22 Octobre 2007
I meet Pierre at Sentiers (which is apparently near where he works) for a late lunch. He met me at the metro station around 3pm and we walked around the neighborhood until we found a quaint restaurant to have lunch at. I took a glass of red wine; he had beer. When we ordered I took a croque-monsieur; he took a croque-madame, which is usually a grilled cheese sandwich topped with an egg cooked sunny-side up. (Sometimes this sandwich also has ham in it; just depends on the café.) When the waiter brought out our order, I laughed when Pierre told him “Croque-monsieur pour madame, croque-madame pour monsieur.” It was the truth but I am always amazed at how amusing the French language can be. While eating, a homeless guy came up to us to see if he could get some money. Pierre told him sorry, that we didn’t have anything, without even looking at him. He continued to walk up and down the street. On his third time past us, we had already finished eating but he asked for a cigarette, which Pierre gave him one. Amazing how he wouldn’t share his food, but he was ok with giving a cigarette. Maybe he doesn’t believe in being denied the small pleasures of life. Once we decided to leave the café, we walked to the Forum des Halles, which is a large shopping center that is connected to a metro station. There were tons of people walking around and we went to the FNAC, a large electronic/music store, almost like a Best Buy, a Barnes and Noble, and a TicketMaster all put together. Pierre wanted to buy a ticket to a concert for HocusPocus, a French rap group, but unfortunately he was unable to do so, since the concert was sold out. We continued to walk around the center, looking at different items. After about an hour, we had to leave for different appointments. The attached metro station, Chatelet, is super crazy (with traffic) because there is the metro line and two or three RERs that meet up at this station. I’m learning to appreciate getting to see all my friends from Miami, especially my French friends.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
I Loved This Day!
21 Octobre 2007
Mickel and I actually decided on the same place to visit, Musée d’Orsay, but because we left the house so late and the museum would close in an hour, we decided to just walk around Paris. This museum is not far from the Louvre, so Mickel and I headed in that direction. We took pictures of each other on the bridges over the Seine and then we entered the Jardin des Tuileries, which is a beautiful garden with large fountains and tons of statues. There are lots of green chairs everywhere, kind of like metal adirondack chairs, and people sit all over the park. Some sit alone and read or sleep; others sit with their loved ones or family. There are ice cream vendors as well as a couple of small cafes that featured a special: vin chaud (hot wine). Mickel and I walked throughout the park, until we came across the huge Ferris wheel, called La Grande Roue de Paris. All of the carriages featured rugby teams on them and they were capable of being spun in a horizontal circle. Mickel asked me if I wanted to ride it and of course, I said yes! It was kind of expensive (8€) but sometimes it’s worth it for the entertainment. Mickel and I had to wait 3 times for the wheel to stop, but we were the first ones on during our turn. Our carriage just featured emblems of the rugby world cup and for some reason, I was happy it didn’t feature a specific team. I can’t really explain why. Once Mickel and I were seated, he started spinning the carriage and it kind of freaked me out at first. I’m not afraid of heights, but I like to “get my bearings” the first time I go high on some kind of ride. After awhile, it was like a game to try and stop him spinning it, but of course, he was stronger than me and I had to keep spinning until I asked nicely. I mean, the view was spectacular and I wanted pictures of Paris as the sun was setting. Fortunately, he would turn the carriage so I could take my pictures. After our turn on the Ferris wheel was over, we bought something to eat at the vendors right behind the attraction. I got a hot dog with cheese and unlike the hot dogs in the US, this is a huge hot dog with tons of melted cheese and a bottle of water; Mickel got a salami sandwich and a coffee. It was a great way to spend a later afternoon.
