I'm not in Kansas anymore!

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Hey all!

I'm in France and it is lovely! Thanks for all of the kind words and support through email and facebook..its nice to know that people back home are thinking of me!
I'm living in a homestay but it got changed right before I came over here. So I'm living with Veronique (middle aged single mom) and her daughters Roxanne (18) and Justine (21). Justine just got back from traveling around the world (Australia, England, Cambodia, Thailand) and speaks fluent English (which was a nice suprise). We get a long realy well! The mom, Veronique, doesn't speak any English but my French is pretty good so we're all doing well. Very nice people.
I'm going to school at the Institute for American Universities with other American students, taking some classes in French some in English. So far I really like the school and teachers (today is only the second day). I really liked the first day of art class I had yesterday (I will post my thoughts on that later) so I'm excited to see what comes of that. School is generally good.
I've made friends here with other American students at IAU as well. I live in a homestay and it is a good 20/25 minute walk downhill but 35/40 minute uphil (its on top of a bigg hill..SanFrancisco style) so I feel a little bit isolated from my friends at IAU at times because I can't just as easily pop out really quickly when they all want to go out or something. But I'm getting a bus pass today with Justine and that should alleviate some of the problems (though there are no busses on Sundays and they stop running around midnight everyday).

The south of France is absolutely beautiful! It is warm and sunny and you can easily find shade by sitting down at a local sidewalk cafe (not even many places offer inside seating) or by a fountain in a town square surrounded by trees. Aix is called the 'city of fountains' it is REDICULOUS how many fountains there are everywhere! Each is really different and usually has significance to an even that took place or a person or tradition. There is a lot of tradition here. I didn't even know that Provence used to be it's own country back in the day. We're talking waaay back in the day. The city was founded by Romans (so there is architecture and landmarks from BC and early AD even..I've never seen things so old before!). There is a lot of 17th century architecture here and a lot of it has not been updated/cleaned up so it has a very rustic feel. They are just now getting around to refurbishing some of the old buildings and stuff. But it really makes it look like I live in a postcard of an old city or some picture from a text book we see in America. But I live here! How crazy! It's filled with winding streets lined with tall buildings (all with a peachy/yellow color tone to them..idk why but its cute!).

I suffered from some jetlag (and I was up for 33 hrs!) and motion sickness and the airline lost one of my bags but I got it back the next day and everything settled better. Then we had some orientation things and took a tour of Aix which ended up in us coming to the Calisson festival. Calissons are these Provencale candy with melon and almost paste (sounds weird..but it's good). They are a grand tradition here and there are only four candy makers with a license to make them. So once a year people get dressed up in the clothes of the time then (a loong time ago..idk), get the calissons together, go to a church, bless them (yes..they are blessed by a Priest) and then they have a parade through the town with music and dancing and finally come to the desination where there is a bucnh of speaking etc and then they give them out to the townspeople. A very cool first thing to see in Aix! I have pictures from it I will attach!

So yeah..I'll write more to come but I don't want to ramble on too too much! Everything is good and I love it here! Hope all is well with you guys!!

A bientot!

-Abbe

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Photos

Fountaine de la Rotunde
the center big circle of town. It's really big and famous..v pretty!

Festival des calissons
musicians from the festival

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le festival et le fountaine de 4 dauphins fountains of 4 dolphins..though they look more like fish to me)

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crazy old church on my way to school from 1516!

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outside one of my classrooms

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library

le Hotel de Ville
town hall

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I forget the name of this - I'll look it up later.
it's a square in town where they're working on renovation. See the part on the left is very rustic and worn-down and the part of the right is fresher and yellower?

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v old cathedral on my way to school - this part is 17th c. the other parts go back to 120AD!

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the older part of the church (120AD..biggest relic of the Romans setting up town here looong ago)

Comments

[Kat]

Gaaah!
OMG Luvs it! I love the history lessons you're giving. I feel like I'm smart and cultured now haha. Yo, send me ur address so I can send you some away-from-home presents :) Miss you! Be safe!

[Abbe en Aix]

haha well thank you! there is more history stuff I can tell you that i've been learning here but I didn't want to bore everyone haha! I don't have my address on my right now but I will look it up and put it up hopefully later today. I would love from-home presents! I've suffered a bit of homesickness so that would really brighten me up!! Love you! And oui, I'm being safe. haha its a small place here but it's still a city so there are certain safety things to look out for. I'll come back to you in one piece, i promise!! How is everything? School going well? And the new puppy??