I want to wish my husband a happy anniversary and thank you for 32 wonderful years. And THANK YOU for the opportunity to come to France.
I love you.
Challenges
Voices are echoing in my head. I hear my teacher throughout the night and as I fall asleep. “Repeatez” “Il y a …” “C’est …” “Un petit problem…”
But I am really enjoying the challenge of Institut de Francais. I think what I miss at work is a challenge. Yes, there are items that are challenging at work but nothing that inspires me. The school is stimulating, the students and teachers enthusiastic. I hope I feel the same way next week.
Evening stroll
I love the activity in the old city. At sundown, I stroll along the cobble-stoned paths and alleys of the old town. The ochre, siena and white-wash colors of the walls blend together under the sodium lights to an amber glow. Dark shadows accent the corners.
Chairs and tables spill out onto the narrow paths. The murmurs drift around the corners along with the clink and clank of silverware as people dine. Laughter is mixed with the faint hum of the neon lights.
Salty marine air awakens my nose to the smells of dinner – garlic, saffron, fish, basil and wine. Along with dinner is the faint smell of musty age.
Grammar
Today was grammar day at the September session of Institut de Francais. The beginning (debutants) and intermediate students got together and we had 3 hours of grammar in English. The instructor went over the articles and the verbs. We will get to use present, past and simple future tense in the 4 weeks. It is great that they went over it in English. It was fast but as the instructor said, we will practice practice practice.
The rest of the day was similar to yesterday. A session going over practical items. Today we learned how to great a friend that you meet. In the Cote d’Azur, you bissou (kiss) twice. In Avignon – three times. In Normandy 4 times.
After the practical, we had the language laboratory. It went much better today. Our homework last night was how to from a question. We will continue to work on this.
Unfortunately, the boat trip was canceled. The wind and sea swells were too big. It has been rescheduled for Monday. Tomorrow is the soirée. A buffet and dancing for all the students.
Argent
I had my ATM blocked. I called WaMu before I left but they still blocked it. WaMu has a new phone menu and I could not figure out what item to select to tell them I was going out of the country. I looked up the web and found a way around the menu. Or so I thought. Whoever I talked to must have been a backup person and they did not enter that I was going out of the country. I should have guessed something was up because they did not tell me to call back in 30 days. Capital One said they could only put the out of country alert on for 30 days.
My ATM card worked fine in Amsterdam and when I arrived in Villefranche. But when I tried to use it a second time in Villefranche, it was refused. I thought it was because I was using it within 24 hours of the last usage. So I waited and tried again before I went to dinner with my friends. I was refused a second time. Eck! I was down to 20 euros. I wanted to panic but I stayed calm and did enjoy dinner.
But I called right after I got back to my apartment. I had to talk to fraud to explain that I was in Europe and yes I did withdrawal money in Amsterdam and France. I totally understand and appreciate it because Bank of America stopped the fraud when my credit card number was stolen via the internet in January. They also called G. He tried to help but I had already contacted them and got the hold released.
What I don’t appreciate is the difficulty it is to communicate with WaMu. Their new phone system is so difficult. Their menu is geared towards a certain customer and they have no options for other services. I have been a customer of theirs for 25 years but I am seriously considering leaving. Their service is so poor.
But I’m back in the cash now.
Getting into a routine
What a beautiful day. The last few days have had a slight overcast and it was even pretty cloudy. But today was crystal clear. The sun peaks through the shutters around 7am. I try to sleep a bit more but no luck. Instead, I made a cup of coffee and move out to the balcony to watch the morning.
We have moved on to verbs in class today at the Institut. We practiced our -er verbs. Then we moved on to practicing the numbers. And then the ‘laboratoire’. This was very difficult. You are in booths with headphones, the instructor tells you to ask a question, you try to form the question. Then you hear the question and you repeat the question. The second part today was conjugating the verbs in a sentence. It is a lot harder than it sounds. We all had difficulties with it.
But at least I was not as nervous today. I am still very slow at forming a question and I have to really think about it. But it will get better – I think.
Tomorrow, we have an extra activity after class. They have organized an option boat trip. I hope it will be as nice as today.
Intermediate 1
Yippee! I really didn’t want to have to take Beginning French again. I was ready to accept advanced beginners but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I made it to the intermediate class. I am in intermediate 1 – one of 4 intermediate levels.
After breakfast, the director announced our teachers. I am so happy with my teacher. It is the woman who did my oral test and she is so nice. And she is also an excellent teacher. There are 10 students in my class; 5 Americans, 2 Swiss, 2 English and 1 Japanese. We are all at similar levels which is good.
