What can you get for 3 Euros?

I'm home! Home sweet home! There is something so exciting about coming home from a vacation: flying over those majestic Rocky Mountains at sunset, opening my closet to find those beautiful clothes that I have been missing over the past few weeks, finishing a batch of laundry and putting it neatly away in my drawers, sleeping in my own familiar bed (this bamboo bed picture is NOT my bed, but I think it would be a nice bed)...this lasts for a couple of days and then I start remembering all the fun times I had on my vacation. I pull out my camera and relive all the good memories. The hard moments where I felt like crying (see "More than Turbulence") don't seem so bad in retrospect. Here are some of my last memories:

On Thursday evening, our professor booked us tickets for a dinner cruise of the Seine River. This was the most picture perfect evening! We floated by all of the lit-up monuments of Paris, beginning and ending with the Eiffel Tower.

They gave us all of these crazy appetizers that I would never order on my own: Foie Gras (goose liver) spread, tomato stuffed with goat cheese, something unrecognizable wrapped in salmon...a cold tomato soup is in the middle. Very unique. I appreciated the gourmet flavor and tried to soak up each second of the luxurious ride.

My airport shuttle dropped me off at Charles de Gaulle on Saturday afternoon to catch my flight. After passing through security, I decided that I was pretty hungry. I had a 10 Euro bill that I wanted to spend. I started looking for some yummy lunch food in my terminal. Soup? Salad? All that was there were two gourmet pastry shops and this Caviar Seafood House.

People sit on these fancy bar stools and order wine and caviar.

Don't ask me why, but I decided to glance at the menu. I love that France always has their menus posted for all to see. Why don't we do that in the states? My jaw dropped: what?! 106 Euros to 495 Euros?! For a plate of caviar?! Are people crazy?! This is food, people!

I was just about to leave when I glanced at the side dishes. Were my eyes seeing right?! Mashed potatoes for just 3 Euros!

I called over the server. I asked her if I could order just the mashed potatoes. She looked at me with eyes that said, "Seriously, weirdo?" I kept my smile and confidence up. She nodded and said I could get whatever I wanted. I then watched her make me the most delicious mashed potatoes. She displayed them so nicely and included gourmet dipping sauce. She asked if I would like anything to drink and I said, "Non, merci." When I was through enjoying each and every bite, I handed her by 10 Euro bill. She gave me 7 Euros change (that's right--the price in France includes tax and tip) and included two dark chocolates as well as a beautifully packaged hand towel. Now I call that a super deal!




Awe! Trips are so great (I will just forget that Delta lost my suitcase once again--I did get it back last night)! Now I have to plan another one someplace else!

Magical Moments

My three and a half weeks in France will be ending this Saturday! On one hand, I don't want to accept that this huge European adventure is really about through; on the other hand, I am honestly ready to go home to my regular life. Isn't that crazy to say? I am in the most romantic, fast-paced city in the world and yet I am excited to get back to the humdrum of my everyday life! Go figure. Being here, each day has honestly been jam-packed with adventures. I have gotten up early, pulled out the map of the metro system and filled each moment with new discoveries and tasty treats. Amidst all of this busyness, I have also had a lot of time for self-reflection. I have realized that most of the time, life's best moments are not in the events we are living, but in the people that we are sharing them with. My best memories from France this year will not be racing up and down the Eiffel Tower (I did wait in a two-hour line for that today and it was pretty fun, overall) or admiring the lavish gold plating on the Palais de Versailles, but in the quiet scenes that I was able to be a part of and the people I was able to meet. So even though I am excited to get back to my friends and family at home, I will definitely be a changed person because of the great people I have met here and the experiences I have had.

For example, every day on my walk to the metro, I see a really cute family. They are living in a tent on the side of the road. In the early morning, the tent is zipped up and you can only see their sandals, lined up nicely by the door. In the evening, I always see the two little boys playing with mini toy cars outside the tent while the parents are cooking Ramen noodles in a small pot. They are always talking and laughing as a family. I honestly wonder what their story is. What got them into this situation? You can tell that family is everything to them and they are trying to make the best with their resources. I ask myself if I am trying to make the best with my set of circumstances in life and really enjoying the journey or if I focus on the things I don't have.

