Grapes to Gaudi

The past two weeks have been filled with lots of travel and adventures, so I'm going to split them up into two separate posts. After finishing my exams last Wednesday, I started the weekend off with going to see an opera at the Grand Theatre in Bordeaux. The Grand Theatre is kind of like the Kennedy Center of Washington, DC, a beautiful and ornate opera house that you can only go into if you have tickets to a show. I had seen a ballet there earlier in the semester and was eager to return, so a friend and I got tickets to see Le Trouvere, an opera by Verdi. We had bought the cheap student tickets, so we were literally sitting in  an enclosed box with a small window cut-out to see the stage, but it was wonderful nonetheless. I'm always amused by just how dramatic operas are--in no other situation will a dying woman sing about how she's, well, dying.

The next day, the same friend and I had signed up for a student vineyard tour with the office of tourism in Bordeaux. So we boarded a bus and visited two chateaux just a little outside of Bordeaux. The first one we visited, Chateau Courtade-Dubuc, was a charming little vineyard run entirely by a husband and wife. Their property is only 9 hectares, extremely small for a vineyard, but it allows the family to completely control every aspect of the wine production process. The husband took our group on a great tour of the property and explained the whole process that goes into making their wine. As he was explaining their sales and distribution, he emphasized that he likes to know all of his customers and where his wine is going. I was struck by the personal connection he felt with all of his buyers and appreciated how he valued his relationships with all who bought his wine. At the end of the visit, we got to taste two red wines; one "traditionnel" and one aged in an oak barrel. The first was a bit too bitter for my taste (typical of Bordeaux reds) but the one aged in oak had a slightly fruitier taste and a fuller body--my favorite of the two.

Where the magic happens

Bottled and ready for sale

Les vignes!

Then we moved on to our second chateau, Chateau Marsan. It was fascinating to compare the two chateaux, since Marsan was much bigger with a lot more property, shinier facilities, and was clearly much wealthier. Their production and distribution far exceeded Courtade-Dubuc, yet the chateau was also a family business, founded by the grandfather and now managed by a father, an uncle and a grandson. I really liked the family aspect to both of these chateaux and from both of the tours, I got a strong sense of what a personal connection the people here have to their wine, the grapes, and their land. At the end of this tour, we got to taste four different wines: a dry white, a rose, a red and a sweet white. The sweet white was my favorite, and is also a speciality of this region.

All the different types of wine at Chateau Marsan

So many barrels of wine!

Switching gears a little bit, the next day, my friend Alyssa and I left for Barcelona! I had been wanting to visit the city ever since I arrived in France, and we finally found time to go. I absolutely loved the city, an found it full of beautiful colors, a boisterous energy, and lots of dynamic and expressive people. On our first day, we explored the Park Guell, a huge public park designed by Gaudi. We spent the afternoon in the park, exploring hidden nooks and crannies and marveling at the eccentric and colorful architectural features. The park also affords a beautiful panoramic view of the city stretching all the way to the ocean.
The next day, we visited Gaudi's Sagrada Familia church, which was breathtaking. The architecture is amazing, particularly how Gaudi sought to evoke the idea of a forest within the church with the columns. The church is filled with an incredible luminosity which made it a truly magical place; unlike anything I've ever seen before. Later we wandered down Las Ramblas, the central pedestrian avenue in Barcelona, and stopped in at the Boqueria Market, a colorful and vibrant food market with amazing displays of fruits, vegetables, chocolate, spices, meats and cheeses. In the afternoon, we explored the Gothic quarter, full of dark and narrow streets and hidden little churches.

View of the city from Park Guell

One of Gaudi's

Fruits and vegetables at the Boqueria

Gaudi tried to evoke the idea of a forest with the columns as tree trunks with branches and a canopy overhead

The next day we ventured down to the beach and explored the Barceloneta neighborhood. Th
is neighborhood felt like the real Barcelona to me, filled with brightly colored apartment buildings, laundry hung out to dry over balconies, and lots of people out doing their weekly shopping. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at an authentic Spanish restaurant (we were the only tourists there) and spent a while lounging on the beach, which was remarkably clean. In the afternoon, we visited the Park Montjuic and spent a while wandering the grounds and the Catalan art museum that was housed in a beautiful old palace. That night was a huge soccer game between Barcelona and Real Madrid, who are huge rivals. The game ended in a tie which somehow allowed Barcelona to advance in the tournament (I'm not sure of the exact details), and after the game, the city absolutely exploded with celebrations. As we were walking back to our hotel, every single car and moped in the street was honking its horn and people were singing and shouting in the streets, draped in the colors of the Barcelona team. It felt like New Years, but it was really just everyone celebrating a soccer victory. The energy and excitement in the city was palpable, and it was an incredible moment to witness.

