Tag: French Sabbatical

…that leads to the mall! And by windy, I mean WINDY (apologies to the Beatles purists). This is Stephanie crossing a bridge to get to Beaulieu, also referred by me as Bellevue Square due to its upscaledness. She and I were crossing this bridge to get to the mall because we overshot our stop by one. Melinda decided to wait for the bus to take her back in the other direction, but Stephanie and I decided to walk. For some crazy reason, she wanted a photo on the bridge. We stopped halfway across and she handed me her camera just as the wind picked up and turned her umbrella inside-out.

You may be wondering why we would venture out on such a blustery day. And if you know where we live in relationship to Beaulieu (Line 2 to Line 1 to Line 4), you may wonder even more. But just after lunch today Stephanie said, “Let’s go on an adventure!” So that’s what we did. Just think what an adventure she would have had if she had been blown off the bridge!

Before we left for France several people predicted that we’d likely put on a few pounds if we weren’t careful. You know, all the great breads and cheeses and delicious French cuisine. So we’ve tried to be very mindful about what we eat. Still, if we’re being honest here, it may be true that an extra half pound or so may have found its way on one of us (I’m not saying who!).

So to keep an eye on our weight, we play some games. Admittedly, these are more games with words than anything else but, hey, at least they’re funny. For instance, the delicious flaky pastry you see in today’s photo is called a “Pain au Chocolat.” Literally, that’s “bread at chocolate” or, obviously, “Chocolate Bread.” Yes, it’s incredibly delicious, especially when you get one straight from the oven. And with bakeries located approximately every 5 feet on any street, that’s pretty easy. Just how much butter do you think is needed to make it so flaky? Anyway, we have a new translation, one in our invented language of “Franglais.” “Pain au Chocolat” is “Pain of Chocolate.” See if that doesn’t slow you down from eating your fourth or fifth, washed down with a steamy cup of thick hot chocolate soup.

Still, if the “pain of chocolate” isn’t enough we have a couple other phrases to help. Take your pick from: “Pastry to the waistry,” “Apply to the thigh,” and “Goûter (sounds like gootay) to the booty (say as bootay).” With phrases like these I think I should write a diet book (oh, a diet in French is a “régime” – perfect!). After my book climbs to Amazon’s bestseller list I’m sure to get on Oprah. Can’t you hear “pastry to the waistry” appealing to Oprah?

I could just as easily have called this post Cake! Cake! Cake! or Cookies! Cookies! Cookies! but I decided Girls! Girls! Girls! was catchier. Not only is it the title of an old Elvis Presley movie, it better represents the content of this photo. I assume you all recognize Ella (on the far left) and Chloe (second from the right). That’s Stephanie on the far right and Manon between Ella and Chloe.

I took the photo at the Boudeaus, from where we just returned (hence the late posting). We were invited over for the Sunday goûter, which consisted of Cake! Cake! Cake! and Cookies! Cookies! Cookies!. Manon made a chocolate cake and Frédérique made a lemon cake. The cookies were of the Christmas variety and were those made yesterday by Chloe, Stephanie and Ella. In addition to the cake and cookies, the girls had bowls of Hot Chocolate! Hot Chocolate! Hot Chocolate! Which means everyone consumed a lot of Sugar! Sugar! Sugar!

I trust that explains the repetition and the exclamation points.

Just seconds ago I took this picture of Stephanie and Chloe. That’s Stephanie on the left, in case you can’t tell. I wanted to take a picture that included more of them than their arms and hands, but Chloe wasn’t having that. So you get more of a close-up.

Of greater interest anyway is what their hands are doing. They are making Christmas cookies, of course! We don’t have any cookie cutters so they are using whatever they can find to make shapes, including a wine bottle to roll out the dough. So far I’ve mainly seen things with round shapes, like snowmen, that are easy to make with drinking glasses. They are very proud of their “flower power” cookie made out of circles of different sizes. And I’m not sure how they did it, but they made a Christmas tree, too. Maybe with a knife? I don’t know. I never was very good with shapes. You remember when you had to manipulate shapes in your head to make an imaginary box or something? What had that to do with anything?

Fortunately, the shapes Stephanie and Chloe are making will soon come out of the oven. And then the only manipulating I have to do is with my teeth

Before explaining the title of today’s post I am very excited to report that my niece Stephanie arrived safely in Nantes late last night from Spain and is secure (and warm) in our home. She’ll be staying with us for a little more than a week. Undoubtedly, I’ll have several things to report about her visit and some photos, too. But she took off to Ikea with Melinda today so I was left to my own devices. And one device you all know I like a lot is the library.

Arriving at the library I was warmly greeted by my librarian friend Céline. She proceeded to tell me in French about this little holiday game they are playing at the library this month. Get this. They’ve wrapped up library items (books, CDs, movies) in bags, green for adults, purple for kids. If you want, you choose a bag and then get surprised by what you find. Bags have 3, 4 or 5 items. I understood about half of what she was saying, and more than half of the first half. I was too busy trying to make sense of the half of the first half I didn’t understand to follow much of the second half of what she was saying, if you get my drift. Fortunately, Céline then told me the whole thing again in English, of which I think I understood close to 90%.

Anyway, game for this sort of thing, I took a green bag with 3 items. When I got home, I opened it up and found a book, a CD and a DVD:

• Book – Le Vacillement du Monde by Alain Nadaud
  
• CD – Nuevos Sonidas Af’no Penuanos
  
• DVD – Arbres

I think I’ll have better luck making sense out of the CD and DVD than the book. And what a fun concept for a library to do! Nothing like a grab bag. It’s how my brother Scott sold old cereal box toys to the neighbor kids for more than the cost of the cereal!

