Trip to Spain

Last Thursday I went to Spain to visit a friend who's studying abroad in Granada. Getting there from Aix took some time: I flew to Madrid, then took a bus from Madrid to Granada. It was by far the cheapest option, but it meant it took me the whole day to get to Granada. By the time I arrived Thursday night, I ate with my friend's Spanish host family, which was interesting—I don't know Spanish and they don't speak English.

People had told me to do three things in Granada: eat churros, try tapas, and visit the Alhambra. Friday I crossed off the first two. Churros are a type fried pastry that curl into long, twisted shapes—imagine a sausage made of pastry, perhaps. The Spanish dip churros into a big bowl of melted chocolate and have them for breakfast. They're delicious, but probably very fattening. Tapas is a surprisingly straightforward idea: you eat at the same time as drinking. Basically, they'd bring us tinto (a mix of red wine and soda?) along with little snack that you pick off a list. You can have anything from potato wedges with sour cream to mini cheeseburgers or calamari. Tapas is apparently really popular all over Spain: you get to eat and drink at the same time. Young Spanish people apparently go to until midnight, and then go out to a discoteca until something like 4 a.m.
Granada's a really pretty city but looks totally different than anything I saw in France or Italy. It's at the same time a big city with wide streets and fancy stores, and a pretty town entrenched in years of history. There's a region called Barrio Albayzin which is an old Muslim quarter from before Granada was Spanish. Inside the Albayzin region we saw the Mirodor de San Nicolas. It's a high-up vantage point by the church of San Nicolas. From it, you can see the Sierra Nevada mountains, the Alhambra, and all of Granada. There were lots of people taking pictures from the mirodor, which makes sense: it was a fantastic view.
We also saw Granada's giant cathedral, although it's hard to really take it in because it's surrounded by other buildings on all sides. It's still large and imposing, though. Because it was incredibly sunny and very warm (as in 25ºC), we went to a big park to the south of the town called Parque Federico Garcia Lorca. It's named after a Spanish writer and poet from the early 20th century who was murdered in the 1930s. Today, his former house is at the center of the park. Interestingly, the flowers and trees in Granada were already in full bloom, but are only just starting to emerge here in Aix.
Sunday was the day we went to see the Alhambra, so obviously it rained. Built in the 14th century, the Alhambra's a giant collection of buildings perched atop a hill over Granada, and was once the residence of the Muslim rulers of the region. But what's most impressive is the attention to detail: inside almost every room, the stone walls and ceilings are carved with minute, intricate patterns. The buildings often face out onto courtyards, which typically have elaborate fountains. And here's an interesting fact: ground-level fountains were functional, for bathing or washing, whereas fountains elevated on a platform were purely for decoration. Overall, the Alhambra is a huge complex and truly beautiful. We didn't get to see all of it because some rooms were closed for renovations, plus it was raining and starting to get late, but I was really impressed by what we saw.

Outside the buildings are expansive gardens, which are almost-always arranged in geometric patterns. Many of the trees and plants in the gardens aren't actually native to Spain, but were instead gifts from foreign rulers who came to visit. For example, the gardens have both green and black bamboo. The green already grew in Spain, but the black was a gift from a Japanese ruler who visited the Alhambra.

I spent Monday taking the bus and plane back to France. Mme G has two guests staying all this week: the daughter of one of her best friends, and the daughter's boyfriend. They're 20 and 22 respectively, and it's been really interesting talking to them last night and this morning. Today I'm going to try to do some homework before I leave tomorrow morning for five days in Dakar. See you next week!

I spoke too soon

A few hours after I wrote about having lovely sunny, 18ºC weather, a huge thunderstorm erupted and it rained heavily for a few hours. This was the view from the apartment balcony:

Marseille, again

Today I went to Marseille once again, though this time it wasn't so much fun.

Before I go to Senegal I need a yellow fever vaccine, and the only place in Aix that could give me one didn't have any appointments in time, so I had to go to Marseille. I took the bus from Aix, then took the Marseille metro to the tiny public vaccinations clinic. I waited a little while, got the injection, and came back to Aix.

I've been very lucky with the weather: at the weekend, in rained in Aix, but Amsterdam was sunny. Today and tomorrow the weather here is beautiful, but Thursday—when I leave for Spain—it should start raining again!

Weekend in Amsterdam

I spent the weekend in Amsterdam with some friends, and it's a truly beautiful city. We were lucky enough to have clear, sunny skies which made the town's abundant canals and trees look even prettier.

