Life is Beautiful! And so is Italia! (Adventures with MooReece - and Haley and Ladan... con't)

Leaving Antibes was hard. Sure I was still in denial about it until yesterday, but if anything is a good distraction, a trip to some of the most famous cities in Italy is sure to fill the prescription.

Two girls (Ladan and Haley) are also studying in Paris with me and seen as we had several days in between programs we decided (ok well they decided, I just invited myself along haha) to trip it to Verona where we would stay and venture out from there. We had the opportunity to make day trips and visits to Verona (obviously), Venizia and Milano (that's Venice and Milan for you non-italians). I'm sure most of you have heard me complain about it by now, but holy catfish it gets HOT in Italy!!! I mean REALLY REALLY HOT! And I'm climatized! I've been living in the French Riviera for over a month and Italy is too hot to handle. Whodatunkit? So I guess here's a quick snapshot of my mini vacation to Italia : (facebook is giving me grief...hopefully I will be able to upload pictures... if not, sorry it will have to wait until I get home)

Verona

Romeo, where for art thou Romeo? Right? The town made famous for it's connection to one of the most famous romances in history (albeit a fictional one...but then again aren't they all?) There is the massive "Arena" which we hoped to have caught an opera in (Madame Butterfly) but it ended the night we got there and so we missed our chance. Nevertheless there are quite a few things to see in this beautiful and quaint city. Casa di Guillietta is obviously one of the most famous landmarks in the entire area. And YES there is an archway plastered with notes to her. Everything from asking advice to pledging one's undying love. Before you ask, YES I jumped on the hopeless romantic's anonymous bandwagon and stuck a note on the wall myself. I'm never one to pass up good luck, especially in the HEART department (we all know I need LOTS of it!) That's also why I groped poor Guillietta's statue along with 5000 other people that day. So funny because the paint is wearing where people's hands have been. All in the name of LOVE! There are also a few cathedrals in the area worth exploring (or at least standing outside and taking pictures of them) and the shopping is really good here too. I won't lie, my card was bouncing out of my wallet the second we stepped onto the shopping strip! Hot day, but bearable.

Venezia

Up bright and early to catch the train to Venice. Everyone wants to go to Venice! It's one of those places famous for being famous in my opinion. I'm no different from anyone else, I WANTED to go see it for sure! TOURISTS TOURISTS and more TOURISTS! Not my cup of tea. Venice is different. It's interesting and cool to see but not beautiful or charming like Verona or many of the other places I've been to. It's VERY touristy - kind of like Mackinac Island only with thousands more people. NO SHADE! It was sooooo hot that day and no real relief from the heat except in San Marco the massive cathedral. It along with its museum were definitely the highlight of my trip to Venice, even if I had to wear a papertowel shawl to cover my shoulders - at least I didn't have to wear one to cover my legs too - my dress was long enough - SCORE! There were pigeons EVERYWHERE and souvenir carts as far as the eye could see. We did take the water bus and thanks to a nice american lady who gave us her left-over transit cards, we saved quite a bit of money by only having to buy 1 pass instead of 3. Venice is one of those places you want to see to say you've been there and seen what it has to offer, but I definitely didn't feel the romance that is often attached to it. I'm very glad I went and San Marco alone was worth the trip but lets just say I won't be planning my honeymoon there.

