Nice 2009 - Abbey Road Programs

Soiree Bowling

2009-07-28T06:08:00.000-07:00

On Sunday students spent the day at Saint Paul de Vence, one of France's most beautiful fortified cities. It is perched high in the mountains overlooking the Cote d'Azur. Later in the evening students returned to Nice for a night of bowling and billiards. Amine ended up winning but Patrick came in a close second with 100 points.

Parasailing

2009-07-28T05:56:00.000-07:00

On Monday students were treated to an afternoon of parasailing along the beaches of Nice. Those who participated got a bird's eye view of the city and surrounding mountains.

L'anniversaire de Brett

2009-07-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday night we celebrated Brett's 16th birthday by eating some local desserts including tarte aux fruits, Trianon and Millefeuile. We all danced the night away and even got to here some very interesting versions of some classic songs.

Bordighera

2009-07-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday students were treated to a surprise day in Italy. We travelled by train in the morning to the small border town of Bordighera. We spent the morning relaxing on the beach and then had a group dinner in a small pizzeria. Students got to try fresh made pasta and pizzas. Afterwards we climbed to the old town and walked the narrow cobbled streets. We ended our excursion with gelato and a bit of shopping before returning to Nice.

Eze

2009-07-19T12:24:00.001-07:00

On Sunday afternoon students continued on to the hilltop town of Eze. There we took a tour of the Fragonard perfume factory and students got to test out their skills as a professional "nez". Afterwards students were given the chance to climb to the top of the city for a spectacular view of the Cote D'Azur from the Exotic Gardens. For dinner we returned to Nice and had a sampling of some of the regions specialties including stuffed tomatoes, salade nicoise and stuffed mussels.

Monaco

2009-07-19T12:15:00.000-07:00

On Sunday morning students travelled by bus to the principality of Monaco. In the morning we took a tour of the palace and surrounding neighborhoods and spent some time in the Oceanography Museum. Students walked through the beautiful gardens surrounding the palace overlooking the sea.

Antibes

2009-07-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

On Saturday our group took a train to the neighboring town of Antibes. Students started out the day by exploring the Picasso museum in town and then relaxing on the beach.

Soiree Guitare

2009-07-16T01:38:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night after finishing our cooking groups students went to a public park by the ocean to enjoy the view and some music. Nice is a spectacular sight at night with all the lighthouses and incoming boats. Jann Michael and Michael played guitar and gave us a private concert that everyone enjoyed. Some of us also worked on our Petanque skills.

Bastille Day

2009-07-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

Abbey Road had a Bastille Day to remember! The night was filled with spectacular fireworks, concerts, neon lights, and genuine "American" line dancers in cowboy hats.

The streets of the modest Cagnes sur Mer were lined with street vendors and were flooded by churros and candy. Children in strollers waved neon lights in commemoration of a revolution of which they have yet to learn. The patriotism was evident, but there was also a surprising acknowledgement of other cultures during the festivities, with exhibitions of Hawaiian and American culture. There were, in fact, very few French flags.

With Abbey Road we had the priveledge of experiencing the most significant event in the French calendar. We grew both as students and as global citizens for having attended.

Blog written by Patrick Lum with photos from Patrick Lum and Michael Mallon

Saint Jean Cap Ferat and Cannes

2009-07-13T03:02:00.000-07:00

We wrapped up our weekend excursions with a trip to Saint Jean Cap Ferat on Saturday and a day trip to Cannes on Sunday.

During on day in Saint Jean students spent the day on the beach and kayaking around the crystal clear waters around the coast. We got to see beautiful homes and boats and soak up some Mediterranean sun. In the evening we ate at a 3-course meal at a small restaurant just along the docks.

On Sunday we took a shopping trip to Cannes, home of the famous film festival. Students bought everything from flea market albums to shoes.

Our Day in Villefranche

2009-07-11T01:40:00.000-07:00

Our Nice program students went on their first excursion Friday. Villefranche-sur-Mer is only a few minutes west of Nice by train but offers students a real change of scenery. Students were given the day to walk around and shop, relax on the beach, or find a restaurant to try some local cuisine. After dark we all walked to the Citadel to see it's beautiful gardens and watch a film in the outdoor theatre. Built in 1557 I'm sure this is the oldest "movie theatre" the students have been to.

On fait la cuisine!

2009-07-10T02:44:00.000-07:00

Students finished their third cooking group on Thursday night. They've made everything from omelettes to French style green beans. Students have quickly gotten the hang of things and are really making some great food. It's fun to see their confidence level grow and the quality of dishes to sky-rocket.

Soirée Pétanque

2009-07-10T02:26:00.000-07:00

Thursday night Jennifer taught several students to play Petanque in a small park overlooking the sea. Petanque is a lot like bacci ball and played by almost everyone in southern France. The students picked up on the game quickly and by the end were playing like old pros.

Karaoke Night

2009-07-08T15:59:00.000-07:00

After a long day of classes our students went out on the town Wednesday for a fun night of singing and dancing. Everyone participated and really seemed to enjoy themselves. We got to see Patrick's break dancing moves and hear several of our students show off their singing skills.

C'est Parti!

2009-07-08T03:42:00.000-07:00

The first few days of the Nice Program have flown by and we are enjoying every minute.

On Sunday we had front row seats to the Tour de France as dozens of bikers zoomed through downtown Nice.

Classes started on Monday and our two groups of students have been doing a great job of meeting the challenging curriculum. Their progress is already impressive after only five days.

Students have also been enjoying the wonderful Cote D'Azur weather by taking walks around Vieux Nice and Cours Saleya. We've been keeping cool by spending time on Nice's historic beaches and eating as much gelato as possible.

This week we're looking forward to karaoke at a local restaurant and visiting some of the many museums that Nice has to offer. Students are also really excited to go to the beaches at Beaulieu this weekend.