Wednesday, Alba and I had a half-day, so we decided to ask the principal if we could borrow his car to go grocery shopping. After much discussion between administrators, he let us! Alba and I went CRAZY at Lidl (basically a French Aldi store). Alba and I together spent over 130 euro in food combined. Felt like a fatty…don’t go grocery shopping when hungry…especially in France. Here is the result:
In other news, my poor plant is dying. I am officially incapable of being a plant person. Anyone an expert on cyclamen flowers? I think that they need to be in colder temps…oh well…ten euro down the drain.
Also, Ed Sheeran (one of my most favoritest singers in the whole wide world) is coming to Nantes in February! I AM DYING TO GO! It’s only like 26 euros! I hope I can find a friend who has a car and who would want to go!
I re-did my blog layout. What do you think? Good? Bad?
Happy Veteran's Day from France (yes, they celebrate it, too...AND get a day off school). I slept until 11 am this morning, cleaned with Alba, did laundry (ummm why don't French people like dryers?), washed dishes (and why don't French people like dishwashers??), and planned lessons. This week, I'm getting into the "Thanksgiving" unit, so I prepared a little powerpoint and I'm going to hand out the parts to the play tomorrow. Here's my petite presentation for the kids:
Alba made my tortilla de patatas for lunch. She is an amazing cook, and it reminded me of my times in Spain. Here is the simple recipe:
Some potatoes (thinly sliced)
Some onions (thinly diced)
A whole lot of olive oil
Salt
5 eggs (beaten)
Heat up pan super hot, add tons of oil (enough to cover onions and potatoes), let cook until it looks like...
This!
Strain out olive oil (and save for another time, because it's still good)
Put onions and potatoes back into a pan and add the beaten eggs.
Flip it over.
Voila!
After that, I started to prep for the week and the rest of the semester. Can't believe how fast time goes by. Are we really almost mid-November?
Today, Alba and I met up in Rennes, and we went to the sea. We had a covoiturage to Cancale from Rennes from (get this) an English teacher and her colleague (a Spanish teacher) who teach at a middle school in Cancale, but live in Rennes. It was a nice drive, and it was another beautiful day!
Cancale is the oyster capital of Bretagne, so seafood was calling my name like none other. Here are some pictures of our day today! :)
Once I came back to Guer, I had an hour to recuperate before the Fest Noz fundraiser. My students are raising money to take a trip to India as a class, and instead of selling cookie dough, having a port-a-pit chicken sale, or washing cars, they have a traditional Breton dance party. One of the teachers at the school, Martine, who teaches French and LOVES her Breton culture, told me she would take me. This is why I came back early from Rennes (and why Alba STAYED in Rennes lol).
I was told by many people that Fest Noz isn't really their "thing." I was also told that's it's all old people, and it's not that fun. But, I had to go for my blog, so I strapped on my dancing shoes and went with Martine.
Not going to lie, when I arrived at the Fest Noz, my first impressions weren’t the best. I got a spider stamp for entry under my hand, and the gym looked like it was a 70th high school reunion dance. I didn’t see one person remotely my age, except for my students. I was thinking “it’s only 9 pm…this will be a looong night.”
This is what it looked like...
And this...
Little by little, the “younger generation” started to arrive. The band changed groups, and it played more modern songs. It’s like a mix between Irish/Celtic music and like Greek/Eastern European music…I can’t explain it, you just have to watch the youtube video (below). I LOVE this music. It's so darn cool.
I was swinging around and around, in “ring around the rosie” groups. I was so dizzy. It was like a slow motion film scene, dancing around and around in circles and time sort of stops for a second. I had many feelings when I was dancing and watching others dance as well:
1. How did I get so lucky to be placed in Bretagne? It's such a special culture/language.
2. How special is this? People, young and old, dancing in the same way as their ancestors did in the Middle Ages. There are over 600 different Breton dances, and each one has a name, and most people know the dances by name, and will comment on it after the dance is announced, like: “oh this is a fun one” “Oh this is for professionals.” “you MIGHT be able to do this one, Emily.”
3. Girl Scout dance flashback, feeling so hot, tired, sweaty, but feeling a rush of energy at the same time.
Jean-Luc was one of the cutest old men I have ever met. He’s a retired teacher, in his 70s (I think?), and he loves dancing. He didn’t look very strong, but boy could he whip me around in waltzes and polkas. I was exhausted after a few dances, and this guy kept going and going... I basically was standing on his feet while he whirled me around the gym. I loved dancing with him. He invited me to his dairy farm to milk cows (since I already know how to do it…boom). I think Martine and I will go visit him sometime.
I also met an 18 year-old boy, who took 5 years of Breton dance class, and we danced together a lot. He was super helpful in explaining all of the steps and the counts. He also introduced me to his super cool cousin, who spent a year in Seattle, so she was around my age AND she spoke English! She also invited me to Paris with her, so we can hang out sometime! Yay! Their aunt/mom was really sweet, too. I also met a girl my age who just came back from a year in Australia, and her French-Australian accent was one of the cutest things! I got tons of phone numbers!
By the end of the night, I was being pulled in so many directions to dance with so-and-so or talk to so-and-so…I had a line of people wanting to talk to me in English. Hahaha! I felt like the prom queen at this dance!
At around 1 am, one of my students asked me if I would dance a few dances with her older brother, because she said he was shy (not sure if that was true, or if she was just trying to set us up lol). She introduced me to him, and we danced a few couples “jigs.” Before I knew it, it was almost 3 am, and the old people were still dancing strong. I was deep in conversation with my new dance partner when the gym closed. He asked if I wanted to hang out after I went to Church, and I said “absolutely.” He lives in Normandy, so we just had one day to explore a little before he went back home.
By 3 am, I had a huge headache from the combination of thirst, sleeplessness, and one of those Breton flute/bagpipe instruments that was blaring in my ear all night. So, Martine drove me back to the high school, and I collapsed in my bed…clothes on, lights on...the whole “post-night out” drill (even thought I hadn’t had a drop of alcohol).
Alba and I woke up super early to go to Rennes. Alba is staying in Catherine's apartment for the weekend, so we took an early covoiturage so we can get the keys from her. We got the keys, and went to the Free Mobile store, so I could get sassy as to why my SIM card isn't working with my iPhone...the lady said I needed to go see this guy in the Orient Express to unlock my phone, so Alba and I went to the Orient Express, which is like a super sketch/ghetto/palm reader-esque little shop. He said it would cost $70 to unlock it, and I was like "ummm thanks but no thanks." He continued to text me phone deals he had on my other phone during the day. LOL.
Also attempted to get my birth certificate from La Poste. That was a hopeless cause as well...
