As we rolled our suitcases over to the bus depot this morning, we stopped so that I could pop over to the market for one last baguette. We ate it, along with the last of our Comté cheese as we waited for the shuttle to the Lyon airport, a last good-bye to the good life in France. A maimed bird that we called Limpy hung about eating our crumbs.
At the Lyon airport I aimed to start spending our accumulated Euro change, finding what snacks and useful items for sale that could use as much as possible. If only the vending machines took the 1, 2 and 5-centime pieces!
I bought as long a book as possible to read en route - Wolf Hall - hundreds of pages of English historical fiction in a compact paperbook format. I had to divest myself of a book to make room for it in my bag, leaving it on an airport waiting room chair, hoping someone would pick it up. I had considered slipping it into the shelves of the bookstore - wouldn't that play havoc with the store's inventory, if someone tried to purchase a book that they didn't have in their system?
When we got to Berlin we checked in to our hotel and then went in search of food. We ended up at an Indian restaurant not far down the street. Our waitress didn't speak much English, and we know almost no German, but the names of all the dishes were familiar from Indian restaurants already. She managed to gesture to us that she was concerned we'd find the garnishes too hot and spicy, but we thought they were great.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Things French People Like
After living in Grenoble for a while I started making a list of things particularly beloved of the French. And they all seemed to start with the letter "s". Of course I couldn't help but try to shoehorn other noticed items into the list. So here it is!
Scarves: everyone wears them, all the time, regardless of weather, age, or sex. Now I wear them too, feeling like I'm wearing a disguise to blend in, yet am learning to like it. I bought a very lovely silk scarf in Lyons. But I know I'll feel odd continuing to wear them when we move back to Toronto.
Smoking: so many more people smoking than in Canada. Particularly odd to have a merchant selling fresh vegetables to you at the farmer's market blow smoke in your face.
Scooters: the kind you push with your feet, like a skateboard with a handle (not the motorized scooters). Everyone rides them, young and old. I've seen a mother and young child riding a scooter together. Mark thinks we should get matching scooters for ourselves.
Singing: People sing much more freely here. I see kids and parents singing songs together as they walk along the sidewalk. Rowdy drunken people at the bar sing out loud at night. The birds even seem more musical.
Saying hello and good-bye (but only when in the same space): If you enter a shop, you say hello to the shopkeeper, and good-bye when you depart. If you enter an elevator, you say hello to the occupant, and good-bye when you exit. But you don't say hello (or nod, or make eye contact even) when passing strangers on the street. It's quite the opposite of the usual Toronto social interactions.
Simple hair and make-up: I often feel a little understated in Toronto, but in Grenoble I'm just one of many women with simple hair and make-up. It's great - it all feels very natural and easy-going. When you see someone with noticeable eyeliner you almost do a double take.
Set menus: all menus, lunch or dinner, offer a three-course prix fixe option, with starter, main and desert. And they're generally great deals, especially for lunch. I love how it encourages desert at lunch - how decadent.
Scooping (not!): Sigh. There is dog shit on the sidewalks everywhere. The government has installed "espaces de chien", little fence-enclosed gravel plots, but they seem to go unused. Over time I have developed a radar for it. Thank goodness it wasn't sandal season my first month in France.
Small dogs: Dogs are everywhere. Cafés, restaurants, shops, markets, parks, transit. They are generally small and quiet, so they blend in to everyday life easily. It is unusual enough for dogs to be forbidden from establishments that prominent signs have to be posted, warning people not to bring their dogs in. It is regarded as a right to be able to bring your dog everywhere. We'll miss this when we return to Toronto and get a puppy. It's just now occurring to me how few places we can take a dog in Canada.
Shopping for food: weekend market mornings are hopping. Old, young - everyone is out early to shop for food. They all have their own baskets (big wicker baskets, that you picture an 1800s milkmaid carrying) and carts that they bring along. There are entertainers at the market. It's a party every time. I love it. If all we did was go to the market to shop it would feel like a weekend well spent.
Sidewalk parking: Sidewalks are fair game for parking, since there are never enough spots. It makes being a pedestrian a surprising challenge at times.No one seems to fear being ticketed, maybe because they're just one in the crowd of drivers doing the same thing.
Small coffees: I'm not a coffee drinker, but even I have noticed that coffee is always served in very small cups. But I'm told that it's good, so I guess that makes up for it.
Subway: It's the only North American fast food chain that seems to be widespread in Grenoble. Which is surprising, considering how good French baguette sandwiches are, and how easily obtained. A submarine sandwich just can't hold a candle to it. Maybe Subway uses French baguette bread here, but I'm not going to waste my time finding out - no Subway for me, please!
