Flea Market and Candy museum visit

We’ve really been sticking close to home the last 2 weeks on account of illness and bad weather.  The rain stopped but was replaced by a mistral which is a nasty wind that can last for days.  More to come on mistrals on the blog soon.  Sunday was still crazy windy out but we were getting a little tired of hanging around the house so we decided to take the kids to the famous Haribo Candy museum.  The kids were pretty pumped about that outing but on our way there, we stumbled upon the Uzes sunday morning ‘Marche au Puce” (flea market).  Now this is the kind of stuff that gets me excited so we just had to pullover.  It was exactly what I was hoping for…

Basically, people (hoarders) load their cars and vans up with treasures (junk) and meet up in the parking lot at the Rugby field.  There, they display their treasures (crap)  out on old carpets or blankets.  It’s like a giant block party garage sale but with what I think are some awesome vintage finds.  You definitely have to pick through stuff but I found tons of items that I would love to take home.  There were old  pottery vases and vintage fireplace inserts, ancient antique tools and furniture.  There were doorknobs and dresser knobs,  plates and cutlery,  and it goes on and on.  Used stuff in France can be quite old, not just junk from the 80’s and up like many garage sales in Saskatoon.  I did not find one Petro Canada wine glass at this sale!

Here are a few random pictures I took while the kids patiently waited in the car.

These stools would make awesome bedside tables, I wouldn’t even change the colour.  Not sure what these keys would be good for but they looked really cool and Dowton Abbyish. . .

One of the things I’m hoping to do while in France is a bit of painting so I was super excited to score this easel.

I bartered with the old guy a bit (after politely asking if bartering was allowed) and got him down from 15 euros to 12 euros.  I have no idea if I got ripped off, but it was good fun anyhow.  He was really sweet and kind of funny.  He also tried to get me to rent a Mas (house) from him, so I tried to get the painting on the easel for free but nothing came of either of those requests.  I can’t wait to go back another sunday with a little more time.  Till then I better work on improving my bartering technique.

I think it’s funny how the last photo appears that  I’ve won some important prize at the county fair  instead of just forking over 12 euros to the guy.

We did make it to the Musee de Bonbon and candy factory, a must on the kids priority list (right after the Louvre that is).

The factory portion of the museum was closed due to flooding that occurred this past october so we didn’t actually get to see the candy making process.  It brought the price of our entry down significantly so that was that was just fine by me.  We mostly learned about the history of the company, the process of refining sugar (which Shamus found interesting) and of course how they make the candy. Probably the most famous type of candy they make is “the dancing bear” otherwise known as “the gummy bear.”  In addition, they make liquorice allsorts (grossest candies ever, in my opinion) and marshmallow based candies (e.g., marshmallow bananas). Not at all the kind of sweets that I’m usually into but I somehow polished off a bag of sour somethings while we were touring.

Of course the tour funnels you to a candy boutique.  This is where the kids can go a little crazy, and apparently some adults by the look of the amount of candy in their carts.

It was surprisingly busy in that little store for a Sunday morning.  Each kid got to pick out a treat and they thought it was the best day ever in France.

Truffles part deux: the tasting

As I mentioned in a previous post, Shamus and I went out to buy some fresh truffles.  The most popular way we were told to enjoy them was very simple… on scrambled eggs.

The way to properly keep a truffle is wrapped in a paper towel and stored in the fridge.  It’s important to change the paper towel daily.  It’ll only last 8 days this way, then you have to either eat it or freeze it.  You could really smell the aroma when we opened the fridge door.  Every time we did, one of the kids accused  Shamus of farting.

Once ready to use, the truffle needs to be cleaned with a brush (we used a new toothbrush).  Gently scrub it under water,  let it dry and then it’s ready to go.  You can either grate it, or use a blade to make thin slices. Of course there are specific tools just for truffles but all we had on hand was a grater.

Shamus then scrambled some eggs like he normally would.  He grated the truffle on top just before serving.

 

 

So did it knock our socks off?  I bet  you’re dying to know!  I’m a little scared to admit that no,  it did not.  We could taste the truffles, and it was good but it didn’t make us think that those were the best damn scrambled eggs ever.  It certainly didn’t taste 18 euros worth either.  Maybe we made a mistake when we prepared it,  but even the  truffle quiche Lorraine we had in the restaurant was underwhelming.  I’m not ready to abandon the whole truffle idea yet.  Culinary experts around the world seem to think it’s ‘le’ bomb.  When we were in Vegas last february, I ordered Gordon Ramsey’s Truffle Mac and Cheese and that really did knock my socks off, so I do have some hope.

