Mes Notes des Cours de Français! :)

Finally finally finally got my grades for my classes this semester. Read 'em and weep! :)

Introduction à l'action humanitaire et internationale:     12.5/20
Gender and Politics:     13/20
Médias et Société II:     13/20
La France dans le Monde:     15/20
International Human Rights in Context:     15/20
Civilisations Françaises 2:     14.5/20
Français Langue Étrangère 2:     15/20

For Butler University the grade scale is 14=A, 13=B, 12=C, 11=D, 10=passing but anything below a 10 is failing. So I passed all my classes and I don't even mind the 12.5 (C+?) because my grades will go on my transcript but not affect my GPA. So glad I passed all my classes and I think I passed with flying colors! At least to my standards. :) Merci bcp, mes profs français!

Tomorrow is Grasse! Can't wait to be in the city of perfume. :)

A Day in Cassis

Yesterday I finally made a visit to the small town of Cassis near Marseille. Manon, Jerrica, Jerrica's friend Virginie, and I all met up at the gare routière to catch the bus. We decided to split up when we got there because Manon and I wanted to hike the beautiful calanques and the others decided a day soaking up the sun on the beaches would be more relaxing. After Manon and I made a quick pit stop for food and wine supplies, we headed up on the hike to la Calanque de Port-Pin. :)

Cassis

La Plage in Cassis

The Port at Cassis

Another view of the port

Me in Cassis (with a goofy face)

Mind you the view on our entire hike was gorgeous. I can't even expain how beautiful, blue, and clear the water was. The hike was fairly easy for me after doing the hike on Mont St. Victoire or the Marseille Calanques. Once we got to the Calanque de Port-Pin, we decided to try and make it to the next calanque, the Calanque d'En-Vau. I had no idea that's what the name of the next calanque was so we kept asking people how long it would take to get there, and they would respond "En-Vau?" and I was so confused. But that's pretty normal for me in France. :) Anyway we heard many different answers that varied from a half hour to an hour. So we just decided to chill at the Calanque de Port-Pin because we had to be back for the bus and didn't want to stress ourselves on time.

View of the trail as we began our hike

Trail Markers

The beautiful first Calanque (which is more of a port)

The amazing second Calanque where we chilled and swam

Me with Calanque de Port-Pin (2nd Calanque) in the background

Manon and I with Calanque de Port-Pin (2nd Calanque) in the background

Swimming, Tanning, and Canoeing (the last of which we did not participate in)

Manon and I looking gorgeous at the Calanque de Port-Pin

On our way back into town....successful day! :)

After talking and soaking up the sun, we went for a swim in the chilly chilly blue water. We then had a little lunch and fell asleep. Around 5 or so, we woke up and started back on our 45 minute hike back to town. On the way we of course treated ourselves to amazing gelato. :) Manon got Cassis (which is black currant flavor but shares the name of the town) and Forêt Noire (which is Black Forest or cherries, chocolate and whipped cream). I decided to indulge and got Kinder and Noisette (which is hazelnut flavor). I really enjoyed Cassis (the town). It was similar to St. Tropez in that it was clean and friendly but it was nicer because there weren't giant shows of money or wealth or snobbery. Cassis is definitely one of my favorite towns in Provence (at least those that I've visited). :)

We made it back to the bus which took us to Marseille, then we took the Metro and finally, the bus back to Aix. Once we got back to Aix, I got a kebab sandwich and an orangina, which is one of my favorite meals here (and a meal which I will not be able to find in the States....sad face). Then we walked home and decided to wash up and play cards. Jerrica joined us and we played a game of Club Euchre and then Oh Hell. The entire day was great fun and I'm really happy to have those memories. :) One of the best beach days I've had here in France.

Today I go to the train station and get my tickets for Grasse and Nîmes. I also go get my grades (FINALLY!) so everyone, cross your fingers for me, please! :) Tomorrow I go to Grasse, the perfume capital of France. :) Then on Wednesday, Rebekah and her sister return from their Great European Adventure (they visited Paris, Rome, London, and Barcelona in 2 and a half weeks!) so I'm looking forward to that. And this weekend, I have travels to the Martigues and Nîmes planned. :) I love travelling and I'm looking so forward to all of my trips! :)

Turning Tables

Today was an interesting day. I was originally going to go on the George Trip to Arles and the Camargues but in the end, I didn't want to pay 25 euros just to visit the Camargues when I didn't know how long we would spend there (I've already been to Arles many times). But instead of that, I decided to take a walk around Aix and visit the Musee Granet and Eglise St. Jean de Malte.

