robertlaskarzewski

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Blog Thirty-Three

After Nancy, I was back in Paris for a day before I would be heading South to Bordeaux.

Situated on the banks of the Gironde Estuary, it’s less than an hour from the Atlantic coast. Bordeaux is quickly becoming one of the most popular cities for young people to live at because of the lower cost of living compared to Paris. Bordeaux is undoubtedly most famous due to its position as one of the paramount wine-producing regions – not only in France but in the whole world. Bordeaux was once one of the most notable shipbuilding and port cities in all of France and still has retained the status as being an important economic center of France. Although the city is very lively and full of culture and tradition, the estuary maintains a muddy appearance putting a slight damper on the overall feel.

After Bordeaux, the next stop was the city of Toulouse, Southeast of Bordeaux. Also known as ‘the pink city’ because of the large use of reddish-pink bricks throughout the whole city, Toulouse is located about halfway between the Atlantic coast and the Mediterranean coast. The historical reason for the large use of brick is because of a large fire that destroyed large portions of the then-wooden structures a few hundred years ago. During the reconstruction efforts, they chose not to use wood to avoid a similar fate in the future. During the duration of my visit, it was incredibly hot, the heat suffocating at certain times. Toulouse is also (like almost every city in France and in the world) located along the banks of a river, in this case being the Garonne River.

Before going to the Mediterranean coastal city of Montpellier, there would first be a stop in the city of Carcassonne, a medieval city located between Toulouse and Montpellier. Carcassonne is a city famous for its ancient city and walled fortifications that still stand today. The walled city of Carcassonne reminds me a lot of the Mont-St-Michel walled abbey, located along the English Channel. Once again, it was very hot in this city but it was truly a very enjoyable city and a joy to visit.

 After Carcassonne, Montpellier was next on the list. A coastal city on the French Mediterranean Sea board and a popular tourist destination. If Toulouse was hot, then Montpellier was a descent into a fiery inferno. The heat reached close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the duration of the stay. Gracefully, there was AC at the accommodation.

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Blog Thirty-Two

After Utrecht, I was off to Cologne, one of the foremost cities in Germany (4th largest in Germany). I had visited briefly once before after getting on the wrong train the last time I was in Germany (visiting the nearby city of Dusseldorf).

Cologne is home to a very impressive cathedral with a tower that stands high above any surrounding buildings. Miraculously, it survived significant bombing campaigns that took place during the Second World War and still stands today. I also had one of the worst restaurant experiences in my life. I saw multiple cockroaches and a mouse inside, the latter of which made me immediately get up, pay, then leave. I enjoyed Cologne but I found the main market street to be incredibly crowded and a bit dirty. However, after walking a bit away from the center, the outer areas were a bit calmer and much more pleasant to be in.

After Cologne, the next stop was Luxembourg (the eponymous capital city of the country). I wasn’t sure what to expect from Luxembourg as it just wasn’t a relevant enough country for me to have formed an opinion on it. I was surprised by the city upon arriving as it has a unique geographical layout. The city of Luxembourg is separated in two plateaued sections by a deep valley that runs in between. The city reminds me a lot of France despite it sharing boarders between both France and Germany. The city wasn’t very big, and it didn’t feel very crowded at all but it certainly wasn’t empty.

I then spent a day each in Metz and Nancy, two smaller cities located in the North-Eastern region of France. Both cities were very nice and generally quite quiet cities. I liked both and thought they were quaint cities with their own little unique charm and characteristics. For instance, Metz is mostly surrounded by water and a series of walls and fortifications. Nancy on the other hand is mostly centered around its central square with bright stonework and facades.

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Blog Thirty-One

This past week I’ve been travelling through the Benelux region. It has rained every single day in the past  week and only let up once I had gotten to Utrecht. Every day was filled with damp walks throughout the historic cities and their slick cobble streets.

After Amiens, I was off to Arras – a city I knew only from its mention in various books. Arras was of strategic significance during World War I as soldiers used extensive tunnel networks underneath and around the city to gain a tactical advantage. Unfortunately, I was unable to see these tunnels as I was unable to get an appointment at a convenient time. Overall, I liked Arras and it was a quiet city with not a whole lot to do, but nice nonetheless.

