l'amour.

The couples in Villefranche melt my heart. I only took notice to the romance here this evening, while walking around and having dinner by the harbour.

There was one young couple fishing on the rocks. They had three rods set up and cast out. The man was laying on a towel on one of the rocks, with a drink set beside him. The woman was sitting on another rock a bit higher up. She had a baggy white tank top, and had a tattoo on the back of her shoulder.

There was another couple also by the water, sitting back-to-back while reading their books.

Another couple was eating dinner on their balcony that overlooked one of the busy, restaurant-filled squares. They were reading the paper and talking.

I also saw an elderly couple sitting together on a park bench under a palm tree, talking, and watching the people go by. I was one of them.

I couldn't keep thinking to myself how badly I want to do those sorts of things when I'm older. I hope more cute couples catch my eye while I'm here. It makes me so happy.

♥

School Begins.

Well...

not for me,

but for Lorraine and William.

Today was their first day at the French Institute.

Clara and I started our day with breakfast at the appartment. We had some fresh bread, jam, and fruit. After breakfast, we got dressed and walked down to the beach. It was such a beautiful day! The sun was shining, and the water was the perfect temperature. We looked for rocks and seaglass, filmed a few movies, and of course, we swam :)

Before heading back home, we stopped at a café for lunch, then fed the birds at the park. When we returned to the appartment, we washed off, read some stories, and Clara climbed up her bunk bed for a nap. The rest of the afternoon was my quiet time, so I filmed a tour of the appartment, and did some editing.

When Lorraine and William returned from school, we went out for dinner in the old town. There are SO many restaurants to choose from. Every night, we try a different one. So far, everything has been delicious! This evening, I had Prawn with Provencale Sauce and Vegetables. And for dessert, a chocolate crêpe.

The rest of my evening has been spent editing photos and videos. I've uploaded three today :)
If you want to check them out, I'll put links at the bottom of this entry.

Thanks everyone for all of the messages, it is so nice to hear from you all. I love being with Clara so much, but sometimes it's quite lonely not having anyone else to talk to. I really appreciate the emails and comments. ♥

Lots of Love,

Emma

VIDEOS:

Landing in Franfurt

The Beach!

Appartment Tour

The Appartment.

We are now

settled into our appartment in Villefranche.The school and appartment are at the top of the hill, which means we will be doing A LOT of walking. And sweating, haha.

This morning, we had breakfast at the hotel, on a balcony that overlooks the bay. After we ate, Clara and I went to the flea market and played in the park. At lunch, we went to one of the many restaurants in the winding alleyways. After lunch, William and Lorraine took us to the appartment - Clara and I hadn't seen it yet. It is amazing! I know I'm going to love living here. Hopefully I will get a chance to do a little tour video.

This afternoon, I've been unpacking my things and getting settled in. I also edited some photos, which will hopefully be on facebook soon. We don't have wifi here at the appartment, so I'll have to find a nearby hotspot or buy a portable stick.I will do my best to keep up with my blogging with the Blackberry.

I'll write soon!
Emma.

Departure and Arrival.

I am finally in Villefranche-sur-Mer! What a long journey it has been.

My morning started at 7:30 AM. I went to school, wrote my Soc.Exam, then left for the Toronto airport right after. When we arrived, we had a quick lunch, checked our baggage, and went through security. After all of our hugs and goodbyes, we went to wait for our plane in the Lounge. I was pretty cool there, although, the room was FILLED with people on their laptops - I wish I had taken a picture. It's amazing how isolated we can make ourselves, even in public. We boarded at 5:30 PM, and ate dinner shortly after we took off. During the flight, I watched Dear John, and started editing my Departure Video. We landed in Frankfurt, and transferred onto another plane that would take us to Nice. When we arrived in Nice, we took a taxi to Villefranche, and we arrived at our destination at around 10 in the morning.

Once we arrived, we checked into our hotel [we're staying at a hotel tonight, & getting the appartment tomorrow]. Then we went to a café for lunch in the village. It's Saturday today, which means it's market day in Villefranche. We passed dozens of fruit & vegatable vendors, fish vendors, jewlery and clothing stands, etc. I am so excited for next Saturday - it will definitely be a shopping day. After lunch, I ventured out on my own. I walked from the top of Villefranche, all the way down to the bottom, where the harbour and beach is. The village is VERY hilly, and it is filled with winding roads. To get to the beach, you have to walk through all of these intricate alleyways that are filled with restaurants, shops, and art galleries. It's a hidden treasure, and I can't wait to keep exploring the community. I'm hoping to discover a new place each day.

Well, it's past midnight here, so I'm going to get some sleep!

Here is the video that I made for today :)

Lots of love,
Emma

twenty two hours.

It is currently 7:00 PM, and in 22 hours, I will be boarding the plane for France. Today, I finished up the last of my packing, and studied for my Sociology exam [that's pretty much what I'll be doing for the rest of my night]. I'm so stoked to finish my exam, and finally embark on our adventure.

This evening,

we went out to the Whale n'Ale for dinner as a family. It was our last meal together before the big trip. We made a family vlog! Haha, a flog, if you will. Click here for video :)

♥Emma

two days.

