So far in Lacoste

It has almost been a week since we arrived in Lacoste and already there has been so much to see. Living in a tiny medieval village on the side of a mountain with less than 200 people in it you would think there wouldnt be too much to do. But it seems that each day there is another (steep) path to discover.

After taking an overnight bus from Barcelona to Marseilles, I met the group at the airport and we headed to Lacoste in the pouring rain. We were greeted by hail! which was ironic because it had not rained all summer. It was ok because once the rain stopped we were delighted by this!

Once we checked in we began to set up our new rooms and explore the village! Lara and I are sharing a loft in the charming Olivier Upper. We have a great terrace, courtyard, and cute blue doors.

Lacoste was built as a fortress to keep it secure from the enemies that they used to fight. So, it is very steep and very compact. We get a workout every time we leave our doorstep. Beautiful buildings line the steep roads, and SCAD has turned old buildings into what we call our campus. The old boulangerie (bakery) is now our cozy library, for example!

Day 2 took us to the market in Apt! Lara and I walked around and wound up buying anything made of chocolate. We made a pit stop at the Pont Julien, an ancient bridge that was used for travel between Italy and Spain.Sunday Lara and I walked to the nearest village, Bonnieux, which is 6 km away. We explored the town and found la glace! I got some tasty lavender ice cream and lara tried apricot. I even ordered in French! Monday classes were starting, but both of mine are on Tuesday/Thursday, so I had a free day to run, catch up on emails, and prepare for classes the next day! I am taking Treasures of Provence which takes us on many fieldtrips to go see what we are learning about! I am also in Advanced Travel Portfolio which will count as my first Senior Fiber Studio! When I return from Lacoste I will officially be a senior, and if everything goes as planned, I will stay the summer in Savannah and finish school a year early! Our professor Pam is great and the group of girls in the class will be really helpful and inspiring. Yesterday was spent doing artwork on the terrace looking over the valley, and it was Janelles birthday! I attended a french class and enjoyed the day off!

Today (Thursday) we went on our first art history fieldtrip to the small town of Caseneuve to see mosaic artist Jean Pierre Soalhat's studio. He makes amazing mosaics out of ancient materials and sells them all over the world. He also has a great collection of artifacts that date back to 42,000 BC! Crazy.
We returned to Lacoste to find out that our fibers class was canceled, so I have been enjoying the beautiful day. Tomorrow we leave early for Aix en Provence! a bien tot!