Hola!

I have just put some photos on my last entry of Cordoba and Christmas. Well, now I am on my last day in Seville. Tomorrow we leave for Granada and the Alhambra (that looks like Aladdin´s palace). Seville has been crazy - it is so busy! We have now visited the Alcazar in Seville, quite beautiful with gorgeous windows and gardens - a very cool maze that we actually got lost in. Yesterday we drove to Ronda, an old Spanish village on the top of a mountain - literally, there is an enormous crevass surrounding it - I loved the Spanish countryside that surrounded it, all the hills and Sierras. Today we climbed to the top of the Giralda, an old Muslim Tower in Seville that has huge bells. I also saw the grave of Christopher Columbus which was quite excting.

Anyway, I should probably go, I´m going to have dinner in a restaurant in an old Arabic bathhouse. Merry Christmas again and Happy New Year,
Kate

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

I´m in Spain at the moment, in Seville for Christmas - it is about 7:30 on Christmas Day, soi I suppose you have all finished your presents and huge dinners/lunches. This is our little Christmas tree and the flowers that we bought.

Well, I´m sorry I have not updated for so long, I was in Cordoba for 3 days then came to Seville on the 23rd. Cordoba was so gorgeous, we had an apartment near the centre in the old part of town and our street was lined with orange trees - all wwith so many oranges. I have gone slightly orange crazy I am afraid - they are everywhere! We visited some very cool places like the Mezquita and the Alcazar (middle photo), they are both huge buildings in the Middle Eastern style as the South of Spain was under Muslim rule for hundreds of years. It was like something out of Aladdin - arches and orange trees and little garden courtyards and morrocan tiles. I am in love with Spain - it´s so crazy, there is so much noise and they park everywhere they can. They just push cars out of the way!

Christmas has been funny - we decided in our car trip to Seville that we would buy a little present each which meant that we spent all day on the 24th frantically searching for something to buy and planning our christmas lunch as everything is closed on Christmas day. On Christmas eve we cooked some dinner and watched some simpsons christmas special in spanish (he he) then went for a walk and went to midnight mass for about 15 minutes in this enormous cathedral which had a rather cool organ. There were these two old ladies who were enormous and sat in huge wheelchairs covered in giant fur coats with little fur hats - they were so funny, like people out of an old fashioned detective novel.

In the morning we excitadly opened our little presents that had been sitting under the mini christmas tree we bought (covered in fake snow which falls off all the time) and the oranges that I had bought - I told you I was obsessed... I got a pair of red stockings with black floweres on them - very cool, and they go with this cute drees I bought the other day from... guess what - ZARA! I love that store. After the presents we prepared our lunch, me, Emma and Laura - amazingly everything worked and at 2 o´clock , (we are now converted to Spanish time) we sat down to salad, chicken and ham - then for dessert (arrr dessert) we had an enormous box of lindt chocolates and some pastries we had bought fromm a patisserie (well, the spanish equivalen) and haagen-das. mmm.. I am still feeling full.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed your christmas in your warm weather. I must off toflamenco (no, not really, unfortunately)
Adios, Kate

Salut everyone,
Has anyone changed their preferences dramatically? I've decided to do either arts or fee law/arts at Melbourne and then rty to transfer - but it was a hard decision between that and La Trobe Law/Arts. Unfortunately though La Trobe doesn't do French soooo... another year of pressure, but on the good side a whole year of arts!

Mont St Michel was so beautiful, it was like Minas Tirith out of Lord of the Rings! Yes I'm still obsessed. I'm in the Loire Valley at the moment and totally Chateaued out! I have seen enough chateaux to last me a lifetime. I have, during these travels, developed an inordinant fondness for giftshops, I have had to severely restrict my budget! My favourite has been Chenonceau I think, a chateau that is built over a river and had a really cool maze. I love mazes - it wasn't really tall enough - you could see over the top, but it was fun just the same.

On the subject of mazes; me, Emma and Laura saw Harry Potter last night, in French! Always an interesting experiance. The cinema was packed, the line went down the street because it was only a little town cinema which opened very rarely. I actually understood most of it - I has obviously improved since I attempted to watch Oceans 12 last year in France - I almost fell asleep and the ending confused me so much. I really liked this film, unlike my sisters who spent 5 hours dissecting everything that was wrong about it and everything they left out. Harry has definately improved, however that could be the influence of the french accent... the film actually sounds much better in French. (But don't talk to me about Viktor Krum - totally wrong)

So, at the moment I am sitting in a internet cafe in Amboise, we have a new rented house which has slightly dodgy 1920s furniture (and a - I hope fake - deer's head on the wall - from which I constantly avert my eyes).

I have finished Madame Bovary - crying in my bed, it was so sad, and have now started Don Quixote de la Mancha for my Spanish novel, I love it so far, but I feel that I may resemble Don Quixote very slightly.

Ohh, congratulations Caitlyn, Sarah and Cathy for your wonderful enters - and everyone else of course, what smart friends.

