Beautiful Biarritz for Easter

I cannot believe how quickly the month of March went by! I was mostly working the whole month, but for Easter weekend, I went down to Biarritz with a few other assistants. We went down Friday morning since none of us work on Fridays, and we came back to La Rochelle Monday night since schools were off on Monday for the holiday.

Friday, March 25
Gabby and I took the bus to the train station in the morning, and we met Melissa there. Our train was at 8:12am, but it was so bright out that it felt much later out. Alex lives in Rochefort and our train stopped at Rochefort so he got on later. We had to change trains in Bordeaux and then we went down to Biarritz. We got in around 1pm and we took the bus to our airbnb. Then we grabbed sandwiches at the nearest bakery since it was almost 2pm and typically lunch is done at 2pm and then we wouldn't find anything to eat. We walked around the rest of the afternoon just checking out the town. It was cloudy and a little chilly with the wind that first day.

 Grand Plage, Biarritz

 Me, Alex, Melissa, and Gabby

Eglise Sainte Eugenie

I'm not sure why there was a little ship in Eglise Sainte Eugenie

Plage du Port Vieux

Paroisse Notre Dame du Rocher

Saturday, March 26

Today was the most beautiful day throughout the entire weekend. It was 70s and sunny all day! We started by walking to the lighthouse because there was a trail that goes from the lighthouse to the Virgin on the Rocks, which is on the other side of the Grand Plage. We left the airbnb around 10:30am and it was already warm outside and sunny. The trail goes past the beach so we stopped and sat there for about an hour until we went and got lunch. 

One of many big, beautiful buildings in Biarritz

the view from Pointe Saint Martin

 A sundial 

 Beautiful Biarritz

 le Phare de Biarritz (the lighthouse of Biarritz)

 walking the trail to the Virgin on the Rocks

 Another pretty view of the lighthouse

We made it to the beach! We walked down along the beach a while before sitting down and relaxing in the sun.

After lunch, we continued on the trail to see the Virgin on the Rocks.

the view of le Grand Plage from the other side.

 

 Beautiful Biarritz

looking out at the rocks and water

 some old anchors

 looking out on the Atlantic

 A reminder of the reason for this weekend.

I don't know how a little cross ended up on a rock in the ocean

 Rocher de la Vierge (Virgin on the Rock)

beautiful blue Biarritz

Since we stayed in an airbnb apartment, we had a kitchen, so we cooked dinner to save a little money. Then we went out to get a drink. It was super windy and a little rainy at night, but we didn't stay out late.

Sunday, March 27

Today we got up and took a bus to Bayonne. We weren't expecting much to be open or going on since it was Sunday and a holiday, but then we got there and they had their ham fair going on! It was also another beautiful day.

Nive River in Bayonne

 Streets of Bayonne

Cathédrale Sainte Marie de Bayonne

 Château Vieux de Bayonne

We sat in the sun in Fourcade Jacques Park for a while

 Ham Fair!!

 Bayonne really loves their ham!

We walked around and bought some ham sandwiches, which were delicious. There were several different bands playing on the streets, so we stood and watched them play. There was even a little parade. It become more crowded as the afternoon went on. We tried to visit the cathedral and cloister, but it closed after the service, and visits weren't aloud during service. Around 3pm we took the bus back to Biarritz.

The point where the Nive and Adour rivers meet in Bayonne.

Sitting on the beach. We didn't stay out for too long because there was a cool breeze and then clouds came and covered the sun. So we went back to the apartment and ate dinner and relaxed for a little while before going back to the beach to watch the sunset.

 There was less of a breeze when we came back to the beach, which was nice for sitting and watching the sunset.

 The tide was very high and the waves were crazier than anything I had ever seen before.

 Beautiful sunset

 Another picture of the sunset. I was playing with different settings on my camera to capture the beauty.

As the sun got lower, clouds covered it, so it was an anti-climatic sunset.

Monday, March 28

Today we got up and packed and cleaned the apartment. Our train wasn't until later in the afternoon, so we walked around a little bit and got lunch before getting our bags and going to the train station. I realize I didn't take any pictures today, but we also didn't see anything new. We had an hour connection in Bordeaux, so we just hung out in the train station. Then we got back to La Rochelle (Alex got off at Rochefort) around 9:40pm, and we walked home. I went to bed shortly after getting home because I had school the next day. 

It was a great weekend, and we were expecting it to rain the rest of the week in La Rochelle, but so far it has been nice! I can't believe I only have two more weeks left of work after tomorrow! Time is going by way too fast for me! I am just trying to enjoy the remainder of my time here.

Roaming the Ruins in Rome

Tuesday, February 23
The train ride to Rome was uneventful. We took a bus from the train station to our airbnb, and the guy who owns the apartment was there waiting for us. So that was much easier than Venice. The rest of the afternoon/evening Elena showed me around Rome a little bit. We walked through the Jewish Ghetto and saw some ruins. For dinner, we bought pasta, break, and some veggies that we made in the little apartment we were staying in.

Porto de Orvieto

Walking around Porto de Orvieto

Crossing the Tiber River

There are a lot of fountains in Rome and many of them are very fancy.

