February Vacations!

Here it is as promised: the itinerary for my upcoming February vacation. I am off officially from Saturday, February 9 to Sunday, February 24.

Friday, February 8: Ussel -> Marseille
Marseille is the second- or third-largest city in France, depending on which statistic you go by. It is on the Mediterranean, large, multicultural, and known for a fish stew called bouillabaisse. I plan on visiting the Archaeological Museum, the African, Oceanic and American Indian Art Museum, the History of Marseille Museum, the Fashion Museum, the Santon Museum, the Fine Arts Museum if it's open, the Basilica, see if I can't scope out some of the Calanques, and eat and eat and eat.
I will be staying at the Bonneveine Youth Hostel.

Monday, February 11: Marseille -> Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez is a resort town in the south of France known for celebrities' houses (like Elton John...!), Tropezienne sandals, and hoity-toity-ness. Most of the adventure here will be trying to get there as I'm not entirely convinced that my tickets will get me there, but I've researched it a lot and am excited! There aren't a ton of sites here, but many sights and I'm looking forward to this city a lot.
I will be staying at Hotel La Mediterranee, which has so far deserved its glowing review in my guide book.

Wednesday, February 13: Saint-Tropez -> Nice
Nice, pronounced "Neece", is a Riviera resort town known for The Good Life. I plan on visiting the old town, a museum named in honor of one of my favorite artists Marc Chagall, the Matisse Museum, the Roman ruins, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Fine Arts Museum, and soaking up some serious good life.
I will be staying at Las Camelias Youth Hostel.

Saturday, February 16: Nice -> Paris
PARIS!! I will be meeting up with Dad's friend's daughter Liz and wife Kathy for a week-long whirlwind tour of Paris. We will be doing the Big Five: Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre-Dame, Arc de Triomphe, and Musee d'Orsay. (Everyone has different Big Fives.) They'd also like to do a day-trip, and I suggested Reims (pronounced "Rance") to see the cathedral where most French kings were crowned and a champagne cellar tour.
We will be staying at the Hotel Bonsejour Montmartre in the middle of Montmartre, the neighborhood known for the Moulin Rouge, Sacre Coeur, and Amelie.

I return to Ussel the afternoon of Sunday, February 24. After that, six grueling weeks of children asking me "Teacher, what does that mean?". Easter and it's associated Holy Days are in this marking period so I haven't mapped out exactly what's happening every day, but I do know what topics my classes are going to cover.

I have been in France for 132 complete days. I still have five whole months left. This is incredibly emotionally exhausting.