I have been back living in the states for over 3 years now. I have transitioned to a full-time job, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have that stability. I work with students helping them find their ways overseas in study abroad programs, and I can't help but feel the travel bug every single day. I imagine what it would be like to spend a semester in France, South Africa, India, Peru... the list could very easily continue. So, when I was finally able to get a stamp in my shiny new passport this summer, I was beyond thrilled.
As a reminder, I studied abroad in Cannes, France, when I was an undergraduate. Then, between school year work contracts in Spain and France, I hopped back over to Cannes. It is one of those places that really feels like a home away from home to me. So, when I started planning my overseas plans, I knew I wanted to return there. And to my great fortune, my mother decided to join me!
It's amazing how familiar and how foreign life felt at the same time while there. Even though I'm a tad shy, I love the challenge of speaking a foreign language. I know I need to practice more, but it also just came back really quickly, almost like riding a bike. The biggest thing is that my grammar needs work. I more or less understood what was said to me, but I need to work on my grasp of the subjunctive, past tenses, etc. Daily practice helps!
The ins-and-outs of daily life included going to French classes in the morning and then to the beach or on small trips in the afternoons. When we arrived, the water of the French Riviera was extremely chilly, and it took time to get used to, but it was well worth the initial discomfort to relax, floating in the sea water. Overall, the weather was perfect. It didn't really rain on us, and the temperature stayed in the upper 70s, lower 80s. It did start to get a bit too warm near the end, but luckily a nice neighbor helped us figure out the AC.
When we were in Provence in 2009, my mother greatly enjoyed the provincial markets. I tried to find markets near us, but to be honest, they are much better more inland. The markets I found for us were just different... whereas Provence featured local craftsmen, artists, farmers, etc., the markets closer to the coast seemed to import all of their items. It made me wonder if the arts are beginning to fade out in favor of faster production, though I hope not.
The main market in Cannes, the Forville, was a farmer's market, and we went there several times in search of good local produce. Everything was so fresh and colorful! And the strawberries... yum. There was also a bric-a-brac market that sold antiques and flea market items.
We also went to an Artisan market in Antibes. It was more ceramics and ironwork. There was not much by the way of traditional paintings or textile work.
Then, we went to Italy for a day by visiting Ventimiglia. It is the first stop over the France-Italy border, and was said to have a good market on Fridays. It was truly an extensive market, but, again, it was not the local crafts that we were looking for, but rather clothing, designer knock-offs, and cheap household items. We did have gelato and pizza on this little stop-over, but overall this tiny visit was tiring. I think we were both ready to return to France.
An afternoon was also dedicated to visiting Grasse and the Fragonnard perfumerie. There were hiccups finding the right on/off spots for the bus, but overall it was a successful trip. I now have my stash of Belle de Nuit perfume to last me a while longer.
Overall, this was a wonderful vacation! I treasure the moments I spent with my mother and the opportunity to show her one of the places in the world I hold close to my heart.
