BERLIN! With Stephanie and Drew - my friends from Montpellier last summer...The River by their house in Berlin (much of it was lined by the Berlin...

...wall 30 years ago. (Berlin Wall = 1961-1989) The famous TV tower (as tall/taller than the Eiffel Tower - it is not common to see realllly tall monuments/buildings in Europe like it is in NY). And a typical Berlin lunch: a spread of Turkish food - artichoke and sundried tomato dip, different kinds of breads stuffed with spinach or eggs or seeds, a fried vegetable dumpling, apples!. We had spreads for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! The german LOVE to have a buffet laid out before them! (Side note: I just had a ladybug land on my head! Another lucky day for me!)

Laura's birthday (Bénédict too!) and our home-made pumpkin pie (that's right folks - with REAL pumpkin!) and Sylvie making grape juice because....

one day a vender at the market gave me 2 giant grocery bags of free grapes (more than enough for an entire month for the family) and when I came home, Sylvie had also bought a bag! So we decided to make juice!

A typical view of Lyon and its famous Fourvier Church, a dad and his daughter wearing matching top hats on the street (reminded me of you and me Dad..

...in Cabo with our matching hats), a typical crêpe stand in Vieux Lyon, and this building on the left is completely a mural! There is not one real window on it! And each window represents a different age of Lyon - with different styles on the people in the windows. A mural of stories!

Pretty French House and my friends (Italian, German, Austrian) at Nouveau Beaujoulais!

Nouveau Beaujoulais! A huge wine festival welcoming the season of a wine that has only fermented for 4 weeks (it is aweful tasting) but...

the festivities were a blast! Hot wine and nouveau beaujoulais sold throughout Lyon, with music and dancing and lots of spirit!

My new house in the Calanques!

The Calanques in Cassis...

Playing guitar during dinner, and also the inside of a realllly cool hotel!

Swimming in the ocean at Cassis!

On this huge point is a mountain-biking heaven of trails all over - falling into the ocean! And Dad, this picture looking out at the ocean was where I

...was when I was talking to you on the phone for your birthday (HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!). And also, this was just an adorable restaurant in town, decorated with white soft blanket-like table cloths that reminded me of a doll house! Oh, and also shown is the infinite pool at the hostel/hotel-like place I found on airbnb.com for 19 euro per night! Including breakfast! (Anyone traveling - in US or Europe - check this website out! Genius!

The Calanques again...

Up at the top of one Calanque we met some French people about 26 years old and talked for a while. When we told one of the girls I was from America, she got sooo excited. She had already spent a year in America being an exchange student, and missed it so much that she said I could have her boyfriend if I did an exchange with her. She asked me if I smoke, and when I said no she said "perfect because I smoke and he hates it." And then she asked me if I like sports and after my of course "yes" reply she said we were meant to be. He didn't seem to opposing - I don't think they are going to last much longer!

Les Calanques encore!

Les Calanques (huge canyons with water from the ocean flowing in!) And lunch on the boat!

Italia Market in Cassis: Truffles (80 euro for each of those small balls) and "Ham" at its finest!

At this oh so welcoming pig decorated stand - I tried their sausage taster lying out (I taste everything, whether I like the sound of it or not...when in France!) and after I ate it Sylvie and I asked what it was....

Sausage from PIG TONGUE AND NOSE! Mamma Mia!