The 4 Reasons why people shouldn't mind airports

I love to travel, it's my favourite hobby, and I know I am not alone and that many people share the same fabulous hobby with me.
I strongly believe in that famous Saint Augustine quote, "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."
Cliche? Yes. True? Absolutely. I'm working on it, I've got a lot more pages to go ;)

So anyways, if I'm not traveling I'm usually planning and researching for my next trip. Whether if its studying different flight costs, looking up travel articles online or spending an afternoon in the travel section at Chapters, travel is always on my mind. Ever since I contracted the travel bug about 3 years ago I have been away as often as humanly possible for a full time student working a part time job. In fact, for the passed three years I have been away for about 11 months in total. But I'm sure other travelers would agree when I say that it's just never enough. It's a constant need for more. Discover more places, see more countries, eat more exotic foods and last but not least, drink more local wines.
I plan on keeping travel as a priority for the rest of my life. So, obviously this will mean quite a bit of time spent at airports for me, and the millions of other people who feel the same way. Thus, my most recent post. Here are the top 4 reasons why I actually really like spending time at airports, and you should too:

1. The tax free shopping

I don't usually delve into this too much, especially if I have another connecting flight, or if I'm coming back from a costly holiday, but everything is cheaper without the tax! ;)

2. Lots of time to read.

Yes, the majority of my most recent airport reading has been Cosmopolitan and Us Weekly, but still, it's a nice opportunity to take advantage of indulging in some solid monotonous literature. I'm writing this as I'm waiting for my flight to London in the Nice Cote D'azur airport and there is an abundance of gossip and fashion mags, I love it!

3. The opportunity for prime "people watching".

 This might sound cliché, but I really do love people watching in airports: the hellos and goodbyes between family members and lovers and the vast mix of people from all over the world. I often find myself trying to figure the people out.

4.  The feeling that you get when you know you're going somewhere.

I love pulling around my little carry on suitcase around the airport as I gaze through magazines and grab my last grande tea before my flight. It's strange how much I love the process of going through airports too considering how much I hate the actually flying part. I don't hate what alot of other people hate about airports either. I don't mind waiting in line for security, and I never get annoyed when they have to search through my things. Because really, who cares? All they're going to find is a laptop surrounded by cardigans and shoes.

The only thing I really hate, like I mentioned before is the flying part. The being on the plane. The huge, heavy metal thing that goes super fast into the sky with me strapped in holding on for dear life. I guess I just hate flying because I don't understand it. How does a plane lift off and stay in the air for hours at a time? How is this actually physically possible? I know there exists complicated physics behind it, but I don't care, I still don't get it. How can we just sit in a chair thousands of feet in the air, traveling over oceans and mountains...while I eat peanuts, drink tea and watch How I Met your Mother? It blows my mind that humankind has created an invention like flying, and it's actually incredible when you think about it. 

But once I get over that whole idea, which is usually once we've hit cruising altitude and the "fasten your seatbelts" light has switched off, I usually listen to my iPod and start thinking of where I'm headed to and where I've been. 

 I love looking down out the window over vast landscapes and feeling so far from everything. Whether if it's between Abu Dhabi and Toronto or Rome and Madrid, I've always felt this way when I'm flying. It's a weird sort of disconnect and almost like a limbo between two worlds, between where I am and where I'm going:  vacation and home, warmth and cold, new exciting life and old familiar routine. Sometimes it's kind of like a reality check as well, back to the real world.

Which is exactly what it is for me right now, I'm headed back to Toronto for 10 days for the French spring break. A vacation in Toronto! Yay! It will be a little strange vacationing at my home, but I'm really looking forward to it. Not so much the weather, but I'm sure I'll manage. I'm definitely looking forward to starbucks, taking the subway and seeing friends.

And I'm especially looking forward to returning to even better weather in the French Riviera when I return on March 4th, I heard March is a beautiful time in that area and I can't wait.

So until next time!

bisous!

Getting motivated in the French Riviera

It has been a huge obstacle to overcome since being here, and I can't quite seem to figure it out, but I cannot get myself to be motivated to do anything strenuous over here. Whether if it's strenuous on my mind or on my body. Don't get me wrong, I have been doing quite a bit of thinking and walking since being here, but there is something about this French laissez-faire attitude that has gotten the best of me.
As you know, I am here for school. That is supposed to be my main focus, not shopping and not sightseeing. But, I can't remember this last time I actually did schoolwork here. I mean, yes, I had one exam, but I studied for probably about two hours in total for it, which is nothing compared to studying for a test back home. I just can't be bothered here. I have so many things I would rather do: go walk along the beach, go on a day trip somewhere, hang out with friends, go to the market, or whatever else really. Anything but schoolwork.