In a few days we will leave the Loire Valley for Spain, for Cordoba then Seville for Christmas. Hopefully it will be warmer there, it was -8 this morning and frost (almost snow) everywhere. Although it is pretty, I would like it to be slightly warmer. Sorry for this rambling entry I think I am affected by all the excessive French Christmas decorations - there are Santas popping out of every window and you can't walk on the footpaths without banging your head on Christmas trees covered in lights and (fake) snow.

Anyway, namarie, kate

WAHHHHHHHHH!!! Finally the wait for results is over!!! 98.55!!! I am so shocked, I cant believe it! Congratulations to everyone, I hope you all got what you wanted!
I`m in Brittany at the moment, near Mont St Michel after Paris. We just spent 3 days in Normandy in a little log house in the country - where it alnost snowed; v. cool. We visited the Bayeux tapestry, which is this tapestry made in 1066 about William, the Conquerer. Its 70 metres long and quite funny at moments. We have also seen lots of Chateux and cute little Normandy villages. Sorry I cant put any photos up but I am in an internet cafe at the moment, after just discovering my results. At the moment we are staying in a cute little stone cottage - with attic bedrooms - I love it!!
Anyway I must go, au revoir a tous pour maintenant!

Well, sorry I haven't posted for a while, but at the moment I'm still recovering from jetlag so at about 5 o'clock I just collapse on the couch and sleep for the rest of the night - getting up for dinner.

In the past few days we have seen sooo many things - not to mention all the walking, I am definaltely not going to gain weight on this trip - and you all know how fast my Dad walks! We have gone inside Notre Dame, which, incidentally looks almost exactly like Moria in the Lord of the Rings - very cool. I have taken to wearing my hair in a kind of French twist and wearing perfume - just to get that Parisian feeling. Anyway Notre Dame was very grand, with lots of gargoyles, I love gargoyes, and tourists. I hate to think how busy it would be in Summer or Spring. We also visited the Sainte Chapelle, which is a little chapel with walls almost entirely in stained glass, it was beautiful, even the floor had elaborate designs. It was like being inside one of those gilded eggs.

We finally went inside the famous Paris Opera house (or Palais Garnier), it has a really huge sweeping staircase, and millions of chandeliers and mirrors - perfect for the Phantom of the Opera -muahaha... We took millions of photos again - I'm already up to 487! Then we caught the metro to the Arc de Triomphe. We climbed the Arc de Triomphe and watched the chaos of the drivers, with only one lonely policeman trying to keep them in order, and the lights of the Champs Elysees.

Dad's glasses broke so yesterday morning we frantically tried to get them either fixed or buy an affordable pair - not easy in Paris where every optometrist has gucci, dior and chanel glasses. In the end we got them fixed and then we caught the train to Versailles. Ahhh, Versailles, room after after room of gilding, paintings, elaborate furniture, huge windows, more chandaleirs - it was enormous and beautiful. It is so easy to imagine ladies in enormous rustling dresses sweeping past or parading in the formal gardens.

This morning we are getting ready to leave Paris for a cute little cottage in Normandy which doesn't have internet access so I don't know when I will next update, or find out my VCE results (not that I want to!). So Au revoir for now.

Coucou! Everyone recovered from schoolies?

Well today was Eiffel Tower day (ou la jour de la Tour Eiffel). We woke up to a beautiful pale blue sky and decided that this was the fateful day, to climb the Eiffel Tower. We walked there along the Seine, marvelling at all the gorgeous buildings and autumn leaves, we saw the Eiffel Tower by stages - first just the point, then the top bit, then half... We were almost there when we were stopped by French police who had blocked a road - I nearly walked into an oncoming car but was saved by a policeman (hehe). So we had to go around the long way. We walked through a garden with a lake and numerous Autumn trees and there it was! It was very exciting, and I had to take millions of touristy photos.

There was a massive half hour queue to take the lift up and no queue at all to walk up - all those lazy people. We opted to take the stairs and it turned out to be easier than I expected. We started climbing stopping now and then to breath and take photo until we reached the first level (where we sent a postcard to my Nana) - then we continued onto the second level which had the best view. The sky was a bit hazy at the edges but still very blue and clear for the most part. We pointed out various landmarks like the Sacre Coeur, the Louvre, Place de la Concorde... And took more photos, and more photos. I was asked to take a photo of some spanish people - this always happens to me, I think I must look very non-camera stealing. We caught the elevator to the top level and did some more gazing and photo taking. It was so strange seeing all of Paris laid out before me - like a dream, all those itineries we had to do for French projects finally coming true.

After climbing down again me, Emma and Laura walked down the Champ de Mars to try to fit the whole Eiffel Tower in our photo. Then we caught a bus along the Champs Elysees to the Palais Garnier (the Paris Opera house - where the Phantom of the Opera lived). We had a late lunch at Galeries Lafayettes (the main department store - like a nicer version of Myers) because it was the only affordable place around. Then we went inside the Opera house - so cool! It's so rich and elaborate - we couldn't go very far in because the tours were almost finished - so we will go back again another day. We then caught the metro back to Pont Neuf and walked back to our apartment ( photo on the left: this is the street our apartment is on) saying Bonsoir to the guy in the dodgy tourist shop.