We did give it another try yesterday morning, but Shamus doctored up the eggs with lardons (little bacons).  This batch was more delicious, but it was more due to the bacon, and not the truffles.  Maybe we’ll buy some more truffles and store them in the freezer for when Shamus’ Dad comes.  If anyone can chef something delicious up for us it’s Bob.  We will also buy truffle oil (much more reasonably priced), and  pour a bit of that on baguette, pasta, or maybe pizza.

So in the end, the subtle properties of the “black diamond” were somewhat elusive to our Canadian palates; but it was a super fun and interesting experience!

 

Stuff from home

My parents are coming over from Canada for a visit in February.  They’ve booked their flights and sent their itinerary so it’s a done deal.  We’re all very excited to have some visitors!  The kids are anxiously waiting to finally use their ‘McDonald’s free card’ for when Memere and Pepere get here.  They call it  MacDo here, but there is no escaping the Golden Arches.

You can pretty much get anything you need here (we’re not deep in the jungle after all), but there are always a few things that you miss from back home.  Here is the list of items for my mom to smuggle back from Canada:

1. Current Fashion/Design Magazines, these 3 in particular:  House and Home, In Style and a third entertainment/gossip type, no matter which.  I’m so out of date,  I don’t even know who would be on the cover (gasp)!!!!!

I only treat myself to these at home if I’m flying somewhere and I need something easy (mindless) to read on the plane,  if I’m going to the beach- which is usually Waskesiu in the summer, or if I’m going on a girls weekend.  I’m pumped to get these magazines here,  slide them in my bag, head to an outdoor cafe  and enjoy a coffee and magazine, maybe a almond paste croissant… It’ll be so sweet.

2. Organic Peanut Butter. They have this here, but a tiny 350 gram jar is 5 euros ($7.50 can) and it just feels wrong to pay that much for it, especially when 1 kg of Nutella costs less than that.  The kids have Nutella every morning, but my conscience can’t handle that.  Not for le petit-dejeuner anyhow.  I still enjoy my peanut butter toast every morning here and prefer to splurge on wine rather than peanut butter.

3.  Kids Floss Piks. This is a no-brainer to a dental hygienist.  They have the string here, but it’s much easier for the kids to use the floss piks.

4.  Hair dye. Of course they have that stuff here, but I have my favourite brand to keep me looking a quarter of  Betty White’s age.

5. Dry texturing hair spray by Oribe. I haven’t found this particular brand here but it’s crazy expensive even back home so if someone has a cheaper version, do share.

6. Books.  My sister Zoe reads a lot and has a very impressive home library. She’s usually bang on with her recommendations.  I’m hoping she’ll slip a few good novels into my mom’s suitcase so Shamus and I can continue our 2 person book club. These are the 3 we’ve read already. They were a Christmas present from Shamus’s mom, and a good friend of mine.

 

That’s it! We’re actually not missing much but it’ll feel a little like getting a christmas stocking when they get here!

reality check

Today has been raining.  It has been raining since monday.  It’s been cold too, or maybe it just feels that way because of the dampness.  It stopped for a few hours yesterday morning so I went out for a walk which made me feel better.  Otherwise we’ve been driving the kids to school.  Rainy days are tough, even my cheap umbrella is in the bottom of the trash can, flipped inside out.  It doesn’t help that we’ve also been quite sick. Etienne started up last friday followed by Evi, and then me yesterday.  It really seems to be hanging around, and now Shamus is kind of getting sick too.  We seem to feel better in the morning, but the afternoon sets in and we’re coughing away, with bad headaches. Evi’s cold must have moved to her eyes cause they were glued shut this morning and I had to use a wet cloth to pry them apart.  As for me, you know it’s bad because I haven’t had my evening glass of red wine for 3 days in a row.

