Category: France

As my incredible semester in Aix starts to come to an end, I wanted to spend some time recounting a few of my favorite places I’ve visited . I hope this post will be useful to any future students coming to Aix-en-Provence. Consider this a list of my recommendations!

After trying over ten different bakeries in the city, I think the best croissant comes from Le Pain Quotidien. It’s a local bakery owned and run by two sisters, and their croissants are perfectly buttery and flakey.

My overall favorite bakery would have to be Weibel; it’s well-known for a reason. The first day of my Food and Culture in the Mediterranean class my professor said we all had to try their pastries, and I couldn’t agree more. Their tiny cakes are intricate, unique, but inexpensive! I have so many great memories of meeting friends there for an espresso and a treat after class.

I really enjoyed visiting as many museums and art exhibits as I could. Most museums in Aix are free if you show your student ID, or are at least very discounted, and they are absolutely worth the visit! My favorite museum is Musée Granet, particularly the sculpture room on the bottom floor! It’s such an incredible experience to have so many impressive artworks that are easily accessible. 

 Additionally, as a cat lover, Aix does not disappoint. The cat bookstore Mon chat Pitre is the perfect place to pick up a french book and pet some adorable cats. I found the cats here are incredibly friendly and always willing to say hi.

I am not ashamed to admit I would go there sometimes just for cat cuddles . There’s also a cat cafe called Meows Cats Cafe. This is also such a fun time, although be prepared for more expensive prices and the possibility of having to wait. Also, there was no shortage of cats wandering the streets to say hi to!

For me, the city of Aix could not be more charming. I discovered so many gems around the city by aimlessly wandering or taking a different path home from class. I highly recommend taking time exploring and staying curious. I am going to miss living in a city so rich with history and beautiful artwork.

À bientôt !

Ella 

 

I’ve finally finished one of the most anticipated parts of my study abroad experience: spring break. From the moment I got here people were discussing where they wanted to travel. 

After talking with my friends, and searching Ryanair for the cheapest flights, we decided on the island of Malta and Italy; including Venice, Milan, and Lake Como. I could go on and on about how incredible all of these places were, because they were truly incredible, but instead I want to focus on some things I learned throughout these trips.   

Guided tours are not as unnecessary or boring. I’ve always dismissed them as a concept, but I certainly see the appeal now. My friend’s dad was kind enough to purchase my group a guided tour around Lake Como for the day. It was fantastic!

First, because it was Lake Como, which is as incredible and beautiful as everyone said it was. Additionally, I severely underestimated how nice it is to have a guide to follow around. She coordinated our train and boat tickets, told us where to sit, and recommended the best restaurants. Not having to think and problem solve for a day was the best gift. While I definitely can’t afford a guided tour all the time on a college-student budget (and there is a certain charm to wandering aimlessly around a new city), I definitely see the value in a guided tour and would take one again—as a treat.

Next, traveling is better enjoyed with an hour of downtime before dinner everyday. And no, you are not wasting your time in a cool place. You’re recharging so you can better appreciate all the incredible things you will see. I’m still learning not to feel guilty for taking a pause.

Studying abroad and traveling is not inherently more dangerous or scary. I think often we have this idea that when you travel, bad things are bound to happen to you. I was told pickpocketing was inevitable, but after traveling to major, touristy locations with all my belongings still with me, I don’t agree. Paying attention to your surroundings and keeping your valuables close goes a long way.

While it’s certainly vital to be aware of the risks, its not as scary as some make it out to be.

And lastly, the best way to travel is to eat as much as you possibly can.

Eating incredible food has been one of the highlights of every city, despite how much my wallet is protesting. But, it’s worth it!

À bientôt !

Ella 

 

After more than two months in France, I finally made it to the most famous city:  Paris! To be honest, I was very prepared for it to be ‘overrated’, because I’ve only heard incredible things about it and I found it hard to believe any city could be that great. While I will say I have definitely visited cities during my time here that I find more incredible, or impressive, Paris has a special feeling like no other city. I can definitely see why it’s nicknamed The City of Love.  It really does have a romantic feel about it – if you can ignore the rats on the metro, of course!