My third French destination would be Lille, one of the biggest cities in the Northern region of France and feels it when you’re there as well. What I liked most was going to the bookstores in both Lille and in Arras – for me it’s almost more fun to look at books than to read them. I remember telling my volunteering coworker in Toulon that I spent more time looking at books than reading them, and he told me not to feel bad because over 90% of books are never read anyways.

Next on the schedule was Ghent, a city that was a little quieter but felt like there was much more to do. The main street of Ghent is completely packed with old historic buildings, namely the belfry, and several important churches. I went to the top of the belfry, but it wasn’t incredibly impressive, the city of Ghent is nicer from the street level than high in the sky.

In Brussels, I was not expecting to be impressed because I’ve heard from some of my friends that they didn’t care for the city very much. I was pleasantly surprised that the city was much nicer than I thought it would be. Another thing that surprised me was the sheer size of the city, which seemed to challenge the size of Paris even. Although the two are obviously not the same size, it can be easy to forget at times. I walked past a building completely surrounded by EU flags for the three days I was there and I wasn’t sure what it was, until I walked on the other side of it and saw that it was the European Commission building – one of the EU organizational branches.

In Utrecht, it surprisingly feels very similar to the United States, most notably due to the amount of English being spoken. Although I knew that English was a language spoken by many in the Netherlands, what surprised me most was that Dutch people spoke it between one another, especially when in the presence of other Dutch people. I don’t quite understand this cultural (linguistical?) phenomenon, but it was an interesting one for sure. Utrecht, like in Ghent, there exists a quite extensive network of waterways that are located within the city limits and are a significant part of local tradition and culture. I visited the Dutch Train Museum where there were dozens of old and significant trains, almost exclusively of Dutch origin.

[robertlaskarzewski]

Blog Thirty

I’ve decided I’ll change my blog format slightly, as is the case of recently when there were several days where I may have done very little, I think that I’ll try and follow some prompts that I was given at the very beginning of my “correspondence” agreement. Of course, if I have done something interesting, I would go into detail but it’s unnecessary and a bit redundant if I say that I didn’t do anything on a certain day.

On the 26th, I visited the Place de Vosges in Le Marais, a place that my French teacher has told me is where the French elite (used to) live. It was most famously home to famous writer Victor Hugo for a long span of his life (as he moved around frequently until settling down in the famous square). I thought that it was cool to be able to walk around his old home but really there wasn’t much to see in terms of exhibits/displays. I did enjoy the center courtyard area where there was a little museum café where you could enjoy a snack or drink in peace.

Interspersed with these things, I’ve spent a decent amount of time doing random errands in preparation for school as well as things that (hopefully) can progress my professional career somewhat in the future. Included in these activities was cleaning out my dorm and packing stuff away into a storage unit.

On Monday the 31st, I arrived in Amiens. This was to be the first day of my month-long travel throughout France, the Benelux Region, and Germany. After putting the last of my items in my storage unit, I left Cergy for Paris and left Gare du Nord in the morning for Amiens. For some reason, there weren’t any seats left on the train, so I had to stand for the hour-long ride. I arrived in an overcast city with a steady rain, something I had not been expecting in the end of July. The first thing I saw after stepping out of the train station was a tall tour that stuck out of the surrounding buildings. I then noticed the large cathedral sticking out of the buildings in the distance. Lastly, I noticed the large number of brick buildings that seemed to dominate certain portions of the city. To kill time, I looked for something to do and found out that there are canal boat tour rides available near the city center. I got to the welcome center and booked myself a ride through the labyrinth of canals. Unfortunately, the rain continued even during this ride making it a very wet ride to endure.

Up next after Amiens is Arras, followed by Lille, then Ghent, then Brussels, then Utrecht, then Cologne, then Luxemburg, then Metz, then Nancy, then back to Paris.

