Who thought it was a good idea to buy me ice cream? I guess it makes up for feeding me lettuce.

I return!

I have eaten far too much this evening to even consider walking around more tonight. I also was fed ice cream with dinner. You all know the consequences of that.

Tonight, I add some pictures (click on them to make them bigger if you want; for those of you who need further direction, after getting to the big picture hit the left arrow at the top of the browser to get back to here.). Eventually, I will link you to a site that has a lot more of the pictures that I am taking. However, that time is not now. You get these:

I have a pitchfork in my bedroom.
I have no idea why. It is behind the partially-functioning television that I will never watch. Unfortunately, the television is concealing the fact that the pitchfork's third prong is broken.
Yes, I did observe it that closely.
No, it does not match the rest of the room's decor.

I get to use this beauty every day.
I like clear, red plastic things. Apparently, the people that I am living with do, too.

Side Note #1:
My hosts are watching Law & Order dubbed in French. I heard the music.






If you see a picture of Aix, it is likely to involve this fountain. It is aptly named The Grand Fountain.
It is located at the roundabout Place du Général de Gaulle. Most of the busy streets in Aix intersect here.
A few of you will receive a postcard with this fountain on it. Get excited.

Nazareth Street. Honestly.
I saw this on a map and had to find it.








As expected, today I ventured to Marseille (Hey, look! The right spelling the first time!).

I saw a lot of boats, had a beggar touch me while asking for money, stumbled through some litter, went to an old fortress, ate some cookies, and smelled some soap. Soap is one of the main industries in these parts. My host informed me that he is a master soap maker. He makes soap out of olives. It's all over this apartment and smells like olive oil.

Anyway! Marseille! A less than 10€ trip (well, the bus ride there and back...)!

Since Marseille is a port on the Mediterranean Sea, there are lots of boats. There were also beastly cruise ships spouting off their diesel waste while the tourists invaded the town. My situation was only slightly different: the bus that brought this tourist in gave off less pollution.
This is the view from the boat that took me to one of the four islands that protected from invaders!

Here is the boat that brought me to the island.
The mate could be described as a mighty sailor man, and the skipper, well, he was brave and sure.

Side Note #2:
Parents: I got to ride on a boat this weekend, too. I bet you didn't get sprayed with salty, clear, blue Mediterranean Sea water. I bet it was smelly, opaque, brown bay water.

The point of the boat trip to the Frioul Islands was to visit Château d'If.
Having heard about this château in nearly every French class, I had to visit. It is where the Count of Monte Cristo was allegedly held.
I don't have any pictures of the whole fortress, but here is an arrow slit! I have an irrational love for these features. I also like to take note of a good portcullis when I come across one. Fine, I admit it: I like really old castle fortifications.

In case there is any questioning of whether I am actually on this trip or if I am just posting pictures from the internet, here is a set of typical Traveller Rachael images.
I am on top of Château d'If. I love that the island's name is If (pronounce the i like an e in English). I am so thrilled that my picture is being taken, but I do have the Mediterranean Sea and the French Alps at by back.

There is a lot of restoration going on at this place. That explains the the metal floating behind the walls.
This was the highest point. Underneath me is a hemisphere-shaped ceiling. What I'm sitting on was actually curved.
Being the gigantic nerd that I am, I noticed that I was surrounded by a circular set of walls. I was sitting in its center. I knew that if I sat there and made any sort of noise it would echo back to me, thus amplifying my sounds.

There's an Arc de Triumphe in Marseille! Really, it is, but it's not the same as the one in Paris.
This is where the bus dropped me off and picked me up, a smart move on the bus company's/city's part. You can't miss this thing.
See the rubbish? That's one of the main reasons I like Aix better. The trash wasn't as out-of-control in the rest of the city, but it was still there. It's not like that in Aix. Marseille also isn't referred to in a song by The Decemberists.

Apparently, I think about food...a lot.

I am in France. This blog will tell the stories...or something. At the very least I will include the foods that I have consumed. Just because I eat them here does not mean that I wish to eat them when I return home (frozen, fried fish and eggplant, for instance).

Let me begin my tale with the fact that my plane did not take off from Newark until 11:30 p.m. (scheduled 8:05 p.m.). On top of forgetting my phone in the car, that was a great start to this trip. Magically, the French train people changed my ticket without a problem or charge. While waiting for the train, French Customs approached me. I apparently looked like a foreign traveller.

Long story short, I then got to Aix-en-Provence after paying something like $60 for the taxi ride. Planes, trains, and automobiles.

The family that I am staying with is nice. It is a couple and their 8-year-old daughter.
They feed me a lot. Breakfast consists of croissants and various biscuits (usually with chocolate) and unrefrigerated orange juice.
It is at dinner when I am being fed way too much. The meals consist of salad, seemingly two main courses, sides, and dessert. The most stand-out/very-French portions have included quiche, some egg concoction that really could have used cheese, flan, strawberry juice, and of course, frozen, fried fish.
Best moment involving food: I had a crèpe with caramel sauce from a street vendor. That was a good decision right there.

For the most part I have just walked around the town a lot. There is a cathedral in town that has segments built in all different eras. Apparently Gregorian chants are sung there on Sundays. I will find out. I went to a bunch of the fountains in the town, which was originally built for its thermal springs by the Romans. Apparently there are about 100 fountains. I doubt that I will find them all. I enjoy walking around aimlessly and enjoying the architecture.

Tomorrow, I think I will go to Marseille, which is just south of here. I think I need to get another crèpe sometime soon.