Photo steals

Since each of us here on The Semester basically carries our camera around everywhere, we all end up taking pictures of each other. So I have a ton of photos of everyone else in the group, and they basically have all the ones of me. This means no one really has a lot of pictures of themselves. Luckily, I've stolen a montage of photos here from my friends' cameras. So here you go! Some random pictures from the trip so far of me and friends doing various activities in France:

On the train:

At the Roman arena in Arles:

Me and Amy:

First night out dancing, at the Manhattan: 

At the Mediterranean beach, after our bike ride from Montpellier:

At the pirate bar:

Our album cover, at the Roman theatre in Arles. I'm always in the bright green...

Me and Audrey at Beax-de-Provence castle:

The whole group dancing at Avignon:

Up the stairs in Aigues-Morte:

In O'Carolan's in Montpellier:

The Semester, in front of the bridge at Avignon.

12 and half hours later...

...we made it to Cartegena, Spain! The train ride from Montpellier was super long...but we're here and I'm excited for a week of travel and no school (well sort of). We'll be exploring the cities of Cartegena, Granada, and Cordoba this week before heading back to our homestays for one more week.

So far, Spain is less freezing cold than Montpellier. Also I can understand the language a lot better...not completely because here they have a different accent than what I'm used to, but I definitely pick up more than in France. So props to Spain.

I'll be updating more as we get to explore the city, so stay tuned for pictures and stuff!

Avignon

Right now I’m sitting in the living with Madame Laurence. We’re watching Grey’s Anatomy in French. It’s an episode from earlier this season, the one where Sloan’s daughter shows up and freaks everyone out... The show is tripping me out because none of the voices I’m used to sound familiar at all. It helps that I know the storyline so I can work on catching some French words here and there. 

            Today we went to Avignon on a Wednesday excursion. The whole day that nursery rhyme about Avignon was stuck in my head, I don’t even know the words but it’s something about dancing on the bridge. Anyways the outing was pretty fun. We got to tour the Pope’s Palace, from the 1300 and 1400’s when the papacy moved to Avignon. Over the time the papacy was in Avignon there were nine Popes who led the Catholic Church. The massive size of the building really impressed me. It’s incredibly huge and well-preserved, and the intricate designs of the rooms—tiles, wall murals, furniture, architecture, and all that—is really a sight. It’s just such a huge palace! We got to go to the top of one of the towers and look out over the town of Avignon, flanked by the river Rhone. Luckily for us, it wasn’t too windy today and so I was able to enjoy the view a bit more without worrying about getting blown off the tower to my death. 

The Cathedral:

 The bridge of Avignon:

 Paul:

 A random piece of artwork in Avignon...an elephant:

 Inside the Pope's Palace:

 Overlooking Avignon:

 One of the Pope's tombs:

We also visited the Pope’s cathedral right next to the Palace, and saw an impressively innate tomb of one of the Popes. I enjoyed the historical aspects of the tour and it was cool to explore the massive buildings as well—it’s something I just am not used to seeing around in the US. I wonder what it would be like to live somewhere like Montpellier or Avignon permanently, and just walk past these huge Roman or Medieval buildings daily. We have one more excursion on Friday, then Sunday morning early we take off for a week in Spain. I’m looking forward to speaking some Spanish hopefully, as my French is barely conversational right now.

Bike ride to la mer

Our second Saturday in Montpellier, and we were originally supposed to go snowshoeing in the mountains with the group. But, despite the freezing cold weather here in town, there’s no snow on the mountains. So Marianne and John cancelled snowshoeing and gave us the 37 Euros instead for us to do with as we please. Chris Lim had the idea of going to the Mediterranean Sea, about 10 kilometers away from Montpellier. Our tour guide Jeremy mentioned to us that one could rent bikes for 2 Euro a day in the tourism center. So ten of us from the group met at the fountain at the Place de la Comedie Saturday morning for a little bike riding adventure. After a slight mishap at the TAM bike rental place (Lim broke his lock and had to pay 15 Euros to replace it), we found our way to a bike path by the river. A line of the ten of us wound our way along the path by the river, through a couple of cute boating towns on the river until we reached the end of the path. We found ourselves in a sweet little beach town on the Mediterranean. It was so great to see a beach again, reminded me of back home. Chris and Paul went crazy jumping in the ocean—which was freezing cold by the way—and we collected some Saint James de Compestella seashells on the beach while taking photos. Then we grabbed some lunch at a cute café along the ocean, with some gelato and crepes for dessert. After a self-timer group photo, we hopped back on the bikes for the trip home. 

 Great day!

Saint Guilhem

On Friday we ventured up into the mountains to a tiny town called Saint Guilhem-de-Desert. The tiny winding cobblestone streets and surrounding mountainside made for a picturesque landscape. What makes Saint Guilhem famous is its religious significance for pilgrims, both of the 11th century and today. In the church there is displayed the remains of Saint Guilhem's body, as well as what is supposedly a piece of Jesus' original cross.

Chris Lim sports the french braid:

The town of Saint Guilhem:

Outside of the church:

Part of the original cross is supposedly encased inside this golden cross, displayed in the church:

Brioche Doree

The Brioche Doree is a little cafe/sandwich shop that has become our group's after-school hangout. It's like the Starbucks of Westmont. We grab some sandwiches to-go for lunch, or sit inside and snag some free Wifi after class. The coffee is good, the pastries are excellent, and the berry tarts are to die for.

After French class at the ILP...

...I get a raspberry tart...

 ...or a crepe with Nutella...

...and eat it with Catherine...

...and then drink coffee at the Brioche...

...and life is great!

Baux-de-Provence

After Arles, we didn't think it could get any colder or windier. But we were wrong. We hopped in the bus and drove up to the foothills of the Alps, into a small town of 400 people in the mountains, called Baux-de-Provence. This ancient little town was perched above the Provence area and sported a castle on top of the ridge, with amazing views of the countryside and even more amazing winds.

The streets of Baux-de-Provence:

Damsel in distress...

The Provence countryside, with the Alps foothills in the distance there.

Busted Dr. Robins!

A shot from the top of the castle, with the castle on the ridge along the left, and the town on the right.

Arles: the windy city

Yesterday we took a day excursion with the group to the city of Arles, about an hour from Montpellier. In Arles, we toured some landmark sights with Jeremy.

First, a view of the city on the Rhone river:

The old amphitheatre of Arles:

A Roman theatre:

Some of us in the theatre:

Inside the cathedral of Arles, we saw a display of some relics, which pilgrims in the 11th and 12th century would come to see:

 The front of the church:

In the ancient monastery: 

We met back by the church after an amazing American-style lunch of cheeseburgers and fries (I know, but we were craving some comfort food...)

The gardens where Van Goh painted:

Chris Lim:

Arles was incredibly windy. And ridiculously freezing cold. Audrey demonstrates the wind:

 A final view of the Rhone river: