France

France is a very interesting country. It has a certain je ne sais quoi, as they might say. There is a wealth of things to do and see from one city to the next. Paris, of course has the famous Notre Dame cathedral where the Hunchback lives. Then there is the Louvre museum which is so expansive you'll never explore the entire thing in one day without rushing through (and effectively not appreciating it). There's the Moulin Rouge (which I know of only because of the film), the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc of Triumph to name a few.

Wining and dining is a must. Wine is cheaper than water, French bread is everywhere, and you haven't lived until you've tried a fresh chocolate chip croissant and a crepe.

The only downfall is the general anti-English "vibe" if you will. In the Louvre, the largest museum in the world (I think) for instance, you would think there would be French, English, and maybe another language on descriptions. Nope. Only French. If you need directions or want to order food, be prepared that whoever you ask for assistance may immediately be annoyed with you. While it is not the case 100% of the time, as I encountered many very kind, warm, friendly locals, the majority seemed very put out when I asked (in French) if they spoke English. As one girl said while sitting next to me on a train,

"I don't do the English talk."

The Sea at Nice.AVI

The Sea, Nice

As described in the journal entry titled
"A Cheeseburger Economy"

“WHOOO!” I shouted as the water splashed against my belly-button. The water was quite cool. It reminded me of experiences as a kid at my buddy Will’s river house in southern Alabama. We would jump in the water, scream at how cold it was, then hop out immediately to warm up in the sun before jumping in again. After a few cycles of this, our bodies would adjust. Here, however, the sun was down and the breeze was constant, and I didn’t have a towel. Nora, meanwhile, had grabbed my camera and filmed my failed attempt to get in the water along with my retreat. She naturally made fun of me the entire time for being a wimp — and it was very warranted. It didn’t help that each time a wave would hit my waste, I would emit a high-pitched, falsetto yelp in response to the water’s temperature.

Nice II.AVI

Castle Hill, Nice

As described in the journal entry titled
"Waitin' On A Woman"

Again, the girls and I climbed and climbed all the way up to the fall. Only this time, we saw that the path actually continued beyond the waterfall. We followed it a little ways and found yet another lookout point which was very nice, but the path did not stop. The girls chose to stay there, but I was eager to find the very top. I therefore continued and discovered what was clearly the very top! The view from this point was absolutely brilliant! The sun was now barely over the mountains and just about to set! I knew the girls would want to enjoy this view as it was far better than any of the others, but I also feared that in the time it would take me to retrieve them, we might miss some of the setting. Yet, because I am a gentleman, I chose to risk it and raced back to find them and bring them up.

I managed to find the girls and get them up quickly before the sun hit the tops of the mountain range so we didn’t miss anything. I was disappointed that there had been no sign of Ashlyn and Rene, but accepted it for what it was. Instead, I focused on my excitement for the spectacle, and deep gratitude for the amazing friends I had with me to enjoy it with.