“Home is not where you live, but where they understand you.”- Christian Morgenstern
Coming back to France has definitely felt like coming home, even if I’ve never been to the city before, there’s always something slightly familiar that I just can’t put my finger on. Despite initial language worries, it has actually been easier travelling here than in Ireland/UK. The reasoning is a bit hard to explain, it’s partly being able to recognize all the foods when you walk into a grocery store, knowing where to go to buy things, and how to navigate the bus/train network. Other than those concrete things, there’s certainly a feeling that this place isn’t so foreign after all.
Paris was stop #1, after a 21h bus trip from Edinburgh that arrived at 6am! *(Ouch) I wandered around the beautiful streets in some (finally) gorgeous weather. All the leaves were starting to change colour and the air smelled like a true autumn day. Paris was as beautiful and romantic as ever, I decided, as I strolled down the riverside boulevards feeling happy to finally be someplace familiar.
In Nice my body got a much needed vitamin D boost from the sun and warm shorts-and-tanktop weather. Clothing and towels finally dried that had been wet since Scotland! This was someplace I had no desire to leave; the city of Nice is absolutely beautiful, cornered between the Mediterranean and the Alps. The Old Port has kept much of its character with brightly coloured streets and the cuisine is amazing! The best part of Nice though wasn’t the city, or the beach, or the climate- it was the amazing people I met there. I felt like I was part of a true family, even for a few days, as I toured around the area with our little international troupe. I soon discovered that Nice is also a great base to do lots of little day trips from to the surrounding villages and beaches. I have no officially seen the rich, deluxe, lavish side of the world after touring Monaco and Cannes; it’s days like this that make the travelling life pale in comparison to material possessions. That thought usually passes pretty quickly though.
Next stop was Marseille. It’s a city I had read about in a magazine, years ago and since then have wanted to visit. The sunny city is right on the Med. and the old port opens out onto a bay spotted with rocky islands (including the Island of If that was immortalized in Dumas’, The Count of Monte Cristo). Walking down the streets everything had a yellowish hue and I could really feel the history seeping from the walls. Out in the newer parts of the city I quickly learned to keep my wits about me as being approached by strangers (even security guards!!!) and hearing catcalls was common. Despite this uncomfy feeling, I put on my Parisienne face (the biggest, baddest scowl I could muster up and a distinct sense of purpose in my steps), and everything was fine. Travel is such a learning experience.
Next came a small city that to me was just a dot on the map, turned out it had been Picasso’s home in France for a while and, surprise there were a couple of Roman coliseums to check out. I felt slightly out of place, as most of the travelers there were at least triple my age, but hey, maybe it just means I’m ahead of my time? Montpellier was next, and I managed to find a friend of a friend through Couchsurfing to start off my time there. A beautiful, cool, hip, funky, VERY clean city, Montpellier had a great ambiance about it. I could actually see myself going back there and staying for a while.
Next stop Brive. This is home for me, since I lived there for a while back in High School. It’s hard to even imagine right now, truly coming home to someplace that feels just as comfortable as returning to Canada, where people already know me, and for once during this year I will no longer be a traveller or a tourist, but a visitor coming home.
P.S. if you want to check out photos, they are on my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?aid=293293&id=511087593&comments&po=1¬if_t=photo_album_comment
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Car je suis en France, j’ai dû practiquer mon français un peu donc cette édition de ma blog va être bilangue. Je dis désolé en avance pour TOUS les fautes de grammaire!
« Domicile n’est pas où tu habites, mais où les gens tu-comprends. » -Christian Morgenstern
De retourner en France m’as donné le sens de vraiment être chez moi, même si c’est ma première fois dans une ville. Il y a quelque chose que je me sens, mais je ne peux pas comprendre. J’ai trouvé qu’il est beaucoup plus facile pour moi de voyager en France qu’au Royaume Uni ou Irlande, même si (d’habitude) on parle la même langue. C’est un peu difficile à expliquer, par exemple, ça me met plus alaise quand je rentre dans un supermarché de savoir que je connais tout les diffèrent types d’alimentation dedans, ou le savoir où je pourrais acheter les choses si j’en ai besoin, ou la connaissance de comment faire marcher le réseau de transport dans le pays. C’est juste quelque chose.
