Well mes amis, I made it back to the sunny south of France and am settled in once again. It has been a great two weeks back, filled with some ups and downs, but that is always to be expected. I've spent some time getting reacquainted with my life abroad: the way of life in Nice, hearing the language 24/7 again, and remembering how everything in France functions at half the pace it does in Canada. (Lol) Although I did struggle with a bit of homesickness this time round, I've managed to stay optimistic and embrace the new semester. So what have I all been up to these past couple weeks? Le début du semestre, a day trip, some more karaoke, and even some new friends made along the way. One of our priorities last week was our inscriptions: planning, choosing (and re-planning) our courses for second semester. Our group of Canadian exchange students have decided to take a couple translation classes along with a course about European Literature (Histoire de la Littérature Européene). Along with those courses, we are continuing to take 2 courses with our Canadian professor/coordinator. This semester it is Written French and Social Linguistics. Should be another good semester... with a bit of a lighter course load I'm hoping! ;) One of the great things about our courses this semester is the unbelievable view from our classroom. Going to class on Tuesdays just got a heck of a lot more enjoyable. I guess studying in the south of France along the French Riviera isn't so bad after all ;) I've also found some spare time to make my way down to the beaches. Although it's still a bit too chilly to take a dip, the afternoon sun is quite warm and makes for a nice break to soak up some vitamin D. I've managed to take some time to self-indulge and continue reading a book en francais I picked up... at the beginning of the school year. The second part isn't really important though... I'm also back to my usual self, eating croissants and pain au chocolat like it's going out of style. We live far too close to a bakery for my own good, and I have zero self control when it comes to French cuisine. L'éxcursion aux petites villes - le 27 janvier 2018On Saturday, we had a wonderful opportunity to stretch our legs and head out on a short day trip to three close by cities. Another UNIA event organized by the school and only ten euros - pas mal! We even made a new friend along the way, a student from Vermont studying at the same faculty as us for the semester. We've also met another Canadian student in a different exchange program than us but has been a pleasure to get to know and spend some more time with. She's actually our new group fitness buddy! Time to get in shape for the not so far away beach season! Menton First up was Menton, another town up the coastline from Nice and not far away from the Italian border. It’s known for beaches and gardens, and the hilly, medieval old town is home to Basilique Saint-Michel. Not far away is the Musée Jean Cocteau which displays works by French poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau. We had the opportunity to pay the museum a quick visit, and I was glad we did. I knew nothing about M. Cocteau before visiting, but I've now learned that he directed a version of Beauty and the Beast in 1946. Might be worth a watch! Our morning was off to a bit of a dreary start: clouds and light rain. Our promenade through the old town wasn't as bright and cheery as it could have been, but by noon the sun was out and shining. We even got to have lunch on the rocks along the water. WOW! Not many times in my life am I going to be able to say that I had lunch along the water on the French Riviera. In a nutshell, I would sum Menton's architecture up as a little taste of Italy. Colourful, bright, and window shutters beyond compare. Oh! We also got to go and taste Limoncello, an Italian liqueur. It's also produced in Menton, home of the lemon festival! Menton was literally a taste of little Italy! Èze - Encore une fois! It was my second trip to Èze, but this time we ventured to the exotic gardens. We hiked up to the top to find ourselves in front of a captivating 360 degree view of the surrounding area. I was speechless. Èze is one of those little villages you can keep going back to, and you'll still discover something new and exciting each time. VilleFranche-Sur-Mer Our last stop was a short one to Villefranche. Truly only about a 15 minute bus ride out of Nice. Here, we stopped at a few small museums to see La Fondation Volti and La Collection Goetz Boomeester. In summary, today's museum adventures were all about surrealism poetry, art work, and sculptures. Other highlights of the day were the unimaginable views! I still cannot get over how lucky I am to call this area my home. A small part of me never wants to leave... Well, I suppose that's all I have for now. Here's to another great semester filled with more learning curves, exciting adventures, and unforgettable memories. Bon semestre à tous!
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