Long Days and Longer Nights

Time is irrelevant in France.

Today has seemed like the shortest day, but when I try to remember eating a croissant and sipping some jus de pomme (apple juice) this morning for breakfast, it seems like all that happened days ago. I'm not sure if it's jet lag or what, but the days have already started running together.

Shops here use business hours as guidelines. We only just made it to the tabac to buy Natalie her phone card today, and we've been attempting it since we got here. Places that have the lights on can just refuse to serve you if they're chilling out watching le television, and sometimes they just take unannounced siestas. It's pretty lax. Also, it makes going to the store about ten times more interesting.

After breakfast and some calm morning down-time, Jenn Smith finally arrived and a group of us followed her out to find some panini and gelato for lunch. We went back to sit in the park and observe the manic squirrels, which, by the way, are enormous. And black. And not afraid of people.

In Italy, we saw no squirrels. None. Not a single one. At the time, I wrote a lot about it in my journal because I had picked squirrels as the animal I was most interested about the migration of at the time. Also, it was really hard to imagine not seeing squirrels around in the trees. Anyway, I had forgotten all about this obsession until Jenn pointed out a squirrel in a tree, and now I'm fascinated. I thought they had orange teeth, but it turns out some lady was just holding somethings orange up at the trees and the squirrels were just plucking them out of her hand and scurrying back up into the safety of the branches. But I digress...

Jenn took us on a walking tour and pointed out her favorite creperie on the way. She tried to leave us for her rental apartment, but she got her key stuck in the door and so we waited with her and tried to help her pry the key out. We were completely unsuccessful, but luckily a British man, he had to have been a little frustrated because he had a ton of groceries, helped out and got the key free... only to turn it in the other direction and unlock the door. But it really had been stuck! Scout's honor.

We had a two-hour long orientation session where our brains got filled with all sorts of Cannes hints and tips at the Coleurs Soliel (our hotel) on the top floor. The view was amazing. It prompted many pictures. We're going to be having our classes up there, but I don't know if it's going to get any less stunning so focusing may become a problem. We had a delicious dinner hosted by the trip. There was a selection of sandwiches, boxed wine, strawberries coated in sugar, a variety of vegetables, quiche and pizza cuts with chocolate treats for dessert. Then it was time to hit the pier and watch the sun set.

We missed the sun set, but spent about three hours sitting on the rocks and listening to Eric educate us about his hometown and how we could be a part of his club. Stacey fell in the water trying to reclaim her purse, but all's well that ends well, so we marched back to the hotel and here I am with numb fingers typing this out to you all.

Bon Soir!

P.S. Still not able to upload pictures. :/  Sometimes the internet here is a little freaky. Right now it's a little freaky.