Lazy Everydays.
At the end of the biannual six-week sales, merchants set up stands outside their shops with their merchandise marked at extremely cheap prices. It's called "la braderie" and goes on for the rest of the week after the final day of the sale. I think yesterday, maybe today, was the last day. For those who love to shop, have the willpower to charge through the crowds, and the energy to sift through an endless array of crap, it is a wonderful experience. It is possible to find some pretty cool stuff at a great price. However, for someone like me who doesn't enjoy shopping, fears large and packed crowds, and would prefer not to waste what little energy (and funds) she has on junk, it was a reason to stay out of the centre-ville this weekend.
I went on Friday to see for myself this carnival of retail madness. There was everything from clothes to shoes to electronics to food stands (which now scare me after seeing a merchant's kid cough and sneeze all over a display of unwrapped candy, and then later seeing customers buying said questionable candy). It was pretty interesting to see the buzz of activity and people-watch for a while (I received a few weird looks from people for pointing my camera in their faces), but a little while after I got there it seemed all of Bordeaux had converged onto Rue Sainte Catherine and I got squeezed out.
For the first time since I arrived, a month and 19ish days ago, I finally made my way to the right bank of Bordeaux (the city is split into the right and left banks by the Garonne river) by crossing the Point Pierre (which I will take picture of... soonish). I'd been told that the left bank - where I am - is the nice side and by just looking across the river, it's easy to tell that that's true. However, my friend Katie and I did go across just for the sake of it and found a sculpture of a [Polar Lion]. I don't get contemporary art. We only got as far as the other side of the bridge before heading back, but at least now we can say we've been there. Later on the way to Katie's house, she took me by the [ruins] of a medieval castle.
Lastly, travel plans for February 23-March 2 are more or less finalized. Four of us will be heading off to Spain on the 23rd, staying in Madrid for a night, and then heading further south to Granada. After coming back on Wednesday the 27th, Katie and I will be heading out on Thursday the 28th to [Aix-en-Provence] and coming back on Sunday March 2. It'll be a full week but I'm ready for it (especially since it's a week off of school). :)
[Edited to Add]
I switched blanket covers today from [pink] to [blue]. It's not really a big change, but I must say the blue's a lot easier on the eyes.