Adventures in Italy: Day 1

Sitting at the cafe that Saturday morning, we mapped a route as best we could to the Colosseum.

On our way there it was just as neat as any official monument to see the regular city of Rome, with its apartments, restaurants, and hordes of motor scooters. At a gift shop I found black and white postcards with scenes from my favorite movie, "Roman Holiday," with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. What a treat! I often found myself thinking of Audrey as we wandered the romantic streets of Rome. Eventually we turned a corner and the majestic Colosseum came into view. It is stunning, bigger and better than I had even imagined.

Thanks to our "personal tourguide", Rick Steves, we walked to a nearby tourism office and purchased the Roma pass, which allowed us to skip the long lines and get discounts on admission. "Ricky" would often come in handy during our trip.

Inside the Colosseum it felt as real as if the gladiators, wild beasts, and cheering crowds had been there only yesterday. I closed my eyes in the crisp sunlight and imagined it all, the stadium practically reverberating around me. It was magic! Because the wooden floor has long since rotted away, you can even see the labyrinthine "basement" where they kept the animals until it was time to fight. They have reconstructed part of the wooden floor and the bleachers to give you an idea of what it would have looked like, pretty impressive. You can even go up the large stone stairs to the second level, where the view is even more fantastic. It also has great views of the surrounding area. What a start to our trip!

After the Colosseum it was definitely time for lunch. Thanks to our friend "Ricky" we found our way to a wonderful little restaurant a block from the Colosseum, with a great view if you sat at the tables outside. I still had the Rick guidebook in hand when we arrived and the manager, Simona, saw it and welcomed us with open arms and a huge smile. "You are friends of Rick! Welcome! I have a special menu for you!" And from there she took care of us like guests of honor. We received a free aperatif (before dinner drink) and chips, a discount on our large, tasty meals (a whole pizza, just for me!), and amazing free dessert (a dessert croissant covered in icecream, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce). We were all so surprised and pleased! I'll say it now and I'll say it again and again: "Ricky" never disappointed us.

From there we set out to visit the Roman Forum. Only problem: we didn't know what it looked like. After wandering for some time among unidentifiable ruins, we discovered that we were in fact in the middle of it! Oops. To be honest it is kind of disappointing when you don't know what you are looking at and then you realize "this is it." So it might have been better with a guided tour or something, but we decided to move on.

We happened to come across an impressive looking monument and we discovered that it was the tomb of the unknown soldier. Neat to see the Italian guards.

From there we made our way to the Pantheon. At this point I will admit (sheepishly) that I should probably have done more research on what we were going to be visiting. The Pantheon is clearly marked and is in fact a building that you can go into (easier to find than the Roman Forum) but it is not the Parthenon, which is what I was picturing. Yes, yes, I know the Parthenon is in Greece, but at the time that particular fact did not cross my mind. So we visited the Pantheon which was beautiful, anyway. The light is really cool in there, as there is a hole in the center of the dome.

Next we wandered toward Trevi fountain but at that point we were dog tired and a little grouchy, so we decided to save the fountain for later and trekked back to our hostel for a shower and a nap. We made plans to join the night tour/pub crawl that our hostel offered. More on our night out in my next post...

Adventures in Italy: Departure and Arrival

On friday afternoon Christine and I took the train to Paris Gare (Station) de Lyon.  From there we needed to walk the one or two blocks to the Bercy Gare, where our night train would depart.  I inquired at the ticket office in Besançon as to how to reach the Bercy Gare, and the man told me it was simple, just "exit the Gare de Lyon and walk to your left."  Pretty vague.  So when we arrived at the Gare de Lyon, I asked again at their ticket office.  "Simple," the woman said, "just exist the station and walk to your right."  "To my right?" I asked, just to be sure.  "Yes, yes, to the right." she replied, annoyed.  So we did as she said and after a lot of hurried walking, lo and behold it was in fact to the left. We really had to put it into gear and rush in the opposite direction to make it to Bercy on time.  Did the woman misdirect us on purpose?  It sure felt like it.    

