When Fashion Meets Art

So for my Haute Couture class today my professor took us up to Monte Marte and we went to the Salvador Dali museum. It was amazing. Let me just say that my knowledge of Dali doesn't go far past his works with the melted clocks, and really the only reason I had ever heard of him was because of dear old Michael Soto. I almost didn't even go to class since it's a 50 minute metro ride there, and then another 50 back, but I'm so happy I went! His works are so amazingly weird that they are cool. Some I liked better than others, and some were more simple than surrealist but overall I had a pleasant time. Below are just a few of the many photographs I took while I was there.

Unfortunately it wasn't well lit inside the museum so sometimes it was hard to capture the photo without it being blurry or without glares on the glass.

Marseille!

On Thursday, after a long week of essay writing and studying I took a 3-hour train ride down to Marseille. I went to visit family friends who were going to let me stay with them and show me around their city. I have to be honest, I slept for most of the train ride because I had had a busy day in architecture and was exhausted! For the short amount of time that I was able to keep my eyes open I saw the gorgeous French country side and gazed out at the cows and cute houses. It was adorable, but made me miss my cows in SLO.

 When I finally got to the train station Gilles and Nicole were there waiting. Since I was about 3 the last time we met they came holding signs with "LEAH" printed on them. Each letter in a different color...super adorable! We did la bise (cheek kiss) said Bonjour and then we were off! It was really weird because they picked me up in their car, let me just inform you that I haven't ridden in a car since August when my parents dropped me off at LAX. Aside from the initial shock of being in a vehicle, the French drive fast and crazy. Slamming on breaks, turning corners, I was scared! But it was great! We arrived at their house and Nicole showed me to the room I would be staying in which was upstairs. I had my own big bed, my own room, and own bathroom!!! I was in heaven !

It was amazing having my own space for the first time in months! Don't get me wrong, I love my roommates, but man-oh-man was it nice to just be able to have some solidarity. That night we went to their daughter Clarisse's house and her husband made us a traditional French dinner.

We drank Champagne, exchanged stories, and ate delicious food which included home-made lemon meringue pie! After dinner Gilles and Nicole took me home and let me sleep since I was so exhausted. They explained that the following morning they would take me around and show me Marseille.  

The next morning the weather was GORGEOUS! Bright and sunny! Crisp clean air! Couldn't have asked for a better day, considering more often than not Paris is dark, cloudy and rainy. 

This is a picture of Gilles and Nicole's living room.

A shot from the other side!

This is their dog whom I fell in love with. So nice being able to play with an animal again. Made me miss Nigel though RIP.

Nicole had a traditional French breakfast waiting for me. Her and Gilles had to take Clarisse's 2 little boys (ages 4 & 5) to school while I ate. I had coffee, orange juice, bread with butter, jam, and honey. Delicious! 

Just so all of you non-Frenchies know...when you are at someone's house and you eat bread (for any meal), you don't set it on the plate, you put it on the table. Weird? No. Just different.

Fun Fact.

This was my view while eating breakfast. Overlooking the ocean, and Notre Dame of Marseille. 

Behind their house is this mountain range. Every morning Gilles takes the dog and they climb to the top!!! I was amazed! They wanted to take me to the top but I didn't bring tennis shoes. I was secretly really happy because I am so out of shape they would have surpassed me by miles.

When Gilles came home from his hike we started our tour! It began by traveling up to Notre Dame, which was a church built over 300 years ago for the fishermen! It was on top of a mountain and overlooked all of Marseille. 

Nicole and I at the Notre Dame

Gilles and I at Notre Dame.

Then we went to the oldest church in Marseille. 

Across the street was this bakery and we went in and got these delicious bread treats made with orange flavored flour. They are shaped like boats and were amazing!

 

We went to Napoleon's weekend estate!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It had a great view overlooking the old harbor.

 There are fortifications on either side of the harbor where soldiers used to attack enemies trying to enter the port.

Statue of a man at sea in a sinking ship.

Afterwards we went to Cassisi for lunch. It was such a gorgeous day! I had to take my jacket off, and was warm in my long sleeved shirt. 

After lunch we strolled through the town soaking up the sun rays! 

Next we drove down this windy dirt road to this secluded beach where Gilles and Nicole explained that in the summer they come to swim. It was beautiful even though we just missed the sun lighting up the canyon. 

The water was so clear!!! I wish it was warmer so I could swim here!

They explained to me that these are weekend homes and that they have no electricity or water and that they are just used during the weekends of summer. 

They are so precious!

On Saturday Clarisse and her husband took me and their two boys to Aix en Provence about 30 minutes away from Marseille. It's an adorable town filled with students! There was a Christmas market going on and a lot of people were out and about in the streets. 

How freaking precious are they?!

We had lunch in a little plaza in the middle of the city and it was delicious!!

Later that night Nicole made another traditional French dinner and got amazing dessert which had three chocolates in it! My favorite!!! I left on the train Sunday morning and hated saying good-bye. Marseille was amazing, but it was nice having a family for a few days...just what I needed to get me through these next few weeks!