Train leaving for Barcelona tomorrow, early morning, and family will be waiting.
Sixty degree weather, light jackets, Paella, Sangria, and Tapas...Christmas time in Barcelona.
No Chinese food and a movie this year!
Baby, It won't be cold outside. Not this year.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
I want to be a Butcher when I grow up
No, but seriously.
Today I went to the marche at Les Halles Castelane in the center of Montpellier. After buying some vegetables for tonights dinner I decided to check out the butcher counter. I think it is so cool how in Europe, when you buy food, you can really see what you are going to be eating. For example, The chickens are fully intact, head, feet, and all. You have the option, of course, to ask to butcher to cut them off for you, or you can simply take it home and do it yourself.
I had my first of such experiences a few weeks ago when my cousin Jesse was here visiting with his friend Ben. Jesse went to culinary school and we decided, one night, to make a home cooked French dinner. We made Rabbit which we pan seared, covered in tarragon and chive and then baked in the oven. We served it with a red wine pineapple sauce with shallots and garlic. We also roasted two small quails which we covered in pancetta. The quails, as we realized once we brought them home, still had their heads. "I want to do it!" I yelled out. There was no opposition. And thus, I sucessfully, and beautifully, de-headed two quails.
But I digress, back to the butcher. Today, for the first time, I witnessed the butcher and his rooster. The rooster was gorgeous, all skinned and perfect with the head and feet and innards still intact. Along the head there was a gorgeous white plume. The butcher layed the bird on the cutting board and picked up what can only be referred to as a small hatchet. He saw me watching him, and began his show. A couple of eyebrow raising wacks later, the bird was headless, feetless, and ready for gutting.
I stood there watching the butcher, in complete awe for about ten minutes until my slightly grossed out friends dragged me away. It may not be for everyone, but man...so cool!
Today I went to the marche at Les Halles Castelane in the center of Montpellier. After buying some vegetables for tonights dinner I decided to check out the butcher counter. I think it is so cool how in Europe, when you buy food, you can really see what you are going to be eating. For example, The chickens are fully intact, head, feet, and all. You have the option, of course, to ask to butcher to cut them off for you, or you can simply take it home and do it yourself.
I had my first of such experiences a few weeks ago when my cousin Jesse was here visiting with his friend Ben. Jesse went to culinary school and we decided, one night, to make a home cooked French dinner. We made Rabbit which we pan seared, covered in tarragon and chive and then baked in the oven. We served it with a red wine pineapple sauce with shallots and garlic. We also roasted two small quails which we covered in pancetta. The quails, as we realized once we brought them home, still had their heads. "I want to do it!" I yelled out. There was no opposition. And thus, I sucessfully, and beautifully, de-headed two quails.
But I digress, back to the butcher. Today, for the first time, I witnessed the butcher and his rooster. The rooster was gorgeous, all skinned and perfect with the head and feet and innards still intact. Along the head there was a gorgeous white plume. The butcher layed the bird on the cutting board and picked up what can only be referred to as a small hatchet. He saw me watching him, and began his show. A couple of eyebrow raising wacks later, the bird was headless, feetless, and ready for gutting.
I stood there watching the butcher, in complete awe for about ten minutes until my slightly grossed out friends dragged me away. It may not be for everyone, but man...so cool!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Brief Recap Continued
Gabby and I arrived in Montpellier on a Wednesday. We took the train down from Paris where it had been not exactly warm and slightly rainy. We arrived into a sunny 70 degree Montpellier afternoon. We were greeted on the platform by my parents friends' friends who had nicely agreed to host us for our first week in the city. The train stopped, and Gabby, myself, and 8000 pieces of broken luggage exploded onto the platform where we find an Albert Einstein look-alike staring at us clearly thinking, "they must be the Americans" as two seconds later he says "Are you Lisa Shames?" Luggage. Dead give away. Dad, please don't say I told you so.
Jean-Marie (Einstein) and Claire (his wife) were the coolest hosts ever! Gabby and I had our own separate little apartment. At dinner time, they invited us down, poured us delicious wine to welcome us to the city and immediately put on a Best of Woodstock vinyl. The next day Jean-Marie took us all over the city on a walking tour of all the best shops and cool things to see.