Melinda and I were married on December 31, 1990 so that means it will be 20 years on the 31st. IF WE MAKE IT. To better ensure the marriage holds up for another 29 days we are doing several things. Of course, there is this sabbatical thing going on. But that’s a big thing and easy to forget when the trash needs taking out or the dishes are piling up or whatever else may keep us from making it to the end of the month in a still-married state. So we are also doing some smaller things on a daily basis that make trash piles, dirty dishes and whatever else less significant, if you know what I mean. One involves taking a walk every day (together). On the walk we actually talk to each other. And get this, Melinda is really funny! Who knew?!

On top of walks, we are also going out to eat (together). Given we are in France, we are eating in French restaurants, too. That works out so slick! And if eating in French restaurants can’t keep the spark alive, I don’t know what can. Today we went to a wonderful restaurant in Nantes called “Chez Maman” and had a delicious lunch. What fun we had (together), just the two of us.

After lunch we wandered around town. Melinda talked me in to going into a department store because she’s looking for a bag and a wallet. She really liked one bag for 795€ but decided to pass on that. Apparently it had ingenius straps or something. I figure for that kind of money it should be able to take out the trash, wash dishes, and otherwise do whatever else might need to get done. While she was looking at less expensive options I spotted this mannequin couple celebrating something. Given our upcoming event, I decided to think it was their 20th anniversary, too. I suggested to Melinda that a photo of the happy mannequin couple would make a good one to use here on the blog on the 31st but she just walked away from me. So to keep marital bliss, and the chances good on reaching 20 years married, I’m using it today. See how smart I am??

If you look at this post from September you may argue that Ella’s already had her turn. But when you look at today’s picture, you could also argue that it is a bit of a cop-out and thus Ella deserves another turn.

Anyway, like I said back in September, the four letters e-l-l-a in that order are quite easy to find. But rarely are they alone. They are a part of a lot of words, but in France I have not found something that singles out Ella as a name. One of my favorites with her name embedded is a store called Cuisinella, which I first learned of while attending a hockey game. The name was on the boards that surround the ice, an ad. See, those ads work! Melinda and I recently saw the actual store but haven’t been in it yet.

Of course there are all the food items, many of which have been mentioned here. But I’ve chosen to isolate a dessert disguised as a breakfast cereal. And, really, what could be better than a combination of chocolate and Ella. I think that may be Ella’s idea of heaven (but do you think a food product with the word “choke” in its name would sell well in the U.S.?).

Chokella Chokella bo Bokella! Banana fanna fo Fokella! Fe fi mo Mokella! CHOKELLA!

Today we focus on Chloe, the easiest of our four names to find in France. Truth be told, it’s accurate to say that Chloe is everywhere. On billboards, in stores, everywhere! Here in our house, at the University of Nantes, yup, everywhere! Don’t believe me, check this out. Yes it’s true, Chloe even has her own website.

One thing to keep in mind, and those of you that know her are fully aware of this, Chloe is very classy. Want to smell like Chloe? The LEAST expensive way to do this is online but it will still set you back at least 80 bucks. Shoes are over $200. Bags, nearly $400! How about a pretty dress, you say? Here’s one reduced to $340.

Listen, I have an in with Chloe so let me know if you want an autograph or something. I’m pretty sure I can get one of those for you for less than than $100.

Expensive Expensive bo Bexpensive! Banana fanna fo Fexpensive! Fe fi mo Mexpensive! EXPENSIVE!

It’s very cold in Nantes. If you use a Celsius measurement stick, it’s in the negative numbers, -1 as I write with a forecast of -5 by Wednesday night. I don’t know about you, but when I start talking about negative numbers in terms of temperatures, I think it’s cold.

As you may know, I accompany Ella to school each morning. On most mornings we head out at about 7:35am to catch the tram. Well, at 7:35am it’s still night time, completely dark. For illustrative purposes, the sunrise today was at 8:29am (learn more here). So combine the darkness with the cold (it was -4 at 7:35 this morning) and it’s tough to get out of the house. Factor in that it is Monday and, sheesh, it’s almost miraculous that Ella made it to school on time.

Per usual, after riding the tram to school with Ella, I walked back home. Frankly, it’s a beautiful walk, invigorating today in the cold. It’s become one of my favorite parts of each day. When I arrived back home the sun was just up, illuminating this frozen spider web in our front gate. I tried different angles and light settings to get the best picture. As I took the pictures I wondered about the spider who spun the web. Where is she now? Perhaps walking home from taking her daughter to spider school, commenting on how cold it is? On the phone to the spider heating service, “The heat is off in my house. How quickly can you send someone over?”

Nantes has been decorated for the holidays! A couple of days ago I mentioned the “Christmas Village” that has been set up. You know, all kinds of little holiday shops created for the shoppers to browse, each with its own unique seasonal theme. The way they’re set up, each with its red paint and holiday theme and each being so small, has caused Chloe and her friends to refer to them as “elf houses.”

In addition to these shops, the city has also gone to some trouble to put up holiday lights. I’ll likely blog about again but I really want to mention how pretty and festive it is. Today’s photo was taken last night soon after we got off the train from Angers. We decided to walk around town before catching the tram home. I got the girls and Melinda to pause for a minute so I could take this picture.

For added festive measure, the weather joined in this afternoon and we got a lovely little snow shower. For a couple of hours it was coming down in beautiful large flakes, ideal for this time of year. Chloe, Melinda and I were on the tram during this time and Chloe remarked to my amusement, “Take that, Seattle!” Yes, it may be crazy. But we really like the snow.