Mickel and I actually decided on the same place to visit, Musée d’Orsay, but because we left the house so late and the museum would close in an hour, we decided to just walk around Paris. This museum is not far from the Louvre, so Mickel and I headed in that direction. We took pictures of each other on the bridges over the Seine and then we entered the Jardin des Tuileries, which is a beautiful garden with large fountains and tons of statues. There are lots of green chairs everywhere, kind of like metal adirondack chairs, and people sit all over the park. Some sit alone and read or sleep; others sit with their loved ones or family. There are ice cream vendors as well as a couple of small cafes that featured a special: vin chaud (hot wine). Mickel and I walked throughout the park, until we came across the huge Ferris wheel, called La Grande Roue de Paris. All of the carriages featured rugby teams on them and they were capable of being spun in a horizontal circle. Mickel asked me if I wanted to ride it and of course, I said yes! It was kind of expensive (8€) but sometimes it’s worth it for the entertainment. Mickel and I had to wait 3 times for the wheel to stop, but we were the first ones on during our turn. Our carriage just featured emblems of the rugby world cup and for some reason, I was happy it didn’t feature a specific team. I can’t really explain why. Once Mickel and I were seated, he started spinning the carriage and it kind of freaked me out at first. I’m not afraid of heights, but I like to “get my bearings” the first time I go high on some kind of ride. After awhile, it was like a game to try and stop him spinning it, but of course, he was stronger than me and I had to keep spinning until I asked nicely. I mean, the view was spectacular and I wanted pictures of Paris as the sun was setting. Fortunately, he would turn the carriage so I could take my pictures. After our turn on the Ferris wheel was over, we bought something to eat at the vendors right behind the attraction. I got a hot dog with cheese and unlike the hot dogs in the US, this is a huge hot dog with tons of melted cheese and a bottle of water; Mickel got a salami sandwich and a coffee. It was a great way to spend a later afternoon.
The Strikes In France: They're The Beginning Of The End...I Think
18 Octobre 2007
Today was the grève des transports which is where all the employees of the transportation system in France (metro, bus and RER) protest against the government because they don’t like some of the changes that were made in regards to length of work week and retirement age. The strange thing about strikes in France is that they are set up months in advance and the dates leading up to its commencement, there are advertisements about it everywhere. This strike in particular affected members of the educational system, so some of the teachers of our high school went on strike. Because of the lack in transportation (no RERs and limited bus/metros), many of the students couldn’t come to school. I ended up having some of my classes cancelled because of it. (I also didn’t babysit because of the limited transportation.) Since Mickel and I ended up having a free day, we decided to venture out. Mickel wanted to go to La Defense, which is on the opposite side of Paris from us. I agreed, only because some of the professors had said that line 1 would be working just fine. Oh, how I wish I had never agreed to go! Since Bérault is near the end of line 1, we could get on when there weren’t many people. However, as the line progressed towards larger stations, the metro became so crowded with people, that I felt like I was being stepped on and peoples’ arms were in my face. By the time Mickel and I got to La Defense, I felt so nauseated that I had to walk around slowly and get some air. La Defense is Paris’ largest business park and it is well known for the Grande Arche, which can be seen as one exits the last metro station. There was also a huge screen that was playing rugby and several spectators who were watching. I took pictures of some of the buildings and artwork nearby, but also some of Mickel, since he didn’t have a camera. From La Defense, it is possible to see the Arc de Triomphe in the distance, which means that the Champs-Élysées is just beyond. Mickel and I walked with all of the employees (who were leaving for the day) towards the Arc. It was quite a long walk considering how close everything seems and by the time we got to the Arc, it was already night. I got some great pictures of the Eiffel Tower with the moon as well as the Arc de Triomphe all lit up. There were also tons of antique dealers who had small tented shops nearby that featured all kinds of furniture. What was incredible was that when they were done for the day, the just sealed up their tents and left! I hope that they did something with their things. I’d be afraid that someone would steal them. Unfortunately, we were not going to be able to walk all the way back to Vincennes, so we had to take the metro near Concorde and of course, it was so crowded. I was so happy when we got back home so I could get out of the crowds. Note to self: Never travel during a strike. If you can’t get there by walking, you don’t need to go!