National Palace at Montjuic

View of the city from Montjuic

I was sad to leave Barcelona the next day, since the city is so vibrant and exciting. And even though I prefer smaller towns to big cities, I could see myself theoretically living someplace like Barcelona. Even though it's big and there are a lot of people who live there, the air felt clean and clear, and there's so much greenery in the city that makes it feel not quite so industrial. It's definitely going on my list of one of my favorite places that I've been.

Town Mouse, Country Mouse

Last week was our spring break, and thanks to planes, trains and automobiles, I got to experience both a huge metropolitan city and a charming tiny town. For the first part of the week, I traveled with my friend Tim (also a Middlebury bordelais) to visit our friend Silvano in Rome. While I had already been to Rome with my family many years ago, it was wonderful to return to the city and see all the sights as a better informed tourist than I was when I was nine. On our first day there, we visited most of the big sights in the city, enjoyed a delicious pizza lunch, and lingered at sunset on the Spanish Steps, which was my favorite part of the day. Silvano is an Art History major at Middlebury, his family is Italian, and he has been in Rome for the entire year, so he was an expert tour guide. I loved all the brightly colored buildings in Rome--pink, orange and red facades-- that contrast starkly with the white stone of Bordeaux. The afternoon light in Italy was just amazing and made all the buildings glow with a warm and rich luminescence.

Brightly colored buildings in Piazza Navona

Silvano and me on the Spanish Steps

On our second day in Rome, we tackled the Roman Forum and discovered a beautiful little orange grove overlooking the entire city. The air smelled of some delicious flower (we couldn't figure out what), and we spent a while wandering the Palatine Hill and marveling at the views. In the afternoon, Tim and I were the very last two people admitted into the Vatican museums for the day, arriving just as the guards were closing the two huge doors. It was a perfect time to visit the museums since the crowds were much smaller than during usual morning rush, and although the Sistine Chapel was still packed with people, we took our time moving through the rest of the rooms. My favorite were the Raphael rooms, and we got to enjoy "The School of Athens" with hardly anyone else around. After the museum we joined Silvano for a picnic in the Borghese Gardens with bellinis (an Italian cocktail of peace juice and champagne), cheese, blood oranges and strawberries. We sat in the garden as the sun was going down over the Palazzo del Popolo and enjoyed a beautiful view of the city. That night we went to a charming little neighborhood hosteria and I experienced some of the most delicious pasta I have ever eaten in my life, penne all arrabbiata. While I'm as big a fan of French food as you will find, it was nice to take a break from the pate and baguettes and enjoy some pasta, gelato and bruschetta.

Middkids on the Palatine Hill

Coliseum

Our final day in Rome was my favorite, since Silvano took us to visit Orvieto, a small hill town in Umbria about an hour and a half outside of Rome. When we arrived, we took a funicular to the top of the city and walked around the ancient ramparts, which afforded amazing views of the surrounding countryside. Umbria means something like land of the shadows, and it was so cool to see the patterns of shadows and light on the fields created by the sun and clouds. The town is absolutely charming, filled with picturesque little alleys, blooming flower boxes and peaceful piazzas. After lunch, we climbed up to the top of the bell tower and enjoyed even more spectacular views of the city and its surroundings. We also visited the magnificent cathedral, which is modeled after the cathedral in Siena and is made from the similar black and white marble. On our way back to the funicular, we climbed down into an ancient Etruscan well, which was so cool. The well was dark and damp and slightly eerie, but standing at the bottom and looking up at the light was amazing. I have never on the same day climbed up a bell tower and down into a well, so now that's something I can check off my to-do list. We finished our stay in Rome with a big dinner with some other Middlebury friends studying in Italy at another neighborhood trattoria that brought us free limoncello after dinner. All in all, a fabulous time.

Umbria, land of shadows

View from the top of the belltower of Orvieto

Etruscan well--we climbed all the way down!

