And on the 7th day, she rested

Whooooo; with only today and tomorrow te explore Paris.....i was a lazy woman today and couldnt leave the house.....of course it's lovely being around DElphine and her family and I got to have a lovely Sunday meal, look through all my photos with Delphine and laugh hysterically with Delphine about funny things that have happened over our 3 or so weeks together, so it's fine that i didnt discover and explore more of Paris...I have tomorrow.
So yesterday, had a huge day....started at 10 and came home at 1....the entire time i've been in France....excluding some of the days I was sick, though i can include some sick days too, i have not gone to bed before midnight....I al a party animal.
However; even though i stayed out late with C and D's friend, my eyes were red and i was tired by 6 pm...but i worked through it;)
We started off in Montmartre and walked up, down, and around the neighborhood. There was a fabulous singing duo that i happened to hear and we were lucky enough to catch the end of their act, i swear to god one was Johnny Hallyday, the french"elvis" but when i showed the pic to Delphine, she said, "You are so not French, because no french person would believe he is Johnny."
Then we walked and we walked to the Bassin de la Villette, where I was treated to the BEST, non-homemade, French seafood meal I have had in Paris (I have to be very specific because I've had so many best meals. After a 3 hour meal, it was off to 3 different parks I've never been to, followed by the canals of St.Martin made famous in Amelie Poulain and where I was lucky enough to find rocks i could try and skip, then to a homeless encampment at the place de la republique (sf and paris are not that different; i'm so happy to learn!), an aperitif with Campari, which might be one of the worst types of alcohol i've ever tried, then a nighttime bikeride past le louvre, notredame, les iles de la cite, and the latin quarter and finally a picnic along the Seine including a candle...because as C and D's french friend explained you always have to have a romantic moment in Paris.
So...I had to rest today. 4 big, packed days and one more tomorrow, and then home again home again, jiggidy jig.
xoxoxoxoxo

latin quarter

Yesterday, i was this close to the tomb of Alexander Dumas!!!!!!! He was along side Hugo and Zola.....which leans he is a "grand ecrivain"!!!! an important french writer!!!!! my teacher's at SJ State always downplayed his influence, stuck their nose up at his style, and wouldnt include his books in any of our classes.....ok ok, so some of his books are swashbuckling heroic tales, but still...oh it was magic to be in the Pantheon,this close!

Today I'm not sure what I'm doing but going to meet up with a friend of Cyrille and Delphine's and probably walk around Montmartre, Belleville, and the canals of Amelie Poulain.
xoxoxox

3rd brush with death!!!!

Wow, yesterday was certainly not a walking death tour....it was a deathride on a bike; I was sure I was going to die because Delphine was my guide and her philosophy is, "Well if they hit you, it's their fault!" Good God, My Lord!!!

None the less, touring Paris on a bike, which I have not done before and really only if you are French do you do it;), was fantastic. We went into the opera, (I now have to go to the Milan opera house to compare but Paris's house is opulance to the t) While the actual stage and seating is small in comparison to SF, outside, the staircases leading up, the large salons on each floor, truly the opera house is a place to show off your finery and be seen! Then it was off to La comedie Francaise, the big theater in Paris, which used to be a palace, and then to Marais, the gay neighborhood....sadly i didnt dance, but I did exchange a bauble for a few others (thank you Mick)
Then it was off to the Jardin des Plantes, the oldest structure in Paris, a roman arena, which was kinda like a circle of rubble, then on to an old aquaduct that has been turned into a raised park above the streets near la gare de lyon, and finally a race to Belleville....but sadly we didnt make it because we were meeting a friend of C and D, who took us to a Mauritien restaurant, he's from l'ile Maurites, and we went for drinks afterwards....a very big day.

And finally, I also realized that Paris is not that different from SF in that there are sadly a lot of beggars and crazy people. In Begle, where D and C live, I had run into my first crazy person, a man who told me, "You cant kill me". It's true, I couldnt kill him. Yesterday, though was a different story. As we were parking our 'Velibs' and then getting new bikes, a guy with a beer can in his hand told me that the way I "style my hair" was all wrong, that my glasses are wrong because my eyes are too small, and that I was ugly. Delphine thought it was hilarious that i attract crazy people....i find it hilarious that not all frenchies are adorable!
xoxoxox

Day of the DEad

I love Paris...it is romantic, magical, bursting with excitement....it's amazing!!!! and so on my first full day, I decided to go on a death walk. Inspired by my sister and figuring at least one person in the family should do it, I went to the catacombs...Now, i dont know if i described Carcasonne at all, but it was like Disneyland....and well the catacombs was like waiting for a ride at Disneyland...Bif, I waited 2 hours in line to get in!!!!! That's the only time and the longest I've had to wait in line this entire trip...but it's Paris; I can wait! Everything in Paris is worth the wait....and the catacombs were incredibly interesting. I greatly admired the detail oriented workmanship of placing the bones in a very organized manner:)

Then I went and walked around the cemetary in Montparnasse, I saw the tomb of Beauvoir and Sartre and missed Man Ray, Col. Dreyfus, Serge Gainsbourg, Marguerite Duras....basically everyone else....including Petain....but that would have been a long shot to find since he wasnt even listed with the other noteworthy individuals.
Then it was on to more death in churches!!!!! Went to 4 I've never been too, tried to get into the Pantheon another great crypt for the dead but it was closed...c'est la vie.
Finally, walked on the Ile St. Louis and then came back to Delphine's parents house for another home-cooked meal and voila!!!
If you havent guessed, I am doing things that I havent done before and trying to stay off the beaten path....of course 2 hours waiting in line at the catacombs is not a non-touristy site....but then again I'm in Paris in August and basically it's one big city of tourists right now.
Tomorrow, Delphine is coming with me for an adventure!
xoxoxoxoxo

Paris Paris!!!!

