not Nice to me

Long story short,

i may have fallen encore
and now my leg is tres sore
a chunk of my knee
gone so far from me
i hope i shall fall down no more

also today i was very cranky. i think it was due to heat/lack of water.

but something glorious happened the other day.
...
its called ice cubes.

you may be familiar with them back in the states...i can't remember.

but at lunch the other day our waiter brought ice cubes in glasses for the girls who ordered soda.
he saw the intensley animalistic look on out faces as our eyes almost bored holes into the tiny cubes of frozen water.
thinking on his feet so as not to alarm the other customers of an impending fight over the precious ice cubes, he brought two other glasses full to the brim with nothing but the good frozen stuff.
ahhh. refreshing.

Nicely done, indeed

Hello world out there!
I write to you from Nice, in the heart of the French Riviera! We arrived on Saturday, after a slightly traumatic experience on the train where I was separated from the entire group. If you would like to read the story, continue reading! To skip the lengthy detail, just skip down to the *
Story:
We were taking a 5.5 hour train ride from Paris to Nice, but as it is the french train system, (and because of that whole volcanic eruption in Iceland) it was suuuuuuuper crowded and people were everywhere and it was confusing. I saw what I thought was car 17, so I sat down, then realized it was car 7 not 17. I ask a very nice french man and he was like '17 is all the way at the end in the other train'. Zut.
I grab my stuff (suitcase, duffel, backspace, purse, little shopping bag) and turn around to see the most gigantic pile of suitcases I have ever seen in my real life. Seriously. And there weren't just suitcases, there were people too. FORTY people and their suitcases, as I was to learn later.
Anyway, french trains, unlike about everything else here, leave on right on time. So there was no possible way I could hoist myself over the suitcases (and the people), let alone myself and my bags, to get to the other train. I begin to tear up. Many people see me. They were very very nice, and a little freaked out at my trying-not-to-cry face. This chic woman was like 'no one is sitting here right now its ok! sit down! breath deep!' so I did. But I was crying. And then an announcment came on saying that since it was so crowded not everyone had made it to their seats, so if you were one of those people come to this specific car. Imagine trying-not-to-cry-but-failing-at-it me walking through a gazillion cars of french people. not fun. however the same thing happened to this other french guy and he was pissssssed.
But not crying.
Anyway, turns out there are two sections to this train, because it was a very weird train - basically two trains stuck together. And there was no way to reconnect with my group. The train was completely full but they told me I could sit in the restaurant area. I go back and jump the slightly smaller pile of suitcases. All the people there were so so sweet to me. Thank you God for that!
I was trying to get my stuff over the pile and finally this woman in her mid fifties or so said 'come with me, we will take care of you' so she takes one of my bags and I follow her up and over, and we reach one of the four-seat sections where her husband was.
Apparently they were part of that gigantic group (going to something which had to do with young tennis players. Mind you, this was all in french). They had a ticket for the four seats and gave me one of them. Me. A stupid crying american girl. And they were talking to me and trying to help me calm down. And then another young guy came down and sat there and offered me some peanut m&ms. And then she let me use her phone to call katrina, and I left her a message. And then I finally calmed down. I think had I been traveling alone, i would have been fine with an unexpected detour. however, the pressure of being separated from the group was more...trying.
Then the leader of the young tennis group who had seen and talked to me earlier came over and talked to us and then in broken english made jokes with me, and started taking pictures. Which was slightly humorous. I hope they enjoy that later on. Finally two hours in the woman told me "ok, you have three minutes at this first stop. you want to try to get back with your friends?" so her husband went and got my green duffel bag and we took my stuff to the platform. I didnt even have time to thank them properly, because i BOOKED it down the entire space of platform with all my crap and barely made it onto the other train thing.
In any case, i will never forget those people's kindness, but it was a rough day.

*Annnnd we are back!
After a rough start in getting to Nice, I have been bathing in the beautiful sun of the Mediterranean. No, seriously, I am sunburned. Nice is amazingly beautiful, in its beauty completely surpassing my expectations. Despite the homework and mandatory museums, for the first time it kind of feels like vacation. My presentations done, with only museum sketches and art analyses left, I feel free-er, able to hike up to that beautiful waterfall we visited, lay on the beach, swim in the ocean, wander through the fresh flower and food markets, or eat one of the 86 gelato flavors at that one shop (ranging from tomato and avocado to lavender and jasmine).
I am looking forward to seeing you all again, but its going to be more than difficult to leave this beautiful country.
loves of warm sun-burnt hugs
natalie

From an internet cafe where it costs 2.5o eruo/15 min...

Hello!
Sorry not to have written in this thing in a long time. but dont worry, i am saving up memories galore. we are staying at a youth hostel (strangely here, that means actual youth. by now we are quite sick of middle schoolers yelling outside our windows until all hours of the night) and it doesnt have WIFI. Also, my new power cord decided to stop working. The MIJE isnt the best, but the location is INCREDIBLE. We are just a jump hop and a skip from notre dame and even closer to berthillon. i have walked along the siene, to the louvre, to the luxembourg gardens, etc etc etc. Paris this time of year is beautiful. Everything is blooming and they have planted a ton of flowers since we were last here. It is hard to believe that two weeks from now we will be across across the ocean (and back in spokane). Is it bad that I dont want to leave yet?
Today Rachel and I finally went to Angelina's. We returned, appropriately in a chocolate coma.
this section of the trip has been filled with museums. and museums. and more museums. my favorite so far has been the Rodin. Rodin was the man. and so was camille claudel, though sadly nobody really knows about her.
anyway, I must go as internet is running out. more stories to come i promise. as soon as i can anyway...
lots of love

Ireland's Call

I heard Ireland's call
I believe sometime last fall
Spring break plans began
Mia was a big fan
So we decided Ireland after all

It beckoned me from afar
From France I saw it's star
Our finals now over
We passed the cliffs Dover
By plane, not by boat or by car

Dublin found us safe and sound
No longer in air but on ground
Our hostel called "Times"
(I'm nearly out of rhymes)
Then next: Grafton street we were bound

For supper a restaurant called 'Gruel'
Where good meals was obviously the rule
I got some soup
Was not thrown for a loop
We considered the place quite tres cool
(and not even pretentious one bit!)

And that is that. Ireland seems lovely so far. We took today easy, due to some health concerns, but all seems to be going better now. Miss you back home!
<3 Nat

strangely it feels like home

So we are back in Paris at the Best Western again! Same room, same roomies; its wonderfully familiar.
Caen was lovely, and still doesn't feel quite real, just because it was kind of a whirlwind.

UPDATE:
I leave in less than 12 hours for Ireland! pray for a safe and uncomplicated flight.
Promise I will write more later :)