Just Settin' on the Bench.

My dad and Bailey in Atlanta.

Joyeux Noel In Chamonix.

We spent the second part of the Alps trip in Chamonix: huge mountains, mostly overcast skies, and tons of young, English-speaking seasoners.
The peaks finally broke through the clouds on Christmas Day.
Even the train stations in Europe are old and beautiful. This was my final au revoir in the Chamonix station before I set off on a two-day trek back to Southern France and eventually the States.

Switzerland. Realization: I Speak No German.

After a long delay, here are the last photos from Europe. I spent a week in the Alps with various friends, new and old, and my brother Carter. The trip began with a rare view of the Matterhorn on a beautiful, clear day in Zermatt, Switzerland. Switzerland defines the word picturesque. I look forward to going back one day. The people were friendly and the trains were always on time. Or early. After being in France where the train workers strike whenever they feel like it, this was such a luxury. J'adore la Suisse.

Major landmark in Zermatt? The graveyard of climbers from all over the world who lost their lives trying to reach the summit of the Matterhorn.
Switzerland: Chocolate, extremely efficient trains, cleanliness, and St. Bernards, the working dogs of the Swiss Alps.
By the time I made it back up the various trains and trams with my camera, the clouds had rolled in. This is one of the many buildings way up in the Alps. I was amazed at the random churches, hotels, restaurants, and huts that have made their way to the tippy-tops of various peaks.
Skiing with good friends, Chris and Amir. This train went almost to the top, through tunnels and on the sides of huge dropoffs. Crazy.
Zermatt: quaint cabins, perfect Swiss architecture, and no cars except for the town's own electrical vehicles.

Last School Adventure: Madrid.

We spent the better part of our last week in Madrid, Spain. I got one last taste of the friendly, light-hearted Spanish people before I leave.
Colorful side streets.Spanish street performers.
The "mercado" at night.
Amazing flamenco show.
The indoor "mercado."

This is my last night in Villesèque. I cannot believe three months have gone by already. I'll spend tomorrow night in Grenoble, the "Capital of the Alps," with Marie and Romain; then it's off to ski in Zermatt and Chamonix. Think of me on Christmas: I'll be on a night train to the Toulouse airport.

Field Trip.

BON ANNIVERSAIRE CARTER!

Dedicated to Carter, mon frère (my bro), on his 28th birthday.

I love you Carter! Hope you're having a party just like this for your birthday.

Voilà my wonderful cousins and brother on Thanksgiving this year. They made signs for me and Stephen, who's with our troops in Afghanistan. I miss yall! When was the last time we were all in the same country at the same time?

xoxo
Car-tina

P.S. Long live CAJAM.

Les Voisins.

Get Your Freaking Blur On.

It's the last week of classes and it's like pulling teeth making sure everyone has pans and blurs in their portfolios. In an act of desperation, I coaxed all the photo students into a van yesterday, drove up a random road into the mountains, and cracked the whip until they ran around for each other with vineyards as their backdrop.

This shot is mine; theirs turned out way better.

Someday they will thank me.

Fête Chez Nous.

The spread...
for some end-of-the-semester entertaining on our terrace.

M.A.R.S.E.I.L.L.E.

If you ever have the chance, GO to Marseille.It's pretty much the most interesting, diverse city I've ever visited. Various cultures collide there because of the huge harbor on the Mediterranean. People from Morocco, India, Algeria, and a long list of Eastern European and Arab countries immigrate to Marseille. The open-air markets are colorful and diverse and cheap, and there is a vibe that you can do anything and be anyone in this city...and no one is going to stop you.The city is surrounded by rocky mountains full of hiking, bike trails, and huge limestone cliffs. Marie used to live and work there, so I got the full tour.Voila moi, trying to reach the olive tree in the ginormous pot. There were entire plazas filled with crazy landscape architecture displays like this.Looking out at the Mediterranean from Notre Dame de la Guarde, Marseille's most famous church.

Provence.

Buy Local.

€1,99

The Barn.

I could have sworn this was the ghost of me 20 years ago, come to France, until she turned around and asked me in French if that was my horse.

Today made me nostalgic for my years on the equestrian team at UGA: spending hours upon hours at the barn, searching through tack, catching horses, picking hooves and brushing manes, and finally going to practice in my half-chaps and velvet hat. I was never a good competition rider, but I have always loved to ride.

One of the students takes lessons every week and I finally went with her today to take photos. It was one of those times--and this happened often when I worked for the newspaper in Athens--when I wanted to be the one doing rather than shooting. There is nothing like riding a horse in the fall when it's starting to get cold, listening to your coach talking you through the movements, feeling every step of the horse underneath you and figuring out its rhythm in your hands and heels.The trainer told me he gives our student zee English-speaking horse. I told him that was awfully nice of him.There was a baby. We pet him.

Moonlit Villesèque.

Sorry to ruin it for you folks back home...but it's a beautiful moon tonight.

Hopefully you'll have clear skies in about eight hours.