Paris était mon premier arrêt en France, après un voyage en bus de Edimbourg, qui avait prit 21h et était arrivé à 6h du matin. J’ai baladé en ville pour profiter du beau temps (finalement du beau temps) ! Toutes les feuilles avaient commencé de tomber et de changer couleur, l’air a senti aussi comme une vraie journée d’automne. Paris était belle et stereo-typiquement romantique comme tout, j’ai décidé, en marchant au coté de la Seine, enfin contente d’être quelque par familier.
À Nice mon corps a reçu une injection de vitamine D grâce au soleil et le temps qui fait si beau que je pourrais porter des shorts ! Les choses qui étaient mouillé depuis Écosse ont finalement eu la chance de sécher. Nice était vraiment un place que je n’avais aucune envie de partir ; la ville est tellement belle et il y a tout un rayon des couleurs partout, sur les murs, les toiles, les rues. En plus il y avait la mer et la culture qui était également vibrante. Le vieux-port a gardé beaucoup de sa caractère et les traditions sont encore vivants, et la cuisine était superbe ! Mais le meilleur partie de mes experiences à Nice n’était pas le climat, ni la mer, en effet la meilleur partie était les amis j’ai fait et les bons moments on avait passé ensemble. Ca m’a senti d’être dans une petite famille internationale touts les jours quand on a fait les excursions aux villages justes dehors de Nice. Maintenant j’ai vu les plus riches du monde à Monaco puis à Cannes et il est les jours comme ça que j’ai envie d’avoir un grand bateau et d’habiter dans un château au bord de la mer, mais ça sensation se passe très vite.
Le prochain arrêt était Marseille. C’est une ville que j’ai lu un article à propos de quelques années avant, et depuis j’avais envie d’aller voir. La ville en plein soleil est sur la côte de la Méditerranée et le port s’ouvre à une baie remplie des Iles Calanques (qui incluent l’ile D’If qui a fait partie du Comte de Monte Cristo de Alexandre Dumas). En promenant dans la vielle ville j’avais l’impression que l’histoire se suinte des murs, et toutes les choses ont avaient un teinte un peu jaune, mais peut-être c’était le soleil. En sorti de la vielle ville j’ai appris rapidement d’être toujours consciente de toute qui se passe autour de moi, car d’être approché par des gens m’arrivé plusieurs fois (même un homme de sécurité dans un magasin). N’importe ce sentiment de mal alaise j’ai mis mon « visage Parisien » (le plus méchant que j’ai pourrais faire), et tout est bien passé. De voyager est vraiment une expérience d’apprentissage.
Après était la petite ville de Arles. Pour moi c’était qu’un point sur la carte de sud de la France, mais en effet elle était la ville où Picasso avait habité pendant des années et il y a des arènes romaines en plus ! J’ai senti un peu hors de la norme car tous les autres touristes avaient triple mon âge ! Peut-être je suis toute simplement en avance de mon époque ? Montpellier était après, et j’avais la chance de retrouver une amie d’une amie avec le Couchsurfing. Une ville très jolie, au courant, TRÈS propre, et diverse, je l’ai bien aimé. En l’avenir ça peut être une ville où je pourrais penser d’habiter .
Maintenant le prochain déplacement va être vers Brive. Cette ville est absolument « chez moi » et même à ce moment c’est difficile d’imaginer de rentre chez moi, à une ville qui est si confortable que Little Current en Canada. C’est un endroit où les gens me connaisse déjà, et pour une seule fois pendant cette année que voyage, je n’aurais plus un voyageur, ni une touriste mais quelqu’un qui rentre chez eux.