I returned back to Bordeaux and left the next day to join my family at their country house, which they go to for nearly every break. I took the train that morning and Hubert picked me up in Lesparre, a small town in the Medoc region to the north of Bordeaux. Their house is in Les Pigaux, a lieu-dit (the name for a smaller neighborhood or area within a town) and it is absolutely adorable. The Chaperons own half of the house and the other half is owned by a charming Australian couple who split their time between France and Australia. The house is very cozy, a true home away from home. And it's very secluded from everything around it, so it's a real escape from the rest of the world. When I arrived we ate lunch outside and then headed to the beach, where Marius, Tanguy and Hubert surfed and I sat and chatted with Valerie. Later that afternoon, we walked around town, got ice cream, and Valerie tried to buy a lottery ticket but couldn't find a store that sold them. I was missing them a lot after over a week apart, so it was wonderful to be together again and experience their beloved Pigaux.

Mon frere Marius a la plage

Pigaux, home away from home

The next day we packed up the house and loaded up the car to come back to Bordeaux, making a few social stops along the way. The first stop was to see one of Valerie's old friends, who had just bought a new beach house in Le Porge, a nearby beach town. We ate lunch with them and then hit the road again to go to Arcachon, the popular beach resort town, to attend the book signing party of one of Valerie and Hubert's friends who had just written a novel. The party was in the Ville d'Hiver at Arcachon, a beautiful neighborhood of gorgeous mansions just a stone's throw from the water. Before the reception began, I walked around the neighborhood and climbed up an observation tower which had great views of the ocean basin, the Cap Ferret lighthouse that I had visited a few weeks earlier, and the orange tiled rooftops of Arcachon. The book signing party was festive, and I got to meet some of Valerie and Hubert's other friends, and there was a delicious charcuterie platter set out at the end. And like any proper French gathering, there was more than enough wine to go around. Unfortunately it started pouring rain at the end, so we all had to run to the car, but even that was lots of fun. Valerie was teasing Hubert, the boys were running all over the place, and I just felt so lucky that I'm part of this family. We finally made it back to Bordeaux after sitting in a huge traffic jam of all the weekend beach-goers heading back to the city and ate a late dinner with all the leftovers from the Pigaux refrigerator. It was a fabulous weekend.

Unfortunately I've had to do a little work today to prepare for my exams this week, but I'm not too worried. After Wednesday, I will officially be done with the semester, and free to enjoy my last month in France. I've got some fun trips planned, so stay tuned! Happy spring!

The Past Month

Friends,

I am so sorry that I have been silent for so long. The past month and a half have been filled with lots of excitement, visitors and new experiences, and somehow the time just got away from me. So without further ado...

The second week of March brought my family's visit to Bordeaux, which was wonderful. My mom and dad arrived a couple of days before Abby, and we toured around Bordeaux and even spent a night at St. Emilion, which is a nearby town famous for its wine, situated smack in the middle of vineyard country. During the drive to St. Emilion, I realized that the Gironde departement is like the Kansas of France, except with vineyards instead of cornfields. Even fifteen minutes outside Bordeaux, you find yourself surrounded by acres and acres of vineyards and hundreds of different chateaux. When we visited in mid-March, the vines looked gnarly and barren, practically dead. However, by now I imagine that they have grown more leafy and lush. I'm going on a vineyard tour with a student group at the end of April, and I'm looking forward to seeing the progression of the vines. We stayed at an adorable little bed and breakfast just outside St. Emilion, run by a charming Dutch woman. If anyone is planning a trip to the French wine country, ask us for the name of this place! We also had a fabulous dinner that night in a wine store, where all the dinner tables are set up among the crates of wine, so to "order" your bottle, you get up, take a tour of the store, and a choose a bottle from its display.

We got back to Bordeaux to pick up Abby from her train (after nearly 25 hours of travel from Dartmouth, New Hampshire!) and then left for the weekend for the Dordogne region, which is about 2 hours east of Bordeaux. This region is characterized by the many prehistoric caves and grottos that have now been preserved and made into tourist sites, numerous small towns built right off the edges of cliffs, and the two winding rivers, the Garonne and the Dordogne, that make the region so fertile for farming. We stayed in Sarlat, which is a gorgeous medieval town that is remarkably well-preserved and used that as our base to take driving trips further into the region. The highlight for me was visiting Rocamadour, a town literally built right into the side of the cliff. We parked at the "top" and climbed all the way down and then all the way back up. Unfortunately my mom has all the pictures on her camera, so you'll just have to trust me that it was breathtaking. On the ride back to Bordeaux, we also stopped at the Chateau de Beynac, an imposing chateau also built right into the side of the cliff that looks out onto beautiful views of the valley below and the Garonne River.