Today was the grève des transports which is where all the employees of the transportation system in France (metro, bus and RER) protest against the government because they don’t like some of the changes that were made in regards to length of work week and retirement age. The strange thing about strikes in France is that they are set up months in advance and the dates leading up to its commencement, there are advertisements about it everywhere. This strike in particular affected members of the educational system, so some of the teachers of our high school went on strike. Because of the lack in transportation (no RERs and limited bus/metros), many of the students couldn’t come to school. I ended up having some of my classes cancelled because of it. (I also didn’t babysit because of the limited transportation.) Since Mickel and I ended up having a free day, we decided to venture out. Mickel wanted to go to La Defense, which is on the opposite side of Paris from us. I agreed, only because some of the professors had said that line 1 would be working just fine. Oh, how I wish I had never agreed to go! Since Bérault is near the end of line 1, we could get on when there weren’t many people. However, as the line progressed towards larger stations, the metro became so crowded with people, that I felt like I was being stepped on and peoples’ arms were in my face. By the time Mickel and I got to La Defense, I felt so nauseated that I had to walk around slowly and get some air. La Defense is Paris’ largest business park and it is well known for the Grande Arche, which can be seen as one exits the last metro station. There was also a huge screen that was playing rugby and several spectators who were watching. I took pictures of some of the buildings and artwork nearby, but also some of Mickel, since he didn’t have a camera. From La Defense, it is possible to see the Arc de Triomphe in the distance, which means that the Champs-Élysées is just beyond. Mickel and I walked with all of the employees (who were leaving for the day) towards the Arc. It was quite a long walk considering how close everything seems and by the time we got to the Arc, it was already night. I got some great pictures of the Eiffel Tower with the moon as well as the Arc de Triomphe all lit up. There were also tons of antique dealers who had small tented shops nearby that featured all kinds of furniture. What was incredible was that when they were done for the day, the just sealed up their tents and left! I hope that they did something with their things. I’d be afraid that someone would steal them. Unfortunately, we were not going to be able to walk all the way back to Vincennes, so we had to take the metro near Concorde and of course, it was so crowded. I was so happy when we got back home so I could get out of the crowds. Note to self: Never travel during a strike. If you can’t get there by walking, you don’t need to go!
The Lovely Dinner Party
13 Octobre 2007
Tonight, Mickel and I attended a dinner party hosted by his main professor, Mme Marie-Esther Sanchez. Mme Sanchez teaches Spanish (obviously) and although she is French, her parents initially moved to France from Spain. She considers herself from the area near the Loire River Valley, where she was born and where her parents currently live, known as Fontainebleau (also home to the well-known Chateau de Fontainebleau. Seriously, google it. It’s amazing.) Mme Sanchez had invited us to a small dinner with her at her home around 8pm. Of course, Mickel and I were running a little late (hey, it’s customary in France to be about 30 mins late for dinner!) because we didn’t know the area very well. We also had a little snafu with her ascenseur (elevator). Mickel was joking around, jumping up and down inside of the already small elevator. Of course, I was squealing that he should stop, that something would happen. When we got to the “right floor”, the door opened and it appeared that we were stuck in between two floors! I got a little freaked out that we might get stuck in the elevator and gave Mickel a hard time about making us even tardier. We could hear Mme Sanchez laughing and telling us that we should take the elevator up to the fourth floor and she would meet us. Fortunately, when we pushed the button, the door closed and proceeded up to the next floor. She met us at the door and walked us down a small flight of stairs. Apparently, it wasn’t Mickel’s jumping that caused the problem. The building’s floors don’t quite match up with the elevator, so sometimes you have to take the next floor up and then walk down a small staircase. Mme Sanchez welcomed us into her home and we noticed that there were two other young people there. It happened to be her niece, Anna, and Anna’s boyfriend Guillaume. Since Mme Sanchez doesn’t have any children (or has never been married), she likes to invite her nieces and nephews over to eat with her, as if they were her own children. Anna, 25, works at a hotel and also babysits a young child. Her boyfriend, 27, works at the Charles de Gaulle airport (where I landed) as a flight representative to help passengers check in, check luggage, etc. He amazed me with his knowledge of many languages (French, English, some Spanish and a little German) because of the number of different backgrounds that come through the busy airport. Before the French eat their meal, there are usually les aperitifs (appetizers and alcohol) served to the guests. These can consist of chips, crackers, nuts, dried fruit mix (aka little munchies) and usually some kind of alcohol, like bourbon/scotch/brandy/etc. We sit and eat and talk and eat for about an hour or until the hostess tells us it’s time to eat and welcomes us to the table. Mme Sanchez had prepared us raclette (yum!) only this time she served it the proper way, with all the charcuterie. Lots of pancetta, proscuitto, ham, bacon, etc. And of course, there was wine and tons of cheese! We were consistently receiving the small plaques of melted cheese, even if we hadn’t finished our originally serving. To be honest, it was even better than eating it in the restaurant previously because of how many other people were sharing in the process. After dinner, the dessert was served, a chocolate pear tarte that Guillaume had made. Now, I’m not much of a pear person, but I ate my piece and it wasn’t too bad. We were also served a different wine for the dessert, a nice Riesling from the Alsace region in France. (It’s near Germany.) And of course, because you can’t have too much wine at a French dinner, Mme Sanchez gave Mickel and me some strong red wine from Spain. Throughout the night, the conversation (and the company) was very pleasant. Anna asked her aunt if we could come back for another dinner. She said of course and Anna and her beau left, because they had to work the next day. We helped Mme Sanchez to clear the table, even though she kept insisting that guests weren’t supposed to help with the dishes. We looked at some of her pictures from her travels and then Mickel and I left because it was getting really late! We had to catch the last metro which runs at 2am!