Wednesday, February 24
Elena's parents (my Aunt Michele and Uncle Frank) arrived in Rome, and we met them at their hotel. Their hotel was near the Trevi fountain, so we saw it a few times. Then we climbed up the biggest hill in Rome, Trastevere because Elena had been working at the American Academy in Rome, and she wanted to use us that area. It was a beautiful day to walk around. We saw some nice views of the city, and we walked around a huge park.

The Trevi Fountain

Altare della Patria

More ruins

A monument in Trastevere

Another big, extravagant fountain

Roma!

Another nice view of the city from Trastevere.

Walking around the park, Villa Doria Pamphili (That is the name of the villa that has the largest property in Rome that is now a public park.)

An overgrown fountain in Villa Doria Pamphili

A river in Villa Doria Pamphili

There was also this pretty little building that seemed to be a chapel or something.

We walked past the Pantheon 

We went to a place called La Prosciutteria, and we shared this huge platter of meats and cheeses for dinner.

Every night, Elena and I would bring Aunt Michele and Uncle Frank back to their hotel, and then we would walk back to our airbnb, which was about a 20-30 minute walk, but it wasn't bad.

Thursday, February 25
The next day we had to get up early to meet at Aunt Michele and Uncle Frank's hotel for breakfast and then a shuttle was going to take us to the Vatican for our tour.
We actually had to go to the hotel down the street to be picked up, and like Italians do, they said to expect a 15 or 20 minute delay. We were supposed to get picked up at 7:30am and the bus didn't show up until 8am. That's Italian time for you. :)
Then they dropped us off outside of the Vatican, and they divided us up into tour groups. When they picked us up, the woman asked if we would prefer German or English. We obviously went for English because none of us know German.

First we got a tour of the Vatican Museum

The first part of the tour we went through the room that used to be the pope's private apartment and see their collection of art. This is the hall of tapestries.

 

The hall of maps, which are maps of the regions of Italy

Beautiful mosaics on the floors

There were a few rooms painted by Raphael and this is one of his most famous paintings—The School of Athens.

Next we went into the Sistine Chapel, which was amazing! But we couldn't take any pictures. I have studied the Sistine Chapel in art history classes, so I had a better appreciation for it than I did the first time I saw it when I was nine or ten years old. Also I remember there was scaffolding up when I was there as a kid, so it was harder to see some of the frescoes.

After the Sistine Chapel we went into Saint Peter's Basilica, which is the biggest church in the world. There are no paintings in the basilica; everything is mosaics, which is amazing considering some of them are replicas of paintings that used to be in the basilica.

St. Peter's Basilica

Michelangelo's Pietà

The dome in St. Peter's is the tallest dome (I don't know if that's in Italy or in Europe or in the world)

Transfiguration of Jesus. One of the beautiful mosaics

St. Peter's

Being a tourist in St. Peter's Square

Our tour ended around 12:30pm, so we went searching for lunch. Then after lunch we went and saw some more ruins including the Colosseum. 

Castel Sant'Angelo

Roman Ruins

more ruins

The Colosseum

Arco di Constantino

We went out for dinner tonight, and it started raining while we were eating and it continued to rain the rest of the night. We got pretty wet going back to Aunt Michele and Uncle Frank's hotel. Uncle Frank had packed an umbrella, so Elena and I took it to walk back to our airbnb, but we were pretty soaked by the time we got back.

Friday, February 26
Friday was my last day in Rome. We went and saw the Pantheon and then we went to the little town of Orvieto about an hour and a half train ride outside of Rome. It was really nice in Rome and then it was rainy in Orvieto, but still a nice visit.

One of the many columns/pillars/obelisques that we would pass by.

Today Aunt Michele, Elena, and I threw coins into the Trevi Fountain. Uncle Frank took a picture of us, but I don't have that picture.

Then we visited the Pantheon

The dome is the widest in the world/Italy/I don't know.

A panoramic view of the inside of the Pantheon

Then we went to a church behind the Pantheon and this little Elephant pillar was in front of it.

This is one of Michelangelo's sculptures inside that church

Views from Orvieto

We could see sunshine in the distance, but we were rained on.

Duomo di Orvieto

A clock tower by the Duomo

Inside the Duomo

There were two chapels in the back of the duomo that were extravagantly decorated but the rest of the church was plain

I liked this pietà in the duomo

Chiesa S. Andrea

Palazzo del Popolo

The train ride back to Rome. Don't worry I didn't throw any bottles out the window haha :)

We walked back to their hotel from the train station and then went out for dinner. After dinner, Aunt Michele and I got gelato because we both wanted some—I was pretty full, but I wanted some because it was my last night in Rome and I hadn't had any yet!

Saturday, February 27
Saturday morning I took a taxi to the airport. I flew into Paris Orly and took the RER/métro to Gare Montparnasse and had about two hours before my train back to La Rochelle.
I think the rain in Rome was preparing me for the rain here in La Rochelle. It was strange: when I left Rome it was raining, and when I arrived it Paris it was sunny—I would have expected it to be the other way around. Weather is a funny thing. 
Overall, it was a really nice trip and I'm really glad I got to spend it with family!
It's Friday March 4th now, and I have finished my first week back at school after the break. It went well considering I wasn't ready to come back. Haha.

That's it for now. Bisous