We began the class by introducing ourselves in French, saying what our nationality is, where we live, if we are married and what we like to do. We quickly move into a bit of grammar – Les articles. The time goes fast and soon it is time for lunch. Today, we ate with the teacher and she helped us to make conversation.
After lunch was the practical session. We gather together with the intermediate 2 class and practiced items that we would find useful. We broke up into pairs and got to know another person by asking questions in French. Then a few people volunteered to introduced their partner to the whole group. I got brave and did it. Yes, in front of the class. Speaking in front of group terrifies me but I felt if I don’t try – I’m never going to learn.
In the afternoon session, we repeated the concepts that we had been using all day – asking a few questions, explaining what we like, where we live and our nationality.
Finally it was time for the afternoon tea and the end of classes.
I walked back up to my apartment and realized how nervous I was. I was still shaking. It took about 15 minutes and a glass of wine to calm my nerves.
But I had a treat for my end of my first day. Our good friends from San Francisco are spending a week in Cannes and we were going to go to dinner. I had my fingers crossed that they were going to be able to find my apartment especially coming from the Corniche basse. Google gave them directions that way. I thought it would be easier to go via the Corniche Moyenne (middle).
The streets in Villefranche are extremely narrow. Many are one way with high stone walls. In some places, there is barely space for a car. The streets also go so far and you have to turn onto another street to continue going the same way.
My friends called just about at 5:30 and they were almost at my apartment. They found it! It was challenging even with GPS. We headed off to town to eat at the Wharf. I thought I knew the way but ended up going the wrong way. But we finally made it and there were places in the publich parking lot.
We sat at bar along the wharf with a glass of champagne flavored with a local peach liquor. Yummm. Similar to a Bellini. Soon it was time for dinner. The sun was turning the houses amber. The lights slowly started to twinkle. But best of all was good conversation with good friends – in English.
Le premier jour
It is the end of the first day of school at the Institut de Francais. I am at a bar typing on a very poor computer especially for a touch typer. The space bar is a pain and I only have 20 minutes left.
The first day was mostly administration and testing. I was to arrive at 8:30 punctually so I got there at 8:25 and I was one of the last to arrive. But I was not late. We have our breakfast of pain, beurre, confecture et cafe et the. There are people from many countries at the school. At my table, there were two women from Norway, a woman from Australia, an 88 year old woman from DC and several people from the US. After breakfast, we had our test – 6 parts, listening, reading, listening and saying if the phrases were the same and writing. After the test we went to the grand salon and waited to be called 3 times. One time for administration regarding tuition and rent, the second time for the oral test and the third time for lunch. I got so nervous I am certain that I did not do well on the test. I just hope I make it to beginner 2.
Lunch was very good, shredded carrot salad with mustard dressing and baked chicken and ratatouille. After lunch a short break and I exchanged money. The afternoon we heard about the method of teaching and the rules. Also some optional items such as a boat ride,tour of the city and a field trip to St Paul de Vence. We could still speak English today but none after tomorrow.
I also found out that there is a good grocery store above my apartment. I was saved. I did not look forward to hauling my groceries up from the center of town. I will not know what class I am in until tomorrow morning. My fingers are crossed.
After the class, I met my landlady. She lives next door. I paid her and asked her how to run the washing machine. It is very different. It loads from the top and there is a metal spinner sideways to what I find in the US. You open it like you would open a lottery spinner. It worked as I thought. I had the instructions book in English and figured it out. Also, a woman will come in once a week to clean. Yeah!
For dinner, I bought some fresh pasta, pesto, wonderful fresh tomme chevre and a pale bottle of rose. Oh yeah also a salad. I took the dinner to my balcony/lanai and wait watching the sun go down.
My cellphone is working fine. I’ve been able to call George twice and my friend called me. They are here for a week and called from Cannes. We are having dinner tomorrow after my classes.
Everyone is so friendly. I know I will like it a lot. It is not so lonely today but I’m not certain how it will be when I can only speak French. Tonight after dinner, I walked down to the old city to get my internet fix. Of course, the main internet place was closed. Lundi. I am now at the back up at Chez Betty.
Time to walk back up the hill. I probably will not write again for couple of days but until then… Au revoir.
Villefranche
I moved on today and I’m in my apartment for a month. It is very nice. I got one of the ‘better’ studios which has a view. Of course, I didn’t think about the fact that to have a view, you will be up the hill. I up above the school. – on the same street about a 5 minute walk from the school – all up hill. I’m going to get both a month of French and a month of exercise.
Last night I had a nice relaxing dinner at Restaurant au Marie just off the busy pedestrian mall. It was in Rick Steve’s but it is not an inexpensive restaurant. You enter down an arched tunnel which opens into a courtyard. Part of it s covered with flowering vines. I started with a nicoise specialty, farci, which are stuffed vegetables. Very tasty and reminded me of my mother’s stuffed bell peppers. I had a whole grilled sea base (loup). It was perfect. I needed a nice protein dinner. After I walked to the old town again and had an ice cream.