And the final highlight of my family's visit was when they all came over for aperitifs with the Chaperons. Even though they couldn't really talk to each other (the Chaperons speak only a little English), it was still so wonderful for both of my families to meet each other. It was very sad to say goodbye to my family, but the visit was perfectly timed in the middle of my stay here, so it divided up the time really nicely.

A couple of weekends later, I visited Cap Ferret, which is a peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean, with one of my French friends. Cap Ferret is a popular vacation destination for the Bordelais since it's right on the ocean, but it was pleasantly peaceful and not horribly built up like many beach towns in the US. The oyster fishing industry is still alive and well there, and we wandered through a tiny fishing village and saw lots of people out on the pier fishing for crabs. We also climbed up to the top of a lighthouse with had amazing views of the beach and the water all around us. We concluded the day with a walk along the beach, collecting shells and marveling at the sand that squeaked when you walked (something I've never encountered at home). And then, like any good francaises, we stopped at a bakery on the way home for a snack.

View of the bassin d'Arcachon from the top of the lighthouse

Street musicians in Bordeaux at a "nature et bio" festival

The next weekend I returned to the beach with Kim, but we went to Arcachon, the popular beach basin destination for many Bordelais. Saturday afternoon brought perfect beach temperatures, and it seemed like all of Bordeaux was in our little train. Everyone was squashed together like cattle, so the trip out wasn't too enjoyable, but it was absolutely worth it once we got to Arcachon. The town is a charming little seaside village, and the boardwalk is lined with seafood restaurants, little bars, and of course, lots of ice cream, crepe and "gaufrette" shops. We bought a picnic lunch and laid on the beach for the afternoon, watching adorable French babies run around half naked (or completely naked) and enjoying the sea breezes. It also happened to be Carnival in Aracachon the day we were there, so we we stopped to admire a bit of the colorful and vibrant parade.

Beautiful flowering purple tree in Valerie's garden right outside my studio

Carnival in Arachon

Bassin d'Arcachon

And this past week brought the end of classes at the university, so now I am officially on spring break! I celebrated the beginning of break on Thursday night with Kim when we made dinner at her apartment (which was actually just putting in a frozen pizza that Valerie had bought for me) and ate on her terrace, which looks out on the rooftops of Bordeaux and the spires of the Cathedral St. Andre and St. Michel. We watched the sun go down and marveled about how lucky we were to be in such a beautiful place. The other Middlebury students in Poitiers arrived for the weekend since we all had to take a French test to see our improvement with the language, so we spent the day together on Friday lounging in the jardin publique and enjoying the beautiful weather. On Monday I leave for Rome for the week to visit some Middlebury friends who are studying there for the semester, and I'm really looking forward to it. Although we visited Rome as a family many years ago, I'm excited to go back now that I know so much more about all the history and art in the city. Plus, I just loved Italy when we were there the first time, and I'm looking forward to lots of pasta and gelato.

I now have just a little over a month left in Bordeaux, and I can't believe how fast the time is going. Sometimes I feel like I just arrived here yesterday, and I already know it will be incredibly hard to say goodbye to the Chaperons. But, I'm also missing America and my family, so it will be great to get back. Needless to say, I'm going to take full advantage of my final month here, and there's still lots on my to-do list that I want to do before leaving. I wish you all the very best from France, and I promise it will not be as long for the next blog!

Mars

The past several weeks have been filled with lots of exciting experiences and travel adventures. February concluded with a week of vacation from the university. For the first part of the week, I went to Oxford, UK to visit two close friends from high school who are studying there this year. While it was a bit of an adjustment to hear English all around me all the time, it was nonetheless a welcome break for my brain to exercise my English language skills for a change. I had a wonderful time visiting Katy and Sabrina and they showed me around all the highlights of Oxford, which is a dynamic college town. A highlight was visiting Christchurch College where several scenes from the Harry Potter movies were filmed! We also visited a lot of their favorite places to eat, which was a highlight for me. It was really nice to spend some time with old friends, meet their new friends, laugh and catch up.