On Monday, Janine and I were really craving some Italian gelato. They have some really good flavors out here like praline and nougat or cherry and chocolate sauce. This guy was outside of his gelato shop, talking with another guy when he saw us approaching. "Hello!" he said in English. Do people just look at me and think I am American? Is it my shoes? The way I smile at strangers as I walk down the street?! He didn't even give me a chance to say anything. I told him, in French, that we were so excited for some gelato. He told us that the delivery wouldn't be for another 30 minutes, but that we should definitely wait and it would be worth it. He saw me taking pictures of his shop and so he went up to his delivery car and posed for a picture.

We ride the metro everywhere here and it can be tiring--especially when you have been walking around all day and then you get squished in rush hour traffic--body to body, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. Last night, after most of the masses had gotten off, a really energetic guy jumped aboard the train. He started playing this upbeat tango-type music on his violin. He also had a boombox that played background music at the same time. It instantly lifted my spirits. I felt like dancing! He was smiling and soon the whole train car was smiling. I forgot for a moment that I had been walking around Paris for hours. I don't give money to every beggar and musician I see here--I'd go broke! I did give him a Euro, though! It was worth it!

I am trying to take pictures of different professions that people have here, so I can bring them back and show my students. Sometimes I ask for their permission and sometimes I don't. This guy was painting some front door frames in Montmartre. He was one of the few French who was actually flattered to have his picture taken. He posed for a few of them and gave me a winning smile. He then told me that he was Picasso's grandson. Fun guy!

I really like the saying that life is not measured in how many breaths you take but in the moments that take your breath away. There are so many good people in this world. We can meet them anywhere. I am so blessed to have been able to meet such great people out here, even if just for a moment. I am even more blessed to have wonderful people to go home to, making the trip home something I am very much looking forward to!

The Land of Butter

What are the three secrets to French cooking, you ask? Butter, butter and...you guessed it: Butter!! That is right! The French overall are known for their delicious pastries and desserts. This past weekend, however, I got to visit the butter capitol of France as I traveled to the province of Brittany, located on the western coast. This was such a fun diversion from what I have been experiencing in the busy city of Paris. Life in Brittany is quieter, more peaceful and relaxed. Brittany is known for their gourmet butter cookies and rich crepes of every variety. I was excited to try out some of the region's specialties and see a part of France that I had never been to before!

My friends, Emily and Allen, are living near Lannion this summer. Allen is doing an internship with a university here and they invited me to come out and stay with them for the weekend. To make this trip, I bought a ticket on the TGV: France's most powerful and high speed train. I had never been on one of these before and I was a bit nervous and excited for the experience at the same time. I packed my backpack and arrived at the train station 45 minutes early. When I got to the train station in Paris, I joined a crowd of hundreds of people, also carrying luggage. You sit in front of the huge Departure board and wait for it to show you which section of track that your particular train will be departing from. About 15 minutes before my train was set to leave, it came up: Voie #8. Everyone grabbed their bags and started running towards the train. Once we got there, we only had a few minutes to punch our train ticket and then jump aboard. It was a bit stressful, but I made it! I have a short-term memory in France and forget that the weather is always changing: super rainy one day and then hot hot the next day. I didn't bring a jacket on this mini-excursion because it had been so hot at Euro Disney the day before. When I got on the train, it started pouring rain. It was fun to watch the water droplets slide across the glass from inside the warm train. The only problem with this was that due to the inclement weather, the train had to stop several times on the track. They kept coming on the speaker and announcing floods ahead. I got so worried because this train was headed to St. Brieuc and I had two more trains to catch to make it to Lannion. As it turned out, I missed the connecting trains. We arrived in St. Brieuc an hour late. I wasn't the only one, thank goodness. We were left in the cold at St. Brieuc's train station for over an hour until another TGV could pick us all up and take us to Lannion. I was wishing I had remembered my jacket. I arrived in Lannion at 11:00pm--just two hours late. Emily was there to pick me up. It was so fun to see her!