Since none of my quests were working, Alba and I went to the market to get food to make me feel better. We ran into Jason and some of the other English friends and then we ran into some of Alba's Spanish friends. Alba and I then ventured off and I had my first "Galette Saucisse" (which I ended up throwing away, because it was NASTY...but I redeemed my inner Breton later that night...). Since the galette was a fail, I ate Chinese food after.
THE FOOD ADVENTURES OF EMILY AND ALBA....
Galette Saucisse at 10 am
Wine at 10 am...
It started to rain, and Alba and I were tired, cranky, and wanting to sit down somewhere, so where to go? Champs Libres! Clean (free) bathrooms, comfy couches, and great views of Rennes. We hung out there and relaxed on couches in the library until it was time for me to leave on my covoiturage back to Guer. Right when we were leaving the Champs Libres, we heard bagpipes and saw a Breton band marching around.
What's better than a Breton band? FREE COTTON CANDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In French, "barbe a papa"
We were having so much fun, we asked the covoiturage to pick me up at the "party."
What a long week back from vacation! I was so thrilled to see my kiddos again, and I love getting back into the classroom. Even more exciting, a care package arrived (from my mom to my students), so the kids got to try some classic American candies! P.S. Stickers and candy are great bribery tools for getting students to participate. :)
Celine (Great Gacilly, Val Sans Retour/mushroom maniac posts) picked me up for our usual "Friday Adventures" (for me) and "Friday English Lessons" (for her). Since it was raining cats and dogs, we went to a town called Malestroit to explore around. It was a cute little town along a pretty canal. We walked around as much as we could, but it got to be unbearable at one point, so we had tea and girl talk in a little cute cafe.
After Malestroit, we explored the Tourism Office in Guer and then went to the local library (I checked out magazines and a book that I actually might read...a WWII love story).
Big goose!
Okay..story behind this bush. Celine and I were walking along the canal, and she literally walked under a barbed wire fence to snag these kiwis. She LOVES forest freebies.
There is a blurry kiwi! I didn't know kiwis grew like this! So cool! Mine still isn't ripe yet...
Yesterday, I went to celebrate Halloween at a student’s house.This girl is the president of the “Miss Emily Fan Club” at the high school, and all of the teachers told me that she has been looking forward to having me over since the moment I introduced myself to her class.It’s her DREAM to come to the United States one day.She sent me a text message before I came over saying (in English) “we don’t have a lot of money, but we do have big hearts.”It was the cutest thing I have ever read.
She lives with her brother-in-law and her 6 year-old niece when she is not boarding at the boarding school where I teach.When I arrived to the place I was sleeping, she made painted me a sign:She also spread out every French book that she owns so that I could borrow them to get my French better.It was so cute!!!She had lots of bags she found with American flags on it, old National Geographic magazines from the 90s about “The American Dream,” a hat she found at a market that said “Los Angeles” on it, etc. She would also ask me…”How is____ in the USA?”“Is ___really like that in the USA?”“I saw ___ in a movie, is it true about the USA?”SO CURIOUS!Gosh, I wish I had money for a plane ticket for her to visit.
She painted everything herself and was so proud! :)
She also saved me caramel popcorn that her mother sent from the East of France so that we could have a special treat for Halloween!She heard that Americans liked popcorn!:D
On to Halloween in France…
In French, instead of saying “trick or treat,” you say “bonbons ou la vie” (candies or your life), which is a lot more violent of a demand haha.I saw a few kids getting candy from restaurant owners, and lots of adults dressed up as well.But, it was explained to me that Paimpont is a religious town, and they don’t believe that celebrating Halloween is a good thing.
SIDE NOTE: November 1 is the bigger celebration day.Flowers are everywhere (to put on tombstones).Graveyards are absolutely gorgeous for the day with all of the flowers.One of my American friends got made fun of in Rennes because she wanted to buy a bunch of flowers that were on sale this weekend for her apartment, but she didn’t realize they were for honoring dead people.Apparently that’s taboo. LOL.
Ambre, the 6 year-old niece, dressed up as a witch, and we walked around Paimpont. There were lots of tourist trap things around that had to do with the magical forest we were in (Broceliande).Witches, wizards, celtic myths, fairy tales, Merlin, King Arthur, scary crow statues etc…Because the “tout bio” (all organic) creperie opened at 7pm (yes…it opens at 7 PM…past my bedtime, folks), we walked around town and went into little shops to pass the time.The weather was warm, t-shirt and shorts!
At the creperie, I had a goat cheese gallette (with lardons, onions, and everything good on this earth) and a caramel dessert crepe.She insisted on paying, and her mother (who lives near Germany) put money on her card especially to take me out to dinner.It was just the three of us: my student, her 6 year-old niece, and I.She secretly hid a calculator under the table so she could keep track of the prices.It was so cute, yet I felt really bad and guilty for not paying, even though I tried to a million times. She would always say "I invited YOU, you don't pay!!!" (in French of course...I haven't spoken English in days).
After we got back home, we watched a movie and I went to bed.The next morning, we baked special cookies from an old family recipe that is pied noir.The cookies are called Montecaos.After that, we went for a walk around the village.It overwhelms me how people are so generous sometimes.Even if they don’t have anything, they gave whatever they have so I feel so welcome.It warms my heart.
Before I left, my student asked me if I liked fairies.I said…”sure, like Tinkerbell” and she nodded. She asked again if I liked fairies, and I said “yeah…why?” And she pulled out a little fairy necklace she bought for me at the little gift shop!I almost cried.After all she did, she even got me a little necklace!
Two enormous pumpkins+poisonous mushrooms+ a 3 year-old+ an 8 year-old+carving knives+a language barrier=an adventure
Hello fellow blog followers! Today, I helped spread the joy of Halloween to two little French kiddos. They are literally the most adorable kids! I had so much fun today. We had a nice lunch, walked in the forest of Monteneuf, searched for mushrooms, and carved huge pumpkins! Let's just say I am exhausted after today, but in the best way possible! Can't wait to hang with these little guys again!
The "pumpkin patch" (aka the backyard).
ENORMOUS pumpkins!
You can also eat those flowers! I did!
Let the carving begin!
Forest promenades...
Nom nom nom mushrooms!
Poisonous mushrooms! Red with white spots!
I love this one!
Ohhhh lighting the candles in the pumpkins!!!
WHEW! We are EXHAUSTED! Think we all need some wine now.
Sorry I haven’t written anything…I haven’t done anything fun and exciting since coming back from Bordeaux.People told me that living at the high school during school holidays was lonely, but I didn’t believe them. How do I describe it? Hmmm....Imagine the day when you felt your loneliest, multiply that by ten billion, put yourself in the middle of nowhere, nothing within 20 km, take away internet, take away your cell phone and your car, take away a grocery store, and add a torrential downpour every day and that’s how I have been feeling this past weekend.I went THREE days without seeing ONE person.Our town is THAT isolating, and I was starting to go crazy. Ugh…now with that background story, you can see how excited I was when I got an offer to hang out with 40 cows, 3 dogs, 5 chickens, 4 goats, and a donkey.