This morning I walked to Gare Routier to catch the bus to Villefranche. The bus runs the whole line of the coast on to Monaco, Menton and Villemille in Italy (I spelled that wrong). It was packed. I stood but fortunately it was a short ride on the Corniche Basse. We rounded a corner and I saw the huge cruise ship so I knew I was close. Villefranche has a deep harbor so the ships harbor here instead of Nice.
I went to Chez Betty and picked up my key. It was straight up – about a 20 minute walk. I found the apartment with a little mistake. I went to the wrong building but I finally figured it out. The apartment is very nice. It is actually a 1 bedroom with a full kitchen and bathroom. It has a balcony and a nice view out over the harbor.
I unpacked and then went back down to get an idea about the town. It was about 2pm so I went to lunch. I don’t remember the spelling of the restaurant but it was recommended by Germaine. I had a large bowl of spaghetti with mussels and shrimp. Dinner for tonight.
I’ve walked around a little bit more and found the internet cafe. I suspect this will be my home for a while. Time to walk back up.
Nice is Nice
I just couldn’t resist that title. Another day on the French Riviera. No jet lag. I think I have walked the hell out of my jet lag between Amsterdam and Nice. My feet are definitely a little sore.
Last night, I had a nice little dinner near the hotel in Il Vinaino. Roz had mentioned it in her trip report and I recognized it. I was feeling tired so I ended up being the first person in the restaurant. It is bad enough that I’m a single woman looking for a table but to also have to be the first person. It was about 7:15 – definitely early. I had a bowl of linguine with shrimp and zucchini. And two glasses of Barbera and a decaf espresso. I was expecting to get it in a little cup as I have in Italy and Seattle but this came in a small little glass like a shot glass.
I decided I wanted an ice cream so I headed off to Vieux Nice to get a gelato. Fennocchio is the place to get it in the old city. I got a chocolate and chili scoop. Spicy. Then it was back to hotel and surprising I fell asleep fine. I woke up about 2am, read a little bit and fell back.
This morning I joined a tour of the old town given by the tourist bureau. It was in English and French and was 3 hours long. It was very informative and interesting. It was also interesting to see the interaction between the French speakers and the English speakers making certain that everything was covered in both languages.
I only got to see a little bit of the market in Cours Saleya but I did get to stop at Chez Teresa for a helping of socca and a glass of rose. Socca is a pancake made of chickpea flower and baked in a wood oven. The ovens are down several small rues in the center of the old city but she has a stand in the market until 1pm. I kept seeing this motorcycle with a trailer that looked like a covered wok. It was black so I had a feeling it had something to do with a wood stove. It turns out that the socca is backed at her restaurant and carted by moto to her stand in the market. I got there just before it was fini. It was interesting and good.
After the market, I headed up to do some museums. I took the 15 bus up to the Cimiez area passing several large Belle Epoque buildings and hotels. I started with the Matisse museum which I found a little disappointing. Then I walked about 20 minutes back down the hill to the Chagall museum which was wonderful. The focus is on his biblical paintings done later in his life but there were also several other interesting paintings along with a mural. I love his dream like paintings of the couples along with the strange animals. Unfortunately, they did not have a handout. G will be bringing another guide book with him that describes more and we are going to see it together.
I am enjoying Nice. Our first trip to Nice was so-so. Our hotel was up behind the train station and we seemed to always be walking back and forth. This time my hotel is much closer to the Promenade d’Anglais so I feel much more in the center of the tourist activity. We also seemed to be hassled much more. So far, no hassling.
I sat this afternoon in a bar/cafe and watched the people go by. Such a diverse crowd. Everything from young Brittney Spears wanna bees to old French ladies shopping to the British tourist. The tourist are so varied. I was following a couple on the way to the internet. They were both short – about 5 feet, heavy in the hips wearing shorts. Her shorts were white muslin fabric and his were striped red. She had black hair held up with little red clippees. They were throughly enjoying their vacation. I also watched the variety of people strolling along the Promenade d’Anglais. The best was two young fathers roller blading along the Promenade with their babies in strollers.
It is lonely traveling by myself. I like the ability to just go where I want to and change my mind whenever. That is such a luxury when you travel alone. But there is no one to share it with and I get tired of eating by myself. I’m jealous Kim, Colleen and Shannon. They are thoroughly enjoying Paris. Check out Kim’s blog and Shannon’s Blog .
I need to get back to hotel and soak my feet. I hope they didn’t get sunburned.