Mama Mia!

Spring break for those studying abroad in Bordeaux is really just like an extended weekend...done with classes and "studying for exams" is actually code for "buy a ticket, pack your bags, and go south to warmer climate!" So, as I finished my last week of official classes at the University on Thursday I also got ready for the arrival of my mom on Friday, and the beginning of our insanely fun spring break adventure. Maman arrived jetlagged but stylish on Friday afternoon and after a whirlwind walking tour of Bordeaux we spent the night eating dinner with my host family (5 courses, a cheese plate from heaven, macarons, and 3 bottles of wine). The next morning we woke up (too) early to catch a train to Biarritz, the surf capital located in the heart of the French Pays Basque (Basque region). I could go on and on about how much I love the pays basque but in the interest of brevity I will just say that when I am ridiculously rich I am buying a house on the Basque coast and spending my days on the beach eating gâteau basque, drinking Basque cider, and enjoying one of the most colorful cultures I have ever come across. The beaches in Biarritz were full of surfers and the old town full of friendly locals who were happy to chat with us about the history of the Basque region, the politics of the area, the best beaches to visit, and how we must be sisters because we looked so much alike (charming, as you can imagine :) We really profiter-ed from Biarritz because we left Sunday night a few shades tanner and ready for our next adventure. 

Monday morning we awoke, (too) early again, to catch our plane to Milano where we then hopped on a crowded and smelly train to Cinque Terre (TrenItalia, I never thought I would say this but you made me MISS french public transportation!). We got to Monterosso, the farthest north Cinque Terre village, around dinner and wasted no time in checking in to our hotel LITERALLY on the beach and setting out for a walk around town with our trusty companion, Rick Steves Guide to Italy. Seeing as the town is inhabited by about 200 people, it didn't take us too long to get a feel for the cozy and sleepy town of Monterosso. We ate dinner at a restaurant on the beach, and my mom and I shared shrimp scampi and stuffed mussels. One perk of living on the coast- the seafood here is DAMN delicious! Tuesday and Thursday we spent exploring the four other villages of Cinque Terre. Normally the five villages are connected via a hiking trail that is about 17 km long. My mom and I were intent on doing the whole walk but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise that a portion of the trails were Chuiso (closed), because after just one full day of train-ing and walking in between the villages we were exhausted! Luckily, a siesta on the rocky beaches of Monterosso was enough to revive us (okay, and maybe some pistachio gelato too). Cinque Terre is really a spectacular place to visit- we were able to hike the 1 1/2 hour trail from Corniglia to Vernazza and the views that we got from the top of the hill looking out over the coast were INSANE. It sort of felt like we were on the edge of the universe! It was even a little bit scary at times because unlike in the lawsuit-happy USA, the Italian trails are not marked with fences and warning signs to keep you from accidentally tumbling down the sheer cliffs into the rocky blue water. But being "en bonne forme" (the french phrase for 'not a fat ass') we were able to deftly conquer the Cinque Terre! 

Thursday night we stopped by La Spezia to pay a visit to Ellie, a friend of my Mom's who is also the sister of Hot Italian chef Fabrizio- small world right? La Spezia is a pretty industrial grimy town compared to the picturesque Cinque Terre, but we spent a really fun night with Ellie at her restaurant La Trarvenetta. She invited two of her Italian friends to eat dinner with us and even though we didn't speak Italian and they barely spoke English, we somehow managed to laugh and talk for 4 hours over endless plates of homemade pesto, mussels, foccacia, and spaghetti. I think there is a universal language, and it's called good food! My mom and I rolled ourselves the next day to Milan, where we peeked inside the Duomo, saw some cool Carravaggio art, and went on a frantic search for Italian boots. The following morning we took the train back to Bordeaux, and realized that there is probably no other mother-daughter pair in history that could fit as much sightseeing/impulse-buying/eating/tanning/laughing in 24 hours as we can. I really feel so lucky and grateful that my mom and I were able to share such a beautiful and unique experience together...she and I are definitely cut from the same colorful, sometimes crazy, but definitely loving cloth! Because we took way too many photos to choose from, I'll just post this link so you can see them all (or just skip to the ones of the food, I don't blame you).

