The Beginning...

I made it to Aix!

My highlights thus far:

• My hotel room has shutters like the ones at the beginning of Beauty and the Beast, and I can see a 14th century church tower from the window.
• I have not gone hungry, nor ordered anything vile by mistake (so far).
• I have not gotten lost yet.
• My internet cable works.  
• I met a very nice Greek doctorate student, who is visiting from Scotland, where she is studying, while we awaited the bus to Aix last night at the Marseille airport.  We chatted the entire bus ride.  She was very nice.
• I have not been yelled at, or made any horrible (that I know of) language errors yet.
• I have a map of Aix.
• I was thrilled to find a Zara here, and even more thrilled to find the same skirt I bought at Zara in Dallas for $20 for 40 Euros.
• I took advantage of the cheap prices of the matinee showings at the town movie theatre, and saw a French comedy.  I understood the basics of the plot.
• Most of the speech I've had directed at me has sounded very patchy.  I have usually caught enough key words to avoid problems.  This was especially great when a security guard in a large department store wanted to check my bag as I left.
• The taxi driver was really nice, and even told me I spoke great French.
• The lady I will live with, Madame Mistral, apparently just stopped by my hotel to let the front desk know what time she's picking me up tomorrow.

                                                                   "Liberty or Death" 

Merry Go Round at the town center (I haven't ridden it yet)

the view from my hotel room window

the central town fountain- according to my cab driver, it's the most famous monument in Aix

I could go see True Grit with French voiceovers if I wanted to...

The house where I'll be living....just kidding.  Not actually sure what this is.