Fête des Lumières & Lyon, Au Revoir

This will be my last blog post, since I am leaving Lyon tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who has been reading my blog, especially my family members. I really miss you all and I wish I could see you during the holidays, but I am excited to be spending my last few weeks of 2012 in Paris, France.

The weekend before last was the Fête des Lumières, Lyon's annual light festival. It's the largest festival in Lyon, attracting 2 million visitors, which is over twice Lyon's normal population. Needless to say, the city was pretty crowded. 

I loved the Fête des Lumières. Unfortunately, I broke my cameraphone (my only remaining camera apparatus) the morning before the festival started. So instead of showing you what it was like, I will try to describe it to you.

The festival takes place for 4 days across the city. Officially, it's supposed to be a celebration of Thanksgiving to the Virgin Mary who is credited for saving Lyon from the plague during the Middle Ages. On December 8, the actual day of the religious festival, the people of Lyon place candles in their windows to commemorate the event. The city of Lyon added 3 days of the festival to make it a commercial tourist attraction, but it was no ordinary fête.

I went out to the festivities the first night and the last night because they were least crowded. There was a lot to see. Several different monuments and squares in Lyon transformed into living light spectacles. Giant light shows were projected onto buildings, and they were made to fit the outline of each building perfectly. We watched in awe as the lights created the illusion of the buildings being built, painted, and destroyed. My favorite of these spectacles was at Cathedral St. Jean. There, they created a show that showed angels and gargoyles raising the tower, transforming it, and ultimately burning it to the ground. It was so incredibly beautiful that I felt transported to another world, almost.

Here's a video of it, if you want to get an idea of what I'm talking about: 

St. Jean Cathedral Light Display

We also strode up and down the main shopping district, Rue de la République, which was lit up with Christmas decorations. Where there is normally a fountain there was a huge dragon made of traffic cones and other recycled materials, all lit up. We also saw a short film about whales projected onto a fan of water at the Confluence, and we walked through a tunnel transformed into a ghostly sea of floating fish in the air above us as they twinkled through smoke. I feel so lucky to have been in Lyon during the festival and to have had the opportunity to see it with my friends here. I will miss them so much when I leave.

Now, I’m going to list some of my favorite things I like to do in Lyon, in no particular order. I’ve focused so much on my travels in this blog that I haven’t had much time to discuss my everyday life in France.

1.       Writing at the Roman theaters. I mostly did this when it was warmer here, but it has been one of my favorite things to do on a free afternoon in Lyon. I love sitting amongst the ancient ruins, ruminating on past civilizations, while looking down at the view of the modern city and writing in my journal. It just feels like something straight out of a Keats poem. I love it!

2.      Studying at Little. Little is the cutest café that my friends and I have discovered here. It mainly sells adorable little cupcakes, which are absolutely delicious. One of my favorite types is their nutella cupcake. They also have tea, couches, and free wi-fi, which made them a great study destination. I am really going to hanging out there.

3.      Strolling down Rue Victor Hugo. Rue Victor Hugo is possibly my favorite street in Lyon because it has some really affordable places to eat and to shop. I love getting a bagel from the American-style bagel store, Bagelstein, which has really weird pictures of American pop stars in it from different magazines. I also am tempted every time I walk by the candy store, Tentation, which has a giant bear in front of it. You can load up on as much candy as you want from their selections of gummies and other delicious treats for just .75 euros per 100 grams. Also, Rue Victor Hugo is named after my favorite French writer, so how could I not like it?

4.      The Lyon Christmas Market. This only opened in the past month, but I have visited it many times and really like it. Most of the gift items there are a little on the pricey side, but they have great holiday-themed hot food. I love picking up a bowl of soup d’oignon or buying a cup of vin chaud from one of the booths.

5.     Rue de la République never gets old, although I hardly shop from any of the stores there. I mostly just ogle clothing that I can’t afford. There are some cheap French food chains that I like to visit for their baguette sandwiches there: Brioche Dorée and Pomme de Pain. I also love visiting Fnac, which is like combination of Best Buy and Barnes and Nobles. Its bottom floors are devoted to technology, but it’s top floor is filled with books. Of course, there’s the ridiculously overpriced Starbucks, which is nice to visit whenever I start feeling a little homesick. And finally, I think I’ve visited H&M more times than I can count, just to check out the latest clothes there, although I don’t think I’ve actually bought anything from there.

6.     Taking the Metro. Okay, well I don’t really have a choice on this one. But I do enjoy the efficient public transportation system around here, although it often has a few hiccups. The metro, though is nearly untouchable. With trains arriving ever 2 or 3 minutes, you never really have to worry about missing a train, because another one will come before you even know it. Although I won’t miss being pressed up against way too many bodies on the metro during rush hour, I will miss having the independence that Lyon’s public transport grants me without having the need for a car. And I’ll miss the comforting voice of the disembodied lady who announces the metro stops. I have every station’s announcement memorized.

