Hi!

My name is Alix, I'm a 25 year old art history and classical music student living in Bordeaux, France.
My specialty, so to speak, is classical singing but I am also learning to play the harp.

I am currently living at my parents', which is why I can't host anyone yet :( (their home, their rules).
I'm sorry about that.

Though I was born in France, I was raised in several different countries. This is probably what made me fall in love with travelling, learning multiple languages, meeting new people and learning about world history.

When travelling, I love to find out about a place's history, art, tangible and intangible heritage, its food, music and nature. I love to take pictures, scrible sketches in my many notebooks, listen to people talk about what they love, and to taste recommended delicacies. And if you like to sing, I'll gladly sing with you! Maybe we can teach each other songs we like. I'll gladly look them up after the trip to keep fond memories in my mp3 when I'll be feeling blue.

Likewise, if we ever keep in touch, I'll gladly recommend routes, sites and adresses to check out in my regions of origin.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Long story, bear with me!

I am currently both studying music full time and part of a traditional Basque choir.
While I do have family in South-Western France, I don't have any relatives or close friends who could host me when the choir is on tour, especially when these take place in Euskadi (rather than Iparralde).

The choir I belong to often tours all over Euskal Herria. Since these concerts usually last up to three days, I need a place to stay when such events last longer than 24 hours.

That said, I love travelling and will certainly use Couch Surfing for other occasions than my choir-related activities in the future.

Who knows what the future holds!

Interests

• arts
• singing
• folklore
• street art
• contemporary art
• photography
• blogging
• hiking
• sailing
• skiing
• art history
• history
• storytelling
• archaeology
• biking
• ancient history
• museums
• local history
• embroidery
• folk dance
• folk tales
• creative writing
• choral singing
• medieval music
• medieval
• medieval history
• art market
• intangible heritage
• contemporary african art

Music, Movies, and Books

***** Music: *****

Su Ta Gar, Exkixu, Numen, Eh Sukarra, Latzen, Leihotikan, Lor...
Orphaned Land, Rotting Christ, Arch Enemy, Behemoth, Eluveitie, Rammstein, Niburta, Skalmold, Belakor, Korpiklaani, Lamb of God, Tengger Cavalry, Turisas, Myrath, Children of Bodom...
Benito Lertxundi, Itoiz, Ken Zazpi, Gatibu, Oldarra, Oskorri, Anne Etchegoyen, Aritzak...
Qntal, Helium Vola, Ensemble Fontegara, Esther Lamandier, Garmarna, Luc Arbogast...
Elissa, Nancy Ajram, Fadel Shaker, Mashrou Leïla, Hemd Zouari...
Alan Stivell, Enya, Cécile Corbel, Tri Yann, Celtic Women, Les Rammoneurs de Menhirs...
A-WA, Omer Adam, Yuval Dayan, Maureen Nehedar, the Idan Raichal Project...
Grimes, Fada Freddy, and many, many more!

***** Books: *****

Fantastic (the literary genre), historical fiction, horror, Fantasy, and folk tales.

My favourite authors include:

Victor Hugo, Théophile Gautier, H. P. Lovecraft, J. R. R. Tolkien, E. A. Poe, Neil Gaiman, Graham Joyce, Mélanie Fazi, Jenny Nimmo, E. T. A. Hoffmann, Angie Sage, Prosper Mérimé, Catherine Dufour, John Connolly, Wilbur Smith, G. R. R. Martin...

***** Movies: *****

I'm more of a book person, but here are a couple of movies that I recently watched and enjoyed:

The Witch, Neon Demon, Get Out, Deathgasm... (I'll update this list in a while).

Series I liked: Supernatural, Westworld, the Avatar franchise, Les Témoins, Jordskott, Broadchurch, Les Revenants.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I don't know what counts as "amazing", but I have had some pretty "amazing" journeys by my own standards. From the top of my head, that road-trip across Cameroon's Far-North region, three years ago, was pretty epic. It was hot, dusty, very rough, but absolutely amazing!

Teach, Learn, Share

***** Teach: *****

Having studied art history and loving to travel, I had considered working as a tour guide at one point. I'm not sure I will ever do that, but I can definitely recommend sights to see, museums, restaurants, food, and routes to people if they would be interested in visiting Finistère, Bordeaux, Paris or Cameroon.

I don't know if I could "teach" much to my hosts, but I am knowledgeable on history, art history, and contemporary art, to a certain extent.

If you would like to practice your French or your English, that would be awesome; I am bilingual and will gladly chat in either language.

***** Learn: *****

I'm open to learning anything you'd like to share!

I love learning new languages too, so I'll gladly learn vocabulary in any language during my stay.
My German isn't great, but I would love to improve it, so by all means, if you are a German speaker, let me know!
I can only read Hebrew as of now and am a beginner, but if you happen to speak it, I can try to pick up vocabulary or to improve my reading skills. I'm also used to singing in Hebrew, so why not sing together if you are up to it?
I am currently learning Euskara (Basque) at the local Euskal Etxea (cultural institute) but am still a beginner. I would love to hear fluent speakers speak so that I could pick up a better accent, hear the different nuances of each dialect, and learn more vocabulary so as to become a better speaker myself.
And if you too love to sing or just love Basque folk songs, perhaps we could practice together? I would love that.

***** Share: *****

I'll gladly take your recommendations on local food, sights to see, and places to hike.

If you too love to sing or play a musical instrument, we can practice together! Teach me a song you like, or let's try to sing something we both know together.

As an amateur writer and bloger, I know how important (but interesting and fun) critiques can be. If you write in English or French and would be comfortable to share your works with me, perhaps we could have a look at each other's blogs or writing. I have a profile on various writing forums and online communities in English.

What I Can Share with Hosts

As stated above, I joined Couch Surfing mostly because of my choir's tours all over Euskal Herria. That said, I would love to invite the host to our concerts, if and when possible.
I think it would be possible most of the time, but for each and every concert, I'll be sure to check with our choir president first, just so I don't make any flaky promises.
I'd like the host(s) to have a seat at the concert so that they may understand why I'm here, what I do, and get to be thanked for hosting me in the security of their own home.

Other than that, we can definitely share mutual hobbies if there are any; visiting places or museums, hiking, etc. I'm open to my hosts' lifestyle!

I insist on helping around in the home; whether it's cleaning the dishes, sweeping or cooking for the host, just let me know how I can help without making you feel uncomfortable and I will!
Likewise, I like to share my culture with others. So whether you're a book, art, food or cinema lover, I'll be sure to bring something from home that might make you want to come and visit my regions in the future, or at the very least discover one of the many facets of France.

I'm not the best of cooks, but I come from Bordeaux and am thus quite picky on wines. If you like wine, I could bring a couple of bottles from home and we could have a friendly, informal tasting session. However, if you do not drink alcohol, be sure to let me know so that I don't make a faux pas. Bordeaux also has its sweet delicacies, like the cannelé, and I'll opt for cakes.

Do let me know if you have any food allergies or a special diet so that I don't harm you or create an awkward situation!

If you like story-telling, folklore, history, and just random anecdotes from my travels or life as an art historian and music student, then you won't be bored!
And if you're a music enthousiast, we're going to have fun.

Countries I’ve Visited

Germany, Greece, Italy, Maldives, Spain, Tanzania, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Cameroon, Canada, France, India