11- Le Dernier Jour

I can't believe almost a whole month has gone by since I got to Saint Laurent du Var, France.
So much has happened here. I've tried macaroons, Saint Jacques, tarte aux fraises, and many more French delicacies. I've seen Monaco, Cannes, Eze, Saint Jean, Saint Paul de Vence, Villefranche sur Mer, Saint Tropez, Nice, Antibes, and even San Remo, Italy. I've gone parasailing over the Mediterranean sea with my friends from Boston. I've snorkeled- touched a jellyfish and seen an octopus. I've made home made cupcakes for a family who has never tried one before. I've celebrated Bastille day. I've cooked in the kitchen of a French restaurant. I've recorded a song in French. I've sang kareoke in Nice. And the thing I'm most proud of: I reluctantly left my family in Libertyville to live with a homestay family- one that has helped give me this unforgettable experience. I could not have asked for a more friendly, loving family. They have helped the most in improving my French this month and in making me feel comfortable in their home. They have exposed me to true French culture and made me fall even more in love with language and travel. The goal I had for this summer, to improve my French and to push myself out of my comfort zone, has been achieved. I am really proud of myself!
Despite my absolutely amazing experience, I have to admit I'm starting to get a little homesick. I miss my American family and friends and I can't wait to tell them about my experiences and to give them their unique gifts!

10- Les Cupcakes

Yesterday, Shannon and I decided to bake cupcakes for our host family. We contemplated several desserts to prepare, but figured cupcakes would be the best because they are very American and our host family had never heard of them or had them before.
First, we headed to the supermarché to buy what we needed for the cupcake recipe Shannon found online. Overall, we didn't have much trouble finding the ingredients other than Crisco (we had to use a substitute) and powdered sugar.
When we got home from the store, we got straight to work. I was in charge of the metric conversions (thank god for the conversion app on the iPhone). Of course, we had to have some help from our host mom, but it was mainly Shannon and I who did the measuring, mixing, and waiting- we were so determined to make delicious cupcakes for them!
Since cupcakes really don't exist in France, we had to make our own icing. It didn't work out perfectly; it was a little less thick than icing usually was. But, we made it work by adding Nutella. It actually made the icing even better (Plus, the French are obsessed with Nutella, especially my host brothers)!
The homemade cupcakes ended up being great. After our host moms light dinner, we frosted the cupcakes and served them to our family. It was a huge success!

After a great dinner and dessert, we set up the family room for singing and dancing. We chose a song in French (Soulman by Ben l'Oncle Soul) to sing and then record on their computer. We split it up so each person had a section to sing alone and then we all sang the refrain together as a group. It took a while, but we recorded the whole song and had a great time while doing so. The song is still stuck in my head from last night!

9- Antibes, Saint Tropez, Sainte Maxime, Nice

The day after our excursion to Italy, Abbey Road visited Antibes! We had plans to spend the whole day there, but unfortunately, because there was a storm expected to happen, we only spent a few hours there and returned to St Laurent for dinner afterwards with our host family. In Antibes, we visited the Musee Picasso and shopped around. It wasn't long before the rain started coming down hard. Not only did we get lost on the way back to the train station, but we were all got soaking wet. I was glad I brought my beach towel to Antibes...although we didn't go to the beach, it ended up being very useful in protecting myself from the rain! Yesterday was a sunnier day in Saint Tropez and Sainte Maxime. Because of the horrible traffic, the group went by bus to Sainte Maxime and then from there, we took a boat to Saint Tropez. It was absolutely stunning there. We had free time once we arrived, but most of the shops were too expensive to buy anything at, so me and a few others just window shopped and looked at what we couldn't afford. However, I did get a delicious piece of dark chocolate from a chocolaterie and a jacket that was on sale. Once back in Sainte Maxime, we had some more beach time (I'm definitely going to be tanner when I get back). Later on, we had dinner at a beach side restaurant called Le Wafou. The food there was delicious! I got a piece of filet mignon and a green salad, along with a tomato farcis (a specialty of the south of France: stuffed veggies) topped off with a delicious mushroom cream sauce. For dessert, I got a scoop of Nutella ice cream. French people love Nutella. I'm actually starting to get sick of it, if you can believe it. Today, the group went to Nice to go parasailing and do some other miscellaneous water sports. Parasailing was a really cool experience. I was a little nervous right before we took off, but once we were in the air, it was really relaxing; it kind of felt like we were flying. I can't believe there are only about 5 more days left until we all return home. It seems like I've been here forever; I feel like I know the town of Saint Laurent so well, like it's my home! Also, I feel like I've become such good friends with many people in the group. It's going to be really sad to leave them, but I know we'll stay in touch! Antibes, stormy weather on the way:

