salut de france!
as i write, i am sitting in the home of my ex-flatmate marie, drinking coffee to combat the sweet typical french breakfast of... chocolate. brioche with nutella, dipped in hot chocolate- the carbo way to start your day :) but seriously you have to love a country where everyone's breakfast cupboard contains bars of chocolate.
we are just outside her small village, feycelles, surrounded by hills and picturesque stone houses with wooden shutters that bring one back to times of princesses and yodelling mountain shepherds. ok, so the yodelling bit was taking it a little far, but i really can't begin to describe the lovely provincial towns we have seen the past few days here in the south of france. i told marie as we walked around her village that it's the sort of place i would expect to find the shoemaker and his elves, to which she replied "oh, you want to see the old shoemakers house?" and proceeded to bring me to a little dwelling with a pair of shoes carved into the stones above the tiny front door.
it is so cool to see the way people live out here in the countryside, what they eat and drink, and their traditions. definitely off the tourist track here, which i prefer.
in lyon i was fortunate to have charlotte, who put more thought into my visit than the lonely planet guide. she showed me all sort of parts of lyon, telling me the history of them all, and rounded out our experience by taking me to funky french cafes, bicycle rides through the park, and just chilling out at various picturesque points in the city. what a girl.
she was also very proud to show me everything "typical french", from macaroons, baking, famous photographers, places, and also took care to wear a little beret when she met me at the train station.
paris was paris... wonderful in it's own sense, simply because it is paris. there is so much history and beautiful things to see, and definitely a city with attitude. i had expected a bit of stereotype snobbery, but was delighted to find instead lots of people who were very receptive and friendly. but not to disappoint, i also did meet some dirty frenchmen who got their kicks trying to woo tourist girls, somewhat reminiscent of pepe le pieu. i obviously responded with my characteristic warmth of antarctica. they caught the chill... :)
so today marie and i embark on another adventure to a town she wants to show me... just guessing that it will be beautiful in that distinctly old european sense, like everything else we've seen out here.
all my love to everyone,
bisous!
becki