Everything in Amsterdam is notably clean and orderly, unlike dog-mess-littered France. For better or for worse, pretty much all Dutch people seem to speak almost-perfect English; the people working at our hostel almost sounded like native speakers.

My biggest observation, though, was the number of bicycles everywhere. At all times of the day, people navigate Amsterdam by bike—and never wearing helmets. Bikes are locked to anything stationary and some roads have six lanes, with individual lanes for bikes, cars, and trams. The town as a whole is very historic with all sorts of old buildings, churches, and narrow streets.

The Royal Palace in Amsterdam.

The "New Church"... which was built in the 15th century.

We went on a tour boat that wound through the canals which was really interesting. We saw, for example, an apartment building that's just 1.5 meters wide and the "Skinny Bridge" that isn't really all that skinny. I also learned that Amsterdam is home to 2500 house boats—people live on boats permanently moored in the canals. And let's not forget Sea Palace, which holds the dubious title of "largest floating Chinese restaurant in Europe." Who verified that and where the larger one outside of Europe is, I'll never know. The tour was in both Dutch and English, and I have to say, Dutch sounds very, very similar to English. Written Dutch seems especially similar: a sign saying "Deur ez defect" bore the English translation "Door is broken".
Amsterdam also has a cool science museum called Nemo, which caused obligatory "Finding Nemo" jokes. It's a giant building made to look like a ship within which you can play with science. It was really cool and was designed for people our age as well as children.

Another surprisingly interesting location was the Rembrandt Museum, a once formerly owned by painter Rembrandt until he defaulted on his payments. He's obviously celebrated for his paintings, but apparently was also a prolific etcher; the museum contained all sorts of line etchings by Rembrandt. One really cool exhibit: the same etching printed onto "European" and "Japanese" style paper gave completely different visual effects.

I really liked Amsterdam and had a good time, although a weekend was probably plenty of time there. I now have a few days here in Aix before I go to Spain on Thursday. I should probably start working on homework, actually, because I'll have a lot of work due the week after our two-week vacation ends.

Before I go...

In a few hours I'm leaving to spend the weekend in Amsterdam. But before I leave, a quick note about the French language. They have a specific word for Internet users: internautes—like astronauts, for example. Seems like it'd be a useful word in English considering how many things I read with the unwieldy phrase "Internet users".

School's in session

I got my history test back yesterday and earned 13.5. The French grade out of 20 points, and anything above 14 or 15 is considered stellar; the University of Michigan translates 13s as "A-" grades and 14s as "A" grades. So I'm pretty content with my first real test in France.

Our homework for the next class is to list ten streets in Aix and the historical significance of their names, something I did out of curiosity the other week. Perhaps I can just print my blog for homework?

For France en Perspective we also have to write three pages on "the strengths and weaknesses of France." Our professor clarified that "wine and Carla Bruni" and "warfare and work ethic" aren't adequate responses, which I suppose is fair.

Last night for dinner we had rabbit. At the weekend there was apparently a huge sale on meat at the local supermarket, so Mme G bought rabbit, steak, chicken, pork, and more. Personally, I thought the rabbit tasted a lot like chicken.

Friday is the start of our two-week spring break here in Aix. I'm going to Amstedam next weekend, then Grenada, Spain the weekend after. For the final week in the break, I think I'm going to go to Dakar, Senegal. It makes for a pretty eclectic travel schedule that I'd better enjoy, because once I get back, it'll only be a few weeks before my final papers and presentations are due for classes.

Wet weekend, sunny Monday

We should've known better. The weather forecast for this weekend was rain, but I was skeptical: Friday's forecast called for rain, but there was none, so I hoped the weekend's forecast would be equally inaccurate.

Let's start at the beginning. Remember when I went to Arles and saw the bullfighting arena? Easter weekend was supposed to be a big celebration with numerous bullfights in Arles, so a few other students and I decided to go and watch. As with the trip to Marseille, we could use our Cartreize on the bus, meaning getting to Arles cost just €1 each way.

When I went before, it was a sleepy town of which I saw some ruins and the restaurant where I had lunch; our tour didn't allow enough time to see much else. On Saturday, however, Arles was transformed into a heaving city. Marching bands trumpeted in the little side streets, which were already packed with tourists from all parts of the world. Outside the arena were throngs of people standing in line to buy tickets and, eventually, watch the toreadors battle bulls. But, as you can see in the picture, the expectant crowds carried umbrellas; it was pouring with rain, just as the weathermen had forecasted. As such, la corrida that we had tickets for was postponed until Sunday at noon. Soaked and cold, we went back to Aix, hoping to return Sunday and finally see the taureaus.