The breathtaking view of Saint Tropez from the boat:

In Saint Tropez:

8- L'Italie

Yesterday, I went to Italy for the first time! The group took a bus at 11:30 am and we arrived at Sanremo, a cute town on the far west coast of Italy, at around 1:00 pm. After a hurried lunch (we were all so ready to explore Italy!) me and a few others headed out to shop and explore the town. Of course, the first thing I wanted to do was order a gelato. I got 3 flavors: Nocciola (Hazelnut), Stracciatella, and Creme Brulee. The prices in Italy, especially for ice cream, were much cheaper than those in France, so I had to take full advantage of it)! Besides the prices, I was surprised by how different Italy was from France; I was expecting the two to be very similar. I can't quite grasp what the differences were, but Italy had a very different feeling. Not surprisingly, it was extremely hard communicating with the Italians, considering I know about two Italian words. But I was proud of how much I could understand and how well I could communicate, all thanks to having studied French for several years. Once we were tired of shopping, we went to the beach to swim and tan. The water was so calm and peaceful, and swimming was enjoyable. It was nice to spend time on a sand beach for a change- for the past few weeks in the Cote d'Azur, I've been spending time on plages a galets (pebble beaches) which are not nearly as comfortable to walk on, as you can imagine. After a good few hours of beach time, we had a classic Italian dinner as a group: pesto pasta and tiramisu. Overall, my experience in Italy was fantastic! I'm really glad I got the chance to go to Sanremo and experience a different culture.

7- Mon pere!

Wow- my time in the Cote d'Azur just keeps getting better and better! Yesterday was an awesome day. We started the day off with French class, and then after lunch we took the train to Villefranche sur mer, yet another gorgeous little beach village. I spent most of the time in the water- we went snorkeling! I got to hold a starfish and touched (on accident!) the top of a jellyfish. However, I was extremely antsy throughout the day because I knew in a few hours I was going to see my dad! Since he was going to be around Nice for business, we thought it would be fun if we got to see each other. So, he invited me and my French family out to dinner! Shannon and I left early from Villefranche to return back to Saint Laurent. We went to Cote Sud, a charming cafe/restaurant au bord de la mer in Saint Laurent. For my plat principal, I chose Saint-Jacques, it was my first time trying them (scallops- a real specialty of the region)! It was such a treat. My meal also included homard (lobster) and delicious ravioli. Oh and bread, naturally. The best part of the whole dinner was by far the conversation, although the dessert, nutella/banana crepe and profiteroles, was a close second. We talked a lot about the cultural differences between France and the US, as well as my French family's motivation to host US students. I am so glad my french family, whom I've gotten so close to throughout the past few weeks, had the chance to meet my awesome dad! After dinner and after taking several pictures by the beach (as per my jealous mom's request...), Mario drove my dad and I to my dad's hotel, where I spent the night. In the morning, we woke up early to run along the Promenade des Anglais (a really famous street) in Nice.

6- L'excursion surprise!

So, turns out the surprise trip I mentioned in my last post is to San Remo, Italy, this Saturday! I am really looking forward to it. Although I signed up to explore the Cote d'Azur and improve my French, I'm thrilled to be going on this adventure to another country I've never been before. We'll be spending the whole day in Italy, doing miscellaneous surprise activities. This weekend the group went to Monaco and Eze (all in one day-- we were all exhausted afterwards but it was well worth the fatigue). I'd already been to Monaco last week, but I was more than willing to return. It actually worked out well, because yesterday we went to a part of Monaco I didn't have the chance to see the first time. Both parts were equally stunning. We got a tour of the Prince's palace, and afterwards I got a baguette sandwich for lunch and ate it while window shopping (I always feel so French with a baguette in hand). After, we headed to Eze, a mountain-top village not far from Monaco. Eze was quite isolated, but that's part of what made is so beautiful and authentic. It had such breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea (of course, to get to the best views we had to walk up a lot of hills). In Eze, we got a tour of one of the most famous parfumerie's in the world: La Parfumerie Fragonard. We learned how perfume is made and got to smell a ton of different scents. By the time we left, I had a huge headache and couldn't smell anything anymore! I'll definitely have an awesome blog post on Sunday, after our day in Italy!

