Making New Friends

Our delightful hosts, Rebecca, Eric, and Emanuelle.

One of the best things about this trip has been finding friends with whom we clicked instantly. When we were here in 2008, we had several friends visit throughout the trip. It was fantastic, but it did nothing to help us integrate better into life in Rouen.

As with most things relating to both of our trips to France, this new relationship is largely kismet. After finding out that we had another opportunity to come to Rouen, I again signed up for French classes. On the first day of class we introduced ourselves and talked about why we were there. Because I mentioned coming to Rouen, a man in the class mentioned that his daughter lived there with her husband and daughter. The following week he brought me an index card with her contact information. I never saw him again.

A month or so later, I emailed Rebecca. We exchanged basic information and spoke of getting together when my family arrived in France. We emailed a few times after that: she told me she has a 2-year-old daughter and that her husband was French. 

A few days after we arrived in Rouen. I invited Rebecca, Eric, and Emanuelle over for dinner. That was last Sunday. In the past 6 nights we've had dinner together 3 times. What can I say other than that we've found people with whom we feel totally connected, totally comfortable. I am so grateful for this little family who has welcomed us to Rouen in ways that were totally unexpected. The only downside is that Rebecca and Emanuelle are leaving in mid-July, to go to Portland of all places! The good new is we'll get to visit with them there as well.

Hors d'oeuvres and champagne. Apparently, there's a French market that sells all this stuff frozen. Just thaw and serve. Gotta go there!






Sula.


Anna and Emanuelle have become fast friends. 



So many choices. 






Showing her inner Beastie!

Random

Mediterranean delights at the grand marché.

I've gotten behind on posting, but I wanted to show you some of my photos from throughout the last week. They are truly random, but I think give a decent sense of how we spend our days. Everything in the photos is walking distance from our home. I'd say I walk about 3-4 hours most days.








Anna was fascinated by the architectural models of new apartments in the window of a real estate office.


Poupées at the grand marché.



Stained glass at Saint Maclou.






One part of one aisle of rosés at the supermarché. The French are serious.



Sometimes I have to be sneaky to get a photo. 






Little known fact about me: I always light a  candle for loved ones in cathedrals.



Pretty sure I took this same shot in this same church last time we were here, but how could you not? 



What's left of that GIANT hunk of cheese we bought last week. It doesn't seem that bad until you realize we've gone through about 6 other hunks of cheese in addition. 

How the French do lunch

One of the things I love about France is that meals are an experience. No one is in a hurry.

Today David and I asked Maite to babysit for a few hours so that we could finally go to the big supermarché to stock up on basic supplies for the house (toilet paper, soy milk, cider, wine — things too bulky and heavy to carry on our mile+ walk to the smaller shops).

The supermarket itself deserves its own blog post; literally half the enormous store is refrigerated for the many, many kinds of cheese, yogurt, creme fraiches, etc. on offer.

Afterwards, we had time for a lunch date, so we headed to Rue L'Eau Robec where I spotted a cute little place called Jam. Like many places here, they had a very limited selection, but offered a prix-fixe menu, where you get the daily specials at a very reasonable price.




Over the next 90 minutes or so we had the great pleasure of enjoying an amazing bottle of cider (the producer has revived an ancient variety of apple), followed by one lovely dish after another. The proprietress was very interested in talking with us, and even brought out a photo book about an area of Normandy we weren't familiar with.





This actually brings up another point, which is just how lovely everyone has been to us. From the vendors at the marché (farmer's market) who all handed Anna pieces of fruit to try (one even gave her a little ring she was admiring), to the shop owners who let us come in to look at something that caught Anna's eye (but invariably has nothing to do with what they actually sell in that store). Everyone has been really interested in learning about who we are and how it is that we're here. And since no one has been speaking English, they've been incredibly patient with my French!

Of course, the down side of all this is that I think it officially takes 1 1/2 weeks of eating in France to gain back all of the weight one loses after eating mostly raw/vegan for several months. But when in France…

Return to Rouen

The city center.


Our front door.


A typical street in Rouen.

Our return to Rouen, after 3 1/2 years away, has been amazingly smooth. Having been here for 6 weeks the last time, David and I are quite familiar both with the house and with the lay of the land. The most noticeable difference this time is the light. When we were here before it was from Thanksgiving through New Year's, and it was perpetually dark (much like Portland). This time both David and I were shocked by how much light floods the house, because we never experienced it that way before. It was a very welcome surprise.


