I am still a little in shock (refer to title of post). I actually drove 9 hours from Redon to Argelès-sur-mer and stayed there for a week. It was so amazing! We stayed in a little mobile home not even a mile from the beach and I would run on the beach every morning and it was just like a little piece of paradise.
Ok, here's the story... (I feel like all I do on this blog is tell stories and I don't really make deep refections about my time abroad but talk more about the different ways I manage to embarrass myself in another country. Oh well. Anyways.)
We left Friday midday and drove about 6 hours to a town just below Toulouse and we stayed the night in a motel and then left by nine the next morning for another 4 1/2 hours of car time till we arrived in the south. While on the road the second day (Saturday), we stopped at a town called Carcassonne and toured a walled city, (typical) and it was really cool! There were shops and restaurants and people walking around and it was just a good atmosphere. We continued the trip and got to Argelès about 4pm and then we just unpacked the car and explored the campsite, which we discovered had 2 really big pools with impressive slides!! We ate dinner and went and explored the beach a little afterwards as well.
I got up and went for a run and then, since it was Sunday and we needed groceries, we went to a little village called Collioure and got some fresh fruit, veggies and seafood for the coming week. We did a little bit of walking in the tiny, winding streets but it started pouring rain so we cancelled our day and just went home and to the pool for the afternoon (the heated, indoor one, obviously). Monday was a good day! We got up and decided to go to Spain (because that is a thing that's casually done here) and do some shopping. We were only 30 minutes from the border so we packed a picnic lunch and just...went. I don't think any of the members of my host family realized just how cool it was for me that we just drove through a little box (the border check) and suddenly we were in a totally new country with new customs and even a new language. Now that I mention it, I actually was quite useless with my Spanish in Spain because where we went was the Catalan region so they barely even speak Spanish they all speak Catalan, even the road signs... so yeah. So much for that.
Anyways, we shopped in Spain for a bit and then we came back to France (!!!!!) (still not over it haha), and went to see an old fort that was the primary lookout fort on the border between France and Spain in a war but I don't remember which one. We went back to the campsite and spent the rest of the day in the pool. Tuesday was BEAUTIFUL! It was so warm and sunny (I wore shorts for the first time in I don't know how long) and we went back to the little village of Collioure and it was SO MUCH BETTER in the sun!! We wandered the little narrow streets filled with painters shops and little apartments above and Laetitia and I picked out about 10 that we would move into in an instant. I also ate the best baguette of my life (but if we're being honest here I say that after every baguette). After we had had our fill of Collioure (actually our parking ticket ran out but whatever), we went back to the camp and guess what we did....? POOL TIME! (You're super surprised, I know).
Wednesday, we went back over to Spain and toured some little villages on the coast. I had paella which was very good but I do prefer it when it is from the Valencia region, where it originated. Can I say that without being stuck up? I don't know.
THURSDAY. BARCELONA. WHAT?!
I still cannot believe I went to Barcelona. We drove two hours down south into Spain and after the hour we spent trying to park, we started the visit. I wish I could say it was everything I imagined it to be, but honestly I had never even imagined I would get to visit Barcelona so it kind of blew my mind. First we visited the Barcelona '92 Olympic stadiums (the pool and the track) and then we went and just wandered around till it was lunch time and time to move on with our tour. After lunch, we took the metro to the center of the city, called "La Rambla" and since it was the Catalonian National day, there were people selling roses everywhere. I bought one for myself, knowing full well that you are supposed to buy them for your "amoureux", if you will, and I just didn't care. When in Spain, you know. :) After that we went to the Sagrada Familia and even thought we came at the wrong time to actually go into it (there were specific viewing hours), I was still content to stand outside and be awestruck. My dad told me over Skype before that it was one of the coolest things he had seen in his life and I have to agree with him because it is honestly just stunning. After that, we went to Parc Guell, which is another art masterpiece by Salvador Dali. We didn't go in there either but I got a picture for Instagram and in this day and age, we all know that that's all that matters. We also went to "Camp Nou", the FC Barcelona soccer stadium and it was actually really cool even though I know absolutely nothing about FCB. By this time, we had walked almost 23 kilometers (11.5 miles for you americans) and our feet were killing us so we took the metro back to the car and headed home.
Friday. The last day. How depressing. We spent it packing up the tiny house and going to the pool (again).
Saturday. 11 hours in the car. Get home exhausted. Felt like I was actually home, not somewhere makeshift for the first time in a long time. :))
Muchas besos y amor de Francia!!! (lots of kisses and love from france)
Cecilia
Pictures are on my Facebook because I can't upload them here for some reason !!! :))
SOM-HI BARÇA!!
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