France: Judith Tafur (Learning on excursions)

Marseille, the alluring big city closest to Aix-en-Provence. Before our program excursion, I had flown into Marseille, gone to the beach there and visited years before with my family. Each time I had an entirely unique experience. I had heard that Marseille was a very cosmopolitan city because it is “ouverte envers le monde” (open towards the world). Being a major port and receiving lots of immigration has allowed for this. Marseille’s mosaic of different cultures along with its history and architecture make it a great place to learn about French history and current day social dynamics.

In culmination of our short “La France en Perspective” (France in Perspective) introductory course to get us thinking about French culture and society, we went to Marseille for a day. We got to learn about lots of the realities of the city, some good, some bad, while walking through relevant locations. One interesting aspect about the city’s layout is that government housing, which in most cities in France tends to be peripheral, is situated right in the downtown area. I thought this was a really interesting dynamic since it allows for a more diverse ensemble of people to make up the city center and less class delimitations within different sectors of the city. We also talked about the riots that had recently broken out in Marseille due to police brutality, as well as the historical spirit of inconformity often associated with the “Mareillais”. Finally, to finish our day’s journey, we took the tourist train up to the highest point in the city: Notre-Dame de la Garde, where we got to see the most breathtaking view of Marseille.

Judith Tafur

Hometown: Cali, Columbia

Major: Molecular and Cell Biology; French; Cert in Biocore

Program: Academic Program in Aix-en-Provence

Through my experience in this program I hope to improve my fluency, vocabulary and overall confidence in my French language skills. I also hope to learn about the local culture, way of life and make meaningful connections with both the people in my program as well as locals.

I am really looking forward to getting lost in everything the city has to offer. I hope to use my afternoons and weekends to learn about the city by trying  new restaurants, exploring museums, taking bus rides to new places and hiking the Mt. Sainte Victoire. I am also really excited to try the fresh produce and local cheeses at the open markets in the city-center.