While in Paris, my friends and I did everything touristy that we could. We visited the Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tour, the L’Arc de Triomphe, and the Montmartre district.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of which were incredible and well-worth the visit. If I can give any advice for someone planning to visit Paris, it’s book your tickets for everything you can days in advance. Someone recommended this to my group, and I’m so glad they did. Even things like the Notre Dame, which are free, are better enjoyed with tickets. You’re able to skip the lines, which can be very long. 

Despite all of the incredible, historic things I saw, my favorite memory comes from our last night in Paris. My friends and I had not been able to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle, which happens for five minutes on the hour, every hour, after sunset. Despite spending the past two nights in the city, we had not yet seen the Eiffel Tower sparkle, which we are determined to do. Our first mistake was taking the metro to the Eiffel Tower, not realizing the second metro we were supposed to ride only left once every 30 minutes. Instead, we had to walk the last mile and a half to the Eiffel Tower. The only problem was we would definitely miss the sparkling in that time, which we couldn’t allow because it was our last night in Paris!

So, we ran the entire mile and a half to the Eiffel Tower. None of us are runners or are in any way in shape for that kind of exercise. But, we were fueled by excitement and desperation to see the sparkling. It makes me smile any time I think about us running and panting and laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.

I’m happy to report we did make it in time, just barely arriving before the sparkling began. While it was beautiful to see, my favorite part of this memory is the joy I shared with my friends.

À bientôt !

Ella

My friends and I have been joking since we first arrived in Aix that the “study” in study abroad is silent. However, as we move into the season of midterms we are having the unfortunate realization that we are, in fact, here to study.

However, the threat of exams and projects have not been able to deter us from a weekend trip. I am finally going to take the obligatory journey to Paris next weekend, which I am incredibly excited for. I can’t wait to experience the incredible city, which I have recently learned is one of the most visited cities in the world! 

This past weekend, I explored a new neighboring city around Aix. I visited Saint-Remy-en-Provence, which is the city Van Gogh painted in The Starry Night!

I had no idea it was so close by, until a classmate made a passing comment about it. I decided I had to go then, and I’m really glad I did! I went with my grandparents, who were visiting me for the weekend. Having family here made me realize how much this city has become familiar to me. Just a month ago I was overwhelmed by everything I didn’t know or understand. But now I heard myself teaching them how to navigate the bus system and recommending the best bakeries in town.

It’s crazy how much has changed in just a few weeks. 

This also has been a week of noticing the amount of progress I have made in my French. It is easy to feel discouraged when you are surrounded by native speakers who speak fluently (and are not afraid to correct you in a way that feels harsh, but is well-intentioned.)

However, this past week I have really noticed myself navigating the language in a way I never could have before. My French is far from perfect, but I am celebrating the little wins, like learning how to naturally place a ‘quoi’  at the end of my sentences like the French do.  But don’t worry, the French language has a way of keeping me humble – like when I accidentally tipped my taxi driver 10 euro because I thought he said 16… he said 6. But, c’est la vie!

À bientôt !

Ella

 

An essential part of the study abroad experience (in my opinion) is making the most of your weekends. Before I even left for France, I was dreaming of the places I could visit on the weekends. So far, I’ve visited five French cities through either weekend or day trips, and this is my review of one my favorites so far.

I spent my first Friday in France visiting the city of Avignon. We toured Palais des Papes (Pope’s Palace) and an ancient Roman aqueduct. To my American brain, it’s hard to even process how old these things are. The Palais des Papes is from the 1300s and is my favorite historical site I have visited so far. The palace is huge, and covered in intricate carvings and paintings.  We were not allowed to photograph many of the most beautiful paintings,  so you have to go in person to see it all.

After this, we visited an ancient roman aqueduct. It was actually never completed at the time, but it still stands as an incredible reminder of the Romans’  influence on France.