P.S. Do you remember the Parrot umberella in Mary Poppins - the one the talks to her? Well today I saw one, it was so cute, in the window of a (very expensive) French umberella shop. Ohh, and there is a Dada exhibition on at the Centre Pompidou, I will have to go!

Currently Reading: Still Madame Bovary - I'm really enjoying it, it's very good.

PARIS!

Salut from Paris!
Wow, I still cannot believe I'm here. We arrived yesterday (Saturday) at around 12 midday and then checked into our apartment in St Germaine De Pres (the Left Bank) where all the famous writers used to live. Our apartment is so funny, we have to go through this rather dodgy souvenir shop into the courtyard where it is. The guy who runs the shop already knows us as "les filles" and makes random comments every time we go through (which is rather often). The apartment itself is very chic and parisien (and smallish - see left), with very cool windows. Just across the street is a Patisserie with v. nice pain au chocolats and baguettes - not to mention an array of other yummy tarts and things.

Yesterday we didn't do much as we were very jetlaged, we just walked the Ile de la Cite and Pont Neuf (not v. far away). It is so bizarre being in Paris, I still don't believe it. It is bigger than I imagined, with more people and cars - but still beautiful - I walk around in a daze. Today Mum and Dad were still jetlaged but me, Emma and Laura woke up at 6 in the morning and spent most of the day exploring. We did some grocery shopping and then walked along the Seine to Notre Dame (see left - it is so large and so intricate, and I can just imagine the Hunchback coming out from the gargoyles) and then back up the Seine. We just caught a glimpse of the tip of the Eiffel Tower - hopefully tomorrow we will go and climb it - if it's a nice day.

Today and yesterday it has been quite cloudy with a bit of rain - but it is still Autumn in France and there are lots of beautiful autumn leaves everywhere. I can't wait to go to the Bastile, the Palais d' Opera, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysee, the Louvre, Sacre Coeur... so much to do, so little time. At least my Frnech skills have come in handy - I've been the resident translater and buyer of things - it's quite fun being to understand (almost) everything.

Currently Reading: Madame Bovary

Hey, Singapore Airport has free internet - so I'm just writing a quick note. I'm on my way to Paris!! YAY. But I am already dead after only 7 hours, still have 15 hours to go. urgggggggghh... Leaving was very disorganised, especially Dad :) Anyway, I have to go, my time is running out... noooooooooooooooo
next time I write I will be in Paris!

PS. At Singapore airport we visited the famous Cactus Garden (all those who went on French Exchange will remember...) and took a few touristy photos.

Back from Schoolies - a week in Caitlyn's beach house at Kennett River near Lorne . It was sooooooo much fun, I just can't describe it. Thank you so much to Caitlyn for letting us trash your house ;) Thanks also to all those drivers; Leila, Caitlyn, Renee, Christine and Jack - you were all great.

It feel so bizarre to be back at home after spending so much time with my friends - I feel almost depressed, I didn't want to leave. We watched films (Moulin Rouge, I Heart Huckabees, Romeo and Juliet...), television (the OC, Nip/Tuck, Inuyasha - I think I have watched enough soap operas to last me a life time), drank (Champagne, Smirnoff, some Kahlua), walked and swam at the beach, went shopping... Just generally being lazy - this list doesn't include all those random conversations which often occur at 3 in the morning. We were besieged by the local wildlife - Koalas everywhere, Parrots, Kookaburras, spiders, moths... and millions of MOSQUITOS!!

All the food and accomadation only cost us $23 each!! how crazy is that. We bought our own lunches and breakfasts and then got into groups to cook each night. The first night we just cooked our own, then we went to the Wye River Pub for dinner. Our meals were Tacos then Spaghetti then Barbeque then Stirfry (my group's meal). All of the meals were actually really nice, and no one died of food poisoning which is always a good thing.

The first and last days were beautiful; wonderful beachy weather - but the days in between were generally cloudy and windy, sometimes with added rain. But it just made the beach house even mor cosy - not that this was hard in a rather small house filled with 17 people!

Memorable Moments: Jack wearing a bra, Renee playing a guitar naked (:o), Brendan cooking pasta every night at midnight - and actually ending up with something edible much to everyones surprise, Vicki the hippy with her red suitcase (hello Felicity-Albert), Heidi saying "daarrling" rather too many times when slightly inebriated, Leila the seaweed monster surfie... and many others, too numerous to mention - if anyone is reading this feel free to add more moments as comments.

Thanks to everyone for such a fun, relaxing, wonderful schoolies - a great way to end that horrible exam period. We must have a schoolies reunion next year...

Tomorrow me and my family leave for 6 and 1/2 weeks in France and Spain - arn't I lucky?! I'm not sure if I will be able to post tomorrow (could be too stressful), or when I will next update. I'm aiming to update at least once a week.

First we are to to Paris for 5 days, then to Normandy, then to the Loire Valley, then down into Spain, to Granada, Cordoba and Seville (where we will spend Christmas), then up to Barcelona, then to Montpellier and Nimes (to say coucou to Chloé), then back to Paris for another 4 days.

Merry Christmas everyone - I hope you all have great holidays.