À La Campagne

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

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.

Could not get enough of the French stone buildings

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.

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. 

Gaget and I on our forest hike

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.

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.

Mes amis Bernard et Sylvie!