[robertlaskarzewski]

Blog Twenty-nine

Lately, the weather has been getting cooler and cooler. Recently, it’s been hovering around the low-70s with bouts of rain intermixed. I have been less active lately as I am gearing up (figuratively) for the month of August where I’m set to do lots of travelling. In the meantime, I’ve spent most of my time in and around Cergy with spontaneous trips out to Paris. It’s not that I’ve run out of things to do, but perhaps the glamor of Paris has worn off slightly. Regardless, I hope to rekindle my adventurous spirit in the coming weeks and I’m sure I’ll quickly begin to miss life in Cergy.

Monday, I stayed in Cergy and didn’t do much.

Tuesday, I went into Paris and ventured into le Sentier, one of my essential spots of Paris.

Wednesday, I didn’t do much, just stayed in Cergy.

Thursday, I spent lots of time in Paris. I really didn’t do anything, but I ended up getting pizza and going to sit down at a park to soak in the atmosphere. Later, once I had gotten back to Cergy, I went to go and see the new Barbie movie (in English with French subtitles).

Friday, I stayed in Cergy. I checked on my storage unit to make sure that my code works and dropped off a bag of clothes, I still have plenty of things to deposit.

Saturday, I went to Paris to get some more film. I made a mistake in the film that I had previously bought as I had somehow mistaken black and white film for color film. This has resulted in me having bought the wrong film and getting pictures that were not at all what I was expecting/desiring.

Sunday, I stayed in Cergy, not doing anything in particular. I finally got somewhere with my class registration as I finally got an email back after several days of no response. Frankly, this is one of the most inept and inefficient institutions I’ve had to deal with, from my perspective. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be communicating in English or in French, and furthermore cohort students aren’t necessarily considered “full” ESSEC students as we are exchange students.

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Blog Twenty-Eight

As the school year approaches, I become growingly cognizant of many menial tasks that need to be completed at my end – mostly for administrative purposes for my school – regardless, there is plenty that I still need to do besides travel (unfortunately).

Tuesday, I left Cergy in the afternoon to go to Moulins, a city located in the central area of France, chiefly to attend the finish of a Tour de France stage – the world’s pre-eminent road bike racing competition. The city of Moulins is not very big and has not actually hosted the Tour de France ever, making this a first for the small city. Frankly, there is not much happening in the city however I did find the city center interesting as it kept some of its medieval road/city layout with narrow streets and distinct architecture. After my three-hour journey to the city, I deposited my belongings at my Airbnb, then wandered the streets of Moulins. After just a few hours, I had seen everything. The city is quite small so there is not much to see, and the “sights” are of little significance to me (and most other people, probably).

Wednesday, the actual stage of the Tour de France actually happened, meaning that a lot more people were present in the city along with the accompanying “cast” of the competition – the logistics crew, trucks, cars, vans, and other coordinating bodies. Before the actual bikers were to pass by the finish line, a long caravan of sponsors passed by about an hour beforehand throwing all sorts of items into the crowd lining the side of the road. The caravan gave out items that included keychains, shirts, fanny-packs, and drinks. The riders passed me just as quickly as they had arrived, going over 65 km/h and reaching 70 km/h at their fastest point. I headed back to the train station shortly after the end as there was little for me to see from my vantage point in the depths of the crowd.

Thursday, I stayed home in Cergy – recovering from my long previous day.

Friday, I went to Paris in hope of seeing the Bastille Day parade but was disappointed to find out that the parade had happened much earlier in the morning. I went home without seeing anything indicative that it was their national holiday besides a large French flag hanging from the Arc de Triomphe.

On Saturday, I stayed in Cergy but went for a quick walk to the Axe-Majeur, a large monument overlooking the Oise River.

Sunday, I went to the city of Chateau-Thierry, a city located around 50 miles North-East of Paris. It is best known for its historic past, significance during World War I, and its position in the Champagne region. Although the city seemed a bit big, it is mostly due to the amount of industrial development that has taken place near the edges of the city. Due to its strategic significance during World War I, fighting took place in and around the city – notably with the involvement of American soldiers. As such, there was a monument created in memory of those who fought, resting on a hill above the valley.

