Missing the people in France

Lately I have been really missing all the people that I met in France. I was able to meet a lot of cool people and make new friends which I will remember for a lifetime! I especially miss the Cesar Milano gelato place that opened up down the street from where we were staying in Nice and the people who worked there. Our frequent visits came to a point where the workers expected us daily. I remember one day we went to get gelato and then the guy behind the counter said "À demain!" It was awesome and something I will definitely miss because you don't get that kind of relationship with people working at the store like you do in France where you recognize each other and decide to talk for no reason other than you are a frequent customer.

Exploring art in France

Spending so much time in France exploring museums I have learned so much about art that I didn't know before. I was able to explore artists that I haven't heard of until this trip such as Chegall and Matisse. Although my favorite artists that I discovered was at Musée d'Orsay such as Degas and Renoir and of course I loved Monet and Van Gogh also but I was absolutely in love with Degas ballerinas! I also discovered modern art which I didn't love at first but after seeing different styles and work, I'm a fan. It was also an amazing experience seeing all the art in the Louvre and seeing history right before your eyes.

Remembering Paris...

I have just been looking through my pictures and I came across all the pictures I took in Paris and remembering how different it was from Nice. Looking back I think that the biggest difference I noticed about Paris from Nice was that in Paris if I started to speak French and the person I was talking to heard an American accent they would revert to English most the time. As in Nice if I started speaking French to someone then they would make more effort to try and speak French with me which was really nice and helpful. Also the city and seeing all of the history of Paris was an amazing experience!

The Scent of Cigarettes

Where did all the cigarette smoke go? After being in France for only 7 weeks there were already some things that I started getting used to. The smell of the cigarettes was something that I noticed right after arriving in France, but it didn't take long before it became just a part of every day life. There seemed to be no type of people that smoking was most identified with though, it was rich, poor, men, woman, natives, immigrants, you name it. People smoked at the cafe, during the short breaks at school (which I was told are secretly just for the teachers to smoke), at the beach, and even on the metro (although I believe that is not allowed). The cigarettes also came in all shapes and sizes including the Eco cigarettes, which are becoming increasingly more popular.



Now I don't claim to know all the reasons why smoking is so much more prevalent in France, but something that we had the chance to talk about during are cultural discussions is how the French have a strong sense of freedom, and peoples ability to do what they want and choose for themselves. So despite the large print on the front of the cigarette package stating the danger contained it doesn't seem to stop many at all, and especially in comparison to the amount of smoking that goes on in Utah. Although the smoking population isn't as high here as it is there I have noticed the few times I do get a whiff of it the nostalgia hits me and for a moment I am back in Nice again.

Leaving

    It feels strange leaving Nice. Right now the biggest improvement to my that I notice is I hear and understand it better. There are things I am going to miss, if course pastrys and gelato. But also the buildings, hearing French everywhere, and the people I've met.

Remembering France

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in France! Although I have been home for over 2 weeks now, there are some things that still stand out in my mind. In addition to some of the differences others have discussed, I found the locks on doors rather annoying. Unlike what I am used to, all the locks - interior doors included - are completely separate from the door knob. Considering my host family also seemed to like keeping doors closed even when a room was unoccupied, you would never know if someone was in the bathroom until you turned the knob and pushed the door only to find it was occupied and locked!

Another personal annoyance would be the lack of carpet - anywhere! Sure, they had rugs on tile or hardwood floors, but I never saw actual carpet while there. I was happy to enjoy the comfort of my soft padded carpet once I returned....who would've ever thought about missing carpet?

Last of all, one thing I do miss from France are the coffee and hot chocolate vending machines everywhere. Also, never until France had I seen one of these - 

'freshly squeezed' orange juice from a vending machine anyone? 

Nice

    Nice is beautiful and seems more laid back than Paris (but there is still tons of honking from cars.) It is not as bustling and more open. The architecture of older buildings is different due to its history of being apart of Rome and Italy. Plus the weather changes so much it is almost like home.