Week 4 - June 10-17

A big difference I've noticed at work is how incredibly polite the French are in emails and in phone calls. They sign their emails using phrases like "While waiting for your answer, please accept Sir, Madam, accept my sincerest greetings." 

This week at work, there were strikes by the train and airline companies (strikes are particularly common in France, and especially travel related in the summer). This was problematic for the arrival of candidates who would pass their orals. To solve the problem, we opened new dates and emailed/called the candidates to assign their new dates and confirm the new dates worked for them.

This weekend, my friend Chloe (who is interning in Tours) came to Marseilles. On Friday, we went to the Old Port area and we had dinner. After, we went to Margot's, to hang out with the other interns It was really fun. Chloe and I left at midnight because we were going to wake up early the next morning to go to Aix en Provence.

On Saturday morning we took the bus to Aix with Katherine, one of my friends that I made in Marseilles. The city is super charming! I am very happy to have loved the city because I will study abroad there this winter. We walked around the city, we looked at different shops, we saw two markets - one food market and a flower market, and we went to the Granet Museum to see the Cézanne exhibition. When we returned to Marseille, we went to the Palais Longchamp and Notre Dame de la Garde.

Chloe and I in front of the Fountaine de la Rotonde

Beautiful street - Cours Mirambeau

Flower Market

Chloe, Katherine, and me at the Fontaine des Quatre Dauphins

Palais Longchamp

On Sunday, we went to the beach. Despite it being pretty foggy/cloudy, we got wet but we didn't stay too long. We went to the Memorial of the Marseillaise. I liked the museum because I love history and they used interesting videos to explain how the Marseillaise (the French national anthem) came to be. After, we went to Borély Park. The park is very nice and I would like to live closer to be able to run there. Her last night, we also had dinner at the Old Port. It was a great weekend!

Le Parc Borély