roborant
adjective:
noun:
1. A strengthening medicine; a tonic; a restorative.
Roborant derives from the present participle of Latin roborare, "to strengthen," from robur, roboris, "strength"
It has been busy!
Thats really exciting, after a fairly slow winter.
For the past THREE weeks, we have gone out each weekend. This has been amazing.
On the weekend of the 9th, for Ben's b-day I surprised him with a weekend, on the mediterranean coast, near the spanish border. We stayed in a lovely traditional fishing village and then the next day hiked about 15k to another lovely fishing town. It was gorgeous. The images of the sea and the coast, that was sometimes sandy beaches, steep cliffs, or just rocky, are burned in my mind. It was so nice to take ALL day to see that scenery as opposed to just driving by, or going on the train. You really get to savour it.
The wind on the way was just ridiculous, it almost knocked me over. It tripped me up pretty good a few times, and once I had to just sit down, it was pushing me too much. We walked through some really pretty vinyards too. Just sooo nice.
Then last weekend to the Cevennes, a local mountain range for a little hike in the hills. It really reminded me of Canada so that was nice.
Then this past weekend Aix-en-Provence. To stay with friends. Also fantastic. We got half a kilo of Calissons, my favorite provencial candies, and we did a walk in national parc called the Luberon, that was also amazing amazing amazing.
Its been great to get out and do hikes. In france they mark the trails really well with these little yellow lines, and I love them. You can just take the train to certain towns and look for the first line and off you go, no map or anything.
I am crazy, but the lines have a personality of their own. They don't just show you the way, they show you around. They show off the sights. They propose a nicer walk. Sometimes there is a nice view, and there is a special sign for that, like a half sun. The lines seem to get excited about the view too.
I've had good times with those yellow lines in the past 3 weeks. Not a bad tan on my face either.
This morning, I was exhasted from all this busy-ness, and also working almost full time for the past 2 weeks, so needing a roborant, I drank half of Ben's coffee, put my ipod on some good dance music and powerwalked to work.
So between the coffee and the powerwalking I feel pretty good. But hungry.
I am also really excited because very soon my brother is coming, then my best friend, then my mom!!! All in the next 2 months, then home for me too! So things are winding down like a tornado, quickly and exciting.
Yup so I'm almost off work, and should do something productive before I leave.
Good bye.
alacrity
\uh-LACK-ruh-tee\, noun:
A cheerful or eager readiness or willingness, often manifested by brisk, lively action or promptness in response.
Alacrity comes from Latin alacritas, from alacer, "lively."
I`m just waiting for Ben to come home from Rome.
I`ve had such a good week, going out with friends a lot, enjoying the calm. Last night I sat down with a movie and a bottle of wine, and finished them both off. I was quite proud.
This morning I woke up with suprising alacrity for Ben to come home. I cleaned up, and went shopping, bought him steaks, which he loves. What a good girlfriend......
I miss him a bit. It will be nice to have someone here again to talk to and whatnot.....
The break was good, aren`t they always?
purdah
\PUR-duh\, noun:
1 .A state of seclusion or concealment; social seclusion.
2. A curtain, screen, or veil shielding women from the sight of men or strangers in Hindu and Muslim communities.
3.A striped cotton cloth from which a curtain is made, often blue and white.
Ben is in Rome this week.This is a picture of Nimes, in the roman gardens.
I am having a great time, enjoying my temporary purdah at home.
I went shopping yesterday, and then out to dinner with a group of friends. So not really suffering yet.
In the end it was really nice to have Ben's friend here. He only stayed a few days then took off traveling by himself and now with Ben.
It was cool to show someone around. It definatly made me more excited about Europe.
Its so nice to be alone for a bit. Play my music and watch political debates on TV. Go wild in other words ;)
I did get some really nice clothes.
abscond
\ab-SKOND\, intransitive verb:
To depart secretly; to steal away and hide oneself -- used especially of persons who withdraw to avoid arrest or prosecution.
Abscond comes from Latin abscondere, "to conceal," from ab-, abs-, "away" + condere, "to put, to place."
Ben`s best friend is coming from canada today for up to THREE WEEKS.
Just to clarify, we have a Tiny batchelor suite and I am a girl who loves nothing more than for each thing she owns to have a home and for it to stay more or less there.
So the thought of an extra person and all the stuff that comes with it in our already overshared space makes me want badly to abscond for three weeks myself.
Maybe it will turn out to be super fun and I will make a life long friend as well....... maybe.
Or maybe I`ll end up getting a really good deal on hotel room for three weeks.
Ugg wish me luck.
In other news I retaliated on monday night and invited a friend of my own over for dinner. I cooked. Wow, I wasn`t working that day, so I just cooked and cook with a new hand mixer I bought on the weekend.
I had a mixer fest. We ate guacamole, hand mixed, then home made pumkin cream soup, which was really good. Then home made jam that I had hand crafted with my mixer earlier in the day.
It was so much fun.
I have been really into cooking lately. Just loving it. Its been good. Hopefully Ben and his friend will abscond a little themselves and I`ll have a full out dinner party while they are gone.
Thats all I have to say for now. Wish me luck.
reticent
1. Inclined to keep silent; reserved; uncommunicative.
2. Restrained or reserved in style.
3. Reluctant; unwilling.
Reticent comes from the present participle of Latin reticere, "to keep silent," from re- + tacere, "to be silent."
Hello, and apologies for the reticient blogging behavoir.
In truth I have been stalling because I don`t have any christmas photos and I wanted to get those and blog that first, but I think I`m just going to have to let it go and update the current events going on in my life.
So here we go.
