Narrow Streets and Old Buildings

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Today was my first day in Aix. Yesterday the Institute picked us all up from the Marseille airport and drove us to this parking lot where our families were waiting. I was one of the first people called off the bus. I met Mme Nicoli and we got my stuff into her cute litte green Nissan. She asked "Tu es fatigue?" and I said "Oui". I thought we were going to her place, but actually we stopped at her sister's apartment and I met Candace, another IAU student. Then it was off again to the Tour d'Agoysi. Arlette (Mme Nicoli) kept asking me questions, like if this was my premiere fois en France, and I said yes, oui, mais j'ai voyagee en Chine dernier ete. (I don't know how accents will do on this page so I won't use them.)

We lugged my stuff into the building and took the tiniest elevator I have ever been in up to the fifth floor and I got to see my home for the next four months. It's a pretty decent sized apartment, with the living room and dinning area on the left as you walk in, and a small but servicable kitchen (la cuisine) on the right. Straight ahead is the doorway to the WC, my room, the bathroom and her son's room (right to left). i love my room. There's a desk, ornate lamp, clothes rack and makeup table on one wall and the bed and nightstand are against the far wall. The windows are large and have a pretty yellow lace over them. There's also a closet with shelves.

But anyway, so I dropped my stuff and started to unpack while Arlette made me an omelette. It was very good. I called the parents to let them know I was safe. I heard that some people cried when they called their parents, but I didn't, thank goodness. I must have gone to bed at 5PM, and slept until 9AM the next morning. I woke up a few times, and thought about how absurd the amount of time I was sleeping, but I felt much better in the morning.

I decided that I wasn't going to sit around all day Sunday, so after a breakfast of toast and yogurt and OJ I set out to explore Aix, map and Blue Guide in hand. I wanted to time my trip to IAU too. Turns out it takes about 45 minutes to walk all the way to 2 bis, Rue du Bon Pasteur. After I found the IAU I visited the Cathedral across the street. Then I spent the next five hours or so exploring the whole centre ville. I went to two museums, Musee d'histoire naturelle et Musee de Viel Aix. The museum about Aix was much better than the natural history one.

I felt like I had stepped back in time, walking down the narrow streets, which are not all cobblestone actually. There are hundreds of small stores and boutiques and the streets go everywhere. Les places are my favorite. And La Place de Hotel Ville is my favorite of them all. The Place de l'Albertas is nice too. The fountains along the Cours Mirabeau are beautiful, all covered in the moss of centuries. I got home around 5PM (17h), tired and with feet about to fall off, but I had a great time exploring this wonderful old city.

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Photos

A typical Aixois street
Got to watch out for the doggie poo...