Sabrina, Katy and me at Christchurch

For the second weekend of break, I visited San Sebastian, Spain with a Middlebury friend who is also in Bordeaux this semester, and I absolutely fell in love with the city. It was my first time in Spain, so it was really exciting for me to experience a new city and a new language. San Sebastian is a very unique city in many respects. It is located just across the border with France in the upper west coast of Spain, right along the Bay of Biscay, and the city itself lies right along a beautiful curving beach. The day we arrived it was sunny and gorgeous, so we climbed up Mount Urgull, a hill that gives way to beautiful views of old San Sebastian below and the Pyrenees in the distance. It was so wonderful to enjoy the sunshine and the spring weather. The Spaniards enjoy a cafe culture similar to the French, so after our walk we rewarded ourselves with chocolate caliente, a turbo version of American hot chocolate that is more like chocolate soup; a rich and creamy concoction that is somewhere in between a liquid and a solid. Delicious. San Sebastian is also right in the middle of the Pays Basque, which includes the extreme southwestern region of France and the San Sebastian and Bilbao areas in Spain. The Pays Basque has a rich cultural, political and culinary history which we got to experience in San Sebastian. The Pays Basque has long been in a struggle to obtain its independence from Spain, and the nationalist movement, the ETA, has pursued very violent and aggressive tactics in the past century in an effort to achieve independence. In January 2011, the ETA signed a permanent cease fire, but separatist sentiments are still harbored by a small minority in San Sebastian. On Friday night, we witnessed a somber parade through the old city of ETA sympathizers holding posters with the portraits of imprisoned ETA members.

View of the beach, the city and the Pyrenees in the distance from Mount Urgull

Hotel de ville in San Sebastien (with a huge statue of Jesus on Mount Urgull behind)

San Sebastian is also the culinary capital of the Pays Basque, which boasts some of the best cuisine in the world. In San Sebastian, the restaurant scene is dominated by small bars that serve pinxtos, the Basque word for tapas. For dinner, the locals do a sort of bar hopping routine, visiting several of their favorite bars, ordering one or two pinxtos and a glass of wine at each, which they enjoy standing up at the bar since there are no chairs, before moving on to the next bar for something new. Each bar has its own specialities, so we took to asking people what they had ordered if it looked good and then ordering it ourselves. We had some of the best food I've ever tasted, and some of the most exotic. I tried beef cheeks (which were to die for), pig's ear (the texture was a little strange but the sauce it was served with was amazing), squid and blood sausage. It's a very dynamic and adventurous way of eating, as the bars were boisterous and loud and filled with a palpable energy. Also, dinner time in Spain is even later than in France, so things don't really get going until 9 or 10 PM. But, during the dinner hours, you can always tell which are the best bars from the size of the crowd mingling outside, people munching on pinxtos and enjoying a glass of rioja.

One of our favorite bars--we went there twice!

In San Sebastian we also visited an amazing aquarium located right on the water, explored the local market on Saturday morning, and browsed through some extremely expensive and posh stores. It was also interesting to observe the differences between Spanish and French culture. We did notice that the Spanish wore many more colors than the French (where the national wardrobe is black) and are particularly fond of American outdoor apparel brands, notably The North Face.

The day I got back to Bordeaux from San Sebastian was also my 21st birthday, which I celebrated with a lovely dinner and birthday cake with my host family and Kim. Even though turning 21 in France where the legal age is 18 means that I can now still order a glass of wine in a restaurant, it was exciting nonetheless, and my host family made it very special. I know I will never forget this birthday.

My birthday with my host family: Tanguy, Marius, Valerie et Hubert

After returning to Bordeaux and resuming classes at the fac last week, I left again this past weekend for Poitiers, a city about an hour and a half north of Bordeaux. One of my French friends who is from Poitiers had invited me and some of our other friends home with her for the weekend, to experience the sights and tastes of La Vienne, the region where Poitiers is located. On Friday night, I experienced a classic French dinner at her house, which didn't begin until 9 PM and concluded around 1 AM, with aperitifs, entree, plat principale, fromage, dessert and cafe in between. There were twelve in total for dinner, so the dining room was full of boisterous French conversation and the enjoyment of good food. Saturday we spent the day at the Futurscope, a futuristic amusement park which was so much cooler than a Six Flags or King's Dominion. Sunday we went to visit Azay-le-Rideau, a smallish chateau located in the Loire Valley, about an hour from Poitiers. All in all, it was a wonderful weekend spent among friends, and a great way to experience a new region of France.

My work at the university is finally starting to pick up, so unfortunately I actually have to dedicate some time each day to being more traditionally productive. My family comes to visit next week, so I'm really looking forward to showing them around Bordeaux and introducing them to my French family. It's now been just over two months since I've been in Bordeaux, and the time feels like it's starting to go by very quickly. The spring weather has arrived in Bordeaux, and I'm looking forward to lots of time spent outdoors along the quais and in the jardin publique in the weeks to come.

