At least my hostel had cool people? Or Stories from a Dirty City
Although I was bummed about leaving Toulouse, I was excited to go to Marseille! I didn't have the highest of expectations, but I figured, "Hey, it's on the coast, I might see Kate, and I'll definitely see Emma!"
My train left Toulouse before 7am, which is absolutely ridiculous, but it's amazing the things I'll do to save a few euros. I slept fitfully on the train, but seeing the sunrise over the countryside was totally worth the lack of sleep. I'm rarely awake early enough for a sunrise, so this was pretty special for me.
My hostel was literally right by the train station, maybe a five-minute walk, tops. I checked in, left my bags in the luggage room, and texted Kate, to see if she was in town. Immediately she called me and invited me to join her and her friends for a picnic on the beach! Did I mention that the day was warm and sunny? In February? So I met up with her, we bought some little munchies for lunch (cheese, crackers, and chips for me!), and then we met up with two of her friends (Erin & Kelly, if I remember correctly) for lunch. On the beach. In February. Unfortunately, after about 15 minutes the wind was pretty chilly, but it was still fun. We relocated to a bench overlooking the beach that didn't have the wind from the water.
I was pretty dead due to the whole "lack of sleep" thing, so I was glad when we parted ways with plans to get together later that night. I headed back to the hostel, received my room assignment, and totally crashed. Sleep did not last long, however, since my roommate arrived shortly after. We immediately hit it off. After about an hour of chatting we finally thought to ask for each other's names. Tiffany is possibly the nicest person I've ever met, a title I used to hold. She's studying French for the year in Caen, but she was traveling alone like I was during the school holidays.
Later that night I headed over to Kate's apartment where I met her roommates Pauline (from Paris) and Esther (another American). Erin was there too, and later an Italian couple showed up as well. We had a fun time drinking margaritas, playing Taboo in English (only three native speakers, tehe), and even singing karaoke via youtube. Good times. Of course, the best part was at the end of the evening, when Erin gave me a ride back to my hostel... on the back of her motorcycle. Hello, dream come true!!!! I've always wanted to ride a motorcycle, and for it to finally happen in France, of all places, was just the coolest experience ever. I can't wait to do that again.
The next day (Saturday) I hopped on a train to Aix-en-Provence to see Emma, a friend of mine from the States who's studying abroad this semester. She and I met while volunteering at Quest two summers ago, when we discovered a shared passion for all things French and the Jonas Brothers. The weather was not nearly as glorious as the day before, having reverted back to the typical gray & drizzly of winter. We lunched, we wandered, we chatted endlessly, we explored, and we dined. Oh, and I splurged on an excellent impulse purchase: the cutest black & white striped 3/4 sleeve shirt with a bow on the front. It was only 13 or 14 euros and fit me perfectly. I couldn't resist, and I've already worn it about five times, so I think it was a good choice.
On Sunday, my plans fell through, and so did Tiffany's, so we ended up spending the day together. We toured the Natural History Museum, ate sandwiches for lunch in a small public square (which involved a large amount of strangers wishing us bon appetit... maybe people don't usually eat there?), and then spent the rest of the day back at the hostel. She caught up on homework, and I wrote letters and read more of my book. We grabbed a pizza for dinner, and then hung out in the common room with other travelers.
Like John, a former US Marine. Who came to Marseille to join the French Legion. He had been a sniper in the Marines, but was kicked out for following orders. A UN representative told him not to take out his target, but his commanding officer told him to follow through. But he was in some country doing some mission that was authorized, but unofficial. No one was supposed to know that the States had forces there. (He told us the country, but honestly, I've forgotten). So for that, he was dishonourably discharged. In the French Legion he'll receive a new identity.
I know, it sounds like the plot of a movie or something, but it's true. I'm sure he could have been making it up, but unless it was a really polished story he's told before, I doubt he was lying. He definitely had the physique of someone in the armed forces, and he never hesitated in his story. Only the flaws of my memory almost a month later create holes in the story.
I love traveling. I love staying hostels. You meet the most interesting people. There was also the British art student who was starting an internship with an illustration company in Marseille, the Australian guy who had some sort of job in politics, and the Australian woman (our other roommate) who's been traveling around the world.
My last day was pretty low-key. Tiffany and I hugged good-bye, having exchanged contact info the night before. I had breakfast at the hostel for the first time (it cost extra), then headed to the mall. I found an awesome arts & crafts store where I splurged on pretty paper. Then Darjeeling tempted me to buy a little something. A little expensive matching set of something, but when will I be in France again? After lunch I went to Kate's apartment to say good-bye before gathering my things at the hostel and going to train station. Next stop? Nice!
I just realized this post doesn't say much about Marseille. Well, honestly, there's not much nice to say. I know I'm spoiled by Paris, which is incredibly clean considering its big size, but I just couldn't get over how dirty Marseille was. There was so much litter in the streets. Some of the people were friendly and not sketchy, but there were just too many men who whistled at me or made little comments when I walked past "Oh la la vous êtes si belle." The Vieux Port was cool, and the beach was nice, but overall, eh. Aix-en-Provence is really charming, though. So many fountains! If I lived there, my money would just vanish in all the cute boutiques. I've been there before, though, when the weather was a lot nicer, with Sally, Sarah, and Margaret.