Thank you so much for sharing my adventures with me! I will really miss France, but I am so grateful for the amazing experience I have had here. Happy Holidays everyone, and have a great 2013!

My friends and I at the Fête des Lumières

Things Are Winding Down

I only have less than one week left in Lyon. I haven't posted about what I've been up to in Lyon in a while, so this post will be a bit of summary of different things I've been doing.

About a month ago, I was reunited with my Swiss study abroad friends in Paris for the weekend. It was my friend from UCLA's 22nd birthday, so we spent the weekend in Paris shopping and seeing some sights. I mostly was just scoping out the city so I know exactly where I want to go on my final trip to Paris at the end of my time abroad. 

We strolled the Champs-Elysées and did a bit shopping at the fancy, designer stores, although I didn't buy much because it was so expensive. We also hit up the adorable Christmas market, which they set up in many cities around Europe during the holidays. There's one in Lyon, too, which is much smaller. At the Christmas markets, they have many booths selling little gifts and trinkets, arts and crafts, and clothing. There are also booths for buying gourmet food such as nougat, candy, wine, and tea. Then there are the booths selling fresh food, ready to eat, and usually it's relatively cheap and delicious! When I was in Paris, I had Tartiflette, which is a steaming hot mixture of potatoes, cheese, and bacon. I also tried vin chaud, or mulled wine, which is sweeter than normal wine and has spices in it. It really warmed me up, which was good since it was pretty chilly in Paris.

A mini-rollercoaster at the Paris Christmas Market

We saw a lot of sights that I had already seen with my parents on my first visit to Paris, but we had a chance to see them more in depth. Among the places we saw are the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and the Pantheon. This time, I climbed to the top of the belltowers at Notre Dame. It's a long, long staircase, but it was definitely worth it. We had a chance to see a great view of Paris and we could look at the gargoyles up close. We even saw one of the bells in the belltower and we just stood there in awe, thinking Quasi Modo had stood there (well except for the fact that he's a fictional character).

Where Quasi Modo once walked... if he had been real.

View of one of Notre Dame's towers from the other tower.

We took the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower at night, and had a chance to see Paris at night. It was beautiful, and it was stunning to think of how high up in the air we were. We were actually standing at the top of what was once the highest building in the world. 

View from halfway up the Eiffel Tower

The Pantheon

The Pantheon was actually my favorite stop on my weekend trip to Paris. It's a "secular temple" dedicated to the greatest men and women of France. It was once a church dedicated to St. Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, but after the many revolutions and power struggles France experienced, it became the tourist attraction that it is now. Basically it's a patriotic monument, which holds the tombs of some of the most famous French writers, philosophers, and leaders. Taking a 19th century French literature course write now, I was completely in awe of the literary figures buried there: Voltaire, Hugo, Zola, and Dumas. I also saw the tombs of Louis Braille, who invented the Braille writing system for the blind, Marie Curie, the famous chemist and physicist, and her husband, Pierre Curie, and Jean Moulin, the leader of the French Resistance during World War II.

Okay, so I'm a little morbid. But he's my favorite French writer!

Back in Lyon, I celebrated Thanksgiving twice in one week! On the day before Thanksgiving, one of my friends from California invited me over to her apartment to cook Thanksgiving dinner with her and friends. She's vegetarian, so we didn't have a turkey, but we had a ton of hearty Thanksgiving dishes that reminded me of home. I made my signature dish, Mac n' Cheese, again.

Our miniature Thanksgiving feast, sans turkey

The next day, on actual Thanksgiving, all of the California students went out to dinner at a fancy restaurant in Lyon. They served us somewhat Thanksgiving-themed food, although it definitely had more of a French spin to it. We had pumpkin soup, followed by Turkey with mashed potatoes, and an apple tart for dessert. 

EAP Thanksgiving dinner

As for other adventures I've been having in Lyon, I went to the Center of the History of Deportation and Resistance for Lyon, which is a museum I had wanted to see last summer, but it only just reopened in November. I did my final presentation on the Resistance during World War II for my class on the History of Lyon. I was a little nervous about it, because I had to speak entirely in French. But I think my partner and I were prepared. Anyway, the museum is incredibly fascinating. There are lots of primary documents from the Resistance, since Lyon was considered the capital of the Resistance, and they have many witness testimonies given by Resistance members. The building itself actually housed the Gestapo during the war, so it is tragic and fitting that the building is now dedicated to honoring the brave Resistance members who were tortured and killed by the Gestapo on that very location.

I will have to dedicate my next post to the Fête des Lumières, which was the Festival of Lights that happened from Dec 6-9.

A Lot to Catch Up On Part III: London

On Halloween, I packed up my suitcase, said goodbye to Carmella and her apartment mates and flew to a city that I have always dreamed of visiting: London, England. 