Happy March, Happy International Women's Day, and happy spring!

Mailing Address

I've been getting a few requests lately for my mailing address, so I'll post it below in case anyone is interested. The mail (strictly letters--not packages) from the US has been very reliable so far, so if you want to send something, there's a good chance it will actually arrive, and it will be much appreciated!

22 rue du Marechal Joffre
33150 Cenon
France

February Adventures

The past couple of weeks have been filled with lots of wonderful adventures and the beginning of truly beautiful springtime weather in Bordeaux. I started off last weekend at the Grand Concours National de Chocolate in Bordeaux, an annual chocolate festival in which chocolatiers from all over the region craft a sculpture out of chocolate which is then judged upon taste and technique. The concours was held in a salon at the mairie, the building which houses the city government, and as I walked into the room, I was hit with a delicious wave of chocolatey goodness. It was amazing some of the structures that were crafted entirely of chocolate, particularly the intricate details, colors and textures that seemed too perfect to be real. I arrived around 1 PM, which was when all the chocolatiers were having lunch in a corner of the room, so as I walked around, I listened to their boisterous and passionate conversation about different types of chocolates, new techniques, and general discussion of the chocolate trade. And the best part was, there was chocolate to sample (which of course I got all over my mouth...my mom says I can't eat chocolate without getting it either on myself or my clothes, and this incident proved no exception).

Friday night I see a Chekhov play with my family, half in Russian, half in French. An interesting theatrical experience to say the least, since there were French subtitles projected onto the wall behind the stage during the Russian parts and no subtitles during the French parts, so following along with the dialogue was a little difficult. But it was fun to go out with the theater with my family, and since Valerie and Hubert have so many friends through their acting troupe who are involved in all types of performances, I've been lucky enough to experience an interesting slice of the Bordeaux artistic scene since I've been here. On Saturday I took a day trip with two Middlebury friends to Perigueux, a small town about an hour east of Bordeaux. There are a lot of Gallo-Roman ruins still standing and Renaissance era homes and buildings marvelously preserved, so it was a lot of fun to walk around the city and explore hidden squares and rustic old buildings. There's not too much going on in Perigueux especially after the Saturday morning markets are over, but it was very peaceful and refreshing to stroll through the quiet streets. I arrived home on Saturday night just in time for dinner with my family and then we all watched a made-for-tv movie that was showing that night that Valerie had a small part in. I don't know how many of you can say that you've watched your (host)mother on television, but now I have!

Gallo-Roman ruins in Perigueux

Hotel Regina in Perigueux!

Sunday is a big market day in Bordeaux, so the next day I went to the Saint Michel neighborhood to visit the huge flea market, or broderie, that happens every week. There are tons of vendors who set up their stands, selling everything from vintage postcards to costume jewelry to antique furniture. It was fun to wander through and look at all the obscure and wonderful things for sale, as well as to observe the diverse crowds of people in Saint Michel. The Saint Michel neighborhood is an up and coming one in Bordeaux, comprised of many North African and Turkish families. The quartier, French for neighborhood, has a dynamic feel which was particularly lively on Sunday morning. Then we went to the Marche des Capucins, a huge food market in Saint Michel with produce, meats, cheeses, flowers, bread, and most importantly, oysters, which are a regional speciality. After getting sufficiently hungry from looking at so much delicious food, we went to have donor kebabs for lunch. Kebabs in France are different than in the United States, where most people think of kebabs as some kind of meat cooked on a stick. Here, however, they resemble more of a Middle Eastern burrito or taco--meat, sauce, lettuce, tomato and french fries (a particularly interesting addition, I think) all rolled up in some kind of flat bread. The perfect quick fix for extreme hunger. And then as Kim and I were heading back towards home, we came across a huge group of people assembled along the quais, clearly all waiting for something. Curious, we asked someone what was going and and were informed that it was a "kiss mob," a group that had gotten together to try and break the world record for the most people to pass along a kiss from one to another. Apparently the current record was held by a nearby town and the Bordelais wanted to claim it for themselves. We choose not to participate, but while I was reading the newspaper in the tram the next morning, I learned that they had indeed broken the record. The kiss mob was successful!

La Braderie at Saint Michel

A picture in a mirror

KISS MOB!

