My Busy European Life is Not Conducive to Frequent Updates!

Bon Soir Mes Amis!

For a while I was set on blaming our faulty internet provider for my delay in posting, but now I see I am partially to blame since it has been almost two months since my last post! Where has the time gone? After my weekend in Prague, my program took us to to the Alsace region of France and to a neighboring German town (now I can say I have been to Germany twice). It was a lot of fun and we got to sample (and buy) some of my favorite white wine that is produced in Alsace. 

It will not be easy to sum up my amazing spring break in Greece, but I will do my best. After a rather frustrating experience at the airport in Paris, we finally got on a plane to Athens and then connected to Santorini. We got off the plane and immediately knew we were in paradise. We stayed at a wonderful hostel that was more like a beach guest house just a minute walk from a beautiful black sand beach. During our stay in Santorini we took a boat ride out to a nearby volcano which we hiked- don't worry it was not active! After the hike we got to cool off, more like freeze off, by jumping off the boat (which looked like a pirate ship) into the sea as we frantically tried to swim to the "hot springs," which were more like luke warm springs but it was still amazing. Once our boat arrived back at port, a few of my friends and I decided to take a donkey ride back up to the main town which was one of the most memorable parts of the trip. We spent a few nights in Santorini and then made our way over to Ios for a couple days, and then it was on to Mykonos! Mykonos was every bit as beautiful as my dad had described, if not more. The water was as crisp and blue as the roof tops, and like the other islands, the people were incredibly friendly and welcoming. My friends and I decided to rent ATVs one afternoon which was so much fun! We ended up getting lost on our way to "Paradise Beach" and found ourselves stuck in mud at "Super Paradise Beach" (yes those are the actual names). We managed to get out and over to the main beach where we enjoyed some quality time in the sun and some good beach food. During our second day in Mykonos we took a short boat ride over to the island of  Delos, which I had actually studied in my Ancient Greek Sculpture class at school because it is known for its ancient ruins. We hiked a few mini mountains and walked around old temples and "streets" from the past. After some good sun and good food in Mykonos it was back to Athens were we explored the famous temples and walked around some awesome street markets. It was an amazing spring break that I will never forget and I cannot wait to go back to Greece.

I made the executive decision that I deserved a longer spring break so after one night in Paris it was back to the airport to enjoy a few days in Rome with my friend Caroline. We had a great time eating our way around Rome, exploring the museums and famous ruins, and enjoying the Italian pace of life. 

I returned to Paris that Wednesday night, went to class Thursday morning, and then jumped on the plane to visit my friends in London! Ah the life of a jet setter! My friend Neili is studying in London, and our friend Jenna who is studying in Israel had planned a trip there so it was the perfect opportunity to reunite. We enjoyed high tea at the Orangery by Kensington Palace, got a great view from the London Eye, shopped at Portobello Market, had a delicious sundae at Harrod's, and saw Spring Awakening (my second time seeing it) for a great student discount! It was a fun filled weekend and I returned to Paris on the eve of my 21st birthday!

This past weekend my friend Caroline and I made a trip down south to Nice, which is better than nice, it's great (ok lame joke I know)! It felt like a mix of South Beach, and Florence with a hint of France. We were so lucky with the weather which enabled us to walk up and down the boardwalk during the day and at night- gelato cone in hand! On Saturday we visited the Chagall Museum which was incredible, and on Sunday we went to the Matisse Museum and Musee des Beaux Arts- both of which were great. At the Matisse Museum we literally stumbled upon a May Day festival happening right outside the museum. A lively crowd of all ages playing games, cooking food and enjoying the weather. We also went to an outdoor book fair where I spoke with one of the sellers in French about my love of art and art history- which in turn led him to give me (yes, a cadeau!) an old Manet book! I cant wait to add it to my future art library. Doing what many students on a budget do, Caroline and I opted for the overnight train back to Paris instead of flying in order to give us more time on Sunday and save a bit of money. While I did wake up with a stiff neck, it was certainly worth it since our weekend in sunny Nice was so amazing. 

Now that I am back in Paris, I have exactly 2 weeks to complete my Paris to-do list and truly live it up so to speak. I cannot believe how fast the semester has gone ,and while I am excited to see my friends and family, I am really going to miss Paris and my European life!