Week 5 - Moving House

All moved in to my new apartment in Avignon!

After a quiet weekend in Vaison packing up my apartment and Skyping friends from around the globe - think I've managed to call everywhere from Australia, to America, to Russia now - it was finally time for the move to the 'big' city. Although I've loved living in Vaison, the distinct lack of young people and boredom that comes from living on your own had led me to find a flat-share in Avignon. I'll be living with a lovely family in Vaison for 2 nights a week though so the 2 hour commute won't be as horrendous as it sounds! Organised another BlaBlaCar with Gael, the guy who gave me a lift on Friday (practically my chauffer now), and we had long chats about the best nights out in London - turns out he'd done a year abroad there back in the day and was pretty impressed by London's nightlife.

Beaut last night in my Vaison apartment

Spent the afternoon unpacking and settling in and in the evening Pauline, my new flatmate who's studying at the University of Avignon, cooked dinner for me and her friend Perrine. We had a chilled evening drinking beer and watching Harry Potter et la Coupe de Feu.

My new room

Decided to stay on mainland France for week 2 of half term! The family I used to au pair for in the summer live really close by so invited me to stay with them for a couple of days. They came to pick me up on Tuesday afternoon and I've had a lovely time catching up with my second family and have been sleeping like a log in my old room. Louisa, the girl I look after, has grown up so much since the last time I saw her which is making me feel very old - she's 11 now and has just started Year 7 (or sixième) and is at the stage of sending chain messages and choosing ring tones for her shiny first mobile phone. Those were the days!

Selfies: the best way to keep an 11 year old entertained

I've been helping her with her homework - mainly learning how to say what the weather is like in English - and we've also been making a scrapbook of her holiday to a safari park last week. We also went on a trip to Marseille as her grandparents had some errands to run so Louisa and I spent the afternoon browsing the shops, enjoying the views and riding the lifts (she got a little over-excited and would have stayed in them all day if she could) at the shopping centre.

The weather's not been great as there was a huge storm on Wednesday which caused a power cut when Louisa and I were home alone (fortunately it was daytime). Since there's little to do when it's pouring with rain we thought we'd have a trip to the cinema and went to an adorable old cinema to watch the film everyone's been talking about: Les Nouvelles aventures d'Aladin of course (James Bond isn't out until 11th November in France). The film was surprisingly entertaining, basically a modern day twist on the story of Aladin with lots of jokes thrown in that were easy to understand.

No swimming this holiday

Heading back to Avignon this afternoon and am looking forward to celebrating Halloween in Avignon with some of the other assistants before finally heading back to work on Monday!

Katie x

What to pack for your Year Abroad

There are a million and one lists out there on what to take with you on your year abroad. I thought I'd compile a list of those really random little things you'll wish you'd brought with you:

Extension Plug

You never know where you're going to end up living and chances are there won't be many plug sockets (or they'll be in really inconvenient places around the room). Make your life 100 times easier by bringing an extension plug that you can use for your many appliances, and also save on adaptors!

Slippers

Definitely worth getting yourself a cheap pair. They take up no room at all in the suitcase and are something you're likely to use much more than you realise - especially if you've got a stone floor apartment with little heating.

Adaptors

Seriously do not want to forget one of these - good luck finding an adaptor in your new country that converts an English plug socket (they'll only sell them the other way round)!

Sleeping bag

On my first night in France in my new apartment I didn't have a duvet or a pillow. Fortunately I brought a sleeping bag out with me so that kept me going for the first few days! Also really useful for visiting friends and having guests come and stay.

Marmite

Unless you're willing to splash out extortionate amounts of money in the 'English section' of the supermarket, bring your own with you. It's also a fun thing to get all your new foreign buddies to try, even if just for their facial expressions!

Photos

You're moving a long way from home so it's good to bring some pics of friends and family to decorate your walls and make the place feel a little more homely. Also a good idea for language assistants so you can show your students pictures of life in the UK.

Memory Stick

Really useful, especially in order to get you through all the admin in the beginning as you're unlikely to have your own printer. Also another good one for language assistants as you can save games and worksheets on your USB to print out at your schools.

Umbrella

Despite what you might think, it's not sunny every day in the South of France. In fact, there have been some serious storms since I've been out here! Another thing that takes up no room in the suitcase and you'll be glad to have with you.

Cabin Max Bag

These backpacks are unbelievably useful. The perfect size (they're designed to be the maximum capacity to take as carry on luggage on an aeroplane) and lightweight to begin with means this bag is ideal for weekends away and quick trips home - plus no extra fees for hold luggage.

Reusable Bag

While the UK has only just introduced the 5p plastic bag rule at the supermarket, in France this system has been going for years. Keep a reusable bag constantly in your handbag to avoid having to buy one every time you go grocery shopping. Also soo much better for the environment. I'm rather fond of Envirosax.

Swimwear

You'd be amazed at how hard it is to buy swimwear in winter. Literally impossible. Even if you're not heading out to a hot country you never know when you might have a spontaneous holiday to the beach.

