I made a list this past week of things I could talk about knowing full well I was traveling to Culan, France this weekend. Now that I sit here in my room in Culan, partially intoxicated, I realize how lucky I am to be able to experience such amazing food and drink. Sounds stupid but let me give you a run down...
Today I have had two glasses of white wine, two glasses of champagne, four glasses of red wine and three glasses of hot tea. This all started when at lunch when a lovely Frenchmen asked me what I wanted to drink. I replied water and he literally stared at me and said no. Then after a beat he said wine. Haha. It was ridiculous and awesome at once. French meals are long sometimes and today's lunch and dinner were no exception. Usually they work like this...
Aperitif
Entree
Salad
Cheese
Dessert
This happened at lunch and dinner today and I'm ready to pass the hell out! I had duck pâté for the first time ever. I have to say it was kind of amazing. Duck in any form was normally something reserved for special occasions at home, birthdays, graduations, you catch my drift. I have eaten so much duck here and I DO NOT hate it. Not one bit. We had salad with goat cheese and salad at gruyere cheese. Tonight we had a cherry dessert with rum which was fantastic. Dinner was a soup from southwest France that poor people eat...? It had cabbage and potatoes and duck. It was kind of like comfort food. It was delicious. I am kinda shitting my pants, however, because I was informed at dinner we are having rabbit tomorrow. There are some meats that scare the shit out of me...rabbit being one of them and goat being another. I knew this day would come...for many reasons I can discuss later...but...I'm so so nervous!!! Please don't be worried though, I will give a review on rabbit before I finish this post.
The country is beautiful. We drove through hills and hills of vineyards in a region apparently known for white wine. The pictures below are from the place I stayed, which is amazing and old and beautiful as well as a chateau in the town and even some people bungie jumping from a bridge!!! (I thought this only happened in movies...false) Where we stayed had sheep and tons of apple trees. They make their own apple juice, which I had, and it was fantastic. A lot of the ingrediants from thr meals were all grown locally. They also built a homemade(?) Airboat which we rode around what I considered to be a large pond...but everyone else called it a lake. See thenpics below.
On to my list of other things to discuss since I have not written in a while. Driving in France. I was so excited to not drive for a year...as you all know that is not my luck. Well France has roundabouts EVERYWHERE but they aren't the kind in America. They are like 5 lanes!!!!! It is absolutely insane and I have no effing idea how to navigate them. I am pretty sure I almost got hit at least 3 times last week!!! Not only do these hellish circular nightmares exist but the right of ways are all opposite. For example, if you're driving on a semi main road and someone is turning off a side street you had the right of way and get to keep on keepin on. In France it's the opposite!!!! The side streets have the right of way. I'm sorry but what in the hell is that?!! It doesn't even make sense!!!
Another gripe I am beginning to have with this amazing country is their currancy. They have too many coins. 1 and 2 euros are in change form. So unless your totally comes out in perfect 5s you get 100 coins back instead of bills. My wallet is huge, and not from any sort of bank roll but because of all my 1 and 2 Euro coins...whhyyy Euro designers whhyyy.
I have been working out like a crazy person. I run a 5k or so every few days, with the hopes of upping this real soon. The frequency anyway. I am also murdering my previous times. I don't know how this happened, but I have to say I'm impressed by my fat ass. Not all that long ago I was running 15 minute miles and could only run a mile till I had to stop. It has been grotesquely rainy lately so on those days I have been doing yoga. What a nightmare and what an exercise NOT designed for fat kids who love food...ie me. I found this one YouTube girl who I'm kind of digging. You can check her stuff here (Yoga For Beginners - 40 Minute Home Yoga Workout: http://youtu.be/OQ6NfFIr2jw) I definitely reccomend her. I owe a lot of my current abilities to my cousin. I've never ran with someone who was more supportive or a better teacher. God knows we hope shes a good teacher simce that's what she does...but I'd vouche for her. I told her the other day that my results were just as much her hard work as mine. She was so helpful in the technical side of running and although she made me puke several times she made sure she had high expectations without judging me or being too pushy. I am so thankful to her.
I sometimes have a lot of free time on my hands and I miss being creative. I miss having the time and opportunity, which I do now, but my location is hampering that a bit. I ordered some things from home and I know of a craft store here so I'm going to try to fix this problem sometime this week. I need to make something or occupy my time. Pinterest is killing mr because I find all these great things and I can't really make anything because one, I don't have the materials and two I don't have unlimited space to bring things back home...if and when I get there...
We are currently driving home from Culan as I write this. Today's lunch beverage selection included two glasses of champagne and three glasses of red wine. I'm going to have to up my distance for running just to negate all the drinking. And the pastries....we had amazing pastries today after lunch. I wish I could have taken a picture but I refrained as to not look like a total asshole. Today's lunch was rabbit. Rabbit in a mustard and cream sauce. I hate so much to admit this but it was amazing. It's funny because in high school I got a pet rabbit and named is "sarigue" which is a French word meaning possom. The strange connection here, if you will, is not lost on me. Who knew all these years later I would be eating rabbit for the first time in France...Anyway. Today was good..the drive home as been okay. I'm ready to get the hell out of this car and into my own room and my own bed. I have to sneak in a 1.5 mile run tonight because I promised to train with my friend...
I have to take a second to thank my mom and my Stephanie. They both sent packages this week and I appreciate it so much. Now, please take note this is not me asking for packages. For whatever reason it costs a million dollars to send stuff here. I would take letters though. I need all the encouragement I can get. Some days are great and some nearly perfect, however, some make me sad and overwhelmed. I have some letters here which I brought from home but I'm trying to ration them. Haha. But again thank you mom and Steph and just thank you everyone for the all the support.
I also wanted to attach to videos of songs I've found recently...although they aren't actually new. Music can change the world...I believe that so much. Music has gotten me through some hard times, some great times. Music is always connected to memories. Like if I hear a song and it can spark a memory of a time I heard that song. I can remember vividly what I was doing, I can feel the how the weather was, I can remember exactly where I was, what I was thinking. Music is a powerful beast. But I digress...here are two songs I'm currently in love with. Please listen and give them a chance...
Currently things are good. The food is great. I'm trying to stay healthy. In the coming weeks I am working full time and we have a holiday. This week I'm meeting a friend...YES I MET A FRIEND!!!! And we are having lunch Tuesday and heading to Paris on Saturday. I really would love to fit in some football, the American kind, college style, on Saturday if I can...we shall see. Enjoy the pics from me weekend, of my care packages and listen to the songs. I'll write again as soon as some great things happen. Until next time bitches!
Quote: Corey Smith -Bend
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