Confort

There are days that I miss Phoenix

And days I think I don't ever want to go back

I'm getting past the "honeymoon" phase of traveling
and into the reality where things seem less novel

So today I indulged in a few of my "comfort things"

Still working on the translation for comfort-food in French

It's funny the things you start to miss

I miss my glass jars

Thankfully, I visited a friend in Switzerland this week, where his aunt graciously bestowed to me

2
beautiful
glass
jars

Never underestimate the little things

Les Clefs

Aix en Provence

Tomorrow I move into an apartment

In Aix en Provence
:D

This town is unbelievably adorable.

My first day here there was an art festival on the main street in town, full of ceramic works and artists painting.

Yesterday, I stumbled upon a farmer's market in the Le Palais du Justice

Today, a larger farmer's market and a flower market in the adjacent plaza.

Tonight, a concert in the center square.

You may have to pull me away.

The center of town is completely ruled by pedestrians and the best part is it seems like one can't ever get completely lost. The town is small enough to fit on a one-page map, but big enough to allow for surprises around every corner.

Cafes, bookstores, cobblestone streets, white shutters, farmer's markets, lantern-lit streets, museums, art exposes, sunshine, wine

These are a few of my favorite things

The Little Engine that Could

Growing up, I read The Little Engine that Could over and over....

Along with other favorites like Are You My Mother? and Green Eggs and Ham

The story goes something like this: A little train has to conquer this big mountain and he thinks himself too small to do it, but as he huffs and puffs on the way to the top he recites,

"I think I can, I think I can"

Over the last couple of days, I've been trying to find an apartment to rent in Aix-en-Provence

for 2 months

during high-tourist season

in French

And when I say "in French" I mean a lot of Google Translate

La Poste

Eng: The Post Office

Last week I successfully encountered and interacted with La Poste. I purchased a couple postcards in a bookstore and sent them on their merry way to the US.

However, this interaction was not so positive.

It wasn't negative either

It just didn't happen.

You see, here, they have this beautiful thing called the "2-hour lunch hour", where practically the entire town shuts down from 12-2pm.

Promptly

I rode the scooter into town to mail a few more post cards and was detoured by road construction, and since I got terribly lost last time I came back from town, I decided to turn around because I thought la poste in the previous town may be open.

I say "may be" open because they are open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday from 9:30-12.

In another village La Poste is only open Tuesday and Thursday from 2-4:30.

Oh yes....

Try keeping all that straight

I road back to the previous town and to my great surprise I remembered correct town and hours of operation and they were open until 12!

I quickly got off the scooter as I knew I was nearing the 12 o'clock hour and as I put my helmet away the church bells began to chime.

I opened the door and the lovely woman inside said:

"Non, Fermé, fermé"

The bells were still chiming as they counted to twelve

But La Poste was simply

Closed .

Countryside

So the countryside here is gorgeous, to say the least.

It's quite different from the massive, sprawling concrete jungle of Phoenix.

Each has their place

But for now, I'm enjoying the wide open spaces