[robertlaskarzewski]

Blog Twenty-Seven

Monday, I visited Westminster Abbey, the church in which British royalty are coronated (along with other important royal events, I assume. It was quite an impressive church but it was extremely crowded, furthermore my visit was made worse slightly when someone threw up inside the sacred building. The sheer number of placards made for those deceased is immense – in some areas statues and stones dedicated to famous dead people are crowding one another out. Afterwards, I went to Piccadilly Circus to look around the shops – Barbour and Waterstones in particular (I didn’t get anything besides a tea from Waterstones). Later on in the day, I visited the Royal Mews where royal horse carriages are kept (along with the horses that draw the carriages).

On Tuesday, the fourth of July, I would go to Harrods department store – an English equivalent of the Galeries Lafayette but even more expensive. I didn’t care for the store too much as the building had quite low ceilings in some areas, giving an unpleasant crowded sensation.

Wednesday, I would return back “home” to Cergy. My train back went very smoothly, and I got to try an English food staple, the sausage roll.

Thursday, I would spend a small part of the day in Paris, but I got bored very quickly so I went back to Cergy.

Friday, I visited the city of Vincennes, a city located right on the southern border of Paris. At one time, Vincennes (more specifically the Chateau of Vincennes) had been home to high French nobility and royalty but not since the time of the Hundred Years’ War. Nowadays, it seems to me a nice escape from the bustle of Paris. The city is nice and clean, however the lack of greenery in the city center was a little off putting to me.

On Saturday, I visited the city of Mélun, a city located south-east of Paris. Although it isn’t located incredibly far from Paris, it took me about 2 and a half hours to get there by train. There isn’t much to be seen or done in Mélun, but my goal was simply to visit a new department (departments are similar to states in the US but even smaller, like something between the size of a county and a state). After arriving, I decided to just walk around the city to see what was going on and what there was to do (spoiler: not much). The only things of interest in the city were the Musée de Gendarmerie (museum of police) and an old clocktower.

Sunday, I did basically nothing – just staying in Cergy and doing random errands.

On Monday, I headed into Paris to go and look at the sales going on in the big malls (a mid-summer sale, I suppose). I didn’t find anything close to my price range so I decided to head back.

[robertlaskarzewski]

Twenty-sixth Blog

It’s hard to believe but this marks one half of a year that I have been recording my study abroad journey on this blog. I’ve done so much with so much more left to be done and to be experienced that it’s truly hard to believe.

On Monday, I went to Reims, a city in the Grand-Est region of France – as the name (in French) suggests, it is one of the furthest East regions of continental France. The city is mostly known as being the de facto capital of champagne production as it is in the center of the champagne producing region. Despite champagne being considered a recognized region where champagne is produced, it is not actually an administrative region in France and has not been for some time now.

Tuesday, I went to one of the many champagne houses headquartered in Reims – Maison Pommery. While there, you are able to visit the ancient caves where champagne is stored and and aged before being sold (and consumed). Afterwards, I visited the Basilica of Saint-Remi, one of the most impressive cathedrals that I’ve seen in all of France (and even Europe). Something about its relative simplicity compared to many other churches while remaining very grandiose was very impressive to me. It is the site where several very early French kings are buried and associated with the larger cathedral in the city.

On Wednesday, I spent the day travelling back to Cergy from Reims.

Thursday, I went to Montmartre in Paris and went around various bookstores. I always enjoy stepping inside bookstores to see what they have, although I’m guilty of spending more time looking for books to read than actually reading them.

Friday, I took the train from Paris Gare de Nord to the London St. Pancras station. The train I took was delayed by more than an hour which grants possibility of a 25% cash refund on the price of your ticket – something you never see for flights. I didn’t do much because I was so tired from the train ride that I just went straight to bed more or less.

Saturday morning, I went to a bookstore called Daunt Books – a famous bookstore (chain) located in London. The store itself is beautifully decorated and has the feeling of a well-established and intellectual center for readers. Afterwards, I visited the Sherlock Holmes museum where you can visit a model of the real location (modelled after the fictional location) of where Holmes and Watson would have resided. I found it to be quite interesting but I was a little confused when the guide referred to Holmes as a real person. After this, I visited the outside of Buckingham Palace and got to have a glance at the world-famous King’s (previously Queen’s) Guard.