During our first week in Montpellier we explored the city. There was a honey festival with tons of tents sent up on the esplanade and you could buy and sample honey and honey products from all over the world. I, of course, fell in love with this hazelnut honey cream from Tuscany and went back to the stand twice before I decided to finally buy a jar. We went to the beach one day, wandered through the center place de la comedie, ate crepes and doner kebabs, and went to the cinema.
After a week Gabby left to go to her first farm. Jean-Marie and I took her to the train station and I hugged her goodbye for the first of many times in this city. And then I went on to set up my life here.
Jean-Marie and Claire left for Egypt and I went and stayed with Erbin, a wonderful and generous guy I found on couchsurfing who agreed to host me at the last minute until I found an apartment. It was around this time that some of the other assistants started arriving. Darcy was first and we discovered this adorable little juice bar where the two young guys behind the counter peeled and squeezed the fruit right before your eyes. We proceeded to return there everyday, each day bringing whatever new friends we had made the night before.
One memorable night was when I went out with a few assistants and erasmus students to this australian bar. The bar itself was like a loud disco stuck in the early ninties but on the way I met this wonderful girl from Madrid named Nezha who happened to be leaving her apartment at the end of that week and she offered me her place. I moved in the following weekend. My room is long and narrow with a gorgeous, chocolate colored chest of drawers and matching armoire. There is a door that opens onto a small balcony that is just big enough for three or four chairs to sit outside in the sunshine. There is a view of the ancient Roman aquaduct and stone houses. To the left a giant tree rises from the garden below. The sun pours in around noon and fills the room with its warm yellow light. I decorated the walls with photos from home and the signs from my first ever hitchhiking experience.
The beginning of Montpellier was one giant fete, lazy end of summer days followed by endless summer nights that lasted till dawn. It was an infinity of new friends, foods, cultures, parties, pubs, days at the beach, sunsets, and walks through twisted, medieval streets.
Soon October drew near and the beginning of my new job as an assistante de langue.
Jean-Marie (Einstein) and Claire (his wife) were the coolest hosts ever! Gabby and I had our own separate little apartment. At dinner time, they invited us down, poured us delicious wine to welcome us to the city and immediately put on a Best of Woodstock vinyl. The next day Jean-Marie took us all over the city on a walking tour of all the best shops and cool things to see.
During our first week in Montpellier we explored the city. There was a honey festival with tons of tents sent up on the esplanade and you could buy and sample honey and honey products from all over the world. I, of course, fell in love with this hazelnut honey cream from Tuscany and went back to the stand twice before I decided to finally buy a jar. We went to the beach one day, wandered through the center place de la comedie, ate crepes and doner kebabs, and went to the cinema.
After a week Gabby left to go to her first farm. Jean-Marie and I took her to the train station and I hugged her goodbye for the first of many times in this city. And then I went on to set up my life here.
Jean-Marie and Claire left for Egypt and I went and stayed with Erbin, a wonderful and generous guy I found on couchsurfing who agreed to host me at the last minute until I found an apartment. It was around this time that some of the other assistants started arriving. Darcy was first and we discovered this adorable little juice bar where the two young guys behind the counter peeled and squeezed the fruit right before your eyes. We proceeded to return there everyday, each day bringing whatever new friends we had made the night before.
One memorable night was when I went out with a few assistants and erasmus students to this australian bar. The bar itself was like a loud disco stuck in the early ninties but on the way I met this wonderful girl from Madrid named Nezha who happened to be leaving her apartment at the end of that week and she offered me her place. I moved in the following weekend. My room is long and narrow with a gorgeous, chocolate colored chest of drawers and matching armoire. There is a door that opens onto a small balcony that is just big enough for three or four chairs to sit outside in the sunshine. There is a view of the ancient Roman aquaduct and stone houses. To the left a giant tree rises from the garden below. The sun pours in around noon and fills the room with its warm yellow light. I decorated the walls with photos from home and the signs from my first ever hitchhiking experience.
The beginning of Montpellier was one giant fete, lazy end of summer days followed by endless summer nights that lasted till dawn. It was an infinity of new friends, foods, cultures, parties, pubs, days at the beach, sunsets, and walks through twisted, medieval streets.
Soon October drew near and the beginning of my new job as an assistante de langue.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Brief Recap
So as many of you already know, I have been in Montpellier, France for the past 3 months teaching English to French high schoolers. I have recently decided to start a blog about my life in France. But as I have many stories to to tell that have happened already, I am going to do a brief recap of my travels and experiences thus far.
