Beaujolais Wine Tasting

Yesterday, I enjoyed a beautiful afternoon in the region of Beaujolais. The sun was shining, the air was fresh with the scent of spring, and the glasses were filled with wine.

A bus full of IBP students and I traveled about 40 minutes outside of Lyon to a small, family owned vineyard in the countryside. Upon arrival, a small, golden-yellow rock house greeted us, as did the rows of vines. Tables of wine glasses had already been set out with some cheese, as our hostess told us about her vineyard. She spoke to us, only in French, but we later found out that she knew English. I think she was just messin with us.

After she was done explaining about the vineyard and wine, the corks popped and the wine flowed like the Saône. First up, we had a Beaujolais Blanc, followed by a Rosé, and finally a Rouge. The wine tasted good, but then again, I am no wine-connoisseur.

I'm afraid to say that on this wine tasting excursion, the cheese outshone the wine. It was a goat cheese which a neighboring house makes. What a perfect neighbor couple; wine and cheese. I couldn't stop eating it and started grabbing it by the handful. I enjoyed sipping back the wine (pinkie out of course) outside on a sunny afternoon, and I even went for a short wander round the vineyard.

With all of the bottles empty, and I still consuming the cheese, we said our final farewells to our host. I ended up buying a bottle of Beaujolais Rouge and even talked the lady into selling me a glass, which I am thankful she did as I had nothing else at Allix to drink it in other than cups. I may not know much about wine, but I know to not drink it out of a wine glass is a faux pas.


It was a great afternoon full of friends, laughs, and wine. I can now cross off "Go to vineyard" on my French list of things to do.

Half Way

I have now been in Lyon for a little over two months. While I have had such a great time and experienced so many things, I can't help but to feel a little sad as I now have less than two months left. I feel a mixture of feelings as I want to make the most of my time left in France. But, I don't want to go home, I don't want to leave.

There is still so much of Lyon that I have yet to see, as a jog around the town revealed to me last week. I ran wherever the road took me, got lost in a good way, and found some nice sights. I also visited Parc de la Tête d'Or for the first time last Friday. It was a gorgeous sunny day and all of us IBPs decided to meet at the park. I was surprised to see that they had a zoo in the park. When you first walk in, you see a field of deer. They look as if they are separated from you by only two foot tall rocks. I wondered how the deer didn't just jump over the rocks and walk around freely. Then, as I got closer, I noticed that there is a ditch around the field that prevents the deer from jumping out, but the ditch is cleverly hidden from site unless you are right by it.

We had a great time at the park, just kickin it. My favorite part was that we played a game of football. Real football. I am so glad that Tyler brought a football with him from Canada....why didn't I think of that? Nothin like tossin the pigskin around, and yes, my team did win the game.

The next thing that I am looking toward is the Hunger Games which comes out on the 21st here, two days before the United States. I think this is the only movie that I have seen come out in France before the States, it is usually a two month difference. All my friends back home, be jealous, be very jealous.

Wafflin in Bruxelles

I left Armentierès Saturday evening to go back to Lille, and from there on to Brussels, Belgium. My train to Brussels was delayed about 20 min, but I got there soon enough. In total, I crossed the French/Belgium border five times on Saturday.

I arrived in Brussels around 7, and made my way to the Grand Place, where my hostel was. But first, I had to use the bathroom. The only problem is that you have to pay to use the bathroom in most places, even a train station. I absolutely REFUSE to pay to "relieve" myself. I ran into this problem, not only in Belgium, but everywhere I have traveled.  I would rather pee on your buildings than pay you to use the toilet. And after all, Brussels is known for their peeing statues.

So I wondered up to the square, where my eyes were met with the most majestic looking buildings. While Lille may be my favorite city I have seen so far, the Grand Place in Brussels is my favorite square. On one side, there sits the Hotel de Ville, an old Gothic styled building with a rising tower that makes the Grand Place easy to find. On the other side sits another Gothic structure known as the Palais du Roi. Both are amazing, as are the rest of the buildings in the square. All of the pillars that rise, and the intricacy of the designs blew me away. I also love the gold accents that you can find on some of the buildings.