And to be honest, this trip has quickly become more of a vacation then a semester abroad. I'm not mad about it, just a bit disappointed in myself. I am usually a bit of a keener when it comes to my studies, but with all this beautiful weather and all of this charming French culture, I have become easily distracted.
I am taking eight courses here in France, so you think I would be busy and going crazy, but no. The school system here is so dramatically different than the Canadian system, that is seems ridiculously easy and laughable. Even though I am enrolled in my final year of a bachelor degree program back in Canada, I am enrolled in a Masters Program here in France. So, essentially, the Canadian undergraduate system is on par with the French postgraduate system. The "professors" are very laidback here when it comes to assigning work and only one class I've been in has had a syllabus. I asked my professor of Advertising and Communication how we were being evaluated and he said that "he didn't know." My other professor of Value Management, which is a luxury brand course, told me that he still hasn't decided - the course has been over for three weeks now and he promised he would send us a project outline "soon". We'll see about that.
Courses here will either give 4 or 2 credits, depending on if they are 30 hours or 15 hours in total. My university back home  (Ryerson) has an agreement with SKEMA (the university I go to here) that 6 credits from SKEMA equals one credit back at Ryerson. And , since I am taking four courses that give me four credits and four courses that give me two credits, I will be getting 4 credits back at Ryerson for doing this semester in France. I have also signed myself up for a course to do through correspondence from back home, which I have only just started. The Professor has been really good about giving exchange students some slack and keeping us up to date with what's going on back in the Toronto class. But, I really need to step up my game on this.
So now, it's down to crunch time. I've seen the gorgeous area that I live in and I've had about two months to bask in its beauty, and now I need to start concentrating on what I really came here for.  I don't see the weather getting worse, it's only going to get better from now until May (which is when I go back to Toronto) so I should figure out a way to get myself motivated before this beautiful corner of the world overtakes my intelligence. Any ideas?

When to go to Ventimiglia

FRIDAY!!!

This passed Friday, we went to Ventimiglia, which is a quaint little Italian town just across the France-Italy border. Ventimiglia literally means "twenty miles" and this town is about 4 stops after Monaco on the regional Cote D'azur train. This commute is only about an hour and a half and 9 euro train ride from where I live in France.
I have been wanting to go here ever since I first arrived on the French Riviera at the beginning of January because I've heard such lovely things about the market. Every Friday, even on Christmas day, there is a market that takes over this tiny town. I was expecting the market to be quaint, just like the town, but in actuality the market is about 5 kilometers long, winding through the streets and around corners and stretched out along the promenade. Little white tents are set up like dominoes selling everything from leather goods, to jewelery to pashminas and clothing , to oil and cheese. This market is also widely known as being one of the best "black markets" in all of Europe, so obviously I had to check it out.
I was in the company of my lovely mother who loves looking for a great deal back home in Canada, and she was beyond thrilled to learn that I was taking her to Italy to spend a day at a renowned marketplace. Thrifting is her paramount hobby and she is very good at it, so I was happy to experience this market with someone like her.
We arrived in Ventimiglia at about quarter to 11 and followed the crowds of people that come from all over France and Italy to explore this market and all it has to offer. Every Friday the town averages about 5,000 visitors, which is alot for a place with a population of 55,000. We walked, almost like a herd, towards the rows of tents. I told myself not to buy anything within the first hour, because I would probably find a better deal further along. But, of course I couldn't help myself and bought a pair of beautiful grey leather boots almost immediately. After a couple of hours of nosing around and purchasing more amazing finds, we decided to sit out on a patio along the Mediterranean for lunch. The weather has been back to being lovely again, and it has been sunny almost every day for the past week and a half with an average of 15 degrees. I love it! We also took a couple cappuccino breaks and managed to lose eachother for about half an hour in the crowds of people. Luckily, we had a meeting point in case something like that happened, which isn't completely out of the question for two women in a shopping frenzy. After finding eachother again, it was almost 5 o clock and the market was starting to shut down.
The market is usually open from 8am-5pm every Friday and even though Ventimiglia is a beautiful town, I wouldn't suggest going on any other day. If you can go early on a Friday morning, you can experience the market before lunch and then venture around the town afterwards to see all the other sites it has to offer: like, the Romanesque cathedral, the old town and the stunning views from the beach.

I will definitely come here again!!