I was exhausted from traveling and crashed in the bed they had set up for me. Saturday morning was filled with so many fun adventures. I surprised Emily by bringing her bagels from a specialty bagel shop in Paris. She was so excited to see them because they don't have bagels in Brittany and she had been missing them. We had bagels and cream cheese for breakfast and then we took off to see four different beaches, all very close to their home. They were all so beautiful! We tasted some of their buttery pastries that were being sold along the beaches. They were rich and tasty.

Emily and Allen were the best hosts. They said I could choose anywhere I would like to eat for lunch. They gave me some options. One of those included a Patatarie--gourmet baked potato restaurant. Potatoes are my favorite food! I chose that one. It was so fun! They had every option to choose from on the menu. Some interesting-sounding ones were a Boeuf Bourgignon with Bacon Potato and a Mussles with Roquefort Sauce Potato.

I ordered a Four-Cheese baked potato with salad on the side. It was so delicious.

At night, they had something special planned for me, knowing how much I loved folk dancing. I was a folk dancer at BYU and teach my French classes several dances throughout the year. They planned a visit to a Festival Breton. There, we got to do all sorts of fun folk dances in circles and with different partners. It was such a memorable night! Afterward, they made me some homemade wheat crepes with ham, egg and cheese. The time few by so quickly. I really had an amazing time! Thanks to you both!

If you want something, ask for it!

I have recently realized that we can have such great experiences in life if we are just not afraid to ask for them. If we don't ask, the answer is always no. If we do ask, often times the answer is yes! Let me give you an example: on Monday, the other teachers and I were doing another walk entitled Time Travel, Tricks and Treats around Saint-Sulpice. We began at one of France's ritziest hotels, l'Hotel Lutetia. Our book informed us that this hotel has housed several famous guests including Picasso and Matisse. Charles de Gaulle also spent his honeymoon there. If you are interested in the nicest suite, it can be yours for a mere 2,500 Euros per night! Janine, from our group, decided that she was going to ask if we could take a tour of this hotel. In our grubby tennis shoes and backpacks, we walked past the finely-dressed guards and up to the reception desk. She asked if we would be able to see any of the rooms. The Armenian guy who worked there was so friendly. He said that not only would we be able to take a tour, but he would show us the famous suite where Charles de Gaulle spent his honeymoon. We rode up a high-class elevator and he let us into this enormous room. There were stairs leading everywhere inside the suite, beautiful paintings and mirrors on the walls and a breathtaking balcony that framed the Eiffel Tower. Now wasn't that worth asking for?

We walked down a few streets and we were at one of the most famous ice cream sandwich shops in the world: Pierre Hermé. He is always inventing new things from triple chocolate crunch to rose petal dream. I ordered a marbled pistachio and cherry macaron treat. It cost nearly 7 Euros ($9) which could have bought me a box of Fat Boys at home, but each bite was definitely something to be remembered.

On Tuesday, we took a mini trip to the medieval city of Provins. This is a place I had never been before. It was so fun and interesting. We took a tour of the castle tower and museum. We also watched a show where actors, dressed in all sorts of Renaissance-looking dresses and gear, galloped around, doing tricks and singing old tunes.

Wednesday, I spent the whole day with a French friend Laetitia. I have been in touch with her sporadically for the past three years. We found each other through epals, looking for a penpal exchange for our students, but had never met in person. She teaches English here and we are planning on doing a big penpal exchange next year with our students. Here we are in front of her new, gated private school that she will be teaching at in the Fall. She was the best hostess I could ever have stayed with. She showed up at the train station to pick up Elizabeth and me. I didn't know exactly what she looked like, so I just smiled at a really cute lady and it was her! She had a whole day of excursions planned for us. She took us to see some castles, churches and a fun city called Meaux in the countryside. We visited a library there and they were giving out free books! She had never seen that before and neither had I. Elizabeth and I filled our arms with all sorts of previously-used books, written in French. I got one called L'Aventure de la Pomme de Terre (The Adventure of the Potato)! I love potatoes! I was so excited!

At night, she invited us to have dinner at her friends' home. It was a typical French dinner with a really dynamic French family. It began at 9pm, just like the French usually do, and lasted until nearly midnight. These people were so friendly! Their house was filled with animals, which was a little different for me and not typical of the French. Many of the French I have met have one or two dogs or cats, so this was a unique experience. I am not a huge animal person, but I reminded myself to have a fun time and not worry too much. The lady of the house picks up strays off of the streets and gives them shelter. There were 13 cats and several dogs that came in and out of the house at will. One sickly-looking cat sat the whole evening on a pillow right next to me. I tried not to look at it too much. Everything on the bookshelves and mantle was glued down with super glue. This is so that when the animals roam around the house, nothing gets knocked down. Great idea. The husband said, when his wife was out of the room, that he wished they weren't glued down. He wanted them to break so he could get rid of all those trinkets. They were very fun people and they loved to laugh.

They made us a several-course meal with drinks, appetizers, fried steak, baguettes, and vegetables. Dessert consisted first of salad, then a gourmet cheese platter, and finally a berry-cookie crumble. We had fun as we all laughed, told stories and stuffed ourselves, not knowing how many courses remained. For example, the man of the house was wearing a t-shirt, advertizing some marathon somewhere. I asked him if he had run a marathon in the past. He and his wife laughed and said that somebody else ran the marathon and he got the shirt. Haha. We even got to play some board games afterward. This is what I do with my family at home. I believe it is really true what they say: it is hard to get into French social circles, but once you do, they are your friends for life. Laetitia really knew how to show us a good time and share with us an authentic, day-to-day snapshot into the life of a French family. Thanks, lady!

My Castle is Better than Your Castle

Over the last two days I have visited some of France's most famous castles. For the most part, I like hanging out in the gardens, by the fountains and flowers, more than being in the dark and stuffy interiors. However, I do find their histories to be quite interesting and love listening to the specific stories that accompany the castles. Friday morning, we took a mini road trip to Vaux-le-Vicomte. This is a fascinating chateau. Fouquet, the superintendent of finances for Louis XIV, built it back in 1661. He spared no expense: he purchased and demolished three villages to get enough land to build the grand castle and expansive gardens.

Once finished, he invited King Louis XIV to dinner so he could show it off. How exciting! The plan backfired, though. The king was not too pleased to see the golden eating utensils, lavish furniture, gardens and trees for as far as the eye could see and a residence that was bigger and better than his smaller living area at the Louvre (The Louvre is the largest museum in the world, by the way. Still not grand enough for the Sun King). Louis arrested Fouquet on the spot. There was a trial that lasted for a few years and then he was eventually sentenced to life in prison. Served him right for trying to outdo his king! Louis XIV then hired those same architects and landscape architects to build him the Chateau of Versailles. Poor Fouquet. I actually feel bad for the guy. Why is it human nature to be so envious of another person's good fortune? Anyway, it was so peaceful to arrive at this castle early in the morning and have a few hours to walk around and mediate on the quiet grounds as the sun was rising. There wasn't much traffic when we were there at all. I wanted to stay longer.

Friday afternoon, after a three-cheese panini and lemon sorbet, we took off to the ancient castle of Fontainebleau. This castle has existed since the 12th century. It served mainly as a summer home for the kings of France. Louis XIV was actually staying there when he got invited to Vaux-le-Vicomte. It also had beautiful gardens and fun forests that you could go exploring in for hours. We took a walk up some rocks and hills into a forest that the kings used to use to go hunting and watched the sun set.

We spent all day Saturday at Versailles and I felt that I still didn't get to see everything. Again, inside the gold-plated castle were all the impatient tourists, speaking many different languages and pushing us from place-to-place. I swear that we must have been several thousand people over fire code. I just wanted to get out. I didn't even stay a minute in the hot and stuffy chamber rooms to hear the descriptions of all of the king's tapestries and statues. I can read about those on wikipedia on my own time. I loved being outside in the fresh air. Our professor rented a mini car for us to drive around the gardens in and hear the audio tour. I volunteered to be the navigator. For some reason, I was looking at the map backwards, though, and started leading us the wrong way. We went around a little lake, when, all of the sudden, the car immediately stopped working. It started buzzing loudly and shouting that we were out of area. Everyone stared at us with annoyed eyes as we tried to push the car back into the zone where we could make it go again. It took a bit of effort and we couldn't get the buzzing to stop. The keys were locked and the peddles wouldn't move. Finally some workers came up and helped us out, as we were annoying the public. So embarrassing! I didn't give up being the navigator, though, and we eventually had a great tour of the gardens and musical fountains.

