Days 8 & 9

A couple days ago we took the bus to Villefranche, which is located right next to the city of Nice. We had a picnic of a Mediterranean rice salad on the beach, and then played a game of keep-away with a soccer ball. A little shop next to the beach made gaufres (waffles) with Nutella, so of course we had to try them. They were so delicious. Anything with Nutella is delicious! We then made our way up the hill to the ruins of an old castle, which has been converted into an outdoor movie theater. We saw Rock of Ages (Rock Forever in French) starring Tom Cruise. The dialogue of the movie was dubbed in French, but the music was kept in English. The music was the best part of the whole movie...."I love rock and roll!"

Yesterday was our weekly trip to the beach at St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, but it was a little different since it was a student's birthday! After we spent a great deal of time basking in the Mediterranean, we all helped cook a special dinner for her: salad, zucchini gratin, and a delicious chocolate cake. The cake was outfitted with trick candles so she had a tough time blowing them all out! Our program director drew a lovely card for her, which we all signed with warm wishes for her special day. Joyeux anniversaire! 

Days 6 & 7

My photography class started our first full week off right by returning to Monaco to experiment with movement. What better place to do that than in front of the famous Casino de Monte-Carlo? Between the cars, the people, and the many fountains, we did not have any trouble finding subjects for our photos. When we arrived back in Nice, our wonderful chef, Pearla, had a zucchini gratin waiting for us. Très délicieux! 


The following day commenced with our regular French class, and after that, we had an atelier poterie and an atelier crêpe, or pottery and crêpe workshops. For the pottery class, we were instructed by a skilled craftsman who showed us the perfect way to mold our clay. As for the crêpe workshop, we were shown the   important steps of making delicious crêpes. We were supplied with all kinds of things to put in our crêpes, such as Nutella, ham, cheese, and tomatoes. Nutella is by far the best. Yum!!

 Fountain in Monaco

Nutella crêpe

Days 3, 4, & 5

Our French classes have officially started! The first two days of class consisted of an hour in the classroom going over vocabulary, and the following two hours out in Nice practicing the words we just learned. For instance, we learned about different types of fabric used to make clothes, so we walked around Vieux Nice looking for examples of le lin (linen) et la soie (silk). For photography class, we took the train to Monaco and walked to the castle of Prince Albert and his wife, Charlene. The city of Monte-Carlo is so breathtakingly beautiful; everything from the buildings to the ocean to the cars is absolutely amazing. I could definitely live there.


We spent our first weekend in Cannes and Antibes. In Cannes, we visited the place where the Cannes Film Festival is held, and each took our turns taking pictures on the famous tapis rouge. We had most of the day free to do whatever we wanted, so some people went shopping while others went to the beautiful beaches of Cannes. For dinner, we enjoyed a lovely picnic on the beach (le pizza) with the other Abbey Road group from Saint Laurent du Var. 
As soon as we arrived in Antibes, we went straight to the Marché Provençal to purchase delicious fresh fruit and macarons from the vendors. After lunch, we headed to the Pablo Picasso museum to enjoy some of Picasso's most famous paintings and sketches. We then had the afternoon free, just like in Cannes. One group of people took a boat ride around the bays of Antibes while others walked (or took le Petit Train) to Juan-les-Pins, where the both the shopping and beaches were fantastic. After a relaxing afternoon, we went to a typical French restaurant and dined on le pizza et les pâtes, as well as some delicious ice cream. J'adore la France!

Monaco

Monaco

Cannes

Antibes

Picasso Museum

Juan-les-Pins

Days 1 & 2

Bonjour tout le monde! After a long two days we are all finally settled in to the beautiful city of Nice! We arrived at our residential building to a wonderful lunch of taboulé and fruit made with love by our chef, Pearla. Thankfully, after lunch, we had a few hours free to unpack and sleep off our jet lag. That afternoon our program director, Kathy, showed us around Nice and took us to a park for our initial orientation. We played little games to get to know each other better, which helped break the ice and make everyone feel more comfortable. Shortly after orientation, we went to dinner at a delicious, yet tiny French restaurant. Some students ordered salade, others bruschetta on bread as big as the plate, and a few people ordered pizzas. Dinner was finished with the most delicious tiramisu and salade de fruits. Ooh là là!

Our second day started off with pain au chocolat and oral placement tests to put us in groups for our French classes. We then went to buy little French cell phones to call the United States for a lesser price. Lunch was on our own today, so I went with a few other students to a restaurant in Garibaldi Square, which is the main square of Old Nice. Our electives began after lunch. Students could choose from activities like Riviera Sports and Games, Photography, Conversation, and Drawing. For photography today, we learned about famous French photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, and saw an exhibition on Stephane Couturier, who is a modern French photographer. We were then given time on our own to explore the beautiful city of Nice and take our own photographs. In order to celebrate the Fourth of July, we planned to have a picnic on the beach for dinner. We made sandwiches with tomates et concombres with the help of Pearla. Once we got to the beach, we had potato chips and Capri-Sun to drink while watching the sun set; it was a great homage to the USA. 

Pre-Departure Reflection

I am counting down the days until my trip to Nice! As of today, June 7, we embark on our adventure in just under a month. I chose to travel with Abbey Road to France this summer because I wanted to increase my knowledge of the French language. I have been taking French since kindergarten, but felt that I could only further my knowledge by immersing myself into French culture. What better way to do that than spending three weeks in Nice?! I traveled to Nice with my family last summer and absolutely fell in love with the city. Before I even left I already could not wait to get back! I knew right then that I would have to spend a considerable amount of time in Nice. The architecture in Nice is incredible, which, along with the views of the Baie des Anges, is one of the reasons that I fell in love with the city. The yellow and orange buildings are so historic and remind me of the old pastel buildings in Charleston, SC. Also, the food is amazing! It has an obvious Italian influence since Nice is so close to Italy. One can still get the quintessential French crepes and baguettes with Nutella, but for dinner one can have the classic pasta with olive oil, garlic, and tomatoes, which is quite common in Italy. As for life itself in Nice, the residential aspect of this trip really appealed me because it will allow me and my roommates to really dive headfirst into life in Nice; we will be able to go to the market and buy fresh groceries to make our own dinner. I am really looking forward to getting to know all of the other kids in my group. I think we will have a blast living together in Nice and I cannot wait to begin our trip!