Milano

OH SHOPPING! Another day of bright and earliness to catch the longer train ride to Milan. Not much of a game plan this time but by now we can get around Italy fairly well on very little knowledge of Italian. The train/bus/metro station is ENORMOUS in Milan. It's a mini city! I had no idea Milan was that big - but then Ladan reminded me of the mula that circulates in one of the world's financial capitals. DUHHHH!!!! To say the least, if the metro station has us swooning, we were only a little excited to see what the rest of the city had to offer. We hopped on the metro and came out in the centre walking out on the largest Cathedral in all of Europe. We didn't even have time to GASP in AWE however as we were tackled by creepy men trying to turn Haley into a pigeon lady (think Home Alone 2) and take Ladan as a wife. Surreal, as if people actually force themselves at you like that. I was worried I might have to get violent with the man covering Haley with pigeons but luckily he didn't follow us when I grabbed her away. The guy after Ladan was selling (but it's FREE he says) string bracelets. You've GOT to be JOKING right? Good LORD! Speaking of which - time to go into the Cathedral. I bought a scarf this time to cover my shoulders - did I mention it's still TOO HOT for sleeves? It's too hot for clothes! It's just too hot!!! Anyways... Haley and I visit this masterpiece and as amazing as San Marco was, this one appealed to me more - probably because it was more traditional in style. The CEILINGS are phenomenal and trully a work of mastery. It's amazing and unbelievable when you learn how OLD these buildings are and you try and figure out HOW they built that - we couldn't do that now with all our modern technologies - how did they do it with NOTHING? This is why I love history! AND SHOPPING! Yep, of course, you can't go to Milan without taking a tour through the "shopping district" conveniently located next to the Cathedral. Happiness - and AIR CONDITION! We made it out of Milan fairly early, but not before catching what we thought might be a protest of sorts but it was a dressed down mixed choir singing in front of a marked off section on the road. No idea what it was all about but they were GOOD!

Obviously there is so much more to tell but it's getting late and my coherency factor is non-existant right now. Not to mention you are all probably yawning by now. I know I am. Next up - the trip Verona - Paris and then Paris days 1 and 2...DUN DUN DUN!!!!

Saying Goodbye is Always Hard to Do (Adventures with MooReece con't)

My stay in the French Riviera has sadly come to an end. To say it was a cake walk would be a lie (it was more of a pain au chocolat walk). HAHA. Joking aside, there were some ups and downs and the first week was definitely harder than I ever imagined both physically and emotionally. I think that first week taught me more about myself and how to deal with whatever life throws at you than the 23 years leading up to it. That could explain my total emotional amnesia of back home. My first week in Antibes felt like YEARS and although time has sped up since, it still feels like THIS is REAL and HOME is a DREAM. My friends here, although I don't know them well, I feel like they've been in my life forever and this has always been our way of life. Several have seconded my sentiments on the subject. It's a REALLY weird vibe. Obviously I miss you all, every last one of you...but I'm not going to lie, it feels like you are all a figment of my imagination. I'm forgetting what you all look and sound like. Talk about living in the moment!

It hasn't hit me yet that I'm NOT going back to Antibes. I've said goodbye to everyone and yet it still doesn't seem real. This fantasy life that I am living is so incredible and so filled with experiences that it's hard to believe anything else is normal. Some days I want to fly home and go back to my real life (eventhough I don't really remember what that is like) and most of the rest of the time I stop and take a look around and appreciate the culture and the history and the beauty of where I am in that moment and I never want to leave.

I will miss Antibes and Sophia Antipolis so much. I will miss my bus driver who drove me from Sophia to Place de Gaulle after the gym every night. I will miss the endless stream of Gelaterias and Patisseries and Marchés but my waistline will not! I will miss the Sun and the perfect climate, the beach and the sea water in which I can freely float around (although I still sink a bit). I will miss the "Bedrock" our perfectly located little apartment in Vieille Antibes (26 rue du Haut Castelet) and I will miss the 3 minute walk to the Port school. I will miss saying "Bonjour" and "Merci, au revoir" everytime I walk into a store or by a shop/restaurant worker. But mostly I will miss the ease in which everything flows in the Riviera (except the traffic). Nothing is hectic, everyone goes with the flow and no matter how tired, cranky or homesick you get, nothing cheers you up like spending the afternoon eating wine and cheese with your friends on the rocks by the beach.

Pulled an all-nighter before dragging myself and my luggage (I will DEFINITELY need another suitcase to come home) to the train station for my 6:52 train to Verona which will be our temporary resting place until we move in in Paris.

VIVA ITALIA!

