Ciao Italy

I'm back! It was a funny realization, getting back to Versailles and really feeling that “home sweet home” sensation, since I haven’t been here all that long. I have chalked it up to a positive though, a sign that I’ve settled quite comfortably into my surroundings here. I suppose returning to temperatures in the mid twenties helps as well!

We spent the last week in Southern Italy, in Club Med Napitia, only a couple minutes from the seaside in the Calabria region. Upon arrival to the club, we were handed miniature cocktails and shuffled off to our rooms to unpack and get settled in. The family stayed in a little condo on one side of the resort and I had my own room on the other, which was nice. It is definitely a family based resort, with everyone donning stripes and kahkis, giving you the impression you’ve just entered the set of a Nautica advertisement. The club is filled with courts: tennis, basketball, volleyball, bocci ball, soccer, even ping pong; and nestled amidst them are a couple azure swimming pools, areas for the children to play, and restaurants where the mojitos and cappucinos flow freely –everything you could need or want for a relaxing week in the meditereanean. Sophie and Hugues mostly played tennis, and entertained the little ones at the beach, while I often lounged by the pool, drank cappucinos, and tested out the aerobics classes.

On Wednesday afternoon I hopped on the bus with 50 other people and we drove down the coast a bit to Tropea. Seeing the copper topped pale yellow houses peek out from the hills reminded me of the Italy I fell in love with a couple years ago, and I was sure I could already taste the pistachio gelato again. We were given a quick tour of the town, skipping the previously planned Cathedral because the keeper may have had a couple too many limoncello’s before arriving, and then given a bit of free time to wander on our own. The cities of Calabria date back multiple hundreds of years, and although previously pelted with a few unfortunate earthquakes in their time, have been preserved fairly well. It is much less scenic and majestic than the rest of Italy, but beautiful all the same. After picking up a few souvenirs and avoiding the subtle charms of the original guidos, -“Miss, you look for hotel? I have flat!”…Thanks, but no thanks- we headed back to the club just in time for dinner.

After a couple more days of soaking up the sun (as previously mentioned, I’ve got the freckles to prove it), and polishing off a couple novels (the book I linked last post was fantastic), Sunday rolled around and our Italian adventure had come to an end.

My Balcony

Many hours spent at the pool

The beach! (Was a bit breezy which made it chilly)

Excursion day: Tropea

Back in Italy, Yay!

Touring the town

Typical Italy.. Churches everywhere!

Check it. I was looking through my pictures when I got home and noticed something: Look at the picture from last post (creeped from google of course).... now look at this one! Cool huh?

Playlists of the week: Jack Johnson, Across the Universe soundtrack, Lily Allen

À Plus Tard!

Ahh.. at long last I am finally being reacquainted with my love, Italy! We are heading to Napitia for a week in just a few short hours! Italy is by far one of my favourite places in Europe. I can't wait to sit on the beach with gelato, Jack Johnson,and James Patterson to keep me company while the sun works its magic on my freckles. I'll be back next week with some pictures.

XO

Steph

Finally.. The Truth Behind French Stereotypes

Everyone is familiar with the common French stereotypes (come on.. I know you are imagining the creepy "Frenchman" accent complete with the gutteral chuckle)and I've decided to set the record straight!

The French love baguettes: Very true. Everyone is always walking around with baguettes in their hands. Maybe I just spend too much time near bakeries.

Everyone in France smokes: Also very true. Whether it is first or secondhand, everyone smokes like a chimney.

French people are rude: Debatable. I have met some very nice French people, but have also run into my share of rude people. This may be due to the fact that my French accent and vocabulary are fairly terrible making it easy for them to peg as a foreigner. They really don't like you if you can't speak their language.

French women don't shave: (I got this list off google) I guess I will be able to answer this more accurately in summer, but I haven't seen any lady werewolves yet.

French men are creepy: Not really. For the most part men tend to keep to themselves, but those who don't definitely deserve this reputation. (Insert creepy accent again)

French people are fashionable: True. I'm not saying everyone here is walking around in Chanel and Christian Dior, but the concentration of people who put some effort into their clothing choice is significantly higher. Also, I have yet to see a pair of crocs in public. Win!

French people smell bad: I haven't noticed but..

a)everyone walks a lot.. which induces sweat. Not great on the smell front.

b)I don't know if other houses are like this.. but I only have a bath. No shower. Lame. Who wants to bathe every day? Not me. So I don't blame French people if they decided to skip a day or three.

c) French people really like perfume.

All facts considered, I would say they smell neutral.

The French live on a steady diet of Wine and Cheese (and baguettes): I wish. It is much more common to have a glass of wine when you are dining with family/friends but as far as I know it is not mandatory... unfortunately ;)

I will add that a proper French breakfast -espresso and a croissant- is to die for. Bon appetit!

C'est ma vie!

I am now all settled in and comfortable in my new French life. I like the city; the family is nice; and I can't complain about my schedule either. Here is a sneak peak into my daily life here in Versailles.

