Spending a weekend in Ardèche

Camping and canoeing this weekend! Stay tuned for my own update! Just a short two and a quarter hour drive from Marseille, I hope to find adventure in Ardèche!

Photo: Jay Broek

The Old French Man

In my mind there is a quintessential old french man. I see them everyday and I know them quite well even if I've never met them. They live a simple life and when I see them out, I know exactly what they are doing. My grandfather was that man. Pépé would wake up at the crack of dawn, for the sole reason of getting to the boulangerie for a couple of fresh baguettes. He would put on his slacks tuck in his collared button-up shirt, slip on his loafers, jacket and chapeau (hat) and be on his way. He'd start up the old Citrôen and back out the driveway thru the gate. He'd head down to Plage de L'Estaque where he'd see the normal folk. Bavard (gossip) a little with the other old men and head back in time for everyone to wake up. Newspaper at hand and two baguettes. I can imagine this is what all the old men wearing hats and slacks with baguettes in hand must be doing in their retirement age.

Mousse de Marseille

I am volunteering at a scuba dive (plongée sous-marine) center where 3 organizations work out of. Two dive clubs and one military group. My job should be pretty straight forward. I basically will be handing out material that the divers will need to explore the underwater world.

Basic gear; mask (masque), fins (palmes), snorkels and the fun stuff; BCD (buoyancy compensator device or in french, "stab"), regulator (detendeur), octopus (or alternate air), bottles (bloc or bouteilles), lead or weight (plomb), and wetsuits (combinaison or combi).

Photo Serge Mercier

Read More! Click below

Guido's pizza pasta!

I learned a few things while working at Guido's when I was 17 and 18. For one, I learned how to twirl pizza dough (thanks Slim), and spread sauce and toppings-with not too much cheese 'cause "that shit's expensive," (thanks Sam). I learned that you need to pop the bubbles on the pizza frequently when it's passing through the oven because then all the toppings slide off. Friendly reminder from the boss, "Kelly! Bubbles!" READ MORE! Click below.

Gift from 6000 miles away

My dear friend Kristina sent me a nice surprise in the mail! Along with some lollipops from my favorite Mexican restaurant she sent a beautiful bracelet that she made. It features my favorite color!

Most recent bracelet by Kristina

Here are photos of the others I have from her! Now I can wear them all together! To see more photos, click on "Read More" below.

Yearbook

Kids in France don't have yearbooks, nor do they take a portrait at the beginning of the year. They don't know the meaning of "Picture Day." Always fun, nerve wracking, unique, and nearly always disappointing. There were always those kids that wore their best Sunday dress or suit and curled or combed back their hair. The girl with the frilly socks with her patent mary-janes. There was always the kid who wore his favorite color t-shirt, even if it was ratty and tattered. The kid who forgot it was picture day all together. That was a travesty, we'd always wonder, "how on Earth could he forget?"

Then there was me, who always wore a headband or forgot to keep my hair out of a pony-tail. Then weeks later when the photos were printed, they would be delivered to our home-room in a plastic envelope with a little plastic window as a sneak preview to the most permanent picture in your history. Some of us would slip it into our backpacks hoping no one would ask to see them, uh humm...me. And if someone did ask, we'd say, "Just have to wait for the yearbook. :p" Secretly dreading that day. Then after a couple days, there is no longer any talk of the magnificent "Picture Day." READ MORE! click on link below.

La mer

The sea took the life of my beloved... maybe I'll find a new love. Yes, it is what you think it is. In a fatal accident by the seashore skipping rocks, he fell in. Blackberry, may you rest in peace.

New addition

I have included a new feature to the blog. Some of my posts are really long, or there are multiple photos so I have included a "Read more" link to take you to the rest of the post. Like this: