French Foodie

I know most of my posts often include food, but this one specifically dedicated to my reviews of some of the yummy things I have eaten in the last week or so.

Friday, September 19th: Restaurant L'Epicerie

YUM. Definitely would go here again! This place was mainly tartines and desserts - affordable and delicious. I had a bowl of their "house" soup (carrot, spices, etc.) that was to-die-for and a tartine with saumon fumé, followed up my the tarte au citron with meringue on top.  Highly recommend the soup and tartine, but not so much my tart. The best dessert was Danielle's, the cheesecake in a jar. It was spoon-licking, jar-licking good.

How cute is the interior?!

Thursday, September 25th: Bernachon

This pretty chocolatier is known as the best place to get hot chocolate in Lyon. Seeing as though it was a rainy day and Danielle and I had just finished our first salsa class, we decided to treat ourselves and took the metro to Foch! There, we shared a chocolat chaud (their house speciality), which not only has chocolate ganache and vanilla in it, but crème fraîche too! Needless to say, one cup each was enough for the both of us. We were extremely satisfied! However, I still think Paris's Angelina takes the cake...

Monday, September 29th: Frites Alors!

"Fries then"! This place is actually a Quebec chain, but people on our program have been raving about it so Danielle and I decided to check it out after our little Croix-Rousse field trip (more on that later). My chicken sandwich was good, as were the fries, but nothing too special. The restaurant is known for its variation of poutines, a Quebec dish consisting of french fries, topped with a light brown gravy-like sauce and cheese curds, so next time we'll have to try that. The best part about this meal was dessert - I know, I love dessert. We shared a cheesecake with speculoos crust and some red berry drizzle. The French love their cheesecake, and so do we!

La Vie en Rosé

A day in Beaujolais... This short trip was through the program so, at noon, we all met up on the quai and hopped on to a big bus for the wine country! It took about an hour or so for us to get from Lyon to the farm we were having lunch at.

To begin, I love the French countryside. I love its gentle hills, sprawling vineyards, open sky, and quaint country houses. I love its small town centers, often made up of charming, old buildings... Basically, I was extremely excited for this little adventure.

The farm was everything I had imagined it would be! It is owned by a middle-aged French couple, the wife who is a farmer and baker and the husband who is a wine-grower and sommelier. Not only are they the sweetest couple, but they are also extremely passionate about what they do and were extremely welcoming to us American students. They produce wine and cereal, as well make jam and bake bread using their own organic wheat, all on their farm! 

After we arrived and they gave a short introduction of themselves and their farm, they lead us through a courtyard and into a cave, where wine is usually kept in big barrels before being bottled. There, several long tables were set up for lunch so we all sat down and waited for our meal. A seasonal salad was served first, followed by an aperatif of country terrine and tartine Bressane (toasted small slice of bread with curd cheese), which was accompanied with one of their rosés. At the end of this first course, the husband spoke to us a bit about wine: the basic characteristics, what wine legs indicate... 

The cave and the tartine Bressane

We were then taken back up to the courtyard and to the wood-fired stove where the wife began to explain the process of making bread as she kneaded an enormous amount of dough into small loaves. She then showed us the various way the stove could be used, before putting all little loaves in to bake! 

After the little bread presentation, we had our main course back in the cave. It was a beef stew - the meat so tender from braising in the pot with the sauce - and boiled potatoes (very French countryside), served with a red Beaujolais this time. 

We then took another break from the meal and went back up to the stove to take the bread out of the oven! The wife let us students do the honors - I was ecstatic. I wish my mom had been there for it, she would have loved the whole thing. 

To conclude lunch, we had dessert with a sweet, thicker wine and then coffee. As we got ready to leave the cave, the wife packed all of us the fresh bread she had made and gave each student their own small loaf to bring home! She then directed us to the the room where they made their wine. There, her husband gave us a quick overview about how they made their own grapes into the various wines and even let us taste what the wines were like after their first round of fermentation! I've never seen wine in the middle of production, so I was surprised as to how opaque it was. Nonetheless, it was a great ending to our big meal.

Terre Vivante's grapes are grown on top of granite

All in all, it was an incredible afternoon.

American Cravings of the Week

My family

Before the beginning of my study abroad program, I was extremely excited to have the opportunity to see the world. I couldn't wait to appreciate a new culture and to fall in love with a new country. I knew that living in another place, a place so different from where I have grown up, would change the way I saw my life. And, a month into my study abroad program and almost two months after I've left the States, the way I see my life has changed. However, it's changed in an unexpected way. Though I truly have gained a new perspective of the world and all of its beauty and differences, what I've really come to appreciate is home.

Learning to Walk

The other day, my friend and I were discussing how we felt about our French and whether or not we thought we had improved since the beginning of the program 3 weeks ago.

