Aix-en-Provence

Bonjour!

I made it to Aix-en-Provence. My train left Nice this morning at 8:37. I switched trains in Marseille and arrived in Aix at 12:30pm. I paid the minimum 7 euro for a taxi to my hotel, only to find out it was only three blocks away-oh well. You live and you learn.



It's really beautiful here. My hotel is situated on the perfect street with little shops and cafes everywhere. I walked around for a few hours taking pictures of everything. I went in search of the Cathedrale St-Sauveur, but couldn't find it. I'm going to go looking again soon. I also went to the Natural History Museum, they had an exhibit on dinosaurs.



I ate lunch at a cool "cafe" called Simple Food. It's all healthy sandwiches and salads. I got an egg-salad sandwich and a bowl of fruit. Delicious. Tomorrow there's a big outdoor market that I can't wait to see, hopefully I can find it; streets in France are so confusing, everything winding this way and that...

Nice

Nice
When you're alone, you have to take pictures of yourself....

This is the hard life alright.

NICE!!!!

I cannot describe how beautiful it is here, or how lucky I am to be spending my summer on the beach in the south of France. I arrived yesterday morning at about 9am. I couldn't check into my hotel so I walked down to the beach (about 15 blocks). The water is blue and clear, the sun is shining and cute boys are EVERYWHERE. Wow, I have it rough. ;)

I spent all day at the beach yesterday and today and am planning to make day trips tomorrow and the next few days to close cities, Cannes, Monaco etc... I'm getting really tan, but of course by the time I return home, my tan will be gone...maybe I should just stay here. When on the beach, "vendors" walk around with big coolers offering drinks and snacks. They just shout out in a bunch of different languages what they have to offer. It's actually pretty cool, although I have yet to buy anything from them. One guy was walking around with a tray of pre-cut watermelon, is that safe???

I switched from a one-piece to a bikini today, who knows maybe tomorrow I'll go topless and fit in like a local?! Or maybe not.... we'll see. Shelly says I have to, just to say I have. I almost did today, but then a whole family sat right next to me and I chickened out. I kept thinking of the little kids as Rourke and Vaugn-they would die if I went topless. But while in France, you have to be like the French. Tomorrow, definitely tomorrow (this is my go topless pep-talk).

Well I'll be sure to write more from wherever I am tomorrow. Thank you SOOOO much Dad and Shelly and Grandma and Grandpa for making this happen. I LOVE it here and am having the time of my life.

xoxoxo Soleil

Bordeaux

BOnjour!
Sorry I haven't written in a while, my Internet wasn't working for a few days. My last few days in Paris were really fun, I spent all my time with my friends eating crepes and seeing all the last-minute sights. My very last night we went to the top of the Eiffel Tower-it was so gorgeous. On our way back to the dorms, we met four VERY cute guards and took pictures. I fell in love immediately.

Next I took a train to Bordeaux where I met up with Marcel and his wife Nathalie. They were So wonderful and welcoming to me. I wish I could have stayed longer. My first day, Nathalie packed a picnic lunch and we drove to the beach. TOPLESS women everywhere and all the guys wear speedos; something to get used to. The beach was wonderful, nice weather, and we had a really yummy picnic of "salad" (tuna, rice, tomatoes, pickles eggs) and bread. I'm told this is a very french thing to do-pack your picnic and eat at the beach. Isn't it an American thing too?

The second day, Nathalie's daughter Ann-Laure and her boyfriend David took me to downtown Bordeaux. We walked everywhere and I took pictures of everything, being the good tourist that I am. We bought sandwiches and ate on a park bench (also very french). For dinner, Marcel made a special vegetarian couscous just for me, it was so good!

My third and last day in Bordeaux, Marcel took me to St. Emillion. It's a very small but VERY beautiful wine town about an hour outside of Bordeaux. We walked all through the town and got lunch at a cute cafe, owned by Marcel's friend. I got a "Maillot de Legumes", a basket of vegetables with a creamy ranch-type sauce to dip. Marcel gave me his creme-brulee. YUM!

Later in the evening I went to their friend's house for aperitif, before dinner drinks and socializing. At 9pm Marcel drove me to the train station to catch my train to Nice...

I had such a great time staying with them and hope I can return as soon as possible!

Au Revoir! Soleil

St. Emillion

St. Emillion-adorable wine town
Marcel in St. Emillion

Soleil*Ann-Laure*David

The Mirror in Bordeaux(water squirts up and covers these tiles to reflect the building)

My LAST night in Paris, my boyfriend is second from the right ;)

Fontainebleau

Waltzing in the ballroom

Musee Rodin

Le Baiser (the kiss)

Eating ice cream in the gardens, just like I did with Grandma 6 years ago

La Cathedrale (the cathedral)

I loved these hands-so beautiful

The Catacombs

Bonsoir,

I've been so busy that I haven't been able to write much. And I'm sleepy now (it's 12am) so this will be a short one...sorry...

Today I went to the catacombs-creepy. So many bones down there, and it was gross because it was raining outside, and the rain water drips through the "ceiling" onto your head. I stepped in a huge puddle of water, nasty catacomb water.

Tomorrow I'm going on a day trip to Pierrfonds to see a chateau. We went to two chateaus last weekend, so at this point they all look the same... But I'm excited nonetheless. And Sunday morning, bright and early, I leave for Bordeaux! I can't wait to see the south of France and Italy. And I can't wait to eat pasta and pizza every day!


I'll write more when in Bordeaux.. Miss everyone back home so much!!!

xoxo Soleil

Me trying unsuccessfully to look scared