My all-time favorite experience from France in 2009 was renting bikes and riding all over the gardens of Versailles. I wanted to do it again this year and I was not disappointed. You feel so free, riding a bike in the peaceful summer air. We visited Marie Antoinette's little village, where she would come to escape the stress of ruling France. I can see why she liked it there. There were dozens of cute houses, vegetable gardens of lettuce, rhubarb and onions as well as a small petting zoo. I would rather be in those little cottages than in that big castle, if I were the queen.

Excursion in a Mini Car

We rented a car for the last couple of days and took off to the city of Le Havre on the western coast of France, which touches the English Channel. It was a pretty fun road trip: we played lots of games and told stories along the way, but the extra-large sized car was still very tight for the five of us. Believe it or not, most of the French people I have seen are not like us big-boned Americans. The daily white bread, cheese and chocolate does not seem to have an effect on their body size. It must be the small portions that they consume. Also, we stayed in a tiny hotel on the coast of France last night. I had a room all to myself--we got five separate rooms--but when I walked up to the door of my room, I saw that it was propped open with a towel and the lovely smell of smoke odor was coming out the door. I guess that smoking is another way they keep their nice figures because I swear that almost everybody here smokes. When I got in the room, I noticed the sign that said "No Smoking on Bed." Good to know there are some regulations here. Anyway, look at this cool arch behind me in the small village of Etretat. We climbed to the top. It wasn't bad at all, compared to all my hikes of Timp Cave each week back in June, and the view from the top is spectacular!

For dinner, we ate at a small restaurant near the coast. Our server, Laurence, was a lot of fun. I ordered a Cassis Berry Sorbet for dessert. I said that I liked trying out some of the foods in France that we don't have in the states like Cassis, for example. He asked what other foods I had noticed here that I hadn't seen back at home. I told him that I noticed that they have transparent, yellow raspberries in the grocery stores here. He looked at me like I was crazy. "Mon oeil!" (My eye!--means "whatever!) I did not back down. He said I must have had too much to drink. I told him that No!--I don't drink, and he will go and see some of those yellow raspberries at the grocery store sometime in the future and think of me. He then went around the restaurant, shouting loudly at all the cooks, asking if any of them had ever seen yellow raspberries because he was sure that they didn't exist. He came back after a few minutes, looking a bit sheepish and admitted that yes, they did exist. It was definitely a fun time with such an animated server.

Joan of Arc's hometown of Rouen was on our list of stops during the excursion. It was pretty interesting and touching to hear her story and see the exact spot where she was burned at the stake as a martyr. She is really an example to me of standing up for what she believed in and what is right, even when she was criticized for it. The guide said that whatever her executioners did, they could not get her heart to burn to ashes. They ended up having to put it in a sack and throw it into the Seine so that other people couldn't pick it up and worship it as a relic.

This morning, we visited the small city of Honfleur. I think it is so funny how accustomed I have become to seeing dogs just walking in and out of stores and restaurants. Pets are often treated as one of the family here. This cute little dog wanted to take a tour of the gift shop. It looked like he didn't find any postcards or t-shirts to his liking, so he is contemplating crossing the street.

