Around the World in....How Many Days Has it Been?: A Long Overdue Post

Since I've last written, I've been to France and back twice, and I've just returned for the third time. Even now I'm struggling to write this post on a French keyboard (so please excuse any spelling errors..) I don't really know why I've never written any posts about them, but here is my attempt to summarize 2 of the most memorable trips of my life...

TRIP ONE!! October, 2012

A church steeple in San Remo, Italy

I can't bring myself to write much about this trip simply because it was intensely personal and I can't quite put it into words, but of course I'll give it a shot. After being borderline obsessed with France for the last 12 years of my life, having the opportunity to visit was literally a dream come true. I was lucky enough to land myself the world's best tour guide, Henri, who scooted me all around the south coast with no complaints at all. The most memorable line of the trip: "Do you wanna stoooppp?? Do you wanna take a pictuuuure??" haha! Needless to say, roadtripping through the south of France is pretty fun, and incredibly beautiful. We managed to hit all of the big spots along the way, like Cannes, Monaco, and even a day trip into Italy for lunch. It was pretty neat to see all of these famous places in person, but my favorite trips were to the small, ancient, picturesque villages with tiny cobblestone walkways, dotted with cafés and tiny shops. All in all this trip really solidified my love for France (for better or for worse...haha...) The scenery was breathtaking, the food was amazing, and the company a wonderful combination of the two. And people wonder why I keep coming back!!?

TRIP TWO!! February, 2012

Sitting on a pebble beach in Nice

Way back in January, the school I was working for unfortunately had to close it's doors. Luckily I was able to secure a job within a week, and so was left the entirety of February with absolutely nothing to do. The next day I was on a plane headed back to France. I felt really guilty about this, seeing as how I hadn't been home in a while, but I also really wanted to use this opportunity to travel. So in a moment of complete geniusness (and yes that's a word 'cuz I just made it one) I realized "Hey! I can kill two birds with one stone and drag mom to France with me!!" I told you....genius... And thus, trip two was born!

Cheers! Our snowy picnic on the coast

The first two weeks of this trip I spent with Henri in the south, in both Nice and Marseille, just being lazy and enjoying the fact that I didn't have to work. We took a few day trips with friends to an old village here and there and enjoyed a picnic on the coast. Even though it started to snow, the food was great and the wine even better so no one really cared. This trip was a little more relaxed than the last, but was just as nice. Luckily I was able to enjoy a few meals with Henri's family, and let me tell you, eating with a French family is an experience in itself! Not only is Henri's mother an amazing chef, but the method in which people eat here makes it almost seem like lunch is an event. The quality and quantity of the meals surpassed every expectation, and I was full for pretty much an entire week afterwards!

After my 2.5 weeks of being lazy were up, I had to board my train to Paris to meet mom. While not necessarily a place I could see myself living, Paris was absolutely stunning. Even in the winter the entire city was beautiful...well...maybe not the subways... We stayed in a little hostel in Montmartre, the older art district, which was very charming, albeit a tad noisy... We spent most of our time simply walking around the city, taking in the sights and enjoying the views. Of course we had to do all the stereotypical Paris things: Like going to the top of the Eiffel Tower, walking up and down the Champs-Élysées, Descending into the spooky catacombs, taking a day trip to Versailles, getting lost in the Louvre, strolling along the Seine, and viewing the Arc de Triomph, Notre Dame, Moulin Rouge, and the Basilique du Sacré Coeur. All of these were very fun, and made us feel so productive! But, what stands out in my mind the most was the time we spent sitting in cafés, enjoying the food, drink, and conversation. Oh, and of course the french cooking class we took! All in all this trip rated a 15 on a scale of 1 to 10.

TRIP THREE!! August, 2012
Well, considering today is the first day of this vacation I don't really have much to write just yet. But this time I'll try not to wait months before upating!

To be continued...

Here are some more photos of the trips. 'till next time!