Sunday, I visited most of the big ticket tourist things: Tower Bridge, the London Eye, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly Circus. I was a little confused because I had thought that Tower Bridge and Big Ben were part of the same area but they’re actually quite a ways away from one another. I also liked Piccadilly Circus although I didn’t realize that it is mostly known for being the center of lots of shopping in London.

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Twenty-fifth blog

On Monday, I went to the Museum of Natural History, near the Latin Quarter neighborhood of Paris. It is situated in a large building with an open layout. Most of the exhibits consisted of taxidermized animals, preserved insects, as well as various fauna. Later, I went to the Pantheon, one of the most revered places of burial for famous and remarkable French citizens. The likes of famous French writers, philosophers, scientists, and generals are all entombed in the crypt of the large Roman-style building.

Tuesday, I was in Paris once more. This time, I visited two of the most famous malls in the city (in my opinion) – these being the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. I prefer the Printemps more as it is usually less crowded and has more interesting things (as well as things I would actually consider buying and not just luxury brands).

Wednesday, I visited the area of Cergy around my school because I had to go and visit some housing options for my upcoming semester. These encounters had mixed results, unfortunately. There was a batch of ducklings I got to see at the park which made up for it.

Thursday, I went to the Chateau de Chantilly, an old and historic place located a little more than a half an hour North of Paris proper. It is named as a chateau second only to the Chateau of Versailles (I’m not too sure about this but it’s just what I’ve read). While there, you can visit the grand stables which used to house the horses that were used for the king’s hunts in the surrounding forests. The grounds of the chateau are quite large and take about two hours to traverse the perimeter (at least). This is nothing, however, compared to the Chateau of Versailles which can take more than 6 hours, from what I’m told.

Friday, I again went to the Galeries Printemps – this time with a defined mission: acquire a new pair of shoes. I was successful as there was an ongoing sale on most of the things in the shopping mall. I got a pair of Geox shoes, almost identical to those I had gotten more than five years ago (also in France).

Saturday, I went to the Le Marais neighborhood in Paris. It is known as one of the more upscale and richer areas of Paris that isn’t outside or located directly next to government buildings. While there, I visited the Museum Carnavalet which depicts the history of Paris, most notably in the form of period rooms that display rooms of the mansion as they would have appeared hundreds of years earlier.

Sunday, I went to the Longines Global Champions Tour horse show, being hosted right in the center of Paris, just a stone’s throw away from the Eiffel Tower. The point of the show is for the horses and riders to complete the given course in the fastest time with the fewest number of faults (given for knocking over parts of a jump, a bit like a hurdler in track and field). It was a very interesting experience and was worthwhile to watch, even in spite of the over 90-degree Fahrenheit weather in Paris.

[robertlaskarzewski]

Twenty-fourth blog

On Sunday, I went to the flea market of St-Ouen in the northwestern part of Paris, far from the center. Although I didn’t find anything in particular, I was found by a torrential downpour that sent all the vendors into a frenzy to cover their prized treasures in plastic film or tarpaulin.

On Monday, I went to Mont-Valérien, a city on the Western outskirts of Paris located near the Financial center of La Défense. My goal was to visit Fort Mont- Valérien – an imposing fort built to defend Paris during the mid-19th century. Unfortunately, due to its current status as an active military base, I couldn’t actually visit the inside and had to settle for a walk around its perimeter.

On Tuesday, I went to Meudon, a city in the southern suburbs of Paris – known for being the site of a location of the Observatory of Paris that rests on the old site of a Chateau belonging to French royalty. The chateau has since been destroyed but nonetheless, its grounds are home to the large domed observatory.

On Wednesday, I stayed relaxed in Cergy not really doing a whole lot. I walked around the area and came across a small, wooded area with brick paths running through it like a gridded set of roads.

Thursday, I spent the day in Paris near the Arc de Triomphe.

