习作园地--Pastorally Provence （I） 

    By Meicen Sun， Princeton University
    Photos by Meicen Sun

       说起普罗旺斯，大家首先想到的可能是法国南部阳光宠爱下的紫色薰衣草田。其实，普罗旺斯是有着诸多人杰地灵，风格上异同并存的地区。在本期游记中，作者将带我们走进其去年夏天在普罗旺斯学习期间居住的艾克斯镇——画家塞尚的故乡，也是普罗旺斯最著名的小镇之一。

    I knew next to nothing about Provence when the interviewer smiled at me upon approval of my study-abroad application: “Have fun in France.” Once the capital of Provence, Aix-en-Provence is one of the most popular places in the region. The city is known for its history as a source of water back in the Roman reign and for its many fountains.

    On my first day, I woke up jetlagged in the evening and dragged myself to the balcony where my host family was waiting for me to have dinner with them. “Bonsoir,” they greeted me in French, marking the official start of my four-week cultural immersion.

    The school program included morning classes and afternoon excursions to nearby towns, tourist spots, local exhibitions and performances. We toured a chocolate factory, visited  a winery and ate meals at the homes of local residents. 

    One particularly memorable home-made meal consisted of chicken cooked in olive oil and flavored with mysterious Provencal herbs along with rice and a baguette. Who would have thought bread could be so addictive? We sampled Provencal cake, a salad, freshly-plucked cherries and the famous calisson candies, all while drinking rosé, a pink-colored, locally-brewed wine. We listened to our hostess speak passionately in French on anything and everything and we nodded violently, even though we only half-understood her monologue.

    On the way to my host family’s house from Marseille, I caught a glimpse of a magnificent limestone mountain that stood aloof in the nearby plains almost like an iceberg. It was the famous Mont Sainte Victoire, one of Cézanne’s favorite subjects to paint, and where Picasso used to live and is now buried alongside his chateau. 

    Hours later, I found out that my neighbor was an expert in filming the mountain, which appeared vastly different at various times of the day. However, he had trouble finding original music for his footage. I gladly offered my help and when he asked how I could be rewarded, I suggested a ride to the foot of the mountain. Deal. 

    I picked a slightly more demanding climb up the ridge in order to get a better view. I went with just a bottle of water and a cell phone. The three-hour hiking session was pure solitude -- all I could hear were my own breaths and steps. 

    Skipping warm-up cost me cramps in both legs and I lost my balance several times while climbing on the slippery bare rocks. Halfway up, I heard snakes in the grass under my feet but the emergency line operator reassured me that any snakes in the area were safe and that I could resume climbing. 

    An hour later I was at the summit and I beheld the Cross of Provence that overlooks the endless plains. As I reveled in the moment, I realized that sometimes “because it’s there” really is reason enough to undertake a journey.