and the award for perfect hostess goes to...

18/3/2008

i arrived in manosque sunday to visit charisse. she is someone i know through merz and we've been exchanging messages on facebook since probably september. manosque is a small town, quaint and very charming. charisse lives here as an english assistant for six classes. it's hard to believe this is the first time we've actually met because we get along so well and i don't feel any awkwardness at all. she is the greatest hostess, very concerned that i am comfortable and enjoying myself. i am just pleased to be here in france!!

charisse met me at the train station in manosque as she was dropping her friend madeleine off. i had taken the train from nice to aix-en-provence then the bus to manosque. we walked to her house which is the epitome of a provencial villa! this house is so french it's incredible. i will post a picture when i get back to the states.

we snacked a bit, but then went into town for tea and coffee. almost everything was closed since it was sunday, but i still got a feel for the little town. we prepared a fresh healthy meal of salad and pasta with some olives for an hors d'œuvre and my new favorite cookies for dessert, petites ecoliers.

her roommate mathilde is very sweet and seems so innocent. she is from france, born and raised, and is studying anthropology.

yesterday i went into town and studied french while char taught her first two classes. we met her friend mel for lunch. again almost everything was closed since it's monday and the french n'aiment pas travailler.

while charisse taught her last three classes i worked on my travel plans for thursday, e-mails, and (ugh!) credit card/banking responsibilities. yes, i said it. even though i am here in this beautiful carefree country i still have to face reality and pay my bills!

mel, whose name is melanie!, is really beautiful. she's a german assistant here in manosque, but lives in aix. tomorrow we will stay with her since char has wednesday off and we're going to do some shopping and sightseeing in aix. mel is from austria, but i haven't told her about my obsession with the sound of music, nor have i asked her if she knows the von trapp family.

after char got off work we bought my train ticket at the station and went to hyperU, the french version of super target or walmart, but with more food than anything else. i am amazed at the cheese selection and decided if i ever live here i will have to challenge myself to try each one. it will be like julia roberts in runaway bride deciding how she likes her eggs prepared!

dinner, wine, and chocolate cookies - we had a relaxing st. patty's day since it's not too big here. (sorry stevieK) if i had been in paris or a big city it would have been different, but we will have a post-st. patty's celebration tonight in aix!

i've already decided i don't want to come back to the states. life just feels so right here! i am sure it would be different with a job and responsibilities, but i still feel like i should have been born european! the longer i am here the more sure i am about moving back... and i promise y'all can come visit!

bonne journée!