Sunday, 5 April:

Bonjour from France! I'm so glad you are coming along with me today. It has been a very full and busy day. I will not be able to blog tomorrow, as we will be leaving for Paris very early and won't get home until almost midnight. I will try to get Monday and Tuesday together on Tuesday night.

I began my day with a little quiet time after breakfast. I read a little from my new travel-sized bible, and remembered in prayer all my family and friends back home, and our students and families here. Cathie asked me later if I would like to play piano with Sebastien, so I went downstairs to their music room/office, and sat next to Seb for a little paino-quatre mains, or piano four-hands. Cathie wanted a picture, too, so here's the one she took with my camera.

I enjoy playing with Sebastien. We have a piano in our home in Wilmington, and Seb and I played a little while he was with me then. Today, we ended up playing for hours, sharing all the books he had, and sight reading things he had not yet learned. Around lunch time, Cathie told us it was time to go. We were going to a birthday party for her nephew.

We traveled west of Eckbolsheim about 20 or 25 kilometers to a very small village (but a very young one, also) called Fessenheim. This is the first time I have seen more modern houses here, and Cathie explained to me they are more like American houses. I'd say only somewhat. They are indeed more modern and angular, but there is still the feeling of France with their immaculate gardens, plantings, and attention to tiny details. This was the home of her cousin, Monique. It is a beautiful, slightly more modern home surrounded by hundreds of acres of farmland. Here her family grows asparagus and tobacco.

Family farm

A view across one field

When we arrived, we gathered in her garden, and were greeted by the most joyous little West Highland terrier. This precious little white dog bounded all over the place, and would bring his inquisitive little nose right up as far as his little legs would reach to see if you would pay attention to him. As the family was gathering outside around the little table with lès gôutes, or the little tastes, I asked "Chips" (pronounced SHEEPS) for a photo (en Francais, of cuorse!). Funniest thing- he politely sat down and held very still. I think he actually understood! The whole group just exploded with laughter as I snapped his photo.

"Chips"

Even though the birthday part was for a 15 year old boy, I actually saw very little of him. It was all adults, (16 of them!) and mostly older adults. And one more very important thing- every single one of them spoke Alsation- just like Cathie's parents who were also there. Now you will remember the importance of food with these families?? Well, as you can imagine, I was beginning to get a little concerned, since the amount of food on the little appatizer table was already so heavy. I had breakfasted very lightly, with a small piece of fresh baguette, yogurt, and coffee, and it was now about 1:30 in the afternoon. Lunch time should be no problem. I didn't get up from their table until 4:00- and that was to ask where la toilette was! And no, we weren't done yet. It started with a delicious soup course, with a piece of dark brown bread in the bottom of the bowl, a little like "French" onion soup, but without the cheese. Then there was a space of time where all the "mamans" got up to clear the large bowls, and the rest of the group sat and talked. For almost twenty minutes, I was surrounded by thick German words and accents with the occasional french word I could recognize. And then Cathie and a couple more of her cousins would fire off rapid French to each other, and then the whole group would roar with laughter and break out into an unintelligible mélange of German and French. The way these people could switch from one language to the other with such ease and familiarity was truly amazing. If I had not already learned a fair amount of French history, I would have no idea what was going on. But if you remember that this country has changed sides several times, it makes a lot more sense. History has no absolute borders. We do not go to sleep one day in ancient history and wake up the next in Modern. Lables are only applied in retrospect, to help organize our thinking and to create convenient ways of describing periods of time. Here, time is utterly blended, one epoch into another. And the people and the languages reflect that. The meals do, too!

Cousins- Monique, Cathie, Christian

Around the table

After the soup, enormous platters of boiled beef with cabbages and potatos, and monstrous mounds of shredded celery root ( a speciality here), beets, and thinly shaved cucumbers were hefted onto the table, and the birthday fète began in ernest. After nearly another 40 minutes of steady eating and conversation, the men got up from the table and walked outside to smoke. (If there's one thing I would want to change about France, it would be this. Most people smoke here- men, women,; and youth. But THANKFULLY- not my family!!) The ladies helped clear the table, and then Cathy and I went to sit with the youngest niece. She had a scrap book of a recent visit to Paris with her school, and Cathie thought I would enjoy seeing it. We chatted for a while, then we all trouped back in for the dessert. Dessert consisted of a full-sized dinner plate with 5 different desserts on them. There were slices of fresh kiwi, apple, and orange, then a rich chocolate mousse in a small glass, a large chocolate muffin that was the most incredibly light and fluffy brownie, a large slice of the parfait-type ice cream cake; but only with various hues of chocolate and vanilla, and finally a dark chocolate truffle. It was the birthday of Tomàs, and the birthday traditions are very similar here. Grand birthday cake with candles, but I've now seen two such cakes in very different settings, and they both contained a sparkler in the middle that would put most Roman candles to shame. Check this out!!

Monique, Tomàs, Seb behind, and Laurie

We sang Happy Birthday in both Alsatian and English; then Monique served not one, but TWO different cales (yes, this is AFTER the dessert!!) And of course, we had to have both! No teensy little slice of birthday cake, here. Following this was strong black coffee, and more conversation around the table. If you've checked your watch lately, you'll see we had been at this meal for nearly 4 hours. Seb tells me that is quite common. But at last, it was "finis", and we managed to get up from the table. Cathie asked Monique, her cousin, about "les cheveaux". The horses. INSTANT alert from my ears. After a period of time, I had to just shut out most of what I was hearing. The cacophony of such mixed languages was too difficult for my brain to digest, so I just sat and tried to listen instead to the lilt and tone patterns of their speech instead of the words. But "les cheveaux ets mon specialité", as they say here. My absolute favorite. HOSRES! Cathie was talking about horses nearby. My sweet, kind host is ever on the lookout for things that make me feel welcome. There were horses in the area, and we were going to see them.

On foot, of course! We walk everywhere here, and there was no exception in this tiny village. Monique told me that Fessenheim holds about 500 people, no more. So we walked the entire circuit of its territory. And on the far side, there was a riding school. A huge, magnificent, riding school. The stalls were open to the warm late afternoon sun, the horses had been perfectly curried, and were being fed for the night. Many had their heads poked out, checking out the new folks wandering into their yard. So many beautiful horses! And all but one were very sweet natured, allowing me to tickle the velvety spot between their nostrils that almost every horse I have ever known adores. I spent about 30 minutes here, going from stall to stall, speaking in French to horses that wouldn't understand English!

"Chips" was with us on a leash, and was bouncing about, impatient to get home and to his own dinner. So we made our way back. Monique offered us sparkling water "with gas" as they say here (C02 ), then we finally left for home. It was well after 6 PM when we left, and I sat down to start my blog early tonight since we will be going to Paris tomorrow.

I had only typed for about 30 minutes when Cathie rang the little bell she uses to call her family to dinner. DINNER??? Surely not....

You'll never believe it!

ESCARGOT! Snails!!!!

I think I'll fast for about a month when I get home!

Blessings and Peace from France-

I love and miss you all!

Bonnie