My weekend in Pays Basque was absolutely amazing!!!! I have never eaten so much in one weekend and never met so many family members, that are all amusing, adorable, and very proud of their Basque coutryside.
And then we came back to Bordeaux last night where Delphine declares diet and noone would drink any wine with me because they said they drank too much already....Pffff....they're still adorable but that's not very French!
So Cyrille is not continuing with us to Paris and I was very sad to say good-bye because he's a very nice, good Frenchie and though he said I can come back whenever I want, I dont think we'll ever be able to travel the 3 of us like we did this trip. It will of course be different the next time I come to France. ;)
But if I write cards to all of his family members, like his grandmother hinted to me on 10 different occasions, I will remain in their good graces.....as many of them said, I was absolutely charming;) ;) ;) hee hee hee hee!
Oh they're adorable!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

la fete de la famille

Yesterday went into Bayonne, a small/large city/village depending upon who you talk to.
I went on my own and did a little shopping, a little walking, and a little people watching.
Then Went back to Tarnos to meet C and D and off to Espelette, an authentic BAsque town where C and D were married and where C's aunt lives.
D and C gratiously reenacted marriage photos for me and i did a little more shopping and tasted a little bit of this and a little bit of that in the cheese, meat, and chocolate.
Then it was another big meal!!!!Fois gras, cheese, gateau basque, wine, champagne....more and more relatives.
And in a couple minutes, another family midday meal!!!!!
I love it!!!!
xoxoxoxox

La fete de Bardos

The basque country is not good for the waist line. There's no denying that most French like to eat but here at least when family comes over or there's a festival most of the day is reserved for eating and drinking.
We arrived in Tarnos, a suburb of Bayonne, yesterday around noon and went straight to Cyrille's grandmother's house. There we had a noonday meal, (buffalo mozzarella/tomato salad, sirloin steak with onions, potatoes with fresh cepe mushrooms!!!!!, cheese, fromage blanc with berries, lots of wine and pastis)which lasted until 4 and then at 5 went to Cyrille's great uncle's house for the aperitif (more pastis and champagne), and then at 9 went to the festival where there were more aperitifs (pastis) and dinner(tuna steak, pipperade, bardos cheese, gateau basque, and of course more wine), which concluded around midnight-1in the morning. What did i do in between eating and drinking, sit and chat!
Now i am not complaining because the food was excellent, the conversations were greatly amusing, and of course the French are adorable! But I am likely to come back weighing a ton! It's ok, i'm on vacation!
xoxoxoxoxoxo

Basque country

In a few minutes we'll be leaving for the red and white area of France....I am wearing an all white outfit for the "fete of Bardos"....I better not have an episode like yesterday where I'm sitting in front of the Opera House of Bordeaux, people watching, with a frozen yogurt (omg the yogurt is out of this world here) and surprise, at the end of the cone there's a bit of hard chocolate, so i bite into it thinking, 'wow what a nice surprise' and BAF!!! under the hard choco is melted choco that goes all over my hands, arm, legs, and my white sleeves of my sweater....it was not very French!!!!
At least it wasnt poop.

But I'm trying again today and no chocolate for me and lots of bibs!
xoxoxoxo

Filet of fish

Yesterday, it rained and poured in Bordeaux, in the afternoon, and while I was bike riding with Delphine, on the most adorable bike with a basket, I had my first bad hair day....I know, I've gone this long without having one, survived the monsoons and humid weather in Asia, even when I was sick I dont think my hair was that bad...it was bound to happen, even with all the products I brought with me. it was bound to happen!
Anyways, we had dinner last night at the home of a French couple Cyrille and Delphine know and WOW, learned that the French are really not that different than us...that it's easier then you think to be French like I strive to be....(I hope Matt you read that last line, it's for you;)
Many French like cars and find it's just not practical to take public transport, there's not enough buses and trains and if you really want to go to good places, you need a car (these past couple of days I've just been in complete shock!). I said, "But you have the most adorable bikes to get around on!° and then they replied with a shrug and sigh, "If you want to go somewhere on the weekend and still have a breakfast in bed morning, you need a car."
It's true, but I dont expect to hear this!
And then for dinner we had a type of fish, similar to tuna and it was fileted!!!!! The shock again. This was my first filet of fish since San Francisco, everyone has always served fish with the head and bones because it enhances the flaver and it's fun to take out the bones (at least that's part of the reason i think they keep them in). Shock I tell you and then relief because delphine asked the French couple who in their opinion were the heros of the 2nd World War and the couple answered exactly like I had, America and England...with a little French resistance.
So we're really not that different.
xoxoxoxoxoxo

Tu te couches pas aussi bete ce soir

Well father, I've calmed down...and now I know why Delphine and Cyrille would never say they live in a Socialist country and why even with their health care system and their social security/retirement benefits, which everyone benefits from....I now understand thqt they were not created by the French government because they wanted to create "freedom; equality, and brotherhood" amongst all and redistribute wealth and services equally amongst all Frenchies but because the French goverment was scared of the Commies just like the Americans!

