marseille. where i have fallen in love.

i feel guilty for neglecting my blog for the past few days. i had my barcelona blog written, but needed time to upload pictures. it is quite time consuming. now i will update both. i am headed to zurich on a whim right now. i planned on going to berlin, but the train would have taken all day and i had an extra day on my eurorail pass. so i will stop in zurich. i don't have a hostel reserved and it is really expensive there so i hope everything works out. i love the adventure of it :)

i spent the last few days visiting jord in marseille. on the train there i sat next to a boy from mexico who studied in el paso. he was traveling for 8 weeks and had just started his journey. i enjoyed telling him my favorite places--what i liked and what i didn't like. the view was INCREDIBLE. the train went along the coast and made for a pleasant journey.

i got really nervous as i got off the train, hoping i'd recognize jord. i was walking and this man stepped out from behind the other people waiting and i lost my breath. he was so handsome. we smiled at each other for a long time. look how handsome he is.....

he told me he would show me a very beautiful place. we drove past the water and he turned into this little town area. we parked the car, got our bathing suits, chocolate bar, and fruit juice (what a combination) and headed for the water. we climbed over some rocks and he was not hesitant at all about jumping in. me, on the other hand, i was so so so nervous. 1) the water looked really cold 2) i'm scared of open water like that in case i drown. for some reason the second i see the sea i forget how to swim. but i decided that it was a once in a lifetime experience, i counted to three, and i jumped. it was so so cold at first, but once i swam around a bit, it warmed up. we got out and sat on the rocks eating chocolate. when the sun started going down, we changed back into our clothes and headed for the harbor.


jord's oldest friend was coming into town with his boat. he takes care of the boat and drives it for some really rich guy. it was really really incredible. we had some beer and ate this french sausage thing. i can't even describe how lovely it was to feel the wind blow in my hair like that. then for dinner me, jord, pierre yve, and nicholas ate on the port.

one conversation went like this:
pierre yves: one day jord's daughter came on the boat
me: jord has a daughter?! this is news to me (inside i'm having a little panic attack)
pierre yves: yes, she is 22
me: 22? that is older than me

twenty minutes later and a lot of panic on my part
me: jord, you really have a daughter?
jord: yes two actually. one is 22 and one is 28
me: so you were 11 when you had a kid?
jord: what do you mean?
me: very very confused
jord looks at me
jord: oh i mean sister, not daughter.

i think i almost had a heart attack and had a million things racing in my head of a life he hadn't told me about. what an important language mix up!!

the next day we woke up and jord asked if i liked hiking. we packed some food and i really had no idea what i was in for. we started on the trail and i was so unsuspecting. he had never been to this place either so we were both shocked when we turned a corner and saw these mountains and the sea. i tried to take a lot of pictures, but it doesn't capture enough of the beauty. wow. i it looked like a painting.

we climbed down the other side of the mountain where there was a beach and took a nap in the sun. jord went swimming, but i sat this one out. he is so cute. this was him confused about something i said in english.

after we went back to pierre yve's boat and the three of us went for drinks and lebanese food. i had never eaten it before and fell in love with it. really really delicious. and hummus--oh how i've missed you.

(side note: i just went to the bathroom and came back and the top rack on this train is clear and i banged my head against it so hard and bit my tongue simultaneously. it hit right where i have a bump from 4th grade and it is now growing into a goose egg. way to go)

on monday we visited the notre dame church. it overlooks marseille and has a giant golden virgin mary and baby jesus on it. it is quite exquisite. you climb a big hill. the inside was magnificent. i couldn't take pictures though because mass was going on. there was a plaque that told about when pope john paul the second visited and prayed to mary there. oh and! there were all these dents in the side of the church from when marseille was freed in the war. and down at the bottom of the hill was a big US canon.

then we laid in the sun in the middle of a field of flowers. then we got dressed up that night and jord showed me the little town by his house. he lives about 20 minutes from downtown. it was SO SO SO cute. perfect in fact. lots of shopping and restaurants and fountains. i am in love with this picture of us.

look at this "bus." it is the public transport because the streets are so small.



next we went to the boat and had a glass of wine before dinner. we had planned on going to see a show, but when we went to get tickets, they had canceled it. that was okay by me because i would have fallen asleep since 1) i don't like theater and 2) i don't know french. so instead the four of us just ate at a pizza place. i took a little nap back on the boat while the boys chatted. they reminded me of my dad and his friends--how they have so many jokes and just laugh and laugh and you can tell they love each other. they said i was good because i never complained. i was proud of myself. but i really did enjoy their company.

this morning i had to wake up really early to catch my train. i met a nice french boy and we talked for a few hours before we had to get off. he was so kind and carried my things for me. i asked if he'd go to zurich since my bag is so heavy, but he said he'd get fired if he didn't go to his meeting. we run into each other again as he passes through the station to a different exit to get a taxi. we talk as we walk and i say merci and au revoir again. he initiates the two french kisses on the cheek. i am a master of this now. then something unexpected: he REALLY french kisses me. right in the middle of the station. me holding my heavy heavy bags, him holding his bags with 7 computers he kisses me and then we say au revoir and turn around forever. french men love me.

so my little break was nice. i felt like i was on holiday from my holiday. backpacking is hard work and going to museums all the time gets old. i loved the water and the sun and being with jord.

maybe one day i'll go back and teach english (the french sure need an english teacher) and live with jord. my life would be so lovely except for that fact that i would also need to learn french, which i have no desire to do.

au revoir for now,
e.

ps. for mom, dad, and alex.
remember when dad told us about how he had to take a training on a defibrillator at work? and i say after 10 minutes of thought, so what is that for? to check is someone is lying when they come in to talk about their stocks? thinking that fib---lie. this box was on the boat. and i thought of you and i laughed and laughed.