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How do you say "I dont speak a word of French?"
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I have already e-mailed most everyone to let you know I got here safely and all that good stuff so I am starting my journal entries with what has happened these few days since I have arrived. Yesterday, we got up about 8:00 am to visit the oldest market in France by the name of Apt. Each country has its own market day this one is on Saturday morning and rightfully so because it is by far the largest. Every village has its own market day, even tiny Lacoste (which is on Tuesday). The market starts at 9:00 am and goes until noon, then everyone packs up and spends the rest of Saturday and all of Sunday with their family. As we drove in to Apt, it was absolutely beautiful. There is even a bridge there named the Pont du Julian which was built in 52 B.C. by the Romans as Part of the Roman Road. The bridge marks the turning point to go up to Paris. The streets were filled with people since the French don't believe in refrigeration and especially not freezing things, people go to the market three or four times a week to get fresh food. There are some grocery stores but not many. they sell everything from fruits and vegetables to tablecloths to shoes and even goats. The first thing I bought were these reproductions of old French advertisements. One for a car, one for the Follies and one for sewing pattern. I can't wait to get them home and frame them. Everything is written in French so I have no idea what they say but I love how they look. As outgoing as I am, it was so difficult to be in such a social setting and want to talk to the people so badly, but have no idea what they were saying to me or even how to answer when they asked me a question. The next thing I found was this amazing hat made in Italy and it even had a flower on it which you guys know how I feel about that. When I looked at the tag, I was sure it said 30 Euro which is very reasonable. Well when I got a 50 Euro bill out to pay the woman she kept looking at me funny and it turns out, it was 130 Euro - needless to say I didn't get THAT hat but I got one just as good for 20. Then Janessa and I went in together to buy strawberries and cherries (regional specialties) which were oh so good. Once we got back to Lacoste, we had brunch and then an orientation session with calendar for the summer. I am going to be so busy. Later that night we got a tour of the campus and got to go up to the top of the hill where Pierre Cardin's (that's right - the famous designer) chateau is. He has a helicopter to fly him up there and after making that hike, I can see why. The view is absolutely beautiful and the road behind his estate leads to a quarry which SCAD owns. Now I am thoroughly convinced Paula Wallace is taking over the world when we own a rock quarry in the middle of nowhere France. Anyways, we had a barbecue for dinner and I have to say this was the most obscure way I have ever had a hamburger. The French don't really eat hamburgers, even though there was a McDonald's in Apt, so we grilled hamburgers and then put them on baguettes for a bun - actually quite good. We ended up sitting on the side of the cliff from about 9 until 2 this morning just taking in the view, talking about life, and looking forward to the rest of the summer - and this was just the first day.
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| 1. | How do you say "I dont speak a word of French?" - Lacoste, France Jun 24, 2006 |
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