Lactose intolerance!

Not that I am, but there is a lot of cheese in this country. But there is a scene in French Kiss where Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline are walking through a town somewhere in the south of France on their way from Paris to Nice where Meg is going on about how beautiful it is. Aix kind of reminds me of that.
Yesterday, we followed the footsteps of Cezanne, almost literally. We walked up from Aix, where he lived, to his studio, then on to the hill top over looking the river valley and mountain, San Victoire, that he painted 87 seven times. I think that he may have gotten it right. Although I think he really just wanted an excuse to hang out on looking at the mountain. It was beautiful.
After that, we just hung around, walking around and shopping. I accidentally flirted with a French guy. We did visit this tiny museum of natural history. Aix has a French botanist who was working on the evolution of plants the same time as Darwin was working on animals. He actually wrote to Darwin to discuss his ideas. They had his letters.
Today, we take a train to Paris.

Lesser Miracles

Air travel is comedian fodder, but would like to take a moment to praise the fact that air lift works, and it only takes 7 or so hours to get across the ocean. According to a trivia thing on the flight, early trips between New York and Paris took over 16 hours
There, enough sucking up to the plane. Just land on time and safely.

Location:37000 feet above Le Merche

Jet lag

So day one of this excursion was a little weird. In my mind, it started on Sunday and ended several, something like 42, hours later. I got on the plane and never fell asleep, so Sunday and Monday fused together.
The trip over was only eventful at Charles de gall. Tip: If you ever have to go through deGalle, take All your electronics out, expect a pat down, unless you are wearing literally no metal, and give yourself at least two hours if changing planes. Or just go to Orly.
Aix is lovely. After crashing for an hour, I wandered around with my sister, who lives here, and my family. I don't think I've ever wandered around a city this, for lack of a better word, European before I've been to London, Bath, Dublin, and some tiny towns in Ireland, but none of them had the maze of streets that all seem like back alleys. This city is truly from a time before there were cars, even Romans slept here for the hot springs. One if the main roads, the cormier beau, is only two lanes. Along it, the trees are beautifully decorated with lights and there us a Christmas market with little stands selling everything from candy and meat to jewelry and vases. I loved the wooden toys.
There are a couple of weird things. The outer city is not pretty and everywhere you see evidence of why curb your dog laws in the us are important. There are more dogs than children here. I've even seen a dog in the hotel.
Speking of hotels, my view.


Pretty. Today we're doing some more wandering and following the steps of Cezanne.

Location:Aix-en-Provance

And we're off!

We're on our way! My stomach is in knots, either from nervousness or excitement I can't tell, but so far, so good. It's begun snowing a little, actually picking up since I first noticed this morning after mass, but hopefully nothing will come of it til later. Or at least the airport won't be hit hard. Eee! Here we go!

Location:On the highway to the airport

Bring me back something French!

So! Sunday I leave for France, baring any snow. I'm kind of expecting a delay, but nothing too serious. This us why I'm backing two books and my iPod charger.
But first, I have to get through Christmas. and by get through I mean eat like a locust and give everyone there awesome presents. I'm almost finished my last one. I'm excited about a book I got my dad, Abe Lincoln: vampire hunter, because I think it's interesting, but my dad isn't really into the gruesome. But he is a huge civil war and Lincoln buff.
Oh well, well see what happens.

Merry Christmas!

Aargh.

Finals week. I have two papers. 40+ pages. I've been trying for a week to write, but nothing. Why do I do this to myself?
If I make it out of this degree alive, it will be the last one, for an extraordinarily long time, if not for ever.

I'm just living for the 21st now.

But then! It's Christmas and I'm leaving the country. It will be awesome.

Location:5th ring of hell

Gentlemen, let's broaden our minds!

I'm Done graduate school! The classes at least. For this semester. Oy.

Lately I've been trying to keep my head simply above water, what with the job (patooie!) and school and my aggressive urge to simply not do anything. And the Orioles suck. And I'm broke. And Castle is not with Becket. And Bitch bitch bitch. Complain complain complain.

I do actually have an awesome job sometimes. Today, this kid, as she was charging up the tower said, "Don't worry, honey, I'll do it for you!" She kept calling me Honey or Sweetheart, which, coming from a Six-year-old, is pretty damn sweet. As she came back down, she said, "I killed the monster for you!" She is exactly what I want my daughter to be like someday.

Oh! and I learned how to do a cable-knit stich. Sometimes it's the little things.

Why shouldn’t you talk shop? It’s what interests you most, isn’t it?

I love when kids at the Museum are cute.
Occasionally I'll meet a little kid who launches himself at the slide while the older kids cower in fear because it's so dark. Sometimes one of those kids figures out a way to over come their fear and try it just once, and then the parents can't pull them off.
The other day, I met a little girl who wanted very badly to go down but saw just how dark it was and couldn't do it. I saw her maybe 15 minutes later and she enthusiastically told me how she had finally gone down the slide and how much fun it was and how this place was so fabulous. Ok, she didn't use the word "fabulous" but that was the jist. She had a lot to say.
That same day I met a little boy who couldn't have been older than 3 who I had to hold back so he didn't run into anyone. By his 3rd trip, he was a pro at waiting his turn, although he was never patient.