Subtle wines: We wanted to love the French wine - it's so easily accessible and reasonably priced. But it always seemed a little underwhelming. And then we traveled to Spain and had fantastically tasty wine. I guess our tastes run to something bolder. Or we just need to spend more time in France, trying more wines, to really learn what's out there. We did our best, aiming to drink a bottle a day during our four months, and we just about succeeded.
Salad greens: I have never so many varieties of such beautifully fresh and perfectly displayed lettuces as in France. And every salad I eat is made of what must be freshly picked leaves. They're also very inventive about what goes in a salad - slices of quiche, pickled beets, corn kernels, pickles, cheese, large slices of prosciutto, green beans - salad greens are really a plate for a mixed bag of delicious foods.
Shower spray: No hotel or apartment in France seems to be designed to keep the water from your shower contained. Spraying all over the bathroom is to be expected. Prepare to have wet feet any time you step in the bathroom. Surely a curtain, door or small wall wouldn't be such a crazy invention?
Sweets: Desert with lunch and supper. Bakeries, pastry shops, chocolate shops. This is a country that loves its sweets. Breakfast is designed for sweets - virtually all cereals contain chocolate. When I told my friend Anne that I found it odd for anyone other than children to have chocolate at breakfast she looked at my like I'd said something utterly baffling. I have taken to ordering hot chocolate at my morning French language meetings, and I'm not the only one doing so.
Scarves: everyone wears them, all the time, regardless of weather, age, or sex. Now I wear them too, feeling like I'm wearing a disguise to blend in, yet am learning to like it. I bought a very lovely silk scarf in Lyons. But I know I'll feel odd continuing to wear them when we move back to Toronto.
Smoking: so many more people smoking than in Canada. Particularly odd to have a merchant selling fresh vegetables to you at the farmer's market blow smoke in your face.
Scooters: the kind you push with your feet, like a skateboard with a handle (not the motorized scooters). Everyone rides them, young and old. I've seen a mother and young child riding a scooter together. Mark thinks we should get matching scooters for ourselves.
Singing: People sing much more freely here. I see kids and parents singing songs together as they walk along the sidewalk. Rowdy drunken people at the bar sing out loud at night. The birds even seem more musical.
Saying hello and good-bye (but only when in the same space): If you enter a shop, you say hello to the shopkeeper, and good-bye when you depart. If you enter an elevator, you say hello to the occupant, and good-bye when you exit. But you don't say hello (or nod, or make eye contact even) when passing strangers on the street. It's quite the opposite of the usual Toronto social interactions.
Simple hair and make-up: I often feel a little understated in Toronto, but in Grenoble I'm just one of many women with simple hair and make-up. It's great - it all feels very natural and easy-going. When you see someone with noticeable eyeliner you almost do a double take.
Set menus: all menus, lunch or dinner, offer a three-course prix fixe option, with starter, main and desert. And they're generally great deals, especially for lunch. I love how it encourages desert at lunch - how decadent.
Scooping (not!): Sigh. There is dog shit on the sidewalks everywhere. The government has installed "espaces de chien", little fence-enclosed gravel plots, but they seem to go unused. Over time I have developed a radar for it. Thank goodness it wasn't sandal season my first month in France.
Small dogs: Dogs are everywhere. Cafés, restaurants, shops, markets, parks, transit. They are generally small and quiet, so they blend in to everyday life easily. It is unusual enough for dogs to be forbidden from establishments that prominent signs have to be posted, warning people not to bring their dogs in. It is regarded as a right to be able to bring your dog everywhere. We'll miss this when we return to Toronto and get a puppy. It's just now occurring to me how few places we can take a dog in Canada.
Shopping for food: weekend market mornings are hopping. Old, young - everyone is out early to shop for food. They all have their own baskets (big wicker baskets, that you picture an 1800s milkmaid carrying) and carts that they bring along. There are entertainers at the market. It's a party every time. I love it. If all we did was go to the market to shop it would feel like a weekend well spent.
Sidewalk parking: Sidewalks are fair game for parking, since there are never enough spots. It makes being a pedestrian a surprising challenge at times.No one seems to fear being ticketed, maybe because they're just one in the crowd of drivers doing the same thing.
Small coffees: I'm not a coffee drinker, but even I have noticed that coffee is always served in very small cups. But I'm told that it's good, so I guess that makes up for it.
Subway: It's the only North American fast food chain that seems to be widespread in Grenoble. Which is surprising, considering how good French baguette sandwiches are, and how easily obtained. A submarine sandwich just can't hold a candle to it. Maybe Subway uses French baguette bread here, but I'm not going to waste my time finding out - no Subway for me, please!
