So, I have exciting stories of my recent weekend in Barcelona, but as I'm waiting to receive the relevant photos via email, I figured I need to write a random blog just to satisfy my avid readers. Haha.
This past weekend (and Saint Patty's Day) was spent in Aix. We had planned a trip to the Camargue, a marshy wetland near Aix, but postponed it a week due to inclement weather and a slight hangover. Thursday night we stayed out til 5am dancing in an underground cave bar called Skat Club: really great atmosphere that was a breath of fresh air from typically snooty Aix clubs. Friday night, though intended to be "chill", ended up being another late one. We splurged and bought real alcohol, Guinness and Bailey's, for Irish Car Bombs. Unfortunately, for lack of real glassware, we ended up pouring the Bailey's into mugs of Guinness rather than the more upscale dropping of the shot into a pint glass. They still tasted good. Played a few rounds of cards then headed out on the town where we hit multiple packed Irish pubs and had a general blast.
The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing and making delicious food with friends. Saturday night we tried out our first (hopefully of many) Provencal cuisine nights. Sarah, a friend from Ohio, was in charge of baguettes and cheese. (What French meal is complete without those?) I was in charge of the appetizer: Potato Trian. An extremely simple dish, my portion of the meal consisted of a potato, tomato, cheese, onion and thyme casserole. It turned out well, even without access to an oven. Tobie, a good friend from Seattle, made breaded aubergines (eggplant). That was delicious, even though I'm not usually an eggplant person. Last, and ABSOLUTELY not least, was my roommate, Sarah's, "poire au chocolat". Usually not much of a chef, she dazzled us with her culinary abilities. Actually a rather simple recipe: you should all try it. Get some delicious, large pears. Boil 2 cups water w/ 1 cup added sugar and 1/4 tsp added vanilla extract. Peel the pears, then add them to the boiling sugar water. Turn heat down and simmer pears for 15 min or until very tender, turning half way through. Melt a copious amount of semi sweet chocolate, drizzle it over them, and enjoy :)
As my weekend was relatively uneventful, I wanted to share with y'all some random thoughts that I've had of late.
French public affection:
One thing Americans are often mocked for by the French is their lack of ability to show affection towards another. The French uphold an image of intimacy through their famed kiss on the cheek greeting, relatively miniscule personal space bubble and sometimes overly public make-out sessions. I am not duped. When you really get down to it, it seems the French are not affectionate in any of the ways that matter: swapping the occasional hug between friends, offering a neck massage to a sore “ami” or general physical interaction that’s typical of the quotidian American conversation. Sigh.
Aix as home:
It’s been fascinating to see Aix en Provence develop as a place I call home. Beyond knowing the streets well, frequenting a few regular cafes and knowing some market vendors by name, the things that strike me most interesting and most often are the way I get annoyed when the weekend “tourists” come to town, the way I’ve learned to dodge dog dirt without even looking, the way I recognize cigar smoking regulars at bars in the centre ville. Sure there are days I get sick of Aix, have no desire to explore, want nothing more than to get away for a weekend: but I would vigorously assert that the best thing about traveling, or just living in general, is getting to know the backstreets, spending time at holes in the wall and recognizing even the slightest of evolutions. In some ways the everyday routine of doing laundry on Rue du 4 Septembre thrills just as much as a whirlwind tour of Paris or Barcelona.
Photos: in order to make this blog more aesthetically pleasing, I’ve added a few photos. Some are of our Provencal cuisine night, and some are of a trip to the Pont du Gard, near Nimes, from a few weeks ago. A la prochaine fois, tout le monde!!!