Keep Smiling!

Hello again!


It has been four days since I last posted on my blog so I am now going to update you with the latest news from Cannes :)


Sunday was another lovely day as the sun was shining once again and it was very hot indeed. To be honest, I don't know why I am saying this because it is always hot here! I would say somewhere between 26 and 34 degrees celsius every day in fact :) Anyway, I decided to go up into the Alpes as I can see them from my bedroom window but had not yet had the chance to actually go and experience the lovely natural environment that is just down the road from Cannes.


 I set off at midday and once again managed to get extremely confused when I got to Cannes city centre as I could not find Bus 600 anywhere! I walked around in the 32 degree heat for about two hours until I literally felt like standing in the middle of the street and screaming with despair! However, in the end I decided that it would be much more productive to find an Office du Tourisme and ask for help. Once I arrived at the central tourist office the woman behind the desk was very kind and could see the frustration on my face. She gave me directions (even though I didn't fully understand what she had said) and she also very kindly gave me a timetable for bus number 600. She told me that the bus stops for this bus service are behind Gare SNCF which is the main train station in Cannes. I had no clue where this was but followed any street signs that I could find as I was determined to get to the mountainous village of Mougins after my extreme efforts.


Once I finally managed to find the correct bus, I was absolutely boiling hot and in desperate need for a drink. I was very relieved that the bus journey was only about fifteen minutes long as I really did feel pretty dehydrated. The first thing I did when I arrived in Mougins was find a little café and have a nice cold drink. I was in fact the only person in the café so it was a bit awkward but the staff were very friendly. When I had finished my drink I spent the rest of the afternoon wondering around Mougins and admiring the stunning scenery that surrounded me. All I could see for miles were mountains and the buildings were very traditional and typically French. It was a lovely couple of hours and was well worth getting lost and upset in Cannes earlier on :) I have decided that nothing seems to be straight forward for me when I am in a foreign country :)


I am really enjoying my second working week in France :) I have done three more days of my course now and feel that I have learnt so much! I have also met so many people from many different parts of the world which is probably one of the most valuable things about it! I am finding it hard work because I am always speaking French and I am doing 30 hours a week on the course. However, I feel that I am getting much more out of my time here as a result of this as I am spending the vast majority of my spare time sightseeing as I want to see as much of this wonderful region as possible :)


So I continue to learn about the French culture and practice the French language all day every day :) Although I love it, it did hit me properly yesterday that I am not going to be returning to Bangor in September which is something that I am struggling to get to grips with at the moment. However, I know that working full time in France and Spain and continuing to stay strong and get through the occasional stabs of homesickness will prepare me for my final year at Bangor and for the future beyond university.


So to all of those out there who are going to be doing a year abroad in the future, I have one piece of advice. When things get tough, keep your spirits up and keep making the best of every opportunity that comes your way. When I feel homesick, I find that the best cure is to get involved with the life where I am and to really immerse myself in the culture!


I will probably write another post at the weekend but in the meantime keep checking this space for photos and new vocabulary. I am having some technical problems uploading photos onto the blog but will keep trying :)


A bientot!