Voilà, a new blog! Once, in French, for the French classes at Lyons and Mead High Schools. Once, in English, for my family and friends who don't understand French... :) And twice is nice because I have a lot of photos I want to share! :)
Click the small photos to see a bigger version.
Voilà, un nouveau blog! Une fois, en français, pour les classes de français aux lycées Lyons et Mead. Une fois, en anglais, pour ma famille et mes amis qui ne comprennent pas... :) Et, parce que j'ai beaucoup de photos que je veut partager. :)
Je vais répondre à vos questions dans mon blog prochain (je le fais juste après cela-ci) , parce que j'écrivais ce blog un longtemps, et j'ai plus de renseignements à partager!
Cliquer sur les petits photos pour les augmenter.
Photos
(please appreciate these because it took me FOREVER to upload them on this stupid Internet!)
1. Street sign in Nice.
2. View of Nice on the way up to the waterfall.
3. Waterfall in Nice
4. View of the harbor in Monaco
Click the small photos to see a bigger version.
Voilà, un nouveau blog! Une fois, en français, pour les classes de français aux lycées Lyons et Mead. Une fois, en anglais, pour ma famille et mes amis qui ne comprennent pas... :) Et, parce que j'ai beaucoup de photos que je veut partager. :)
Je vais répondre à vos questions dans mon blog prochain (je le fais juste après cela-ci) , parce que j'écrivais ce blog un longtemps, et j'ai plus de renseignements à partager!
Cliquer sur les petits photos pour les augmenter.
Photos
(please appreciate these because it took me FOREVER to upload them on this stupid Internet!)
1. Street sign in Nice.
2. View of Nice on the way up to the waterfall.
3. Waterfall in Nice
4. View of the harbor in Monaco
5. I would call these "rocks" but they are more popularly referred to as "pebbles"...at the beach in Nice
6. Some building in Monaco. Could be the aquarium? I forgot.
7. Altar in the cathedral
8. Some Niçois architecture
9. The path we walked from the parfumerie uphill to Eze
10. Fresh/homemade tea for sale in Eze
6. Some building in Monaco. Could be the aquarium? I forgot.
7. Altar in the cathedral
8. Some Niçois architecture
9. The path we walked from the parfumerie uphill to Eze
10. Fresh/homemade tea for sale in Eze
11. Art in the castle, Eze.
12. Cathedral in Monaco...light at the end of the tunnel!
13. Grace Kelly's grave -- there were others in the church but hers was the only one with flowers.
14. A photo of me on a playground in, just in case you didn't think
Il y a deux week-ends, tous les étudiants dans ma programme sont allés à Nice, Eze, et Monaco! Nous prenions trois grands cars, et le voyage durait environ deux heures, je pense. Quand nous sommes arrivés à Nice, tous le monde étaient stupéfaits. La couleur de la mer Méditerranée...je n'oublierai jamais. Vous pouvez voir, la couleur de la Méditerranée et le ciel sont exactement la même couleur. Encore aujourd'hui, Nice reste à un lieu spécial de mon cœur. C'était incroyable! Paradis à la terre.
Nous avons passé plusieurs d'heures à la plage, faisant flotter sur l'eau salée, se reposant sur les millions de petits galets. Si nous étions froids, les galets étaient chaud et nous les mettions à nos corps pour nous réchauffer. Nos temps là était limité, et c'était très difficile à partir la plage. Je pense que je pourrai passer toute ma vie là. :) Toutefois....il y avait une grande cascade à la sommet d'une petite montagne, et mes amies et moi sommes montées là.
Après Nice, tous les étudiants sont retournés à notre auberge de jeunesse pour nous habiller plus habillés (this is one of those awkward phrases you are forced to construct when your vocabulary in French is not too extensive). Après dîner, nous sommes partis pour Monaco, en particulièrement, le grand casino Monte Carlo. Juste avant d'entrer le casino, je suis descendue au quai pour voir tous les grands yachts. A nuit, avec toutes les lumières, ils sont incroyables. Et aussi, excessif. La vie cela…je ne peux pas comprendre d'être aussi riche que les gens de Monaco.
