Esprit de Corps

Les images:

A shop in Old Nice (note the name) No matter how far you go, you're always home; the Hotel Negresco in Nice (this one's for you, Jenn, Nancy and Fran!); a picture of Elizabeth and I last Saturday on our way to La Villa Rothschild at Cap Ferrat; a view of the Villa from the gardens; a statue in one of the Villa's gardens; a view of l'Institut de Francais from below (on my way to school)...it's the white building in the center with the arched windows; the Chapel of St. Pierre in Villefranche (14th century, decorated in the mid-fifties by Jean Cocteau); a statue at the Volti Museum; street scene from Old Nice; the yachts at Monaco.

Where do I begin?? It has been almost a week since I've written, and it seems so much longer! It's hard to believe I am almost half-way through the month. Each day the program intensifies a little bit more. Today I had to do an "exposition", that is, a 20-minute presentation to my class en français, mais oui! It would be difficult for me to stand in front of a group and give a 20-minute speech en anglais! I spent two days working on my presentation, rehearsing over and over (we had to speak without reading from notes). The appointed hour arrived après le déjeuner (after lunch) and I began to get those first twinges of anxiety. When I stood in front of the class, I looked out at each face and immediately felt the esprit de corps that has become the hallmark of our particular class. Everyone is so supportive of each other in this struggle to master a beautiful, yet difficult language. It calmed me right down to look out and see those kind faces, and I went on to talk about everything I love best...my family, my friends, our pets, Cape Cod, Squam Lake, real estate and Panama. I discovered in recent years, when faced with public speaking, that it's best to know your subject well and to feel passionate about it, ideally! After the presentation, the class was required to ask me questions about what I talked about, and then I had to answer as best I could. It was a great exercise, and it gave me a much-needed boost of confidence!

After school I had an appointment for a new coiffure at le salon de beauté. I tried to give the hairdresser instructions in English, and she cut me off. She knew I was a student from l'Institut and demanded I speak only French! She knows les professeurs and promised to call them if I tried to speak any English! All in good fun, but I took the challenge and communicated completely en français from then on. I'm happy to report that I got a beautiful haircut and great blow dry, I made an appointment for a manicure next week, and I had a decent conversation with the stylist, all in French! I left the salon and went on to the marchand à journaux (to buy a paper and a birthday card for a classmate) and to le marché for a few groceries. I was feeling quite French, carrying on petite conversations with Mesdames et Messieurs.

Backing up a bit, last Friday's soiree at l'Institut was lovely. A buffet fit for un roi (a king), wonderful sangria and, best of all, conversation en anglais with my classmates and teachers! Saturday morning, we met in front of l'Office du Tourisme de Villefranche for a visite guidée de Villefranche (a guided tour). It lasted about two hours. We walked all around the old city, to the The Citadel (a stone fortress built to defend the old town, constructed in 1557 under orders from the Duke of Savoy...the Volti Museum is housed here...beautiful sculpture and drawings of voluptuous women), La Chapelle Saint Pierre (roman style, 14th century) the Church of Saint Michael (baroque style, 18th century, original 1790 organ), and the Rue Obscure (a route that runs alongside the medieval ramparts, intended to shelter the people of the village if it was bombarded). The tour was given in French, but one of our teachers gave us English translations when we didn't understand the French.

After the tour, Elizabeth, Diane and I walked to Cap Ferrat. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day. I had to pinch myself constantly to know that I wasn't dreaming. We walked to the villa and jardins of Ephrussi de Rothschild. The villa is a spectacular "palace" with nine differently-themed gardens. We had tea at the Villa, and later went to dinner in Villefranche after walking back. On Sunday, Elizabeth, Diane and I took a bus into Nice and walked all around the old city of Nice and then had lunch on the beach at the Promenade des Anglais. After lunch, we took the bus to Monaco (about 30 minutes from Nice) and had a nice stroll around Monaco. Being in Monaco is like being in the middle of a James Bond movie (as a matter of fact, there was a yacht at the harbor called "Miss Money Penny"). Everywhere you look, a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce or a Bentley. (Those of you who know me well, know how much I love cars, so you can imagine how thrilling that was for me!) The yachts at the harbor were breathtaking. We took the bus back to Villefranche after a lovely afternoon and got ready for la deuxième semaine (the second week) of school...

Today they served an onion tart for a first course at lunch with anchovies (YECH!) to be followed by FISH. Luckily, le petite fromage, Nina, my new best friend, brought me a special plate for the first course, sans (without) anchovies, and a fish-less quiche for the second. Nina is Nathalie's first command in la cuisine. My plates now come out (on fish days) marked "spécial". Merci beaucoup, Nina!

I cannot close this blog entry without sharing my grand faux pas. I was out to dinner last night with Elizabeth (Australia), Diane (England), Angela (Canada), and Vibike and Karen (Denmark). We had a lovely dinner at Le Serre, recommended to us by our teacher as a great local place, bon marché (cheap) and good. It was! Wonderful, tiny restaurant, almost like a little cave in the old city (near la Rue Obscure).

On that note, I close with an à bientôt! Keep those e-mails and blog comments coming! I have loved hearing from you, and I WILL answer those e-mails as soon as I can find the time!