Et maintenant nous allons travailler l'hippopotame (Adventures with MooReece con't)

What better way to spend my last week in Antibes (and thus my last week in the Riviera) than by plastering my self in the Sun and lazing on the beach every afternoon? Yes my tan is FANTASTIC!! I finally made it to the beach and got to swim and bob around in the Mediterranean. Plans to go to Ste Marguerite (island with the Chateau where Louis XVs twin brother - Man in the Iron Mask anyone? was help captive) were delayed due to the USA World Cup game and then cancelled because of a day long strike across the country. Don't ask! So that just meant MORE time on the beach. Although dissapointed I never made it to the island, it's been REALLY REALLY hot here this last week and the beach is the #1 place to be. I even painted my fingers and toes :)

On the sad side, Wednesday was my last night in Sophia Antipolis and my last night at Fitlane. I REALLY wanted to get on stage for PUMP but started to worry because Joel was apparently running late (it must be a male instructor thing....) or not coming and I hadn't had a chance to ask him on Monday because I was running late. Happily he barged in and started setting up and I asked if I could accompany him and he was more than happy to oblige. I think I literally started to glow at that point I was soooo excited. So I set up my station on the stage next to him (on his left which is weird cause I'm always on the right at home) and he got me to do "la mise en place" avec mon accent canadien. I started to panic because I had NO IDEA what the heck he was talking about and he's urging me on and I'm like "THINK AMY THINK!!!" and it hit me...Set Position and Intro. Having been put on the spot like that made every giggle because I was trying to think of how to say my "shpeel" in french. Poitrine fiere? I have NO IDEA! Joel seemed to approve so it couldn't have been so bad...albeit I was nervous LOL. It was AWESOME! The class was PACKED - close to 40-45 people all cheering me on and laughing at my funny accent. I'm sure they're all thinking "She sure likes to WOOHOOO alot!" hahahaha

After PUMP was ATTACK and this week Magali let me teach Intervals and POWER track! Not only that but she complimented me on my awesome energy and great technique! AHA!!! Made my trip COMPLETE :) "Au Canada on saute plus haut et on pousse PLUS fort, AAAALLLLLLEZZZZ les francais AAAAALLLLLEEZZZ touchez le plafond!" (and I actually did during air jacks - hit the roof I mean....the stage is really high and I'm a giant in the Riviera). I said my au revoirs to my French Pat and Jaime and said I would be back one day... who knows if they ever séjourn au Canada I told them to look me up! hahaha and THEY will be the ones with the jolie accent :)

Now I'm done working out until sometime in my first week in Paris. I'm not gaining too much weight but the excess of carbs and the major lack of protein is definitely taking a toll on my tone and definition. Can we all say CARB DETOX when I get home? Nothing but chicken breast and vegetables until Xmas!

One last WOOT WOOT for my Les Mills International performances! :D

10 Things I learned durant mon séjour à Genève...(Adventures with MooReece and Sarah con't)

We had our first entirely free weekend so Sarah and I booked a last minute trip to Geneva Switzerland! WHAT A TRIP!

1. European user friendly airports and speedy security checks make traveling in Europe EASY. HOWEVER boarding with EasyJet is nothing but. (Apparently my purse needs to be stuffed into my backpack...but it doesn't need to close?) Slowest boarding EVER!!!

2. If you drive a bus shuttle from the airport - be prepared to have to deal with know-nothing tourists. We HAVE a name and an address, I'm sorry we DON'T come from here, so NO we have NO IDEA where our hotel is. This is why we are asking YOU the BUS DRIVER! Thank goodness for ease-dropping citizens who pointed us in the right direction after over hearing our dilemna and getting off the bus way too soon!

3. Never be afraid to seek out the nearest Tourist Information office (even at 6pm on a Friday) - it could save your legs (and your sanity!) Get a map, or 2, or 3 because you never know when the town you're staying in isn't actually ON the map!

4. If traveling in teams, ALWAYS have your partner double check your route BEFORE you leave to make sure you do not wander around for 2 hours seeking out a non-existant train station. On the bright side we did see Chateau Voltaire AND found the largest SUPERSTORE yet! But by 11 (or was it 12?) our legs were already POOCHED!

5. Always and I mean ALWAYS research public transportation protocols because if you don't have a ticket, your 10 minute bus ride could cost you 58Euro! NO I was NOT going to ask the bus driver why we didn't have to pay... it was the SAME A**HOLE from the night before! Thank goodness for sincerily being DUMB TOURISTS! Cause there would have gone our food budget for the weekend!