Lets start at the beginning.
Gabby and I departed from Boston on a Tuesday evening. My parents, Gabby's parents, my brothers, Chloe, Matt, and Matt's Parents took us to the airport where Gabs and I got on a 7 hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany.
Upon our arrival in Frankfurt (after figuring out how to get from Frankfurt airport to Frankfurt central train station and storing mass quantities of luggage in some teeny little German lockers), we finally got to eat our first doner kebabs. Do0ner kebabs, for those of you
who don't know yet, are amazing pita-type bread things filled with shaved lamb, cheese, various veggies, and delicious oniony white sauce. (See picture).
A few hours and many luggage struggles later we finally arrived at our first couchsurfing hosts, Carola and Beatte, who live in a small town right outside of Frankfurt center. They were so nice and such wonderful hosts to Gabby and I. We went out to a delicious dinner together at this pasta place that had potted herbs right on the table so you could garnish your own dish!
We were only in Frankfurt for 2 days, but we walked around, ate bratwurst and fries, and explored a German open-air market where we tried organic beer and saw a real hops plant!
After that it was off to Paris for a day to drop off the luggage, have a picnic, and explore Montmartre. We did, however, manage to have a very nice duck dinner before I left for a weekend at the beach near Siena, Italy and Gabby left to spend a few days with her friend who lives outside of Amsterdam.
We met up again in Amsterdam. We stayed in a cute little hostel right near Centraal Station with a very teeny balcony that overlooked a cute little street. In Amsterdam we spend most of our time enjoying the architecture. We also got to see my friend Leah, the daughter of my mom's college roommate, which was really wonderful! We ate delicious Dutch sweets and drank hot chocolate for breakfast.
Next it was off to Ghent, Belgium and our next couchsurfing host, Lisy. Ghent was such a beautiful city! Kind of like a fairy tale! Lisy's friend Joos studied art history and took us on a walking tour of the city one day telling us all about the different Castles and Monasteries. The tour ended in the enclosed garden of one of the monasteries i
n which there were dozen
s of apple and pear trees. And we lolled around on the grass, lazy in the northern sunlight, and picked apples from the trees.
In Ghent we ate: Waffles, which are delicious with nutella, fries with specialsaauce (ketchup, mayo, & onions), we cooked a pasta and steak dinner for Lisy and her roommates, drank the best Belgian beer from this ancient abbey, and had delicious spiced hot chocolate at this adorable cafe with rough wooden tables and a dog named Kaya. We also discovered this cute little cafe one day that served us homemade tomato soup with a brie, honey, & walnut sandwich, and wonderful fresh mint tea!
So then we decided to hitchhike to Paris. Lisy and her friends hitchhike all the time and told us how to do it safely. And it went pretty much perfectly, except for when some woman drove us 20 min in the wrong direction. Luckily, Lisy's boyfriend Alex happened to drive by where we were standing and drove us to a better location. We made it to Paris in 6 hours.
Our first night in Paris was spent in a lovely auberge de jeunesse in the 20th arrondissement (like a hostel, but worse, and surprisingly expensive, note: not reccomended). We were feeling poor and bought Franprix store brand dinner items. Franprix=shall we say store 24? Note: do NOT buy Franprix brand items such as meats, crackers, cheese. You WILL NOT feel any sort of pleasant afterward.
The next day we met up with our incredibly wonderful couchsurfing hosts Saki and Yoann, who after our experiences with them, have become very good friends! They are such generous, good people. This time in Paris we were mostly biding out time since the cheapest train tickets to Montpellier were on Wednesday. So we wandered around the city, visited Edith Piaf's grave at Pere Lachaise cemetery, I ate my first fresh fig which was just incredible.
This is Gabby, Saki, and Yoann in the metro on our way to eat pizza in St. Michel quarter of Paris. Afterwards we went to see Notre Dame at night all lit up and took pictures of ourselves pretending to be Quasimodo. Then we walked along the river, which is my favorite thing to do in Paris, especially at night because the lights all shine on the water making it sparkle and shimmer.
The next morning we woke early. Saki and Yoann took us to the Gare de Lyon. We kissed both their cheeks, thanked them profusely, and boarded the train to begin our next adventure in sunny, southern, Montpellier.