Thankfully it was easy to find Kate at Bercy and we all boarded the train without any problems.  Disappointingly, we were all in different cars and different rooms.  Sleeping/riding in 2nd class, we were six people to a room, with two permanent beds up top and seating on each side which converted into four beds, so three on each side.  It was a cozy fit.  Thankfully I had a bed up top, where there was enough room to sit up if you wanted.  

At first there were eight people in the room!- me, a girl my age from Canada, two french women, and two large women with babies.  The large women, were, in my opinion, nearly too large for the seats or the beds, and they had babies to boot!  What were we going to do?  Well they weren't happy about it either, so they complained and got a room to themselves.  I think everyone breathed a sigh of relief at that point.  

They gave us a free bottle of water, and there was a blanket and a pillow for the bed, but that was about it.  I made peanut butter sandwiches in advance to eat for dinner and breakfast, so that was good.  Sleeping on the night train was nice enough, except that the train made a lot of noise, it heaved and rocked a good bit, and it often went through tunnels where the pressure on your ears was enough to wake you up.  But other than that, a good night's sleep.  It was actually kind of fun, especially since I had the Canadian girl to talk to.  

In the morning the Canadian girl and I went to the dining car together, and without us asking they served us breakfast, which I was happy to eat but less happy to pay 7 euro for.  Oh well it was a good breakfast and the view from the car was fantastic, you could really tell it was Italy and not France or Germany or Spain or anywhere else!  Rolling green hills, vineyards, Italian looking red roofed houses, roaming livestock- really beautiful.  

14 hours after we boarded in Paris, we arrived in Rome.  Kate and Christine and I met up outside the train and walked the short distance to our hostel, "The Yellow".  It was too early to check in, so we just put our bags in the luggage room and went next door to the "Yellow bar" to have a cafe and plan our day....

Adventures in Italy

I am back in Besançon after a week's vacation in Italy. It was wonderful there, I can't wait to tell you all about it! I will post individually about each day as soon as I get a chance, but this week is going to be busy. Today is moving day, I am relocating to live in the retired woman's house. Also this week is filled with tests and assignments that we were supposed to be doing during vacation, so I'm going to have my hands full trying to keep up. Look for my "Adventures in Italy" series to start as soon as possible...

Vacation in Italy!

Did you know? Have I told you? Tomorrow I am boarding the overnight train from Paris to Rome! I have a week's vacation from school (already! can you believe it?) and my friends Kate and Christine and I are going to spend it in Italy. Friday night we each have a couchette (mini-bed) on the 14hr night train, and when we wake up Saturday morning we will have arrived in Rome!

We are going to spend three days (Sat, Sun, Mon) in Rome: One day seeing the Ancient City (Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, etc), one day visiting the museums (Galleria Borghese and the Capitoline Museums), and one day visiting the Vatican City (Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums, St. Peter's Basilica).

Then on Tuesday morning we will take the train to Florence, where we will spend Tuesday and Wednesday sampling gelato (Florence is where it was invented, the best in the world!) and visiting the museums (Academia and Uffizi).

On Thursday morning we will board the train to Venice, to wander among the canals and see the famous floating city.

Friday night we'll take the night train to arrive back in Paris on Saturday morning. Kate's parents are coming to visit her and arriving in Paris on Saturday, so that is exciting as well as nervewracking for her, I think. Christine and I will spend the day in Paris (there weren't any tickets left for a return to Besançon on Saturday, but it is not the worst thing to have to spend a day in Paris!) and then come back to Besançon on Sunday morning.

Finally on Monday morning I am moving to my next living arrangement, with the retired lady I mentioned in an earlier post.

What a week it will be! I can't wait to tell you all about it, I'm sure there will be stories to tell!

p.s. Happy Valentine's Day! Hugs and misses xxo

Classes

I meant to post this ages ago, but apparently I forgot!  Here it is for your information.