There must be something going around because Etienne’s teacher has been sick all week.  When I took him to school on Monday morning, the principal asked if I wouldn’t mind taking him back home because he didn’t have a substitute teacher.  Instead, they just cram the other students in other classes. I don’t know if that’s what normally happens in France, but I’m pretty sure that doesn’t happen in Canada (I could have added that to my last post).  We dropped Etienne off at school on Tuesday morning, but at lunchtime he told me the same thing, that he was to stay home, and wednesday morning too.  I guess Mme Toussard is still sick.  It’s actually good timing since Etienne isn’t feeling great anyhow, but I hate for him to miss so much class and social interactions with other kids.  Oh well, we did some work at home on the Canada presentation he’s been preparing for his class.  I’m learning a few things about Canada myself…

So although things have been great so far, it turns out that no matter where you are in the world, you still get sick and rainy days still suck (in my opinion anyhow).  All the crappy things that can bother you at home still bother you in another country.  You also still nag your kids about too much screen time, about flossing and brushing, about bathing, about eating more veggies and less dessert (even though that means macarons here).  You still run out of awesome meal ideas and resort plain pasta for many meals. Old habits follow you wherever you go, it is just little easier to ignore them for a few weeks.

I’m not trying to say it’s all bad, we’re just in a bit of rough spot with being sick.  I still am in awe of the ancient stone buildings and cobblestone streets, of discovering new alleys and stores tucked away in the most unexpected places.  I love walking into one the thousands of Boulangeries and grabbing a baguette or 3 for the day.  I love the french countryside,  scattered with medieval towns perched up on a hill, surrounded by rows of vineyards.  And I love the french doors…I just love all the beautiful french doors.

This just doesn’t happen in Canada

With this post, I’m hoping to start a series where I share little happenings or stories that make you aware you’re not in Canada and that things are a little (or a lot) different. There are many but here’s one to get us started..

Often just before heading back to pick up the kids from school, Shamus and I  head to town to run an errand such as pick up a baguette, check out the wednesday morning market, check the hours of a particular store… During our first week here we walked into a wine cave (wine store).  We were the only ones in the store because it was fairly early in the morning (don’t judge).  It was very quiet in there, even the owner was no where to be found.  We kept lazily browsing the wine selection thinking that maybe the owner was in the back or something. All of a sudden we heard the front door close, and out of the corner of our vision we saw someone obviously locking the door and walking away. We looked at each other with the same question: “are we locked in here?” Yes we were.

Now I’ll be the first to admit that a wine cave is not the worst place to be locked in, but it’s all about timing. With no idea when the owner would be back, and a strict pick-up time of the kids from school, I had a bit of a panic setting in. We knocked on the door at passers-by, but they only looked at us and kept walking. Across the street there was a Brasserie with a bunch of french people smoking and drinking coffee. Some were even drinking champagne or white wine (they really do know how to live it up here in France).  They just amusingly kept staring at us, frantically waving our hands and knocking on the door trying to mime the fact that we were locked in.

Below is a photo of Shamus re-enacting the whole scene. This is the exact perspective of the coffee drinkers

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So what did we do?  Shamus just kept browsing, and I kind of watched the door and mimed a little more.  About 15 min later, the owner drove up in her car.  No big deal, she unlocked the door and told us to hang around while she parked the car. l’m not sure where she went while we were locked in, but it seems the french have a much more relaxed approach to store hours. If you’re the only one working, it’s totally fine to lock up for a bit, run out for a coffee break or run an errand. It’s kind of nice and freeing, as long as you’re not the person locked in the store with somewhere to be. .

Truffles

This is a big weekend in Uzes because it is le ‘Week-end de la Truffe’.  Although the harvesting of truffles happens from mid-november till mid- march, this particular weekend is packed with tastings and tours, cooking competitions and demonstrations.  Every restaurant in town has special menus with truffle added to it.  Shamus and I had our first real taste yesterday when we ordered a coffee with a piece of Quiche Lorraine a la truffe.

The kids passed on the truffles and ordered some brioche instead. 

A truffle is a rare edible mushroom that grows underground. It is considered a delicacy because of it’s unique aroma and distinct flavour. There are many types of truffle but the type that grows in this area is the black truffle, also known as the Black Diamond of the culinary world. It can only grow in certain areas with specific conditions. They are very difficult to find and are usually harvested by trained hogs and dogs.  Apparently pigs are natural truffle finders and dogs require more training.  Shamus read that some farmers prefer dogs over hogs because the pigs tend to immediately eat their discovery (they are pigs after all). That is not good for business since these truffles are pretty pricey.