Lets start at the beginning.
Gabby and I departed from Boston on a Tuesday evening. My parents, Gabby's parents, my brothers, Chloe, Matt, and Matt's Parents took us to the airport where Gabs and I got on a 7 hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany.
Upon our arrival in Frankfurt (after figuring out how to get from Frankfurt airport to Frankfurt central train station and storing mass quantities of luggage in some teeny little German lockers), we finally got to eat our first doner kebabs. Do0ner kebabs, for those of you
who don't know yet, are amazing pita-type bread things filled with shaved lamb, cheese, various veggies, and delicious oniony white sauce. (See picture).A few hours and many luggage struggles later we finally arrived at our first couchsurfing hosts, Carola and Beatte, who live in a small town right outside of Frankfurt center. They were so nice and such wonderful hosts to Gabby and I. We went out to a delicious dinner together at this pasta place that had potted herbs right on the table so you could garnish your own dish!
We were only in Frankfurt for 2 days, but we walked around, ate bratwurst and fries, and explored a German open-air market where we tried organic beer and saw a real hops plant!
After that it was off to Paris for a day to drop off the luggage, have a picnic, and explore Montmartre. We did, however, manage to have a very nice duck dinner before I left for a weekend at the beach near Siena, Italy and Gabby left to spend a few days with her friend who lives outside of Amsterdam.
We met up again in Amsterdam. We stayed in a cute little hostel right near Centraal Station with a very teeny balcony that overlooked a cute little street. In Amsterdam we spend most of our time enjoying the architecture. We also got to see my friend Leah, the daughter of my mom's college roommate, which was really wonderful! We ate delicious Dutch sweets and drank hot chocolate for breakfast.Next it was off to Ghent, Belgium and our next couchsurfing host, Lisy. Ghent was such a beautiful city! Kind of like a fairy tale! Lisy's friend Joos studied art history and took us on a walking tour of the city one day telling us all about the different Castles and Monasteries. The tour ended in the enclosed garden of one of the monasteries i
n which there were dozen
s of apple and pear trees. And we lolled around on the grass, lazy in the northern sunlight, and picked apples from the trees.
In Ghent we ate: Waffles, which are delicious with nutella, fries with specialsaauce (ketchup, mayo, & onions), we cooked a pasta and steak dinner for Lisy and her roommates, drank the best Belgian beer from this ancient abbey, and had delicious spiced hot chocolate at this adorable cafe with rough wooden tables and a dog named Kaya. We also discovered this cute little cafe one day that served us homemade tomato soup with a brie, honey, & walnut sandwich, and wonderful fresh mint tea!
So then we decided to hitchhike to Paris. Lisy and her friends hitchhike all the time and told us how to do it safely. And it went pretty much perfectly, except for when some woman drove us 20 min in the wrong direction. Luckily, Lisy's boyfriend Alex happened to drive by where we were standing and drove us to a better location. We made it to Paris in 6 hours.
Our first night in Paris was spent in a lovely auberge de jeunesse in the 20th arrondissement (like a hostel, but worse, and surprisingly expensive, note: not reccomended). We were feeling poor and bought Franprix store brand dinner items. Franprix=shall we say store 24? Note: do NOT buy Franprix brand items such as meats, crackers, cheese. You WILL NOT feel any sort of pleasant afterward.
The next day we met up with our incredibly wonderful couchsurfing hosts Saki and Yoann, who after our experiences with them, have become very good friends! They are such generous, good people. This time in Paris we were mostly biding out time since the cheapest train tickets to Montpellier were on Wednesday. So we wandered around the city, visited Edith Piaf's grave at Pere Lachaise cemetery, I ate my first fresh fig which was just incredible.
This is Gabby, Saki, and Yoann in the metro on our way to eat pizza in St. Michel quarter of Paris. Afterwards we went to see Notre Dame at night all lit up and took pictures of ourselves pretending to be Quasimodo. Then we walked along the river, which is my favorite thing to do in Paris, especially at night because the lights all shine on the water making it sparkle and shimmer.The next morning we woke early. Saki and Yoann took us to the Gare de Lyon. We kissed both their cheeks, thanked them profusely, and boarded the train to begin our next adventure in sunny, southern, Montpellier.
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