Just to be quiet

I had yesterday and today to myself in Paris. I got all dressed up, and strolled through Paris in heels. And each day, those boots were made for walking...straight to church! Yesterday I went to mass at Notre Dame and today I went to mass at Sacre Coeur. Everyone should go to church. I'm not Catholic but I keep going to mass. The best part about going to French mass is that I don't understand every word. It gives me a chance to sit and to just be quiet. I am in love with sitting quietly next to God. 

Notre Dame

 

 

Sacre Coeur

Au revoir Nemours!

I went for my last run in Nemours this morning...sigh. BUT I found the view of the town that I discovered whilst lost the other day...check out the photo! How amazing is Nemours???
This lunch was the last lunch at the Canteen and no one told Phillip...he was not impressed when we said we were leaving. But as a parting gift he gave us liqueur from Nemours, it's made out of poppies, it's the local speciality...we'll all have to have some when I get home!

Cheers from Nemours...Paris for 2 days and then...HOME

Celebrate good times, COME ON

And so it is finished. Courtney and Danielle left this morning at 5 AM for Paris and Catherine and I will leave Nemours on Friday. It is all wrapping up. I cannot believe that I made it. In the beginning I was terrified. I had no idea that I would be able to teach for the entire semester in a different language and culture. I feel like we should slow clap that out!

We celebrated last night by doing ariplanes...my hips are officially bruised.

I AM DONE UNIVERSITY

Hells ya! Just handed in my final project...and I am done and done. Can't believe. A few more classes to teach and then BOOM, DONE-ZO! That's a good feeling. Next thing I'll have to do is walk across the stage, I cannot wait! I am bubbling over with excitement.

41 minutes...no longer lost

I must lament about my run yesterday. I have been running almost exclusively in the forest now, following the yellow arrows and loving life. Yesterday was my first run back from Nice and off to the forest I went. SOMEBODY TOOK DOWN THE YELLOW ARROWS. I was soooooooo lost. I ran past the same sign 3 times in thirty minutes, I was literally running in giant circles. I finally figured out that the arrows were temporary and they were replaced with small painted yellow lines on trees and rocks...I figured that out 41 minutes into a run...BLAST.

Twas love at first sight

*New photos of Nice, scroll down past the top one to see new ones!
* I accidentally added the photos as comments so I couldn't write anything without deleting the photos...and it takes like a million years to upload


Nice nice nice nice nice...Can't get over it. If Rome and Nice had a love child it would be Paradise.

Yesterday Danielle, Kevin and I took to the beach with a backpack full of snacks and beers. Seriously. I had a pic-nic on the beach, incredible. Afterwards we walked to Castle Hill and checked out the ruins along with the ancient waterfall. It's crazy to see a waterfall and then turn around and see a panoramic view of the Med...I love my life.

Super windy from the top of Castle Hill

I went to mass this morning and someone has to tell the Catholic church to lighten up...I'm pretty sure Easter Sunday is a day to celebrate!

They lied - hard work has killed people

I've figured out that it's this intoxicating mix of sea salt, sunshine and flowers that makes Nice so irresistible. I'm not sad here. I want to come home but I don't want to leave Nice. I went for a run on the Promenade and saluted like 80 other runners. I walked around Nice's ruins today and I smelt the most delicious fragrance ever, but I couldn't actually find the flower that was responsible...no matter, it's my muse now. Then I spent some time on the beach. I walked down in a sun dress and fell asleep in my bathing suit.

They lied - hard work has killed people.

French lilacs

The bigger the running studs the better!

Can I live here?

Got everything I want but you...and a beer

I got soaked three seconds letter

Nice is nice

Um holy moly....I love Nice
I flew into Nice last night and it was raining and gloomy, boo.
I woke up this morning and it was raining and gloomy, boo.
And then the sun came out, yea.
Nice is incredible. Water everywhere. I might be cheating on Rome, can't tell yet.
I went shopping to go buy a pair of shorts cuz I didn't bring any.
Couldn't find a pair, left the store.
It was raining and gloomy, boo.

Cote d'Azur is beautiful wouldn't you say

Hmmmm, now where did I leave my toys?

Still on zoom...oops, but not a bad picture

YEA I LOVE WATER

This place is called Garden Park...clever

Y U NO HAPPY STATUE?

Track time (say it like you would sing "Hammer Time"

beautiful track in a town smaller than Silver Springs...

Gingerbread house in a forest

Typically forest scene

So yesterday I found a track....ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I have a handful of days left in Nemours and I find a legit track, not only do I find a track, it's got barriers, and a team practicing...SERIOUSLY. Coulda used that a while ago.
I was so pissed I took off on a tempo run through the forest and look what I found...a house, a house in the middle of the forest, WHO LIVES IN A FOREST????
Also I don't think I've explained what the forests look like here. Obviously trees, but pine needles and dirt randomly give way to white sand...I don't know where it comes from but its there. Not only is the sand weird but the forest is full of giant giant giant boulders, the ones in the picture are small. The boulders make the forest feel kinda dinosaurish. I don't know why...
Needless to say it was a good run. I plan on doing some repeats before I leave to see how fit I am...I'll keep you posted and if I don't it's cuz I didn't get through the workout!