1.10.10
Ireland and the United Kingdom- The Learning Stages
(London-Liverpool-Dublin-Killarney-Galway-Belfast-Edinburgh)
"You must do the thing which you think you cannot do." - Eleanor Roosevelt
These frist three weeks have been amazing! Life lessons galore, and I can only expect more to come for the rest of my time abroad. I feel like I've learned so much, simple things, but still important when you're travelling alone:
#1- Be assertive at all times. Which goes hand-in-hand with...
#2- Sellf-confidence = survival!
#3- Listen more, learn more; meeting amazing people has been a huge part of my experience so far, and it's always great to walk away with a sense that I've really learned something new.
#4- Solo, young, female traveller= people magnet; sometimes this is not so good, but 99% of the time it's great. A smile works wonders to smooth things over and make language barriers easier.
#5- (Something I like to think I knew all along that's just been reinforced) People are people no matter what nationality they are, and everyone has a unique point of view. That to me is facisnating, and the whole reason I am travelling... besides seeing the world!
~London was a bit of a blur, the biggest thing I discovered was a tour company that operates all over Europe's major cities called "New Europe Tours." They're great and the best part about them, they're free! The guides operate on a tips only basis so you get a great, enthusiastic walking tour.
~Liverpool was more of a cultural experience. Coping with strong accents I managed to hear some amazing stories and meet cool people, including a man who had seen the Beatles in Liverpool before they were big, only becuase his frind was playing in a band that was playing ahead of them at teh open mic night! It was a little difficult to figure out how to leave (ferry to Dublin), and spent the better part of a day wandering around in circles from various different directions. In the end the confusion was explaned by the fact that everyone was sending me in search of a pier that had recently sunk... oops! Eventually found my way and met plenty of great people along the way. Liverpuddlians (as they are called) are extremely friendly, I would ask for directions and someone would walk me to where I needed to go. Everyone was so kind that it really left an impression on me and I know that I will be back someday.
~Ireland (for the sake of people readfing this I will attempt to condense it a bit). Saw a few places in teh Republic and then Belfast in the North. Everywhere I went I found the most amazing landscape, welcoming people and a taste of culture. I took a couple of day tours, into the Wicklow mountains and then to the Aran Islands, both were great and the views were spectacular. In the cities I learned about Irish culture, past and present, but there was one moment that really stuck out for me. I was in Galway (pop. 90 000) and walking down a posh street when I came across this line of people stretching down the sidwalk for blocks. Inside the building it was packed, so I stopped to ask what it was. The mad replied, "The Dole office." With a little shock and embarassment I thanked him. These were the people from the city that were currently unemployed and living off what we in Canada would call welfare. This was no special day, it was like this every day. For me it was a bit of a shock, I knew the recession had hit Ireland hard, but with little in the way of primary or secondary industries to offer a buffer, the economy had hit rock bottom. This was the first of I'm sure what will be many perspective shaping moments on this trip.
Belfast in the north provided a great history/culture lesson which was apparent when I walked out into the city. Stepping out of the bus station was a huge mural with a masked paramilitary gunman and union jack with the words, "Welcome to the Loyalist heartland of Sandy Row..." Wow, reality check, that conflict is not ancient history! Other than the murals dotting teh city, there was little evidence that this was a hotbed of conflict the people's demeanor, everyone I met was kind and just as friendly as their southern Irish counterparts.
~Edinburgh was another great city, it was what I had imagined London to be like-twisty back alleyways, beautiful centuries old buildings and cobblestone streets. It had a friendly atmosphere and everything a traveller could want to do, shopping hiking culture, day trips, you name it they did it. I liked it so much I decided to stay longer than anticipated, but why not?! That is the beauty of not having to stick to someone else's schedule.
So far I've had many great experiences, met new people, discovered new cultures and foods, even built up enough muscles to hoist my heavy backpack! What a great start to this adventure, and I can only hope that I learn as much in the rest of my trip as I feel that I have already in these first few weeks.