Musical Toilets

Okay. You are probably wondering why this post is called "Musical Toilets." You are just going to have to read on to find out. Today, I looked in my book of 20 Different Walks Through Paris and decided that it would be fun to try the walk entitled, "Nez au Vent" or "Nose to the Wind." It was a walk all about smelling, tasting and really savoring Paris. What could beat that? After all, one of the big reasons I am here is for the food. Back to the walk. The book says, "The French appreciate a wider range of odors than their air-freshener-consuming American counterparts. For example, a typical American may enjoy steak but not brain or intestines. We Americans generally have a narrow palate when it comes to food and smell. In other words, one person's body odor might be another person's alluring scent. Napoleon wrote a famous letter to his wife that said: 'Home in three days. Don't wash'." The French love all sorts of smells and tastes! Maybe that explains why there are over 400 different types of cheese here. I have never tasted better cheese than in France--I honestly can't get enough--but there are also some really smelly varieties.

So, to begin this olfactory experience, we got off on the Madeleine Metro stop. There was a very strong stench from the sewer below as we got onto the escalators and exited the metro. It almost smelled to me like old cheese. We walked right into a beautiful flower market and the church of the Madeleine. The front of the church was covered in beautiful flowers. It smelled so fresh! What a contrast!

We then turned the corner to see a Gourmet Macaron pastry shop. I honestly felt like I had entered a high class jewelry store. Wow. It was perfectly air-conditioned. The workers were all dressed in classy uniforms. These creations were invented in the early 1900s and are the favorite pastry of France. I have gotten them in the states and they do not even compare. Each one cost 1,75 Euros (over 2 dollars), but it was so worth it! My favorite flavors were Lime and Basil as well as Chocolate from Ghana. I cannot even put into words the divine flavor in each bite. I wish you could all come to France just to taste these!

The next stop was at the famous Fragonard perfume shop. We got to take a tour of the factory and see all that goes into making the perfect fragrance. They are known here for their aluminum bottles. This is to protect the perfume against sun and heat exhaustion. I was talked into these expensive perfumes when I visited Southern France a few years ago and haven't worn them once. They are very strong and concentrated. I basically just let my students pass them around and smell them once a year. I did not get pressured into buying any this time, but it was fun to look around.

We ended our Savory Walk at a little café that we just happened upon. I ordered a panini and freshly-squeezed orange juice. This cafe was very modern-looking with huge computer screens all around, geometric-type chairs and tons of futuristic demos. I later found out they are trying to attract home buyers with this atmosphere. They show prospective clients pictures of all types of available apartments/homes and offer them a relaxing environment to enjoy while working on their plan. Afterward, we asked to use the bathroom, as always, since we never know when we will get another chance in this city. We walked in and what do you know? They call it a Musical Closet. Look at my first picture on this blog: Cabine Musicale is on the bathroom door. Right next to the sink is a touch-screen where you can pick your type of music: rock, classical, hip hop, easy listening, etc. Then you get a list of several artists to choose from. So, as you are in the private toilet stall, it plays your favorite song. Maybe this will be the bathroom of the future. What do you think?

I will be meeting some friends in Brittany in a couple of weekends. I stopped by the Train Station to pick up my tickets. I swear that everybody from France loves to travel. The line lasted over an hour. They said that I came on a good day! I am impressed by how well Europe is connected with public transportation. You really don't need a car over here. I will get to take the high speed TGV in 10 days and I am looking forward to it!

The last message that I want to say today is how nice the Parisians have been. I have noticed that if you try to speak to them in French at least and are very kind yourself, they are some of the friendliest people I have ever met! Here is a picture of a guy that works in a creperie here. I started taking pictures of him (I will need those for my students come Fall) and he looked at me kind of funny. I then asked him permission, as I felt a bit awkward. "Why do you need my permission? You already took a bunch!" he said with a smile. I smiled back and said that I wanted some good pictures of him and his amazing crepe making skills for all these people to see in the states. He put his hand up to block my pictures, all in good fun. He then said he was going to charge me 20 Euros for the pleasure of having his face in the states. I told him I would email him the pictures of him instead at no charge and he looked pretty excited about the idea. He gave me his email address. I was with Henry, from the group, and as we sat on the wall, enjoying our cheese crepe, this crepe man (David) asked us what we were going to have for dessert. We shook our heads and said no thanks. He picked up a banana, cut it in half and gave it to Henry for free. He told him to give me the bigger piece. Little things like that really make a big difference. I told him that he was the best crepe maker and that I would come back and visit him again soon.