As the end of the school year quickly approached I was very sad to have to say goodbye to my students, colleagues and friends in Prague. It's amazing how fast you can connect with new people in a short year together. But amid all the sadness of 'goodbye for now' (thank you facebook, skype, and all forms of modern technology..) I was also bursting with excitement for my long-awaited 2 week adventure in France. My good friend from UW-Eau Claire, Margot, took her holiday time to meet me in Paris and travel around the French Riviera with me for the first two weeks of June.
''11 cities. 14 days.'' That was our mantra. I arrived in Paris sleep deprived and completely fried, and only Margot would greet that Natalie with a huge hug, grab my 3 HUGE suitcases and run down the streets of Paris in her wedge sandals fast enough so we would make our train to the south. She is a rockstar and such a good travel companion.
We visited the cities and towns of Monaco, Eze-sur-Mer, Cannes, Antibes, Menton and Nice in the Cote d'Azur. Next we moved further west along the coast to the second largest city in France, Marseille. From there we did a day trip to the tiny town of Cassis (aka Heaven) Then moved away from the sea into the heart of Provence to Aix-en-Provence and Avignon.
Our tour-de-southern France was absolutely picture perfect. I ate my weight in moules (mussels) and soaked in all things French. I got to practise my favourite language and was even told by a few natives that I was quite good! We said au revoir to the south and went back to Paris where we met my good friend Melissa who flew in for her birthday weekend. The three of us took Paris by storm, getting in all the sights possible in 3 short days.
Here is a slideshow of my last 2 weeks in Europe, in France. (You're welcome for editing my 800 pics from those two weeks to a mere 200)