Just before christmas one of the girls at work got married. It was so fun. French weddings are really cool. We ate for so long. It wasn`t even just the quantity but the length. It was ridiculous. We had about 10 dishes. of which three desserts. The actual meal started at about 8 and honestly didn`t finish until 1 am. I left right after the coffee and final dessert was served and I didn`t get home until about 2. There was dancing in between the plates to work up and appetite. Anyway a good time was had by all
Then to the alps for christmas. Ben took this picture on boxing day. I was on the bathroom floor, literally feeling like I was about to die. I had a tremendous flu and spent a good part of my week of christmas in the alps on there. But Ben said the scenery was beautiful. Glad that he didn`t stay home with me. Scenery, not so great.
We made it to Chamonix towards the end of the week, and went to the the glacier cave, something I didn`t get a chance to do last year. It was really cool. They just drilled a huge hole in the glacier so you can go inside and look at the cheesy lighting and what not.
I was suprised as to how big and blue the glacier really was. Relieving to see such a big chunk of ice after having seen the incovienent truth.
And this is pretty much the only picture I have of some of the people I stayed with. Here is Veronique and Maud and me, with our toques!
After that me and ben took the train to Lyon, for the day before heading south. That was really really fun. We ate in one of the famous bouchon Lyonaise, and there happened to be a huge farris wheel set up in the main square while we were there which provided an awsome view of the city, for only 5 euros.
Taking pictures of ourselves on the big wheel.
Last picture. a few weeks after the vacation a student from my school, who is really nice, took us to see the pont du gard. The biggest remaining romain aquaduct. It was really cool. Definatly another item crossed off my list of things to do in life.
I felt soooo good after christmas. I felt so peaceful for a long time.
I`ve been in a bit of a funk/bad mood for a week recently, so it was nice to relook at these pictures, and put an end to all this reticence.
olla podrida
1. A stew of highly seasoned meat and vegetables.
2. A mixture; a hodgepodge.
Olla podrida comes from the Spanish, literally "rotten pot," from olla, "pot" (from Latin olla) + podrida, feminine of podrido, "rotten," from Latin putridus.
On this chilly day of December, stuck at home to relax, I can think of nothing better than to share with you an olla podrida of thoughts.
I am so excited for Christmas, look at my great Christmas decos that I "borrowed" from work, and tidily strung up on the beams in our place.
We are heading to Savoie on Sunday to spend Noel with my first host family. I talked to them the other day, and ( only when asked of course) we put in our requests for meals, Ben - fondue Savoyarde, and me, oysters with the amazing chalotte sauce Bernard makes. I love Christmas eve meal in France. Last year we just ate the most delicious appetizers and little dishes. Snails and whatnot too. Anyway thrilled to be going to Savoie.
Also missing my family. Last year I was so sure and determined to just love everything in France and get the whole experience, that I was able to push missing people mostly out of my mind, but having a harder time this year. Most of the other English assistants like Ben are American and most of them are going home for Christmas. As much as I am excited to go to Savoie, I would love to spend a Christmas with the fam sooner than later.
On the 23rd of Dec, a woman from work is getting married. So pleased that I was invited. The people from work are really lovely. They have made me feel really at home. Today I am dog sitting for this woman, which I love doing. Ben even more than me.
This is her dog,
We went out for her bachelorette party (or hen night for all those UK ers out there reading my blog) the other night to a Lebanese restaurant ate, danced to some belly dance music and all were merry.
Today I gave my blood to the French people for the 4th time. They had a rotary blood drive thing not 300 meters from my house, so that was great, but after I finished, it took me a good hour to be able to even sit up without feeling sick and dizzy. I got a few key chains, a pen, and an awesome free lunch out of it though. I ran this morning with the puppy, and I didn`t drink enough, apparently, so thus the fatigue, but still its never been THAT hard. So here I am resting, eating the pie they gave me to take home, drinking lots of liquids, and listening to the band playing Christmas songs in the square outside my window.
This is Olivier, my awesome olive tree soaking up the December sun. Hanging out with me and the puppy this afternoon. Olivier was a birthday gift from Ben. I`ve been meaning to post a picture. So there we go.
What a good opportunity to give an olla podrida from Nimes.
Virtu
Noun:
1. Love of or taste for fine objects of art.
2. Productions of art (especially fine antiques).
3. Artistic quality.
Virtu comes from Italian virtu¹ "virtue, excellence," from Latin virtus, "excellence, worth, goodness, virtue."
This week we went to Provence to see Julien and his family.
We got all dresses up for the event.
We visited down town Aix-en-Provence, known for its fountains and amazing doors. It was really pretty. We met Kevin, Juliens older brother, who was really amiable, and who lives in Aix.
Then it began to get too cold and rainy to continue sight seeing on foot, so we hopped in the car and drove to a calisson factory. (calissons are traditional provincial candies that are ridiculously good)It was a really tradition family calisson business, a huge house, on a farm. I`ve never tasted such soft fresh calissons. Yummm.
After that we went to a vineyard Castle called beaupres, and wine tasted. I was impressed and best of all, as a gift we got three bottles of my favorite wine. I learned a good deal about wine, virtu and Aix-en-Provence.
This photo is taken at La Bastidonne, the petite village where Julien and his family live. We hiked up the little mountain to an ancient chapele, called the chapele Julien, ironically enough. It was very pretty, even if the weather wasn`t.
This is the house. They have been renovating it for a few years now, taking it down a floor, adding on to the dining room. The big room they have added on to looks amazing. The house will be gorgeous when it is finished. The land around it is so typically Provence, the french countryside, vineyards, and olive trees. Its so.... cute.
And as an extra favor, they gave us their old TV to borrow for the year. Now we can introduce some french, into our little english haven here.
