Stop 2: Yosemite Park

Whaouhhhhhhh!!!! Yosemite Park!!! I loved it!!!

It was snowing the day we arrived in Yosemite Park, so this time no way to camp!

After a short introduction to the park: El Capitan, a granite wall where expert climbers from all around the world try to defy gravitude, the waterfalls and the Half Dome. There is an Indian legend about the Half Dome: it is said that a husband and his wife had a fight and that now there are facing each other. The day after was the hiking day. I have to confess that I had a lack of training and that I suffered during the trail. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the Vernal and Nevada falls trail. It was quite dangerous because the trail was erased and slippery sometimes, but guys, I made it!!! I'm so proud of myself!!! It was so good to be in the nature, feeling free. At the end of the afternoon, we just relaxed and ate pizzas: I think we all deserved them!

Stop 1: San Francisco

I'm back in Winter Park and I'm literally suffocating because it might be 40°C!!!

I'm also sad since my two week hiking trip is over.

But, let's come back to those last past 2 weeks!

Once upon a time, an adventurous French girl whose name was Ludmilla decided to visit the South West of America. After meeting her other trip mates-4 Danish guys and a Dutch one- in Los Angeles, her first visited city was San Francisco....

I really loved this hyppie city: I first saw the Golden Bridge, went to the hyppie neightbourhood-Haight-, sailed on a Catamaran to see the sunset. I finished the day with a fabumlous cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory. The second day, I've been with the other guys to the Alcatraz Island or if you prefer "Al Capone Home" :) Ther are amazing stories about prisoners trying to escape: they had so much imagination!!! It reminded me the "Comte de Monte-Christo" novel by Alexandre Dumas. I also walked around all the morning long, going through Union Square, Chinatown, the Financial district, the Fisherman's wharf, the Hills, the Civic Center. The very funny part was to take the trolley which goes up and down all the time long.

I really loved San Francisco because they have so many beautiful Victorian houses -exactly like in Charmed and there was Mrs Doutfire's movie house as well- and because people are really cool and relax. I went to a bookstore- the city Lights Bookstore- which is a cool and artistic place where you can read poetry. That bookstore used to be the home of the Beat Poetry, a kind of free-speech poetry. I could have stayed there for ages!!!

Last days in Crummer

Hi all! I haven't ben writing for more than a week but i have to confess that the end of the semester is getting close and that consequently, I'm very busy. Yes, this is the beloved period of team projects and final exams. One more week and I'm in holidays. I'm both sad and excited. The end of the semester is also gonna be a "good buy" period and a "what next questions" period. Last Wednesday, I had my last class in quality management and we really had fun: everyone presented his/her personal quality project such as training for running or for playing guitar. One original project was Homebrew which deals with making beer at home: I'm not a big fan of beer but they did have fun in making beers. With this class, we had been to the Ritz Carlton to appreciate the top of the management of service quality:). Thursday after class, I went to the Fox Day Barbecue: well, making a barbecue in the middle of this afternoon is quite weird but I guess the students were starving. The Fox Day is the day when classes are cancelled and undergraduates go to the beach and be drunk all the day long. But the rest of the time, Crummer and the Undergraduates do not interact that much maybe in O-boys???

Of course, I don't want to think about my coming back home as it is synonymous of taking responsibilities: I have to finish my memoir, to get my driving license and find an intrnship or a job. Nonetheless, before all that, I need to respire and that's why I go for a 2 week hiking trip in Arizona and California. I simply can't wait. I'm pretty sure that the Grand canyon will remind me Salta canyons in Argentina. I miss Argentina. " A moi, les grand espaces, la liberte, la nature et l'aventure". Below, the itinerary:

Day: 1 Los Angeles & Pacific Coast
Day: 2-3 San Francisco
Day: 4-6 Yosemite National Park & Sierra Nevada
Day: 7-8 Las Vegas
Day: 9-10 Grand Canyon
Day: 11-13 Lake Havasu & San Diego
Day: 14 Los Angeles

The Magic Kingdom

Friday afternoon, I decided to become again a little child and dedicated my time to have fun in the Disney park: the Magic Kingdom!! Disney parks have something like 4 theme parks: the Magic Kingdom, the Animal Kingdom, the Epcot park and I forgot the last one.

The most famous ride, Space Mountain, helped me to explore the mysteries of the universe. I also made the Pirats of Carribeas where I had the chance to meet my dear Captain Jack Sparrow. Thanks to the 3D technology, I enjoyed a fancy concert with the maestro Mickey Mouse.