We both agreed that some days, speaking French was easy. Some days, the words poured out quickly and comfortably, almost as if it were truly a second language. But other days, the words couldn't come out - they would get stuck in the back of our throats, foreign and severe, our accents and mistakes blatant in every sentence we tried to get out.

My friend made an interesting analogy: a baby learning to walk. Some moments, the baby can walk, and even run. But other moments, the baby falls right back down after standing up - unable to gain balance even if he/she was just on his/her own two feet just instants before. She was so right; the process of learning a language is complicated and we are at the level where we are so close to fluency, but there is still much more work to do.

However, I can already feel the change happening - the growing comfort with full conversations, and even two hour long lectures, in French; the ability to participate in a discussion and properly voice an opinion... I truly hope that these past three weeks are a sneak-peek into the progress that will ensue in the next few months.

Croix-Rousse (x2)

On Friday, Danielle and I took the metro up to Croix-Rousse, a quartier up on the hill of Lyon. She showed me one of the several mural paintings in the area, which was truly incredible. I don't think I've ever seen one as big and as realistic.

After walking around the area a little, we sat down for lunch and were joined by a few fellow Americans who we ran into while we were on our way up. We finished our little tour at Place Bellevue, enjoying a view of the city!

View of Lyon from Croix-Rousse

Saturday morning, we decided to go back up to Croix-Rousse to check out the big farmers' market. After buying kebabs for brunch, we walked down one of the streets that was lined with an endless stream of vendors on both sides! After a couple hours, we headed back down the hill (me with a new hat and Danielle with some groceries). 

While we were waiting for the metro to arrive, we were approached by 3 young men, who we quickly gathered wanted nothing but trouble. We unsuccessfully tried to avoid them on the metro, but just ended up getting cornered in a quad with an older man and one of the boys from the group of 3. At first, we ignored his efforts to make conversation (we were told by our program advisors that this was the best way to deal with these types of situations). However, after a few minutes, he became much more persistent and started poking Danielle and I, first with the end of a stick he had and then with his hands. That was where we had to draw the line. Trying to tell him to stop proved to be futile so we decided we had to move to avoid being further harassed. I was able to get out of my seat relatively easily, but the boy tried to block my friend from leaving and grabbed her leg as he told her she couldn't move. Thankfully, Danielle was able to force him out of her way and we stood the rest of the metro ride as the boys got up and leered nearby, still trying to talk to us. The worst part about the whole situation was that not a single person on the metro said a word to help us. The car was silent, except for us arguing with the boy who wouldn't leave us alone. I have never been so disappointed in a group of people or, moreover, a society than I was that day. 

When we finally got off the metro to change lines, a kind, elderly woman came up to us to see if we were okay. We expressed our frustration about the apathy of the other passengers and she said, "that's just the way it is".  She explained to us the fear many French have of dealing with young men like the ones on the metro, that instead of trying to protect others, they ignore the problem. We were repulsed by this attitude that condoned the harassment we had to experience. This was the first time I had truly felt unsafe since I have been abroad.

Thankfully, our afternoon turned our day around as we walked along the Saône and found some produce at a small, river-side market. We were able to sit down for an afternoon drink and shop around, putting the metro incident in the back of minds, before heading home for dinner.

American Cravings of the Week

Chipotle - supposedly there's a few in Paris, but I have yet to go scope them out!

Frozen yogurt - because, I can't believe I'm admitting this, sometimes ice cream doesn't do the trick.

La rentrée!

Monday: Hectic. My first lecture was an advanced class for third year students in the literary analysis of "Les Misérables". Yes, it was interesting. Yes, it was hard. No, I am not going to take it. What I realized was that I had a hard time understanding and taking notes at the same time - when I tried to write down what she was saying, I couldn't pay attention enough to understand, and when I listened carefully, I had a hard time writing fast enough. Furthermore, the students in my study abroad program all missed the date to enroll for our mandatory SLM class (can't remember what the acronym is for, but it's ultimately a continuation of ILP). This was because no one told us a) that we had to enroll ourselves and b) where to enroll. The SLM problem induces a lot of stress because it is a 4-hour long class that we need to plan around, and we can't do that if we don't know which class we're in! Anyway, later in the afternoon, Danielle and I headed over to the Lyon 2 Bron campus (a 30 minute tram ride away from the quai). The campus is a dump - it feels like we walked into a high school that was once used for a 1980s movies and has been neglected ever since. We were so shocked! It is the complete opposite of the campus on the quai, a campus with beautiful, big buildings that probably date back hundreds and hundreds of years. However, the class we took at Bron (Traduction Litteraire) was much more interesting. It was smaller and our first lesson consisted of a lengthy introduction and a few English to French text translation exercises. Class ended at 6 in the evening and it took a good 15 minutes to get on a tram because they were just too full!

Campus "Quad" - looks like an 80s high school, right?