It was my first visit to the United Kingdom, the 11th country I have ever been to. Landing in Heathrow, I could not contain my excitement. Even on the plane, I could hear the British accents echoing off the cabin walls, and I started hyperventilating. First of all, it had been two months since I had been in an Anglophone country. Second of all, I was going to just any English-speaking country, I was going to the Mother Country, the place where English was born. As an English studying, BBC watching, J.K. Rowling worshiping anglophile, going to London was about the coolest thing I could possibly do. Ever. 

Even better, I was going to see my mom there (or should I say my "mum"?), who had flown all the way from California just to spend a few days with me. We met up at Paddington Station, and we took the Underground back to our hotel, the Hilton London Tower Bridge Hotel. 

On my first full day in England, we actually left London for the countryside. We took a bus tour to Stonehenge, which is in the middle of nowhere on the Salisbury plain. It took us two hours to get there, but it was incredibly worth it.

I clearly have an obsession with ruins, what with my love of Rome, and my fondness for the Roman theaters in Lyon, so it was an unbelievable experience for me to see Stonehenge, which is even more ancient. When you visit Stonehenge, you can walk around its perimeter and even stand within 10 feet of the outermost stones. However, you can't walk through the stones. I understand why. The more people who trample through the ruins, the faster they will erode. Plus I can see the aesthetic advantage of keeping the sublime beauty of the ruins free of the blight of tourists crawling all over them. And, God, it was beautiful. Just the contrast of the grey, bluish stones set against the mild, green rolling hills of England, with the endless azure horizon on all sides- it was absolutely stunning! I was surprised by the sheer size of the stones. I knew they were going to be large, but they were even bigger than I had imagined, probably twice as tall as I am, at least. Of course, living in cities, I've seen much taller structures than this monument, but that's not the point. You have to put it in perspective and realize that, first of all, these stones were carted from miles away to this spot on the plain, and then erected, all without the use of any modern technology. And yet they have stood for thousands of years. Not only are they ancient and mysterious, but it's clear that they were not constructed haphazardly. Their specific alignments with the sun during the solstices has led people to speculate that they were intended for worship or for use as a calendar, or for both. Clearly, the people who built this circle of stones had a deep knowledge of their world. They were connected to the seasons and to nature in a way that we have lost in our modern society. 

My mom and I spent an hour at Stonehenge, basking in the ambience of the ruins, listening to historical and archaeological facts on our audioguide, and taking pictures. At the end of the hour, we headed back to London on the bus. Our day was not over yet.

That night, my mom and I wandered around downtown London. We saw the famous Trafalgar Square and we walked along Regent Street, a famous street for shopping, which was already lit up with Christmas decorations. Finally, we wandered around Soho, a very hip district in London. There we saw lots of interesting pubs and clubs, but by far the most interesting place we saw was a very unique hair salon, which doubled as a cafe. My mom and I were stunned that something like that could pass health codes. It was pretty bizarre.

The next day, we had a chance to really explore London, and for me, as an English major, it was like Christmas come early. Let's just say, London is literary heaven. Literally. Most of Britain's greatest writers are buried at Westminster Abbey, which we visited that day. 

Our first stop was the Globe Theatre. It's a reconstruction of Shakespeare's original Globe Theatre, to the extent of the knowledge they have about the first structure. It was built in the 90's after an American decided it would be a great idea to have a reconstruction of the theatre near its original site. Today it functions as a museum and a Shakespearean theater during the summer. The exhibit was pretty neat. It explained how different aspects of theater worked during Elizabethan times including special effects and costumes. Next, we took a tour of the actual theater. It was a very interesting tour because they pointed out the different aspects of it that made it different from modern theaters, and explained how plays would have been performed on stage in Shakespeare's day. 

After seeing the Globe, we headed to Westminster Abbey, where I saw the graves of Elizabeth I, Mary I, and Queen Mary of Scots, in addition to the graves of my favorite writers. In the poet's corner, they have the graves of many British literary giants, including Dickens, Shelley, Coleridge, and Austen. At times, it was hard to tell if the writer was actually buried there, or whether there was just a monument dedicated to them. For me, it didn't really matter. I was just swept up by an overwhelming mixture of awe and sadness at the sight of their names. Here they were, theses phantoms who still whisper to us through words although they have gone into the darkness. They existed, and they are no longer. I guess you often don't think about just how dead these writers really are, because they feel so present when you read their words. But they're buried, and here was the proof. It was a humbling feeling.