David and Jean Paul, looking over their/our plot in the community garden.

Another difference between our previous visit and now is that already our dance card is getting full with things to do and people to do them with. Tomorrow I am going to the Alliance Française to take the placement exam and then having coffee with a fellow francophile, Austrailian blogger Kathy of Femmes Francophiles. We've been following each other's blogs for a couple months and she happens to be in Rouen for a couple days! Love that. And earlier tonight our former babysitter, Maite, knocked on our door. She's back from université for a few weeks and wanted to make herself available to us. There's also Rebecca, an American who's father I met in a French class in Portland. She, her husband, and daughter live in Rouen and are coming for dinner Sunday. It's amazing how small the world seems to be getting!

Yesterday we spent much of the day wandering: gathering our fruit, veggies and cheese from the local markets, having crepes and cider for lunch, and taking photos. I found myself drawn again to textures, colors, and doorways. I love taking photos where one is looking through portals — I guess the layering appeals to me. I want to make some time to explore that with paint this summer as well.


Cider at lunch.












Just another neighborhood church.


Love the textures of the stone and the reflected blue sky in the window here.

Of course, all is not sunshine and cider. These journeys always have a learning curve and we've started ours. In our first 24 hours here we managed to fry both electrical gadgets we deemed important enough to bring with us: my immersion blender and the baby monitor. All electrical currents are not created alike and we simply didn't pay enough attention. Also, for those of you who remember our previous adventures in bathing, we may once again be sneaking over to the neighbor's house for a quick bath. At the moment we have no hot water whatsoever, though we have hopes of getting that resolved tomorrow. One never knows since it involves me speaking on the phone with a plumber who speaks no english. But somehow none of it seems to bother me when we're here. Perhaps that's why I keep wanting to come back. Something about being here mellows me. Maybe it's that I have nothing else to worry about here except how much cheese 3 people can reasonably eat in 7 weeks!

What happens when you leave David alone to buy the cheese!


Home cooking.

À Paris

View of Paris from the Centre Pompidou.


Mmm hmm. It's like that.

We are here! After months of anticipation, and a fairly uneventful trip over, we have arrived in France!

Already, this time feels so different from our previous adventure three years ago. Everything has been so much easier. Our friends Curtis and Leila hosted us for our first two nights, which meant spoiling us rotten with everything from driving us to and from the airport/train station to wining and dining us night and day.


This is what they served before the meal!


The lovely Leila with her beloved pipe.


Une petite tarte.


Lily-Rose.



Nothing but blue sky.



Round Two. This time with champagne.









(Yes, I've already eaten more bread and cheese than in the previous 6 months combined. No joke. I am dying for a green smoothie! And yes, I packed my immersion blender! It's no Vitamix, but it's better than nothing!)

Because we arrived in the morning, we got the benefit of two full days and nights in Paris. Curtis and Leila live in a great area, just a quick trip by subway into the heart of Paris. By chance, on our second day, I was able to catch the final day of a Matisse show at the Centre Pompidou, one of my favorite museums in the world.







Leila's gorgeous Desigual coat.


Curtis and Artur.


La petite.


Chillin at the playground.




Waiting patiently.





The budding photographer. Watch for her blog. No joke.


Le Centre Pompidou.


Although Leila is French (Curtis is American) we spoke mostly English during our visit with them, so my French didn't get much of a workout. All that changed yesterday, though, once we arrived in Rouen.

We were met at the train station by Jean Paul, who doesn't speak a work of English. We spent the afternoon with him, visiting the Alliance Française (where I'll be able to take classes!) and checking out their vegetable plot in the community garden. Later, joined by Janine, we were once again treated to a welcome gathering. This time, however, we knew many of the faces from our previous visit. We also got to meet Julianna, the 16-year-old who will be our babysitter while we're in Rouen.

So, today is our first real day here in Rouen. I awoke at 4:45am and waited until I heard Janine and Jean Paul stirring around 6:45. I joined them for coffee and a last visit and about thirty minutes ago they left to catch their flight to Portland. David and Anna are still upstairs asleep. I am dying to get out and revisit this beautiful town.