Carlsbad Teen Recounts European Adventure- Part 3 France

Twelve days in and my European adventure was slowly coming to an end, but we still had the last few days to finish with a bang in France! We traveled into the south of France to Provence and spent the day in Montpellier, a university town where I really got a “feel” for how the French received their not so endearing stereotypes. In Spain and Portugal, the two destinations we traveled previously on the trip, I felt welcomed by the locals as they played along when I practiced my “Spanglish,” and they enjoyed speaking broken English back to me. In France, it was a different story. I felt out of place and intrusive as I was chastised in multiple stores for picking up clothing items off the racks. I will never know what the French store clerks were saying to me, nor do I really care, because I was too in love with the country of France to pay attention to the many snotty stares of the locals. Montpellier was a charming example of a typical French town with sidewalk cafes, designer stores, and century old statues. That night we stayed at a small motel in the French countryside which I could’ve sworn was a direct replica of the Bates Motel from the movie “Psycho,” but nonetheless we were in France so there was no way I could complain!

Little did we know, the next day would become the day everyone on the tour would remember as the “Day from Hell.” I will spare most of the dreary details of the bus ride that lasted a ridiculous eight hours into St. Tropez, which was supposed to take only two hours. (This is what happens when you have a Spanish bus driver with no map or any knowledge of France’s geography or its language.) Although a little worn out from a long day on the bus, I was well educated in the sights of the French countryside as well as stuffed from the dozen Magnum ice cream bars we shared amongst each other. St. Tropez was everything I imagined and more. The glamorous beachside resort, famous for its wealthy and famous visitors, oozed upper class and elegance. I may have even spotted Brad and Angelina on their massive yacht, but that also could have been anybody else and I think I was hallucinating after the long bus ride. That night we reached a much needed paradise, and we found it at the MMV Resort and Spa Cannes-Mandelieu. All us girls were ecstatic to share a small villa together, where we spent the night jumping on beds and chatting with other teenagers our age who were also on vacation.

The next day, our last and final one, began as we toured a perfume factory in Eze. For perfume lovers, or anybody who enjoys smelling nice, this was place was like Willa Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Although probably quite overpriced, the perfumes were too intoxicating and “French” not too splurge! Our next stop was the principality of Monaco, another vacation spot of the rich and famous and home of the Casino Royale from the James Bond movies. The day before we had arrived, Prince Albert II of Monaco married Charlene Wittstock, a South African swimmer, who I might add is, 20 years younger than her balding but powerful groom. The night before we had watched the wedding on TV, and took bets as to how long their marriage would last and pitied the poor girl who looked clearly miserable with Prince Albert. Due to the wedding, most areas of Monaco were off limits to tour buses so we walked around the charming city center and returned for an afternoon in Nice. I loved the white washed villas and small boutiques in Nice as we spent our last few hours walking and shopping. The beaches were packed wall to wall with people and the water was a pristine blue. Our last night together was a bitter sweet one, as we longed for normalcy back at home but knew that our time in Europe would soon be over which meant back to reality.

Although my travel mates were eager to return home to see family and friends in Carlsbad, I wanted nothing more than to stay in Europe. I may have a strong connection to my roots here in Carlsbad, and by all means did I miss and my family; but there was a certain something about Europe that kept me wanting more. Even after writing and reflecting about my journey overseas, I still have been unable to put my finger on the certain magic that Europe brought to my life. As a 17-year-old girl growing up in the privileged community of Carlsbad, I have not been exposed to much outside my comfort zone. I had no idea what to expect when I traveled to Europe, but I yearned to be uncomfortable…or at least experience a different lifestyle.

To be in three different countries where so much history and life has occurred is mind blowing to me. The European lifestyle and culture is unique to each country, but also very similar as they all take pride in their predecessors who created the countries they are today. I do not know when I will have the next opportunity to travel to Europe and experience the sights, the sounds, and the people; but when I do, I will always take to heart my first trip and the unforgettable memories I made along the way.