However, my favorite part of the trip was when my friends and I stopped for a coffee break in a small cafe owned by an older Colombian man. Not only because I had a delicious cappuccino, but also because of the conversation we shared. The owner grew up in Colombia, moved to Mexico, then Brazil, then California, and finally settled in Avignon, France. He speaks five languages, and casually discussed his experiences and what they taught him about culture and human relationships. We all left that cafe feeling like we’d gained a lot more than just a boost of caffeine.

À bientôt !

Ella

 

It keeps hitting me randomly throughout the week that I’m in France! Studying abroad has been an adjustment period like nothing I’ve ever experienced. My body has been accommodating a new time zone, language, home, culture, diet, routine, and pretty much everything else that makes up one’s life. It’s both as hard as I was expecting, and so much easier. I’ve been surprised by how quickly I began to adapt to this new way of life. Learning by watching others, asking questions, and —unfortunately—embarrassing myself more times than I can count. But, that’s the best way to learn because you will never make the same mistake twice!

That isn’t to say it hasn’t been hard. There have been moments where it feels incredibly overwhelming to have everything around me be entirely unknown. To get myself through these moments, I remind myself these feelings are incredibly normal and I shouldn’t feel guilty about them because they will pass. And every time, they have.

After landing in Aix-en-Provence, I was quickly directed to the bus station to meet my host mother. It was a whirlwind of emotions. I was tired, nervous, excited, and disoriented. On the car ride to her small apartment tucked into the suburbs of Aix, it hit me that this would be my life now. My jetlagged brain fumbled its way through describing my flights in French, and translating her responses in my head.

Since that first day, I have gotten more and more used to my new life here. I have been enjoying my daily routine of walking through the streets of the city center, grabbing a coffee or a pastry in between my classes, and taking in the sun.

Southern France is known for its sunlight, and so far it has not disappointed! We’ve had a few rainy days here and there, but nothing compared to what I’m used to back in Oregon. I’m constantly amazed by this city’s beauty and by the rich history weaved throughout the architecture. I can not wait to keep discovering everything the city of Aix-en-Provence has to offer me. 

À bientot!

Ella

The last week of my study abroad program in Aix-en-Provence was a whirlwind. Everyone was occupied studying for finals, writing papers, and preparing presentations. However, in addition to the academic cramming, there was this buzz in the air. Everyone was trying to experience as much as they could before leaving:  a last-minute hike to Sainte Victoire, a trip to Cassis, a stroll through the markets, a night with friends. Everyone would have a pause while saying goodbye after class to make sure they were going to see each other another time before leaving, extending the inevitable for as long as possible.

My favorite of these moments was after my French Food and Culture final when, one by one, we all gathered in the library to eat a loaf of banana bread that one of my friends from class made. Not able to say goodbye, we all ended up going out to coffee together. We practiced using our French while we still could, emptied all our small euro coins to pay, and took one last group photo.

Earlier in the week was France’s Labor Day, which we had off of school. My friends and I took the opportunity to have a farewell soirée. My haul from the markets was mâche lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh mozzarella for a capresse-esque salad. One friend made apéros, another brought dessert, and most importantly, pasta making supplies. We talked the afternoon away over a glass of wine while chopping up ingredients, simmering the red sauce, and kneading pasta dough. The end result was a beautiful homemade meal with all our love poured into it. Afterwards, we spent hours more talking and ended up bringing a guitar out to play and sing together. This night was very much a core memory of the trip.

My pottery exposé was during this last week as well. Everyone in the ceramics class, in addition to the painting classes, got to display their body of work from the semester and put it up for sale. We had a large turnout from the school, but also from the Aix community at large. It was an incredible and emotional experience of feeling so very supported and appreciated for my art. While abroad, the Marschutz arts center became such an important place for me. It was where I went when I needed to get my swirling thoughts out of my brain and into the clay. It was where I went on beautiful days to enjoy the view of the French countryside, or on rainy days to hear the rhythmic plink-plink-plink of the rain drops on the shed’s roof and the whistle of the Mistral breeze through the windows. Out of everywhere in Aix, the ceramic studio, surrounded by wildflowers, wind, and wonder, will be the place I’ll miss most.