I was quite optimistic when we got back to Arles and it was barely raining. Unfortunately, the event organizers decided the ground was too wet for a corrida and canceled it. Being Sunday in France, there wasn't another bus back to Aix until 5 p.m., so we saw some more of Arles and ate before returning from our wet weekend in Arles.

Monday, however, was a beautiful sunny day. To take advantage, we took the bus to Marseille—again, just €1. The beach was pretty far from where the bus from Aix dropped us off, so we then took a Marseille city bus from the Vieux Port all the way out to the Plages du Prado. The bus cost €1.70, but I noticed hardly anyone bought tickets; someone later told me not to bother because "they don't care" in Marseille. Not sure whether I'm brave enough to try that.

Either way, the beach was big and busy. It borders the Mediterranean Sea, and even though I didn't have a swimsuit, I waded in far enough to realize the sea is still freezing in April.

The beach is actually composed of tiny little pebbles instead of sand, but was still pretty comfortable. By the end of the afternoon it was absolutely packed with people swimming and sunbathing, and with due cause: it was warm! We had clear, blue skies and temperatures close to 70º.

We took the Metro back to the Vieux Port, rather than the bus, but ended getting there a little later than we meant to. As the next bus back to Aix didn't leave for another hour, we had ice cream by the bustling Vieux Port. All in all, not a bad way to spend Easter Monday.

Week 14

I didn't have a good title for this post, so out of curiosity, I counted up how long I'd been in Aix, and hence the title. Unless my counting is really off, I only have 11 more weeks left here in France. Anyway, here's what I've been up to during week 14.

On Monday night Mme G and I had had frogs legs for dinner. They're actually much smaller than I imagined, which is why they come in bags of forty pairs of frozen legs. And the legs are still intact, too: you have to bite the meat off from the tiny thigh and shin bones, which wasn't the most appetizing prospect. That aside, I liked the legs, but they're definitely not something I'd eat on a regular basis. The taste is halfway between pork and fish, and ours bathed in a garlic butter sauce. Tasty, but not habit-forming.
Like I mentioned, the program office just wasn't big enough for some of our new classes, so now two of mine are held in a building belonging to the church in the Place de l'Archevêché. I'm not exactly clear what else the building is used for, although on one side is a café and on the other is Aix's tapestry museum. The rooms aren't anything special—there's a table, some chairs, and lights—but they're quieter and cooler than those at the program office. Unfortunately, they're farther away from my apartment and, ironically, quite close to the homestay I lived in all of January.
It's really been noticeable how spring is arriving in Aix. Firstly, there are steadily-increasing numbers of tourists, whether in big mobs trailing through the backstreets behind a tour guide, or stopping every 15 feet to consult a guide book and take pictures. The markets, too, are busier than ever. It's funny that after living here for only three months I've become enough of a local to be frustrated by these outsiders.

Similarly, trees are sprouting leaves and flowers are blooming all over town. Aix was never unattractive even in the depths of winter with barren trees, but it now looks positively like a postcard as greenery emerges. Better yet, the temperatures are consistently over 15ºC—59ºF!

Coming from Michigan winters that still bring cold and snow in April, I'm thrilled about the temperatures. But the locals still wear big, thick coats and jackets as if 60º is still too cold for them. That being said, everyone keeps warning me that the height of summer reaches over 90º. In fact, the locals have a specific word for this heat: le cagnard.

Les rues d'Aix

Walking around the streets of Aix, you notice all sorts of peculiar street names. As you'd expect for a town that's over 2400 years old, many of these streets commemorate important figures and events from France's rich history. Here's a selection some of the more interesting stories behind the names.

Rue du 4 Septembre
4 Septembre is a narrow street that runs between the Cours Mirabeau and Roi René. It's seriously tiny, as you can see from the picture. Interesting items along here are the international bookstore Paradox and La fontaine des quatre dauphins.

The name is significant as the beginning of the Troisième République, the French system of government born after a revolution on that date in 1870. While leading a war against Prussia, Napoleon III was arrested in the French town of Sedan. Leon Gambetta—for whom another road in Aix is named—then helped launch la Troisième République to replace Napoleon III's empire.

Avenue Jules Ferry
This street stretches all the way from the Roi René to the southernmost parts of Aix, where there's an old viaduct before you reach the autoroute. The road cuts between La Faculté de Letrres and the university dorms, which is appropriate given Jules Ferry's influence on French schooling.