Of course since we are in the capital of black truffles and amidst the prime harvesting season, we had to buy our own fresh truffles to try. Shamus and I went out last week while the kids were in school to check out the truffle store. I was surprised at the appearance and texture of the truffle. It is hard and rough, and it honestly looks like a bunch of turds in a fancy basket. The cost is approximately 1 euro per gram and it is recommended that you serve 10 grams per person. For instance, if you made a particular dish that would feed 10 people you would need to splurge about 100 euros for that meal. People around here mostly recommend grating fresh truffle on scrambled eggs or pasta. Here are a few photos of our truffle research expedition.

In the photo below, I’ve got about 300 Euros worth of truffles in my hands…

Today in town at the main square, there was a demonstration of a truffle hunt with a real pig. We headed down there this morning to take in a bit of the festival and watch the show.

This little piglet is in training and is being fed a bunch of truffles.

Here are a few more photos from the festival….

 

Goat’s milk

Grocery shopping is always an event in a foreign country and it’s something Shamus really loves doing. On the first night we arrived, he went out to get us going with a few key staples while I stayed back and unpacked the luggage. In Canada, the kids practically lived on cow’s milk. One of the things Shamus accidentally brought back from the grocery store was goat’s milk. Etienne avoided the whole situation but the twins had a sip.

They have not had a drop since.

First day of school

Last wednesday morning we finally visited the kids schools. The twins are attending Maternelle Le Pas du Loup. This is a pre-school and kindergarten all in one, so the ages start at 2 and go till 6. We can see the school from our apartment, but it’s still a bit of a walk through the field, down a back alley and around the front. They were expecting us (2 days before actually but as if we could get our act together for that!). Everyone was very welcoming and the twins did great! We got a tour of the school and their class. We met Maitre Jean-Phillippe, who will be their teacher. In maternelle you don’t say ‘Monsieur’ so and so, but ‘Maitre’. Evi and Nico got to meet all the kids, and were answering questions instead of clamming up like they usually do. The most interesting thing to us I think was the bathroom. It is one giant room with a bunch of little girl toilets, a bunch of little boys urinals and one giant fountain to wash hands. They are not separate, or enclosed. Just all together like men’s locker rooms. Hopefully won’t be any towel snapping going on in there.

I’m sure Evi will thank me for this photo one day. She got stage fright anyhow at that time (I wonder why).  The kids are allowed to go to the bathroom anytime; no need to ask so that’s good because I think I would want privacy even at 5 years old.

Etienne’s school is a few blocks down the street where the sidewalk is skinny and the cars zip by very fast (it’s a little stressful to walk there). It was a little crazier when we met his class, I guess because the kids are older and they all seemed very excited to have a foreigner come to their class. They  giggled at our accent, and commented on Etienne’s long hair. That didn’t seem to scare Etienne much, he thought they were nice and was excited to get started the next day. Here is Etienne in front of his school.

The following day was the first  full day of school for the kids. We had to set an alarm and it was very hard to get up since we’d been sleeping in till 9:30 every morning so 7am seemed early. They had the classic Nutella and baguette petit-dejeuner and off they went. I took the twins and Shamus took Etienne. Evi was skipping down the street obviously not anxious at all. They found their names above their hooks, hung their coats and went into class. They are to print out the date every morning and once that’s done they can go play. So I waved goodbye and went back home. They seemed totally fine.

The school hours are different here.The day starts at 8:30 and goes until 11:30. We then pick them up for a 2 hour lunch break. Back to school they go at 1: 30 until 4:30. Most of the store and commercial hours are much the same where everything closes from 12 until 2 so it’s very quiet in town and not a good time to get any errands done. You’re pretty much forced to stay home to eat and nap which is a very good plan to me.

Shamus said Etienne also transitioned well. The only problem is that I accidentally enrolled him in grade 5, not grade 4. Oops! In my defence, they don’t call them grades here, and it’s split up into different parts so it was confusing trying to figure this out when I was registering the kids from Canada. I was hoping they would notice his birthdate and correct me but I guess not.  I spoke with the teacher at the end of his first day of school, and we talked about it because she overheard him tell someone he was 9 when most of the kids are 10 or 11.  It also explains why one boy was Shamus’s height. Madame Toussard thinks Etienne should be fine, she noticed that he is ‘vif’ (quick to learn). So I think we’re going to leave him there since he’s already made a few buddies, and I think the younger class is very full. Etienne thinks then he can just sleep through the first half of school next year.