6. Don't forget that not EVERYWHERE in Europe enjoys Rivieran climate. When going to Geneva in June, don't forget your parka (and a pair of pants!)

7. EVERYTHING is closed on Sundays! If you're hungry, pack a lunch, hit the flea market or wine and dine yourself at Mickey Ds and Starbucks! YES my FIRST Grande Caramel Macciato (yes I know I didn't spell that properly) since being in France! AND it's a REAL GRANDE!!! It sure is nice to drink something that takes more than 2 sips :) Mmmmmm

8. Getting lost over and over again is all part of the experience so don't worry about planning too much, there are always detours that lead you to cool and exciting things you never would have thought of exploring had you actually ended up where you were supposed to.

9. How AWESOME is it that we got to sit in on a performance of the Geneva Chambre Symphony in Victoria Hall for FREE and only decided to go 30 minutes before?

10. Some things are just not meant to be. Some things are. Just go with it even if everything seems to be going wrong, it always works out in the end (even if the outcome was not the intended one... it will always be the required one). And you'll always make NEW friends along the way...So Don't Stop Believin'!

p.s. Photos coming to FB soon (if not up already...)

Encore une fois! Le DJ Sash est de retour (Adventures with MooReece con't)

First rainfall since I've been here. I wouldn't exactly call it a downpoor but a good shower - enough to get me nice and soaked on my walk to the bus station after the gym. I've been SPOILED here, I forget what cloudiness and precipitations feel like. Honestly, it's ALWAYS nice here, the Sun is always shining and it's never too hot or too cold. Nobody suffers from SADDs here that's for sure. I always want to be outside and so I keep putting off important stuff so that I can be outside. That's why I don't get to bed before 1 am everyday. Time stands still here and yet there are still never enough hours in a day. I took the opportunity today to have a power nap in between class and the Picasso museum. Yup Antibes is fully equipped with it's own Picasso museum - apparently he lived and painted here for roughly 4 months in 1946. Interesting stuff. Good thing I like museums because they seem to be a daily staple.

My friends and I hit up the movie theatre (Casino) here in Antibes yesterday. We went to see Robin de Bois! Yes a Russell Crowe movie, I know... but this isn't Silver City, the options are limited. It's not bad, takes a little while to get used to the speach patterns and learning to ignore that the mouth doesn't move with the words but definitely a MUST-TRY when studying French in a foreign country. Next time a REAL French movie.

My evenings are typical AMY ROUTINE - yes, I'm living it up in the French Riviera and I still have my ROUTINE! Keeps me sane (or as sane as I ever am at any given point in time...don't shake your head at me, at least I admit I'm batshit crazy! I should get a bumper sticker!) So I catch the 17h40 100 express bus to Gare Routiere Sophia Antipolis (if I don't move to Cannes, I will move to Sophia...it KICKS ASS up in the mountains :D Loads of trails and parks to explore...no time unfortunately). Class starts at 18h30 and I do a double. PUMP/RPM on Monday, RPM/PUMP on Tuesday and PUMP/ATTACK on Wednesday. I shower and rush to catch the 21h05 (or 21h10... I don't really know what time it comes at...I make sure I'm there before 21h00 regardless...) it's the LAST bus back home. If I don't catch it, I'm sleeping at the gym cause it's one long ass haul back to the seafront. At least it's downhill. I get the same bus driver and regulars that all catch the same bus. I feel like such a LOCAL with my routine and new gym and bus friends. Every day distances me from my real HOME and I forget what Sudbury is like. It's so hard to explain - this seems more REAL than my life back home. It's like I've been here FOREVER and everyone and everything back home is just a dream (and a very distant one at that). If it wasn't for the fact that I miss everyone, I would probably not come home.

People warned me this would happen. I have fallen in love with the beauty, charm and pace of this wonderland. The smell is an acquired taste, but you get used to it.

I will be on the ATTACK stage demain and hopefully the PUMP stage too :) I'm sooooo excited. YES I will try and get someone to take a few pictures. Wish me luck!

Salut la visite!

