it is probably already a well known fact on this blog that i love farmers markets. so when i found out i would be living just blocks from one of the biggest farmers markets in nice, i was over the moon. i walk through the market almost daily to get to class but i only just recently got to properly visit and shop. it’s so interesting how different farmers markets are in france than the ones i’m used to back home. in america, they seem like an event. things seem much more staged and more attention is paid to aesthetics and detail. here, they are apart of life. they are much more pedestrian and gritty and feel more natural. i’ve been told this is probably because the market i shop at is the ‘locals market’. the farmers market more geared towards tourists, the famous Cours Saleya, is more organized and visually pleasing but also more expensive. another thing i was surprised at was the lack of variety. it seems like almost every vender sells the same things! and very few booths are organic (or if they are they don’t advertise it). i did find a bio (organic) vender who is very kind and has very good prices so when i do shop at the market, thats my first stop. afterwards, i’ll pick up flowers or hunt for other things i need or just people watch and enjoy the sights and sounds and colors of the market.
happy thanksgiving everyone! though i didn’t do anything to celebrate today (besides making pumpkin oatmeal for breakfast), saturday i’m having a french/american thanksgiving feast with some people from the church! i’m pretty excited! look forward to lots of pictures coming soon. in the meantime, here are some things i am especially thankful for:
- my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles… family in general
- the experience to live in different countries and places {france, new zealand, ohio}
- my home in california, both literally and figuratively
- my favorite treats here: lemon macarons at lac, socca, emilie’s cookies
- and my favorites back home: veggie grill and native foods, sprinkles vegan red velvet, portola coffee
- my cell phone, laptop, internet, etc…
- wonderful friends: here, home and everywhere
- travel and adventuring
- Christmas being right around the corner
- good books, inspiring movies and beautiful music
- rituals like morning coffee and devos before bed
- my health and the health of those closest to me
- Jesus, the Gospel, the Bible, God’s love
1. white fir candles
2. meeting (and going to church with) a fellow christian in my french class
3. the magic of christmas music
4. finally finding a great book to snuggle up with
5. the chocolate convention i stumbled into by accident over the weekend (so yum)
6. going home for christmas (t-minus one month)
7. staying warm and dry inside during torrential rain
8. finding yogi tea at a local bio shop (and the free mug with purchase)
9. the dwindling size of my french class
10. what a good mood the lady i live with has been in lately
dusk has gotta be the most beautiful time of day in nice. lately, i have found myself out and about closer to this time, mostly because the sun sets around 5:30. i am really learning to enjoy the beauty of this brief time of the day. it is still light enough to see and there are still lots of people out (as you can see from the pictures) but the city is illuminated with signs and shop windows and the final light of the day dances on buildings. nice seems to be most alive at dusk because this is after most people get off from work and right before the shops close. here are a few pictures of my street (the main street in modern part of nice) on my walk home.
goodness i love nice! i have never been somewhere that has felt so much like me. it has the perfect mix of everything: cute little shops and big “one stop shop” malls, farmers markets and food superstores, a convenient modern area and a beautiful old town, a beach down the street and hills and mountains a quick trip away, cheap cafes and gourmet restaurants… i could go on and on! but this past week, nice got the one thing i felt it was missing: a park! there are little parks around the city but nothing unified or central and unfortunately none near me. i wondered why there wasn’t more green spaces but then i found out that the big eyesore of a construction site in the middle of town was going to be a state of the art park and it would be opening soon! and nice isn’t like california so when they say something is opening, it opens on that day. probably the only thing in france that is ever on time… but i digress. it was actually an accident i was in the park on opening day but i’m so glad i was because there was live music and performers and big screens with movies and videos and an opening ceremony with the mayor and city officials. i’ve learned when something opens in france, it starts with a bang! looking forward to many more outings and visits here.
my goal for this month was to explore more of nice and find places that are more local and less touristy. while i have been finding some wonderful places, i always find myself back on my street. i live on the main street in the modern section of town and it really is a one stop shop for many things. there is a farmers market a few blocks down from where i live, a really nice market near the turnoff for my school, lots of clothing and book stores and just about everything else you could think of. when i first came to france, i was worried that it would be like new zealand and i wouldn’t be able to find many common things i’m accustomed to in the states. but i’m happy to say i’ve been able to find most things i could ever want and need, with the exception of canned pumpkin and kale but i’ll let those slide. i also love walking along the street i live on because there are no cars and only the occasional tram to worry about so its pretty peaceful. believe it or not, all these pictures were taken within 10 minutes of where i live. so many photo ops can be so distracting especially when i’m trying to get to school on time!