Truce's Tales

Hi everyone, I'm sorry that I haven't posted in the last couple of days, but I've been so so so busy traveling and moving from city to city. Right now I'm in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and just this morning I was in a lovely little town called Grantham .  Wayyyy before we arrived in Grantham, we had such a time getting into the UK cause of several snaffus, mostly because of the veterinarian, whom we went to in France for Kai's pet passport. In his passport, Dr. Tre-Hardy put the date that she completed his passport and NOT the date that he had his microchip implanted, which is what she was supposed to do. And because of this screw up, when we went to check Kai into the passport check, one of the employees had told me in a mix of broken english and french, that we would have hat to go back to the original doctor and have her change the passport date herself. But, that in itself was a major issue because we were in Calais and Dr.Tre-Hardy was an 8 hour drive back to Tarbes,...

There is just something so peaceful about traveling alone. You just have to take care of your belongings and only yours. If you want to zone out and have your own space if you want. You are free to go at your own pace, weither that be like a snail or a lightning bolt. 

Today, I regretfully left my host family to start on my journey north to Scotland. I experienced so many awesome and surprizing this week that I can't even begin to discribe. I really began to feel French this week. From visiting several châteaus to eating jambon and camabert sandwiches for lunch, a bunch of times this week, I really was immerced in the la vie francaise. I definitely feel that my French has gotten better just by speaking it non-stop. They consistantly helped me through my language hiccups and were always patient. Tu me manque deja. ❤️

Tonight as we finished our dinner at a local Japanese restaurant in Riems, I heard the faint sound of church music. Being the curious person I am, I had to check it out. The music actually turned out to be part of a light show against the cathedral in Riems. It was a wonderful, beautiful suprise. I took some video of it but I can't attach it :(  One of the displays on the cathedral. 

Today, we went to a château about half an hour away from Marion's house. The famous château that inspired Versailles, Vaux-Le-Vicompte. This château is not owned by the State, like most are, but is privately owned.  If you are movie-buff like me, you might recognize the château from famous movies like Sophia Copolla's Marie Antoinette or The Three Musketeers starring Leonardo DeCaprio.  The château was very beautiful.  A view of the gardens Another view Marion and I on the back steps of the château. 

I am finding the french ways of life strange at first, but very very comfortable. Like right now I sit at the dining room table typing this post and eating a chocolate bar and typing, typing away until the morning. While my host father is singing La Marseillaise, the French national anthem while drinking homemade mint tea. C'est la vie francais, ce n'est pas?

Yesterday morning I awoke sleepily to the smell of fresh croissants and hot cocoa which was a delight to my rumbling stomach. After a brief breakfast, I squeezed in the car with Marion, her Mum and her Dad, and off we went to the  Château de Pierrefond. The château was home to several kings and queens, like Charles VI and Louis XII. The château is typically what you would expect a chateau to look like, streight out of storybooks. After touring the great château, we had jambon et camebert (ham and cheese) sandwiches with french bread from a bakery, which were so good! I think it is a universal thing to eat on the go (take away in british english and á emporter in french) wherever and whenever it's required. And so, I ate my sandwhich in the château car park with a very nice view of the château. 😊 Then, we drove to the Palais de Compeine, another château to marvel at the sights. Le Palais is most famous for being the home of Emperor Napolean III and his wives, namely Josphine. And g...

Today I got up bright and early to catch a train to Paris, to stay with a friend, Marion, and her family for a week. I first met Marion when she came to the US on an exchange to my high school and we have kept in touch since. So, I decided to come visit her since it was only an hour flight from Toulouse to Paris, via EasyJet. From the moment I landed we were on the go. We first stopped at Crêpes  des Arts  for a light lunch of nothing else, but crepes! I had a goat cheese crêpe with honey drizzeled on top. It was so good! After lunch, we went to the "oldest restaurant in the history of Paris thats still in operation" (built in 1686), Le Propcop , for an after lunch coffee.  Saciated for the moment, Marion and I went to the Musée D'Orsay  to look at various Monet and Degas works (which were a spectacular as when I first came to Paris in 2012). After the museum, we strolled over a bridge on La Siene (the river that runs though Paris), to Les Jardins de Tuileries (...