This past week the Chaperon's have been on vacation, so being around the house was a little lonely. But some highlights were going out for a Valentine's Day celebration with some French friends on Monday night and making some new French friends through my English class on Wednesday, who invited me to go out with them last night. It's a real accomplishment to make friends with the French students, mostly because in general, they don't reach out to the foreign students. This the first time I've felt like an outsider in the majority culture, so making new friends feels like a real accomplishment for me.

I'm officially on vacation now since we have this coming week off at the fac for February break. I'm heading off to Oxford tomorrow to visit some friends from high school and then to San Sebastien, Spain for next weekend. I'm sure my travels will bring lots of new adventures, and I'm excited to explore some new places!

Bon Fevrier!

The Bordelais ushered in February, which happens to be my favorite month, with a bang. February 2nd was la fete de la chandeleur, a festival with religious origins that today simply means an excuse to make and eat lots of crepes. Twice this week I was invited over to friend's houses to celebrate la chandeleur and make crepes, including flipping the crepes in the pan. According to tradition, you place a piece of money in your hand while flipping the crepe, and if the crepe lands perfectly face up in the pan, you will become rich in the coming year. If not, misfortune and bad luck will apparently follow. While many of my crepes did not land perfectly, I hope that my beginner status as a crepe-maker will equal out any bad luck I may have brought upon myself.

And while the Bordelais are busily eating crepes, they are also busily shopping, as the first weekend of February also brought la grande braderie, a huge flea market and rummage sale, in the centre-ville along Rue Saint Catherine, the longest pedestrian shopping avenue in Europe. The bi-annual sales are also going on right now, as the French government dictates that all stores have sales in the winter and the summer. The sales began the first weekend after I arrived here, so for the past month, St. Catherine has been packed on the weekends. Yet, this weekend the braderie meant that everyone, and I mean everyone, was out and about, searching for good deals. Of course, it doesn't help matters that this weekend brought absolutely beautiful spring weather too. Yesterday I decided to brave the crowds and venture downtown just to witness this once-a-year event, and it was certainly a sight to see. For those of you Washingtonians, it was like gridlock on the Beltway at 6 pm on a Friday, but with human bodies. There were moments when I literally couldn't move since I was surrounded on all sides. But, it was a true example of the dynamism and vibrancy of the city of Bordeaux; vendors were hawking their lower than ever prices, young people were searching the discount piles of shoes and clothes for good deals, and families were out and about, parents clutching the hands of their children against the heavy tides of people, yet enjoying themselves nonetheless.

Tout le monde sur Rue St. Catherine

Une famille francaise sur les quais

And just this afternoon I experienced another classic event in la vie francaise: Sunday lunch. My host mother had invited the host family of a close Middlebury friend over for lunch today, and it was a true culinary experience. We started with aperitifs, drinks and light appetizers as a sort of warm-up for the courses to come. The first course was oysters on the half shell, shrimp, and a homemade terrine. Then came the main course, which was a huge pot of mussels steamed with white wine, parsley and shallots and Hubert's homemade frites. Seafood is a regional speciality in Bordeaux because of the city's proximity to the water, and everything was fresh and local from Valerie's trip to the seafood market this morning. And then came dessert, which was fresh fruit salad, apricot cake and chocolate and nutella cake. And finally, coffee, and then finally, rest. It was a wonderful four hours of eating, drinking and enjoying the company of friends. Since all the stores close on Sunday, there's really very little to do except eat and talk and sleep, and now I can say that I have truly spent a classic Sunday afternoon doing those very things.

Tomorrow marks a month that I have been here in Bordeaux, and the time seems to be flying by. I can't believe that it was four weeks ago that I arrived in this city, and how far I have come since that day. Yet, it seems that every day that passes adds more and more things to do, places to visit and expressions to learn to my to do list. I'm excited to continue exploring this beautiful and dynamic city and I wish all of you a wonderful February!

Beautiful Bordeaux at sunset from the Pont de Pierre

Je Suis Ici!

Greetings, all, from Bordeaux! I've been here for just over two weeks, and I am already in love with my new city. The first week I was here was filled with orientation meetings at the University of Bordeaux 3, tours of the city, and history classes on the Aquitaine region and Bordeaux itself. During this week, I learned about the importance of Bordeaux as a port town during the 17th and 18th century for the exchange of agricultural products, the transport of slaves from Western Africa to Europe to North America, and of course, the production and transport of the famous Bordeaux wine. Although there is an extremely modern and efficient tram system that links all parts of the city, I've also done a lot of walking, which has enabled me to slowly learn my way around on foot. I think Bordeaux is the perfect size; big enough that there will always be new places and cafes to explore, yet small enough that I'll (hopefully) never get too lost. On a day when the sun is shining and the sky is clear, my favorite thing to do is to walk across the Pont de Pierre and marvel at the sparkling Garonne River, the majestic 18th century wine merchant homes along the quais and the imposing bell tower of St. Michel.

