Living, virtual insanity

I’m not sure you can call it settling down, but things have definitely become more understandable here. I can’t believe how quickly a month has passed. At this rate it feels like my program is nearly finished. I think I’ve pretty much figured out how to get by here, with the exception of the public transportation system, which is quite possibly the most unreliable thing I have ever had to count on. When they are not engaged in the national pastime of striking, the French enjoy a life characterized by pure leisure. Which is all good and wonderful until god forbid we actually have to get something to do, somewhere to be, et cetera.

Last week we went intense mountain hiking in the Esterel Mountains. “Hill walking” as our adviser called it. Those definitely were NOT hills. This shit was higghhh.

Crosby came to visit me, bless his heart, after something around a 35+ hour journey. His buses were late. Surprise, surprise. My transportation luck did not fair any better. I left hiking early to go to the mountain train station and catch the 12:30 train back to Antibes. After two and a half long and unsuccessful hours of waiting for trains and buses, the situation was basically hopeless. I was going to be stuck in the mountains forrrreverrr. Thankfully, an elderly Italian couple who saw me hysterical by the side of the road took pity on me and came to the rescue. They tried to pawn me off to many of the spectators standing by asking them, “Can you take this girl with you?” But eventually they just packed me into their tiny little European car and helped me get back to Antibes and Crosby.

After a quiet night of dinner and drinks, we headed off to bed and headed out to Cannes the next morning. It is quite possibly my favorite place that I’ve seen thus far. It’s littered with tiny bustling alleyways full of boutiques and cafes and art galleries. I showed him what I knew, which wasn’t much, but it was an all around good time. The next night we enjoyed a little absinthe with the boys (sorry Mama) and I fell asleep almost immediately, as anticipated. Saturday morning a few of us ventured to Grasse, which houses the biggest perfumeries in the world. We visited Fragonard, which I LOVED obviously, being the perfume fiend that I am. I won’t bore you with the details but I think you should know that every perfume that is sold is the creation of one of fifty people in the world called “Noses.” It’s their job title. have to go to school and you’re like a genius if you can create these fragrances and whatnot but there are only fifty people in the world who do this. How sick would that be? Do you know who I am? I am a Nose- in fact, I am the Nose to be.

Saturday night then was my first real European clubbing experience and it was crazy and amazing. I didn’t hear anything but techno, house and trance. Strobe lights were going, drinks were a flowing. We got back to the apartment at 5:12 AM. I was so proud of myself. More to come later. Love love.