I tried to warn Snow White against the Witch but she did not listen to me! I have to reveal this terrible secret: Snow White is stubborn!!!! I am not sure she deserves the Charming Prince....

I finished the day by Disney Downtown which is a kind of city and took a nice refreshing cocktail in Planet Hollywood:) All the cocktaims were named after a movie: mine was Pineapple Express, there was also Iron Man....Terminator...;

Welcome to Miami

Welcome to MIAMI:)

Our 1st stop was Palm Beach which is a beautiful seaside resort on the way to Miami. I was so happy to find back the ocean. Afterward, we arrived to Miami Beach where our hostel was located. On Saturday morning, we woke early to visit Miami downtown: the Metromover, which is a kind of metro in the air, allowed us to have an overview of the city. There are great buildings: the Freedom Tower, The Herald Magazine building. We went on Calle Ocho in Little Havana (the Cuban neighborhood) to eat delicious Cuban food in Versailles (there was nothing of French in this restaurant!!) and ice cream in an heladeria. The afternoon was dedicated to South Miami, its Art Deco district, the Espanola way and the Beach. The Beach was incredibly crowded because of the Spring Break. After such a day (I got my nose and my neck burt by the sun), Miami nightclubs and bars were waiting for us. We had a great time in the Cleveland and then in Tequila Chicas where I got una riquisima strawberry Margarita.


Saturday morning: Miami sleeps!! The Design district in North Miami was quite abandoned and the Little Haiti was quite a scarying place with its Botanica shops. Coconut Groves and its peaceful port was a welcoming place to rest. Finally, it was time to go back to Orlando, nonetheless we stopped again by Palm Beach to eat in a nice restaurant on the seaside.

Well, guys, I'm sorry that there is no pictures of me in bikini but I hope you will enjoy the other pictures!

American cultures

Because of the rain, this week-end has been quite a cultural one. I went to both museums: Cornell Fine Arts museum which belongs to Rollins Campus and to Charles Hosmer Museum. The Cornell museum was supposed to contain American art pieces but there were a lot of French sculptures (for my greatest pleasure). Nonetheless, there was an amazing collection of restored posters. The posters were used for propaganda during the last century : for instance, among my pictures you will see the famous poster of Uncle Sam "We want you". Posters were both USA and URSS ones: each country tried to use its cultural roots to deliver a message. A good example is a picture of a navy guy on a bomb who seems to be a cowboy making rodeo indeed. The museum also has a funny collection of miniature watch keys. But I really think that the most important pieces of the museum are the pictures of Native American chiefs and the traditional clothes they were wearing such as the wedding dress and mocassins. There is also a blanket from the Mayflower (yes, yes that's the awfull piece of tissue!). I had already visited the Morse museum: I believe that it is the first thing I did with my roomate when we arrived in Florida. This museum totally worthes it!!!! It is about Louis Comfort Tiffany art nouveau pieces such as lamps or glasses: they are extremely refined and beautiful. A very impressive part of the museum is the rebuilt Chapel which had been created for the Colombus fair in1893. The glasses are wonderful and we really have the impression to see paintings. Sophie, I'm pretty sure that you would have been delighted to see this museum: that's why I put some pictures of postcards I bought there. Going on my American cultural travel: I also discovered another aspect of the American culture. I experienced the WingHouse restaurant where the waitresses wear very hot clothes as you can see: I've taken a picture of all the guys with the waitress and another one with the girls. I didn't try the chicken wings which are the specialties of the chef (hahhaha) but the others seemed to enjoy. However, I have to say that crepes still remain the best food in the world and that recently we converted many people and I have to confess that they're better crepes-makers than me!! Shame on me!!!!

Hair musical

That's my last day in New York and it's gonna be the culmination of my NY stay: I 'm gonna see the musical Hair. I'm so excited: broadway is so magic!! The musical was quite shocking because of teh very sexual dance and performance but the rock music was excellent. The musical also showed the contradictions of the hyppie movement: youg people were very individualist and at the same time wanted peace for the world. They also criticized the money system but were people from wealthy background and lived thanks to their family support. they also criticized their country and their families but hyppies were just trying to create a new family with their friends. The funniest part was that a group of retired persons was attending the show and actors played with them, simulating sex positions and so forth. I don't think that the old people appreciated it.

At the end of the show, I went back to the hostel and joined the Argentinian guys to go to the airport. It was quite complicated but happily enough we did it: gracias amigos, son barbaros!