Remember the apple juice lady?She SO KINDLY invited me back to her farm, and I spent the day with her.After she picked me up, we went to the big Sunday market (old ladies and I love markets).The market was super crowded, but we managed to buy bread, pork and potatoes, and we came back home shortly after to have lunch with her very sweet husband. They both complimented on how great my French is.(OMG people are complimenting my French for like the first time ever!!!) After lunch, and after I changed into some of Michele’s clothes, I worked my butt off to fix her fence. The fence was enormous, and her new chickens kept escaping.I had done two rolls of chicken wire, plus hammering, and getting them secured down.I worked so hard, and I didn’t finish in time before the sun went down.After that, Michele and I made a clafoutis Franco-Americain (I added some special ingredients from my recipe…. cough cough Cognac).
After the clafoutis, we went to milk 40 cows.Not going to lie, I was super excited! She doesn’t own these cows, she just milks them for fun every day for a farmer who is single and has too much work to do.When I saw a real-life cow for the first time, I was surprised how big they were!I was thinking, “just one kick in the direction of my mouth and there goes that year of braces in college…”Milking cows is a long process, and it took us about two hours to do 40 cows.
Today, I woke up and went to the market in a neighboring town to the village, Creon, with Catherine. I just love markets! The cheese guy was super awesome, and he was so excited to serve cheeses to me. I had too many samples for so early in the morning. I also bought a really nice winter scarf for 4 euro, since I was chilly that morning. I think I'm getting a cold, unfortunately,
After the market, we cooked our fresh fish we bought and had potatoes, cheese, wine, and lovely fig bread. It was delicious.
After lunch, Lara (Catherine's niece who is close to my age) and I went on a 1.5 hour road trip to Arcachon, a sea resort bay area. It is also home to Europe's largest sand dune. Now, being from Michigan, I have seen some pretty big sand dunes. I figured that with everything being so tiny in Europe anyway, the dune couldn't be THAT big. Ummm...this thing was ENORMOUS. It was THE. MOST. BEAUTIFUL. PLACE. I. HAVE. EVER. SEEN. I just can't even describe how great it is. I cannot wait to go back someday. Wish I could have taken more pictures, but my camera died. Wish I could write more, but I'm dead, too. Below, a video of the top!
St Emilion is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is known for very good wine, religious artifacts, and stone work.At one time, it was actually bigger than Bordeaux (which is hard to imagine, since it’s such a tiny little village).It’s a picture perfect romantic little place.I did come here before two years ago, but I honestly didn’t remember all of the fun facts.So, in case I come here a third time, here are fun facts:
Emilion was a monk, an accountant, and he worked in Brittany (where I’m “from”) for an aristocrat.Every day after work, he would sneak bread under his coat to feed to the poor on his way home.After time, the aristocrat got suspicious and asked Emilion why he was “gaining so much weight” under his coat.He demanded that Emilion open up his coat, and he did…boom…miracle #1.All of the bread was changed into wood! He made his way down south and started to build a hermitage, now St Emilion. There was also another miracle for fertility, and women today make the pilgrimage to sit on a special stone chair to help they get pregnant within a month. After Emilion passed, his relics were put in the monolith church, and angels were painted on the wall around where his body was buried.However, they were stolen by Protestants during the Huguenot/Catholic wars, and were never to be found again.
St.Emilion is particular because it has a monolith church, one of the two in Europe today!Monks carved the church out of limestone rock BY HAND.It is really cool.Unfortunately, the steeple of the church is way too big and heavy for the fragile limestone, and with so many pilgrims and visitors over the years, the church was in danger of collapsing.Also, a drainage system that the monks had stored was blocked due to so many rich people wanting to be buried in the church (what was thought to be a free ticked to heaven in that time).Thankfully, beams were put up so that it stays up.
The monolith Church
Also, the chapel was converted into a barrel making business along the road, and soot soon covered the chapel walls.When the walls were cleaned many years later, brightly colored medieval paintings gleamed through, perfectly preserved!These paintings are special because they show emotion (people crying at the foot of the cross).
There are also big cedar trees scattered around.REALLY fun fact: during the Crusades (Holy Wars), soldiers brought back cedar tree seeds from Lebanon to prove that they actually were brave enough to fight.The seeds were planted shortly after, and today you have humungous beautiful cedar trees scattered around.
Tombs of the unknown Crusader soldiers.
Cedar Trees
The wine is particularly expensive because it must be hand-picked.At harvest time, people come from around the world to pick grapes.At the end of each row of vines, there is a rose.The rose is there so that just in case there is a disease, the rose will get infected first and then the vineyard workers would have more time to protect their crop.
BIG wine bottle!
Rose at the end of the row!
Did someone say "free"?
Inside the wine cave!
Entrance to the cave tour.
St. Emilion is also known for its famous macaroons.They are almond-based and delicious.
After we got back, we had lunch and I went on a long run through the vineyards.
Catherine had a huge dinner party planned for tonight, so she got up early and was at the supermarket getting supplies when I woke up.I decided to putz around Targon a little bit, and I found a Carrefour Contact, and I walked around.I ended up buying a book in French that I could read after dinner and before I go to bed. How I miss the grocery store!!!
Side note: HOW MANY CARREFOUR's ARE THERE??? I've seen...Carrefour City, Carrefour Market, Carrefour Contact, Carrefour Mini, Carrefour Express...? What's the difference?
After that, Catherine and I ate a little lunch, and she took me on a road trip to a castle/vineyard, Roquetaillade, which means "carved out of rock." This chateau sits on top of many sandstone grottos that were the home for prehistoric man (you can see stone age fossils, tools, etc. in the museum here). Also, I learned a "chateau" in Bordeaux means a place where wine is produced. It's not necessarily a foofy princess castle.
What is cool about this castle is that it's ALWAYS been in the same family, for more than 700 years. Can you imagine? It's in almost perfect condition. Our tour group was pretty cool, too. Our tour guide let us use secret passageways and showed us a demonstration of the drawbridge.
On our way back home, we stopped at a cool Cathedral where Louis XIII got married, and we also stopped at Ste Croix du Mont to see oyster fossils and a pretty view.
When we were driving back, windows were down, the sun was starting to set, and the light was beautiful.We were driving in tiny country roads, winding in and out, up and down rolling hills, smelling the vineyards and fireplaces…it was great!I can’t believe how lucky I am to be living this life, and I definitely feel like I don’t deserve to feel this good sometimes.I am so blessed.
Ornate details so peasants could understand Bible stories without knowing how to read.
Grottos formed out of the sea years ago.