Tea and Scones at Westminster Abbey's Cellarium

After lunch in the Cellarium at the Abbey, we met up with my friend from high school, Mary, who is studying abroad in London this semester. This was my favorite part of the day. I had only had a chance to see Mary for one day last summer, so it was really fun to get to spend some time with her in this amazing city. First, we headed to the Sherlock Holmes museum, which is, in fact, located at 221B Baker Street!!! The museum is laid out according to Arthur Conan Doyle's description of the flat, complete with props lying around it, including magnifying glasses, hats, a violin, and whiskey glasses. The best part about the museum is that it's entirely interactive. You can sit on all of the furniture and take pictures with the props! It was really fun. On the upper levels, there were some ghastly wax figures reenacting scenes from the stories. It was pretty excellent.

Me as Holmes and Mary as Dr. Watson

After the museum, my mom, Mary, and I went to dinner at the Sherlock Holmes Pub, which is no way related to the museum (in fact it's in a completely different neighborhood). My mom tried fish and chips, while I had bangers and mash. Mary and I both tried Sherlock Holmes Ale, which was rather nasty. After dinner, we just walked along the Thames, wandering along, catching up on life. Sadly we had to part far too soon. 

The next day, my mom got us up early. She was on a very specific mission: we had to find Abbey Road, where the famous Beatles's album picture was taken. We found it and walked across it. It turns out there is a webcam pointed at it which broadcasts onto the internet, so you can try to find pictures of yourself there, but I never actually tried to look up the pictures from that day. 

After Abbey Road, we headed to Buckingham Palace and sat outside its gates. We were just in time to watch some sort of ceremony, which involves guard, some in kilts, marching out of the gates, playing bagpipes.

Mysterious ceremony outside the gates of Buckingham Palace

We took afternoon tea at Twining's teashop. There, we met up with my old friend from ballet, Rachel, who just finished graduate school in London. We caught up with her over a cup of tea.

Finally, our last stop was King's Cross Station. There, in a small corner, is a monument dedicated to Platform 9 3/4. Of course, we had to take pictures there. If only it were real. Can you imagine how cool it would be to visit Hogwarts? 

All too soon, it was time to leave London. I really didn't want to say goodbye to this wonderful city that I was only just beginning to discover, or to my mom. But I headed back to France, back to classes and commuting and language barriers, but also back to friends and places I've grown to love.

 Now, it's December, and in only three weeks, I have to say goodbye to Lyon. I'm not ready yet. 

A Lot to Catch Up On Part II: Italian Food Tour

October 30

I spent my last day in Italy having an unforgettable food experience. I learned just as much, and maybe even more, than I ate, which is certainly saying something. I was more stuffed than a turkey by the end of it. 

My epic food tour started at 6:50 a.m., when the company running the tour picked me up from in front of Carmella's apartment in Bologna. I didn't know exactly what I was in for. All I knew was that I had signed up for this food tour after reading rave reviews about it on Trip Advisor. I knew it would be up close and personal, and at the end of it I wouldn't be able to eat I would be so full. All this was true, and more. I had such a great time, and although it was a little pricey, it was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

To be honest, I was a little nervous about going on the tour, because I was plunging into this adventure entirely on my own. I was expecting to spend a day surrounded by retired couples who had nothing in common with me. So I was pleasantly surprised when the second group that climbed into the van was a young American couple, not much older than me. I surmised that they both had recently graduated from college. The woman was studying art in Florence, and the man was working in Africa, but he had taken a week of vacation to spend with her. It was nice to have some people around my age to talk to.

Our first stop was an hour drive away, off into the picturesque countryside of the Emilia-Romagna region. Our van and two others dropped off their passengers at a factory making Parmigiano Reggiano, the famous cheese. We eat its less glorified cousin on top of our pasta all the time: Parmesan cheese. We were met by our enthusiastic tour guide, Alessandro. 

Alessandro was the best tour guide you could ask for. He was more than a tour guide, he was a teacher. He could make a point, and really drive it home with a wacky gesture or expression, and it would stick. It's been a month since I went on the food trip, and I still remember nearly everything he told us about the making of the different food products, the certification process each of them must undergo, and his tips on how to appreciate their taste.

The cheese, freshly curdled

During the first factory tour, we watched as the factory workers, who really are artisan cheesemakers, mixed huge vats filled with fresh milk, skim milk, whey, and an enzyme from a calf's stomach. They heated the mixture and allowed it to curdle, forming a giant ball of cheese in the center. They take out this giant ball and cut it in two, producing two wheels of cheese. It was really fun to watch this process as it was happening. 

Next we visited the storage rooms, where the cheese can be stored for years. Alessandro, with the help of one of his friends from the factory, demonstrated for us how the Italian government checks the quality of the cheese: they tap on it with a hammer to see if it has any air bubbles in it. No air bubbles allows for it to receive a Grade 1 Parmigiano Reggiano certification. Grade 1 can be aged indefinitely- even for decades!  If there are some bubbles, but not too many, it gets a Grade 2 certification, which means it can't be aged forever, but it's still high quality. Finally, if it is a "cheese drum", meaning it sounds hollow on the inside of the wheel, it gets downgraded to the designation of "cheese." It's still delicious though, if not as fancy!

