Visiting France with two Americans

Hello again everyone!

It’s taken me a little while to write this post; resuming my normal schedule proved to be a little more difficult than I expected when Peter and Paul left.

We had a great time all together! The gentlemen arrived on Saturday, March 6th, and I started them off on a busy day. We had lunch at a little pizzeria not far from our hostel, and then went back to the hostel so they could freshen up after their long flight. That night, we went to see the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Montmartre, the Moulin Rouge, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysees, and the Arc de Triomphe. We went all the way to the top of the Eiffel Tower as the sun was setting, and the view was incredible. Despite the really, really cold wind, it was very romantic. We went back to the room for sandwiches and a beer and called it a night.

The next day, we got up early to go to the Louvre. As it was the first Sunday of the month, the entrance was free of charge! We spent most of the morning there and then headed to the Notre Dame Cathedral for Mass. It was definitely a neat experience. We caught the train at 4pm to head to Angers.

Peter and Paul stayed with Catherine during the week, and I think she was very happy to have them. She said that they were a pleasure to feed, and she enjoyed making “typically” French dishes for them. We had escargot (snails), boudin noir and blanc (sausages that are special to France), bouchee a la reine (a pastry with meat and a cream sauce inside), and plenty of French pastries (pains au chocolat, croissants, chaussons au pomme). I think Paul especially appreciated it; he’s studying to be a cook, and he was able to taste a lot of things he had studied in his classes.

I still had to teach the week that the boys were here, so they visited Angers while I was teaching on Monday. They came with me and were interviewed by the students on Tuesday, which I think the students really enjoyed! Since I finished with my class at 9am, we rented a car and Peter drove us to Mont St. Michel and St. Malo. Another American girl named Kendra came with us too as she had never seen either of those places. We all had a really good time.

On Wednesday, we went to Le Mans, home of the famous race track and the race “Les 24 Heures du Mans.” While it’s not a trip that I would typically take myself, I really enjoyed seeing the cars. They had a museum of the race track and races, complete with cars and their evolution. It was neat to see the first cars from the 1900s to the super sleek, super fast cars they have now. The guys were practically drooling the whole trip! We also got to go out on the race track where we were able to walk around and sit in the stadium seats. There were some motor bikes practicing, so we even got the thrill of the revving engines!

We were back in time Wednesday night to have dinner with Armelle – Catherine’s hairdresser and the mother of the boy I tutor in English. She invited them over, and made an exquisite dinner that included foie gras, a dish with calf, lots of different French cheeses, and little lava cakes for dessert. We ate very well that night; it was very generous of her to have us!

Thursday was an easy day. Peter and Paul came with me to classes and were interviewed again. That night we had dinner with my friends and went out so they could see the local night life. The bar scene in France is so different from the U.S.; people really go out to socialize here, not to get drunk like so many people in the U.S. do. We danced and had a great time.

Friday, I taught a class in the morning while the boys slept in. We went to Saumur that afternoon, a city nearby that has a beautiful chateau and is known for its vineyards. While we only saw the chateau from a distance, we went to three different wine tastings. Peter left with two bottles – one of a sweet white wine and a red champagne. We’re saving them for our honeymoon.

Saturday, we went to the local market so Peter and Paul could get a taste of what a European market is like. We also found Peter’s wedding band in Angers! Catherine showed us a little jewelry store that was really – excuse the pun – a “diamond in the rough.” They had a sale on their wedding bands, and we took advantage of it! Now he has a beautiful band from a very special town; it really is our little treasure.

That afternoon, we went to the Cointreau factory for a tour and afterward went to Mass. We had a quiet dinner with Catherine and then went out for drinks with my friends. The week passed much, much too quickly.

They left early Sunday morning, and it was back to the real world for me. The beginning was a little difficult because I really missed having Peter around, but luckily, God blessed us with warmer, sunnier weather which lifted my spirits considerably. Other than that, it was a routine teaching week.

I am looking forward to the end of this week because my Swedish friend, Siri (the girl with whom I spent Christmas) is coming to visit me in Angers with her American boyfriend, John. I am really looking forward to seeing them both again.

I hope you all are doing well, and please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers! A la prochaine, mes amis!