I let the images sink in before trying to find my hostel. I had misplace the paper with the address, but I knew it was right next to the square, so I started looking up and down the streets.

After awhile of not finding anything, let alone another hostel, I started asking people. I went into one hotel, and I asked the guy if he new where the Grand Place Hostel was. He told me that if I go to the Grand Place, I will find many hostels......so a helpful response.

I finally talked to one guy who knew where it was. He told me, so I went to the street. I walked down it, and saw nothing that said where the hostel was. So, I walked down the next street, again nothing. The hostel ended up being on the first street, but I must have walked past it 4-5 times. The only sign that they had was a small piece of paper in the window saying Hostel Grand Place. They really need a bigger sign.

But, I had another setback. I had to walk to another hostel to check in, and then come back. I got my key card, but decided to make one more stop before going to my room.

I ordered myself a Belgian waffle. It was the best waffle I ever had. They cooked the waffle right there, and then put some Nutella on it, drizzled some chocolate syrup on it as well, and topped it off with some sprinkles. Delicious. The batter of the waffle also has sugar in it. It was the best waffle I had ever had. I enjoyed my dessert in the grandeur of the Grand Place.

Once I finished off my chocolaty treat, I found my room. I was blown away at how nice the room was. Wood floors, nice beds, all new fixtures in the bathroom. It was more like a hotel. I wished I lived there versus in my crappy room in Allix. If this is a hostel, then the one I stayed at in Lyon was some sort of trailer park hostel.

The only drawback was that I was rooming with some guys who were there for a bachelor party. I met them while writing in my journal downstairs. I was hoping they wouldn't be loud when they came in for the night. But, it was off to bed as I awaited my tour of the town the next day.

When they did come in, they were pretty quiet, and even rose and were out by 8 I think, so that was a relief.

I rose around 10 and got ready for my day. The first stop was back to the Grand Place, 10 yards away, to see what it looked like during the day. Unfortunately, there was still no sun as the clouds covered the sky. I went to take a photo, and then a grave misfortune struck. My camera died! I had only taken about 4 pictures the night before, and now I had no camera to take any pictures of Brussels. And that is why this post does not have many pictures to go along with it.

After that, I went to see Manneken Pis, the famous statue of a peeing boy. There are several myths surrounding the origins of the statue. But today, Mr. Pis stands on his pedestal, peeing proudly. He is even decorated in a changing wardrobe.

I got there right as a man was finishing putting on his clothes. Then, he turned on the statue, and Manneken pissed for the world to see. The sight brought a tear to my eye.

After that, I went to the museum that occupied the Palais du Roi. I learned all about Brussels and saw some amazing artwork. The whole third floor of the museum was dedicated to Manneken Pis, displaying all of the outfits he has worn. From Elvis, a cowboy, a samurai, a cosmonaut and everything in between, Manneken has worn it all.

After that, I bought some postcards, due to the lack of my picture taking ability. I was putting my postcards away when I ran into Nate, a fellow Americain I had met the night before. He was going to go watch an old film somewhere, and I joined him. We ate lunch, and then went to the museum/movie house.

This marked the second time that I watched a black and white, silent film. The 1926 film, Tramp,Tramp,Tramp, was even accompanied by a real, live pianist as it would have been back in the day.

Unfortunately, about halfway through the movie, the projector stopped. They said there was some sort of electrical problem, and the movie was over. It was a great film up till then, and very funny too. Hopefully I'll see the end one day. I have now seen two black and white films.....well, 1 1/2.

Then, I went out on my own and roamed the city, seeing churches, castles, and monuments.

My favorite stop was the Botanic garden. The center piece was a fountain and pond, with low lying shrubs cut into hexagonal shapes preceding the fountain. All around, other bushes and trees hung close by. The place was so beautiful and relaxing. It would have been a great place to spend the rest of the afternoon, but I had to keep walking. Maybe if the sun was out, I would have been more tempted to stay.