Classes are in full swing now, and they show no signs of slowing down! I decided to enroll in twenty hours per week, for a number of reasons. 1. The subjects are interesting 2. I don't have a job eating up my free time 3. When will I ever get another chance to take this many classes in French? So here is a run down of the classes I am taking:

*Perfecting Oral French (3 hrs,required)

*Perfecting Written French (3 hrs, required)

*Creative Writing (3 hrs, elective)

*French Society and Culture (1.5 hrs, elective)

*Modern French Literature (3 hrs, required as a "specialization"- we had to choose between literature, linguistics, or business)

*Francophone (French-African) Literature (2 hrs, required as a "specialization")

*French for Professional Communication (how to interact in job settings, helpful for internships) (1.5 hrs, elective)

*Preparation for the National C1 DALF Oral Exam (1.5 hrs, optional but encouraged)

*Preparation for the National C1 DALF Written Exam (1.5 hrs, same as DALF Oral)

So apart from frequent vacations, that is what's keeping me occupied these days! All of the classes except for the first two meet once a week, whereas those first two meet twice a week. By Friday I am generally exhausted from operating in French all the time, but hopefully my stamina will increase quickly!

Photos of Pontarlier

Visit http://picasaweb.google.com/pandasamanda to see photos of my recent outing to Pontarlier!  And be sure to read the post below for a full account.  

Visit to Pontarlier, a day full of tasting!

Saturday was another delightful outing to the area surrounding Besançon, specifically the town of Pontarlier. Christine and I joined a busload of other university students to visit four local production houses? not sure what to call them in English, so I will jump and describe.

First we visited a fromagerie where the famous local cheese, Comté, is produced 365 days a year. Farmers in the area bring in the fresh, raw milk of their Montebeliard cows (red and white) early each morning, and then the cheese makers set to work. In two large copper vats, they heat the milk slightly (never to a boil) and mix it thoroughly. After a bit, it turns to a sort of jello texture, at which point they break it up into little curds. Next they pour the curds into large cheese wheel molds (the container, not the fungus) and press the excess moisture out. The work is labor intensive, from milking the cows by hand to producing the enormous cheese wheels. It takes 20 some cows to produce 410 litres of milk, which translates into twelve 40 kilogram (88 pound) wheels per day.

After a while, the wheels are moved downstairs into the caves, where they are allowed to age. Every day, salt water is rubbed on the outside of the wheels to form the distinctive, protective, (and inedible) shell. The cheese is legally required to age for at least 4 months, and is often eaten at 1-3 years. Older Comté cheese is generally reserved for holiday festivities. We were given a healthy sampling of 1 year and 3 year Comté, both very mild and tasty! The older one is more crumbly and salty, almost a little gritty. The cheese is not pasteurized, in order to preserve the " good germs" as the cheese maker explained to us. Also Comté cheese can only be produced in this region, as its name is protected by the French government- kind of like how only champagne from Champagne is allowed to use the name champagne.

From there we visited the Distillerie Armand Guy, a distillery that has been in operation since the 1800s. It isn't just any old distillery, either- it produces the distinctive apératif (before dinner drink) Pontarlier-Anis (distilled aniseed-flavored liquor- like black licorice). I know most people don't like the flavor of anise, but I am a big fan!  The whole area around the petite distillery smelled of anise, mm mmm mmm!  Sadly I still don't understand very well how it is made, as the tour guide was a little short with us (a group of around 50), and skipped quickly on to the tasting.  Again the French proved to be incredibly generous with their samples, offering a sizable glass of any of the many different liquors they produce.

Wanting to try the anise-flavored one, I reached for a glass of what I thought was the milky white colored apératif. It was not Pontarlier-Anise that I sipped, however- and you'll never believe what it was! ... Absinthe! The Green Fairy! Outlawed for nearly a century, thought to cause men to literally lose their minds, and reinstated in France since 2001. I can see why it was outlawed- I have never tasted a flavor that overpowering in my life, and not in a good way. Made with one part distilled anise and two parts distilled absinthe (a plant which grows abundantly in the region), it assaults your tastebuds and coats your mouth, almost numbingly, so that you can taste nothing else. Blech.

