Howdy. So you may not believe this (I sure know I don’t…) but the Grève may have come to an end. Well that’s silly, “The Grève”, the force that binds all French people together and gives them the false hope that collective bitching and moaning (as opposed to rational discussion and negotiation) will solve all of their problems, THAT will never end. I’m simply referring to the Grève at my University. BUT, before I make any promises, I will make the now unfamiliar journey to the academic classroom at the allocated time and see for myself if learning will indeed actually take place. Stay tuned.
Last weekend I went on a fun jaunt 1.5 hours east of Nantes to explore more of Brittany’s charm and spunk. The day trip was put on by a group geared towards international students called Autour du Monde and this particular excursion featured the Marais and Salt-flats of Brière, and the Medieval walled city of Guérande. The trip began in the Marais (not like the one in Paris with all the gay bars. Marais = Swamp) and it was beautiful, tranquil, and fresh (fresh=cold. I was actually freezing my balls off for the whole day, so you could say the weather was “fresh” for the entire visit). It was early morning so the geese were having their morning swim, the Ibis’ were stretching their ivory wings, and the wind was whistling its morning tune through the reeds. We explored the Marais via flat bottom boat, which was marvelous and our guide maneuvered the vessel using a big long stick. The whole thing was very Venetian (minus the singing and the spiffy outfit).
The Salt flats were very cool and we were able to see where ocean water from the Atlantic is dried during the summer, to yield the grey salt of Guérande. I learned that Fleur de Sel is extremely expensive when purchased in bulk and should only be used sparingly as a garnish when used for cooking. On the other hand the caramels that I found in the gift shop, made with salted butter, weren’t that expensive (I bought in bulk) and should NOT be used sparingly but in fact should be shoved into one’s mouth as frequently as possible.
The third stop of our tour was to the walled city of Guérande. I had visited this city before while on vacation with my family so it wasn’t an entirely new experience. I sort of wandered away from the tour guide whenever we got too close to retail stores (they had a lot of pretty biscuits and heat). Once the tour of the city ended, we all crowded into a charming creperie for cider and sweet crepes (I had one with salted-butter caramel… I wanted to keep theme going) and I met some fun German ladies. Good trip.
The next day, I was invited by the aforementioned Germans to watch a Parade that was going on in the centre-ville of Nantes. It was delightfully tacky and hand-made and featured more confetti than I’ve ever seen in my life. It was unreal. Listen up anyone who would like to make an easy buck: Sell confetti. They were charging 1 Euro for a bag of confetti, which was then feverishly sprinkled around the street (or down the back of a parent’s shirt in the case of the many confetti-wielding children who were seated on their parents’ shoulders for prime parade viewing vantage). Its pretty much like legal littering that one has to pay for (through the nose I might add) and then the CITY cleans up after you. Another PRIME example of the exemplary French social governance that I’ve come to know and love. Keep up the good work France. Still cleaning confetti out of my laundry. Thanks a lot.
For the video highlight of the week, check out this FANTASTIC Gremlins float. Why a float featuring a mildly successful, out-dated American horror film that few Americans saw or even remember? Why not? This is France. You don’t ask why. Asking “Why?” in France is sort of a backwards, un-fulfillable inquiry. Its like asking why apples are red or why kittens are fun. Just cause. That’s how the French Universe intended.
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