Oppede

Today I woke up early to prepare for my short trip to Oppede, and found myself with no hot water this morning to shower off. It was very chilly this morning, and I had left all of my jackets and sweatshirts in Chicago, so I through on a turtleneck, warm socks, leggings, warm boots, a scarf, and last but not least my warm mittens. I grabbed a quick bite to eat this morning, and then went to the vans to leave to head to Opedde. about 20 minutes of driving, we arrived, and hiked up the the top of the hill, where the anciet ruins were. It was interesting passing my the ruins, and seeing holes in the walls, which were made for shooting arrows at enemies. After hiking up the hill, and then back down, my class stopped at the new town's cafe, and bakery. We had a lot of time to kill, so we stopped by another Abbaye, and walked around for a bit of time, and finally headed back to Lacoste. 

Always,

    Ariele

Monastery

Today, I went to a Monastery, to see one of the Abbeys, and before I could go inside the main one, there was a detour through of course, the gift shop. I bought some dried lavender for a project, and a few bars of lavender scented soap for my friend, and I walked up the stairs to see the main part of the Abbey, but it was closed. I walked around to the back of the Abbey, and noticed beautiful flowers growing alongside the walls. I continued walking along the dirt and stone path, down through the woods, and I noticed this cool tree, where the trunk was equally split in the middle, which made it the perfect place to take a photograph; right inside the heart of the tree.

I wish I could have seen all of the lavender fields in bloom, but lavendar season is in the Summer, and it was getting very windy and chilly at this time of the month. I am looking forward to Arles on Thursday!

Always,

   Ariele

Nimes & Pont Du Guard

Today was a pretty eventful day, not only because I found this amazing trench coat at one of the shops at Nime, but because I found a killer pair of boots too.

I walked around Nime for a few hours, observing the lifestyle there, compared to Chicago, and even Lacoste. I liked Nimes much better than Aix-en-Provence, because the town gave off a friendly and soothing vibe.

When I first arrived at Nimes,  I walked around the arena, which bull fights take place in. After a good half hour of walking around the arena, practically hopping from one step to the other, I decided to walk around town, which is how I found my amazing purchases.

I also went to Pont Du Guard today, and decided to take a risk or two, and go into the Gard river with my clothes on; the water was cool, but after a few minutes I got used to it, and started to splash around and just have fun. I walked to the top of the Roman aqueduct, and looked at the amazing view, and hoping at the same time I would be dry soon, so I wouldn't be sitting in wet clothes for the two hour bus ride. I thought Pont Du Guard was an amazing and beautiful place to visit, and was pretty refreshing too!

Always,

    Ariele

Grape Flavored.

Today I took a long walk on a dirt path, and I couldn't help but notice the vineyards, mainly because they seem to be everywhere. I stopped and looked at how ripe the grapes were, and I was in awe of the rows and rows of grape vines that I kept walking past. I walked a bit more, and saw the prettiest flowers, and I wanted to photograph them. Sometimes, I just like to wander off for a few hours and see where I wind up, and hopefully, I will be able to find my way back. (Because if I can't, that could be a bit of a problem).

Always,

Ariele

Canoe Trip

Canoeing was by far one of the best experiences I had while in France. I was a bit flustered at first because it was mandatory to wear closed toed shoes if we wanted to participate, and even though my shoes got wet and smelly, it was totally worth it. 

I was in the back of the canoe, so I basically had control over steering. The first few moments were a bit scary because our guide spoke French, and how am I exactly supposed to know what he is saying, and have him guide me, when I know zero French. It was a bit of a language barrier.

 While canoeing with Jillian and Rachel, we got stuck on rocks for a few moments, the water was shallow, so Jillian got out of the canoe and pushed us back out to the river. After that, it was pretty much smooth sailing for the rest of the time.

During a group pit-stop, we all got out of our canoes and played on rocks, and some people went in and swam in the cold river. After 20 minutes or so, we hopped back in our canoes, and paddled along. The view was wonderful, and the experience was something that I will remember. Although it was not the hardest canoe trip, it was still one that I deeply enjoyed, and I got to experience it with my friends. Now the only thing I want to do is the ropes course I saw on the way back to Lacoste.

Always,

    Ariele 

Week Three

Time is going by faster then I expected it would. I have been keeping busy by working on my personal photo assignment for my human altered landscape photography class. Waking up early is a bit of a hassle sometimes, but I know that if I do it, then I will get the lighting that I need, as well as want.

Well working on my project, I have been inspired these past few weeks by Peter Lik, an Australian photographer who captures the natural elements of the earth, and creates images that have intense color palettes.

I have much more work to do before I am done with my personal assignment for class, and many sunrises to keep me busy. 

Paris is so close, only 16 more days!

Always,
        Ariele

In Vaucluse, France- Ochre "playground"

Yesterday I went to the Ochre quarries, and it was amazing! Hiking around the quarries was a bit of a challenge because I was holding my camera gear, and the quarries were not as sturdy in some places as it was in others. I found foot holes in the quarries to make my climb less challenging, but when in the center, surrounding the dozens of different quarries, I felt infinite. The view was an experience in itself. Overlooking Vaucluse, and hearing a rooster crow at the morning Sun, made the 6:30 AM wake up feel worth it. The orange, red, and yellow hues were vibrant, and these colors became a playground for exploring. The early bird really does get the worm.


I found this information from a website:
"until the mid-1900’s, ochre was mined in an
ochre quarry, to produce materials for
painting, cosmetics and even some food
products (the rind on cheeses from Holland!).
Today, throughout the Luberon, dazzling
colors can be seen in the quarries, lit up by the
sun. Great for exploring on foot or on
horseback. The last remaining ochre
processing factory is located in Apt, on the
banks of the Calavon river. Here, you can see
the production technique in three steps. The
ochre mined in the quarries is washed to
separate out the sand. Then it settles in big
basins, where it forms a thick layer of paste
which is cut into bricks and dried in the wind
and sun. These bricks are then crushed and
fired. The firing is what gives the tint and the
shade. A good ochre processor can obtain 17
different shades from the 6 basic pigments:
Sienna, yellow ochre and Umbria, each of
which exists in a dark and light version."
http://www.odyssei.com/travel-tips/20542.html

Always,
      Ariele