So 3 months of absence...

Right. I fully intended on writing personal emails to everyone I know, detailing what I've been up to while in France, and that these emails would be timely to say the least. And I'm well aware that did not happen, so I've decided to quickly sum up the first 3 months here, and attempt to do a monthly update from here on out [because lord knows I can't be counted on to update as things actually happen!]

I arrived in Aix-en-Provence, France on August 18th, and since then I've been to the UK 3 times [can you really fault me? It is beautiful there, aside from being the land of my boyfriend], I've swam in the mediterreanean in Marseille as well as St. Tropez [oui oui, c'est chic - and very overpriced!], I've been to Arles and seen the famous cafe which inspired Van Gogh to paint "Cafe Terrace at Night", I've also been out hiking in lavendar fields, and made a journey to Monaco to see the beautiful rivera and also to see the famous Monte Carlo museum.

So I share a fairly large studio apartment with another girl named Jessica from San Luis Obispo. We've got 3 big french windows [teehee] with really great little, ledges I guess you would say, which we can sit in to enjoy warm sunny days. Of course, now that winter is here, my poinsettia lives out there, because it's far too cold for me to be sitting out there!

I live about a 30 minute bus ride from Marseille, so when the weather was warmer, we would go down to go swimming or just enjoy a nice ocean breeze, and thus visited Marseille now 3 times.

It's very beautiful in the Vieux Port District, but Marseille is very worn down in a lot of areas, and it's not advisable to be the intrepid explorer and branch off into natives only areas - you'll be surprised how much arabic you hear on the streets in comparisson with French - sometimes it's much much more!

I've got to visit Luke 3 times now, but each time ended up seeing a site I hadn't seen before! The first trip, we ended up at Downe House, former home of Charles Darwin that's been set up as a sort of Ode to his life. It was very interesting, but I mainly went because I know it means a lot to Mom - and Luke happens to live less than 5 miles from it.

-This is a photo of some venus fly traps. Apparently, Darwin liked to do experiements and see in which conditions plants would thrive, and which would change the plant itself. He also liked to collect and study exotic plants - as this surely was back in days before international shipping and greenhouses every where. The black ones have been touched by humans, it kills them.

St. Tropez was very very overpriced, and honestly, I prefered Monaco 100% more. Monaco is more beautiful, the people are much nicer, it's not as overpriced, and there's actual sites to see! Monaco is just amazing, so I have no idea what St. Tropez is considered the jewel of the Cote d'Azur, it really should be beautiful Monaco.

So the CSU program comes with some pre-paid trips, and the two I've been on so far were really nice! We went to the old Roman capital of Arles, and then on a separate trip went out into the lavendar fields [!!!] They weren't in bloom [boo] but still beautiful! Arles is also a city Van Gogh was eternally inspired by, and it serves as the inspiration for a number of his paintings, including Cafe Terrace at Night.

I also got to spend some time in Cardiff, Wales, where I did study abroad in 2007, as well as London, and I got to see some things in both places I hadn't before - Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff and I walked Tower Bridge in London at night. Very fun and very cold!

So that's the update for now! As I go more places and do more things, I'll update more. I'm really really sorry it's taken me this long just to do this! But I've been busy trying to learn French and I keep getting sick! It's unfortunate, but hopefully I'll acclimate to the cold before winter strikes!

A bientot!

-Katie