A super weekend

This weekend was one of my best yet in France. It started out with cookie baking chez D, dinner and drinking chez D's colleague and ended with a party chez G. I discovered that D's colleague was supposed to have come to Rice as a French lecteur during my sophomore year. He had his visa ready to go and everything when he decided to switch career paths slightly. Tant pis, but I've met him now. It was nice to tell a French person I went to Rice and have them recognize the name. It was an emphatic first. Many, many fabulous people were involved with this Friday night. The real end to the night was finally seeing "my" night bus driver again for the first time in 2012. It was extremely exciting, I got to wish him and his family a bonne année. When I went to sleep on Friday, my cheeks were actually sore from laughing and smiling.

Saturday, S and I finally went to see The Artist. Due to its success in America, it has been rereleased in French theaters. Damn is that a good movie and damn do I wish Jean Dujardin weren't married. That man is talented. And attractive. Very attractive. We were supposed to go ice skating with some others but ended up making a dinner and eating bonne maman ice cream instead (so there was still ice involved... sorta).

Sunday, one of my Breton classmates invited me to lunch with his family. This being in France, it was a six hour affair. For the apéros, we had a white wine with andouille and a rillette made of something seafoody whose name I forgot. We discussed politics and diwan schools. I got to learn a bit more about Breton politics and the different Breizh separatist parties. I also learned that back in the day, my little town (and quite a few nearby) was communist. For the meal, we started with langoustines (prawns). I know how to eat them now! It's pretty simple to get at the meat and they are quite delicious. The main dish was lotte fish in a tomato sauce and for tea/coffee/dessert we had a trio of a madeleine, far breton (a cake) and dentelle-topped beurre salée (aka caramel, aka you never want it to leave your mouth it tastes so good). Oh yes, and prior to that there were the cheeses. It is clear that France has not yet made me a big fan of cheese. I'm slowly getting there, however. Very slowly.

After the meal, they took me to see Gavré, another lovely coastal town in the region. They then dropped me off in Lorient where I hung out with friends at the one place (an Irish pub) open on Sundays.

So yes, an excellent weekend.

Next weekend is looking like it could top this one's. I might just be going on a roadtrip.

Bisous,

MCJ