jet leg schmet lag. i slept for about 14 hours last night and am hence cured!
waking up in a different country is especially difficult when all of your electronics think that youre still in America. but waking up to the smell of fresh bread is especially wonderful when that bread is french and youre famished.
I spent the morning eating breakfast with my host dad, Robert, who is alive and well and out of the hospital. Over breakfast we talked about popular food and the differences between the northern and southern regions of the united states. real legit discussion and entirely in french. in less than a day i feel like my french has improved tenfold simply by living with a family who speaks entirely in french. although they are both moroccan and Robert speaks Arabic, French, Italian, Spanish and a little German. his english? really used to mock american phrases he has heard from former students. "shut your pie hole and ohh my God" the latter is one i taught him at the airport and 'food baby' which i taught him today after my host mom made homemade pizza for lunch.
i then sat on the beautiful terrace, basking in the sunshine and drinking tea looking out into the beautiful countryside. there are mountains in the background and beautiful gardens everywhere. we took a stroll through Aix for the first time today and i am in love. the streets have tiny alleys and on every corner is a shop or a boulangerie or a patisserie. all of which will have me broke and fat come march. its sunday so everythings closed .. ala the south. but i could just imagine how wonderful all the bakeries smell and the crepe stands!
we went to a meet and greet at school and everyone is super friendly. there are about 65-70 i'd say. i already made some great friends and afterwards we went for a quick tour of the great shopping and all the hip and affordable bars. we bought champagne for 1.27 euros a bottle. 1.27 euros. get out. America needs to catch on! and we drank it and got to know each other as we walked, c'est tres francais!
we walked home. which will certainly help take care of all the crepes and pastries. and Mireille made delicious soup and of course, more bread. parfait. (perfect)
the most beautiful cathedral i have ever seen
my host mom, Mireille and Alex, my housemate
yeah, the organ is turquoise and gold. just like the one im going to put in my house someday
amazing beauty that is right around the corner from where i live