FEUILLES FRANÇAISES EPISODE VII ~ January 4, 2010
Dear Friends,
Now that the hustle and bustle of the holidays is dying down, its time to sit down and blog some more! Forgive the long absence, but I was doing some serious running around.
When I last blogged, I was on the eve of another adventure to Tours, but this one proved far less interesting than my visit with Benoit. It was merely a “teacher workshop” day for the assistants in the region. It is always nice to check in with the assistants who are not in Bourges, but I did not find the workshop portion overly helpful. French teachers seem to be in a rut of using prepackaged activities and games Xeroxed from texts and official activity books. I hated those types of activities as a student, and so I try not to use them with my kids. But if all else fails, I got to spend some time with Gina and Anne riding around on the train and spending a quick moment browsing some shops in Tours. All and all, a free day off, so I can’t really complain.
The last weekend before Christmas break (the French get a full two weeks, by the way), I headed up to the north-east corner of France, the region called Alsace. I spent the weekend staying with Marie-Paule’s niece Marielle (who is studying to be an architect in Strasbourg), who kindly agreed to house me.
In the seventeenth century, Strasbourg was an independent city, but was gobbled up by Louis XIV in his quest to unify France. But in 1871 the German empire captured Strasbourg and added it to the empire, and during this period, the Germans asserted their influence on the art, architecture and culture of Strasbourg. Following World War I, after the fall of the German Emperor, Alsace, and its neighboring region: Lorraine declared their solidarity and independence, becoming Alsace-Lorraine. However, in the aftermath of the war, France occupied the region and suppressed any resistance from the German inhabitants. Thus the Treaty of Versailles of 1919 gave the regions to France, and Strasbourg became French once again. At the outbreak of WWII, the city, being on the border with Germany, was evacuated, and was used only to garrison the border guards. However, when France fell in 1940, Germany reclaimed Strasbourg as its own. With the liberation in of France, Strasbourg was released from Germany’s hold in 1944. The city today remains French, but its German heritage is obvious, like an accent, a curious blend of France and Germany. Two countries with a long and tumultuous history have found a way to coexist in this city in a way they seldom did in Europe in days past. After the Second World War, Strasbourg was chosen as the site of the Council of Europe, and today it is the Capital of the European Union where the EU Parliament meets.
Being a decoration-a-holic, this was a very troublesome place to be...I took a TGV (Train Grand Vitesse, translation: Really Fast Train) to Strasbourg from Paris, the TGV CAN move at about 350 miles per hour, but the average voyage is conducted under 200 miles an hour, by my calculations, my train averaged about 155 mph, which was still very cool, and I was surprised by how smooth the ride was. The train was really packed, though, because everyone in the world was headed to Strasbourg for the Marchés de Noel (Christmas Markets).
From what I understand, the Germans are supposed to do Christmas better than anyone in the world. Apparently they really get into the Christmas spirit. One of their hallmarks is Christmas Markets. In most cities and towns, in the month leading up to Christmas, little outdoor markets with stalls offering Christmas specialties: food, decorations, gifts, etc, pop up, and there people do much of their preparation for the holidays. Given its German history, Strasbourg is also known for its Christmas Markets, and is therefore a very popular destination for tourists and Frenchmen alike in the month before Christmas.
Just a small sampling of all the varieties of food to be found in the Marches de Noel.
This Pretzel was bigger than my head. (No, I did not try to eat it)
Globs of flavored mousse the size of your fist dipped in chocolate. Heaven? I think so!I have always wanted to see Strasbourg, and with my love of Christmas this seemed like the perfect time to go. Unfortunately, my first day in town was rainy and cold, but I showed true New England grit and went ahead exploring finding the city chock-full of little Markets around every corner offering, just as I had expected: decorations, artisan gifts, candies, pastries, hot wine, etc. In the evening, the weather cleared, and with the lights glowing everywhere, it was beautiful, and if there had been snow, it would have looked like Santa’s village. I, of course, took care to sample the local fare: vin chaud (hot wine with spices), pain d’epices (spiced bread, sort of a cross between gingerbread and fruitcake), boules au mousse (balls of mousse dipped in chocolate), bretzels (soft pretzels), etc.