Reminds me of Juliet's balcony in Verona.
Old washing place. French women would wash clothes here and have social hour. Women socialized in the washing areas and men socialized in cafes.
Typical Aquitaine church style. Reminds me of something like the Alamo.
Fred didn't miss us while we were gone...
How I feel after a French dinner...
After we got home, Catherine’s old lady friends came over for dinner.We had fois gras and an aperitif to start, confit de canard, beans, and ratatouille for the main meal, assorted cheeses, red wine from the town we visited above (du Mont), mousse au chocolat, and fruit and herbal tea for dessert.It was DELICIOUS (especially the fois gras).
Getting caught up on blogging…this is my blogging spot where I am writing right now.
Sunday morning, we got up early and went to Mass at a monastery (ON A PICTURESQUE HILL IN WINE COUNTRY) 20 minutes away.It was very pretty and there was a lot of light coming into the little church.Again, didn’t have a clue what was going on, but I liked making friends and funny faces with a cute little 3 year-old French boy who kept looking at me across the aisle.Afterwards, we sat and chit chatted with all of Catherine’s old friends, some of them live in the little cottages next door.
I snuck away from the social gathering to take touristy pics.
Catherine gave me this ancient missal so I won't be lost anymore...still got lost.
My favorite part of the missal is the prayer cards inside from weddings, communions, etc. They are from Catherine's family (from the 1800s). So cool!
After church, we headed to Catherine’s friend’s attic/garage sale to pick up a bicycle pump for a bike I get to borrow (fingers crossed).While we were at the market, I kept eyeing up clothes.First of all, it’s summer here, and I did NOT come prepared with my rain boots, heavy sweaters, and scarves.I decided to buy a pair of shorts and skirts for 1 euro each.I was SO HAPPY. Call me a diva, but I hate wearing the same outfit every day for a month.I figured for 1 euro for each clothing item, I could do great!Besides, where I live there are no clothing stores!WOOHOO!Attic sale success!
My purchases...
ONE euro, people!
After we got back from the attic sale, we came home and had leftovers from our lunch yesterday for lunch today (still tasted freaking unbelievable).After lunch, I decided to fix up the old racing bike that was in the garage so I could take it for a spin on a bike path through the vineyards that was converted from old train tracks.It was covered with dust and cobwebs and probably hasn’t seen the light of day since before my mom was born. Anyway, I learned quickly that I suck at bike repair, so pretty soon the whole village was over at the house, AND Catherine was on the phone with a bike expert friend so we could get this stupid bike working.Finally, it seemed ready to go, and I dusted off a helmet that I found, and the bike looked good as new!When I got on the road, I couldn’t pedal…THE CHAIN IS BROKEN!It was all warped, rusty, and I had so much grease on my hands afterwards, and after hours of struggling to get this bike working, I said a few choice words and gave up.
Hello Everyone from a small countryside village outside of Bordeaux, France!
Why am I here? After three weeks of teaching, students have a two week fall break! Catherine invited me to her family cottage in Bordeaux, and I agreed to stay with her for a few days. Here's what I have been up to...
Thursday night, Catherine took me out to a very nice dinner at a creperie and we ordered sea scallop gallettes, pear and chocolate crepes, kir, and cidre.I ate so much that I slept like a baby, even though I was in a sleeping bag on the couch. I love a really nice meal!
The next morning, Catherine said she was throwing up all night and felt really ill, so she was sorry to tell me we wouldn’t be going to Bordeaux that morning as we had planned.My heart sank, but I texted a bunch of English-speaking buds to hang out with during the day (and used her filter-free internet to catch up on three hours of Teen Mom 2…don’t judge me).Just as I was about to leave, Catherine returned from the doctor saying she felt better, and we were off to Bordeaux.We talked the entire 5 hour journey and saw a beautiful sunset upon our arrival in Bordeaux.When we arrived to Bordeaux, it was dark outside, so I went right to bed.
Catherine’s little cottage has been in her family since the late 1800s.It is adorable, rustic, charming, and perfect.All of the furniture is old and timeless, straight out of a movie set.People have actually been born in some of the beds she has around the house!My bedroom is HUGE.Queen size bed, tons of beautiful wooden wardrobes, AND an ensuite TV room with couches.There is also a pool.AND have I mentioned it’s 80 degrees F with sunny, clear, and blue blue skies?I love it!It smells old, too, but in a good way.
The garage and the old pigeon house.
Front of the house
Pretty garage!
My big princess ensuite!
My big princess bed!
Country sink
Kitchen
Goose friends
Backyard vineyard
She also has a few wild cats that like to hang around the house.One of them is named “Fred,” and he thinks he’s hot stuff.I was bored so I had a photo shoot with him.
After we had a nice breakfast, Catherine and I went to Cadillac (yes, the car’s namesake) for the outdoor market.It was beautiful.Catherine told me that Cadillac is known for three things (sparknotes version):
1. The car (the maker of Cadillac decided to name the car after the town he was from)
2. A famous chateau
3. A famous insane asylum/psychoanalytic place.
We walked around to each vendor, and Catherine knew ALL of the “good” vendors, so we bought chicken from the “chicken guy,” cheeses from “the cheese girl” (who was my age and she was SO excited to meet an American girl), vegetables/mushrooms/fresh grapes from “the produce guy,” etc.We also went to a special boulangerie, and Catherine told me what her favorite desserts were.Markets get me SOOO hungry. We drove along the river until we came home.It was beautiful.
Downtown Cadillac
"Naked Neck" chickens are the best at egg production, according to the French
Ummm....I'll take it all!
After that, we came home and had a HUGE lunch.We started off with an aperitif, then had chicken and vegetables with a garlic mayonnaise sauce, cheeses and jam, and a “gateau basque” from the Basque country.It was honestly delicious, and I ate everything.Of course, after marathon meals like that, you feel like you’re going to explode.
Basque Cake
I felt bad for being a moochy guest, so I decided to rake leaved for Catherine.After that, I decided to take Catherine’s size 6 tennis shoes (I’m a size8) and go for a walk through the vineyards at her suggestion.I took my camera and wandered around.My feet hurt, but it was beautiful, and I was too busy trying to snap pictures that I didn’t notice.Oh and since I didn’t bring any shorts or summer clothes, Catherine let me borrow some of her deceased father’s old clothes.So, I was basically dressed like an 80 year-old French man walking around taking pictures in the middle of nowhere.
Vineyards on my walk
An old bread oven
After I got back two hours later, we had a little bit of tomato and avocado salad for a light dinner.Catherine and I had herbal tea, and we talked after dinner for awhile. I showed her pictures I took on my computer.She also showed me around her house (including her wine cave).It’s so gorgeous.She also showed me the old outhouse and we fed old baguette to her neighbor’s goats.