My train left Toulouse before 7am, which is absolutely ridiculous, but it's amazing the things I'll do to save a few euros. I slept fitfully on the train, but seeing the sunrise over the countryside was totally worth the lack of sleep. I'm rarely awake early enough for a sunrise, so this was pretty special for me.
My hostel was literally right by the train station, maybe a five-minute walk, tops. I checked in, left my bags in the luggage room, and texted Kate, to see if she was in town. Immediately she called me and invited me to join her and her friends for a picnic on the beach! Did I mention that the day was warm and sunny? In February? So I met up with her, we bought some little munchies for lunch (cheese, crackers, and chips for me!), and then we met up with two of her friends (Erin & Kelly, if I remember correctly) for lunch. On the beach. In February. Unfortunately, after about 15 minutes the wind was pretty chilly, but it was still fun. We relocated to a bench overlooking the beach that didn't have the wind from the water.
I was pretty dead due to the whole "lack of sleep" thing, so I was glad when we parted ways with plans to get together later that night. I headed back to the hostel, received my room assignment, and totally crashed. Sleep did not last long, however, since my roommate arrived shortly after. We immediately hit it off. After about an hour of chatting we finally thought to ask for each other's names. Tiffany is possibly the nicest person I've ever met, a title I used to hold. She's studying French for the year in Caen, but she was traveling alone like I was during the school holidays.
Later that night I headed over to Kate's apartment where I met her roommates Pauline (from Paris) and Esther (another American). Erin was there too, and later an Italian couple showed up as well. We had a fun time drinking margaritas, playing Taboo in English (only three native speakers, tehe), and even singing karaoke via youtube. Good times. Of course, the best part was at the end of the evening, when Erin gave me a ride back to my hostel... on the back of her motorcycle. Hello, dream come true!!!! I've always wanted to ride a motorcycle, and for it to finally happen in France, of all places, was just the coolest experience ever. I can't wait to do that again.
The next day (Saturday) I hopped on a train to Aix-en-Provence to see Emma, a friend of mine from the States who's studying abroad this semester. She and I met while volunteering at Quest two summers ago, when we discovered a shared passion for all things French and the Jonas Brothers. The weather was not nearly as glorious as the day before, having reverted back to the typical gray & drizzly of winter. We lunched, we wandered, we chatted endlessly, we explored, and we dined. Oh, and I splurged on an excellent impulse purchase: the cutest black & white striped 3/4 sleeve shirt with a bow on the front. It was only 13 or 14 euros and fit me perfectly. I couldn't resist, and I've already worn it about five times, so I think it was a good choice.
On Sunday, my plans fell through, and so did Tiffany's, so we ended up spending the day together. We toured the Natural History Museum, ate sandwiches for lunch in a small public square (which involved a large amount of strangers wishing us bon appetit... maybe people don't usually eat there?), and then spent the rest of the day back at the hostel. She caught up on homework, and I wrote letters and read more of my book. We grabbed a pizza for dinner, and then hung out in the common room with other travelers.
Like John, a former US Marine. Who came to Marseille to join the French Legion. He had been a sniper in the Marines, but was kicked out for following orders. A UN representative told him not to take out his target, but his commanding officer told him to follow through. But he was in some country doing some mission that was authorized, but unofficial. No one was supposed to know that the States had forces there. (He told us the country, but honestly, I've forgotten). So for that, he was dishonourably discharged. In the French Legion he'll receive a new identity.
I know, it sounds like the plot of a movie or something, but it's true. I'm sure he could have been making it up, but unless it was a really polished story he's told before, I doubt he was lying. He definitely had the physique of someone in the armed forces, and he never hesitated in his story. Only the flaws of my memory almost a month later create holes in the story.
I love traveling. I love staying hostels. You meet the most interesting people. There was also the British art student who was starting an internship with an illustration company in Marseille, the Australian guy who had some sort of job in politics, and the Australian woman (our other roommate) who's been traveling around the world.
My last day was pretty low-key. Tiffany and I hugged good-bye, having exchanged contact info the night before. I had breakfast at the hostel for the first time (it cost extra), then headed to the mall. I found an awesome arts & crafts store where I splurged on pretty paper. Then Darjeeling tempted me to buy a little something. A little expensive matching set of something, but when will I be in France again? After lunch I went to Kate's apartment to say good-bye before gathering my things at the hostel and going to train station. Next stop? Nice!
I just realized this post doesn't say much about Marseille. Well, honestly, there's not much nice to say. I know I'm spoiled by Paris, which is incredibly clean considering its big size, but I just couldn't get over how dirty Marseille was. There was so much litter in the streets. Some of the people were friendly and not sketchy, but there were just too many men who whistled at me or made little comments when I walked past "Oh la la vous êtes si belle." The Vieux Port was cool, and the beach was nice, but overall, eh. Aix-en-Provence is really charming, though. So many fountains! If I lived there, my money would just vanish in all the cute boutiques. I've been there before, though, when the weather was a lot nicer, with Sally, Sarah, and Margaret.