Strasbourg--Marché de Noël

After several very busy weeks in school with the first trimester grades, written comments, parent/teacher conferences and the famous 'conseil de classe' I was ready for Christmas vacation!  On Sunday, December 19, Roger and I headed north to the beautiful city of Strasbourg and its Christmas Markets.  We enjoyed listening to a superb children's choir in the Strasbourg Cathedral and shopping at all the various stands that make up the many Christmas Markets in the old part of the city center.  Scattered around were many hot-spiced wine stands--perfect on a snowy, cold evening!  We really enjoyed seeing the half-timber architecture in the district called La Petite France along the canal and dining in several of its many great  Alsatian restaurants.  Our third day was spent exploring the delightful, small village of Eguisheim on our way back to the region of Auvergne.

Festival of Lights in Lyon

On December 11 we Fulbright teachers, families and friends all met in Lyon for the annual Festival of Lights.   A group of creative lighting designers enhance the city's monuments, public buildings and contours of two rivers with a dazzling display during four days in December.  Lyon now is one of the world's leading cities in its use of public lighting, so much so that Phillips set up its European head office for exterior lighting in 1996 near the city of Lyon.  The photos represent a colorful fountain and a church seeming to grow green vines all over the facade.   

Thanksgiving in France!

What fun it was to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for my French neighbors!  Stuffed Turkey Breast Roulade was the main course on the menu as whole turkeys are impossible to buy in France until Christmas time!   Sweet potatoes, cranberries, mashed potatoes,  brussels sprouts  and  pumpkin pie  rounded out the meal.  They had never tasted some of our new world foods and even loved the dessert!  My explanation of the story of Thanksgiving (the same one I had told earlier to my students) added to complete the cultural exchange!  

Wine Tasting in the Beaujolais Region!

My Fulbright friend Susan and I drove to the Beaujolais region on Sunday, November 14.  It is located only about 1 1/2 hours from Grazac.  We drove through many interesting towns such as Belleville and Beaujeu before stopping for a great lunch in Villefranche-sur-Saône.  We were ahead of the big celebration of Beaujolais Nouveau by a few days but we had fun wine tasting anyway!

Trip to Languedoc-Roussillon (Day 4 and 5 Collioure)

After leaving the Château de Peyrepertuse we headed down a small sea-side village on the Mediterranean called Collioure.  It was wonderful to see the bright, blue sea off-season with only a few tourists meandering about.  This little fortress town on the water  has a royal castle which was the summer residence of the Majorcan kings from 1276 to 1344 when it was taken by the kings of Aragon.  Bright Catalan boats and beachfront promenades make this a colorful and inviting destination.  We enjoyed 2 days here, dining on shellfish and other specialities such as anchovies before returning to the Auvergne!

Trip to Languedoc-Roussillon (Day 3 Château de Peyrepertuse)

Janet and I were amazed at the wild and massif landscape we passed on our way through the area of Les Corbières.  The region is known for its ruined castles and its wine (fruity, full-bodied red, white and rosé wines with bouquets of local flora).

Château de Peyrepertuse is one of the finest examples of a ruined fortress in the Corbières.  We hiked all the way up for an unbelievable view.  This photo was taken from the highest section of the ruins!  In the 11th and 12th centuries the castle was associated with the counts of Barcelona and Narbonne and during the Albigensian Crusade, it was handed over to the French.

Trip to Languedoc-Roussillon (Day 2 Abbaye de Fontfroide)

We visited the beautiful Cistercian abbey set among serene cypress trees and terraced gardens.  Most of the buildings were erected  in the 12th and 13th centuries.  Our tour of the cloisters, Chapter house, dormitory, chapel was very interesting.