Post-Program Reflection

            I must say that this summer with Abbey Road has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. I absolutely loved every second of the program. Aix-en-Provence has got to be one of the most beautiful places in France because it was truly perfect. It had amazing restaurants, charming people and lots of sites to see! I've also become more independent because I was able to experience the "college life." The people who came with me on this trip are the most cultured, knowledgeable teens that I have met. 
                The classes in Aix-en-Provence were based on level (beginner, intermediate and advanced). I was in an advanced class with the lovely Sophie. Sophie was such a great teacher; she didn't only teach us nitty gritty grammar but she taught us french slang and showed us funny french films. The best film that we watched (out of the thousands) was "Les Choristes." Also, we went out to the streets of Aix for class a lot. We walked around town and Sophie would tell us what the best places to shop and eat were.
                  The elective French Conversation was awesome!! Again, Sophie was our teacher and we went to the local park, sat on the grass and conversed for three hours. Or one time we went to a local cafe and spoke about what we liked to do in our country and how living in different states affects us. The French Conversation class was a great way to get to know each other while at the same time; improve our French.
                    There are so many activities that we did throughout the course of the program. For example, for the Fourth of July; we had an "All-American" party. We ate Domino's pizza and listened to American music. Then we watched Date Night! It was a blast. Another day, we had "Spa Night." The lights were dimmed, the mollifying music was playing, etc. We had yoga mats scattered all over the floor. We also had nail polish and facial masks! It was really fun and our advisor Meg even did a special "relaxation" exercise with us. The last activity we did was a "dancing with natives" thing. It didn't go as planned because the dancers never showed up. BUT, we ended up sitting near La Rotonde in Aix and playing "Wha!", "Signs!", "Duck Duck Goose!", "Ninja!", and my fave; "MAFIA!"
                     The day trips were an excellent way and opportunity to get to know other towns just like Aix-en-Provence. My absolute favorite would have to be when we went to Cassis. It was during our last week in Aix and the beaches were absolutely BREATH-TAKING. The water was warm and crystal blue/green. We went on a cruise to check out the lagoons. It was pretty awesome. My other favorite day trio was when we went to La Ciotat. La Ciotat is another beach where three of us (Sophie, Elizabeth, and I) got to go paddle-surfing!!! It was a blast, to say the least.
                       I remember that I promised myself to never visit a restaurant twice because I wanted to try out as many new restaurants as possible. So here comes the best restaurant in Aix: Le Carrefour. The food was to die for and my favorite was the steak hachee. It was delicious. There is also an amazing gelato place on Cours Mirabeau. BUT IT WILL NEVER BEAT SHAVED ICE!!!
                        I improved my French a lot and I had the time of my life. I will never forget this fabulous adventure of mine and I can assure you that I'll have infinite stories to tell my friends. 
                   

Cooking Groups, Guacamole Night and Fashion Show!

Making omelettes!

Grace making Omelettes!

Perfection

Guacamole Night!

Fashion Show!

Tuna Dress!

Tomato Dress!

Gardening!

Planting fresh plants!

Digging and more digging!

                                                              Planting!

Water fight!

Soaked!

Carrying Hay

                                      
                                                                     Pose for a picture!

After a long day of work..

Arsles Day Trip!

Second Week in Aix-en-Provence 2012!

Bastille Day Celebration Photos!

Getting ready before going out to see the show!

  Standing in front of La Rotonde

   French Flag Colors! Clever, right?

  La Rotonde

       "Gotta love the French."

  Laughing with friends at the concert!

Cooking Groups and Opera. What a joyous mix.

           Bonjour! As some of you may already know, we have French classes every single day at 9:00. There are three classes; beginner, intermediate, & advanced. I am enrolled in advanced and I must say that this class is everything I could have asked for in a French class. We do a perfect amount of grammar, conversation and outdoor learning. Sophie, our teacher, is the most caring and patient teacher I've ever met. She truly wants us to learn how to speak French with natives so after our first hour of class, we go out into the streets of Aix-en-Provence and talk! 
            Aix-en-Provence is a magical place. Every little store or boutique has it's own special aura or story behind it. Each shop owner has their own charm or spark. The streets in Aix and the little alleys are typically European. And the bakeries, OH the sweet sweet bakeries..
You could probably smell the bakery from New York. That's how amazing they smell. After our little outdoor class we all decided to stop by Fraiche Concept and get some aux naturelle smoothies! I opted for framboise and it was pretty spectacular. But anyways, after our French classes we have a lunch break. Usually you can go out to the local supermarket; Monoprix and make your own lunch. Or if you'd rather have a taste of exquisite French cuisine, then you can head over to a restaurant or cafe. Today, my friends and I decided to step away from our lovely kitchens and go to Crepes a GoGo! 
            This is the second time that we've gone to the same creperie. But honestly, this place has the best crepes in the entire world. I decided to get a jambon et fromage crepe as usual. After we had crepes, it was time for our elective classes. Sophie, is also the French conversation teacher and we went to Le Parc Jourdan to sit on the grass and converse. I think it's great to get some fresh air and not be locked inside but sometimes the heat in France can be a bit overwhelming. Good thing we brought refreshments!
             Once we arrived back at our residence, we were put into cooking groups to make crepes! It was funny that I had just eaten crepes for lunch. But anyways, our group failed miserably at making crepes but at least we tried! It was a lot of fun and the cheese was amazing.
             After eating, we went to the a beautiful garden where we saw the Trio Fernandes for the Flamenco Concert. We went to see an outdoor live screening of the opera; David et Jonathas. The opera was a bit difficult to understand since it was subtitled in French but we more or less got the gist of it. The music was phenomenal and I remember one particular line that will stay with me forever. "Vous goutez le deces d'un paix eternelle."