Colmar, France meets Germany!
On Saturday morning, I took the train to the neighboring city of Colmar, about 20 minutes outside of Strasbourg. In Colmar, I found: SNOW! As I descended from the train, it started to snow, and I just about cried. As all true New Englanders know, it cannot be the Christmas season without snow. And so, despite being chilly, I was in the proper mind frame to explore the markets of Colmar. Though the town is smaller than Strasbourg, I think I preferred the markets in Colmar, there were still a TON of people, but I think the markets were more spread out in Colmar, and there was also music. Every little square in Colmar was equipped with hidden speakers pumping out Christmas Classics for the shoppers. Interestingly enough, on the whole, the French listen to the same Christmas music as we do, more or less. There are a few noted French carols, but I heard plenty of Bing Crosby, Burl Ives, Nat King Cole, etc.
No Christmas would be complete without a Santa Band!
This is pain d'epices, this loaf was ENORMOUS, probably 5 feet long, and a foot wide.
I spent the morning wandering Colmar. I even sampled some true German fare: chou croute (cooked cabbage with sausage), and a warm German potato salad (the name of which I cannot remember, nor find anywhere). And of course, that all had to be washed down with some bonbons and some vin chaud. I find that I prefer white mulled wine to the red, it is sweeter and smoother. But either is nice just to have and hold to warm your fingers. I returned to Strasbourg to find it snowing there as well, and to find the roads and markets so full of people that it was difficult to move. So I decided to explore the cathedral and wait for the crowds to clear.
Stained Glass in Notre Dame de Strasbourg
The cathedral, like many others in France is called Notre Dame, more specifically, Notre Dame de Strasbourg. Construction began in the 1200s, and when it was completed in 1647 it became the tallest building in the world, a record it held until the mid-nineteenth century. It is very unique in that it is a reddish-pink color, it is constructed from sandstone. Like most cathedrals of the period, it was built in the Gothic Style, but has a much more German feel than Notre Dame de Paris. And of course, the stained glass windows are exquisite, and remain intact, because they, like many others, were removed and hidden during WWII. The Cathedral also houses a beautiful Astronomical Clock dating back to the sixteenth century. Upon leaving the cathedral, which was just as cold inside as the weather outside, I still found the streets and markets too clogged to enjoy, so I hopped on the very spacey looking tram and decided to visit the European Union buildings, which, of course, are modern architectural works of art.
The rear of the EU Parliament
I really do like the concept of the EU. I like how it recognizes that with such a diversity of cultures living in such close proximity, that they have to work together for the common good. What Belgium does affects Italy, and what France does affects Greece and Spain, and vice versa. Not to mention, the borders are so open it is incredible, but more on that later. Also, despite the current difficulties with the exchange rate, I really like the Euro, it makes international travel so much easier. I cannot imagine what it must have been like before to change your money in every single country.
In the evening, when the cold drove most of the crowds indoors, I did some more wandering and shopping, before treating my hostess to dinner at a German pub. A Saturday well spent. I did stop by the huge illuminated Christmas tree for a bit too!
Sunday morning, I woke up early and decided to climb the towers of the Cathedral to take in the view. I think this was the worst cathedral I have ever climbed. Don’t get me wrong, the view and the architecture was lovely, but most of the climb was on the outside. Usually with these cathedrals, you climb up and around and around INSIDE the tower and emerge at the top, this one had most of the stairs on the outside, which did nothing for my fear of heights. But, as promised, as usual, the view was spectacular. I could see clear over into Germany, which I supposed was no great feat, but more on that later.
Every Christmas Ornament you can imagine, and even some you can't...
Five Minutes in Germany!
I spent the rest of my morning exploring, and picking up a few last-minute Christmas presents. When I returned to Marielle’s (who was housebound for the weekend studying for her exams, unfortunately) apartment to get ready to leave, she asked if I had been to Germany. I told her I had not, and it was then that she explained that the German border was not 20 miles away as I had thought, but about a mile and a half from her front door. Thus, being a silly American tourist, I took a cab, and spent five whole minutes in Germany. And at the border there was: NOTHING. Not a single gate or guard. No one asked for a passport, there was nothing, just a sign on the other side welcoming me to Deutschland. Thank you, EU.
