Sometimes you just gotta twirl.

Im going to rewind for you, back a couple weeks to Easter and then recount what all has happened since then. Im praying by the time I finish this, my French family will have figured out wi-fi (“wee-fee” as they say) and I can post it immediately online. Here’s hoping. (And they didn't, so I posted it online on campus. Dont get me started.)

Easter- This was my first Easter as a Catholic, and it was very nice. I made the mistake in one of my earlier entries saying that the church services were in English, but I meant French. I can just understand these services as if they were in English, as compared to the masses Ive been to in Spanish. Confused now? The mass is in French, of course, but I can follow along. Ive even been trying to memorize The Lord’s Prayer in French, just because it sounds cool. So we went to mass Friday night (Good Friday) after a very, very light dinner- my family just ate broth, I ate cauliflower. Saturday night from 9 to midnight, we went to mass. The church here is beautiful- huge, old- it smells of incense and stone, and has that cool (in temperature), historic feeling when you enter it. St. Victor. We had a candle lighting ceremony- and the priest’s robes were ornately beautiful. The best part may have been the food. Saturday and Sunday (Easter) we ate so much. My plate was decorated with chocolates and candy, Ferro Rochers and Toblerone bars. Im still working on that candy! Isabelle also made these eggshells filled with fudge. Mmmmm. She also made escargot- my first taste! It was delicious- the texture was somewhere between a calamari and raw oyster, but not slippery, and not as chewy. There was a delicious pesto inside and we ate them with potatoes. Puree des pommes de terre. Delicious. I also had lamb that weekend, and truffles (the mushrooms I’ve watched pigs try to find on the Food Network!) and delicious chocolate cake. Isabelle was on a cooking frenzy- she made special bread for Easter Sunday, a sweeter, kind of brioche bread. It was so funny, my host parents pretended as if they didn’t know who had decorated our plates, or who had given us the chocolates. The saying here goes, when the church bells ring in Rome, the Easter bunny is hiding eggs in the yard. To counteract all the eating, Laura, Melanie and I took an extended nature walk- this time we wanted to see how far up the mountain we could hike without passing out. Ha. And that we did, and found a very nice view- perfect for a secret fort or clubhouse. Ha. My friend Laura made me the cutest Easter basket- she was my secret Easter Bunny (instead of Secret Santa) and we had a good time. I discovered that drawing a soccer ball accurately is not as easy as one would think. So Easter was fun, and we had Monday off from school because of it as well.

I registered for my courses for next semester, as well. Im truly excited. If you know me, you know that registering for new classes is one of those things in life I love the most. Ha. Until the second or third month of them….

The weather here (until this weekend) had been perfect. Sunny days, cloudless skies, flowers blooming- it was like something out of a fairy tale. This weekend reality set back in, with its rain and clouds, but oh well.

So this week was vacances. Gothy and I took a few day trips. We went to Lyon- the 2nd biggest city in France, after Paris. I loved Lyon- clean, with a more relaxed “vibe” than some other cities, and the zoo! We felt like kids, but we were really excited about the zoo. We saw elephants, giraffes, tigers, lions, and bears- oh my!- and the day was beautiful and warm! The city itself is easily navigable, and the old, cobbled section of Lyon was so nice. The cathedrals are always awe-inspiring, our picnic lunch was delicious, and was an overall nice time. We also went to Annecy yesterday. Annecy would be a beautiful town in good weather- unfortunately, yesterday was not one of its better days. Tant pis. It was still fun- we went with trusty Carlos, and Jenn and Ashley (their program ended Friday and they’re leaving today. Deja!) The lake was so wonderful, and I kid you not, I will be in the pool more often than not this summer. I am craving the water. I wanted to swim yesterday- but alas, it was freezing and windy and threatening rain. We got there early enough for the morning markets, and bought our lunch fresh from the vendors. Fresh chevre (goats cheese) and tomatoes, pesto and bread. Top that with some delicious strawberries- we felt so French! (Even though we doubted that our host families could split one loaf of bread between two people…) We also went to Vizille on Thursday and visited the Chateau there. Famous to us because it’s on the cover of the API booklet, so Gothy and I made sure to take some pictures making fun of it. I mean, showing our love for API. The chateau was a museum, pretty interesting for such a small ville. The gardens, of course, were something else. Sprawling, immense and immaculate. A perfect place to picnic, which is the thing to do when the weather permits.

Speaking of my love for API, our resident director Marie had a dinner at her house for all available API girls. We got dressed up- skirts and fancy shoes- and cooked a delicious dinner. We made chicken with peppers, the salad (yours truly), and three types of dessert- a gateau chocolat, a financiere (an almond cake) and a tarte aux fraises (strawberry tart.) It was so much fun- and mostly in French- and Marie’s silverware (emphasis on the silver) had her family crest on every piece. We drank wine and laughed and had a really great night. Im going to miss these girls! And only Marie can make butchering a chicken in pearls and heels look extraordinarily classy. She’s so French, I can’t handle it.

Speaking of, API gave an aperitif for our host parents. Only the host moms showed, and it felt like open house. It was hilarious. I loved introducing my host mom to all my friends, and I made sure she had enough of the food we had made at Marie’s house earlier that week; a tarte au citron, a quiche lorraine, and the almond cake. The host moms gathered on one side of the room, and the girls on the other. We knew what they were talking about. “Oh, youre American does what??” “My American…” I love it. It was great.

So my mother and family sent a huge box that I can basically ship myself back to the US in. I love it- and was so surprised and felt so loved by its contents. My host family is addicted to the M&Ms- and gasped over the size of the bag- sure, it’s a 3lb bag, but you shouldve seen the expression on their faces! I also got my new episodes of the West Wing today- and that’s made me (and my host sister) very, very, very content. I love my new teddy bear, too, and Ive taken to referring to my box as my box of joy. Good times.

Also went to La Chartreuse on Monday and took a tour of the place where the monks make liqour. A lot of fun and Gothy and I got to have a liqour tasting at the end. Ha. Those crazy monks.....There was even a 3D film. Of monks. Making liqour. Cmon, that's pure comedy.

I also climbed the Bastille again and took advantage of things in Grenoble this week. Im slowly getting some color on my skin- I anxiously await when the clouds part and the sun breaks through. Im there with my bottle of sunblock. I can’t believe I only have a little over 25 days to go before I leave France. I feel like it’s been forever and no time at all simultaneously.

Hopefully soon I’ll have pictures of all these random adventures. I have them on my computer, and if the wee-fee ever ends up working, Ill be able to share them.

Hope Texas- and other places (hi Melanie in NY!!)- are treating everyone well.

My subject line is from the card I got from Dad and Becky yesterday- thanks!

Bisous,
Chelsea