Today, it was non-stop cold, rain, ick. It's the kind of morning where everyone is in "a funk." I honestly didn't want to do anything today besides sleep. I had a migraine, but I sucked it up and went to class. I had only one class to teach anyway, since French kids have half days every Wednesday. We played "Trivia Basketball" again, and it was a HUGE success. Here are some funny answers from the kids today:
Me: What country boarders the United States to the South? Kid: Ohhh I know! Mississippi!!!!!!! Me: You are so cute!
Me: Name a U.S. baseball team. Kid: Oooh I know this one! Chicago Bulls! Me: Nope, guess again! Kid: Philadelphia Eagles!!! Me: Not quite... Kid: Ooohhhh the DUCKS! Me: You are so cute!
Me: Who sings "Oops I did it again?" Kids: THE SPICE GIRLS!! Me: Come on, guys!!! (shakes head)
I wish I could write down some of their other funny answers. They crack me up. Trivia basketball was intense, and the scores were all tied up when the bell rang. The kids were SO into the game that they stayed later to finish it, and the teacher walked in and a smile that read "they NEVER stay later." They REALLY wanted my Halloween treat coupons. :D
After class, I had a huge lunch at the school cafeteria. Umm...they served RABBIT. Seriously...rabbit. It was delicious though. I would have taken a picture of it, but my kids often say that a stereotype of Americans is that they take pictures of everything. Whoops...guilty!
One of my fellow English teachers at the school invited Alba and I over to her farm to make apple juice and meet her animals. She had ONE TON of apples, and we made 250 liters of apple juice today. That's a lot of liters...
Here is a video of the apple machine!
How bout them apples?
Glass bottles for the apple juice.
Good apples, bad apples...
The apple press.
Tasting the fruits of our labor.
Apple machine guru.
Leftover peels for the cows.
Voila!
We had a whole wagon full of hundreds of apple juice bottles!
Expert apple juicer.
Here are pictures of the farm!
The BIG farm dogs
The friendliest goat of them all! Grasshopper!
This is Tinkerbell (Clochette). And here goes my donkey photoshoot. I want a donkey for Christmas!
Ever wanted to know what it feels like to be a celebrity?Teach English in France. It’s true.No matter where I go, even though I have many many students (12 classes of 30 kids each), I always hear a little voice saying “Hello Emily” wherever I go.It’s the cutest thing ever.Even when I’m on a run, I get kids who come up and say “Hello.”I am in love!I could do this teaching thing forever.
Back by popular demand...
Stuff My Students Say:
Me: Who wants to go to the United States someday?
(Hand shoots in the air)
Me: Yes?Where would you like to go in the USA?
Boy:Des Moines, Iowa
Me: That’s the first time I’ve ever heard Des Moines, Iowa!Why Iowa?
Boy: They have good metal music in Des Moines, Iowa!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Group of Girls:Ohhhh do you know the show “It Girl?”
I had a 13 year old girl SO EXCITED to meet me today. She literally followed me to my apartment…chit chatting as fast as she can in English.She was adorable.Her dad is in the army, and she traveled all over.I heard her life story in a walk down the hallway.She thinks I walk on water.She was so shocked that I wasn’t going home for “the Thanksgiving.” "But, the Thanksgiving is like the Christmas for les americains?" I thought she was going to cry out of pity for me, even though it's not THAT big of a deal for me. Anyway, she said she is going to throw a Thanksgiving party with the class.This should be interesting.
I had a group of girls come up to me and ask me to learn their friendship handshake.I feel so cool now! Of course, when I was their age, I had no friends and I wasn’t cool enough to learn one.Now, I am…figures! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They are really curious to know if “American boy” is better than “French boy.”I get that question almost every day.
The French kids LOVED my game I played with them today.It’s an oldie from my mom called Trivia Basketball.They were SO competitive.It was really fun!The winning team got “Halloween Treat Coupons.” The said "ooooh you are a great artist." Even though they are 1, they paraded down the hallway with these coupons, singing "We Are The Champions" in the cutest little French accents. My version of the game was really (really) homemade/ghetto. For example, I had to crumple up an Aluminum foil ball for the “basketball.”I can’t wait to play it with more of my classes tomorrow!They know a lot about the United States.They know which president freed the slaves, what political parties there are…who Kim Kardashian is married to, who sings “Call Me Maybe,” etc.Very smart kiddos.
I also hard-core explored the military base today.A professor drove me to sign up to join the gym and a running club at the base.We met many people because we were so lost.There are big tanks, big gun shots going off, everyone in shape, everyone in uniform, etc.The buildings are really ugly, and they all look the same, but I can’t wait until I get involved in something other than teaching.I hope I can keep up with the military people.
Oh, and you guys! I bought a plant! The florist is my new bff, and she gave me a loyalty card. She was the cutest little old lady who could talk your ear off.. .but those are the best people. The florist is one of the three shops in the whole entire town, so Regine (the florist) and I will be buds, I know it.
Every single day I have to pinch myself to make sure I am not dreaming. Am I really here in France? I have moments where I can't believe this is happening...that I can't believe how lucky I am to have a life this extraordinary! Good things happen when you follow your dreams!
Last night I was very very sick to my stomach!It was AWFUL!I thought I was dying!I woke up this morning a little shaky, but I managed to get enough energy to go to the boulangerie to grab something to eat, and that seemed to do the trick.
Alba really really wanted to go visit Josselin, and even though I really would have rather stayed in my bed on my day off from teaching, I decided to go along…have I mentioned that I am a sucker for castles?And it was actually semi-sunny today?
We walked 40 minutes to the closest bus stop, and soon arrived 30 minutes later in a little medieval town called Josselin.It was like a storybook little town.So adorable in so many ways!It really perked me out of my stomach ache funk.I almost hugged Alba for dragging me here. This post is going to be mostly photos with some commentary thrown in here and there. Enjoy!
Tiny storybook doors!
The Mayor's Building
I CLIMBED THIS!
If you die on your church tower climb...
Not much space...
When the church bell started to ring!
The view from the church tower!
After a little bit of walking, taking pictures of little buildings, I saw THIS! IN THIS SMALL-ASS FRENCH TOWN THERE IS NOTRE DAME (as in my University)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today, I woke up really early and went to church on the military base.It took me walking 30 minutes through wind, cold rain, puddles with non-water proof boots, but I got there.I guess that’s what I get for just now going to church after living here for almost two weeks.Ste Jeanne d’Arc is a cute little chapel, although it feels like you’re in an old feed warehouse with a few stained glass windows and a big organ.It was mostly families and boy scouts, and I was one of two single people there without children. The dads had military haircuts, and the moms looked like they haven’t slept in months. I didn’t understand one word of the whole service, because kids were out of control, crying and whining around me.Nothing wakes you up on a Sunday morning like twenty screaming two year-olds.Oh, and the girl in front of me threw up, too.Needless to say, I was glad I went.Great people watching and maybe I can make friends with some of these people so I can babysit one day! I didn’t wanna seem like an uber heathen tourist, so here’s a picture of the chapel from the website:
What the chapel must look like on a sunny day.
