Il Fait Chaud!

The title means, it's hot, and it really is. My host family seemed unbelievably tan to me when I arrived, but no I see why. It's about 90 degrees every day, sometimes worse. I'm not complaining though, hot weather is easy to dress for, and my host family is taking me to the sea this weekend which should be wonderful.

Anyway, here's an update. Tuesday Valentine, my constant companion and guide, took me to the Palais des Papes (the Popes Palace). I must say the Pope knew how to decorate. My favorite part was the Pope's bedroom, the walls were covered with a mural of a dark blue background and gold vines. The dinning hall was a very impressive, about thirty feet wide and twice as long with tall stone walls and a curved wooden ceiling. We walked through gigantic rooms with vaulted ceilings, tiny cramped passenger ways, and up and down countless spiral staircases. We also went to the Pont d'Avignon wich is the remnaints of a famous bridge. The Rhône, the river that runs through Avignon, used to be quite fierce and flood the city regularly as well as destroy all bridges in sight. Now it's been controlled with dams but the damage had already been done to the Pont d'Avignon and only half of it remains. It's a large stone bridge supported by arches and with an actual chapel built on to the side of it. These were amazing sights to see but the heat was making my want to close my eyes and got to sleep against one of the display cases.

The next day Valentine and I went shopping. About twice a year in in France almost every store has a huge sale, their called the soldes, and luckily for me they started in Avignon this week. After that the Experiemnt was holding a picnic so all us Americans could celebrate the fourth of July. Valentine and I went. All of us there whose first language wasn't French sang the start spangled banner very off key and couldn't stop laughing the whole time. I think the fench might have though we were a little insane.

 

Finally, today. Valentine was planning to take me to the Pont de Gard, an ancient roman aqueduct, but when we woke up it was ranting so we spent the day in Avignon with her friends. I love France, and am very grateful to be here, but I kinda miss home at times. I'm never quite get what's happening in a conversation. Like today, while I was walking around with Valentine and her friends, they were all speaking to each other in rapid French and I just trailed behind them like Valentine's tall mute ghost. I like making people laugh, and now I can only make them understand me. I miss being able to have an in depth discussion of something or make a clever joke( which is a rare enough occasion even in English). So I'm going to enjoy every minute I have in france, but I won't be sorry to go home. I miss my family.

Sincerely,

Drama Queen

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