Spring Break came a little late for us in France (about a month later than Penn State). I had basically a week and a half to travel anywhere around Europe. It’s super easy to travel anywhere in Europe since flights and train rides are very cheap and affordable. Before travelling, I did my research online to find the cheapest tickets I could to places I more South and by the beach. I ended up buying a 15-euro ticket to Ibiza, Spain, followed by a 10-euro ticket to Naples, Italy, and a 15-euro ticket back to Nice, France. I paid under 50 euros for transportation for my Spring break, which probably couldn’t’ be possible back on the American continent. (Thank goodness for Ryan air and EasyJet!)

Ibiza

We arrived in Ibiza on Sunday the 24^th, just in time to get some dinner and enjoy the sunset by the beach. Our hotel was very nice, with a huge balcony facing the Mediterranean. We ended up going out to eat at the restaurant next door to have some typical Spanish seafood dishes. The next day we decided to walk around the beach. It was pretty cloudy, so we couldn’t really sun bathe until the next day. We tried finding sun block at every store around us only find out that the cheapest bottle was at a whopping 25 euros. I ended up not buying any, which I regret very much as I looked like a tomato for the few days.

Aerial View of Naples

After the beach and relaxing days in Ibiza, we flew to Naples. Of all the cities I have visited these past months, I would have to say Naples is towards the top. The first thing we did when we got to the center of the city was find the first pasta place to eat while we waited for our Airbnb to be ready. I had the best pasta I have ever had in my life. It was spaghetti with fresh pesto and pine nuts and fresh grated Italian cheese (Pecorino, maybe).

Pasta!!

The city itself didn’t have a great impression on any of us at first, although you can tell it’s an ancient city with a rich historical line. That first day we basically spent it walking around and eating Neapolitan food. The next day I convinced everyone to come with me to the ancient city of Pompeii, which was a 40-minute train ride from the center of Naples. Getting to Pompeii was a hassle since the train was over packed. Once we got off of the train, we were basically in front of the entrance to Pompeii. After paying the basic entrance fee of 13 euros, we were quickly emerged into the ruins of the ancient city. Pompeii is absolutely enormous. It takes the entire day to look through everything, as there are many different sections within the city. There are only 13 preserved molds of bodies in a small section of the city, near the amphitheater. Visiting Pompeii was one of the best decisions I have made yet, and it will definitely be something I remember for the rest of my life. Pompeii was just breath-taking overall, and I definitely recommend it to anyone that has the chance to visit this magical place.

Downtown Naples

Mt. Vesuvius; Pompeii

After Naples, we had a flight back to Nice, followed by a train back to Montpellier. I got back around midnight, just in time to catch the last tramway to my house. May 1^st is a national French holiday apparently, where everything is closed since nobody works. Monday, there was a huge protest (not a surprise) that I got to see by the Place de la Comedie (center of town). To my relief, this manifestation did not get too wild like the last one did.

Today is Tuesday. I am completely finished with all of my classes at Paul Valéry and at the office. I have exactly one week before my next final, giving me some time to plan some day trips perhaps. This is my last weekend in Montpellier, so I am thinking of just getting to know this city that was my home for the past few months. The weather has gotten so much better these days, good enough to wear shorts (although shorts are not widely accepted in French fashion).

My mom is coming again next week, and we will be touring France and Spain, as well as Greece. In about a week and a half I will be in the famous island Santorini. In about 18 days I will be back in the states. It’s so crazy how time flies.

Location: Playa D'en Bossa, Ibiza, Spain