Things to do in Eze Village

1. Walk through the cobblestone streets
2. See the Exotic gardens - and more importantly the panoramic view
3. Grab a crepe or a glass of wine and sit on a patio



Yesterday we decided to go to Eze village, which is a few stops before Monaco on the Cote D'azur regional train. I wasn't sure what to expect, because I haven't heard much about this place, but it was absolutely breathtaking and I'm so surprised I haven't heard more people talking about it.
To start it off, I knew the day was going to be wonderful because my mom is currently visiting me right now! She hasn't been to Europe since she was 17, so it's nice to be able to show her around this corner of the world. We were going to go to Monaco, but than decided against it last minute to visit this little medieval place called Eze. We got off the train at Eze sur Mer and waited about 45 minutes for the bus #83 to come and pick us up to take us up the winding road along the mountainside. I felt a little nauseous going up these steep and curving roads, but I figured the bus driver knew what he was doing. Eze village is perched up ontop of a mountain, 1400 feet above sea level and offers spectacular panoramic views of the Riviera.
This village is also widely known for it's medieval streets and tiny courtyards, but I wanted to explore it more. We walked through all the main cobblestones streets and walked into little shops where we had to duck down to enter through the door.  The village was founded in the 8th century and most of the buildings were built between then and the 10th century, which when it was overtaken by the Moors. So aside for all this history, the village of Eze is also an alluring accommodation hotspot for the rich businessmen who frequent the annual Grand Prix in neighbouring Monaco. People like Bill Clinton, the Prince of Monaco and other notable people have stayed here. The village has only one hotel: Chateau Eza, which is a luxury boutique hotel that was made famous in the 1800's when the Swedish Royal Family visited here and called it their winter home. We decided to walk into the reception, which was a tiny entrance around a little cobblestone corner, and the room was only big enough to fit a desk with a french lady behind it. She asked us if we wanted to see the price list and we said okay, and it turns out that you need at least 300 euros to stay here in a standard room for one night. We shied away from this and went on to the top of the village to see the Jardins Exotique. (the exotic gardens).
This was probably my favourite part of the whole village because it offers the best views of not only the surrounding area, but the village itself. It was 4 euros each to go into the gardens and the gardens itself have statues of different ancient goddesses alongside cacti and other exotic flowers. This is where the old fort used to stand which was built and torn down hundreds and hundreds of years ago. The weather up here was brisk and reminded me of Canada in the winter, but we stayed long enough to take a few pictures.
Afterwards we went to a little restaurant beside the gardens, I forgot the name, and had a glass of wine, hot chocolate and split a prosciutto pizza. There were alot of restaurants with patios, and I wish we could've sat on one, but it was so cold up on the mountain that we had to go inside. I'm sure I'll come to Eze again during my semester abroad and when it's warmer I will definitely sit out and enjoy some vin.

Even more things to do in Monaco

1. go to the Oceanographic Museum
2. Eat at a luxurious McDonalds
3. Drive along one of the coastal highways

I really hope this is isn't going to be the only place I frequent on the Riviera, and I'm sure it won't be but for some reason I keep being drawn to this place. Monaco is absolutely incredible. This is the third time I've been in the past month and it is definitely one of my favourite places in Europe. Everything about this city/country is remarkable. It has the lowest unemployment rates in the world, highest GDP per capita and no ghettos. I love the feeling of exclusivity you get when walking through the Monte Carlo casino lobby, or the complete awe that overcomes me from just walking around this city. All of the palm trees, penthouses, Rolls Royces, casinos and Valentino shops. I've never been to Vegas, but I'm convinced that Monaco is so much better.

So, yesterday we decided to go to Monaco again, not for the casinos, not for skating and not to see the palace... to look at fishes. Yes fishes, we decided to go to Monaco to visit the world famous Oceanographic Museum which actually turned out to be a surprisingly lovely day.  To start it off, we drove to Monaco instead of taking the regional Cote D'azur train that runs along the coast. It was really nice to drive and we got to see different scenery on the way there. The museum itself is huge and built on top of a cliff towering over the Mediterranean. The waves were a bit choppy and smashing against the cliffs, and this was an amazing view. I tried to take a picture of it, because it was so striking, but my little SONY digital camera just didn't justify the view.  Oh well.
The aquarium itself was on the lower level of the Museum and there were no dolphins or whales or anything but mostly fish, fauna, little sharks, eels and whatever else along those lines. It was still alot of fun, and I think we spent a good two hours there before making our way to McDonalds for lunch.

I usually don't like to go to McDonalds too much while I'm abroad, not only because it's embarrassing but also because I firmly believe in exploring new and different cuisines. Food is such a central passion in my life and I love discovering new foods. I'm usually quite adventurous with foods and will try anything once. This way of thinking usually helps me steer clear of walking into any foreign McDonalds, but sometimes, I just can't help myself. Like today, I should've been going to a cute little cafe and ordering whatever the local special was. But no, I had to go to Micky Dee's and get a burger...but, it was so good. There's this burger called the CBO (chicken, bacon, onion) that I've had a couple of times when living in Spain and Italy and I was so happy to see it here in France/Monaco too. So, of course I ordered that with a bottle of Evian and salad (so, I can't feel too guilty) and then had a cappuccino and macaroon afterwards from McCafe.  I'm not too sure if McCafe has made an official introduction to Canada or not yet, but I hope it does soon because it rules. McCafes are usually at every McDonalds  in Europe and have lovely little pastries, fresh squeezed orange juice, cappuccinos and lattes and it's surprisingly good. The creation of McCafe was obviously to appeal to a more European market, but could definitely compete with Starbucks or Second Cup.

