Day 4

June 30, 2013

Molly and I started out the day once again by running to the store to get a few more supplies. As one of the girls on our trip pointed out, it seems like the French must go to their local store almost every day. They charge for bags at stores here, so people are inclined to bring their own bags and to not buy more than they can carry. Today Molly and I stopped at Monoprix and a store that sold fresh fruits and vegetables. I was finally able to say "J'ai une allergie aux pêches" (or something resembling that) as one of the workers offered us a fresh peach to try. I hadn't actually had to tell anyone about my allergies in French until then. I did get some bananas, strawberries, and potatoes, so I should be pretty stocked on groceries for a while. 

Our main event of the day was visiting Cassis, a small town several miles outside of Marseille. We got to take a boat tour of the calanques, visit a local beach, and have some free time to go shopping. Molly bought a neat souvenir clock for her apartment, and I got three postcards. I've decided to collect a postcard from every country or city that I visit so I can make and frame a collage when I get back to the states. Molly and I talked with some of the other girls about possibly going back to Marseille sometime in the future so we can explore the small town a bit more.

When we got back to Marseille around 6:30 we found out that there was going to be a free jazz concert tonight at the Vieux Port. We had a cheap dinner eating in and went to the concert later on in the evening. We had to navigate the subway system to get downtown. We have metro passes provided by our program, but it was the first time we'd been on the subway without any help. We only stayed at the concert for about half an hour before we decided to come home (we have to be up early tomorrow). It was a bit confusing to find our way back to the hotel because the subway station we'd originally used had been shut down due to the crowd. It took us a bit of walking to get to the next station, but we still managed to have an early night and were back home well before midnight. 

Tomorrow we'll get a tour of Euromed and have our school orientation. Molly and I still don't know if we have actual classes tomorrow or not. The only thing we really know is that we have to be downstairs by 8:30 to catch a bus to school with everyone else. I'd nearly forgotten I was here to take two classes. Hopefully school won't be too boring.