So, I was also invited to a French cat’s 10th birthday party.No kidding.When I got the invitation last week, I knew I HAD to go.It is probably the best blog-worthy thing that has ever happened to me!
The invitation to the cat party...
The cat, Noe, belongs to one of my favorite families in the whole world (the family with the cute house).I almost cried at how cozy it was!The fireplace was going, the table was set for lunch, and it was just a perfectly cozy cold rainy day.
After a long lunch, we decorated for the cat and the guests arrived.It was so fun to snack on many different French sweets, drink tea, and attempt to understand all of the conversations (mostly about pets).Everyone brought their pet dogs, too, so we had a cat and three dogs running around the house.
After I got back from the party, my stomach was really starting to hurt again, and I went to bed around 7 pm.
Heart Cupcake Arrangement (Chocolate, Lemon, and Apple cupcakes)
This morning, I woke up with a migraine, and I did not feel well at ALL (Alba drug me to the bar last night haha). I still feel a little sick to my stomach right now as I am writing this.I was planning on going to Rennes with Alba and a few other teachers, but decided to stay back and take it easy.
After a few hours of sleep, I started to feel better.The sun was out, so I decided to go for a run and take pictures of the trails I run around in Saint Malo de Beignon.One loop is about 1.5 km.
Yesterday, on my way back from the enchanted forest with Celine, I saw a sidewalk path that linked Saint Malo de Beignon to Beignon.The distance between the two little villages is about an hour walking (one-way).I decided to walk over and see the pretty church of St. Malo.I followed the path across picture-perfect French countryside.
I am in love with French cows! They are soooo cute I can't take it!
And then, after an hour, voila, l'eglise!
I didn’t see one moving car the whole time, just a tractor.I saw cows and fields and cute little French homes.I love the smell of France!It smells like fresh baked bread, perfume, old houses, and wood burning fireplaces.IS THIS REAL LIFE?
After I got back, I could hardly walk. I said hi to "my horses" on the school property, I made chocolate fudge, cleaned the house, talked to my mom, did laundry, ate a little something for lunch, and updated my blog. :)
Today, I went for a long (8 km) run around the town.THIS TOWN IS SO STINKIN CUTE!It’s perfect.I love how the mornings are…perfectly misty.(I’m going go on a nature hippie rant here…) You can smell the earth, the trees, and the wood burning fireplaces.It’s all I need.I still think I am dreaming when I am running around in the French country side, passing horses, sailboats, forests, and fields.I can’t believe these cute little villages exist in the real world!Today, I passed a bunch of 6 year-olds learning to sail on mini sailboats!It was the cutest thing!I’ll post pics of my little running sanctuary later.
After running, I made a French grilled cheese.Goat chesse in a puff pastry.I’ve come to the conclusion, you can put anything in a puff pastry, and it will taste AMAZING.
Goat cheese and prosciutto puff pastry tarts
After lunch, I went to go on a 4-5 km hike in the forest with my teacher friend Celine (the lady from The Great Gacilly post).We went to a place called “Val de Non Retour” (Valley of No Return). I’m not much of a mythical creature person, but the forest has seen a lot of “black magic,” and the story is kind of cool. It’s in the heart of King Arthur’s knights of the round table/Merlin forest.Legend has it that a fairy (King Arthur’s half sister), Morgane, cast a spell on all of her unfaithful lovers, and they were condemned to wander forever in this “Val de Non Retour” (You go girl!What a great spell to have…could have used that a few times…haha).However, the curse was eventually broken by Sir Lancelot, who, motivated by his love for Queen Guinevere, braved conquests to free all of the wandering souls.
The sign outside of the forest.
Anyway, legend aside, this forest is absolutely breathtaking.Tour busses come from all over just to get a glimpse.Old people were coming in walkers, little preschoolers came in nature groups! It’s gorgeous!Best hiking trails ever! Of course, we have forests/trails back home, but they don't even compare. This place is unbelievable!
Unfortunately, there was a forest fire in the early 90s, and the tree is covered in golden leaflets (like the golden dome at Notre Dame).It has to be re-done almost every year, because of the winter.It’s supposed to symbolize a deer’s antlers.(Funny story: Celine doesn’t know the English word for a “deer” so she says a “Bambi” instead.It’s so cute that I don’t want to correct her).
"Bambi" antlers
People come from miles around JUST to see this.
Nature+Camera+Emily=happy
Moss covers almost EVERYTHING here. Moss in French sounds like "moose" in English.
A little wandering in the forest, and we discovered MUSHROOMS.These are not little mushrooms that you find at the supermarket…oh no, these are huge-ass wild mushrooms, that would sell for $50 a kg.Celine screamed like a little girl on Christmas morning.We climbed over trees and tromped through a creek to get these mushrooms.She said she is going to make a quiche and freeze me a little part!She was so proud of those mushrooms, she showed them to anyone who walked by!It is called a “cepe.”
It's the BEST DAY EVER!
Me with the prized mushroom!
More Forest Pictures:
Celine taking a moment to look at the view.
I'm on top of the world!
The "elephant butt crack" shot (Haha thanks, Uncle Mike)
The tree on the left is where the fairy Morgane would sleep.
This is the fairy pond.
After hiking, we went to the Church of the Holy Grail.It is the only church in the world dedicated to the search for the Holy Grail.It’s kind of interesting, because in this Catholic Church there are lots of pagan and Celtic symbols combined with pictures of saints and Christian images.I’ve never seen anything like it.It is very trim, quaint, and relatively new…constructed in WWII by two German prisoners of war.
Again, most people who share my interests are either bald or grey...
Not much is new, except Alba and I are settling in nicely to our new apartment.I am really loving having a kitchen!!!We also invested in some 2 euro slippers, probably one of the best purchases I have ever made!After a long day at class, we eat in front of the TV in our pjs and slippers and watch “Friends” on tv.Alba laughs so hard at Joey!!!!
This is for you, Chris Cox! :) Miso Soup!
My twin?
My other twin?
How is teaching going you ask?I tell everyone that every day is like a roller coaster.There are good moments and bad moments.There is always a lot of drama, which makes things exciting and interesting.Little things come up, and days are very long, and the morning seems so far away from the afternoon.I honestly love my kids, and I already have a “fan club” of students that wait after class to just stare at me like I’m a movie star. Even when the construction workers and cleaning staff at the school figured out that I was American, they were so happy. OOOHHHH AMERICAINE???OOOOHHHH!!!!It’s kind of cool being the first American most of these kids and adults have ever met.