Alessandro and his friend, testing the quality of the cheese Cheese Lane

Of course, after our tour of the factory, we had to tried some cheese of our own, along with some Italian sparkling wine.

Our next stop on the tour was not a factory, but someone's house. We were going to a private home, because it turns out that only private families can make the certified traditional balsamic vinegar which is sometimes called "liquid" gold. The traditional product tastes almost nothing like the balsamic vinegar you find in the grocery store, even if it does come from the same city, Modena, Italy. Alessandro explained to us the differences between factory made balsamic vinegar and the real deal. The commercial product is made form several different ingredients, and, as a result, doesn't need to age for very long. Most of the time, it includes the cooked grape must that makes up the base of the vinegar, but it also includes wine vinegar, which gives it a very sharp, acidic taste. 

On the other hand, true balsamic vinegar only has one ingredient: cooked grape must, aged for at least twelve years until it transforms into a sweet, thick vinegary substance. 

We went to the attic of the house we visited, where all of the exciting action happens. Well, at least at the molecular level. The vinegar doesn't require much work; you mostly just have to monitor it year after year. The vinegar ages in a set of six barrels called a battery. Each barrel is carved from a different wood, which infuses its flavors into the vinegar. At the beginning of the process, you put cooked grape must into each barrel. The barrels vary in size, from a large barrel like one you would find on a pirate ship, to a small barrel equivalent to maybe a small keg of beer. Each summer, a lot of the liquid in the barrels evaporates, concentrating the solution. So, each year, the family must transfer the liquid from the second smallest barrel to the smallest, the third smallest barrel to the second, and so on. At the end, they add new cooked grape must to the largest barrel. They continue this process for twelve years, and at the end they can take out one liter from the smallest barrel.

After that year, they continue to add more grape must to the barrels and to transfer the liquid from one barrel to the next, and they also continue to harvest the battery.

A series of batteries in the house's attic

There are two types of certification for traditional balsamic vinegar: minimum 12 years old and minimum 25 years old. Any vinegar produced  on or after the 12 year mark, but before the 25 year mark, is labeled as minimum 12 years of age, and any vinegar produced on or after the 25 year mark is considered minimum 25 years of age. In reality, the vinegar could be even older. All certified traditional balsamic vinegar comes in a specific type of bottle with an official seal on top. If it doesn't look like the picture below, it's not authentic!

It's amazing to think that a family could invest so much time into maybe such a small amount of a product, and as valuable as it is, they can't make a profit from it. The costs of starting a battery far exceed any economic value they might gain from it years down the line. But that really demonstrates the whole point of using these traditional methods of food making. It's not about the money, it's about carrying on tradition and producing a high-quality product to pass on to others, especially future generations. Alessandro was telling us that he has a two-year-old daughter. When she was born, he bought her a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano to age and balsamic battery. 

After we learned about the batteries, we had a tasting. We tried some store-bought balsamic vinegar, for comparison's sake. Next we tried 6-year-old vinegar, minimum 12-year-old vinegar (which was actually 15), and minimum 25-year-old vinegar (which was actually 45 years old!). You could really taste the difference between each one. The 6-year-old vinegar was very good on its own. It was only aged in one barrel, made from cherry, and only for half the time as the traditional version, but it still was different from anything I had ever tasted. It retained a sweet, fruity taste. The minimum 12 year vinegar was very thick and complex in its flavor. You can really taste the hints of all the different woods, and it was also very sweet, sweeter than I would expect balsamic vinegar to be. Finally, the minimum 25 year vinegar was almost too intense. It was so thick that it dropped from the bottle into our spoons in large gobs. I just had the tiniest drop of it, and I was overwhelmed by all of its flavor. It was a really neat experience, but I knew that I definitely wouldn't be able to use that type of vinegar in everyday dishes. First of all, it's so expensive that I would be afraid of wasting a drop of it. Secondly, it's far too interesting and flavorful on its own to be mixed with other flavors.

Different balsamic vinegar products

Gelato with balsamic! So delicious!

We also tried some other treats which I had never even thought of eating with balsamic vinegar before: ricotta cheese with balsamic vinegar jelly, and vanilla gelato with balsamic vinegar drizzled on top. The latter was absolutely fantastic, and I need to have it again at some point. In fact, I bought a bottle of 6 year balsamic vinegar for myself because it wasn't too expensive compared to the traditional vinegar, and it was still extremely delicious.

Our next stop was a traditional prosciutto factory, where they cure pigs' hind legs. We saw many, many pigs' legs in various states of being dried and cured. It turns out that the only additive they are allowed to put on the meat is sea salt. Of course, after the tour, we tried some of the finished product. Despite the fact that I'm not a big carnivore, I thought it was delectable. 