After a healthy dose of good old water, I was able to taste the light and pleasant flavor of Pontarlier-Anise. Not bad, much much better than Absinthe. I bought a little flask of it, and as a little goes a long way, I might still have some for you to try when I get back to Iowa!

Next we had a picnic lunch in the park, and I was more than happy to share my PB & J sandwiches with Christine.  I will tell you more about the European perception of peanut butter some other time, it is quite the story!  But suffice it to say she was nice enough to try it, even if she didn't want very much.

In the afternoon we visited a miellerie, or honey farm, which actually wasn't that great.  The tour guide this time was completely rude and talked to us as if we were all stupid and couldn't understand him.  We understand, we just don't like you!!  Anyway the only interesting thing is that they make seven different types of honey, most of them are the consistency of an ointment, and they all have very distinctive flavors.  After watching the bees working on the honeycombs, I honestly didn't have much of an appetite for their labor.  

Finally we made one last stop to a meat smoke house, which had a really weird feel to it.  Not much to tour, we walked into the smoke room (they only smoke at night) and were greeted by hundreds of sausages, hanging on racks all around us and even from the ceiling!  The really weird part, though, was the automatons (robotic people).  There were three of them, incredibly lifelike and sooo creepy, twitching and talking in sing-song french voices.  Turns out they were modeled after real people that worked at the smoke house!   I saw a photo of the people standing next to their automatons and the likeness was uncanny.  Made my skin crawl.  

I came home to an empty house (the family had gone to a friend's house for dinner) but that meant that I had the chance to use their computer to talk to Mary on Skype, what a treat!  All in all it was a very good day.

New Photos of Besançon and the Percée du Vin Jaune

I've just posted new photos in the album "A bit of Besançon" as well as a new nifty little album of the "Percée du Vin Jaune". Available for you perusal at: http://picasaweb.google.com/pandasamanda Enjoy!

Dylan - Défilé - Degustation

Hello to all after a mostly marvelous weekend!  Can't believe it is Monday already, feels like I'm a living example of the phrase "time flies when you're having fun."  

Friday night I went to Madigan's Irish Pub, a duplicate of Jameson's in Waterloo (minus the balcony and free popcorn), to hear some live music and have a good time.  Two french guys were singing irish folk songs, as well as songs by Neil Young and Bob Dylan.  The one played a guitar and harmonica, the other a little drum and cymbal.  They were surprisingly talented- the one did a great impression of Dylan, so funny!  It started pretty early- 8pm- but my friends Christine and Laura eventually showed up, too.  By 10:30 the music was over but the place was absolutely packed, with people even waiting outside in the rain for a chance to get in.  It has a great atmosphere but the barstaff is rude, I guess that is a compromise.  By 11:30 I was dog tired and glad to have the excuse of needing to catch the last bus home.  

Saturday morning I rolled out of bed at 8am, just in time to go with my host dad, grandpa, and the twins to their school's "Carnivale" parade.  The girls were dressed up like little old ladies, the theme of the parade being "olden times" or something like that.  I thought it would be fun to see all the kids in their costumes and watch them parade around the school a bit, and it was, at first.  

It turned out, however, to be much more than a once-around-the-block kiddie parade.  This défilé (parade) was a BIG DEAL.  The entire elementary school, plus a kindergarten/preschool, and of course all of the parents joined together to parade around the neighboorhoods for TWO HOURS.  And it was COLD.  You could see your breath and by the end my hands and feet hurt, even with gloves and thick socks.    With an hour to go most of the kids were either whining, bickering, or being carried by their parents.   What were they thinking??  