Although the kids are sweethearts, I’m quickly learning how difficult teenagers can be at some times, for example:
Me: “Ok kids, we’re going to play a really fun game, so let’s sit in a circle.”
Me: Okay, you MUST move NOW. Come on! We have a really fun game to play! (some kids move, most stay where they are)
Me: Okay, I’ll go get your teacher if you don’t move. (nobody moves)
I talked to the teacher after, and she said it’s normal for them to not move when you ask, and you can’t do anything about it.
What French kids think American high school is like...
At the big language teacher expo on Wednesday, we learned some fun games to play with the kids.I decided to use the games in my next lessons, because I had no clue what to do.I decided to play the “two truths and one lie” game.This game is pretty simple…everyone comes up with two truths about themselves and one lie, the class divides into two teams, and we go back and forth, each person reading their “two truths and one lie,” and the team has to decide which one is the lie.This SEEMS like a great idea, but my kids didn’t really get it and were trying to be silly.Here are some examples of their “two truths and a lie”:
Kid #1: I like Thomas. I like Marie. I like Quentin.
Kid #2: I have a goldfish named (giggles so hard that I couldn’t hear what the name was), Marie does have only one goldfish, I like German class.
Kid #3: I have the best boyfriend, I am not pregnant, I hate English
We aren’t playing that game anymore haha.
In my following classes, I decided to not do “fun” activities, and to just talk about stereotypes between the US and France.Our discussion went PHENONMENALLY well.I was interested in what the French kids thought about Americans, and they were thrilled to hear about what Americans thought of French people.There was a lot of laughter, and we both learned a lot.I love it when they leave the classroom and they are STILL talking about our lesson.It makes my heart happy.About the US, they are EXTREMELY fascinated with: high school cliques (jocks, nerds, football players, cheerleaders, etc.), the prom, cowboys, guns, McDonald’s (how often I go, how much it is, if it is better in France, what my favorite thing to eat at McDonald’s is, why are they called French fries, drive throughs at McDonalds, if my friends like McDonald’s, how close is the nearest McDonald’s in my city, if McDonald’s the same in Canada…in all, WAY too curious about McDonald’s.As for what they think other people think about France, they said other people think that the French eat frog legs, are unhappy, are dirty, have the best wine and cheese, are fashionable, etc.The whole whiteboard was FULL of “stereotypical” thoughts.
In some of my classes, I am still “introducing myself.” One of my classes had to interview me and ask me questions for an essay they have to write about me.Some of the questions they ask are very funny…I’ve been asked if I have a boyfriend almost every single class. I have also been told on MANY MANY occasions that I look like a combination of Anna Kendrick and Taylor Swift.Who knew?
Normal class conversations:
Me: Who has any questions about me?
Kid: Hi.Do you know zee expressions in French?
Me: What kind of expressions?
Kid: Ummm (….all red….his friends are giggling.) like….’Thomas est beau.’
Me: Thomas est beau?
Class: LAUGHS HYSTERICALLY
Me: Let me guess, you are Thomas?
Kid: (nods) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Me: Michigan is very cold in the winter. We get lots and lots of snow, because we have lots of big lakes around the state. Sometimes, snow is one meter tall and kids STILL have to go to school…
(a hand shoots up)
Me: Question?
Kid: Yes, is your town having the McDonald’s? Is the McDonald’s opens in snow? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Me: Does anyone have any questions about me and my life in the United States?
Kid: What music do you prefer?
Me: I like pop music…like Katy Perry or Taylor Swift.
Kid:Are you friends with Taylor Swift?
Me: Yes, we are best friends. And before you ask, I am also great friends with Selena Gomez, Demi Levato, Kendall Jennar, and Justin Bieber. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Me: Does anyone have any questions about me and my life in the United States?
Kid: Can I get your number of telephone for my friend "Fabien"?
Fabien (sitting behind Kid): blushes and says “mais non….” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Talking about how Americans think the French culture is "romantic.")
Kid: Which do you prefer to French kiss?American boy or French boy? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Little Girl Who Has Watched Way Too Much High School Musical: Do the American boys look like they do in the movies?
Me: (shaking head) Yes! In fact, they all look like Zac Efron!
Little Girl Who Has Watched Way Too Much High School Musical: Do the american football players knock your book to the ground?
Me: Sometimes. It depends on the high school...
(She was SO excited.I felt like if I said no, all of her hopes and dreams would die.)
Alba and I went back to Rennes for a big meeting for all of the English/Spanish/German/Russian/Chinese language teachers in the area.We were really late getting there (30 minutes), but typical France, it hadn’t even started yet.I met some really cool people… a guy from Boston, a guy from Canada, a guy from Australia, lots of girls from England, a few other Americans from Louisiana.At the orientation, we signed up for health insurance, and we broke up into groups according to our native languages.We talked about fun activities, classroom management, finding housing, getting oriented in France, etc. Usually in groups of people, I am the quiet "wall flower" girl, but teaching has really given me the courage to speak up in front of people. I don't feel like dying of shyness anymore. It's great! :)
For lunch, we ate at a cafeteria, and of course, all of my fellow Anglophones were as crazy about French cafeteria food as I was.I suddenly didn’t feel so crazy for thinking that these school lunches were the best thing ever.At lunch, I sat with a girl from Louisiana, a guy from Australia, and a guy from Canada.
It was SO NICE to hear English again, from native speakers, and we all felt the same way.The Australian guy, Jason, was sooo funny.I hardly ate my lunch, because I was laughing so hard at all of his jokes.I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard! The English girls really want to go on a vacation somewhere together soon, too! Unfortunately, I live so far away from Rennes, and it will be really hard to meet up again and go out for a drink or something. I can't wait to meet up with these people again! <3
Today, I asked sweetly and kindly, and we now have heating in our apartment! :)
Sweet "chauffage"
This morning, I woke up really early to go to the bank, and I FINALLY got a French bank account open ALL BY MYSELF. The lady who worked there was super nice, and helpful. Now, I feel much more French. After that, I rushed over with my bank account information so I can get an advance on my salary! Yay money!
Money, Money, Money...MONEY
Awww <3
In my mailbox at school today, one of the little girls I taught last Thursday left me a few French grammar books for me to improve my French. There was also a note reminding me to come to the belly dancing class tomorrow (don't worry guys, I AM planning on going next Wednesday).
I learned today that the teachers had a meeting, so normally classes would be cancelled. One of the teachers who observed me before (who said I really had a gift for teaching) told me I could still teach her class, even though she wouldn’t be there. She said I was so good with the kids, and I would have no problem controlling the class. This week is still presentations, so usually what the teacher does is just introduce me and then hand me over to the kiddos. This time, there was no teacher…I was ALONE to introduce myself and teach a whole class period to TWENTY SIX 14-16 year-olds. Of course, I had my classroom keys, class list, and came in cool and confident. Last Thursday went SO well, and I felt like I was getting the hang of teaching. It also helps I have a sibling that is the same age as this class of students, so I know what they’re “into” at that stage in life.