I had a really great day today. ANNND, Bogo and I were both wearing vans.

three days.

Three days!
Two exams left to go.

Today, I spent most of my day painting the final touches on our mural for our art summative. It's looking great :) I'm so excited for it to be finished. (Hopefully by the end of the day tomorrow, it will be COMPLETE).

This evening, I went out for dinner with the amazing Woodlanders. It was great seeing everyone again :) Of course, we took a ton of pictures, and even filmed a couple videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awc0iSqk3wc

While waiting to be picked up, we saw a guy doing sweet tricks on his bike at Waterloo Square. I then yelled at him to continue, but he stopped. SO, I offered to do some Parkour, in exchange for more bike tricks. I succeeded :) He even let me ride his bike! A successful trade. That's my cool story of the day, haha.

Thanks for the great night guys!

Emma

four days.

I spent the entire day studying for my Art History exam on my couch. I'm still here.

Ughhhhhhh.

five days.

Hello again!
I have finally just sat down on my bed after this long day - but what a great day it was. This morning, I transferred all of my stuff from my original suitcase to a slightly larger one that we bought today. And yes, I have room for everything! :)

I also had my last shift at work today [before leaving on my trip], which was actually a lot of fun. Julie and Jon stopped by to say hi this evening, which was wonderful, because it's always wonderful to see them! {Both of them should be reading this, so, shout out to them!}

So today, I don't have a picture to post, but I did make a packing video! I will post it on my new Channel. Click here for the video.

Goodnight :)

Emma

♪Currently listening to: High Horses, The Swell Season

six days.

Today,

I finally started packing my suitcase & carry-on. My room was a wreck the entire morning. It took me about four hours to sort through all of my stuff, assign it a place, and pack it. The sad part of this story is, I actually need a bigger suitcase.

seven days.

A week from today,
I will be departing for France. ONE week!

Unfortunately I don't have a photo to post today. My day was mainly just spent at school, getting work done, and wrapping up classes - it was my last day today. When I got home, I was so tired [I've had some pretty late nights this week], so I just spent the evening resting. Pretty boring night, I must say. But the quiet time was much needed!

So I created a Youtube account today. I would love to share videos of my trip while I'm in France, so that's where I will post them. I will put links to specific ones in my daily blog entries. [My first uploaded video is linked in yesterday's blog entry]. I recently bought a Canon Powershot point & shoot camera, which is what I will be using to film. I tried it for the first time in St.Jacob's yesterday with Simona, Joel, and Josh, and I already love it! It will be nice to have while I travel.

Well, it's time for bed.
Goodnight! :)

♪Currently listening to: Collect Call, Metric

An evening in St.Jacob's.

This evening, Simona and I went to St.Jacobs, and met up with Joel and Josh for dinner at Vidalia's. We wanted to spend some time together before going separate ways this summer. It was a wonderful time, and the food was amazing.

Going on a walk along the Mill Race.

Thanks for such a great night guys. I missed you so much. I wish I could see you every single day.

VIDEO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Uw806_njwk

[My first video with my new camera]

A Late Night, & A Literature Review.

Today,

the countdown number has finally become one digit. Nine days. Now that's pretty exciting. But unfortunately, as much as I would love to celebrate, I'm working on my Literature Review for Sociology class. It's our final summative assingment for the semester. I cannot wait for it to be complete! I have a feeling it's going to be a late night.
Emma

♪Currently listening to: Take me Home, Futures

The Countdown Begins.

TEN DAYS LEFT TILL FRANCE.

I think I should write an entry and upload a photo for each day of this countdown, to document the excitement of my last ten days in Canada. Well, I'm mostly just doing exams, but I'm sure there will be a few fun things happening here and there.

Today, I pretty much longboarded all afternoon, and into the evening. Harrison and I hit up the most beautiful hill. We decided that we're definitely going back there more often. One thing that I am extremely sad about, is that there is no chance that I can bring my board to France. SO dissappointed. How cool would it have been to longboard in France?! Pretty cool.

I'm going to miss you.

Preparing for France.

Only twelve days left.
The date of our departure is quickly approaching, and everyday I get more & more excited.

I finally got a suitcase today! Just seeing it sitting here in my room is getting me so stoked. Packing is going to be stressful though. I'm going to be away from home for four weeks, and everything that I need for those four weeks has to fit in my suitcase. That's kind of a weird thought! I'm questioning my ability to pack four weeks-worth of my life into one suitcase, but I'm up for the challenge.

Record Time.

Hello again,
I officially made it home today in record time - 3:01 PM.
After Anthro class, I booked it to the bus stop, and managed to catch a bus that was just leaving. I then made it to the mall by 2:40, bringing me home at a beautiful 3:01. I am quite proud.

Even though I just got home, I am soon heading out with Lorraine to get traveler's insurance for France, and then I will be spending the evening with Clara, which I am really looking forward to. [Clara is the girl that I will be taking care of in France this summer]. Rebecca and I got the chance to play with her for a little while, when they came over for dessert a few weeks ago, but it will be great to spend more time with her this evening, and get to know her even more. She is the sweetest.

FRANCE COUNTDOWN: 21 days!
Happy friday,
Emma