Saturday for lunch we had rabbit with cooked apricots and plums, and it was the only meal so far that I have not been able to politely finish.  The rabbit was incredibly dry and tasted mildly of BBQ, and the fruits were the worst. texture. ever.  At this point in the day I have to say I was more than a little grumpy.  I slept most of the afternoon until dinner, when things improved as we had a full classic French meal with an appetizer and apératif of wine, a main course of cheese, ham, and potatoes, and crème caramel for dessert.  After the girls went to bed my host parents and I had an incredibly long discussion about dressing styles, sex, drugs, and alcohol in France and the US- absolutely fascinating- it almost made up for an otherwise letdown of a day.

Then came Sunday sunday Sunday!  No, I'm not talking about the Superbowl.  It was the Percée du Vin Jaune (festival of the Piercing of the Yellow Wine).  Christine, Laura, and I boarded the special "yellow" train in Besançon to arrive an hour later in the city of Lons-le-Saunier, where we were promptly whisked away in a bus to the nearby villages of Ste Agnes and Vincelles, the hosts of the festival this year.  

And what a festival it was!  Upon arrival we received a full size wine glass with a string apparatus attached so that you could hang it around your neck, ten degustation (tasting) tickets, and a map of the two villages with all of the caveaux (wine cellars) marked.  The sun was incredibly bright and cold as we made our way to the location of the opening ceremony, a field on the end of the far village.  A huge crowd was already gathering, and it only continued to swell as the time for the ceremony neared.  The field was complete muck- all of the rain and a bit of snow had turned it into a gloppy mess.  There was a tiny stage with a very animated band playing tunes while we waited, patiently sinking into the mud.  Soon the field was full and even the road to the field was packed with crowds.  

Everyone made room when the parade of Ambassadors of the Yellow Wine finally snaked its way down to the stage.  O what pomp and circumstance, the likes of which I have never seen!!  Speech after self-important speech, exalting the "nectar of our land", the singular taste, scent, and color of our beloved vin jaune.  All of the ambassadors were in full processional-style golden colored robes, with silly hats and decorative sceptors.  In the center of the stage they carefully placed the ceremonial tonneau (barrel) of vin jaune from 2001, heralded as even more special and worthy of praise as it is the first batch of the new millenium- finally ready for tasting after 6 1/2 long years in the barrel.   

After all of the speeches and a lot of cheering, the much anticipated moment finally arrived.  Un... deux... trois- pop!  The barrel was tapped and the vin jaune poured forth, sparkling in the sun.  Bottles were passed around and everyone raised their glass in a toast to the Percée 2008! Properly initiated, the crowd ventured en masse back to the roads to wander from cellar to cellar to taste the fruit of the land.  

And what a fruit it is!  As I had heard a lot about the unusual and strong taste of vin jaune, I didn't really expect to enjoy it.  How wrong I was!  Although it does in fact have a dinstictive taste, that taste is wonderful!  It opens smoothly with a slight pucker when you swallow, and then it is as if a walnut is blooming in your mouth.  You don't taste it all at once, it just sort of opens up and unfolds.  It was, in short, amazing.  From that first taste, we had all afternoon to try 9 other wines: 3 more vin jaunes, 1 macvin, and 5 vin blanc, rouge, or crémant.  I alternated back and forth between yellow and white, as red is not my fav.  The only one I didn't like was the macvin, an apératif that is so sweet it is almost unbearable.  

Of course we weren't just going to drink all day and not eat anything!  There were a variety of food stands and restaurants with free samples and plenty of other tasty choices.  The most popular item was a little carton of Comté cheese cubes, with toothpicks for convenient on-the-go snacking along with the wines.  We also had sandwichs with the local sausage, as well as a fabulous gauffre with nutella.  Let's just say we didn't go hungry, or thirsty for that matter!  

After a long day of walking and tasting, we made our way back to the bus stop and managed to catch our special train just in time.  The festivities continued in the train cars, where revelers popped open their new purchases and passed around the bottles.  No thanks, I'd had enough wine for a long time!  That's not to say I was drunk, or even tipsy, as the tastings were incredibly small, but after 10 flavors of wine in one afternoon (more than the sum total I had previously tried in my lifetime), I was just plain tired of tasting!  

Looking forward to a great week and hoping to post again soon...