Subtle wines: We wanted to love the French wine - it's so easily accessible and reasonably priced. But it always seemed a little underwhelming. And then we traveled to Spain and had fantastically tasty wine. I guess our tastes run to something bolder. Or we just need to spend more time in France, trying more wines, to really learn what's out there. We did our best, aiming to drink a bottle a day during our four months, and we just about succeeded.
Salad greens: I have never so many varieties of such beautifully fresh and perfectly displayed lettuces as in France. And every salad I eat is made of what must be freshly picked leaves. They're also very inventive about what goes in a salad - slices of quiche, pickled beets, corn kernels, pickles, cheese, large slices of prosciutto, green beans - salad greens are really a plate for a mixed bag of delicious foods.
Shower spray: No hotel or apartment in France seems to be designed to keep the water from your shower contained. Spraying all over the bathroom is to be expected. Prepare to have wet feet any time you step in the bathroom. Surely a curtain, door or small wall wouldn't be such a crazy invention?
Sweets: Desert with lunch and supper. Bakeries, pastry shops, chocolate shops. This is a country that loves its sweets. Breakfast is designed for sweets - virtually all cereals contain chocolate. When I told my friend Anne that I found it odd for anyone other than children to have chocolate at breakfast she looked at my like I'd said something utterly baffling. I have taken to ordering hot chocolate at my morning French language meetings, and I'm not the only one doing so.
Things We Miss About Canada
Couch: We miss having a couch to sit on together in the evenings. We only have hard-backed kitchen chairs and the bed. We don't like lying down in bed to watch tv. We're really looking forward to relaxing on the couch when we get home.
Cereal without chocolate: I'm not much for sweets at breakfast, and Mark even less so. I've only found one satisfactory cereal without chocolate, and it's at a store that is rather far away. I've bought several boxes at a time to stock up, but one run of boxes was all stale - then we had four boxes to get through. Of course this is a country that regards breakfast as nothing more than coffee and a pastry. At best you might have a variety of breads, pastries and jam. So hoping for a hearty, healthy cereal is a bit of a stretch.
Kale: Why is there no kale for sale in this country? I actually did a Google search and found someone else who wondered the same thing. There are many other beautiful greens: cabbage, lettuce, arugula, spinach. But we miss the stronger taste and texture of kale that makes it such a great green for sauteing. We're looking forward to picking it from our garden when we get home - we should have at least three varieties to choose from.
Keyless exits: We have to lock our apartment door with a key in order to keep it shut. Which means you have to find your key in order to open it and exit. I have horrible visions of what happens in a fire, as you search for your keys in the smoke, hoping to get out in time.
Microwave: I miss having a microwave in the kitchen for fast defrosting of ingredients and easy re-heating of leftovers with drying out the food. I have, however, developed a method for defrosting frozen berries for our breakfast cereal, by adding a bit of boiling water, and it does give me superior results to the microwaving I used to use.
Cereal without chocolate: I'm not much for sweets at breakfast, and Mark even less so. I've only found one satisfactory cereal without chocolate, and it's at a store that is rather far away. I've bought several boxes at a time to stock up, but one run of boxes was all stale - then we had four boxes to get through. Of course this is a country that regards breakfast as nothing more than coffee and a pastry. At best you might have a variety of breads, pastries and jam. So hoping for a hearty, healthy cereal is a bit of a stretch.
Kale: Why is there no kale for sale in this country? I actually did a Google search and found someone else who wondered the same thing. There are many other beautiful greens: cabbage, lettuce, arugula, spinach. But we miss the stronger taste and texture of kale that makes it such a great green for sauteing. We're looking forward to picking it from our garden when we get home - we should have at least three varieties to choose from.
Keyless exits: We have to lock our apartment door with a key in order to keep it shut. Which means you have to find your key in order to open it and exit. I have horrible visions of what happens in a fire, as you search for your keys in the smoke, hoping to get out in time.
Microwave: I miss having a microwave in the kitchen for fast defrosting of ingredients and easy re-heating of leftovers with drying out the food. I have, however, developed a method for defrosting frozen berries for our breakfast cereal, by adding a bit of boiling water, and it does give me superior results to the microwaving I used to use.
June 24, 2011: Grenoble - Last Day, Bank, Clean, Laundry, Last Dinner, Band
Last day in Grenoble. I returned our carte bleue to the bank; when we return to Canada we'll contact them for the transfer of our remaining Euros. I cleaned the apartment and got rid of things we won't be bringing back (we return home with the same number of suitcases as we arrived with, so very little room for souvenirs). I did a last batch of laundry to get us through the next 10 days of travel before we actually arrive back home. And we went out for a last dinner of pizza in the town square. There was a pop-up band that played nearby during dinner, which was a final, wacky touch.
