This Rotarian, his wife and daughter were absolutely wonderful. I’m so lucky because it seems like so many people I meet here are not only incredibly welcoming but also genuinely fun to spend time with. After I dropped my things off in the room prepared for me and was showed around the house, we sat down to a lunch of a Spanish rice dish similar to paella but with a tomato-based sauce, followed by homemade coconut flan. Flan is a poplar dessert here, and I was surprised to find that it was a European food, since I had only ever eaten it in Indian restaurants before.
After lunch we went to the Cité d’or, which is a large pyramid shaped building in a town about a half hour away, which hosts a theater, numerous multi-use rooms and a permanent exhibit on gold. I walk interested to learn the history of gold mining in the region and France in general, as well as to see a live demonstration on gold working. I had trouble understanding the technical spiel, it didn’t make it any less impressive to see the sparks fly! After the demonstration we toured the exhibit on jewelry and art made from gold including a spectacular woven gold cape for a 15th century member of the clergy and an equally impractical modern creation: a bikini made of pure silver.
We can home from the trip and decided to order pizza, which was great for me because while on of the pizzas was topped with Dijon mustard and ground beef, it was still nice to see the familiarity of take-out pizza. Though while I succeed at eating pizza with a knife and fork, the chicken wings were a little bit harder! But luckily, the Rotarian’s daughter, Alexia, dug in with her hands so after a few unsuccessful attempts I put the utensils down and joined her.
The evening after dinner was spent in Alexia’s room sharing YouTube videos, which may sound like something that I could do any old time back at home, but I’ve found that even YouTube and Facebook have started reflecting my stay here. We were warned to stay away from internet sites like that for fear of falling into introversion and homesickness, and for the first month and a half I was very good at following the recommendation. However, I’ve started to find now that being online isn’t just about reaching home for me any more- it’s also about chatting with my classmates here and subscribing to the French YouTubers that they’ve introduced me to.
Sunday morning Alexia and I left by bike to see the marais or marshes which are near the center of town. When I originally heard that there were marshes in Bourges, I pictured something like the vast levees of wetland in the Sacramento delta. These marshes are nothing like that. In fact, while there were at one point wild enough to serve a natural defense for the original Gauls, they began to be drained into canals and cultivated under Roman rule. Several centuries later the marais are small plots of rich, green land divided by canals which can be bought or rented as private gardens. The walkways, however, are public and make for a pleasant spot on a sunny Sunday morning like last weekend. The relative tranquility of the space was attested to by the number of jogger and walkers out enjoying the sunshine. After touring the twisting paths, Alexia and I went to the Sunday market just nearby in the center of town. We locked our bikes (or rather I locked them- six years of life in Davis makes for an ability to lock and unlock bikes swiftly) and toured the market on foot. The stands of artisanal cheeses, cured meats, pastry, regional fruits and vegetables filled the market with every imaginable smell. We got a bag of small beignets au sucre which are very similar to doughnuts, but somehow better.
After the (mostly uphill) bike ride home we had lunch together. It was delicious again- Nanette, the Rotarian’s (François’s) wife is an amazing cook. Their son and his longtime girldfriend, who both live and work in Bourges, joined us for lunch. They had just returned from gathering mushrooms in the woods. This pastime is popular enough in France that all pharmacists are certified at identifying edible and inedible mushrooms. You take your basket of wild mushroom into a pharmacy and have them identified before attempting to eat them.
After lunch I went with François and Alexia to the small lake/pond far out in the countryside which belongs to their family. While François worked on maintaining the surrounding bramble of trees and bushes, Alexia gleefully showed me around the pond; with the sunny weather and surrounding open space we were more than happy to gamble around tossing a ball back and forth.
We got back in time for me to get ready to go to the theater- a few months ago I bought a ticket to see the St. Petersburg Ballet Company perform Swan Lake here in town. The trip was organized by a Russian teacher, but places were open for students like me who aren’t taking Russian. Just my chance Julia, the girlfriend of Alexia’s brother, and François’s mother were also going to see the same show. They gave me a ride there and I left to go meet up with the class. It was a spectacular performance. It really made me think of everyone at ballet- I can’t wait until I’m back in class with you this summer, because this performance was absolutely inspiring! (I did however wonder at one point if Tchaikovsky reused certain motifs in his compositions- the music to some of the First Act in Swan Lake I recognized from the finale of the Nutcracker.) The dancers were amazing, the story, costumes, and choreography all came together with the live orchestra to make for a wonderful show.
After the show Alexia’s brother picked us up and I went back to the François and Nanette’s for dinner. It was, as I have nearly come to expect, absolutely delicious. I was treated not only to hot, creamy vegetable soup, but also the history of the tradition of soups in France. (In summary: winter was cold, so peasants made soup because it was hot and tasted good. A nice, straightforward story as traditions go.)
My weekend ended when I came home, at 9:00, and got to see my host family before heading to bed. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by people who have decided to take me into their lives during this year!
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