French Countryside

A bumpy bus through France in the middle of the night landed us in South Western France for our new house sitting assignment in La Trappe. It was daylight savings time and our host graciously picked us up at the nearest bus station a 50 minute drive away from their farm and at 5:30 (really 4:30!) in the morning. 

On this trip, we try to be as economical as possible while we move around the globe. That means trying to find the cheapest way across a country. The bus to SW France felt like a red-eye flight but, we recovered soon enough. 

House sitting also provides us with a place to be a family while we also ‘live’ for a bit. Yes, there are chores, meal plans, and world schooling schedules. We have noticed that we have incorporated more movies than we would have at ‘home’ in Portland, Oregon as we have different time schedules. We often bring in location compatible movies. So, you can bet your baguette we had a rousing viewing of Les Miserables.

Many stories to share and these are some of our recent tid bits.

We discovered several things on our trip to France. Rural France. Sounds so romantic, right? Yes, some of it and some is hard. Here are about 10 of our discoveries. Not a complete list of course.

1. You can get baguette in a vending machine easier than you can get soda. I was completely mesmerized by the convenience, cleverness and cheekiness of vending machines in the French countryside that sold baguette. It was funny, as sometimes you might find competing companies with machines within several hundred yards of each other but, then none for many, many miles.

2. In all our travels around the world, France was the place lest likely to find someone who spoke English. Or was at least willing to speak English with us. We would ask (in French) if they spoke English and they all, every single one, said ‘no’. They could a little but, didn’t want to be thought of as having a good command of the language or so we think. 

3. Not speaking English-made this part of our entire trip the most lonely. I am not wanting you to feel sorry for us, I get it. We were in South Western France and it was magical and lovely but, when you can’t even talk to the cashiers, bakery attendants, market folks…anyone, you tend to feel rather lonely. More of a reason to learn French! We were there for more than three weeks with just the four of us for company. We really enjoyed our hosts (English retirees) when they returned.

4. We were in the countryside when all things were budding and blooming. A very magical time to bear witness to the wonders that effected all the senses and even some allergies. We found new ways to pantomime allergies in the local pharmacies. Also, thank goodness for Google Translate!

5. We learned a lot about French Kings, Crusades, Roman invasions, Charlemagne, conflicts with the English. I’ve been reading a great book called 1000 Years of the English Annoying the French by Stephen Clarke which has helped us gain some perspective on this nations’s rich history and with a lot of humor.

6. France still follows the scheduling plan of most stores closing for lunch, from about 12-2:30pm and most restaurants only being open from about 12-2pm. If you want to do one of those activities outside of those official time frames. Too bad!!

7. Paris is a beautiful city and what the world mostly thinks of when one thinks of France, however, most resident people we met have either never been there or have only been once or twice. There are many rich and thriving cultural experiences outside of the capital. 

8. Pastries and baked goods have their own food group in France. Not only in sumptuous flavors but, with artistry befitting an exhibition. 

9. We celebrated the double blue moon in France. When we have two blue moons in one calendar year. Blue moon is when there are two full moons in one calendar month. This happens about three to four times a century. We howled with the best of them. Our previous full moons? Thailand, Cambodia, Denmark and now France. 

10. Cognac is a kind of brandy made from grapes distilled in barrels like whiskey. Cognac is only made in specific regions in France, specifically Charente and Charente-Maritime. 

We have more to say about France but, wanted to share these gems. More to come about the specifics of house sitting many chickens, sneaky cats and a lovable dog named Zara in a 200-year-old farm-house. 

Meanwhile, thanks for reading. 

 

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