Black plastic bags. Mushrooms. Dank. Underground. Alcohol. Stoned. Foreign Currency.
Ok I know what you’re thinking and I’m not talking about buying drugs (although with the continuation of this strike, some drug use might be in order… kidding. Sort of.)
I’m actually referencing my rockin’ day trip to the medieval town of Saumur in the Loire Valley! I went with a student group from the University so transport, food, and companionship were all included.
Stop 1: Complete with a castle on a hill, winding cobblestone streets, vineyards, and subterranean stone tunnels that were once home to farmers and country-folk, Saumur is the perfect place to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon! The castle was super fantastic and totally Cinderella status (I’m sure she was inside chatting and picking out her clothes with birds and rodents). We picnicked on a grassy knoll overlooking the Loire river, the castle, and the town, and it was magical! I was tempted to put the moves on myself.
Stop 2 was to a vineyard where we ran around underground learning about how wine was made, how bubbles get inside sparkling wine, and why some people insist on only speaking English in foreign countries (oddly enough it was the Chinese contingent. The Chinese contingent also got lost in the town center (which is seriously 4 streets) too. Really good at the Olympics and making shoes, not so good at France.) Once we reemerged from the wine caves, there was a great wine tasting. I made friends with two German guys and then bought two bottles of wine (that’s where the aforementioned foreign currency came in) and carried them around in my backpack (felt just like highschool!).
Stop 3 was to more underground caves where different types of mushrooms were grown as well as snails. There is a lot of intricate soil mixing and mold observation that goes into the process of mushroom cultivation. Mushrooms are really smart too and can grow without sunlight and poke out of black plastic bags. Really bizarre but very cool. Another tasting followed (of mushrooms, no escargot) in a restaurant that was also underground and the whole thing was very hobbit/mole-people-esque. Gollum even joined in for a round.
Nantes check-in: Fuckers are still on strike. Had a meeting with my advisor here in France and we have crafted a contingency plan so I will indeed get credit thanks to some independent research projects. My advisor happens to be French Canadian so we bitched about how the French students here are overly idealistic sheep who don’t do work, don’t understand the academic system, and don’t understand that contrary to popular belief, this won’t be the French Revolution part deux. Sorry guys! Just because you spent all that time making signs, drawing those anarchy symbols in the bathroom, not showering, and making poor choices in footwear, doesn’t mean you’re revolutionary. It just means you’re loud and that you look like an unmade bed. Whatever, I’m still keeping it fresh (and French). Until next time…
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