There isn’t a school bus service here in Uzes, so the parents just hover around the entranceway waiting for their kids to come out at 11:30 and again at 4:30.

Another thing that we found interesting is seeing all the teachers hanging outside the front doors smoking right where the kids come. Smoking is still acceptable here, it’s like they’ve never heard about cancer.  I’m so used to Canada and I like that part of our country very much.

It’s been a full week that they’ve been in school and I have to say the transition went extremely well and I’m very proud of them.  It’s been enjoyable walking them to school every day. It takes between 10-15 min one way and we do that 4 times a day so Shamus and I are getting our exercise just doing that. Here are a couple of shots of the kids walking down our path to school. Etienne likes to look for lizards hiding in the rocks.

 

To Uzes

This is the day we headed to Uzes, the town I chose by scouring the internet looking at thousands of houses for one that was:

a) pretty and foreign looking

b) in a mideival town that was not too big nor too small and

c) affordable for a 5 month sabbatical.

We’ve been here just a little over one week and I think this place meets the criteria.  I also think there are many other places that would do as there is no shortage of breathtaking mideival towns perched up on cliffs around here. Yet, Uzes does seem a bit special. We took the TGV (train a grande vitesse- high speed train) on monday morning. This train reaches speeds of over 300 km/hour.  For once we were early (or just ‘on time’ for most people) only to discover that the train would be 1.5 hours late. We hung out at the’gare’ (train station) for about 3 hours playing Uno and waiting around.

I will quickly mention that Nico puked in the station just when we arrived because he got car sick on the way there. It seems to be an ongoing problem around here.  We finally got on, but 5 giant suitcases and 5 backpacks (and 3 kids) is a pain to drag around!  We barely got them on the train in time but luckily we didn’t miss it.

Once we got settled and Shamus was done wrestling with the suitcases, the ride was good and we arrived to Nimes. When we got off the train, there was a lady holding a sign with ‘Uzes/Canada’ on it. It was for us!!! That’s the first time that’s ever happened to me, I thought that only happened in movies!  Our landlords decided to meet us at the station and take our luggage in their truck because it definitely would not fit in the itsy bitsy rental car we had waiting for us.  We could then follow them out of Nimes to Uzes since we didn’t know the way.  Of course we lost them immediately on the way out of the parkade so there we were  driving a tiny VW in a foreign country with no map. Shamus really was like Clark Grizwald, going around the roundabouts. I got the giggles so bad. Remember though that Nico gets car sick so easily and of course it looked like he would puke. The other two also had to pee very badly so we pulled over in the middle of the city. Evi peed all over her pants and boots but at least Nico didn’t puke. Luckily, our landlady drove past and saw us just when we had finished our outdoor bathroom break.   She pulled over and I switched spots with her husband so he could direct Shamus to Uzes. It’s about 25km of skinny windy roads, cliffs, and very fast driving. I guess the guy (Jacques) doesn’t speak much english, and Shamus’s french is not so great yet so Etienne was translating for them from the backseat. It’s hard to describe how nerve racking it is to drive in a strange place. I felt like my lady (Francoise) was a race car driver on the road.

Before heading to the house, she gave me a little tour of Uzes and it is soooo charming and beautiful. The house is wicked too, we are thrilled with it. The stone work on the ceiling dates the house back to 1720!!!!

Jacques has lived here his whole life in this very house, just like his father, grandfather, great-grandfather. The place is an old farm house that has been divided into suites. Their son Olivier (a bachelor) lives next door, and the owners live in the apartment upstairs. Their other son Sebastien and his wife Karine live in their own house next door. They have a 6 yr old and 2 yr old girl. Hopefully Evi can have playdates with the 6 yr old. The house is ancient but has been modernized- I even have a dishwasher for the first time in my life! On the first night Shamus and I slept on the futon in the living room next to the kids room so we could be near them. It felt like we’ were  royalty in a castle, or like we’re in Downton Abby (without the servants of course).

The next photos show the living room, the stone arches and our ginormous dining table.