Anyway, I started off okay. First problem (out of my control) the class was seated at tables of groups of five. In my opinion, groups are just a bad idea if you want to get kids to stop talking amongst themselves. I did my little interactive “About Me” powerpoint, speaking slow and loud, pronunciating every syllable so they understood me. I talked about fun things…about Michigan, about my family, about our animals at the farm, even about Shrek and Notre Dame…they seemed to enjoy what I was saying, and looked somewhat engaged. After EVERYTHING I said, they had only ONE question after I finished talking:
“Do you eat McDonald’s?”
WHAT THE HECK PEOPLE???? IS THERE A HIDDEN CAMERA SOMEWHERE??? THERE IS MORE TO THE USA THAN MCDONALD’S!!!
After that, it went downhill...
We went around the classroom, and everyone introduced themselves, saying their name, age, and the fill-in-the-blank, “I like…” Most of the time, I make comments after whatever they say, and I ask more questions, for example: “My name is Paul, I am 15, and I like sports.” I would then ask “What is your favorite sport?” Most of these kids said “I like sleeping.” HAHA. Anyway, nobody was listening to anyone. Kids were chit chatting so loudly. When I talked louder, they talked louder. Objects were being flown around the room, one kid started to sleep... I panicked. What the hell do I do now? Thankfully, we started talking about hip hop music, since a lot of students liked hip hop (I honestly know nothing about it, but I pretended I did and that seemed to work lol).
After class, a few boys stayed after class and showed me their favorite French hip hop rappers. I told them they could play their songs after class, because I wasn’t sure if music was allowed (and how many expletives there were haha). Let’s just say I’m glad I had them wait until class was over to show me. ;) LOL.
After that class, I was literally paranoid and scarred for life. I was shaking. My voice was so strained I could barely talk. All of the other teachers couldn’t believe that I actually agreed to take on that class, and they said that shouldn’t have been allowed. I noted a few names of students who were very bad, so I could tell the teacher. I talked to her after school, and she told me that felt really bad for giving me too much at one time. She apologized a million times, and told me that I reminded her of herself when she first started teaching. But, I said it was good experience, and it really was…gotta come up with more mind-grabbing activities!!!
In my next class, that same teacher came out of a meeting, so she was there to introduce me, and class went a million times better. The kids were really excited, and class flew by really quickly. I love how cute their English is. I had one16 year-old boy ask me in front of the class if I was single. :P Everyone laughed, and lots of red faces all around the room.
After school, Alba got permission to use the principal’s car to go grocery shopping, and we went to a larger neighboring town, Ploermel (about a 30 minute drive) to have more options. She STILL needed to get her cell phone, so we got that, and went exploring around the city and saw a cute little church and town square/had a photoshoot.
So glad she can drive stick shift cars!!!
Distracting the driver
After that, it started getting really chilly, and we headed back to the car. Alba tried to start the car….and it didn’t start. The battery wasn’t dead…it just wasn’t starting. I was like…oh gosh this isn’t good…we broke the principal’s car!!! We had to stop an old man who was walking down the little sidewalk to actually hop in the car with us and teach us how to start it! He was able to turn it on! :D
Now that our car worked, we went discount shopping at an Aldi-esque store. We arrived at the grocery store 5 minutes before it closed, so we were literally running around the whole store, and the people who worked there were trying to chase us out of the store while we grabbed food. It was hilarious.
A long drive through the French countryside later, we arrived safe and sound, fridge and pantry full.
Today, I woke up really excited! Manue’s husband and her stepson who’s our age, Nicholas, invited Alba and I over to hang out. I was super happy to visit that house again and the lovely people (and pets) who live there. It was an absolutely gorgeous fall day. They picked us up at the high school and drove us to their house, stopping at a boulangerie for bread and a dessert after lunch.
Once we arrived, Nicholas, Alba, and I walked around the yard and met all of the fun farm animals. We met the family pig and chickens.
Some of the chicken's at the farm.
Entrance to the backyard
The rooster
Alba, me, and the pig who attacked me.
Nicholas, the pig whisperer
The most picture-perfect magical little pond.
After that, we ate a wonderful lunch: rice, shrimp and vegetables, bread and spread, and lots of beautiful desserts. It was delicious, and I was happy girl.
We decided to go hiking in the Broceliande forest after lunch, so Manue’s husband dropped us off at a park, and we all went exploring! We had our cameras, and enjoyed each other’s company. We saw really old megaliths (dating from 4500 BC) and a beautiful lake. I really am so lucky to have met such caring and sweet people. I had the best time walking around the forest.
The selfie... transcends all language barriers!
Alba!
After hiking, we stopped to see the oldest church in all of Brittany, France.
At their home, I feel instantly relaxed. It’s literally the cutest little house with the cutest little pond and the cutest little animals. We talked a bit with Nicholas, and they gave me a non-scratchy French blanket to sleep with until heating comes on in the school. I AM SO HAPPYYYYYY
So right now, I am dipping Prince cookies in milk, watching my candle flicker, listening to Ed Sheeran's latest album, cuddling with my new cozy blanket, and writing in my blog and my diary. Honestly, I have no other way to describe today other than it made my heart very very very happy. :)
Today, I woke up really late, and Alba and I were in our pjs until 2 pm. It was raining really hard all morning. I wanted to be lazy and sleep all day, but I had a rendez-vous with a young French professor and mom of two, Celine, at the high school at 2:30 pm so we could see the city of Gacilly, the home of Yves Rocher beauty products. She picked me up, and off we went.
Celine and I really struggled to communicate sometimes, but she was really sweet and really eager to learn English. She was really adorable! When we arrived at Gacilly, we saw a bunch of those chestnuts laying around the ground, and to my surprise she actually picked one up and started eating it! I actually decided to try them, too, so she taught me how to crack them open and peel the shell off. I have to say, it was one of the NASTIEST things I have ever eaten.
Nasty!
Me in front of Yves Rocher! Art exhibit blown up photo on the top right.
Celine, my lovely tour guide!
Cute artisan shops
After that, we walked around outside to see the art exhibition that was taking place around the city. They had blown up photographs all around different trails. It was a very quaint, charming, everything matching, flowers everywhere sort of French town. Even with the rain, I could see how awesome it was. Celine and I walked through gardens, the river trail, and the many artisan shops (soaps, jewelry, pottery, vintage clothes, etc.). All the while, the whole town smelled like perfume, which I loved. It was beautiful, inside and out.