French, French, and more French

Alors! So my time has been sucked by attending French lessons, but it's going sorta ok. But, three hours of class plus a few more of homework does take its toll and I had a bit of a meltdown at the end of last week. However, with the start of a new week I'm more positive! (I should note that the homework only takes so long because my poor old brain can't cope and I have to go-over what we did in class...)

My state of mind was also not helped by the hideous downpour we had; on Thursday it rained for 24 hours and the Rhone looked like it might overflow onto the boardwalk on Saturday. (It didn't.)

As Lloyd was travelling last week (Poland) we decided to stay in Lyon all weekend; the first time we've not been out exploring. It was great though - we had lunch at a square near our flat on Saturday and ate outside, walked all over town and did some shopping, and in the evening went for our best meal so far, at Leon de Lyon. Sunday saw us both doing French homework, housework etc, and I cooked gigot d'agneau, which even though I say so myself, was "superbe".

We're both looking forward to Lloyd's parents visiting us this week and also, in a few weeks, to our long-awaited honeymoon. Rich and Linda, whose wedding we went to last week, are currently in South Africa, so we're anxiously awaiting a weather report.

Meanwhile, below is a pic of the weather we all woke up to in England last Sunday - it really was a white wedding!

Je m'appelle...

It's been a busy 10 days or so - my mum was our first visitor to Lyon and arrived last week for a few days. Last Saturday we went to one of France's official "prettiest villages", a place called Oingt. It's great saying that out loud - try it. Anyway - it's got amazing views and we were lucky enough to sit outside for lunch and enjoy the weather - even got a bit sunburnt!

Tuesday both Lloyd and I started our French lessons. Lloyd has a one hour conversational lesson at work, while I go to class (at school) every day for 3 hours. My first day was really hard work and confusing but that's because they put me in a class above where I'm meant to be. I've since gone down a level and am really enjoying it. There's about 15 of us in my class - all different nationalities, and for three hours no English is spoken. It's obviously still quite mind-blowing but I'm positive about it and hopeful that eventually it will all click. Lloyd unfortunately has been working late and not had time to continue in the evenings - but we've bought some software that should help too.

This weekend we're back to the UK for Rich and Linda's wedding near Guildford but it's back to class on Tuesday!

Easter weekend

Montpellier

Saturday we left cold, wet Lyon for the sunny south - Montpellier. It was amazing to see how the landscape changes as you drive through Provence - all of a sudden the characteristic cypress trees are dotted everywhere. It took a little over three hours to get there including stops for petrol (where we got yelled at over the tannoy for doing something wrong - v embarrassing!) and food (where we were told we couldn't get chips at the McDonalds type concession - presumably because it was 2.38 and past lunch time?) We stayed at a restored 18th century house in the heart of the old pedestrian centre. As usual (!) we found a great bar and restaurant - Chez Boris where we were lucky to get the last table, and Bar du Musee - great music, wine and atmosphere.

Montpellier

Easter Sunday we left Montpellier and stopped for lunch at Avignon. It would be worth going back there and staying for a night and doing the self guided pedestrian tour.

Saint Bénézet bridge - Pont D'Avignon

Typically, as we headed towards Lyon the skies darkened and we brought bad weather with us - snow spots and by the end of the evening heavy rain and 3 degrees. Yuk. Still, we ended the weekend by eating in one of Paul Bocuse's famous brasseries, Est.

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Tuesday - I've been to Alliance Francaise and will start classes there next Tuesday - every day for three hours for the next 3-4 months! So with any luck soon I'll be able to have a conversation in a shop instead of a combination of badly pronounced words, gesticulation, drawing and pointing. Another good thing was that there's potentially a cooking class that I could take along with other 'wives' - which could be good fun. We shall see...

Give us this day...

Well, there's no hot cross buns in France, so instead take a look at our daily bread. In the foreground, fromage gratinée, and in the background, une baguette de mais (corn).
Happy Easter!

Postcard

More things wot I have noticed

1. It takes aaaaaages to go shopping. French people really don't seem to care how long they take in the queue. I had heard about this but more and more I've been experiencing it. Do they worry that there's 5 people behind them in the little delicatessen? Nah. It's "their right" to take as long as they like. Last week when all I wanted was a bit of dip I nearly bottled it and left, mainly because I didn't want the other 4 people in the queue to hear my 2 year old's vocabulary. ("I would like a small that please. [points to some unpronounceable Moroccan dip]. Yes, please, thank you." Anyway, it takes ages wherever you go. In Sainsburys you might hurry up once you'd paid, shove your card and receipt somewhere in your bag you'll never find it later on and hurry off before the person behinds you starts bagging up on top of you, but not a bit of it here. I'm learning to take my time too. If they can dawdle, so can I.
2. Similarly, walking somewhere. They're not in a rush to get anywhere, the French! It doesn't help that I'm impatient (that goes for Lloyd too) and that we generally have somewhere to go. I am always trying to get past idle walkers. Maybe it's all a sign to s-l-o-w down a bit.
   
3. Gratin dauphinois is the food of the devil. It is my fave potato dish ever, but who's got the time to faff about slicing thin bits of potato and onion and mixing it with cream when you can walk into any traiteur or even good butcher, and get a portion of heaven without having to do any work? Seriously, I fear I might be addicted as twice this week I've given in (resisted since we got here) and now I have to do a detour and not go near the shop. Mind you, it was easy to avoid today as they had traditional fare in the window that looked suspiciously like feet or ears or something.
4. If you find a delicious and yummy baguette, sometimes it's really hard not to eat it all at once.
5. The locals here, on the most part, are incredibly friendly and welcoming. Maybe we've just been really lucky (because we meet people who say that they have a reputation for the opposite), but I've been fortunate to have several people come to my rescue in shops and either translate or speak for me, followed always by "welcome to Lyon". It always makes me feel really glad to be here. But when shopping becomes scary I go to Monoprix where I don't have to say a word to anyone and can just pick things off the shelf and hand over my card...
6. I'm understanding more and more - but I still can't say anything. Although today I thought I understood how much the bill was - I caught "nine euro eighty something" - or so I thought. But it was actually nine-ninety. Or rather, nine euro eighty and ten. Why do they make it so hard? You have to do maths as well as understand a new language?
   

Spring has sprung!

Place des Célestins

How things change

I made a bottle of wine last for four nights! Amazing really, because it was like nectar, and only €6.99. Still struggling to find a similarly priced red that's good. Just have to keep trying them! I made boeuf bourgignon a la Paul Bocuse last week (famous chef from Lyon - think Gordon Ramsay but older) and we tried a more expensive (but still under €10) wine to go with it. Better, but still not the bargain everday wine we're searching for. Might have to up the budget to find a favourite red.

This weekend was like being single again due to Lloyd being in Sin City...I mooched around the shops, walked around the Rhone, cooked a yummy ratatouille and spent hours doing my nails and generally staring at myself in the mirror.