Alarm Clock

Whether you're studying or working abroad, you're inevitably going to have some early starts you'll need to wake up for. Save yourself the worry of your phone running out of charge (as I mentioned, you never know where those plug sockets are going to be), and get a cheap battery-powered alarm clock to keep beside your bed.

Padlock

Gym lockers, hostels, suitcases...endlessly useful!

Passport

Pretty obvious this one. Also make sure you check the expiry date long before you go in case you need to get it renewed!

EHIC

If you're heading to Europe a European Health Insurance Card is essential and also completely free to apply for! Just make sure you allow plenty of time before to get one before you leave as the application procedure takes 7 working days. Apply for your EHIC and find out more here.

Insurance

Another essential - who knows what could happen when you're abroad. Shop around for the best deal or check with your university to see if they provide insurance for you. Make sure you keep a printout of what your cover entails and those all important contact numbers in case you ever need to make a claim (although hopefully you won't need to).

Photocopies

Photocopy EVERYTHING - passport, driving licence, birth certificate, proof of employment - at least three times and keep it all together in a folder. Trust me, it will make your life so much easier when settling in. I'd also recommend emailing yourself a copy of all these documents so if you ever need to print out more you've always got them easily accessible.

Passport Photos

Just another thing to make your life a whole lot easier, lots of things you sign up to e.g. Carte Jeune and gym memberships, will require you to provide a passport photo.

Best Websites for your Year Abroad

Sometimes I wonder how people managed to get through their year abroads without the internet. The following apps/websites have been endlessly helpful in meeting people/getting around/travelling/sorting admin...

BlaBlaCar
Drivers with spare seats in their car post their journeys and for a small fee (usually cheaper than public transport) you can join them. It's really popular in France where public transport is less frequent and difficult to negotiate. It's also great for language practise as you're forced to make conversation in French and it's a great way to meet people of all ages and walks of life.

For me, being based in a small town with few transport links, BlaBlaCar is perfect for getting around as it's a cheaper, faster and more sociable alternative to public transport!

Rome2Rio

This site has been endlessly useful in order to plan any journey anywhere! The site allows you to enter your start point and your destination and offers you the different routes, modes of transport and prices you can use to get there. Links to the relevant transport websites are even included and it works all over the world!

AirBnb
Perfect for travelling as well as settling in when you first arrive on your Year Abroad. If you're planning on finding accommodation when you get there, I'd definitely recommend booking into an AirBnb with a host family for a few nights. The hosts I've stayed with have always been really welcoming and happy to help you out where they can.

While you're on a year abroad you'll definitely want to make the most of living in a foreign country and travel around, although it can be expensive. AirBnbs are often cheaper than hotel and also give you a more authentic travel experience as you get to stay in someone's home.

Facebook
As soon as you know where you're going search on Facebook for the Erasmus group of your university, or if you're working abroad join the group for the nearest uni to where you'll be - after all you're still a student. These groups are a fantastic way to meet people, especially other students, and find out about events going on in your local area.

For British Council language assistants also join the Facebook group for your region - really useful for meeting other assistants, arranging meet ups and answering each others questions on admin/housing etc.

Third Year Abroad
The ultimate source of information for anything to do about going on a year abroad. Their Q&A section is really helpful and you'll probably find any questions you have about anything to do with your year out have already been answered for you!

It's also a good thing to check it out before you go to give you an idea what to expect when you get there so the culture shock hopefully won't be too bad.

Skype
For keeping in touch with all your friends and family back home. While Facebook and What'sApp are great free ways of keeping in touch too, nothing's better than face-to-face. Skype has now also updated to do group chat - great for me as I've got friends all over the world and we've been able to arrange a group call across 3 continents!

OuiGo
Another transport site to help you save some pennies! This site books trains to alternative destinations, for example to Marne la Vallée Chessy (aka Disneyland Paris) so you can get a journey from Avignon to Paris for as little as 10€ (booked in advance).

Teaching English
An amazing resource for language assistants, this site has loads of games, songs and lesson plans for teaching kids English. Really useful suggestions for different ways to teach things and ideas for themed weeks such as Halloween and Christmas.

Appartager
A must when looking for housing in France, this site helped me find my roommate. Create a profile and people can also search for you so your housing might even end up finding you!

Scannable
You won't realise until you start your Year Abroad just how much admin there is you need to do. As it's unlikely you'll have access to a scanner (especially at the beginning) this app is a God-send, allowing you to scan and email documents from your phone. Perfect for claiming back for train tickets and emailing Erasmus forms to your uni.

Week 4 - Half Term in Corsica

A week in Corsica revealed to be a week of sleep talking, European Shags, stolen taboulé, hitchhiking and free cocktails.

After an early start in Toulon on Saturday morning, we made it to the ferry and made a camp in the 'Spaghetteri' area where we spent the next 8 hours playing card games, chatting and eating spaghetti.

We found a way to pass the time

Boarding the ferry

Breakfast

When we finally arrived in Ajaccio the group split off to find our respective AirBnbs. I was staying with fellow assistant Cece in an apartment right in the centre of Ajaccio with a lovely host called Philippe. Once we'd settled in a bit and caught up on the all-important wifi, we met up with the others for moules frites and wine (obviously) at a cute local restaurant.