So the French govt. wanted to ease tensions and undermine the incresingly popular Communist party and with many strikes and marches by the French people, the govt. created programs that are seperately run from the govt. and they take money from everyone's salaries and then either redistribute it amongst everyone for health services, or keep it for every Frenchies retirement....anyways, the French system is complicated and the mix of capitalism with "socialism".
But again it's the darling French, who have fought, marched, and won their social services, and not the government, who just decided to be nice and give the French collective so many benefits.

Ok, so the ham I had was not smoked but deli-sliced ham, but truly I have never had ham like that and i would never put it in a sandwich....you have to eat it by itself to fully appreciate all the complexities with each mouthful;) amazing amazing...dont worry i've taken lots of pics of the ham.
and I have been riding around town on Cyrille's bike that has the most adorable basket; i dont think i could get anymore French....unless I had straight hair and wore a beret and had the best baguette ever in my basket and smoked a cigarette....but then I might be bursting with too much frenchiness;)
xoxoxoxoxo

O my God!

Does anyone I know, know that it was the Russians that "won" the Second World War at Stalingrad in 1943 before the debarquement of Americans in Normandy???? That it was only with the victory in Stalingrad that the Americans could move into Normandy?
Does anyone know about the pictures of Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt at Yalta or a picture of the Russians holding a flag over Berlin similar to the picture of the Americans holding up the flag in Japan?
I'm in shock!!!!! and I dont remember seeing those photos in any of our history books.
and can anyone remember a photo of Degaulle, Roosevelt and Churchil together because I want to say that that is the picture i remember from history books and not of a picture with Stalin.
But I cant find such a picture when i type in their names in Google France....maybe it's because it's a French site:)
But still.....Dad are you going to be the only one to answer this and say yes, we learned that Russia was just as or more powerful than the US during the 2nd World War?
P.S. I had the most amazing smoked ham tonight for dinner
xoxoxoxo

blackberries a calling

I dont know what it is about the French; there's definitely something irresistable.
As I was explaining to Delphine and Cyrille, after watching a cute movie in town about a mother who, in her late 40s, early 50s still manages to find lots of romantic entanglements and I told them that it's only the French, who have that "je ne sais quoi", which is so appealing to every other culture....and Rosana stop rolling your eyes because the mother hooks up with a brazillian samba band and their director in the end so even Brazillians arent immune to the French charm.
Anyways, yesterday after having the most delicious midday Sunday meal (Fois Gras!!!!!!, Maigret of duck with a balsalmic and honey sauce with fingerling potatoes, and cheese with my new favorite baguette in the world), we went for a sunset bike ride in the countryside and to pick blackberries.
Now I love picking blackberries because it reminds me of summers with my family at teh cabin. However, at teh cabin, once you're done picking blackberries you can walk to the river and wash your hands, which is not the case in Bordeaux.....though, the magical French dont need a river because as Delphine showed me her hands, which were free from a red stain and her hair, which was free from burrs....and she tells me matter of factly, "But Jenna, you dont NEED to squish the berries and you dont HAVE to stick your head in the bushes".
The French are so adorable!!!!!!!
xoxoxoxoxo

oh the bread, o the food!

Honestly there is nothing like French food, nothing!!!!!!!!
My last meal has completly changed in the last few days, no longer could it be fried chicken....it would now have to be fois gras, followed by leeks in a vinaigrette, then a Dorade (fish with bones, but luckily i know now the special technique), followed by either filet of lamb, or rabbit in a mustard sauce, or veal in a cream sauce with ratatouille, followed by cheese, and then either a charlotte, creme brulee, une tarte aux fruits, un gateau basque......o there's way too many choices.....but never again will I say friend chicken for my last meal!

Since the last time, i wrote, I took the boat back to Nice and visited the town, tried Socca, which is the garbanzo bean crepe of Nice (interesting, but not my choice for a crepe batter), went to Marseille and walked, biked, and sailed all over....really got to know the Mistral, the wind of Marseille and tasted the most amazing almond pate patisserie, really good frozen yogurt (the yogurt here is like NOTHING i've ever tried), amazing ratatouille, and a so-so bouillabaise. o the food.........anyways, i'm going to the supermarket today and I'm on pins and needles. It's something i've wanted to do since arriving and now that I'm feeling better and we're in Bordeaux where we can cook, it will be so much fun to go shopping for meat and yogurt!!!!!!!!!!!!
The food honestly, i think the rest of my entries in France will be about the food and probably how nice the French are....kinda like the Vietnamese. They bend over backwards to help you and they're adorable!
xoxoxoxoxoxo