View from Pont de Pierre of the quais. Bordeaux was named "port de la lune" for the way the Garonne River curves to resemble a crescent moon.

Pont de Pierre

My host family, Valerie and Hubert Chaperon and their two sons, Tanguy and Marius, have been incredibly welcoming and warm since I arrived and living with them makes me feel right at home. The highlight of my day is eating dinner with them, since they laugh and joke and tease each other just like my own family. They also truly savor mealtimes, sitting and talking for at least an hour, sometimes more (of course, there's the soup/salad course, the main course, the cheese course and the dessert course, so there's more time to talk). They also love maps, so we've spent hours pouring over their huge map of the world mounted on the wall by the kitchen table, picking out notable locations like Bethesda, Maryland and Middlebury, Vermont. One night Valerie bought a gateau de roi ("king's cake," a speciality here in Bordeaux that tastes like a cake made of Challah) for dessert. In every cake a small toy is hidden, and whoever gets the piece with the toy gets to wear the gold paper crown that comes with the cake. I picked the magic piece, so now I have a real life souvenir of the excellence of French patisseries!

Last week was the beginning of classes at the University, which was another interesting cultural experience. In my first lecture class, I was shocked at the behavior of the French students; when the professor begins to lecture, they don't stop chatting with their friends, cruising Facebook, or texting on their cellphones. In fact, the noise level in the room seemed no different from when before the professor arrived. I think part of the reason for this is that university admission in France is free for the first year, so there are many students who don't want to be there and act like it. The professors can't make them be quiet, so they don't try. But, the French students do take beautiful notes--those who are paying attention. They open up their chic little pencil cases, choose two or three pens of different colors and their mini rulers, and proceed to color code and organize their notes in a way that I, struggling mightily to listen and write at the same time, can only gape at. Needless to say, there are many French students who do take their studies very seriously, and I've really liked all the professors I've had so far. Bordeaux 3 is certainly a far cry from Middlebury's idyllic campus, but I'm slowly learning my way around, and I think it will be a very valuable experience to participate directly in the French educational system since it's so different from our own.

Classic Bordeaux architecture. The buildings on the right have been recently cleaned, the one on the left, obviously not. This gives the buildings a "piano key" look between black and white.

Musicians on the quais along the Garonne River

And finally, an observation on the subject of the popular American stereotype about the French: they're snobby. I arrived in France prepared to expect the worst; unfriendly looks, pushing and shoving, and a general attitude scorn towards me, obviously an American. While I certainly did attract some unpleasant looks while trying to navigate my two oversized suitcases along the impossibly narrow aisles of the TGV train and then again against a heavy tide of Bordelaise running to catch the train just as I was trying to make my way off of it, I have also encountered some incredibly kind souls who have made my adjustment to life here so much easier. For one, there was the young man on the TGV who saw that I was clearly lost and frazzled trying to find my proper seat who helped me find my seat and then hosted my justunder50pounds suitcases onto the rack above--something I never could have done myself. Then there is Julie Claire, the woman who works at the bank where I've opened an account, who is so friendly and warm, and doesn't just care about my bank account number but also asks me about how things are going at the University and gives me suggestions of places to visit in France. And then there are the countless souls on the tram who if they accidentally bump your foot or step on your toe, turn around with a shy smile and say "pardon." And yesterday, I witnessed perhaps the most heartwarming moment of my time here when I walked by a man playing the accordion on Rue de l'Intendance, one of the swankiest shopping streets in Bordeaux. His dish for money in front of him was empty, but just as I was passing by, an older man walked by, reached in his pocket for change, and dropped it in the dish, with a smile and the words, "Vive la musique."

A bottle of Bordeaux made entirely of chocolate!

Les mascarons, carved stone masks, very prevalent in Bordeaux architecture

I hope this finds you all enjoying a healthy and happy January, wherever you are. And for the next meal that you eat, do like the French do and take the time to really enjoy it and the people you eat with. Thanks for reading, and check back again soon! Vive la musique!