Sunday, December 4, 2011

Pont du Gard et Châteauneuf du Pape

So today was the last CEA excursion for the fall semester...the next one isn't until the end of January. Anyways...first we headed to Pont du Gard which is one of the best preserved Roman ruins in all of France. It was huge! It was a beautiful day here in the south of France...now it is a pretty consistent 55 ish degrees (or 12-14 degrees Celsius). A tad chilly but absolutely beautiful!



Me...J'adore ma vie en France :)

The CEA Grenoble students joined us for this excursion and it was fun to see them again! 


(Courtesy of Dylan, one of us Aixois! Thanks Dylan!)


(Also from Dylan) Just looking off into the vineyards...I really do love everything about my life in France!


This was where we went for our degustation...aka wine tasting. The building is not the "new pope's house" but the wine is labeled Châteauneuf du Pape. Their wines are considered to be some of the best in France and also in the world. It was interesting to learn about the "terrior"(the individual characteristics and components of the soil) of this particular appellation because it is very specific. Only in this appellation are the vines planted in rocky soil. This is important because it helps to keep a consistent temperature throughout the year therefore protecting the vines from the winter frost and the summer heat. We got to taste 3 different wines and all were fantastic so.....



I splurged and bought a bottle :) I'm saving this one for my birthday! Excited! It is going to be fantastic!
Aix...Cours Mirabeau :) This is the main street all lit up for Christmas! It is so beautiful and fun to walk up and down the street or just on my way to class drinking a vin chaud or people watching (a national past time in France!).



That's all for now...I'll be seeing you in San Diego in just a few weeks but for now...bises de France!!
:)



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