Delicious prosciutto!

Alessandro with some pig legs

Finally, our last stop was a three-hour "light" lunch at a restaurant in Vignola, a village nearby. Dish after dish came out from the kitchen. It was all so delicious, and by the end of it I was completely stuffed. My favorite dishes were the ragu and the ravioli with balsamic vinegar sauce. Ragu, a true Bologna classic, is the real version of sauce "Bolognese", unlike the kind you find at your local Italian restaurant in the states. It's pasta with ground meat, but it was a lot less saucy and more hearty than its Americanized counterpart. Of course, we also tried more Italian sparkling wine and prosecco. We finished off the meal with a tiny espresso. 

Ragu! I was too busy eating to take a picture of the ravioli...

At the restaurant, not only did I eat an enormous amount of food, but I also had really good luck in having interesting people to talk with. I discovered that one retired couple was from Northridge, and they actually used to live in Oakland during the '80s. In fact, they had lived in the Oakmore district, which is right next to where I live. What a bizarre coincidence! We had a long, interesting discussion about how Montclair has changed since they last lived there. It was really ironic that here I was, in Italy, talking about my hometown. I also met a businesswoman from Australia, a young married couple from Hong Kong, and a couple from South Africa. It was really neat to share this unique experience with such a diverse, international group. I ended up really enjoying every aspect of the tour, and I highly recommend it if you ever happen to be in Bologna, needing something to do.

I know I sound like an advertisment at this point, but you should definitely check out their website: Italian Days

Me with lots of cheese! We had to wear ponchos for safety reasons inside the factory. Aren't they so fashionable? Not.

Me with pigs legs!

Me with Alessandro, at the end of an unforgettable day!

I hoped you enjoyed this long, educational post. I still have a lot to catch up on. Up next I will discuss my trip to London! 

A Lot to Catch Up On, Part I: Italy

It certainly has been far too long since I last posted to this blog. I have been incredibly busy with the seven classes I am taking here in Lyon. Nevertheless, I wanted to make the time to write about the incredible week-long vacation I had for All Saint's Day. I had a chance to see Italy and the UK, meet up with old friends,  pay homage to some of my favorite writers, and eat some unforgettable food. 

I wish I had more time to write about every single day, but instead I will summarize and give some of the highlights.

Friday, October 26: The first day of my break. I jetted off to Bologna, Italy to visit my oldest friend, Carmella Passero, who is currently studying abroad there. 

Saturday, October 27: Carmella and I took a day trip to Venice, which was only a two-hour train ride away from Bologna!  The city is spectacular. There was only one drawback: Venice was flooding. It's not such an uncommon occurrence there, with the city sinking on one hand and the sea-level rising on the other. The city sets up wooden platforms in some of the most crowded areas, but unfortunately in other areas we had to wade into a couple feet of water, wearing boots that were not waterproof. 

Piazza San Marco, flooded

We trudged through the city, finally making it to Piazza San Marco, which had turned into a pond. Still, we managed to see the Basilica San Marco, which had really cool elaborate mosaics on the inside. I don't know much about architecture, but I was very impressed by the interesting mix of styles in the church.

Next, we managed to find the delicious restaurant that Carmella's dad recommended to us. It was really a hole in the wall down an alley that we never would have found without his help. In Italy, they automatically put a service charge on your bill if you sit down at a restaurant, but we avoided this charge because at the place where we went you can stand at the bar and eat your food. And, boy, was it delicious! I had the Pasta Del Giorno, which was ravioli filled with ham, peas, and cheese. Carmella had their fish risotto.

After lunch, we headed to Ca'Rezzonico, an old Baroque style palazzo turned into a museum. Frankly, I enjoyed the architecture and the decoration of the building more than the art housed there. It was fun to imagine what it must have been like to live in that sort of palace, either as a family member or as a servant.

We spent most of the day traversing the city, going into to tourist shops, and gazing down at the canals. By the afternoon, all the water had receded from the streets, which made walking them much more pleasant. Although it was a gray, overcast day, we could still soak in the beauty of the city. We took the vaporetto back to the train station (which was exorbitantly expensive), and had a chance to see the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge, and of course, gondolas. I definitely need to go back to see the city again, when there is better weather. Still, there were so many tourists there even on a gloomy day, that I can imagine the city must be overrun by them in the summer. It's really too bad because this cultural treasure had nothing but tourists in it, and I was one of them. 

Me, on the vaporetto going up the Grand Canal

Sunday October 27 and Monday October 28: I explored the city of Bologna. Unfortunately, all of the museums are closed on these two days of the week. I mostly just wandered around the streets, passing through different neighborhoods. I saw Bologna's two main churches: Basilica San Petronius and Santo Stefano. I really liked Santo Stefano in particular because it is an interesting compilation of churches from different eras all built in one place. I felt like I was traveling through time visiting the different parts of the church. 