I was sad to leave Strasbourg, it was really a beautiful city, potentially one of my new favorites, but I might be biased, the Christmas Markets really might have tipped the scale, but nonetheless, great city great weekend. Though I did have some trouble getting home.
I’ve said it before, and I will say it again. There is no French term meaning Customer Service, the concept simply does not exist in this country. I was almost stranded in Strasbourg, because of an employee error on my ticket. I exchanged my original ticket for a more direct train earlier in the week, the woman who did the exchange gave me a ticket for the wrong date, and so I did not have a valid ticket for my train home, a train, which was, unfortunately, sold out. And there was no way to exchange this ticket for another, sure, I could buy a new $80 for the next morning (who needs to go to work, right?), but no exchange. So, I stowed away, sort of, and tried to explain my situation to the ticket inspector, who was not the most kindred of spirits. He gave me a fine, but did not throw me from the train, so I passed my voyage squeezed into a luggage rack. A not-so-fantastic end to a fantastic weekend.
Just before break, I got together with several of the assistants and had a great little Christmas Party. It is really great to have this group of other young internationals in the same situation. It was really cool to talk about all the different Christmas plans and traditions. The event even turned into a dance party, and I got to learn a German pop dance something akin to Macarena in popularity. It was really funny. If you ever need to have some fun, ask me to teach you Cowboy und Indianer.
My last week of school before the holidays was probably very similar to every other teacher in the world. Simply put, my kids had NO interest in being in school what so ever. Lucky for me, I recently discovered that I have an ace in the hole: 20 Questions. Apparently, this is not a game that is well known in France, and lucky for me, it actually works perfectly as a language tool, and the kids LOVE it. Hours in class passed very quickly as the kids shouted out questions in English! A huge victory for me. So anyone teaching languages to middle schoolers (mostly those with a couple years of a foreign language under their belts), this is GOLD.
But even when you find the golden goose of classroom activities, there are still perils when teaching foreign languages. During a particularly raucchous game of 20 Questions (I was thinking of a Penguin) the class had narrowed it down to a creature that does not have fur, that lives mostly in water, is partially black, which does not fly, which lives in the cold, which eats fish, when a girl at the back of the class shouted something that sounded for all the world like: "aw F@$%*!" Now, there is a word in french :un phoque (which means baby seal, and it is pronounced just like you think it is). I had to leave the room to stop laughing so hard. No one said this job was easy, but the material for my memoirs is just too easy to come by. :o)
With my younger kids, I happened to get very lucky with them as well. On the Thursday before vacation, it snowed, not something that happens ever frequently in France (except in the north or in the mountains). And we passed the period talking about snow and snow-related activities, and snow days, and the differences in the weather in France, and the weather back home. And of course, the kids love it when I am forced to pantomime or draw to get my point across. When I get home, I am going to be one hell of a threat at pictionary and charades!
Yep, a backhoe for snow removal, a little silly, don't you think? Welcome to France.
Speaking of snow in France… the week before break, it snowed on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, a highly unusual occurrence, but each day, there was less than two inches of accumulation. However, it might as well have been a blizzard, because the French had NO idea how to deal with the snow. It was HILLARIOUS. As New Englander, snow has always been a part of my life. I started playing in it as an infant, shoveling it as a preteen, and driving in it as a teen and as an adult. Two inches is no big deal, unless you live in a world where it never happens. A friend of mine who lives in DC (after growing up in New Hampshire) once remarked to me how funny it is when it snows in DC, that two inches can shut down school, and I only half believed her. I know believe. In Bourges, they have no snow plows, I actually watched as a backhoe attempted to do snow removal on a cobblestone street. But all hilarity aside, the snow was quite inconvenient, because central France pretty much shut down. No buses, no cabs, few trains. And here’s the real kicker, no school, kind of. In France, they don’t do snow days. Ok, but if you are a kid who gets to school via public transport, you are excused on days when there is no public transport, that’s reasonable. BUT if you are a kid who walks to school, you have no excuse. So on the Friday before break, all the kids who relied on the busses to get to school did not have to attend, but those who lived close enough to walk were still required to attend. The school actually has lists of who walks and who takes the bus, so some kids got a snow day, but others were dragged into school. On Friday afternoon, in my final class before break, we had three students.