Tonight, Mickel and I attended a dinner party hosted by his main professor, Mme Marie-Esther Sanchez. Mme Sanchez teaches Spanish (obviously) and although she is French, her parents initially moved to France from Spain. She considers herself from the area near the Loire River Valley, where she was born and where her parents currently live, known as Fontainebleau (also home to the well-known Chateau de Fontainebleau. Seriously, google it. It’s amazing.) Mme Sanchez had invited us to a small dinner with her at her home around 8pm. Of course, Mickel and I were running a little late (hey, it’s customary in France to be about 30 mins late for dinner!) because we didn’t know the area very well. We also had a little snafu with her ascenseur (elevator). Mickel was joking around, jumping up and down inside of the already small elevator. Of course, I was squealing that he should stop, that something would happen. When we got to the “right floor”, the door opened and it appeared that we were stuck in between two floors! I got a little freaked out that we might get stuck in the elevator and gave Mickel a hard time about making us even tardier. We could hear Mme Sanchez laughing and telling us that we should take the elevator up to the fourth floor and she would meet us. Fortunately, when we pushed the button, the door closed and proceeded up to the next floor. She met us at the door and walked us down a small flight of stairs. Apparently, it wasn’t Mickel’s jumping that caused the problem. The building’s floors don’t quite match up with the elevator, so sometimes you have to take the next floor up and then walk down a small staircase. Mme Sanchez welcomed us into her home and we noticed that there were two other young people there. It happened to be her niece, Anna, and Anna’s boyfriend Guillaume. Since Mme Sanchez doesn’t have any children (or has never been married), she likes to invite her nieces and nephews over to eat with her, as if they were her own children. Anna, 25, works at a hotel and also babysits a young child. Her boyfriend, 27, works at the Charles de Gaulle airport (where I landed) as a flight representative to help passengers check in, check luggage, etc. He amazed me with his knowledge of many languages (French, English, some Spanish and a little German) because of the number of different backgrounds that come through the busy airport. Before the French eat their meal, there are usually les aperitifs (appetizers and alcohol) served to the guests. These can consist of chips, crackers, nuts, dried fruit mix (aka little munchies) and usually some kind of alcohol, like bourbon/scotch/brandy/etc. We sit and eat and talk and eat for about an hour or until the hostess tells us it’s time to eat and welcomes us to the table. Mme Sanchez had prepared us raclette (yum!) only this time she served it the proper way, with all the charcuterie. Lots of pancetta, proscuitto, ham, bacon, etc. And of course, there was wine and tons of cheese! We were consistently receiving the small plaques of melted cheese, even if we hadn’t finished our originally serving. To be honest, it was even better than eating it in the restaurant previously because of how many other people were sharing in the process. After dinner, the dessert was served, a chocolate pear tarte that Guillaume had made. Now, I’m not much of a pear person, but I ate my piece and it wasn’t too bad. We were also served a different wine for the dessert, a nice Riesling from the Alsace region in France. (It’s near Germany.) And of course, because you can’t have too much wine at a French dinner, Mme Sanchez gave Mickel and me some strong red wine from Spain. Throughout the night, the conversation (and the company) was very pleasant. Anna asked her aunt if we could come back for another dinner. She said of course and Anna and her beau left, because they had to work the next day. We helped Mme Sanchez to clear the table, even though she kept insisting that guests weren’t supposed to help with the dishes. We looked at some of her pictures from her travels and then Mickel and I left because it was getting really late! We had to catch the last metro which runs at 2am!
Meeting Up With A Good Friend
11 Octobre 2007
Today, I went to go meet Gwenola, another French friend of mine from Miami. (She was one of my residents when I was an RA.) I meet her in the 7th arrondissement, which is one of the nicest and richest parts of Paris. She lives here with her parents, but she lives in the maid’s quarters of her parents’ home. Apparently, she’s working as an underpaid assistant for a design company, helping with their appointment schedule and other such things in their office. She told me it’s only temporary, but that she currently enjoys the work. She met me at the metro station and she took me to a nice restaurant, where we shared a bottle of wine and I had a salad with warm goat cheese. We talked about the past and Miami, but we also talked about how difficult it was for her to come back to France in January after being away for four months. She was glad to see that I seemed well integrated here in France. We also both talked about how we would both like to been in a relationship with someone great. Knowing Gwenola, her life is too crazy to get into something deep with someone else. She confesses, as I expect with her, that she is always busy but she hopes to get together sometime soon. I’m thankful that all my French friends haven’t forgotten about me since I’m come to France. I don’t depend on them but it’s certainly nice to have their company when I’m the stranger in their homeland.