An attempt to show how packed the tram is after classes
and a girl who was more than happy to be in my picture

Tuesday: My morning started with "Methodologie Universitaire", essentially a freshmen seminar aimed to help first year college students succeed in the College of Letters by teaching them proper note-taking skills and writing strategies. It was a little slow, but I'll be taking it in order to fill one of the requirements for my French minor at Davis. After, I went to "Sémiotique: Langage, Codes, et Signes", a first year level lecture. The professor lectured the whole class without a powerpoint, but occasionally wrote important points on the board. It's going to take getting used to - I've always been accustomed to powerpoints or lesson plans written out in full on the board! It was relatively interesting, but wasn't quite what I was looking for in terms of classes. The last class on my list was "Lectures Critiques", which is a third year level seminar that focuses on literary analysis of selected readings. However, the professor never showed up! So after 20 minutes, the 8 of us that showed up left. Apparently, an email had been sent out to all the registered students, but since the abroad students aren't registered in classes yet (we're allowed to shop around the first two weeks and ask the teacher to sign off on an enrollment form if we like the class), we didn't know!

Wednesday: I started off my morning by enrolling in sports - yes, you need to "enroll" in sports here. I had to go to the quai's welcome office for a form, fill that out, take it to another office on campus to get it approved and pay, then go to the Bron campus to register! I was lucky though, I didn't have to wait in any lines this morning (some of the abroad students I knew waited 2+ hours just to register before being turned away since they didn't have the proper forms). Guess what I registered for! Beginner Salsa Dancing! I don't even really know what salsa dancing is, but it sounded fun so I went for it. Hopefully, Danielle will be in the same class too!

Thursday: At 8am, I had SLM. It wasn't as boring as I anticipated - it was nice to have a class that was meant for international students. However, I was the only American in the class of 35 which was a little surprising! Nonetheless, the professor and the students all seem friendly so we'll see how it goes. After SLM was out at noon, I was free for the afternoon!

Friday: No class!

The only thing I can't stand about being in a French university is the heating and cooling system. French classrooms are so darn hot and muggy, it's gross. For some reason, the windows are only opened a crack and the doors are usually kept shut - there is absolutely no ventilation! The lecture hall where "Sémiotique: Langage, Codes, et Signes" was could have been considered a borderline steam sauna, it was awful.

Anyway, so week one down! I have three out of the four classes I need. Next week, I'll work on getting my fourth class approved!

Right Out of a Storybook

Today, my friend Danielle and I visited Annecy, a small town near the border of Switzerland. We got to the train station at 7 in the morning, just as the sun was rising, and took a bus to the small town two hours northeast of Lyon.

When we arrived, it was chilly and quiet. We walked from the train station, where the bus had dropped us off, to the center of the town where we found a café to have breakfast. After some hot coffee, eggs, and bacon, we were ready to take on the town! By then, there were more people wandering up and down the canals and the sun began to peek out from behind the clouds.

Breakfast time!

First, we headed to the big farmer's market. It was absolutely incredible! Several times bigger than the one I've been to on the quai in Lyon, there were producteurs selling all kinds of things. We passed a stand that was selling at least 15 different types of olives, another with fresh produce and zucchini bigger than my forearm, and another with a huge variety of sausage/salami that you could taste-test! Having a hard time resisting all the delicious foods, we decided to buy some tomme cheese, strawberries, and salami we could eat for lunch.

Olive stand on one of the bridges of the canal

Fresh produce at the farmer's market

Les saucisscons!

Our most exciting find was a beautiful, small bakery with supersized pastries! There, we bought some warm, fresh bread and an enormous meringue.

We spent another hour wandering the streets, marveling at the beautiful doors and adorable houses we passed.  We met several friendly storekeepers, an old man who worked at a tea store and a proud macaron-maker (he made ancien macarons, which are made out of just almond paste, fruit, and honey). We also came across a street artist who was painting canvasses with spray paint! His methods reminded me a lot of Theo's so I had to stop and admire his work, which opened a conversation between us. He was extremely kind and curious, excited to hear that my brother did a similar type of art.

After some more exploring, the sun had come out and it was time to enjoy our farmer's market finds!

Our little picnic

Following our picnic, we rented a pedal-boat and made our way out into Lac d'Annecy. The view was breathless, to say the least.

Before we knew it, it was mid-afternoon and we had to catch our train back to Lyon.

Annecy is one of my favorite places I have ever been to. With its beautiful and old buildings on the canal, its flower boxes hanging from windows, and the town's seemingly leisurely way of life, it is not only charming, but quickly gives you a familiar sense of homeyness. I hope to return many more times before the end of the year to this mini paradise.

Santé!

We're finally done with our ILP! After our final presentations and tests, we are as ready as we'll ever be to start the semester next Monday.

Celebrating the end of ILP!

Commentary

France is an interesting country with interesting people.

