This is an early, mid-September update.
Classes started off pretty easy, with the exception of the English class I transferred into that made me do the homework for day one despite my not being in the first class. I digress. I could’ve gone to Monaco before then, but I didn’t sign up fast enough. So, we went to Saint Tropez instead. Beautiful, expensive Saint Tropez and its hike of a beach trip.
When we came back from Saint Tropez, however, was the real interesting part of the day. I enjoy sipping rose and slushies on the beach as much as the next person, but what other city practically sets itself on fire for fun? I was slightly nervous, given our experience with wildfires in the past couple of years, but my roommates and I had been seeing it set up for a week, so we couldn’t NOT go.
Beforehand, since it started once the sun set, we got delicious 2 euro pizza that I’m definitely going back to at some point, and walked around. So many metal structures ablaze with fire. It was beautiful. It started at a local theatre, which had all sorts of little things set up. I believe there was more inside but we didn’t go in. I was too enamored by the outside.
Then we began walking towards the Rotonde, my roommates and I, along with a classmate of mine and a friend of hers. There was fire everywhere, but they had workers all over the place equipped with equipment if the breeze blew a little too strong. Finally reaching the fountain, we saw the big center point of the festival.
It. Was. Amazing. I mean, I did have a bit of a panic flashback moment to Phantom of the Opera and its ending, but aside from that, it was brilliant. The fountain looked ethereal under the flames and smoke. PotO be damned, nothing would ruin that fountain’s time in the spotlight. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. I may have been in a summer dress at 8:30 at night, but I wasn’t cold in the slightest. There was so much fire all around us that it didn’t feel like the sun had gone down. It was a good test of my new phone’s night mode.
As amazing as it was, that wasn’t the only thing that happened in September (aside from classes of course). There was a fun bowling night put on by the school that I attended with my friend Ash. I was really worried how I’d do with house equipment, as I have my own custom stuff back home, but I did shockingly well.
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The last thing I want to mention is my trip to Arles, France. I went with my photography class and despite the fact that it was pouring in the morning, it was super beautiful and a pretty fun time. I’m not really huge on photo exhibitions (I much prefer museums) but those were pretty cool too. There was one on Red Cross photography that was particularly impactful.
I also got to know some of my classmates through that trip, and I talked with one about Disneyland Paris for like… 10 minutes over sorbet. Seems that both of us wanted to go at some point but couldn’t find anyone to go with 🙂
Felicity