Today, I went to go meet Gwenola, another French friend of mine from Miami. (She was one of my residents when I was an RA.) I meet her in the 7th arrondissement, which is one of the nicest and richest parts of Paris. She lives here with her parents, but she lives in the maid’s quarters of her parents’ home. Apparently, she’s working as an underpaid assistant for a design company, helping with their appointment schedule and other such things in their office. She told me it’s only temporary, but that she currently enjoys the work. She met me at the metro station and she took me to a nice restaurant, where we shared a bottle of wine and I had a salad with warm goat cheese. We talked about the past and Miami, but we also talked about how difficult it was for her to come back to France in January after being away for four months. She was glad to see that I seemed well integrated here in France. We also both talked about how we would both like to been in a relationship with someone great. Knowing Gwenola, her life is too crazy to get into something deep with someone else. She confesses, as I expect with her, that she is always busy but she hopes to get together sometime soon. I’m thankful that all my French friends haven’t forgotten about me since I’m come to France. I don’t depend on them but it’s certainly nice to have their company when I’m the stranger in their homeland.
I Can't Believe That I'm A Teacher In France
9 Octobre 2007
I started teaching classes today! OMG. My first class was one of my seconde (sophomores) and they are super curious about practicing their English, which is pretty good for the youngsters of the high school. We worked on a piece about adoption, since they are studying family right now. I also found some funny cartoons that I had them work with. The most popular one seems to be the “macaroni” picture. My second class I meet (première = juniors) with had to take a test, so I sat quietly in the class with my professor and observed the students. My third class was cancelled (yes!) so I had a free period until 3pm when I resume teaching. My teacher for my terminale STG (basically, senior science students) had not provided me with any lesson plan! Because I had already met them the week before, their teacher wanted me to teach them about Native Americans. Teach them about Native Americans? This seemed odd to me, but fortunately with my background and past interest in archaeology, as well as my former employment at Sun Watch Indian Village, I was able to lead a discussion from, well, my ass. Of course, it seems awkward as hell and I know that the students were bored, because at the end of class, they said they were going to talk to their teacher about what they wanted to do with this class. Disappointed, I wasn’t a better “teacher” or at least entertaining, I finished out my day in a class of virtually no English speakers to whom I would later teach English. Oh special. My worst class of the day is my BTS (brevet de technicien supérieur) pour l’assurance. These are basically post-graduate high school students who want to work for insurance companies once they have finished their intermediate studies. This seems to be my most difficult class so far, because hardly any of them speak English. I remember being in their class the first week and having to answer their questions, most of which didn’t present any. And, Céline pretty much translated everything for them into French, which I know that I can’t do because my vocabulary is still a little weak. I was supposed to teach them about how to write CVs, but also explain to them the difference between CVs and resumes according to the US. I prompted them several times, but they pretty much stayed silent or talked to their neighbors. I got pretty angry with them and I think they could tell that I was upset. I think my problem with this class is going to be the lack of interests from the students because they just don’t care. They don’t understand the importance of the language, even though they have studied it for the past eight years in collège and lycée! I just honestly wish that they would make more of an effort to try and participate. I have a feeling that this is probably going to be my most challenging class of the year. Lucky me.