Pour jouer au casino, on doit avoir 18 ans, et porter des vêtements très habillé, cela c’est obligatoire. Le week-end avant nous sommes arrivés là, le barman nous a dit que Bill Clinton était au casino aussi ! Ce bâtiment… je ne peux pas expliquer la coûte des décorations. Prenant photos est interdit, alors, je n’ai rien. Mais le plafond était aussi grand que trois étages, avec les fenêtres de bas au haut. Les rideaux…je pense qu’ils étaient velours, et chacun était probablement plus cher que mon éducation à l’université—tous les quatre ans…à une école privé et pas à bas prix. Je ne voulais pas jouer beaucoup, mais je pensais, « si je suis à Monte Carlo…pourquoi pas ? » J’ai décidé à essayer une fois. Un jeu coûte 30 centimes, mais la machine n’acceptait pas des pièces. Alors, je l’ai donné mon billet d’argent le plus petit, 10 euro, et essayé de jouer. Au moins que 30 secondes plus tard, j’ai un billet qui m’a dit que j’ai gagné 10 centimes. Mon dieu. Après cela, j’ai quitté le casino et explorer les rues de Monaco, très silencieux, parce que la plupart des citoyens dormaient.
Pour jouer au casino, on doit avoir 18 ans, et porter des vêtements très habillé, cela c’est obligatoire. Le week-end avant nous sommes arrivés là, le barman nous a dit que Bill Clinton était au casino aussi ! Ce bâtiment… je ne peux pas expliquer la coûte des décorations. Prenant photos est interdit, alors, je n’ai rien. Mais le plafond était aussi grand que trois étages, avec les fenêtres de bas au haut. Les rideaux…je pense qu’ils étaient velours, et chacun était probablement plus cher que mon éducation à l’université—tous les quatre ans…à une école privé et pas à bas prix. Je ne voulais pas jouer beaucoup, mais je pensais, « si je suis à Monte Carlo…pourquoi pas ? » J’ai décidé à essayer une fois. Un jeu coûte 30 centimes, mais la machine n’acceptait pas des pièces. Alors, je l’ai donné mon billet d’argent le plus petit, 10 euro, et essayé de jouer. Au moins que 30 secondes plus tard, j’ai un billet qui m’a dit que j’ai gagné 10 centimes. Mon dieu. Après cela, j’ai quitté le casino et explorer les rues de Monaco, très silencieux, parce que la plupart des citoyens dormaient.
Le jour suivant, nous sommes retournés à Monaco, un petit pays que je pense était très bizarre (mais aussi très beau). Il y a un aquarium qui est plus grand que le palais, les policiers plus nombreux le monde entier, et 0% de chômage. Les rues étaient pleines avec des touristes, qui parlaient tous les langues de monde. Quand mes amies et moi prenions déjeuner, j’ai rendu compte que la serveuse peut parler au moins quatre langues…le français, l’anglais, l’italien, et probablement un peu de l’espagnol et l’allemande aussi. Que intéressant ! La cathédrale de Monaco était le lieu de Monaco qui je préférais. Il contienne la tombe de Grace Kelly, une actrice bien connue le monde entier (elle est née à Pennsylvanie, je pense), et elle devenait la princesse de Monaco (quelle chance…!), et l’architecture là était incroyable. J’ai pris beaucoup de photos !
Après avoir partant de Monaco, notre groupe a visité la parfumerie Fragonard, pas trop intéressant. Mai après cela, on est monté à pied à la ville médiévale d’Èze. Il est un grand château, construit des pierres, qui devenait un petit village avec les petits magasins d’artistes, des cafés où les gens s’asseyent aux oreillers à la terre.
Après avoir partant de Monaco, notre groupe a visité la parfumerie Fragonard, pas trop intéressant. Mai après cela, on est monté à pied à la ville médiévale d’Èze. Il est un grand château, construit des pierres, qui devenait un petit village avec les petits magasins d’artistes, des cafés où les gens s’asseyent aux oreillers à la terre.
It took me a long time to write the other part of this in French (also because I had to take a break for dinner, and my Internet stopped working at several points), so most of what follows is a direct translation (my vocabulary is not that extensive in French), with a little embellishment cause I'm not as funny in French as I am in English :). I didn't put a lot of effort into it to sound pretty. But I hope it's interesting anyway!
Two weekends ago, all the students in my program went to Nice, Eze, and Monaco! We took three big buses, and the trip took about two hours, I think. When we arrived in Nice, everyone was amazed. The color of the Mediterranean Sea...I will never forget it. You can see, the color of the sea and the sky are exactly the same color. All of the buildings were crazy colors...reds, oranges, greens, blues...The buildings in Aix are all varying shades of peaches, yellows, and other muted natural colors, but Nice was so bright! Everywhere was like a bright ra I think Nice will always hold a special place in my heart. It was incredible! Heaven on earth.
