Learning to Ski

This weekend passed in breathtaking Superdevoluy, France on part of the French Alps. I have never been snow skiing before but the experience was fantastic nonetheless.

 

This is a picture of the black diamond mountain I skied down on my very fist attempt.... just kidding... this was the view from our hotel room. 

This is the bunny hill that I eventually conquered only falling twice (on the final run)! 

I was lucky enough to room with a girl in my study abroad program who had been a ski instructor since she was thirteen. I really owe my whole Saturday to her kindness, patience, and aid. 

After a solid four hours on the slopes we stopped for the day to eat and rest. Some fellow bunny-hill-conquerers and I decided to get pizza for lunch because we had been reminded "to pizza" (make the skis point in front of you) to stop so much during the day. If anyone is looking for a new way to work out, I must highly recommend skiing. Not only do you get to pass the day in beautiful scenery, but you also get the benefit of exercise for your entire body. 

Your arms and shoulders will carry the heavy equipment to and from your hotel room.

Your legs, of course, control all movement while skiing. 

And your abs will certainly be used to stabilize your body when trying to get up and out of the powdery snow you just ran into. 

Atop the bunny hill. 

On Sunday I was pretty sore from the day before so some friends and I decided to just ride a ski lift to the top of a more difficult spot just to see the view. While the clouds were clear, it was plain to see how nicely nestled in the Alps we really were. 

 

There was a small restaurant at the top where we ate lunch. 

Shopping in Italy

Friday and Saturday marked great days for shopping at outdoor markets in Ventimiglia and San Remo, Italy. The quality of goods is sometimes questionable but the prospect of a good deal is always right around the corner. Personally, in Ventimiglia (pronounced Vent-ee-mee-lia) I found a bracelet that I love for only 2.5 euro.

But that trip was relatively short in comparison to the day we spent in San Remo. After perusing the market, we had plenty of time to go explore the city.

Here is a picture of a church we stumbled upon while searching for a pizzeria. 

We found a fantastic little pizzeria called Pinocchio's Pizza. If you have no other interest for Italy, I must recommend that you go solely for the experience of truly authentic pizza. 

Besides pizza, of course we needed to get gelato. 

Well shopped and fed, we were able to venture onto a small, rock peninsula. The view of the shoreline as well as the ocean were incredible. 

Not all of Saturday was spent in San Remo however. Our study abroad leader then took us to Dolceacqua, Italy for a quick tour of the historically rich little town. 

 We were able to take a tour of the fortress atop the hill. Some parts of the stronghold dated back to the 11th century. 

Views from the castle were breathtaking. I still haven't become accustomed to mountains in the skyline. 

First Week of Classes

Sorry it has been so long since my last post, the internet here has become a bit unreliable.

The good news is, the recent struggle with the WiFi network has been the only trouble this week. My classes are quite enjoyable and the professors for each seem dedicated to making their lessons fun and easy to learn.
Tuesday is Advanced French from 1-4, Wednesday is Organic Chemistry from 8:30am-11:30am, and Contemporary French Culture is Thursday from 1-4. Thats right, a whole semester of only having classes three days a week! Many of the other students in my study abroad program are in the same situation because, as you can see, the classes are three hours long once a week instead of one hour long classes three times a week. I feel very lucky to have such a schedule, especially for weekend travel plans.

This weekend my study abroad program is taking us to San Remo, Italy. Pictures to follow!

Walking around France

I am standing on a pathway that wraps around most of the Nice-Antibes sea line. It is possible to bike  all the way along if you're up to it. Also, beyond Nice in the background are the French Alps. We passed many colorful alleys and great little shops that I am excited to explore further. 

This picture was taken on our day-trip to Nice. Most of what you see in the background is Antibes. Nice used to be a part of Italy which is why so much Italian architecture is intermingled with the French influences. 

Today we were also able to visit the famous casino in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.  Apparently, this casino is the reason why Monaco is still a country. In the 18th century, Monaco asked Napoleon Bonaparte for  a loan to keep Monaco alive. Napoleon obliged on the condition that the debt be repaid within ten years. After 9 years had passed, Monaco still had not earned enough money to support its economy, let alone repay France. That is, until someone had the idea to build a casino. The debt was repaid and nine years later, the prince of Monaco deemed it unnecessary for his subjects to pay taxes. Wow!

(The pine trees are imported, France keeps their Christmas decorations up for a while) 

This is a panoramic view of Monaco that one of my friends on the trip took. Walking around the city was definite motivation for higher education. The streets were very clean, the shops boasted merchandise of which the smallest price was 120 euro, and, much like the unemployment percentage, the crime rate is zero. 

We were also able to visit the perfume factory, Fragonard. We saw how and where the perfumes are developed in a beautifully-scented atmosphere. After I left, my clothes smelled of the perfume in the air. The tour was very interesting and much the town surrounding the factory was built with old stone and simple yet intricate design. 

Overall, a very good couple of days exploring Antibes, Nice and Monaco. The fun facts included above are courtesy of our very knowledgeable and friendly tour-guide. 

SKEMA Orientation

This is a picture of the view walking to the bus stop. The Alps are a fantastic sight and go nicely with the biggest yacht marina in France. We were able to explore a little more of the city before and after attending the school orientation. Antibes is most similar to Florida. There are clear skies, sun 300 days a year, palm trees, and an excellent beach scene. 

At the school orientation we took a tour of the campus and of course learned more about our upcoming semester. The school is smaller than I realized, hosting only about 5,000 students. The decor is quite modern, industrial, and overall, simply yet artfully furnished. I'll make sure to get a good picture. 

After that, some fellow exchange students and I ran a few errands. The cellphone I purchased is sending me back to the stone age... but it will work just fine. 

We also went out to our first French bar this evening with some of the French students we met at SKEMA. They told us about a French drinking game where if you are holding your drink in the hand that you write with, it is totally acceptable for someone to go up to you and say "Buffalo!" (pronounced b-you-fall-o) and then you must drink all of what was in your glass. A good thing to know for sure, I will now hold my drink in my left hand!

Made it!

I'm now safely in Antibes! I've met a few other people in the program and they seem quite friendly.
Tomorrow is the first day of orientation where they will give us a tour of the city and go over other important things to know for our stay.

Test Post / This is my Blog

Hi everyone!
This is the website I will be using to post pictures and stories from my time in Antibes, France and the places where I travel.
My flight to Frankfurt, Germany leaves January 2nd from Cleveland, OH. From there I will fly to Nice, France where I will be picked up and taken to the apartment that my study abroad program has organized for me.
Keep your fingers crossed that all flights go well. Cleveland is supposed to get quite a lot of snow this evening and tomorrow.
I should hopefully be safely in Antibes by 2:30 pm their time, 8:30 am Ohio time and 7:30 am Iowa time.