-
Media Minds: How France Writes about Muslim Footballers
As a recent grad from the University of Colorado, I now find myself in the position of having spent four years working towards receiving a piece of paper, and a year of research and writing to add three little words to that piece of paper: summa cum laude. Now I'm asking myself what the hell I'm supposed to do with…
-
Covid Catastrophe in the Czech Republic
I can't say that I didn't know any better. But we thought we were untouchable. We thought the chaos wending it's way through the world was ridiculous. There was no precedent for everything shutting down. Surely in a week or two everything would be back to normal. Do you remember when we all thought that?
-
Paris à Pied: Exploring the City of Love in 30 Hours
I spent 30 hours in Paris this weekend–a whirlwind vacation. My friends were busy, so I hopped on a train by myself and came to the City of Love. (Pairs is both the City of Love and City of Lights). Lucky Paris–to be known for both great things! Paris Catacombs I kicked things off with the Paris Catacombs. The underground…
-
Barcelona Basics: Food, Friends, and Gaudi
Barcelona was a non-stop adventure. I arrived at midnight on Friday night and made my way to Don Moustache Hostel via the Aerobus. My friends, Kate and Sarah, had arrived Thursday night. After a good night’s sleep (despite all the snoring–good thing I always travel with ear plugs!) we started off Saturday morning with some Gaudi. Antoni Gaudi is Barcelona’s…
-
Camp des Milles: What France once Tried to Erase
Camp des Milles is located in the old tile factory in the town of Les Milles. In fact, the roof of one of my school’s buildings is tiled with tiles from this factory. But that’s not why we we’re here. From the beginning of World War Two in September, 1939 until June, 1940, the French government (the Third Republic), interned…
-
Aix-periences Closer to Home: Montagne Sainte-Victoire and Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur
Montagne Sainte-Victoire A friend and I decided to hike the prominent mountain to the northwest of Aix: Montagne Sainte-Victoire. We began by walking along the ridge (above right), then the trail pretty much goes straight up the side of the peak. It’s a total of 10 kilometers and over 1,700 feet of altitude gain. Despite the hot sun, it was…
-
A Day in Marseille: History and Street Art in France’s Oldest City
La Porte d’Aix is Marseille’s triumphal arch, like the Arc de Triomphe. Construction begun in 1784 to honor the Peace of Paris, which ended the American Revolutionary War. The arch was finished in 1839. It marks the entry point to the city on the old road from Aix-en-Provence. Marseille has existed as a port city for over 2,500 years, the…
-
Nice Carnival: Battle of the Flowers
Carnival kicked off in Nice today with a Flower Parade, called Batailles des Fleurs. We embraced the sun and the season (even though all the locals were in coats and scarfs). It is a Flower Parade, so we wore our flower clothes! There are a bunch of performers and floats, but what is most unique is that the floats feature…
-
La Côte d’Azur: Sunshine, Flowers, and Spring-time!
Spring has come in Nice, France! The colors are bright, the sea clear, and the sun shining. We walked through the old town, grabbing a lunch of traditional foods: socca (flatbread made from chickpea flour), pissaladière (pizza topped with onions, anchovies, and olives), and les petits farcis (eggplant and zucchini stuffed with ground meat and garlic). We met our Airbnb…
-
The History of Geneva, as told by a Church
When I told my dad I was going to Geneva for the weekend, his reply was, “I’ve always wanted to go to Switzerland, and now you’re going there…in a way.” F for geography skills, Dad, because Geneva is in Switzerland. But, also, I know exactly what he means. It sure doesn’t feel like Switzerland. It just feels like a big…
-
A+ for Annecy and the Alps
I took a whirlwind day trip to Annecy today, beginning at 5 am. It’s a process to get out of Aix; it’s a 35 minute walk to the bus station, and then a 20 minute ride to the train station…and then, finally, the real journey can begin. And begin it did. We had delays on our ride to Lyon, only…
-
Carcassonne: a Castle Playground
Carcassonne is a French town in the Midi-Pyrénées region of France. It’s a 3 hour train ride from Marseille. This is my first time on a train (but not my last). And the whole process was made so easy by my Eurail Pass (thanks Mom and Dad!). Carcassonne is divided into two towns—the Bastide Saint Louis and the Cité. Our…
-
My School Abroad: Institute of American Universities
The school in Aix is tiny and scattered among the winding streets. It is made up of four buildings—three of them in the old town and one outside of town. The one outside of town is the art school, so I never go there. I only have classes in 2 buildings: Manning Hall and CEF. Walking through the narrow streets,…
-
If Even Popes get Castles…Why Can’t I Have One?
Avignon and Pont du Gard. A day trip spanning Roman times to medieval history to modern day. La Palais des Papes In 1305 Pope Clement V moved the papacy from Rome to Avignon. He did this because he felt unsafe in Rome, and also because the muggy weather didn’t agree with him. The palace that exists today was constructed a…
-
Aix Marks the Spot: Exploring my Temporary Home
Aix en Provence is the city of a thousand fountains. Les Fontaines This is the Fontaine de la Rotonde at one end of the Cours Mirabeau, which is the Champs-Élysées of Aix. This is the Fontaine des Quatre Dauphins (Fountain of Four Dolphins). In many of the smaller fountains in Aix, the water is drinkable and my school recommends that…
-
A Chateau and a Vineyard…I Must Be in France
IAU, as part of the Early Start Program, planned out a few French activities to introduce us to region of Provence. We began with a trip to petit village of Vauvenargues. Picasso bought a castle in this town at the base of the Montagne Sainte-Victoire in the 1950s. His family still owns the castle and he is buried on the…
-
Day One: My Home Away from Home and a Hike with Aix’s Famous
My first full day in Aix-en-Provence, France. It was chilly today, a humid kind of chilly like January in Maryland. School activities and university orientation start tomorrow, so after wandering around Aix for an hour this morning, I returned to my host family’s house to unpack and get settled in my new room. When the first bit of homesickness (mostly…
Find adventure. Write it down.
