself and their company. The following day Valerie and I met for coffee. Although she is 65 I must admit that I enjoy her company the most. She was a former French teacher and now organizes a workshop each year for other French teachers. Valerie has been so helpful and inspiring, offering up ideas on what I can do to practice my language skills, activities to keep me occupied, and even job ideas that could help me prepare for my teaching career once Mark and I move back to the States. It's just a shame that she isn't in Aix year round, but perhaps I could go visit her in Paris! ;-) The most interesting thing Valerie and I have done is visit an AquaGym class. She took me to this gym facility (not in Aix), and we tried out the class. I was so surprised at how well I understood everything, and it was a great workout, but I think I'll just join a gym in town. As for the other women in IFIP, many of them have husband's who work either for ITER or Europocar. I didn't get much of a chance to talk to them about what they do, but one of the women, Barbara, met Mark back in November, and she's the one who told me about all of these groups. It was great to finally meet her, and she's been keeping me abreast of events for the Anglo American Group of Provence (AAGP), the other group I'm joining. A lot of these events are coming up in the next few weeks, so it will be wonderful to be involved more. I'm even hosting the IFIP book club meeting in February and possibly a Tastevin (wine tasting) for AAGP in March!
Since my days mostly consist of going to the market and trying new dishes, I feel that I should always have a small portion of the blog dedicated to my culinary adventures as well. I previously mentioned the cod I made, which was fabulous, but nowhere near the phenomenal swordfish I made our second week in Aix. Kudos once again to the fresh fish market. The woman who sold me the swordfish even gave me tips on how best to cook the fish. With those tips and Bobby Flay's recipe for Grilled Caponata, I was set. To my delight, it was another success with Mark as well. On a side note: Mark and I have come to the odd realization that in French grocery stores chicken is very expensive while pork is ridiculously cheap. I bought 4 chicken breasts for about 7 euros and 6 pork chops for 3 euros. Guess I need to work on my pork recipes.Last weekend we visited Marseille as an extended way to celebrate our anniversary. Details for that adventure will be given in my next blog. Then, last Sunday we invited some of Mark's coworkers over to watch the Bears vs. Seahawks game and dinner. Roberto is originally from Mexico and has lived in France for serveral years now. He was pretty familiar with American football, so we didn't need to provide him with much explanation. Gregory, on the other hand, is French. He's a rugby fan, so he understood the basic concept of the points system, but we still had to explain a lot about the game. Luckily he came before the game started and Mark gave him an overview to prevent too many questions during the game. Now that I have watched soccer and rugby matches on television, I can see why Europeans can't get into football... there are so many commercials! We are used to it as Americans, but I began to realize how disruptive these commercials really are when it comes to the action of the game. That plus the fact that the plays stop so often (and it was a really long, slow game). But Roberto and Gregory still had fun and enjoyed the game. I guess we should've invited them over again this past Sunday... maybe the Bears would have had another victory. C'est la vie.
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