The Musee Granet is mostly art and sculpture with a little archaeological finds. Some artists of renown that are housed at the Granet include Aix's own Cezanne, Piet Mondrian (one of my favorites), Giacometti, Picasso, Léger and Morandi. They also have Cezanne painting palette at the Granet. However the one discovery I made was the artist Granet himself. The museum is named after François-Marius Granet, an Aixois artist who studied in Paris, Rome, and London before returning to Aix. I really enjoyed his realistic paintings and impressionistic watercolors because of their diversity and focus on historical places I'd visited. It was really interesting to see landscapes and landmarks of Paris, Rome and Aix through the eyes of an artist from the late 1700s-early 1800s.

After visiting the museum, I went to the Eglise St. Jean de Malte which is right next door. It continually surprises me how immediately and wonderfully churches affect me. Stepping into a church feels like walking through a waterfall to peace. Which sounds extremely corny but that's exactly how I feel.

Since I had so much free time today, I decided I would stroll along Cours Mirabeau and splurge on a nutella gelato (be jealous! it was amazing). As I was walking along, I saw and heard this drum line performing near la Fontaine d'Eau Chaude. These amazing artists literally played for an hour or so, walking down Mirabeau, in 26 degree heat (Celsius), all for Amnesty International and its 50th anniversary. It was great fun and I ended up signing some petitions for AI which also felt great.

After a quick stop at Dia, I headed back to Cuques, content and full of serenity. Listening to this amazing song "Turning Tables" by Adele in Aix today really made me think and has inspired my blog title. What an amazing voice with so much feeling! I love her...we might actually be soulmates. :)

The point is that I've realized that many back home have really been missing me and I was feeling that everyone wanted me to cut my time here short. I was beginning to become really angry and bitter towards those who wanted me home for many reasons. 1) I adore Aix-en-Provence and Europe in general and never want to leave, 2) I felt selfish for staying and not coming home for everyone and 3) I don't know when I'll ever have this experience again and I want to make the most of every opportunity.

But now I think I understand more clearly how everyone was feeling and honestly, I feel better about coming home. I'm still staying until June 25 because I don't want to cut my time short but I'm becoming more and more accepting and receptive to the idea that I'll be returning to the States. While I love Aix and Europe and all of the amazing people here, I will return (that's a promise!) and I will learn to find the best things about Indiana and home. I will forever be different due to this experience and it's been one of the most amazing of my life but I can flourish anywhere. I will miss Aix deeply and always. But once this chapter ends, a new one can begin...one that may hold even greater treasures. And on that note, I believe I will go and continue to enjoy my life in Aix with a Kindle and my iPod dans le soleil.

À plus!

Pushing Forward: My Last Chapter

Brae, Megan and I at my Birthday Bash

Calanques

Rome with Morgan

Mont Sainte Victoire

Mont Sainte Victoire

Paris with the Ladies

Gorges du Verdon

Arles Feria de Paques

Arles Bullfights

Corsica with my best friends

St Tropez

Cap Taillat

Cap Taillat

Chateau d'If

Megsy's Last Night

Megan, Jerrica and I at Pavillion Vendome

Our Goodbyes... :(

I realize that I haven't blogged in over three months and I wish I had, but blogging doesn't always agree with me. Especially when there are much more exciting things to do. :) But over the last few months, I have done so much and made friends and lost friends and loved life to the fullest. Some of the highlights include: enjoying my 21st birthday (a little too much) with friends, exploring some of the back rues of Marseille, celebrating Carneval in Nice, having an amazing vacation with Morgan in Rome, returning to Paris, experiencing the Calanques, hiking Mont Sainte Victoire with a German, Wisconsinite, and Virginian, seeing the Gorges du Verdon, experiencing bullfights in Arles, ignoring exams for an amazing trip to Corsica (Corsica Cola included), hopefully passing my exams (cross your fingers on that one!), celebrating (hardcore parkour) Brae's last night, relaxing at Chateau d'If and the Frioul Islands, and enjoying Megsy's last hurrah.

Some of my memories have been amazing and others have been a little bit harder to bear.  Last night Jerrica and I took Megan to the bus station so she could catch her bus to the airport. And after experiencing that and Brae and Margo leaving as well (Brae a few days ago and Margo this morning), things have taken on such a reality and now I know the end is inevitable. On the walk home, Jerrica and I pretty much sobbed and talked about how much we missed them. These wonderful women have made such a change in me, for the better. We have done so much together and I will miss them more than they know. But I have made a decision to not be mopey for the next month. I will travel, I will do, I will relax, I will love, I will live, I will NOT regret.

Someone wise once said (aka G-ma Beckner) "Books are interesting because they have different chapters", and while I realize that everyone back home is itching for me to be home and for me to start a new chapter there, I will take this time to enjoy my last memories of Aix-en-Provence to the fullest. I know that this experience must end and I have (kind of) come to terms with that. But for now at least, in the words of another wise person (aka Michelle), I will "measure my success and happiness in empty wine glasses and hugs."