I also wandered through the campus of UniBo, otherwise known as the University of Bologna. It was really neat to visit, since it is considered the oldest "university"in the world. Other places have the claim of being the oldest institution of higher-learning, but Bologna can truly claim to be the oldest university because it is where the word "universitatis" was born. It was founded in 1088! That really makes UCLA look like a baby.

Bologna was very fun to visit, although it was nerve-wracking to be on my own at times, since I don't speak any Italian. They don't receive many tourists, so not too many people speak English there. Still, I appreciated being amongst locals for once, instead of just being one of an overwhelming flock of American tourists.

The city of Bologna from a balcony

I realized that just by listening to Carmella speak Italian to her apartment mates and friends that I could already understand about 25% of what she was saying. French and Italian are a lot more similar than I would have suspected. I really loved the rhythm of the Italian language, and how it sounds. I really fell in love with Italy on my trip, and I'm hoping to take Italian next quarter.

The next installment will be about my epic day-long food tour on Tuesday October 29, which warrants a whole post on its own. More pictures will be added to this post soon!

Canadian Thanksgiving in Switzerland

Last weekend, I took my first trip outside of France. I decided to visit my friend Moorea, another UCLA student who is studying abroad in Geneva, Switzerland, just a 2 hour train ride away from Lyon.

I was pretty excited about this trip because not only would it be the 10th country I have ever been to, but I would also be celebrating Thanksgiving almost two months early. 

Moorea lives in a student residence at the University of Geneva, and in her time abroad, she's made a number of international friends, including a few Canadians. It turns out that Canadians celebrate their version of Thanksgiving on the first Monday of October, which in the United States is Columbus Day (or Indigenous People's Day if you're in Berkeley). She and her friends decided to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving by cooking a traditional Thanksgiving feast, and she invited me to join in. 

Thus, I spent all day Saturday in Moorea's kitchen having a blast and contributing to the cooking of my first Thanksgiving meal outside the U.S. We had the works: Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy. Somehow Moorea and her friends miraculously found two frozen turkeys in a grocery store in Switzerland, the only two turkeys that were available in the entire country, it seemed. Moorea wanted to make cranberry sauce, but cranberries aren't really available in Europe, so we made do with these similar berries called groseille. I'm still not sure what their name is in English.

Moorea and I also contributed our own traditionally American Thanksgiving dishes, which apparently the Canadians don't usually eat: sweet potatoes and marshmallows, and macaroni and cheese (which I made with Swiss cheese and Gruyere).

 It was really fun to see her European friend's reactions to our food. For the most part, they seemed to like it, since we had no food left over after the meal. At the same time, they seemed pretty puzzled by the fact that we had marshmallows in a dinner dish. They were convince that it should be a dessert. Also, one of Moorea's friends, an Irish guy, had never had mac 'n cheese before, so I got to introduce him to it.

Along with our feast, we had a blind wine tasting competition. Each person brought a bottle of wine, and we put foil over the labels. Then we tasted each wine, rating them for which one was the best and trying to guess which country they were from. There were bottles from Spain, Italy, Australia, Chile, and, of course, France.

Wine tasting before dinner

I must admit, I had no luck guessing which country the wine was from, but I still enjoyed the tasting.

That night, I had so much fun hanging out with Moorea and her friends, especially because it was a great opportunity for me to speak French. Some of her friends were from Belgium and France and since they didn't speak very much English, we were forced to converse in French. I really enjoyed that experience, because just being around them for a few hours really improved my conversational French. I picked up on a lot of colloquial phrases and words that you never learn in school, like "truc", which means "thing" or "stuff" and is pretty much applicable to any situation.

I also learned a cultural difference between French speaking countries. In France, Belgium, and Switzerland, friends greet each other with "la bise", which consists of leaning in touching the other person's cheek with your face and kissing the air. In France, we "faire la bise" twice, once on each cheek. I learned quickly in Switzerland, you do it three times. And it turns out in Belgium, you only do it once, on one cheek. 

Other than a few small cultural differences like that one, Geneva didn't seem that different from any part of France I've visited. That's probably because it's a French speaking city. Other parts of Switzerland, where they speak Swiss German or Italian may be much different.

My second day in Geneva, I walked all over the city, trying to absorb as much of it's environment I could in my short few hours there. Moorea and I took a tram over to the UN headquarters, and saw them from outside the gate. Then we checked out the Jet d'Eau of Geneva, a giant fountain on the lake that spews water  up 140 m, or 459 feet. We hiked all the way to the confluence of the Rhône river and Arve river (yes, the same Rhône river that runs through Lyon, it starts out in the Alps). Then we walked around Old Geneva. Before I knew it, it was time for me to get back on a train for Lyon. 

