Ooo La La Lyon: Food and Friends

11/21-11/27

Top of the Mountain

So on Wednesday during the first class the fire alarms went off and we had to evacuate the school. We all were super annoyed at the fact that we had to stand outside in the freezing cold while the drill happened, but then fire trucks started to arrive and they used the ladder to rescue someone on the top floor. So now we think that there might be an actual fire inside. However two days later they finally tell us that this was a full drill and that they firemen were call to perform their part of the drill so that ISARA administration could see if there were any holes in their plan.

Thanksgiving Day!!! So, after my French class I had to race back home to change. I literally had time to throw on a nicer top, freshen-up a bit, and grab my jacket and purse and run out the door. I was impressed with myself because I hoped on the same bus that I road to my house! At

Thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving, I had fun catching up with everyone, and I also invited Clara with me. The food was amazing!! To start it off we were served pumpkin soup with bacon, and could choose between a red wine and a white wine. The main course was turkey with cranberry sauce, green beans, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, stuffing, mash potatoes, and gravy. Then for dessert we had Oreo cheese cake. After dinner I got to skype home and see everyone gathered for thanksgiving back in Oregon! I then had to pack for my weekend trip to Maëlle’s house.

So Friday after getting Maëlle’s house I went to archery practice with her! I did fairly well I only missed hitting the target once. I had a lot of fun going to the archery practice. Maëlle’s mom was super nice and made some wonderful risotto for dinner. Then for dessert I had some homemade applesauce with Boudoirs.

me and my bread

Saturday started off with going to a market in the center of Moirans with Maëlle, and her mom. It was a total Beauty and the Beast type of town. We first stopped at a fruit stand to pick up apples and pears, then continued to Meat store. There I got to see some new food. We went there to pick up meat for sandwiches on the hike. I ended up getting Rillettes d’Oie (goose thing), and Pâté Forestier (mushrooms and pork). Next to get some cheese. Here I got to taste some different cheeses that I had not tried before. The first was Abondance, then Tomme au Marc de Raisin (fermented raisins around cheese and tastes like earth). Next I got to ask for Tomme de Chartreuse, and the lady at the counter actually understood what I asked for!!!! Then the last piece of cheese I got to try was Reblochon (pue-le- pied) or stinky feet cheese. It tastes way better than it smells. After cheese, we went to get the bread! When we got to Artisan Boulanger, where we could also get the dessert for the hike. I got des lunettes de chocolat. This dessert has two cookies that have chocolate in the center, with powdered sugar and chocolate powder on the top. After we got all the food for the hike we headed back home to get ready.

My cairn

Now it was time to climb a mountain in Vercors called Le Moucherotte. The summit is at 1901 m (we climbed 600 m of the total height). We stopped a little more than half way to have lunch and I loved the goose thing and the Pate, and all the cheeses that we had gotten at the market. We saved dessert for when we would make it to the summit. On the way up the mountain I got to rap a little Hamilton, and explain some American history, as well as learn some history about France and specifically the region where we were. Getting to the top of the mountain was so great, the view of the alps was breath taking! We made it to the top and I got to enjoy my dessert. However, I was not able to eat if gracefully. The coco powered and powdered sugar got everywhere, but it was so delicious, so it did mater. I also built cairn, which is a tower of stones that indicate that the summit is at that point. This was used to help hikers when it snowed a lot fined their path. This is a tradition to do when you summit the mountain. So I now can check climbing a mountain in the Alps off my bucket list (GO Me).

Due to the hiking, we watched a movie and drank hot chocolate afterwards. We watched Snow Dogs, and it was a great Disney movie to watch curled up next to a fire place. In the evening I got to try vegetarian chicken nuggets, which is something that I have never eaten or tried before. They were so good!!! If no one told me that they were made out of I would think they were normal chicken nuggets.

fog rolling through the hills

Starting off our hike

SNOW!!!

On top of the Mountain

We made it

At the summit

Sunday was a day of exploring the history of Moirans. Maëlle took me into town to see the old city wall that protected the city including the last standing guard tower. I also got to see the old church that was built around 1014. It is now closed to the public because they found some old bones under the floor. The next place we visited was part of the old convent and the Paris house (four brothers that were very powerful in the town). Now it was time for Lunch, I have been looking forward to this lunch all weekend. We started off with a meat fondue called Fondue Bourguignone, where there was a pot of boiling grape seed oil that you just took a piece of meat on a skewer and stuck it in until is was cooked the way you wanted it. We had red wine for the meat fondue. White wine for the cheese fondue and it was called Sancerre. Also we had a cherry alcohol called Vin de Griotte. This drink is made of cherry tree leaves soaked in white wine and liquor. This drink is Maelle’s grandfathers recipe, and no one really knows what is in it. Then we had a cheese fondue called Fondue Savoyarde, that had Beaufort, Comté, Abondance. For this one, I took a piece of bread and then dipped it into the delicious cheese mixture. The for dessert I had more homemade apple sauce, madeleines, and meringue.

I had a great weekend with Maëlle's family and am now ready for all the final papers and presentations that are to come in the next couple of weeks!!