This this morning sleepily cramed in the car, before my flight to Paris tomorrow. Toulouse, from the many cafés, restaurants and shops that are around every corner in the city that I would love to move here. Especially for my fellow vintage store lovers, I have seen at least 4 vintage clothing shops in the 4 hours I've been here.There are also so many cute accessory and homegoods shops every which way you turn. 😊 We went to lunch at an amazing brasserie right around the corner from our hotel, H ôtel L'Opera. Then, we went to the city hall which has beautiful wall murals that, I think, rival even the Cistine Chapel. As I type this, I'm now going on a boat tour on the Garrone River, which flanks Toulouse on both sides. We then walked to La Basilica de Saint-Sernin , one of the oldest churches in the western world. Started in 1070, it is known for being a refuge for pilgrims making their way to The Shrine of St. James in Santiago de Compostela, in Spain. To round out the day,...

Nothing is "just" with the French. When they go, they go all out. Little did I know that a short stop by for an amazing pear and chocolate tart would turn into a full expedition. A little outing for mushrooms was like a hike up a flipping mountain. The mushrooms we were trying to find needed to be the size of your head with dark brown flesh underneath, not tan or orange. Mushrooms also grow on trees or in the ground, for those who don't know.  Apparently no one told the French about Smokey the bear and wildfires. My French hosts just lit cigarettes in front of me, in the forest of all places! Mais, c'est pas grave, si ils êtes prudents! (but it's no biggie, if they are careful, which they were). Finding mushrooms is a big feat because they have to be the right shape, size and not too far decomposed. Also, not every tree has mushrooms growing under it. Anyway, I didn't bag any mushrooms on this trip, but my hosts did. 20, to be exact.  On the way back to Veron...

Here I am again, up bright, early and in the car ready for another adventure. Off I go with the family and plenty of supplies to last us through the day. For those who know us, we would not be ready to go on a journey without food, courtesy of one member, Michael Jack, my Dad. He is always worried about being without food anytime of the day. And so, this morning, at 9:30 am, we, in addition to a first-aid kit, water, books, phone and dog bowl, we have half of a mini watermelon, half a loaf of bread, mustard, cheese and dried sausage in our trunk.  The drive up to Gavarnie is wonderously windy, with narrow roads and sheer cliff faces. Once we got to the town of Gavarnie, we had to find parking which took about 30 minutes because this is peak tourist season in town. We got there around noon, but if you want to have an easier time parking I would say get there around 10:30 or 11 am.  Once you find parking, follow the signs to the "Cirque de Gavarnie". The Cirque is  a natura...

Today I visited a little village town called Saint Bertrand de Comminges, in the Midi-Pyranees (about 40 minutes south east from Montousse). It's listed in the official tourism guide for the Midi-Pyrenees, so there must be something interesting there!  This is a mountain town where the only way in or out of town by foot is a gravel path uphill. The town (founded in 72 B.C.) was originally a Roman colony which guarded passage to the Aran Valley (a valley that connects France and Spain). There are still signs that point to the town's fortress days such as the high walls, narrow cobble streets and single pedestrian entrance. Being that it was a fortress, it must have been a pretty good place to be a craftsmen in that time. The spirits of artisans past and present thrive throughout the town. On almost every street in the village there is a shop that cells homemade goods. There's even an umbrella shop, Creation de Parapluies,  where the owner has been hand-making umbrellas for y...

I just got back from lunch at our friend's house. The typical french meal on weekends can last hours (I know it seems way too long for what Americans are used to, but trust me it's time well spent). First, there is usually an aperitif (before the meal) that's either composed of alcohol and/or a small snack. Then, you move to the main courses (usually signalled by the host's exclamation of "Á table!" (to the table)). Today, our main courses were; tomato salad, cucumber salad, steamed leeks with a vinagrette and grilled pork. Everything was so so so so so good! During the main course, conversation and stories can be shared at once. For instance, at one end of the table my Mom and our hostess, Veronique, were talking about energies and past lives and on my end of the table I was talking about cheese and other guest's recent trip to California. Then, much to the shock of my parents, there was another  course of various local cheeses, melon and bread. Last but ...

Yesterday morning I rolled out of my bed to go on a hike to Le Chateau de Montoussé.  The chateau is on top of a hill in the village of Montoussé. In medival times, the castle was a summer residence of one of the Kings of France. Also, in the base of the castle are marble deposits that were used to build the famous Cathedral de Notre Dame in Paris.In World War 2, it served as a fortress for the French defence against the German invasions.  I hiked up to the summit with one of of my local friends, Arnold, who lives in a nearby village. The views were absolutely beautiful! After we hiked down, we went to the local vide grenier (yard sale) in St. Barthe de la Neste. In village yard sales, people will sell anything that they think of, from super worn platform shoes from the 80's to gardening manuals. I didn't buy anything though. Hopefully I'll find something at the next vide grenier.  The Marble Deposits below the castle A panorama of the view from the top of the Castle Our ...