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Geoff!
2 more days of teaching - can you believe it? On Wednesday I fly to Nice to hang out for a few days then teach on Tuesday then train to Paris and hang out there till I leave for home...oh my goodness, where has time gone? But I am so excited to see home and the people I call fam.

Easter flavoured flower pots in Nemours...show me your crafty side

I have another run planned tonight, hopefully take some more photos...maybe find the view again, highly doubt it. If I don't post tomorrow it's because I am again lost but this time can't get out of the forest...come find me.

McDonalds 1 Run 0

Oh my. How I have thoroughly enjoyed my weekend to myself. I woke up when I wanted, ate when I wanted, drank pots upon pots of coffee to myself, COMPOSTED in the garden outside my building, and ran when I wanted.
I went for another forest run today. I followed the arrows as I usually do to navigate the forest but someone has put up NEW arrows since YESTERDAY. Today I realized I was lost, or at least off track about 5 km in...fml. However I did come across the most amazing view of the forest canopy and Nemours in the distance...without my camera...when I was lost...never to find the view again...double fml.

Forest of Nemours

I love these bushes...there was a dude walking on the sidewalk so I had to snap the photo quickly

So I made a skype date with Geoff today, so I walked to McDonalds for dinner actually who am I kidding? I walked to McDonalds for wifi. Anyway I order a hamburger meal and the dude brings me my drink and my fries and I have to wait for my burger. No biggie, I'd rather have a fresh hamburger anyways. But I have to wait like 10 minutes for it. So this other chick gives me my hamburger and asks if I want fresh fries...sure...hot fries are good fries. So she chucks the old fries only to find out that there are no fries in the basket. She has to make some more. So now I have a hamburger and a drink but no fries...Then the fries are ready and she gives me fries and two hamburgers to apologize for the wait...ok no biggie I can eat two hamburgers. Then the dude comes by and gives me another order or fries to apologize again for the wait. Ok, so now I have two large fries, 2 hamburgers and one drink....Why did I go for a run today????

vehicle 1 Tara 0

The girls are in Germany, I stayed in Nemours because I had to make up 2 days that I missed when I was in Rome with Geoff...so I've taken up running...a lot. I found the famous forest of Fountainebleau, not only that, I also found trails marked with yellow arrows...can't get lost! Yesterday I took a bunch of photos, not exactly the best way to get a quality run in, but by far the best way to get the most photos per minute spent outside. Today, well I got hit by a car, here's the story. I had to extend my run a bit, so I ran through downtown to get to the canals. The problem with this, is that the streets are only big enough for 1.5 cars to travel down. So this dude in a giant van decides to make a right hand turn into a parking garage. No biggie. I'll just jet to the left and run down the street until I pass the vehicle and jump back onto the sidewalk. Problem is the van decides to stop, mid stride...so I plowed into the back of the vehicle. And by "got hit by a car" I mean "ran into a car". Like a champ (severely embarrassed) I carry on as though nothing has happened and I can hear the dude in the van calling out, cue Tara runs faster.

Versailles

The last time I was here, I had a winter jacket on

Yoga in the park

Thats all she wrote

Yesterday...what a day. We went to lunch at the cantine and told Phillip (the cook) our plans...off to Versaille for the day. So he offered to drive us as far as Melun where we could catch a direct train to Paris. So we got in the truck with Phillip, only for him to tell us that in the afternoon, after he's done cooking he goes to his second job, LUMBERJACK. In the back of his giant truck were 2 dozen felled trees. Phillip siezes to astound me. Today we had bacon wrapped veal, can you believe that guy? Anyway fast forward to Versaille. We rented a row boat...in the Versailles gardens, it was hilarious. I reclined in the front for the vast majority of the row only to volunteer to row last...however I forgot that means legitimately rowing the boat back to a specified docking spot...BLAST! Afterwards we found a grassy spot, laid out our blanket, put some music on and just chilled all afternoon. And by all afternoon I mean until 8 when we decided to leave. We moosied on to McDonalds for a quick bite to eat and made our way back to Paris center to catch a train back to Nemours...found out we missed the last train by 6 minutes...BLAST TIMES TWO. So we had to wait for an hour, caught a train to Melun and then took a bus to Nemours. We arrived back in Nemours at 12:30 and I got up at 7:30 to teach today, while the rest of the girls got to enjoy a well needed sleep-in. Sigh, who needs sleep?

whirlwind tour

Luxembourg

Gent

i heart gent

Did you make a monster face? Cuz I def did

GENT

Erica - tell Neil I found the mother load

Mussles and fries oh my

Amsterdam - are those swans making a heart with their necks???

van Gogh museum - museumpleine

An homage to Courtney and her fingers

Polishing the Heineken kettle

Windmills in Holland!!!!

