South of France, Monaco, & Geneva!

Hello friends. I've returned from my first of four 2-week vacations that the French school system so generously offers :D

Instead of boring you with excruciating jealousy-invoking details of our beautiful summer-like five days in the south of France, a day in Monaco, and our random adventure to Geneva, I'll let the pictures do most of the work.

Let's start with Marseille. Click here to see photos of Marseille. You'll see the view from the Hotel St. Louis (where we somehow managed to get two rooms for the price of one, including the honeymoon suite); then, you'll see photos of the Vieux Port (old port) of Marseille; the view from Basilique Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde; inside the basilica; and, a random carnival with a large cathedral backdrop. Only in France.



Next, check out the photos from Cassis, Les Calanques. Cassis, a small fishing port just east of Marseille, has Beauty-and-the-Beast charm and some fantastic port-side cafes; from here, we took a boat out to tour Les Calanques, where hundreds-of-feet-high white limestone cliffs tower over transparent turquoise water. Paradise? Yes. Just see the pictures.


After a day in Marseille & a day in Cassis, we spent Wednesday morning touring Chateau D'If, the island which provides the setting for The Count of Montre Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. It's old. and rocky. and prison-like. Not a place I'd want to go more than once, but it has great views of the port of Marseille, so again, check out les photos :)


Wednesday afternoon, we trained it over to Nice, where we ended up staying in the #1 hostel in all of France for 2009: Villa St. Exupery. Clearly the best hostel I've ever stayed in, its large lounge, bar, and kitchen area served well to the several young travelers staying there. For 6.50 euros, we feasted on gourmet coucous & lamb, or chicken & potatoes, or for 5.50 euros, gourmet pizza. And for 1 euro? A beer, or a glass of wine. You can't beat that.

At the villa, we met Jillian, a Bostonian from Coolidge Corner (where I lived this past summer) who was on week 5 backpacking Europe, set to return home the following week from Geneva, Switzerland. We also met Andrew, a Texan with an indefinite plan for a return to the states. With these two added to our group of three (Megan, Isabelle, & I), we were five, and we were ready to explore Nice. If only I hadn't worn my patent leather shoes.


The next day, after I bought some awful Birkenstock-imitation sandals (the only shoes in France that'll fit my feet), we took a 20 min train to Monaco, home of the famous Monte Carlo Casino, really ridiculously expensive yachts, and apparently, a sweet cactus. It was so nice, I almost moved in that very day (almost).



As you might have guessed, our trip to Geneva happened thanks to Jillian, our newfound favorite traveling companion. Her enthusiasm kept me going when my newly acquired head cold coaxed me to stay curled up under my covers. Another clean and quiet city (like Monaco, but with a lake instead of a beach and the UN instead of a casino), I really liked how we could sit in a cafe and hear German, Italian, French, and English conversations going on around us all at the same time.

The vacation ended just in time for my head cold to force me to stay in bed and our Internet, TV, AND phone to cut out (until next Tuesday night, when the French technician can so efficiently come over to fix it). Go France. Woo.

--Check out my roommate's blog, too! www.megenfrance.blogspot.com (she has more details on the trip).