English Words & Phrases seen in Europe:

- Bar

- Snack Bar

- Restaurant (might originally be a French word)

- Thank You

- scarf (weird, right?)

- coca-cola (everywhere.)

- Welcome

- Do Not Enter

- No flash

- sandwiches

…more to come, I’m sure.

There is an area just outside of Marseille, near the university (Luminy), called Les Calanque. It is a lot of white cliffs and pine trees on the edge of the ocean. I hiked a mile or two in and clambered along rocks next to water which looked like new spring leaves had been melted into it to create a fairytale color. Exhausted from the sun (a very tan retired local man told my friend and I that it was the hottest day so far this year) I waded slowly in up to my knees. It may have taken another twenty minutes before I actually swan.

The beach was covered in stones, so it was a relief to find a tiny patch of sand to stand in when my feet got tired. Looking up at the rock walls and out at the water, I felt something stick to my foot. Having been told about mistrel, a wind which cools the water and leaves little bits of plants floating everywhere, I assumed it was a bit of algae. Bending down to brush it off I saw the thin gray tenticle of an octopus reaching across my toes. Its body was maybe as large as both my fists with large eyes peering at my feet in an unearthly way.

After that, the barnicles I found seemed somewhat unimpressive. 

Watched those rosey fingers of Dawn crawling over Ireland this morning. Seemed eery after a sleepless night on a plane, and it only took about 10 minutes to fly over the whole country.