Our new pad

The next day was incredible sunny weather so was the perfect opportunity to hit the beach. It being Sunday - aka the day that nothing is open - we spent the day chilling in the sunshine and attempting to get some sort of holiday glow. That night was a serious girls night in: the girls came round to ours (Philippe's) and, after trawling through the web for somewhere open on a Sunday night, we ordered pizza and watched Netflix.

Pizza and Pulp Fiction

The sunny weather continued so we took the bus to Les îles Sanguinaires to go walking. The views were absolutely stunning - Instagram was going to have a field day - and we also saw some, amusingly named, European Shags (seabirds that live on the southern European coast). The guide at the tourist office had shown us a couple of routes so we headed along the coast then up another route he'd suggested. However, without a map/sign posts we didn't exactly know which direction we were heading and eventually hit a main road. After about half an hour walking uphill we realised we were probably lost and decided to flag down the next car that went by. Fortunately for us, a pick-up truck driver came past and offered us a lift back to Ajaccio - it turned out we were miles away! The six of us clambered into the back of the truck and enjoyed the ride back to town.

Squad selfie: Cece, Amy, Kate, Katie, Annie and Annie

A European Shag

(Hitch)hiking

We later headed out for drinks, although soon realised that nightlife in Corsica on a weeknight in winter is not exactly banging. We did however find an Irish bar with a solid cocktail menu and the friendliest bartender in the world who showered us with free sweets and a round of drinks on the house. There we also met a very merry Corsican, Jean-Paul, who claimed to be Napoleon's ancestor and also treated us to another round after a quick bit of salsa with Kate!

Having supposedly met Napoleon's great, great, great... grandson we thought it would be appropriate to visit the Maison Bonaparte where Napoleon was born. As with many museums in France, it was free entry for under 25s, result!

On Wednesday we thought we'd get out of Ajaccio for the day to explore more of the island, so took the train to Corte. It's a university town which meant there were lots of young people hanging around and some incredible reasonably priced patisseries. We climbed to the citadel and museum at the top of the town and enjoyed more sensational views and swatted up on the history of Corsica.

Our last day was spent eating endless amounts of cheese at the morning market with glasses of red wine and rosé (it was 10.30 in the morning but they insisted). Stocked up on Corsican souvenirs and had one last trip to the beach before boarding the overnight ferry to Toulon.

As it was breakfast time in Toulon we knew exactly where to go, having seen a bakery selling GIANT croissants and pain au chocolat when we were last there. None of us made it past more than a few mouthfuls! Took the train back to Avignon and I arranged another BlaBlaCar all the way to Vaison where it was good to speak some French again with my friendly driver, Gael.

I'm spending this weekend packing now as I'm officially moving to Avignon on Monday to live with a French student in a cute little apartment!

A la semaine prochaine,

Katie x

Corsica

Getting there

Ferries go regularly from Toulon and Nice to Ajaccio and Bastia. Book in advance with Corsica Ferries for a cheap deal. Make a picnic and take snacks with you on the journey to avoid extortionate on board prices.

Where to stay

The town Ajaccio is buzzing with activity, has excellent transport links and has some beautiful beaches. Find a cheap deal and live with a local by booking on the site AirBnb.

What to do

Beach

Profit from the sunny weather and get you tan on at any of the beautiful beaches. If you want to stay close to town Saint François is a small but sandy beach, otherwise Trottel is much bigger (although slightly more pebbly). You can also venture slightly further out to find some stunning quiet sand beaches, Neptune Beach is a local favourite.

Saint François Beach

Trottel Beach

Hiking

Go for a hike in Les Îles Sanguinaires and take in the breathtaking scenery of Corsica's coastline. The number 5 bus will take you all the way there from the centre of town. Don't forget your trainers and your camera!

Views from Les Iles Sanguinaires

Napoleon's Birthplace

A visit to Corsica wouldn't be complete without seeing Maison Bonaparte, the house where Napoléon grew up. Free entry for under 25s.

Market

The market in Place Foch is every morning from 3am to 1pm and is full of fresh Corsican produce. Expect to try a LOT of cheese and free rosé to wash it down. Meat and cheese can also be vacuum packed to take home.

Conte

Take the train to Conte, Corsica's original capital city. Visit the citadel and museum for more spectacular views and a bit of info on the history of Corsica. There are also some amazing patisseries in the town with pasties at very reasonable prices, just try not to buy everything!

Where to eat

Auberge Colomba

A charming local restaurant tucked away off Cours Napoleon. Friendly staff and fantastic value - moules frites from 11€.

Da Mama

This restaurant does an excellent 3 course set menu for 17€ per person. Fresh fish and generous portions, the hard part is deciding what to eat!

Fig Crème Brulée

La Balagne

A delightful café and creperie with friendly and attentive staff. The crêpes avec crème de marron are highly recommended and made fresh.

Nightlife

If visiting in Winter you've probably missed the boat, but if you're keen for a night out then make sure it's a Thursday, Friday or Saturday.

For a bar that's always open and has a good atmosphere every night of the week then pop by the Irish bar, Shamrock. Great cocktails and the friendliest staff and locals in town!