http://gallery.me.com/biancataylor

Rest in Peace, Jasmine Jahanshahi

This post is going to be on a slightly less upbeat note, as I found out yesterday that one of my friends, floormates, and classmates from UC Berkeley passed away after her apartment caught fire. Jasmine was studying in Paris at Sciences Po, and was quite frankly one of the brightest and smartest girls I have ever known. I remember her coming into my dorm room freshman year, sitting on my desk while I was writing a paper, and she and I spending the next hour talking about the intractability of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, just like that. Jasmine was truly a worldly soul who never once stopped exploring, learning, or asking why things are the way they are. She wanted to make the world a better place, and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that she did just that. Her beautiful spirit and contagious passion to LIVE life was something that touched every person who knew her. It's hard not being in Berkeley to share her memory with our other friends, because we are all currently (like Jasmine was), living our dream and studying abroad. But we are all reminded that you don't have to be back-packing across Europe or riding elephants in Thailand or skydiving in the Grand Canyon to live life to the fullest. Please take the time to appreciate how beautiful and really precious life is, and that no matter where you are or what you are doing, it is too short to ever spend one second not doing something you love with the people you love. That's all there is to it! That said, get off the computer, go outside, and LIVE! 

gros bisous in loving memory of Jasmine <3 

RaRaRoma/A trip to the motherland

the Roman Forum

I'm starting to realize that there are too many places in the world that I want to live in. I might need to figure out how to clone myself so that I can be in all of them at once...but until then I can just relive my memories of visiting Rome. On a Wednesday afternoon I left Bordeaux with a backpack full of fringe and plane tickets and landed in Italia, where Kelsey (best friend since age 8/lover of all things ancient and roman) was there to meet me with some fresh foccacia.This is why we are friends. We spent the next three days traversing Rome by foot and bus, and I absolutely fell in love. Aside from all the famous monuments that are, of course, spectacular and incredible, just walking down the streets of Rome feels like a step back in time. Strolling through cobble stone alleys (usually while nibbling some prosciutto), we would literally just RUN into ruins, ancient piazzas, old fish markets, columns that are the only remains of the first temple to Apollo, and beautiful marble statues dedicated to emperors, rivers, gods, you name it. After walking for hours we would stop once, maybe twice (okay, sometimes three times a day) for a gelato or cannoli to boost spirits. The best gelato place in Rome is a small Sicilian joint a few blocks away from the Vatican (never been more proud of my Sicilian heritage!), where I got the server's recommended pairing of pistachio, Modica chocolate, and cannoli. Words cannot describe, so here's a picture: 

I wonder how much it costs to airlift gelato from Rome to California...

the beautiful Tiber River

In addition to eating an impressive (alarming?) amount of gelato, we managed to visit almost every famous ruin ever. The Colosseum reminded me a little of the football stadium at Cal (cracks in the foundation included) and left me with a weird craving to watch Russel Crowe movies. The Vatican and St Peter's Basilica were in a word- impressive. St. Peter's is GIGANTIC (it measures 2 football fields in length) and full of beautiful ornate architecture and Michaelangelo's famous Pietra sculpture. Michaelangelo is every where in this city, including the Sistine Chapel, which was crazy cool but neck-cramp inducing because the ceiling is SO high and there is SO much to look at. We cruised by the Trevi Fountain, made some wishes, lounged on the Spanish Steps, took goofy pictures at the Pantheon, and marveled at how the Romans could build structures that, even today, remain impressive feats of architectural genius. I was really really sad to leave Rome, Kelsey, the cheap bottles of Prosecco, and the vita italiana...this summer I'm buying some Italian books and some leather sandals and preparing for my triumphant return. Prego!

 

 

 

 

Let's play Spot the Tourist!