As a final farewell to most people in the program, IAU put on a graduation ceremony where we all wore golden stoles, students got awards from each department, and we walked in a procession together around Aix. Afterwards, we gathered in the square outside of Main Hall, in front of Aix’s cathedral, and had apéros and wine. Professors made their rounds to say goodbye, group pictures were taken, and final hugs were given out.

It was such a hard week of goodbyes, but I appreciate the fact that the goodbyes were difficult because of how deep the connections were. Aix was absolutely beautiful (how could the south of France not be), but it was the people who truly made the experience. It’s hard to accept that most of the people I met abroad will phase out of my life as quickly as they appeared. However, I honestly believe we carry bits of everyone who’s touched us throughout our lives. I don’t want to say the cliché line that studying abroad was a “transformative” experience (though it was).  So, I’ll rephrase it a little. Being thrown into a new culture, with completely new people, when you’re still learning the language, is a whirlwind of an experience. It forces you to get to know yourself very well and stretches the limits you thought you had. It forces out a “you” that was there all along but needed a little coaxing to get out.

Thanks for following me along this adventure,
Natalie

The weekend of Easter, I had Easter Monday off, as is important for the French, so I decided to use the time to visit my friend Nada in Egypt!

Nada was an international student here at Linfield a couple of years ago, and I was able to visit her last year in Egypt when I went with Dr. Noussi for the Women of the World Conference in Alexandria. This time, I spent four days in Cairo with Nada and her friends, experiencing everything I wasn’t able to see last time!

Nada also let me partake in Ramadan with her! We fasted for the day and broke fast to eat Ful Mudammas around 6:20 pm, when the sun set. We’d go out after to the markets and historical monuments, staying out late to eat Mahshi until our fasting began again around 4:00 am. We’d get a few hours of sleep and go back out to explore Cairo.

The first day I went to work with Nada, where she is a doctor at a physical therapy clinic. Afterwards, we broke fast at a viewpoint overlooking all of Cairo and headed to the market, Khan Al-Khalili, that was decorated with Ramadan lights and beautiful lanterns. The market was right outside the ancient gates of old Cairo, a UNESCO world heritage site. We then walked along the Nile and ate some sweet treats before heading back to Nada’s apartment to rest.

On Sunday, we went to the incredible Ibn Tulun mosque and toured the museums in the Cairo Citadel. We ordered food and sat at a park on the bank of the Nile and waited for the sun to set to break fast. We ate so, so many Ramadan desserts over some Turkish coffee and then finished off the night by going bowling.

The next day while Nada was at work, I went with her friend to the religious site Mogamaa Al-Adyan, where there was a Coptic museum, a few churches, a mosque, and a synagogue. Nada and I then broke fast at her apartment, drank some Ramadan juice and milk and hit the town again. We started at a mall then when to another market. At the end of the night, we got on a party boat for a cruise on the Nile.

It was a whirlwind of a journey, but definitely worth it. Next year I’m hoping to visit Nada in her hometown of Port Saïd!

Until next time,

Natalie

Looking to do something spontaneous, my roommate and I took an afternoon trip to the coastal town of Cassis!

We hopped on a bus to Marseille and toke a quick train ride to Cassis. From the train station we walked for about 30 minutes following vineyards and sycamore tree-lined paths. The colors were vibrant in the Mediterranean sun, with the cool, salty sea breeze giving us a break from the heat. At the water front we ate lunch facing the marina, with a picturesque view of the sailboats and yachts with the sea in the background, all framed by the calanque cliffs.

We had no goal to our journey or aim to our wandering- just to explore the cute town and absorb the sounds of the waves.  We peaked into tide pools and climbed the boulders up to a flat place to nap.