This past weekend was a blur, we rented a car and visited three different countries and then returned to France. We drove to Luxembourg and walked through down town. They have a huge pedestrian zone full of shops and cafes. You can drink your beer on the street, so we bought a can and walked up and down the streets. I found Birk's for 30 euros....soooooo cheap! Then we were off again at the end of the day to Gent. We found Gent based on tripadvisor.com, we had no expectations of it. But when we arrived it rocked our world. Its really hard to explain to Gent, there's nothing to see, no famous landmarks or anything just a normal European town. But Gent has LIFE, it's full of life, it feels like an ant hill, soooo busy all the time but you can't really see it. Gent stole my heart. While in Belgium we had all the specialities, mussels and fries, chocolate, beer and waffles - delicious. Sadly we had to leave Gent, off to Amsterdam. MY OH MY. Amsterdam is an experience. Besides the night life (which I'll leave out) there is so much to do. We went to the van Gogh museum and I have fallen in love. I would do away with the Louvre, just to spend more time in van Gogh. Its times like these that I wish I was by myself. The girls were done with the museum and we left, but I would have spent all day in there. van Gogh's the man! The last day in Amsterdam we went to The Anne Frank house. It was profound. On our walking tour the day before the guide recommended that everyone re-read The Diary as an adult. But just being in the house was enough for me for a while. To live in silence for 2 years without going outside would be terrible and all for naught, only to die in a concentration camp a month before being liberated...oh Anne.

Mr Twisty

Obviously the mood of my posts depends on my mood that day. Yesterday's post was a little depressing...sorry.
Today we did the same sort of thing and it went well...sorta. HAHAHAH The children drew their monsters and then we chatted in small groups about the attributes. Some of the classes were respectful of each other and of the fact that I nor Courtney speak fluent French and other classes were far from respectful of their peers or myself and Courtney. But alas I suppose that would be the case in any situation.

Monsieur Tordu = Mr. Twisty

Chapeau = Hat

Chat a 3 pattes = Cat with 3 legs

Look at these photos...it's the first sign of allowing creativity and art besides pen and paper. I love the creations!
The art makes me think that children are children and when you allow them to be...they are all silly artists ....MR TWISTY

MONSTERS

Discovery ignites the passion to create

I wish I spoke French. I wish the children understood my expectations. I wish the children felt free to express themselves creatively. But things are different here. Today Courtney and I started our monster unit, which relies heavily on the fact that children love monsters and want to draw their own monsters. But alas that isn't  always the case here. At one point, we had an example of a monster on the blackboard and the children proceeded to copy it. AHHHHHH....we quickly erased it and the children were shocked that they could draw literally whatever they wanted. SIGH. Poor little ones.
Run time.

Sunday - is that a good enough title?

Picture from the bakery yesterday

Almost time to teach again! Courtney and I only have 4 more weeks of teaching together. I think that I will forgo a trip somewhere to get my extra two days in that I missed when I was gallivanting around Italy with Geoff. But that week will be good too, just spend it running and catching up on some quality silence! 4 girls in one apartment usually means someone is talking somewhere!

Courtney & I with the paper sculptures in the background

Burn baby, burn

Yesterday was carnival. A celebration of Earth and the children's commitment to taking care of it. The children dress up in costumes, march through the town, Nemourians open their shutters and watch. THEN we arrive at a square where the children have giant paper sculptures that they light on fire. Still not sure why, but they do! It was so much fun to see the children outside of school. We played silly games with the kids, like chase and cops and robbers. Some of the children's parents came and introduced themselves to us. It felt very "normal". Finally.

Life is beautiful

NEW PHOTOS - Check out the photo page

Not gonna lie, France is so warm right now. When I first arrived in Paris it was a billion degrees below zero, I had on winter bots, winter jacket, mittens, scarf and toque, much too cold. Now it's sunny and the daffodils are coming out...sigh.
Yesterday I went for a run around the gardens of Chateau Fountainebleau in a tank top and spandex, this is the good life.

Little bitty daises

Can you find the castle?

Kings and Queens strolled over the bridge behind me...WHAT

However today at lunch time, it was NOT the good life. Typically I like to pride myself on not being a picky eater, there are some things that I like more than other things, but I've never come across something that I didn't like to the point that I wouldn't eat. I found my kryptonite today. We eat with the children at a inter-school cafeteria, usually the food is to die for. Our conversations go something like this. "Oh my god, this is the greatest meal ever." Fast forward to next lunch. "OK, so yesterday was good, but this is even better." It's so good. Today we had pork intestines. First of all they smelt like s*** and they looked like s*** and then I tasted them and they tasted like s***. I actually gagged twice. Anything that is responsible for digesting food is not actually food; don't eat it.