Now, I have been fairly mum about my Christmas plans on this blog, but that was all for my Grandfather. Most of you, if you follow me on facebook, knew I was heading home for the holidays. But I decided to keep my return a secret from my Poppop. He thought I would be spending the holidays was an old high school chum in Greece, but I instead decided to spend Christmas back home with my family and to attend the wedding of one of my best friends.
So the snow made my return home quite difficult. For starters, it was nearly impossible to get a train out of Bourges to Paris, and then my flight from Paris to Dublin was delayed so much that I nearly missed my connecting flight to Boston. But, a sprint through Dublin airport to my credit, I made it home in one slightly-jetlagged piece. I was collected at Logan by five strange people all wearing different colored berets. (I think their names were Mom, Dad, Andrea, Becca, and Andrew, and I would post a photo, but conveniently, my father claims his memory card is on the fritz).
I arrived on the 20th, and my Grandfather a few days after me. I must say, we got him pretty good. When he arrived, there was no evidence of my presence, and shortly after he got settled, I called my folks on Skype from “Greece” (which was really their bedroom up stairs), and strangely I could not get my video working. I told him all about the wonderful food, and how good it was to see my friend, and how we were getting ready to go to Christmas services, etc, and then I asked him to hold on a moment, and casually walked into the living room. It was fantastic. I even pulled off a second surprise, arriving at my friend Amy’s bachelorette party just 24 hours after returning to the USA.
Home sweet home, our Christmas tree on Christmas Day.It was awesome being home. I cannot imagine spending Christmas without my family. There is just something about being with family at Christmas. I think Greece would have been nice, but at the end, I would have been a foreigner sitting on the couch in a corner watching a family yammering on in Greek enjoying their Christmas. Instead I got to be home, which was so much better.
Mr. Matt Leland, and Mrs. Amy Leland, my most sincere congratulations! <3
Amy and her ladies in waiting: Erin, Kate, Bridgette, Amy, Rachel, and me (no I am not wearing heels, but they all are, I have little friends).
Together again! Jeremy, Seth, Me, Andrew, Vicky, Will, Bridgette, Anne, Erin, Matt, Kevin, Amy, Tony, Rachel, Kate, Justin, Ilea!
Unfortunately, my 10-day stay flew by. There was Christmas to prepare for and enjoy, and then there was a wedding. One of my best friends from college, Amy Chadbourne, got married on December 27, which was another reason for my decision to come home for the holidays. Weddings are a lot of work. The 26th was spent running last minute errands and doing all the flowers and decorations, and the 27th was of course the wedding, which meant hours of beautification for the ladies. Amy looked fantastic, and it was an AWESOME day despite the rain, and the best part was, I got to see all my college friends. It was really a treat to have the gang back together; I think that is what I miss the most about college, my fantastic group of friends.
Ringing in the New Year with some new, and newer friends: Julien, Anne, Teri, Shawn, Rio, and Abby, and of course, champagne!But my sojourn in the states could not last forever, because I have more work to do here in France. I returned before New Year’s, which I spent with Anne, and her friends in Paris. I always thought it would be cool to spend New Year’s Eve in Paris, and to see the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower. And it was cool in a way, but more than anything, it was crowded, very, Very, VERY crowded. And they did do a special light show on the Eiffel Tower, but no fireworks. So I think, from now on, it’ll be me, a pile of movies, some Chinese food, cheap champagne, Dick Clark, and the Ball Drop in TV for New Years. But, Paris at New Years is one more thing off the Bucket List.
I am back in Bourges now, and school started back up this morning. My students were definitely still on vacation and had NO interest in English today whatsoever, but I guess that is normal. I remember not being overly attentive on the first day back after vacation, so I will cut them some slack for a couple days.
This week I have a small adventure planned, an Epiphany party (because that is celebrated here), and my 25th birthday, so as usual I have plenty to keep me out of trouble!
So in the meantime, Happy New Year! And until next time, I shall remain your ever-observant quarter-century blogger,
~Monica :o)
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