An American Girl in Avignon

Usèz and the Pont du Gare
May 16, 2009
Wow. Again, I am really, really slacking about writing in my blog. You know how things get. You can get busy or get distracted thinking about and doing a billion things at once. Well, here it is: My rundown of my last two weeks in France:
Today, we had another great excursion. Sadly, this is the last one before our grand finale in Marseille this weekend. On the agenda: canoeing to the Pont du Gare, a big Roman aqueduct which stretches the bay near a little Village called Usèz. Sounds pretty cool, huh?
In the morning, we stopped the bus for some walking around in town. Since it was Saturday, the traditional French markets were open. I am really glad that I did not bring any money with me, because I know that I would have spent every last centime. I am getting really bad about that. I need to limit how much I withdraw from the ATM from now on. The market was filled with gourmet food, clothes and anything and everything in-between. My favorite knick-knack was the colorful hugging figurines that seem to be very popular in France. I am not exactly sure what their purpose is, besides looking cute and adorning countertops, but I know that I want to buy some before I leave. They’re just too adorable and unique to pass up!
One of the best things about these open-air markets is free samples. Sakinah, John, and I basically manged (franglais for ate or nibbled) our way around the crowded outdoor market. If you made the rounds a couple of times, you wouldn’t even need to buy lunch. It was really nice. One thing we tried that we all really liked was dried strawberries. Since neither Skainah nor I brought any money along with us, we had to wait until we got back to Avignon to buy them, which meant that they were more expensive, but hey, you get what you pay for. We’ll know for next time.
After our visit in town, the bus dropped us off by the launching point for the canoes. We had lunch by the bay before setting off on our three mile journey downstream to the point. Sakinah and I, being the pro rowers that we are, spent most of the trip taking pictures of the scenery. Team China, Kyle, Sakinah, and my clever name for our three person boat, started off with some issues. We ran into the bank three or four times before finally getting the hang of canoeing. Since Sakinah and I we both rookies, it took awhile to get the “rhythm” and methods of steering down, but once we finally got it together (by this time the ride was almost over), there was no stopping us. Poor Kyle. The highlight of my day was when we maneuvered our boat through two narrow tree branches in the water. Ten points for Team China.
Once we arrived at the Pont du Gare, we stopped to sun ourselves, swim (for the smart people who wore their swimsuits), and take photos. It was a blast! I definitely want to go canoeing more often when I get home…now that I know how.
Sociology experiment of the day: throw a bunch of college students together who are “of age” and add alcohol and the sun= problems. The day ended with a scary lecture from our director, an argument on the bus, a trip to the police station, and the most frighteningly silent bus ride back to Avignon. Scared that two of our peers would get sent home was a wakeup call for everyone. Contrary to popular belief, study abroad does not equal party abroad. It’s sad that it takes a serious situation such as this to wake everyone up and cause us all to pay more attention to our actions. But sometimes you need to turn on a bright overhead light to wake up instead of naturally rising to your circadian rhythms to get the message across. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Yet, this was a learning experience for everyone. Everyone makes mistakes, and no one is perfect. All one can do is learn from their past and figure out how to do things better the next time. Life is a big learning experience, and if you never made mistakes, how would you ever learn anything? You grow from your mistakes. Forget the past, but first stop and figure out what you can learn from it, and strain toward what is ahead…I am finally starting to take my own advice on this issue. It took long enough. Forgetting what is behind me, and straining towards what is ahead…
After our eye-opening wakeup call of an afternoon, Sakinah, Kyle, Adam, and I decided to go to La Nuit des Musées in town – a special night when all of the museums are free until midnight, complete with an open bar. We visited three museums in town that would have normally cost us a pretty penny for an entrance fee. On our walk over to the Musée Calvert, I saw this chic-looking night club that was adorned with red and white flashing lights. It looked like a snazzy place, and even though we felt underdressed, we decided to check it out…I am glad that we did. This was undoubtedly the coolest club I had ever been! It looked like something out of a hot LA nightclub scene in a Hollywood film…not a night lounge in the middle of a University town in Provence…yet it was. Even the bathroom was cool. The stalls were lined with mirrors and neon lights and everything was decorated in an art nouveau/modern theme. It was so cool. I can’t wait to return!
So, we have made a game out of spotting Katy and Christophe, our directors, in town. It’s almost like a celebrity sighting. We all get so excited to see them outside the classroom. Kind of lame, I know, but it amuses us. They were both at the club that night, and Sakinah walked up a bisous-d them! Not wanting to stand there and look awkward, I followed. It wasn’t inappropriate in any way shape or form, because we pretty much bisous everyone, but it was awkward still. Oh well, at least they know that we think of them as friends, yet still authority figures. They are a really cool couple with a neat story. To anyone coming to Avignon next year, take the time to get to know and talk with them. You will love them! Bisous (why not?) XXX