Friday, I went to the Louvre and got to see all the classics: The Mona Lisa, Liberty Guiding the People, and my personal favorite being paintings by Jacques-Louis David (Oath of the Horatii and The Coronation of Napoleon being a couple). It was quite packed inside the museum and as a result, it was a bit warm inside (even with the air conditioning). There was a temporary exhibition inside showcasing Art from the Islamic world, a quite intriguing exhibit that I was unable to fully appreciate as I was just so tired.

On Saturday, I went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, the latter of which I had done before but the former being something I had never done. It was a bit nerve-wracking at times standing on an elevator ascending to the top of a thin structure, but I reassured myself that it was safe. The view was quite nice from the top, however, there was a huge rain storm that quickly appeared and essentially ground operations to a halt for about fifteen minutes.

On Sunday, I went to Montmartre area (an area I have visited several times already), the Père Lechaise cemetery (an area I had never been to), and the Galeries Lafayette (a place I have been to a few times). I liked all three places although I think that going to the cemetery is a bit of a one-time thing and I’m unlikely to revisit anytime soon. (It rained again later in the day).

[robertlaskarzewski]

Varied film pictures I've taken in France

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Twenty-third blog

Monday, it was my last full day in the South, and I would be going to Saint Tropez and Ramatuelle with my co-workers. Saint Tropez was more or less exactly how I had expected it to be – full of nice cars and rich-looking people, coupled with some nice weather. After checking out the city, we then drove to the city of Ramatuelle, a small village situated in the hills of the South with a nice view of the Mediterranean Sea. We walked briefly around the village, but the main objective was to have lunch, and afterwards we were to go to a nearby beach (that would later be foiled by the onset of rain). The drive back took longer than expected as we passed through some windy roads in the hills coupled with the on and off rain showers.

On Tuesday, I was happy to be going back to Cergy for a sort of return to normalcy. My work was not yet done however, as I still needed to move my stuff from my storage unit to my actual apartment. I ended up not moving everything all at once because I was so tired from my train ride earlier in the day.

Wednesday, I finished moving all my stuff from my storage unit into my place. Also, I went to Paris to go and look at the Roland Garros tennis tournament, but I was unable to enter the grounds as I had no ticket.

Thursday, I did more walking around the city of Paris, not really seeing anything interesting in particular. I stayed around the neighborhood of Le Sentier, as it was suggested to me by one of my French classmates last semester and I’ve been attached to it ever since.

Friday, I again (big surprise) went to Paris to walk around and spend time in. It seems like the tourist season has finally caught on as certain areas of Paris are more busy than I’ve ever seen in my whole time here.

On Saturday, I went into Paris with nothing planned really. I ended up stumbling upon one of the city’s many museums – this time, the Jacquemart-André museum. Formerly the mansion that housed the art collections of a wealthy French couple, it has now become a museum available for the public to visit. At this time, there was a temporary exhibit showcasing the work of Italian painter Giovanni Bellini. Overall, I wasn’t terribly impressed with his art but some of it did seem surprisingly contemporary considering its age.

[robertlaskarzewski]

Twenty-second blog

On Tuesday, I had an enthralling day of meetings and discussions with the team at Le Rocher. Later in the day, we had (as usual) a school help session for the kids in the late afternoon. Thankfully, the session went smoothly and without any troubles or hiccups.

On Wednesday, we hosted a Zumba class in the morning where a lady came in and led a class with the kids where we danced all together. I have never done anything like this, so it was all new to me, allowing me to be experiencing it just as the kids were. Later, we played with the kids in the neighborhood, occupying myself with playing soccer with some of them.

On Thursday, I helped put up flyers for an event that was to be happening the following week (a soccer tournament for kids in the area). Afterwards, I ended up going to get “tacos” with some of the other volunteers and one of the kids that comes around often. A French taco is nothing like that in which I am used to in the United States – first of all, it is closed (which in my book makes it a burrito), and there’s no rice, beans, or any traditional Mexican element to it. If anything, it reminds me more of a kebab wrap, but not at all like a Mexican taco.

