Bonjour � tous!

I finally got a chance to blog again- I’ve been super busy this semester and apologize for not having been able to write more often. I just got back this past weekend from our two week long winter break, during which I travelled to Italy and Corsica with some friends, and overall had such a blast.

I figured I would let the pictures do the talking!

Our first stop was Cinque Terre, Italy, which had been at the top of my travel list. Ever since I first saw pictures of it on Pinterest, I was dying to discover it for myself. Cinque Terre is a set of five villages along the Italian coast, linked by hiking trails and a dinky little retro-looking train. The towns are unimaginably gorgeous, pastel-painted buildings clustered on hills right by the turquoise-tinted sea. We stayed in a tiny apartment with a wonderful view down over the town of Vernazza, and asides from eating gelato, exploring the other towns, and making friends at the local bar, we went hiking. It was so charming there, and we were in continual awe of how picturesque everything was.

Vernazza (view from our apartment balcony)

Town of Riomaggiore

Next was Venice- it was by far my favorite stop on the trip. We made it there in time for the last few days of Carnevale, and there was such a fun and exciting atmosphere to the city. The streets were polka-dotted with confetti, and we got to see so many people decked out in elaborate costumes. Shops everywhere were selling fancy masks in all varieties of colors and styles, explosions of feathers and glitter and crystals. We mostly just wandered around, following side streets on whims, and saw some of the iconic Venice sights. I absolutely loved the beautiful canals and all of the waterfront buildings, gondolas, graceful arching bridges, winding alleys, and friendly people we encountered (including a jolly old gondola man).

Main canal

Wall of masks in a store

After Venice, we headed to Rome. I was overwhelmed by how many monuments and ruins were in the heart of the city- our guidebook listed 500 things to see! Needless to say, we spent three activity-filled days trying to fit in as much as we could. We saw major attractions such as the Coliseum, Trevi Fountain, Roman Forum, the Vatican, and the Sistine Chapel (unfortunately, you weren’t allowed to take pictures of it). Many Lizzie McGuire Movie references were made, and lots of pizza and pasta were eaten- when in Rome, you know! I loved getting to see such ancient and historical things, and it was fun exploring the city. On our last night, we rented segways in the Villa Borghese gardens- I never thought I would end up riding one but it was a surprising amount of fun haha.

Coliseum

Forum

For the second week of break, I hopped on a ferry to Corsica with another friend from my program. I’d really wanted to visit the island, which is French territory but lies to the south in the Mediterranean Sea, and we thought it would be a fun adventure. It took us about five hours to get there, and the sun was setting by the time the island came into view, a looming silhouette against the rosy cloud-streaked sky. I was shocked by how big it seemed! We chugged along the coast for a long, long time before finally pulling into the harbor in the city of Bastia.

Street in the old district of Bastia

Over the course of the week, we visited three major Corsican cities: Bastia, Calvi, and Ajaccio. We traveled by train- the tracks in places go right along the shore, and the train is rightfully nicknamed the “trembler” because it was pretty shaky, let me tell you haha. It was a really relaxing, low-key week, and we got to see a lot of new places and try new things. The landscapes we passed through were breathtaking and very diverse. Corsica is famous for its beaches and its rugged mountains, both of which are astonishingly close to one another. While barefoot in the sand, beneath palm trees at the seaside, you could look up and see snow-capped mountains towering at the other side of the bay. We went to several markets and tried special Corsican foods, such as figgatelli (a pork sausage that is in season) and a fresh cheese known as brocciu. We even were brave and tried sea urchins, which are regarded here as a delicacy! The waiter uses special cutters to split the urchins in half, and you’ve served a platter of spiky urchin “bowls” with raw meat inside. Don’t want to get into gross details, but all I can say is that it’s definitely an acquired taste!

Calvi

Port in Calvi

Sea urchins all ready for the eating!

In Ajaccio, we saw the house where Napoleon was born and where he spent the first part of his childhood. It’s now a museum, full of interesting relics such as a lock of his hair- pretty cool to be able to say that I’ve seen that! The Corsicans are very proud to have him as part of their history and identity, and even though Corsica is a part of France, it definitely has a different feel than the mainland. They traditionally speak a different language, although most everyone speaks French now, and they have a unique culture and heritage.

Napoleon’s house

One of my favorite things that we did was staying in a sailboat for a few nights in the port of Ajaccio- it was the cheapest lodging we could find on Air BNB, and it sounded like a lot of fun! I will admit that it was kind of cramped and maybe not the most practical place to stay, but we loved our little boat. We were tied up right next to the ferry dock, so every morning when it left at 7am, we would be rocked awake haha.

Our boat (the Rundinella)

We spent a lot of time on the beach, and luckily the weather was beautiful all week, but it was still a little too cold to swim. It was a week of new experiences, gorgeous places to discover, and relaxing- I think it did me a lot of good to have a break!

I will write again soon, but until then, everyone take care!

� bient�t,

~Julia

Location: Montpellier, France