Anyways, after finishing up our cappuccinos we headed back to the car and drove back to Antibes. But this time we didn't take the toll highways - we took a more scenic route along the coast which is over double the time, but definitely worth it. We drove through little villages and beside the lower Maritime- Alps all the way through towns like Eze, Cap d'Ail and Nice. I was in the company of good friends and good conversation the whole way, so the drive itself is one of my most favourite parts of the day. There a few picturesque coastal highways that you can take when visiting the Cote D'azur: the Basse Corniche which goes along the sea, the Moyenne Corniche (Highway 7) which goes through Eze-Village, and the Grande Corniche that goes through La Turbie and Col d'Eze.

Maybe the next time we go to Monaco I'll have a list of even more things to do!

France wants to give me money?!

Ohhh, look what I came across today. I was all about saving my money as much as possible until I saw this. Now all I want to do is go shopping:

Non-EU residents are eligible to receive a refund of the Value Added Tax (VAT, or détaxe TVA in French) on goods purchased in France. This is 12-15% for regular goods, up to 33% for luxury goods (no refunds applicable for food, beverage, tobacco products, postage stamps, weapons, cultural treasures, and consumer vehicles).


How it Works

• Find a participating store (not every store wants to bother with the paperwork, nor are they required); all department stores and most luxury shops offer the refund. Look for the Tax-Free sticker on the door of smaller boutiques.

• Spend over €175 within one store on the same day.

• The shop assistant will fill out a special form (you’ll need your passport or a copy) that you need to keep with your receipt.

• Have the form stamped at the airport customs desk before leaving the EU. Give yourself an extra hour at the airport for this. Have the items purchased handy in case customs agents want to see them. Mail the form back to the store (many provide pre-addressed envelopes for this) within three months to receive the refund by credit card or check.

It's decided. I'm buying a REALLY nice pair of shoes and/or a REALLY nice handbag. I deserve it.
This is also really good news for anyone wanting to shop in Europe. I did a little research and this is true all over the EU.

Happy shopping!

Tea and other Important Things

Coming from a British background, I have been raised on tea and have been brought up on the notion that embracing tea is part of life. Tea in the morning before breakfast, tea after lunch, tea during the day, tea after dinner, tea when watching my favourite show, tea when playing scrabble with my nana, etc. There has definitely been an overwhelming domination of tea in my life. Don't get me wrong though, I still enjoy a nice cappuccino every now and then, but for the most part I am all for the tea.
So since moving here to France, I have had to overcome the obstacle of finding the perfect tea place. And, I think I've done well. Aside from the usual Choopy's visit (see Choopy's post below) I have also been buying different loose leaf varietals at this cute little shop in the heart of Old Antibes. The place is called "Cafes au Negus Blanc" and it's on Rue Republique which is kind of like the gateway street between the Old Town and the not-so-new town. It's right across from the Carousel. The inside is not very big, but just big enough to hold many wonderful teas, coffees and chocolates. I have personally bought a couple different Earl Greys here, wish is my favourite, along with the current special: the Prince William. Yes, I bought it just for the name because I completely adore Prince William. But, it actually tastes quite nice, go figure. I have also bought the most perfect little pink floaty tea steeper from this store, and I love it!

We have also managed to score these amazing mugs since being here, we found them at this department store called Maxi Bazaar. They are vintage-looking and are basically cereal bowls with a handle. This is perfect for me because I love big cups of tea. I'm the kind of girl who orders a Venti from Starbucks. I'm probably a little weird over here in that sense, because everyone here seems to enjoy their daily dose of caffeine in a little espresso cup.
So to anyone traveling Antibes in the near future, if you run out of anything practical - be sure to go to Maxi Bazaar.

I will finish off this post by saying that lovely tea is available everywhere, even in the South of France. If a confused, non-French speaking exchange student from Toronto can find excellent tea, just think of what you can do.

More things to do in Monaco!

Classes were cancelled again today because of snow. But it turned out to be one of my most favourite days here so far. It was so sunny, about nine degrees and no clouds in the sky. So, we decided to make the most of it and my friend Ryan, Nicole and I went to Monaco for the day. We wanted to go a little less dressed up and really explore this city (country, or whatever.) We walked ALOT and ended up skating near the port. It was only 6 euros to rent a pair of skates for half an hour. So worth it. We also walked up to the palace and got an amazing view of Monaco. We went out for lunch, ate crepes and went to a petting zoo too. To top it all off, we ventured our way back towards the casino and found a Laduree store, which is Nicole's favourite thing in the whole world. They sell the best macarons. I had raspberry, so yummy.
Here's some moments from today! xxx