Two weekends ago, all the students in my program went to Nice, Eze, and Monaco! We took three big buses, and the trip took about two hours, I think. When we arrived in Nice, everyone was amazed. The color of the Mediterranean Sea...I will never forget it. You can see, the color of the sea and the sky are exactly the same color. All of the buildings were crazy colors...reds, oranges, greens, blues...The buildings in Aix are all varying shades of peaches, yellows, and other muted natural colors, but Nice was so bright! Everywhere was like a bright ra I think Nice will always hold a special place in my heart. It was incredible! Heaven on earth.
We spent several hours at the beach, floating on the salty water, relaxing on the millions of little pebbles. If we were cold, the pebbles were hot, and we placed them on our bodies to warm up. Our time there was limited, and it was very difficult to leave the beach. I think I could spend my whole life there! However...there was a big waterfall at the top of a little mountain, and my friends and I climbed up there.
After Nice, all the students returned to our hostel to dress up fancier. After dinner, we left for Monaco, in particular, the Monte Carlo casino. Before entering the casino, I walked down to the docks to look at all the big yachts. At night, they are all lit up, and it looks incredible. And also, excessive. A lifestyle like those in Monaco...I cannot even comprehend being as rich as those people.
To gamble at the casino, you have to be at least 18, and it's obligatory to wear nice clothing. The weekend before we went there, the bartender told us Bill Clinton was there. I think a lot of celebrities go there. I cannot explain the cost of the decorations of that building. Taking photos is forbidden, so I will try...The ceiling is three stories high, and there are windows that run floor to ceiling. The curtains on them were velvet and each probably weighed more than a car, and cost more than all four years of my college education, at a private school that's not cheap. Crystal chandeliers everywhere. Straight up orchid TREES. I didn't want to gamble a lot, but I thought as long as I was there (weirdest location for a school field trip ever), I might as well try it out. I decided to play one game at the slots. Each game costs 30 euro-cents, but they didn't accept coins. I put in my smallest bill, which was 10 euros. Probably less than 30 seconds later, it spit out a ticket telling me I won ten cents. My god. I was expecting to lose, but not that quickly...I didn't even understand what happened! After that, I thought it would be a good idea to leave the casino and explore the streets of Monte Carlo. They were very quiet and kind of boring, most of the people were asleep (it wasn't even late).
To gamble at the casino, you have to be at least 18, and it's obligatory to wear nice clothing. The weekend before we went there, the bartender told us Bill Clinton was there. I think a lot of celebrities go there. I cannot explain the cost of the decorations of that building. Taking photos is forbidden, so I will try...The ceiling is three stories high, and there are windows that run floor to ceiling. The curtains on them were velvet and each probably weighed more than a car, and cost more than all four years of my college education, at a private school that's not cheap. Crystal chandeliers everywhere. Straight up orchid TREES. I didn't want to gamble a lot, but I thought as long as I was there (weirdest location for a school field trip ever), I might as well try it out. I decided to play one game at the slots. Each game costs 30 euro-cents, but they didn't accept coins. I put in my smallest bill, which was 10 euros. Probably less than 30 seconds later, it spit out a ticket telling me I won ten cents. My god. I was expecting to lose, but not that quickly...I didn't even understand what happened! After that, I thought it would be a good idea to leave the casino and explore the streets of Monte Carlo. They were very quiet and kind of boring, most of the people were asleep (it wasn't even late).
The following day, we went back to Monaco. It's a little country that's very strange, but also very beautiful. The aquarium there is the only building bigger than the palace, there is a higher percentage of policemen there than anywhere else in the world, and zero percent unemployment. The streets were PACKED with tourists, who spoke languages from all over the world. When my friends and I got lunch, I realized that the server must have spoken at least four different languages...some French, some English, Italian, and most likely Spanish or German or both. How interesting! The cathedral there was my favorite place in Monaco. It contains the grave of Grace Kelly, American actress-turned princess of the richest principality in the world (what luck!) and the architecture there was incredible. I took a lot of photos!
After leaving Monaco, our group visited the Fragonard perfume factory, it wasn't as interesting as I expected. But after that, we walked up a big steep hill to the medieval city of Eze. It's pretty much a mountain-turned-castle-turned-city, made of stone. There are a bunch of little tiny stores where artists sell their works, tucked into the walls of the castle that twisted and turned up the mountain. There were a few little cafés, where all the people sat on big pillows on the ground.
After leaving Monaco, our group visited the Fragonard perfume factory, it wasn't as interesting as I expected. But after that, we walked up a big steep hill to the medieval city of Eze. It's pretty much a mountain-turned-castle-turned-city, made of stone. There are a bunch of little tiny stores where artists sell their works, tucked into the walls of the castle that twisted and turned up the mountain. There were a few little cafés, where all the people sat on big pillows on the ground.