I started teaching classes today! OMG. My first class was one of my seconde (sophomores) and they are super curious about practicing their English, which is pretty good for the youngsters of the high school. We worked on a piece about adoption, since they are studying family right now. I also found some funny cartoons that I had them work with. The most popular one seems to be the “macaroni” picture. My second class I meet (première = juniors) with had to take a test, so I sat quietly in the class with my professor and observed the students. My third class was cancelled (yes!) so I had a free period until 3pm when I resume teaching. My teacher for my terminale STG (basically, senior science students) had not provided me with any lesson plan! Because I had already met them the week before, their teacher wanted me to teach them about Native Americans. Teach them about Native Americans? This seemed odd to me, but fortunately with my background and past interest in archaeology, as well as my former employment at Sun Watch Indian Village, I was able to lead a discussion from, well, my ass. Of course, it seems awkward as hell and I know that the students were bored, because at the end of class, they said they were going to talk to their teacher about what they wanted to do with this class. Disappointed, I wasn’t a better “teacher” or at least entertaining, I finished out my day in a class of virtually no English speakers to whom I would later teach English. Oh special. My worst class of the day is my BTS (brevet de technicien supérieur) pour l’assurance. These are basically post-graduate high school students who want to work for insurance companies once they have finished their intermediate studies. This seems to be my most difficult class so far, because hardly any of them speak English. I remember being in their class the first week and having to answer their questions, most of which didn’t present any. And, Céline pretty much translated everything for them into French, which I know that I can’t do because my vocabulary is still a little weak. I was supposed to teach them about how to write CVs, but also explain to them the difference between CVs and resumes according to the US. I prompted them several times, but they pretty much stayed silent or talked to their neighbors. I got pretty angry with them and I think they could tell that I was upset. I think my problem with this class is going to be the lack of interests from the students because they just don’t care. They don’t understand the importance of the language, even though they have studied it for the past eight years in collège and lycée! I just honestly wish that they would make more of an effort to try and participate. I have a feeling that this is probably going to be my most challenging class of the year. Lucky me.
Dinner Is Always Nice In The Latin Quarter
7 Octobre 2007
Since Mickel and I had stayed up really late, we slept in really late too! We pretty much didn’t do anything until I called Liz later in the afternoon about going to the library. When we attempted to go to the library, the entrance was so full of people that we decided to sit out back and access the Internet outside. Once we were finished, Mickel asked us if we wanted to get a drink somewhere, so we stopped at an “Irish Pub” for a drink. Liz and I had cocktails; Mickel had a beer. They were overpriced and under quality, like most of the bars here in Paris. Since we weren’t quite ready to go home, we walked around Paris until we reached the Latin Quarter. Here, there are tons of restaurants and bars and most feature really good prices. After wandering for about an hour, we decided that we were too hungry to leave and stayed for dinner at a little restaurant called Le Vieux Paris. Liz had chicken in a nice mushroom sauce with fries (they love them here in France!); Mickel and I shared a dish called raclette nature. This is a dish of boiled potatoes, which you top with melted cheese (fromage à raclette) by placing the slices in a little tray which goes into a machine that creates heat. Our dish is called raclette nature because the dish without meat. Normal raclette usually comes with a variety of different meats, like ham, bacon, proscuitto, salami, pancetta, all of which the French would call charcuterie. For dessert, Liz and I got the mousse au chocolat and Mickel got the tarte du jour. It was a lovely meal and the restaurant was so small and quaint. There were currency bills from all over the world hanging from the back of the restaurant. Mickel gave them a bill from Costa Rica so he could be represented. I wished that I had had a two dollar bill from my collection to give.
Since Mickel and I had stayed up really late, we slept in really late too! We pretty much didn’t do anything until I called Liz later in the afternoon about going to the library. When we attempted to go to the library, the entrance was so full of people that we decided to sit out back and access the Internet outside. Once we were finished, Mickel asked us if we wanted to get a drink somewhere, so we stopped at an “Irish Pub” for a drink. Liz and I had cocktails; Mickel had a beer. They were overpriced and under quality, like most of the bars here in Paris. Since we weren’t quite ready to go home, we walked around Paris until we reached the Latin Quarter. Here, there are tons of restaurants and bars and most feature really good prices. After wandering for about an hour, we decided that we were too hungry to leave and stayed for dinner at a little restaurant called Le Vieux Paris. Liz had chicken in a nice mushroom sauce with fries (they love them here in France!); Mickel and I shared a dish called raclette nature. This is a dish of boiled potatoes, which you top with melted cheese (fromage à raclette) by placing the slices in a little tray which goes into a machine that creates heat. Our dish is called raclette nature because the dish without meat. Normal raclette usually comes with a variety of different meats, like ham, bacon, proscuitto, salami, pancetta, all of which the French would call charcuterie. For dessert, Liz and I got the mousse au chocolat and Mickel got the tarte du jour. It was a lovely meal and the restaurant was so small and quaint. There were currency bills from all over the world hanging from the back of the restaurant. Mickel gave them a bill from Costa Rica so he could be represented. I wished that I had had a two dollar bill from my collection to give.
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