(The house)

Breakfast is at seven so my alarm clock (AKA cell phone) disrupts my slumber every morning at six thirty. I am immediately ready to face the day.. which means I roll over and sleep for twenty more minutes.

(My Room)

When I finally convince myself to get up, I hurriedly throw on whatever clothes are in reach, throw my hair up to look semi-presentable, quickly brush some toothpaste over my pearly-whites and head downstairs to meet

the family for breakfast.

(The Kitchen)

After breakfast we usually start some Pixar or Disney movie to distract the kids while we dress them. For some reason they really do not like to change outfits!

Audrey then heads to a nanny, and Antoine to school, while their parents head off to work. I am left with an entire day to find many an adventure to update you on!

(Living room where we dress the kids. Note the TV.)

The city center is only really a 10-15 minute walk from the house- which is really convenient! There are two different routes, depending on where in town I am heading.

(Route 1: seven sets of fourteen stairs. Most useful in walking to and from Antoine's school. Take that Stairmaster)

I haven't begun classes yet so what I do during the daytimes tends to vary. Sometimes I read/write/drink coffee at Starbucks (my favourite place in Versailles). Sometimes I do laundry and clean (HA! Not very often). Sometimes I wander into Paris for a few hours. Depends on the day.

(Route option #2. Well trodden- it takes me to Starbucks)

Tall cappuccino please!

Around 5:30 I meet Audrey and Sophie at Antoine's school and we head home for the evening. We play for about an hour until bathtime, after which we have dinner and head to bed! I am lucky because I get weekends off, but unlucky because Wednesdays I spend an entire 12 hours chasing after the tots. Ah well, c'est la vie!

(Playing hide and seek. Hardly saw you there.)

Je Suis... fatigué

le vingt-huit mars

I have been here over a week now and I've run out of excuses not to write. So pop the champagne because it's time to give this blog a little action!

So after all the stressful confusion with my visa, and hours spent on the phone with my mother trying to dissipate said confusion, I managed to leave the Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker airport on the seventeenth of March, just as scheduled - thank goodness. The flights were uneventful (a good thing) and I arrived a little under slept and under showered in Paris at 9:45am. Sophie, the mother in the family I’ll be staying with, met me at the airport and we began the quick trip to Versailles, my home for the next few months.

Pulling out of the Charles De Gaulle airport, I was filled with a mixture of emotions. I was a tad sad-already missing friends and family back home; a tad nervous-not entirely sure what I was getting myself into; and of course, a tad excited- I was back in Europe, ready to make it my own. I was soon distracted by the familiar slim, curved roadways of France and after putting a few more clicks on the speedometer we arrived in Versailles. I was so lost, I doubt I’d have been able to tell you which way was up! France, unlike Canada or the States, does not have streets organized conveniently into rational grids; they are all over the place, twisting this way and that. I was in Mykonos, a greek island, a couple years ago and the streets were arranged haphazardly in order to confuse attacking pirates; I assume whoever engineered the streets of France must have had a similar motive in mind.

Sophie pulled to a stop in front of a large, three story condo: my new home. We dropped my very heavy luggage-Sophie could not believe the airline allowed so much- and took a walk into the town center. It’s great. The quaint streets are lined with various shops, boucheries (meat shops), boulangeries(bakeries), libraries (book stores), etc. Sophie led the way to a cute little French restaurant and my first experience with world-renowned French food began. The menu was slightly terrifying. I rarely eat anything more than chicken breast and I had to choose from rabbit, duck, liver, pâté, and multiple pork options. We ordered (I wasn’t sure exactly what) and a few minutes later our first course arrived -mixed greens atop thin slices of beef… completely raw! Yeck. I figured I had two options: 1) refuse to eat it at the risk of being incredibly impolite; and 2) force it down my throat with a fake pageant grin. I compromised, and choked down half. The meal finished off with Crème brûlée so I quickly lost all thoughts of the practically live animal dancing around in my stomach. After lunch we continued our trek around town but I was extremely jet lagged so I went home and snuck a quick nap.

A couple hours later I was introduced to my new BFFs, Antoine and Audrey. Antoine is a typical 4-yr-old who likes to colour and play with cars, and is obsessed with Toy story (he has the bedspread to prove it). Audrey is two, very feisty, loves everything to do with Disney princesses, and mimics everything her big brother does. I played with them for a while, helped give them a bath, tucked them into bed, and crawled into my own to catch some much-needed Z’s.

Highlight of the day: Arriving, obviously!

Challenge of the day: Beginning to settle in to a new unfamiliar place and lifestyle

Playlist of the day: James Morrison

(Any more "of the day" requests to add to this list for future posts?)

** Sophie and Hugues are not entirely comfortable with personal info on the internet so this blog will be more focused on my experiences outside the home but I’ll make sure to have a picture of the kiddo’s OK’d from time to time.