Cheers
P.S. If you'd like to see photos check out my facebook page, I haven't figured out how to post them to my blog yet!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=287848&id=511087593&saved
"You must do the thing which you think you cannot do." - Eleanor Roosevelt
These frist three weeks have been amazing! Life lessons galore, and I can only expect more to come for the rest of my time abroad. I feel like I've learned so much, simple things, but still important when you're travelling alone:
#1- Be assertive at all times. Which goes hand-in-hand with...
#2- Sellf-confidence = survival!
#3- Listen more, learn more; meeting amazing people has been a huge part of my experience so far, and it's always great to walk away with a sense that I've really learned something new.
#4- Solo, young, female traveller= people magnet; sometimes this is not so good, but 99% of the time it's great. A smile works wonders to smooth things over and make language barriers easier.
#5- (Something I like to think I knew all along that's just been reinforced) People are people no matter what nationality they are, and everyone has a unique point of view. That to me is facisnating, and the whole reason I am travelling... besides seeing the world!
~London was a bit of a blur, the biggest thing I discovered was a tour company that operates all over Europe's major cities called "New Europe Tours." They're great and the best part about them, they're free! The guides operate on a tips only basis so you get a great, enthusiastic walking tour.
~Liverpool was more of a cultural experience. Coping with strong accents I managed to hear some amazing stories and meet cool people, including a man who had seen the Beatles in Liverpool before they were big, only becuase his frind was playing in a band that was playing ahead of them at teh open mic night! It was a little difficult to figure out how to leave (ferry to Dublin), and spent the better part of a day wandering around in circles from various different directions. In the end the confusion was explaned by the fact that everyone was sending me in search of a pier that had recently sunk... oops! Eventually found my way and met plenty of great people along the way. Liverpuddlians (as they are called) are extremely friendly, I would ask for directions and someone would walk me to where I needed to go. Everyone was so kind that it really left an impression on me and I know that I will be back someday.
~Ireland (for the sake of people readfing this I will attempt to condense it a bit). Saw a few places in teh Republic and then Belfast in the North. Everywhere I went I found the most amazing landscape, welcoming people and a taste of culture. I took a couple of day tours, into the Wicklow mountains and then to the Aran Islands, both were great and the views were spectacular. In the cities I learned about Irish culture, past and present, but there was one moment that really stuck out for me. I was in Galway (pop. 90 000) and walking down a posh street when I came across this line of people stretching down the sidwalk for blocks. Inside the building it was packed, so I stopped to ask what it was. The mad replied, "The Dole office." With a little shock and embarassment I thanked him. These were the people from the city that were currently unemployed and living off what we in Canada would call welfare. This was no special day, it was like this every day. For me it was a bit of a shock, I knew the recession had hit Ireland hard, but with little in the way of primary or secondary industries to offer a buffer, the economy had hit rock bottom. This was the first of I'm sure what will be many perspective shaping moments on this trip.
Belfast in the north provided a great history/culture lesson which was apparent when I walked out into the city. Stepping out of the bus station was a huge mural with a masked paramilitary gunman and union jack with the words, "Welcome to the Loyalist heartland of Sandy Row..." Wow, reality check, that conflict is not ancient history! Other than the murals dotting teh city, there was little evidence that this was a hotbed of conflict the people's demeanor, everyone I met was kind and just as friendly as their southern Irish counterparts.
~Edinburgh was another great city, it was what I had imagined London to be like-twisty back alleyways, beautiful centuries old buildings and cobblestone streets. It had a friendly atmosphere and everything a traveller could want to do, shopping hiking culture, day trips, you name it they did it. I liked it so much I decided to stay longer than anticipated, but why not?! That is the beauty of not having to stick to someone else's schedule.
So far I've had many great experiences, met new people, discovered new cultures and foods, even built up enough muscles to hoist my heavy backpack! What a great start to this adventure, and I can only hope that I learn as much in the rest of my trip as I feel that I have already in these first few weeks.
Cheers
P.S. If you'd like to see photos check out my facebook page, I haven't figured out how to post them to my blog yet!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=287848&id=511087593&saved
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