5- Le 14 Juillet

Today, July 14th, is a really special day in France! Like the 4th of July in the US, it's a national holiday, so the whole country celebrates and it's like a huge party. It's called Bastille Day. It commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789 which marked the beginning of the French Revolution. Last night, even though it was the day before la fete (the celebration), the whole group went to Cagnes-sur-mer (a neighboring town to Saint Laurent) to watch pre-Bastille Day fireworks and hang out around the town, which was much more lively than usual. There was so much going on: a concert, fireworks, of course, and vendors selling balloons and patriotic trinkets. I went with two other girls to get ice cream at a glacerie next to where the concert was going on. We got a banana split and a sundae. The ice cream here is definitely better than in the US. Today, the celebration continues! Since it is actual Bastille Day, the fireworks will go on for longer and the town will be even more lively. I'm so glad I'm in France for one of their biggest holidays.

4- Comme Chez Moi

Believe it or not, I'm still having a fantastic time in France. It's starting to feel less like a dream and more like a reality the more time I spend in the Cote d'Azur. Since I wrote my last post, the group has gone to St Paul de Vence (an adorable old little village on the top of a hill filled with cute boutiques and tourists) as well as St Jean Cap Ferrat, a more isolated village where we all got to cook dinner and later eat what we made! We were separated into smaller groups for cooking so we could all make different parts of the French meal. Luckily, I got my favorite (and arguably the best) part of the French meal: dessert. I was in charge of the delicious gateau (cake). While we weren't cooking, we were swimming or tanning on the scenic plage de galets (rocky beach). It was a fantastic way to spend a day! We also found out from the director of the program that before we leave, we are going to 2 surprise places! I'm going crazy trying to figure out what they are. He wasn't very helpful in giving hints, unfortunately. All he said was that it wasn't too far, it's a beach town, and it's filled with beautiful people. Any guesses anyone?

3- Un Voyage Magnifique

Wow. What an amazing experience this is! Now that I’m settled in my new home in the south of France (it sounds so cool to say that), I can start blogging more regularly. I’ll start by talking about my host family, who is the best one I could ever ask for! The mother, Sophie, is a professional storyteller. She is very outgoing and fun, and it’s also very clear she’s passionate about helping us learn French. She’s a fantastic cook, which is always a bonus. I’ve never been disappointed with a meal she’s served! Jose, the father, I have only seen a few times since he works in Nice. But he is really funny and nice. He greeted and picked me up from the airport when I first got here. My host brothers are fantastic as well. Luis, who is 15, loves to sing. We’ve had some jam sessions to popular American music. We’re planning on singing a song together and recording it before him and his younger brother leave for Corsica. Luis is hilarious, and very patient with me and Shannon (my roommate) when it comes to speaking French with us. Giani is 10 years old and loves karate! Yesterday, Giani and I went for a morning run around Saint Laurent which was very fun, although for some reason it’s harder to speak French in the morning and man does Giani speak fast! Mario is about 22 years old and is home from time to time. He loves practicing his English as well as speaking French with us. It’s so great to have a family that is patient and fun to be around! And, of course, there’s Bella, their dog! Bella is a mix of a Dalmatian and some kind of spaniel. She is so sweet; I guess this makes up for all those years of never having a dog! I’ve had fun getting her to “Assis!” (Sit). So far, I’ve been to St Laurent, Monaco, and Cannes. All three towns were so different but they were all beautiful. It’s so cool to have a mixture of everything on this trip: French class, living with a home stay family, and going on unforgettable excursions. My favorite excursion so far has been Cannes. I went shopping in a small group in the morning, and then after we were all worn-out from walking around, we went to the beach and swam/tanned/talked for a few hours. It was so relaxing. After that, the whole Saint Laurent group as well as the Nice group ate pizza on the beach. The food in France deserves its own paragraph. I have not yet been disappointed with a meal I ordered or something my host family has served me. I’ve tried a lot of new things and learned a lot about French culture when it comes to food (Luis gave me a strange look when I told him Americans sometimes eat butter with their waffles). We’ve only eaten out once (A cute restaurant on the Saint Laurent beach. I got pasta, yum) but I have enjoyed having dinner (sometimes helping cook!) with my host family who are great conversationalists. My favorite part of the food culture here is the dessert, by far! A bientot!