On Friday, we had an uneventful morning of meetings followed by a very eventful escape room. The team all went to the center of Toulon to do an escape room challenge as a sort of team building activity (although we all were well acquainted with one another already). We did it in 55 minutes (with an allotted time of 70 minutes) and the woman who was working there suggested to attempt harder challenges than the one we did. Later, we ended up going to a pool belonging to one of the Le Rocher volunteers that comes in occasionally to help with the student tutoring sessions.

On Saturday, I had my last official day of volunteering with Le Rocher. We started the morning (as usual) with our café de rue segment where we offer coffee/tea to anybody that passes by. The typical response is a smile, a nod, and a ‘non, merci’ as they go on with their days. Occasionally, we can lure in some curious people who don’t know about the organization (or don’t know what/who we are). Later on, some of us went to go see a play that one of the students would be in.

Sunday, I went by myself to the nearby city of Cassis. After taking the train from Toulon Sainte-Musse to Cassis, I had to walk about 30 minutes until I had descended to the city proper. While I was eating lunch (mussels gratin, bream, and tiramisu) a light rain began coupled with a fierce series of thunder. While I sat outside, one of these strikes happened so close that the sound was like an explosion that happened a few streets over. Later on, I went to see one of the famous Calanques, but I was left extremely unimpressed by its appearance (after talking to some of the other volunteers, they told me that was the worst one out of all).

[robertlaskarzewski]

Twenty first blog

This week went by incredibly fast, but each day seemed to pass so slowly.

On Monday and Tuesday, I did very little on both days. I happened to have a long series of meetings with my organization on Tuesday of varying subject matter. As usual, I partook in the student help sessions provided every Tuesday (as well as Thursday and Friday).

Wednesday was a bit more interesting as the director had helped organize a rugby training session with a local professional rugby team. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any of the players, but we did get to train with some of the trainers that train with the players regularly. The kids seemed to like it for the most part, which is really all that matters when we do these events.

On Thursday, we again had a very long series of meetings (followed by the scheduled homework aid for the local kids). Afterwards, we had a session especially for the fathers of the kids that usually attend events. This was the first time we had an event like this because normally it is usually only mothers that come by the location to talk with the workers/helpers. We played pétanque with the dads and had a little barbecue setup

On Friday, I had another average day, much the same as Tuesday. It was slightly exciting because it was our last day before departing for a camping trip that would span from the 27th to the 29th at the Chateau de Castille.

On Saturday, I and four other volunteers accompanied two students for the walk to the chateau. As expected, the kids were quite difficult to walk with and would constantly demand typical questions that a kid would ask during a long hike. Once we finally got there, the kids remained stalwart in being a general bother to us adults - much to our delight.

On Sunday, we had a mock set of Greek games with one of the volunteers serving as a commentator/narrator to help guide the teams. Later, we did something called accrobranche, essentially an obstacle course that you do suspend in trees while attached to a safety cord. I thought it was super fun, but it was quite difficult to do at some times.

On Monday, we had our final day of camp. We went to the beach and saw flamingoes in the wild(I) - sometimes | forget that animals in the zoo exist in the wild as well.

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Twentieth Blog

On Sunday, I went to the nearby city of Marseille, the capital of the region. To be honest, I have never heard any good reviews of the city from both locals and foreigners alike. The city felt very crowded when I went - possibly because it was a weekend day. I visited the port and a hill that overlooked part of the bay, but the main reason for my visit was to see an Olympique Marseille game, probably the second-best known soccer team of France. I was amazed by the atmosphere, and I would even say it was better than that of PSG, the best team in the nation.

Despite this amazing atmosphere, I was forced to leave shortly after the first half to catch my train back to Toulon. Once I got back, I realized that the bus service had already stopped and that I would be forced to take an Uber home. To my dismay, there were no Ubers available for my service and I was forced to go home by foot.

Monday, I had a rather uneventful day and just walked around the city of Toulon.

On Tuesday, I again had an uneventful day. I went for a run in the morning to the nearby beach where few tourists visit. I swam around for a little and enjoyed the bright sun. Later, I went into Toulon to get a haircut - an action which I would later regret - and to get flowers for my director - because I was going to have dinner at his place with his family later.

