Sunday Feb. 3, 2008:
The next morning, we realized as we walked out of our hostel room that we had a perfect view of the ocean from our cliffside place. We didn't know that when we arrived in the dark the night before. I walked around the gardens a little big before breakfast. And at breakfast they served coffee, tea, and hot chocolate in bowls (apparently thatÕs a very French thing that I never knew about until this morning, but itÕs normal at most host families, I found out). We rode the bus to Cannes, and even though the weather was looking cloudy and maybe even rainy, I loved every second of looking out the window. My eyes were transfixed. In Cannes, we all saw the film festival grounds and then we walked around on our own. Almost everything was closed because it was Sunday, but Bradie and I walked up and down the piers looking at the sailboats and yachts and the water we wished it was warm enough to swim in. Then we walked through an antique market, and just as we were climbing up the stairs to see the old parts of Cannes, it started to rain. There was nothing much to do except sit in a cafe and watch the rain, so we did that for a while, then walked around the deserted streets of Cannes some more before it was time to go.
The weather was beautiful back in Aix-en-Provence, though. And I watched it change from gloomy to sunny on the ride back home. I walked back home with Caitlyn, who lives near me. (I think we are the students that live farthest out from school. It's about a thirty-minute walk and it's on the edge of the map)
When I got home, Colette and I ate dinner and she regaled me with the news of Sarcozy's wedding, which I had heard about that weekend. She was furious. "Il est vraiment Napoleon III!" she said, "Et elle, Catherine de Medeci! Et nous, les Franais, il faut que nous payons!" because the new first lady won't give up her luxurious lifestyle. I like Colette's energy when she talks about these things. I am really happy living with her and I missed her this weekend when I was away.
