On A Clear Day...

    ...You can see forever. It’s amazing how clear the air is here. Some of the locals say on a really clear day, you can see the Italian border. Then again, the Provençaux have a knack for exaggeration. I’m finishing up my first week of classes here, and I’m starting to get a grasp of just how much work it’s going to be. Packing a ten week quarter into roughly seven and a half weeks of class time is far from easy. I’m already well into my first assignment for Travel Portfolio, with my first Vernissage finished piece due on Monday. Vernissage is the gallery we have at the end of the quarter where we sell our work, vernissage meaning gallery opening in French.

    I’ve spent the past two mornings in a lovely town called Gorde, a true village perché. It climbs up the steep hill in rows and rows, topped by an old castle that is surprisingly simplistic in construction. There’s a pretty cathedral in the town, and lots of cafés. The cobblestone streets lead down to the outer side of the village, to another marvelous view much like ours in Lacoste. 

    We went yesterday to draw the town, and today to see the nearby “Village des Bories,” which are ancient stone hut-like structures. There’s a village of them built in the 17th century, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had not been very wet and cold. It rained the whole time. Luckily, the rain held off for us while we drew yesterday. I didn’t take that many pictures, sadly, thinking I’d be back today, but of course the rain kept me from getting much today. Ah well, I won’t be surprised if we go back.

    I stopped in a wonderful little Patisserie in town and got some wonderful french pastries and had a nice conversation in French (about the weather, haha) with the woman working there. She thought I was “anglais” -- British -- and I told her, non, je suis americaine, and she was quite surprised. It was interesting, haha. It’s good to be getting back into my French. I’m not nearly as rusty as I thought I’d be. I’m actually doing quite well. I haven’t had to resort to English yet, but I did have a bit of trouble trying to find a SIM card for my phone in the Tabac. They didn’t have any, so still on the hunt for one of those.

    The weekends here aren’t any less insane -- if anything, they’re more so. Tonight we have a lecture with a visiting artist, Rebecca Dautremer, which I’m really excited about. Her stuff -- children’s book illustrations and the like -- is absolutely amazing. Then tomorrow, a trip to La Musée Tire-Bouchon, the corkscrew museum. I know, what?! But we have a contest for the owner to design a poster, and there’s a 1000€ prize. Yeah. So definitely entering that. Then Saturday morning, the Apt market, then Sunday morning, the antiques market in Isle Sur La Sorgue, which I’m super excited about. It’s supposed to be amazing. I’m on the hunt for a boutis -- a traditional provençal quilt that’s handed down for generations on end. They’re pretty intricate and really sturdy, and beautiful. They have new ones in the Apt market, but I’d really like to find one with a bit more history in it. 

    For those who haven’t seen it, I’ve added a calendar page that includes all these trips. Typically, Monday/Wednesday trips are with Travel Portfolio, while Tuesday/Thursday trips are with Treasures of Provence. So when you see a location two days in a row (with the exception of Paris), it doesn’t mean an overnight, it just means I’m going with both classes.

    Well, that’s all for now. A bientôt, mes petits choux!