On Wednesday, I had a spur of the moment trip to Marseille again with one of my coworkers from Le Rocher. We visited the Mucem museum, one of the largest museums in the city, as well as a church that sat on a summit overlooking the entire city and the bay. I found the exhibit about Mediterranean food culture to be extremely interesting, as well as the scientific evidence supporting its proliferation.

On Thursday, I took a ferry to the nearby Island of Hyères and visited the city of Porquerelles.

The history of the island was very interesting as it had been bought by a rich French man in the 19th century and had been run very carefully and meticulously by himself and his family. Among the governing amenities of the island included subsidized farming projects and a local doctor.

The climate of the island reminded me of a mix between California and Hawaii (although the Hawaii part of this may have been because it was raining the day of).

On Friday, I went to Nice to visit some of my friends and stay to see a day of the Cannes Film Festival (a 30-minute train ride away).

On Saturday, we went to Cannes to see the film festival. Going into to the festival, I had little to no expectations as to who or what I would see. Once we got there, it seemed like my expectations were valid - droves of people were walking around with passes hanging from their necks that would be required to see screenings of new movies. Amazingly, after wandering around the city aimlessly, I came across the hotel where actors and actresses were getting into their taxis. Even more amazingly, I was able to see actors such as Robert De Niro, Kristen Durst, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

On Sunday, it was my final day in Nice and I would be returning back to Toulon. Unfortunately, it wasn't until the day that I left Nice that the weather was finally agreeable.

[robertlaskarzewski]

Nineteenth

Sunday, I got my first chance to really see the city of Toulon by myself. Unfortunately, almost everything seemed to be closed on Sundays and I could hardly find anything that was open. Not willing to accept defeat, I decided to go and visit one of the beaches of Toulon and lounge around for a little. From my understanding, the beach I went to had sand that was artificial as normally, it's just a beach of pebbles and stones. The weather was very agreeable, and it seemed like that's where most in the city had gone to for the weekend.

On Monday, I was off from volunteering technically, however, I had been invited to join the team at Le Rocher for a soccer game against another volunteer organization (of which I don't know the name of). The match was fun, but it was really a bit too warm to be playing soccer outside. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed myself and playing with the kids and other volunteers.

On Tuesday, I arrived at my organization in the morning to find everyone packing for what seemed to be a picnic or lunch of some sort. While this confused me a little bit, I didn't ask any questions and just got into the van with the other volunteers. After fifteen minutes of driving, I looked over to my director's phone and saw we still had another 45 minutes left until our destination (which I still didn't know).

Slowly the scenery changed into a more rural and hill-y environment until we finally arrived at a secluded hill with a church at its summit. After the other volunteers had partaken in a brief religious session, we left to go on a hike to a monastery on a 7 km round trip hike. I enjoyed the scenery, but the lack of wind made the hike slightly difficult. After getting back, we had our typical session for homework help that the organization offers every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

On Wednesday, we had an outing with some of the kids to go to the beach. Unfortunately, it was difficult to keep control over the kids as they seemed to feel that once they were in public, they were no longer under our jurisdiction. Later, we played soccer back near the building where we stay at and welcomed a new volunteer.

Thursday, it seemed like all we did was various meetings along with the typical homework session. I was a little frustrated in the morning because I arrived (early) and waited 20 minutes before receiving a call that they would be starting later than usual that day. I'm sure I had probably been told peripherally about this detail but I had clearly missed the memo.

Friday, I had some more meeting time about various random logistical things and further planning for the organization later in the month and rest of Summer. We also hosted a large lunch at our organization's location because we had been the host location for a training session for various members of the organization. And, as usual, we finished the day with our session with the kids to help them with their schoolwork.

Saturday, we had a rather uneventful day. In the morning we handed out coffee/tea on the street to anyone passing by (that wanted it. We had far fewer passersby than the previous week's session. Later, we were slotted to do a hike up one of the nearby mountains, but this ended up being cancelled due to some light rain earlier in the day.