Author: Natalie Wise

If you are someone who wants to realize your fantasy of running around a medieval castle, Avignon is the place to visit. Avignon is located on the left bank of the river Rhône. It is a gorgeous, ancient town with medieval walls enclosing the town center, and within it, le palais des papes (the Papal Palace or the Palace of Popes). Like many French towns, the center is a maze of narrow streets scattered with little boutiques and cafés, with cobblestone paths and murals on the beautiful yellow clay which the south of France is known for.

Avignon is known for the period of Avignon Papacy, from 1309 to 1376, during which there were seven successive popes living in le palais des papes, instead of residing in Rome. While I was there, I was able to take a tour of le palais des papes. It was absolutely incredible! I was stepping back through time, walking the echoing halls, running my hand across the cold carved stones.

My favorite rooms of the palace were not allowed to be photographed, but they were covered from floor to ceiling with religious murals, telling stories about saints and other figures. Another gorgeous room was tiled in earthy yellows, rusty reds, and faded blues. The palace had so many levels and staircases; I was easily turned around and would’ve gotten lost if not for arrows indicating the flow of the tour.

After visiting the town center of Avignon, we headed to the Pont du Gard, a roman aqueduct built almost 2000 years ago, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The aqueduct crosses the Gardon river and is the tallest preserved Roman aqueduct. I found that its grandeur is something that cannot really be captured on camera. If you are ever in the south of France, I would highly recommend visiting this site, because it is something that can only really be experienced in person. The sheer size and antiquity of the aqueduct was humbling. There are a few trails on either side of the bridge that can give you a better view. I hiked one side up to a viewpoint. The group of about 20 that I was with fell silent and we sat there for probably a half hour in that calmness, taking everything in. It was a beautiful experience.

Until next time,
Natalie

Nice, France is well known for its annual parade at the end of winter. The Nice Carnival was the first international carnival in France and has been a much beloved event for the past 151 years (since 1873)! This year I went with a few friends to experience the opening day of the parade. It was definitely an experience to remember!

My friends and I took a two-hour bus from Aix to Nice the morning before the opening ceremony. We got an idea of Nice as we walked through downtown to the parade which took place right on the waterfront! On our way, we stopped by Burger King because we were all missing American food a little bit. In the Burger King, there was a birthday party taking place! Talking with my host family later that weekend, I came to find out that birthday parties in American fast-food restaurants are frequent occurrences here (and keep in mind these don’t have playgrounds like some do in the US)!

Anyway, we made our way through the crowded streets to the parade. The theme of this year’s carnival was the King of Pop Culture and they definitely stayed true to it! We saw float upon float of Disney princesses, superheroes, and cartoon characters! Kids were dressed up as their favorite characters with jewels and face paint. The actors on the floats were throwing these beautiful yellow flowers called Mimosas into the crowd. Mimosas grow all around Côte d’Azur and have been blooming over the past couple of weeks, adding some vibrant color to the landscape.

Following the parade, we headed over to Village du Carnaval where they had games, food, and souvenirs. We all bought some carnival masks to match our outfits. Shortly after, we had a confusing encounter with a woman who was asking us to take a picture. We had thought she was asking for us to take a picture of her, but it turned out that she thought we were part of the show and asked for pictures of us under the Carnival banner.

We had a few hours between the opening parade and the parade of lights in the evening. We walked Nice a little more and saw their Notre Dame, a gorgeous cathedral in the center of town.

We happened upon an Italian restaurant where we stopped for dinner. It was absolutely amazing! I could have filled up on their bread and olive oil alone.

After the sun set, we walked the waterfront down to the Carnival once again, this time for the parade of lights. Still with the pop culture theme, this parade had floats of movies, TV shows, music icons, and social media. They all seemed to be social commentaries as well. It was a very bizarre but amazing experience.

Until next time,
Natalie

 

One of my classes here in Aix-en-Provence is entitled Women and the Mediterranean: from Myth to Modernity. Since coming to France a few weeks ago, I have noticed this theme of juxtaposing the ancient and the modern: a coffee chain built into a church from the 15th century, Teslas driving on Roman cobblestone streets, and pizza stands sitting below statues of saints constructed during the Bubonic Plague. Aix is a town which displays its history.  There are structures from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance which still stand as well as influences form the Roman empire around every corner. Each building is lined with pipes for plumbing and bunches of electrical wires added over the recent centuries. It tells a story of coexisting preservation and evolution in a changing world. In a sense, it reflects the experience of a study abroad student: bringing conceptions of yourself and the world into a completely new environment in which you’re pushed to adapt and develop as a person. So far, I’ve fallen in love with the beauty of this process and in love with Aix for facilitating it.

With that in mind, let me take you on a tour of the town!

The university I’m studying at, the Institute of American Universities (IAU), has no campus, but is instead a few buildings grouped in city center. This makes it easy to stop for a croissant between classes or study at a café, which I’ve definitely taken advantage of.

Aix is called the city of fountains, or the town of a thousand fountains. The end of each street hosts its own fountain, and with that is often a square of cafés, boutiques, and community spaces. My favorite of these is Place des Prêcheurs: a huge square where you can see preserved Roman streets in front of the Palais de Justice and Église de la Madeleine.

There are often kids running around and dogs playing fetch in front of this gorgeous church originally built in the late 1200s. That is, when the market stands have been put away. Different squares in Aix have daily markets where people roll their large shopping baskets behind them collecting fruits, veggies, cheeses, meat, bread, and even flowers for the week.

The flower market is my favorite. I’ve notice so many couples, young and old, walking the streets of Aix together with flowers. My host mom always keeps multiple bouquets of fresh flowers in the kitchen and on the dinning room table. There are also the most beautiful wildflowers as you walk out of city center towards the countryside.

I’ve been spending a lot of time on the outskirts of Aix where the Marschutz art center is located. My ceramics class is by far my favorite here. The pottery studio is outdoors next to a mini vineyard on a small hill.

If you venture further into the countryside of Aix, you’ll find your way to the base of a mountain: Montagne Sainte Victoire. I hiked Saint Victoire with a friend this past weekend and it was well worth the hours of climbing. Near the top is Sainte Victoire Priory, a monastery built in the 17th century and dating back to a religious refuge site from the 5th century. At the peak of Saint Victoire is the Croix de Provence, a giant cross overlooking the valley. The view was breathtaking and it was such a peaceful experience, surrounded as far as the eye could see by wild rosemary.

I hope you’ve enjoyed your little introduction to Aix-en-Provence!

Until next time,
Natalie