Grenoble - it's been great. There are some who say Grenoble isn't a beautiful French city - it does have its share of awkward concrete, modernist structures that haven't aged well. And it doesn't have a grand central square or a stunning cathedral. But it does have multiple small private squares, hidden around unexpected corners. And it has its fair share of charming old buildings, and a history going back almost 2000 years. And finally, its Alpine surroundings can't be beat for stunning scenery and amazing food. I'm sad to go and hope we'll have an opportunity to return - there's still so much that I haven't seen or fully savoured.
But, now that we know we're on our way home, we're getting eager to get there. First we travel to Berlin, where Mark will give some lectures at the university. Then we'll pass through Manchester, to pay a visit to Mark's relatives.
Grenoble - it's been great. There are some who say Grenoble isn't a beautiful French city - it does have its share of awkward concrete, modernist structures that haven't aged well. And it doesn't have a grand central square or a stunning cathedral. But it does have multiple small private squares, hidden around unexpected corners. And it has its fair share of charming old buildings, and a history going back almost 2000 years. And finally, its Alpine surroundings can't be beat for stunning scenery and amazing food. I'm sad to go and hope we'll have an opportunity to return - there's still so much that I haven't seen or fully savoured.
But, now that we know we're on our way home, we're getting eager to get there. First we travel to Berlin, where Mark will give some lectures at the university. Then we'll pass through Manchester, to pay a visit to Mark's relatives.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
June 23, 2011: Grenoble - Last French, Last Lunch, Last Scrabble
And another day of Grenoble "lasts". I attended my last Café Français in the morning, where, even though I was departing, a new member joined us (and I was able to correct his mistake that the United States is "Éstat-Unis").
From there several friends joined me for a last lunch, at a fantastic restaurant suggested by Bernard - Le 18/36, the brasserie of the Fantin Latour restaurant which is one of the best Grenoble restaurants. What a fantastic meal - beautiful surroundings, lovely service, good conversation and delicious food. This was probably the nicest meal I had in Grenoble - what a way to end!
And after lunch a last Scrabble game with Sheree. It may not be easy to find myself another such well-matched partner when I get back to Toronto.
From there several friends joined me for a last lunch, at a fantastic restaurant suggested by Bernard - Le 18/36, the brasserie of the Fantin Latour restaurant which is one of the best Grenoble restaurants. What a fantastic meal - beautiful surroundings, lovely service, good conversation and delicious food. This was probably the nicest meal I had in Grenoble - what a way to end!
And after lunch a last Scrabble game with Sheree. It may not be easy to find myself another such well-matched partner when I get back to Toronto.
The beautiful interior courtyard of Le 18/36 (unfortunately rain prior in the day prevented us from eating outside)
From left to right: Bernard, Viv, Sheree, me, Linda (and Masato, behind the camera)
The pond at Caserne de Bonne, on our last evening stroll
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
June 21, 2011: Grenoble - Last English Coffee Chat, Fête de la Musique
This is my last week in Grenoble, so I'm starting to hit the "lasts". Today was the last Open House English Coffee Chat get-together - I said good-byes to those friends who won't be at Thursday's Café Français.
And in the evening there was a festival, celebrating the summer solstice - the "Fête de la Musique". There were musicians playing all around town (including at the end of our street, with very loud amplification). After dinner we walked to the old city centre to check out the crowds and the sounds - there was a range from avant-garde jazz, to family-friendly chansons, to hard-core metal rock. The night ended with a downpour, which dampened but didn't seem to end the festivities, but it sent us home early to bed.
And in the evening there was a festival, celebrating the summer solstice - the "Fête de la Musique". There were musicians playing all around town (including at the end of our street, with very loud amplification). After dinner we walked to the old city centre to check out the crowds and the sounds - there was a range from avant-garde jazz, to family-friendly chansons, to hard-core metal rock. The night ended with a downpour, which dampened but didn't seem to end the festivities, but it sent us home early to bed.
Dancing in the streets
Crowds in one of the city squares
A rollerblader weaving through a tricky course
One of the local hot-spots - Subway! But not the sandwich chain - this is a bar. With a rather taco-bell-esque fluorescent sign (see left side of awning).
Monday, June 20, 2011
June 20, 2011: Santiago - Long Trip Back, Salad, Bus
Our trip back to Grenoble was tedious - who said traveling around Europe is fast and easy because it's so small compared to North America? We had to take a connecting flight through Madrid, and we were stuck in the Madrid airport for ages as our flight to Lyon was delayed, time after time. Once again we were stuck looking for decent food. Turns out a McDonald's salad was the best to be had.
We finally got into Lyon late at night, catching one of the last buses to Grenoble. How nice to finally be home!
We finally got into Lyon late at night, catching one of the last buses to Grenoble. How nice to finally be home!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
