Update and Quiz

Quiz + Picture link at bottom

Trips
So it’s been a while! A lot has happened! We went to Annecy, really pretty town north of here. We saw the incredible Sunday market there, where I bought fraises des bois (super tasty mini strawberries) that I remembered from Normandie. We ate at a traditional Savoie restaurant and had raclette (type of cheese). They put a hot thing in front of it and it melts and you eat it with potatoes and charcuterie and white Savoie wine. Delicious! Then we went on a boat ride on Lac d’Annecy that was quite cold and windy but really pretty with amazing towering mountains all around, pretty houses, etc.

This past weekend we went to the Chartreuse Mountains, also north of here. We first hiked up a mountain (Charmant Som) which was gorgeous and tiring because of the altitude. Amazing views of other mountains, valleys, little villages and towns and a monastery from the summit. We saw tons of parapentistes (kind of like hang gliding except with more of a parachute-type thing) launching from where we picnicked. It was really pretty and neat to see. Then had a coffee/hot chocolat upon descending again and I bought two types of local cheese for my family from the fromagerie there. We tried it that night and it was really good and really different than anything they or I had had before. We talked about their odors and tastes for a really long time haha. My family really is perfect for me!! We also went to the Grande Chartreuse monastery where Chartreux monks live. Interesting museum and nice views of the monastery too. I want to learn to like Chartreuse liquor too. Have any of you ever tried it? Quite a particular taste and very strong, but I think I can see myself enjoying it. I tried both kinds (green and yellow, verte et jaune) with my père the other night after dinner and it was nice.

Me, Marie-Eve (program director who rocks) and Kelly in the Chartreuse Mountains

I also bought a ticket to go to Dublin to visit Chris in November! Yay!

Random Stuff/Food
I met Méliné, my host sister, who was in town visiting from Paris for the weekend. She’s really smart and nice and funny. We talked lots about all types of things. I now know everything about the French tax system too. I made brunch for my family Saturday midday. Biscuits, scrambled eggs with basil, tomatoes and feta, and fruit salad. It was really good and they enjoyed it—they didn’t know what brunch was at all! Sat around the table talking for a long time! Ditto with dinner Saturday night. We had a nice dinner of smoked salmon, fish with a sauce made from some leafy plant from their garden, cheese of course, lots of wine, dessert, etc.

Last weekend my family went to their house in the mountains and I had several people over Friday night for dinner. It was way fun. For l’entrée, we started with salade au chèvre chaude with cheese from my cheese store, the best in Grenoble according to literally everyone (salad w/ warm goat cheese on top....really good...Lisa made it in Paris). I also added pears to the salad b/c my mere bought them for me! She got me pear sorbet too because she knows I love pears! Then pasta with a damn good homemade tomato sauce that I just kind of invented and made up. I wanted to add spinach to it but people said it was too good and to not mess with it haha. Bread, too of course. And finally yummy crepes for dessert. We were too full for a cheese course before dessert. Very fun and tasty! Cotes du Rhone wine and cidre (from normandie, of course!) to drink.

Family is still great. The one thing I don’t like is that they don’t have a piano. But, hey, if that’s the worse thing then I’m all set! We have a cheese course every night and will often spend like half an hour talking about cheeses, wines, pairings, etc. They really are the perfect family for me to be with! Also, red peppers here are so damn good! And crazy cheap too. Apples and grapes are amazing as well, especially grapes. Way better than in the states, except they have seeds, but that’s okay.

Classes/French
I’m taking French in the morning, and then in the afternoon contemporary French history (1789-1914), initiation to French art history, translation, and “spaces” of globalization (a geography based globalization class) petty interesting. Classes are mostly pretty good. Not so sure about the French classes…lots of work (more than I thought and way more than anyone else has) and the teacher is kind of annoying and totally has favorites. Whatever.

I’m also meeting with a ‘tandem’ conversation partner. We speak half in French and half in English. His name’s Sam, he’s 18, just started engineering school, and he’s cool and fun. It’s going well and we meet about once a week or more to talk/eat/get a drink/whatever. Good practice and fun too!

Clare’s Birthday/Funny Stories
Today was Clare’s birthday…she’s a good friend from near DC, and she invited me to her house for dinner. I made that same tomato sauce with pasta, although I don’t think it was as good as last time…. We started with an amazing caprese salad with great pesto and bufala mozzarella from an Italian grocery store here. And Céline (Clare’s mere) made mousse au chocolat for dessert. It was sooo incredibly good. It triggered Proustian memory about mousse au chocolat in Normandie!

Clare has three host siblings, two boys ages 7 and 11 and a 4 year-old sister. They’re all really funny and cute. The conversation at dinner was so hilarious and we were dying of laughter! We somehow started talking about God and Jesus and religion, and Jeanne (4 year old girl) asked what crucifixion was. Her mom explained, super concisely and accurately without hiding any truth, exactly what it was. I guess for French people that’s normal, but Kelly, Clare and I were so shocked and died laughing that she so bluntly and descriptively told a 4 year old what crucifixion was and how Jesus died. Then, a bit later, the 7 year old boy asked “Dieu, c’est un français?” (Is God French?) Céline replied that God has no nationality.

We also were talking about Jeanne’s new boyfriend (as of a week ago). She asked “Faut-il des seins avant de se marier?” (Do you have to have breasts before you get married ?) Céline said that yes, she had breasts before she got married and had kids. Absolutely hilarious!

We went out last night for Clare’s birthday to bar treize (13), probably my favorite place. We split a bottle of wine and then the bar tender, Hugo, who’s really nice, gave us free shots for Clare’s birthday! It was whiskey, kahlua, Bailey’s, and Chantilly (whipped cream). Pretty good! Really fun night just hanging out, walking around, some people getting kebab afterwards, etc.

Quiz!
Fill in the blank for a cool prize:

Grenoble is the _____est city in France.

Pictures
Chartreuse: http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2062731&l=2fcd8&id=9805505
Annecy: http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2062444&l=dddda&id=9805505

Sorry if my posts suck and are boring…I feel like Stephanie’s are way more interesting…whatever. Good luck on the quiz!