My weekend started early this week! After grammar class and working at the library, my host mummy picked me up at IES and we drove to my host pappy's house in the country, in a little town called St. Pazanne. He turned the stable in his grandfather's farm into a house, and his sister lives next door in the original house. The farm used to be quite large, but houses have been built up around it so now it's in the town. It was a lovely sunny day so we feasted on shrimp and baby lobsters and grilled scallops and goat cheese made in St. Pazanne. Although it was good chevre, it was the first one I've had that tasted EXACTLY LIKE GOATS. Maybe a little too goaty for me?
We then drove to the coast, which was quite close by, and walked on a trail on the coast to the town of Pornic. The trail is an old customs officials route and apparently there's a law in France that there has to be a trail along the coast everywhere. It was a lovely walk, filled with ponies and sea shells and lovely old beach houses. Beach houses are always named in France (I guess they usually are in the US too?) but they all have silly names like La Tempete (the storm) or Ma Petite Refuge and things like that. Upon arriving in Pornic we had some quality ice cream which Pornic is known for apparently.
It just so happened that it was the Festival de la chanson de cafe (festival of cafe music) that night. So we went to five or so different bar/cafes and heard five different singer/songwriters. Some were quite good, and there were two that were godawful. I also had one of the most delicious crepes ever for dinner (potato and chevre, with soooo much chevre in it!). It was really a good time hanging out with my host parents and speaking/reading/hearing nothing but French for 24 hours. They're right fun people, my host pappies.
Saturday, I walked to my friend Katie's house to watch a movie, and afterwards went downtown, where I ate an apricot croissant at a cafe and read Roald Dahl short stories in French. I was supposed to go to a vegetarian restaurant (the only one in Nantes!) with my friends Sam and Stewart for dinner, but it ended up being closed on saturday nights so we got pizza instead. The rest of the night was very college-y, meaning it involved some 3 euro bottles of wine, bar hopping and talking to lots of semi-creepy French guys (but never for too long!). Overall a very quality night, but it made for a sleepy sunday and made me realize why sundays at college are usually such a struggle.
I did, however, go to a regional products market sort of thing today. There were samples of wine and cheese and sausage (i tried duck and kangaroo sausage, sold by a man wearing a silk paisley scarf. what a winner.) and things of that nature. I love markets here, because everything is so pretty and delicious. Plans are in the works to visit an escargot (snail) farm possibly this weekend, or at some point in the next few weeks!
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