Near the end of the afternoon, my roommate got some gelato and I got a Nutella crêpe. We enjoyed our sweets sitting at a park where people were playing pétanque, a game where they throw metal balls the size of croquet balls towards a target. There, we ran into my ceramics professor and her family. We came to the conclusion that we now actually have grounds to say that it’s a small world, having travelled half way across it, finding people from similar places with similar interests.

We hiked back up the steep hill out of town to the train station and back home just in time for dinner with our host mom.

Until next time,
Natalie

This spring break was a wild adventure of exploring all around France with my sister!

The journey started for me down in Aix where I took a bus overnight to Paris. I then had a leisurely morning sipping an espresso in front of Place de la Bastille before picking my sister up from the airport and catching a train down to Bordeaux.

Bordeaux is gorgeous and probably my favorite city out of the ones we visited for break! That night we went to a wine bar to experience some Bordeaux wine. I had the best red wine I’ve ever tried there. To accompany our wine, we had French tapenades and some roasted Camembert with honey.

The next day we spent walking all around Bordeaux, trying to experience as much of it as we could. We started with a classic French breakfast of coffee, fresh-pressed juice, a croissant, and bread with jam. We then headed to the market on the water-front and meandered through the lively stands. Next, we headed towards city center where we happened upon monument after monument around the narrow street corners. Under the bell tower, we went into a patisserie and bought a cannelé, the pastry of Bordeaux. It had a crisp, sugary syrup coated outside and a spongy center.

After our day in Bordeaux, we headed to the train station for our next destination: the Loire Valley. The Loire Valley is known for its castles that used to house kings, queens, and noble families of France. We stopped for a connection in Tours and made it to Blois, where we stayed for a few nights.

The first day, we explored the small town, which had a much slower and calmer pace compared to Bordeaux. The architecture was also rounder with less intricate designs compared to what you’d find in Bordeaux or Paris. We spent a few hours touring the Château de Blois, where 7 kings and 10 queens had lived. It was absolutely breathtaking and by far my favorite out of the three chateaus we visited. That night we tried a specialty of the Loire Valley, Tarte Tintin (an apple pie-like dessert).

The next day, we hopped a train over to Amboise to tour three chateaux: Château Royal d’Amboise, Château du Clos Lucé, and Château Gaillard. The first had a beautiful view overlooking the Loire and an expansive network of gardens. The second was the château that Leonardo de Vinci lived in, given to him from King François I, who lived in Château de Blois and Château d’Amboise. The third Château was where Mary Queen of Scotts spend a few weeks, a safe haven provided by her uncle. We stopped for an espresso and a chocolate eclair break before heading back to Blois for the night.

The next morning, we left for the last leg of our trip: Paris!

Once checked into our hostel, we did a walking tour of all the monuments of Paris. We spend all day wandering around, stopping periodically for a coffee, pain au chocolat, or crêpes. We ended the night by watching the sun set by the Eiffel Tower, seeing the “City of Lights” form the top of the tower and watching it twinkle while eating a dinner of French onion soup.

The entire next day was dedicated to experiencing everything we could from the Louvre. We spent a total of 7 hours in the maze that is the Louvre art museum! My favorite section by far was the Grecian statues.

For our last day, we started off by going up to Sacré Coeur. Our already sore legs from all the walking tours were dead by the time we climbed the 300 steps to the top of the hill. We then looked around Musée Rodin and barely had enough time to explore Musée d’Orsay before it closed. If I have time to go back to Paris, I’d definitely dedicate time to experiencing Musée d’Orsay again.

The next morning, we woke up at the crack of dawn to drop my sister off at the airport and for me to catch a train back down to Marseille. From the train ride down, I was able to see the countryside of France, with rolling hills, châteaux towering over small towns, and fields with herds of sheep. After a bus ride from Marseille to Aix, I passed out in bed to rest up for class in the morning.

Here are the statistics collected from the week:

• 11 cathedrals
• 4 châteaux
• 3 museums
• 7 train rides (not including metro)
• 5 landmark bridges
• 6 gardens
• many, many desserts

Until next time,
Natalie