My name is Amy and I am Cannedian! (Adventures with MooReece con't)

After much debating MooReece and I decided to stick closer to home this weekend (as a trip to Avignon would have been mostly spent on a train). Instead we opted to spend the day in Cannes. We had only walked through it on the way from the port to the train station and with our very packed schedule (I hate going to sleep because there is still so much to do and so little time to do it in) and I really wanted to see it before I left. Can't come to the Riviera and not visit the city of the biggest movie festival in the WORLD! Did I mention there was a 16h30 Power Yoga class on the Fitlane schedule in Cannes - SOLD!

Originally the plan was to tackle it solo but I invited 2 friends from class (I got 2 free passes with my membership) to explore the city with me and hit up some Yoga and they were more than thrilled at the opportunity. What a FANTASTIC DAY! Probably one of our best days here, if not EVER! We got there just before 9 and spent the entire day exploring the city, museum de la Castre (filled with ancient artifacts from cultures all over the world from ancient greco-roman and egyptian times to more recent North American and Inuit hunting tools - best museum I've been to yet! So many amazing things...OH and a tower climb with the most breathtaking view - a 360 panoramic view of Cannes and the Mediterannean - INSANE) and EATING! We discovered 2 VERY HAPPY places: 1 charcuterie (butcher shop/prep food shop) with all these French specialties. I of course had Quiche, Ratatouille and Lentil Salad :) Best lunch of LIFE! 2 was this chocolatier/patisserie with the most BEAUTIFUL and AMAZING deserts we've EVER SEEN! (Pictures to come...) We purchased our treasures and headed to the park overlooking the port and stuffed our faces and watched people play Pétanque (Bocci). Three very happy girls and a toy cow were very much LOVING LIFE! Doesn't get ANY BETTER. Did I mention there was a market there too? There are markets ANY and EVERYDAY in any town you go to. Definitely the place to be if you're a bargain hunter :)

Yoga was next on the agenda. What a treat! What a challenge... not only have I not done Yoga in FOREVER, I really had to concentrate when she would say things like "Chien à tête renversé". I was so relaxed at the end of those 90 minutes of bliss I fell asleep during meditation. The three of us (yes MooReece sat this one out) walked out of there completely blissed out. We finished with a little shopping and all bought an item from this Rock N Roll store - a very SUCCESSFUL expedition indeed!

Sunday was hiking and seakayaking from Theoule sur Mer to La Trayas (just beyond Mandelieu La Napoule)...if that means NOTHING to you...no worries, it doesn't mean much to me other than yet ANOTHER beautiful spot along the coast. We hiked for 3 hours or so and picnicked up in the mountains. Everything here is STUNNING! I thought Canada was beautiful (and don't get me wrong - it IS and I LOVE IT!) The hike made me feel like I was back home again, in my comfort zone, doing what I love most. The only thing missing was my BFF. Next time I decide to go "find myself" in another country, I'm bringing you with me (you know who you are!) LOL! We hiked to a beach in La Trayas where we rented kayaks and I took off Adam vanKoeverden style to explore the coast. Definitely not Lac Cache let me tell you. Thank goodness I'm an avid canoe/kayaker because the waves are BIG!!! It was bumpier than the Beast at wonderland after a rainstorm! We got to go out for about an hour and about 35-40min in the seasickness started to sink in. NOT PLEASANT because now I'm like 2 miles away and the waves only seem to be getting bigger. (Note to self: next time - GRAVOL!) I was quite happy to get back to shore. Took a nap on the beach and finished off the day bobbing about in the salt water. I CAN FLOAT!! I can see why all you bobbers love it so much. What a COOL feeling.

"And look Ma! NO NOODLE!" ;)

Loving LIFE but missin' y'all (just a bit)... à bientôt!

This must be just like living in PARADISE (and I don't wanna go hoooome!) (Adventures with MooReece con't)

Ok so here is my attempt at a video blog. Camera shy of course and you might hear me whisper things here and there but this is the route I take from the corner of Rue de la République (main street) to home (aka 26 rue du Haut Castelet). I wanted you all to see it because as good as I am with words (hahaha) I could never do this justice. If this video blog is successful I might try a few more to show you the Mediterranean (and how close I am to it) and a few things around town :) Stay tuned...