The confluence of the Arve and Rhône

I had a really unforgettable time in Geneva. Even though I didn't get to see too much of the city, I had a truly unique experience that you can't get at a museum or on a tour bus. It's those moments, not the touristy ones, although those are fun, that make studying abroad so amazing.

Geneva with, the Jet d'Eau in the distance

Adventures Around Lyon (and France) Part 2

I've had a lot of adventures in the past month. (Month? Have I really been in France for over a month now? I can hardly believe it.) I can't go into the details for each one, so I'm going to display some of the highlights.

Sept 9: Le Défilé de la Biennale de la Danse

Every other year, Lyon has a huge dance festival, kicked off by a parade. We went to see the parade as dancers marched through downtown Lyon. It was really crowded, but fun to see the dances and costumes. 

Sept 10: The neighbor who lives across the street from me also provides housing for international students. She invited us, her current lodgers, and former students who have lived with her to a crêpe-making party. It was truly a cross-cultural experience I will never forget. There were students from France, the U.S., China, Japan, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Peru all eating dinner together.

September 15-16: Les Journées des Patrimoine

The next weekend, Lyon celebrated its heritage by allowing the public to visit all of its museums and cultural sites for free.  On Saturday, My housemate Huong and I visited the stylish opera house, the sumptuous state rooms of Hôtel de Ville, the City Hall, and la Musée des Beaux Arts. On Sunday, we visited a small island on the Saône, Île Barbe, which had a medieval church. 


September 22-23: Annecy

This trip should warrant a whole blog post of its own, so I will explain it in some detail. We visited Annecy, which is a town in the Alps, next to Lake Annecy. It's only a 2 hour train ride away from Lyon. Annecy has such a beautiful landscape of mountains framing it, and the town itself is charming. It's canals and bright, old-style buildings reminded me of pictures I have seen of Venice. But what made it better than Venice was how clear the water was. Lake Annecy is one of the cleanest lakes in France.

The first day, after we missed our train at 8:40 a.m., we discovered two things: 1. French trains leave earlier than the time listed on the ticket and 2. You can use your tickets for the next train, as long as it's during the same general time period. 

We made it to Annecy by noon, because we took the next train there. We headed towards the cheateau, which has been converted into a museum. I believe it used to house the Ducs of Génève from the House of Savoie. The exhibits in the museum ranged from interesting to odd. Honestly, I appreciated the architecture of the building and its atmosphere more than the art it housed. 

After the chateau, we wandered the city for several hours. We saw Annecy's famous Palais d' Île, which used to be a prison. That night, we had a fancy dinner at one of the cheaper restaurants in Annecy. 

The second day, we mostly relaxed by the lakeside, enjoying the view of the mountains. We perused for food at the local market, and then had a picnic in the grass by the lake. That afternoon, I went on a one-hour boat tour around the lake. The tour, which was given in French and English, pointed out the highlights of the lake area, explaining the history and geography of the neighboring villages and mountains. I saw so many chateaus scattered around the lakeside. The aristocracy clearly loved this area, and I can see why. It's gorgeous, calm, and peaceful. 

A chateau by the lakeside which I saw on the boat tour

View from the Chateau at Annecy

Sept 29: Beaujolais

Saturday, I went to a winery in Beaujolais on a trip organized by EAP. We visited a farm owned by a French couple, who make wine and bread for a living. They were so kind and welcoming to us. As soon as we arrived, the husband explained to us how to engage our senses in order to appreciate wine and offered us some of their own wine.

 Next they served us a grand meal, which was probably the best meal I've had in France. Our first course was a salad with terrine, which is similar to a pâté. For the main course we had slow-roasted pork in a mustard sauce, served with potatoes. This was so incredibly delicious. The couple explained to us that they had cooked the pork in the oven for 10 hours! They also told us that all of the food came from local farms, and were local specialties. With dinner, they also served us more wine. Even better, they are an organic winery, which tickled my environmental conscience. Then came the cheese plate, followed by three types of pastries for dessert: a sweet bread, a cookie-like flaky pastry with chocolate chips, and finally  sugar cookies. We topped off our two and half hour with a tiny cuf of expresso with sugar in it.

After stuffing ourselves, we took a tour of the winery. The husband explained to us the process of growing the grapes, harvesting them, and making them into wine. We also watched the wife bake many loaves a bread in their large oven. They were even kind enough to give us a loaf a break each for the road. 

I've really enjoyed the many adventures I've been having in France, but definitely the nicest part of being here is just enjoying the atmosphere, especially in places like Beaujolais and Annecy, which are surrounded by gorgeous landscapes.

The winery's sign. Biologique means organic in French.

Our welcome to the winery

Wine for sale

Loaves of bread cooked in their oven, destined for our stomachs.

Dog guarding the grapes in the vineyard