In April 1870, Ferry told the parliament about "the problems with public education" and, a decade later, made some serious changes. Thanks to him, French schools became free in1881 and compulsory a year later. The classes had to be non-religious starting 1882, and the teachers from 1886. Ferry also wanted French students to learn national history and pride, leading one writer to claim he, "gave the schools a militant and patriotic role."

Cours Mirabeau
You've probably seen me mention the Cours numerous times on this blog, and that's because it's a big deal here. The Cours not only serves as the closest Aix comes to having a Main Street, but also as the chic, high-end hangout for those who want to see and be seen; Johnny Depp and other actors are alleged to frequent the street. Whether that's true or not, the street was named after the Comte de Mirabeau in1876. Born Gabriel Riqueti, Mirabeau was a famous writer and politician. Among other things, he seduced and then married a noble's daughter, whom he married in a hotel along the street. At the end of the Cours Mirabeau, there's a statue of the Good King René.

Boulevard du Roi René
This boulevard is a fairly busy street that forms part of the ringroad around old Aix. It's also home to the Hôtel Roi René, whose snazziness is underlined by the cars parked outside: Mercedes, Audis, and the occasional Maserati and Ferrari.

Known as the Good King René for his emphasis on improving agriculture and commerce throughout Provence, René was at various times Duke of Anjou, Count of Provence, and king of Sicily and Naples. In 1470, he retired to Aix-en-Provence and wrote poetry until his death in 1480.

Cours Sextius
Aix-en-Provence started out life as Aquae Sextiae in 122 BC, or "the waters of Sextius". Back then, the Romans used the town as a midway point between Spain and Italy and appreciated the natural water supply. Those hot springs are now part of Thermes Sextius, a fancy spa on, as you'd imagine, the Cours Sextius.


Rue Mazarine
The rue Mazarine is part of the chic Quartier Mazarin. In 1645, Michel Mazarin was named archbishop of Aix by his brother, Jules Mazarin. Between 1646 and 1651 he built the Quartier, expanding Aix to the south specifically for the residences of nobles and politicians.

Carpentier, Jean and François LeBrun. Histoire de France. (2000).
Mayle, Peter. Provence A-Z. (2006).
Michelin. The Green Guide: Provence. (2007).
Ozouf, Mona. Jules Ferry. (2005).

Burgers, sunshine, carnival

Remember this line from Pulp Fiction? "You know what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris?... They call it a Royale with cheese." Well, Friday night Mme G and I got dinner from a nearby McDonald's. When I saw that #2 was called "Royal Cheese", I just had to have it.

The burger itself tasted pretty much the same as American McDonald's, but the fries didn't. Here, they use less salt and fry the fries in olive oil,which is healthier than the stuff used in the U.S. As a result, they taste more like potatoes than fries, but I'm less likely to get fat.

According to McDonald's, the meals here are significantly healthier: the French burger has five fewer calories, and equivalent-sized fries have 40 fewer calories than those stateside.

Saturday was another beautiful, sunny day, so the center of town was packed with tourists—I heard lots of people speaking English and gazing at tour guides—and the park was packed with students doing absolutely nothing. Well, sunbathing perhaps.

Sunday, the center of Aix was closed off for a carnival. There were dancers, floats, silly string, balloons, and gallons of confetti that ended up all over the streets. What the carnival was in celebration of, I do not know, but it made the regional news on France 3 last night.

First test and new ceiling

Yesterday I had my first test since, well, December. It was in France en Perspective and was to cover all the French history we'd learned so far. We had two hours to write responses to six questions. The first question was, "Create a timeline of the chronology of French history (from the Gauls to the present day)"—bear in mind, French history spans over 2000 years.

My favorite, however, was the last question: "Cite the ten biggest personalities who, in your opinion, shaped the history of France." Could there be an incorrect answer?

Back in January before I lived here, heavy rains caused leaks in Mme G's kitchen and living room. She lives on the top floor of the apartment and the building's roof wasn't in great shape. So, the apartment owners had the roof fixed, but that still left messy holes in the ceilings here. This week, painters are coming to replaster and repaint the ceilings, so Monday night Mme G and I moved furniture and other things out of those two rooms so they won't get covered in dust and paint.

The worker arrived early yesterday morning and whistled while he worked, meaning I couldn't sleep in to be extra rested for the history test. It also bother the dog, Leica, who was so unhappy about the situation that she spent her time barking at the strange man on a ladder. I ignored her, had lunch, and did some last-minute studying with other students.

When I came home from the history test last night, I found out just how unhappy Leica had been. She'd had several "accidents" all around the living room, as if to protest the change of scenery. Not a pleasant surprise to come back to.