Marseilles and flexibility

Aix en Provence, France

Yesterday I went to Marseilles for the day. It is a very interesting city. I think it is also one of the oldest in France. It was very windy yet I hiked up a very steep road to the Notre Dame de la Guard. At the top of the hill, I could see the entire city. It started raining however, so I fastened my hood, leaving me a tiny hole through which my nose poked out. It was so cold, but I loved it. I visited the Vallon des Auffes (I don't know what it means). It is a little community nestled into a rocky cliffside along the ocean. There is a little harbor and a semi-circle of houses and cafes facing the ocean. It was very beautiful. I later visited the old part of town. It was very old in parts, but unfortunately also very dirty and seemingly abandoned in some places. At one point, I saw a very large, old building with tons of windows. Something registered in my mind, as if it was a new realization, that I was really in a foreign country.
Last night, my hosts' two girl friends came over. We hung for awhile and then went out to the happening bars. My eyes stung from all the smoke in the air. It was as if I was in L.A., except that everyone was speaking French. I think that'll be the extent of my going out in Europe.
Because I stayed up late last night, I slept in this morning. As a result, I got to the bus depot at 1:30, just missing the 1:00 bus. The next one didn't leave until 5:00 and by that time, most of the day would be over. I was slightly disappointed, but I resolved to just hang out in Aix and relax. So I just walked around for a bit. I bought some lunch and sat down in front of the fountain in front of the Hotel de Ville. After eating, I wrote a postcard to my mom. I asked the girl next to me where the post office was. I looked up and realized it was right in front of me. However we started talking. She is German and on vacation. She invited me to go with her to meet a friend at the L'atelier of Cezanne. Apparently Cezanne lived in Aix and did much of his painting here. So we went to his studio. It is amazing because they have maintained it exactly as it was when he worked in it, including many of the artifacts from his still life paintings, as well as some clothes and other things of life. It was so fascinating to see the place where he painted. That was my kind of museum because I was able to see the context of the items. There was no glass or ropes. It felt as if Cezanne could be just outside, bound to return at any moment. Then we walked up the hill to the place where Cezanne painted pictures of Mont St. Victoire. I thoroughly enjoyed my day; I'm very glad to have not become very put off by the change of plans so that I was open to something else.