Shopping

Hello everyone!

We went shopping yesterday for food. Every other day is grocery day for the French. We go every day or every other day to buy our fresh bread and vegetables, fish and meat- anything we want fresh for the next couple of meals. Then, in a typical French home, you go once to the huge supermarket (which is bigger than a Super Store) and buy everything you cannot buy in the smaller stores in your town. The Super Market in France is huge. It is more packed with practical and impractical items than I have ever seen in North America. Although, you know what shocked me, there is more prepackaged and processed food in a French supermarket than that of Canada. It was flabbergasting. Oh but the cheese section! OH! It is incredible...
Truly a different culinary experience.

Toy Section:

Guillaume; the Pompier.

A local Mini-Market:

The Super Market:

**this is the MASSIVE cheese section

John and Sabine found me a leash  so I wouldn't get lost by my curiosity...

...my poor mother.

-BUT LOOK at the CHEESE!

(...Ola...)

They were moving this car from a display in the market- something our stores do not have many of that the French seem to be obsessed with. There was a display for everything from Mangoes to Cat Food!

A snippet of my city; Guillaume and I:

A snippet of us.

A demain ~ Till tomorrow

Home Again, Home Again...

After 3 days of skiing, we are all, officially, kaput!

Skiing in Europe is very different from skiing in North America. The runs are a lot longer, and everyone- and I mean from the oldest Grandma to the tinniest toddler- is a skiing expert. The way these people can maneuver and glide over powdered hills or gracefully fly down steep inclines is truly inspiring. There is a part of me that wishes I could train like that everyday to be half that skilled.

We had a marvelous trip! I will never forget the good laughs, incredible scenery, seeing the Alpes for the first time (!!), falling more times than I can count, and flying off my first ski jump. I think that is my favourite part of skiing: jumping. You get the rush of speed before you hit the jump, and then zoom! You're in the air, flying for a few moments until you absorb the ground through first your toes and then the rest of your body. It's a great natural high! 

Enough talking! This is us skiing:

In order: Guillaume (Solenne's boyfriend), Solenne, and me!

Isn't the landscape breathtaking?

Us waiting for a lift. I am on my bum, as usual.

Solenne, Guillaume, Me, & Sebastien

Me and Sabine.

When we were not on the slopes, we were back in the apartment, eating, laughing, sleeping, swimming, reading, discussing philosophy, buying cheese, wine and bread - anything and everything French!

When swimming in public pools in France, you have to wear a swim cap...aye.

Thank you to Sabine, John, Guillaume, Solenne, Sebastien, Anne-Marie, and Gerard for an incredible trip!

Joyeuse Anniversaire!

Hey everyone!
So seventeen feels no different from 16, just that now I am one year closer to being an adult which is A) pretty significant, and B) pretty terrifying.

Today was so wonderful! Today we went to the home of one of my older brother's girlfriends home in Nancray, a town just outside of Besancon. Just like everywhere I have been so far, I was welcomed with open and gracious arms. I have not many a single snobby person- although I was only in Paris for half a day and even still a train station at that. 

I truly got to experience a French party... gathering... thing. The French take hours to eat one meal at a table when they have company. In Canada we usually have our social food while we mingle and talk, which is the same as the French. Then we have our meal which is typically one course, next desert, and then we retire to the living room. Not so with the French. First, we have the "apperatif", then the first course, which is either quiche or soup. Then comes the main course with is mainly chicken or fish with potatoes or pasta and cabbage or something veggie-ish. Then the liqueur comes out and the taste testing begins. Next we have the cheese, bread, salad, and wine. After that desert- which today was cake...mmmm. Wheat Free cake (I'm so spoiled!)! After that -yes, there is more!- coffee, espresso, and tea are served and little chocolates, sugar cubes, and shots of different liquor are enjoyed. This takes about 7 hours at the table- and there is never a lack of conversation. The table is a constant flurry of discussion which is enjoyable to partake in but just as equally enjoyable to observe.

I will never forget this birthday and have photos of our gathering below- taken with my new Coolpix camera that was given to me by Solenne, John, and Sabine (when I said I was spoiled, I really meant it!!)! 

Thank you to everyone who made this day so special and wonderful for me- including my parents- I will never forget it!

Me opening my new camera.

Sabine, half of Grand-pere's head, and I. I am wearing the scarf that was given to me by my Grand-parents.

Us all eating at the table.

Solenne and the big pen. Dangerous combination.

A view of Nancray from the front window.

Me being...special...

Us driving to Besancon to see the new home of Anne and Seb.

Sebastien and Anne in their little apartment.

The cute kitchen! (This one is for you, Mummy!)

Bienvenue!

Bievenue a ma maison! J'ai pense que je devrais vous donner un petit tour d'ou nous habitons.
Welcome to my home! I thought I would give you all a mini tour of the place I call home. It is not complete, but during the upcoming days you will get to see everything that I am falling in love with here in France.

This is the view from outside our kitchen window. The kitchen is located in the front of the house, so, these are the neighbours across the street. Disez 'Bonjour'!

These are the stairs in the main hallway...

...and a view of the Dining Room from the kitchen. The art you see in all these pictures is done by John, my French father. He is truly talented.

This is the most perfect little kitchen! Everything is white except for these extraordinary splashes of east Indian inspired colour. It makes eating and cooking even more wonderful!

This is a view of the living room from its far corner. You have to go down 3 steps to ground level to get to it and on the wall opposite to where you see the beautiful paintings is a large sliding glass door that takes up the whole wall.

See? 

-And this is Pinpin. Not p-IN as in "Inn", but Pin as in p-EH-ng. Like lapin, the french word for rabit from which he gets his name. We have other pets who you will be introduced to in the near future.

Yesterday I went to my Grand-père and Grand-mère for le dejeuner or lunch. It was truly lovely! I really am going to love having Grandparents just around the corner. Then later on, John and I talked for hours- what a super conversation we had! And then I finally got to meet Guillaume- Solenne's boyfriend! He is so kind and I can see why Solenne missed him so much while she was in Canada. He is so sweet to her. Before dinner John and I played music while Solenne and Guillaume danced and after dinner Sabine, John, and I listened to music, had great conversation and looked at different contemporary artists and their abstract thoughts put onto canvas. I am thoroughly inspired. So, Aurevoir, Canada- time to go create.