I am on the train passing through
fields of green pastures intermittently split up by a smattering of stone
houses and the occasional church. It is the epitome of the French countryside.
I am somewhere halfway in between Paris and Bordeaux headed back home from a
weekend spent about an hour outside of Paris in a little town called Le Vaudoué at the home of my friends Bernard and Sylvie.
The background story is this: my
family and I met Bernard and Sylvie seven or eight years ago when we all
happened to be vacationing at a dude ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I spent
the week being coerced by my dad into practicing my elementary French with
Bernard and Sylvie, a very cute French couple, both of them about 55 years old.
We ate meals together, went on horseback rides on the plains of Wyoming
together, and even went to a rodeo one night in town together. At the end of
the week, Bernard and I exchanged emails and we proceeded to be pen pals for a
while. Naturally and unfortunately as things go, we lost touch. Fast forward
seven/eight years. When I knew for sure I would be in Bordeaux this semester, I
floated an email to Bernard’s old email address to see 1) if he still
remembered me and 2) if he was still living around Paris. Eight hours later
there was an email from Bernard in my inbox saying he was so excited to hear
from me and of course I should come visit him and Sylvie.
Fast forward again to this
weekend. It was amazing. Bernard and Sylvie picked me up from Gare Montparnasse
and the first place we headed? Le Tour Eiffel. And not only did we just visit
the tower, we had dinner in it at the restaurant Jules Verne! I had a wonderful
five-course dinner of smoked salmon, caviar, scallops, veal, chocolate, and of
course, wine. I sat next to a window and could look out next to me and see the
Seine River below, the Champs Élysées off in the distance, and everywhere the
streets of Paris illuminated with people and lights. It was truly one of the
most surreal experiences I’ve ever had. |
| Stacey in awe over being inside the Eiffel Tower for dinner |
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| View from my seat at Jules Verne |
On Friday Bernard went off to
work while Sylvie and I went off to play. Bernard and Sylvie own four horses
that they keep on their property and Sylvie rides almost every day with her
friends who live nearby. Sylvie hopped on horseback but as I hadn’t ridden a
horse since the last time I’d seen her, I opted to ride in a cart behind a
horse with some of her friends. Just call me Cinderella. We rode into town, we rode out of town, we rode
everywhere through the French countryside. I can’t even begin to describe how
serene and calm it was out there. I became quickly enamored by the sheer space
and expanse of the forest and country around me.
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| Could not get enough of the French stone buildings |
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| View of the French countryside from my horse drawn carraige |
In the afternoon Sylvie and I
rode (by car) into the town of Fontainebleau where we had lunch, went window-shopping,
and visited the Chateau Fontainebleau. I am not a history or art history buff
in the slightest, but even I was impressed by the sense of history that France
has. Talking to Sylvie about the history of the Chateau and of France, I
started to feel a little remiss by the fact that the United States was formed
only recently by historical standards. C’est incroyable the royal history that
France has.
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| Chateau Fontainebleau |
On Saturday, Sylvie and I were back
at it, this time on foot. When she asked me if I wanted to go for a walk with
her dogs and one of her horses, I had no idea what I was signing up for. We
went on a two-hour hike traversing the forest that is their back yard. It goes
on for miles and miles. It was probably a good thing she didn’t give me any
advance warning. I will say I was having some trouble keeping up with her at
times. Thankfully Bernard called us about an hour and a half in and told us
lunch was waiting so we had to start heading home; otherwise I think Sylvie
could have gone on for another couple hours.
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| Gaget and I on our forest hike |
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| Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte |
We had lunch at their house with
their daughter, and two granddaughters, Amel and Norrah who are 11 and eight
years old. After lunch the six of us toured another one of France’s many famous
chateaus, this one Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte, my new dream home. Unfortunately it’s slightly
out of my price range. While the chateau itself is not quite as large as
Chateau Fontainebleau, its gardens are what really make it impressive and they
go on as far as the eyes can see. And because Syvie and I hadn’t done enough
walking that day, we of course had to go on a walking tour of the grounds. I’m
more than slightly in awe of Sylvie’s 65-year-old frame.
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| Vaux-le-Vicomte from the edge of the grounds |
For dinner we returned home and
had a vegetable quiche Sylvie made along with various cheeses and a green
salad. I am really starting to enjoy the French cuisine. We then watched some
TV and talked a little politics (not seriously) and it was great listening to
their takes on French and American politics. They’ve got their bets on Hilary
Clinton winning in 2016, but only because her name is the only name they know!
Today was time for me to head
home and to let my French friends get back to their lives, but not before
eating a lunch of octopus, crayfish, leftover vegetable quiche, and part of an
apple tartine that Sylvie made this morning. I’ve found my new host family!
I had a really wonderful weekend
being spoiled by Bernard and Sylvie. I am feeling especially thankful for all
the people I’ve met in my life, both at home in the US, and here on my trip in
Europe. Reconnecting with people you haven’t seen in a years and on a
completely different continent is quite something. I am at a loss for how to
explain it other than by saying it is something special and something I will
never forget.
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| Mes amis Bernard et Sylvie! |
