I can't apologize enough for not blogging about Paris yet. There is too much to say, and I am overwhelmed. I am working on an entry, slowly but surely. Here's a small post to keep you all satiated until I get my act together, and a reassurance (just in case you thought I had somewhat assimilated and become Parisian) that I am still an American Stumbling Abroad:
I had the pleasure of going to the country (about three hours by car East of Paris in a tiny village called Poisson) with my host family this weekend. When I arrived, I was greeted with nothing but trees, trees, and more trees. It was a nice little slice of home. My host Dad's mom, Marie-Claire, has a beautiful and gigantic house that we stayed in, complete with many blond haired grandchildren running around. I met them one at a time, in staggered incraments. When I met Louis, who is 10 years old, he stood directly in front of me, and slowly inched his face closer to mine. Having no idea what he was doing, I backed away and laughed nervously. My Host Dad came to the rescue and said "He's trying to give you bises". I should have known! French customs defeat me again! Bisous, or Bises in the plural, are those silly Kisses-On-The-Cheek that you see in movies with stereotypical French people in them. My host parents don't really give Bises, so I'd forgotten about the custom.
And that, friends, is how Louis, a decade my junior, made a fool of me. Mostly, though, I think I just made him really nervous. His little brother, Hugo, though, was eager to be my friend. We played cards together, we played with a "ballon" (ball), and then he invited me to watch The Simpsons and Pokèmon with him! What a day! But really, the country was wonderful. It was nice to take a little break from the man-made wonders of Paris and get to see a tree that isn't manicured to perfection in the Jardin du Luxembourg.
Really, I promise to write again soon, and add some of the many photos I've been taking. Classes have started, and I still have so much I want to do here, so blogging tends to go on the backburner. I'll be back soon, though. You can hold me to it!
EDIT: Little reminders of Home, courtesy of the French Countryside. Simple and serene.
My host Dad, Ghislain, absolutely loves this bridge, Le Viaduc de Thonnance les Moulins. He even hired a painter to replicate it:
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