Salut!

Where to begin!

Just in case you had not heard, I will be studying in Nice, France for the next four months in an academic and research program focused on sustainability, immigration, and environmental conservation efforts across the Mediterranean, and wanted to document my experiences to share with friends and family back home.

This is my first time traveling to Europe, and what an adventure it has been so far! With just one suitcase (packed at exactly the 50 lb. weight limit) and a carry-on in hand, I arrived in the Côte d'Azur on Wednesday, January 4th after a brief layover in Brussels. From Brussels to Nice, I was able to fly directly over the French Alps, which was absolutely breathtaking and truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

We are very blessed with gorgeous, sunny, mild weather nearly 300 days of the year (I am certainly not missing the harsh Pittsburgh winters at the moment)! Nice also has quite a unique geography, as it is situated directly between the coastline and the Alps, and many locals have noted taking short trips to go skiing in the Alps in the morning and returning to swim in the sea by evening time. Bus rides to nearby mountain resorts can run for as cheap as Є2, so it would be fun to give this a shot while I am here!

I have been able to settle nicely into my new home for the next four months, a cute apartment located in central Nice about a 20-minute walk from the coast. It is a wonderful, bustling, and beautiful location abundant with local shops, restaurants, and live music. Each morning, I pass by a local farmer's market set up with fresh produce, flowers, seafood, olive oils, and pastries galore. I do not think I will ever get used to the sweet, sugary smell of fresh crêpes filling the streets every day.

I've spent a few mornings so far walking or running along the promenade overlooking the French Riviera, collecting sea glass, and soaking up the warm Mediterranean sun. Locals tend to stay very active with walking, running, and cycling as their main forms of transportation, and the promenade stays busy morning through night with exercise enthusiasts. The city itself is very pedestrian-friendly, but we are also lucky to have extremely accessible public transportation through both the train station and local tram.

My afternoons have been filled with activities, program orientation, sight-seeing, and exploring all that Nice has to offer. Both the locals and fellow students in my program have been so friendly and kind so far. It has been a fun (albeit humbling) challenge to practice my French, although everyone have been very understanding, patient, and helpful. I feel I have already improved my communication and comprehension skills immensely in the past few days, so I am eager to track my progress over the next four months!

Yesterday, on Saturday the 7th, our group took a day-trip to a few towns in Provence, about a half-hour drive away. We started the morning in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, one of the oldest medieval towns in the French Riviera. This commune has been home to famous artists as Matisse and Picasso. It also acted as a fortress for local military during the Middle Ages through periods of political unrest and border conflict, until much of the French Riviera was annexed to become part of modern-day France after the Renaissance. Today, the idyllic town is filled with cobblestones, local shops and cafés, sacred art, and views of both Nice and the Alps.

From Saint-Paul-de-Vence, we also stopped in Tourettes-sur-Loop, another medieval village currently home to the famous violet, lavender, and mimosa flower festivals. This commune also has breathtaking views of the French mountainside, and pictures simply do not do it justice. We also stumbled upon many cats lounging in windows and storefronts, or taking strolls on the cobblestone, which was honestly the highlight of the day!

After a filling lunch of pizza, pasta, fruits, and tarts, we ended our day with a tour of the Fragonard factory, one of the oldest, largest, and most prestigious perfumeries in all of France. It was so interesting to hear the history of the factory and perfume-manufacturing process. The general refining process is the same as it was since the 19th century, where petals and herbs are picked by hand across local regions of southern France, boiled and extracted into oils, and then masterfully mixed by chemists to then be packaged by hand. Their fragrance collections are completely centered around whatever flowers are currently in-season, and they are developed by master perfumers who obtain 5-7 years of schooling before receiving a perfume license. After sampling many scents, we had the opportunity to create and bring home our own signature fragrance as a fun souvenir.

Today, Sunday the 8th, has been an uncharacteristically rainy and cold day, so myself and a few friends took a tour of the Nice Modern and Contemporary Art Museum. Their current special exhibit features artists centered around ecofeminism and mankind's relationship to nature. It was very insightful, relevant, and a great rainy-day exploration!

I am looking forward to diving into classes, which start on Monday, and settling into a nice routine. Also, with Nice's close proximity to Antibes, Monaco/Monte Carlo, Cannes, the Alps, and southern Italy, I am eager to explore these wonderful neighboring towns over the next few weeks and months. Our program also has some very exciting trips planned to Marseille, Italy, Mont Alban, Eze, La Turbie, Saint Agnès, La Gorges Du Verdon, and many more! It's looking to be a very adventurous, fun-filled few months and I can't wait to take so many photos and make many wonderful memories to share with everyone!

I hope to update as regularly as possible, and I sincerely appreciate everyone who is interested in following along. It means so much! ♥️

Chaleureusement,

Allyson

P.S. If you ever want to reach out, you can reach me via email at allyfrantz.5@gmail.com / abf50@pitt.edu, or Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, etc. :)

P.P.S Yes, the French do in fact eat so many carbs, so much cheese, and lots of wine.

P.P.P.S I also learned that the traditional french dish, ratatouille, originated in Nice so I plan to enjoy that dish soon!! I saw a rat on the street the other day, and I'm not 100% sure because it was dark but I am pretty sure it was chef Rémy, so can't wait to try that out!