I have been in France for exactly a month now and I have had the privilege to see Paris, several parts of the south, and Lyon. Each place has it's own personality and spirit, but they all share similar traits such an incredible public transportation system and beautiful, old buildings and squares. However, being the person that I am, it's the people I find most interesting.

To begin, I'll mention a few superficial things I have noticed. First, many more French people have tattoos than I expected. Second, what is with all of the suped-up sneakers? Colorful tennis shoes is one thing, but I do not support the high-heeled/platformed Nikes movement. And last, there is a little bit of truth behind the stereotype that supports the idea that some French people should be using more deodorant. To be honest, I really think it is the type of deodorant they're using. A perfume spray is not going to eliminate body odor, it is going to mix with it. Anyway...

As I previously stated, the public transport system is phenomenal. The train, the bus, the tram, and the metro are all extremely organized and efficient. Here, in Lyon, I take the tram every day to go to and from class, as well as around town. The first thing I noticed was the readiness with which people gave up their seats for seniors. Whenever an elderly woman or man steps on to the tram and there are no available seats, a young man or woman gets up immediately and offers his/her own. Not to say people in the U.S. would not offer their seats too (I wouldn't really know since I rarely use public trans at home), but there is a distinct respect for the older generation that is regularly observed here in France that I truly admire.

Another thing I have seriously learned since arriving in France is there is a pronounced difference between politeness and friendliness. At home, we (or, at least, I) think that the two are one and the same - how can one be polite without being friendly? Well, in France, I have learned that you can most certainly be polite without being friendly. When you are in a restaurant or store in France, the unwritten law (yes, I would definitely say law) is that you say bonjour the moment you step foot inside, and when you get to the register when in a store, and au revoir the moment you leave. However, these greetings between the client and store-person are often cold. Watching the French do this exchange is the most bizarre and I, being a foreign "client", am often uncomfortable with the frosty politeness.

This being said, I would not call the French hostile people. As I have met many French people the last few weeks, I would say that though there is rarely a sense of amiability between strangers, there is a warmness shared between friends (I say this in relative terms because to judge the French by American - or more specifically, my own - standards of warm and friendly would not be very fair).*


There you have it, my first few remarks on the French culture.


*Of course, there are always exceptions. My host family and a few waiters I have encountered are very open and kind, as well as a few administrative people and professors I have met at the university.

A Lyonnaise Weekend

I had a wonderful time buying produce yesterday at the farmer's market by the Rhône. It was so much fun to see what all the producers had to offer that morning: cheese, honey, fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade paella, fresh flowers, rotisserie chicken... 

The best 17€ I've ever spent

Today, I...(drum roll, please)...hung out with French people! For the first time since I have been in France, I spent an afternoon with French people my age. Essentially, a few of us Americans went with a French girl one of us knew to a park outside the center of Lyon where a DJ was playing music for the afternoon. The grounds were packed with mostly French high school and college students with a few families here and there. 

The bustling park

To be completely honest, we mainly hung out with the one French girl. (Side note: young French people are not extremely curious; besides initial introductions, they were ultimately uninterested in us Americans.) Nevertheless, we had a great time drinking overpriced beer and rosé at this free music event and practicing our French.

Opening Week in Lyon

I just finished my first full week in Lyon and, I have to say, I love this city. It is so alive with its two rivers, its old and new town, and its bouchons. Every day, I discovered something new: a different metro stop Monday, a candy store Tuesday, weather trends Wednesday... The list goes on.

The days of the week were filled with classes (oral, writing, and "technique universitaire") that are as tedious as they sound, but, in fairness, helpful in preparing us for the upcoming semester.  And, as we have started taking French classes at a French university, it is amazing to see how (no offense) inefficient the system is here. You don't receive an email when your class time or location changes (which happens much more often than you expect) and there is no specific office where you can get this information because even the secretary doesn't know. It's definitely going to take some getting used to.

On Wednesday, a few of us Americans attended the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Lyon by the Allies. We saw original jeeps used for the operation, veterans, and American flags everywhere! My favorite part about the celebration was the mini concert put on, featuring a French woman singing some American songs from the 40s and all the old couples swing dancing. 

Place Bellecour on the day of the celebration

And on Thursday, my friend (who did the same program last year and is technically the peer advisor for us abroad students) showed me my new cafe! 

Today, everyone was relieved it was finally the weekend. A few of us grabbed some lunch at "Crock n Roll", a croque-monsieur place, and shopped around Presqu'île, the heart of Lyon, before going home for dinner. 

Le Croq'Urbain (mascarpone, pepper, country ham, fresh mushrooms)

Place des Jacobins

So there, week one down!

A bientôt, Meera!

Meera left this morning! For her last dinner before returning to London, we visited Vieux Lyon and enjoyed another delicious Lyonnaise meal with friendly service and table-neighbors.