Below is a photo of the kitchen dining area, and of Shamus’ favourite window which is where we like to keep our cheap wine and fresh garlic. Of course it’s already messy…

We headed out to check out the town a bit the next day. The cobblestone streets and alley’s are breathtaking. The christmas lights were still up which made it even more charming.

So far, so good…

 

 

 

 

2 Days in Paris

Once in Paris, we decided to stay for a couple of days to do some sightseeing as we really weren’t sure we’d make it back there.  We bought a 2 day pass, hopped on the RER (train) and got off in a touristy area (Rue St. Denis).We made the kids walk all day and they were troopers. We were in a bit of a rush that morning so we both forgot our cameras (whatever, it’s just Paris after all!). It is so beautiful and old and there are cobblestone streets and side walks everywhere. There is something beautiful and historic to see everywhere you look. It’s also stinky and busy and jam packed with so many people (all wearing scarves). We were a little disappointed in the restaurants that day though. That is something we still have to figure out. I think you need to spend 300$ per meal for a good one, or you eat at the panini or Croque Monsieur stands. The Boulangerie/Patisserie’s are awesome though.

The next morning we planned to get up at 7 and be at the eiffel tower by 9. Instead we slept in and woke up at 9. Jet lag is very hard to get over!  We finally arrived  at noon (it’s tricky to get anywhere with 3 kids!) and climbed up to the 2nd level.  We were warned to buy our tickets in advance but as usual we can’t get our act together for such things.  So we waited in line for about 30 min which wasn’t so bad in the end.  From afar, up close, from the bottom or the top or lit up at night, the Eiffel tower really is magnificent.

Back at the hotel, Nico found some loose change on the seat cushions of the chairs in the lobby. Since then, the kids have taken the habit of checking for money in all the vending machines at the train station, the subway or wherever. . They kind of look like homeless kids when they do it and it’s a bit embarrassing but they’ve gotten lucky a few times so it’s hard to make them stop. Anyhow, Nico was excited to use his little euro jackpot to buy his own souvenirs and he even shared with us cause that’s the kind of kid he is (:

The kids even skated up on the Eiffel Tower! There was a rink on the first level with free skate rentals.  I think it’s just there for the holiday season but it was kind of fun to do.

Afterwards we met up with the kid’s previous french babysitter Celine, her husband  and their little boy in front of the Louvre.

Celine bought the kids some crepes and we visited. Then we walked up to les Champs Elysees before they left us. It was really nice to see them again! The Champs Elysees was lit up for Christmas and was beautiful and packed with people.

After walking the Champs Elysees, we were tired, hungry, and I swear the kids walked for 10 kms that day. We were so happy to sit and have pizza and wine but this is when Paris decided to  kick us in the ass. The waiter was very rude, and wouldn’t let me order a pizza for the kids to share.  Shamus and I were going to order a large pizza and a salad at 30 bucks a piece. He said we had to get each kid their own at 15 bucks a piece.  Let me remind you that we are doing this trip on a budget so we walked out, with no food (Shamus was kinda happy because he wanted to eat at a kebab stand anyhow). Luckily I had an old baguette stuffed in my back pack so I fed it to the kids the way the Parisiens feed pigeons in front of the Louvre.

Into the subway we went for the first time. Evi and I got on followed by Nico but the door closed on his foot! What a friggin scene I tell you! Shamus had his superpowers on and pulled the doors enough for me and a lady to pull Nico’s foot out of the door and into the train just before it took off again. It would have severed his foot for sure if we hadn’t gotten it out in time.  So now the twins and I were on the train, and Shamus and Etienne were left behind. Shamus had all the money and metro/bus/train passes. I thought how in the hell will I ever find them?  I decided to get off at the next stop and we stood there hoping Shamus would see us. Luckily that’s what happened. Then we tried to get on another train but this time shamus didn’t make it on on time (the doors are open for like 3 seconds.). So the kids and I got off and waited for him again. Anyway, we did make it home but that incident really shook me up and I couldn’t sleep most of the night, also because I was still jet lagged.

I hope I didn’t sound too negative, because Paris really is a beautiful city. I definitely want to return someday, with more time and warmer weather.  We didn’t even see a fraction of all there is to see!  However we were all very excited to head south the next morning to finally see our new home for the next 5 months.