I walked around for two more hours before heading back to the hostel for dinner. Before I ate dinner, I stopped by a Belgian chocolate store, Leonidas to partake of their grand chocolate. It was scrumptious. I have now tasted why the Belgians are known for their chocolate.

At dinner, I had some Belgian beer, you know "when in Belgium" and it was actually pretty good. It was a blonde beer and pretty smooth. I also ordered some shrimp. They were really good, but only about 6-7 of them. I don't care how good they are, give me more than that. So, I had a pita afterwards too.

I finished the night off with a chocolate covered waffle, the third of my stay (I'd had a powdered sugar one in the morning). I stood in the Grand Place, eating my waffle and looking at the best part of Brussels.

Before I ended my night, I went to a place where I had seen what I believed was Turkish delight. That's right, the candy mentioned in the Chronicles of Narnia. I had only heard of this confectionery and Googled it once. It looked the same, so I bought a cube of it. Plus, the shop looked Turkish. The candy is a red, jelly cube (kind of like Jello), which is covered in powdered sugar. It was good, and I can finally say that I've had Turkish delight (I looked it up again when I got home, same thing).

I went back to the hostel and back to bed. It was up early at 6 to catch my train at 7. I was not somber the next day, as I had thoroughly enjoyed my weekend trip. It was a great experience and now it was time to return to school and my vacation home in Lyon.

The first three pictures are mine. After that, those pictures I got from the web.

Grand Place during the day

Presenting Manneken Pis

How he looked the day I saw him

The Botanical Garden

The Christmas Truce of 1914

I look out over the field, tilled and ready for planting. The sky, overcast and grey as a fog quietly sits on the horizon. A chill sneaks in through my jacket. There is hardly a scar left upon this field. Nothing would let you know that this was once the front lines of a world war.

Almost 100 years ago, British and German trenches marked this field, along with the numerous scars of bombs, mortars and barbed wire. Today, all I can see is a farm sitting 200-300 yards in the distance of this wide, flat field. The only remembrance of war, and the magnificent event that happened here is a cross to my right.

The cross which marks the spot of the 1914 World War I Christmas Truce is encircled with soccer balls and leis of flowers. The humble wooden cross, erected by the Khaki Chums, reads "Lest we forget."

Lest we forget the shining moment in a war of darkness. Lest we forget that we are all humans and our differences are not that big.

Christmas Day, 1914, the British and the German forces laid down their arms to celebrate the birth of our lord and savior. The two sides exchanged gifts, chocolates, cigars, and even played a friendly soccer match in No-Man's Land.

The truce lasted for a week before higher ups in the British Army got wind of the truce and forced their men to get back to fighting. But, for a week, there was quiet on the front. There was peace on earth in the region of Ploegsteert Wood.

I stand here today, my feet touching the same hallowed ground of those exceptional men that put aside their differences and came together.

I started my day by waking up and catching the train to Armentierès, where I was picked up by my tour guide Claude. We preceded to Ploegsteert, with our first stop being at the memorial. The memorial is a white, domed, Greek styled structure that commemorates those fallen in the sector. Two grave sites surround it on the sides, as do two lions. One lion looks toward the enemy side with a fierce expression, why the other has a calm expression, looking towards peace.

The we drove neared the wood, stopping by some grave sites. All the time, Claude told me about certain areas and their importance.

We walked into the wood. The same woods that the British occupied during the war. We walked the muddy  back roads as I listened to the chirp of birds. Leaves covered the floor of the wood, as tall, skinny trees stood naked this winter day. Claude told me that there are hardly any trees older than 100 years here, as those that were not destroyed during the war were used in the  rebuilding of the town after the war.

I saw sites of importance to me. Sites that I had read about while researching my historical fiction, short story, places I had scene in pictures, but was now witnessing with my own eyes. I took it all in; the sounds, the smells, the sights.

Claude also showed me a crater of an exploded mine. The hole was about 30-35 yards (meters) in width and was originally 20 yards deep. I saw the church in Messines, which was reduced to 4 meters of rubble during the war. The catacomb beneath the church was still usable and the Germans used it for headquarters. Hitler visited this room. Today, the church stands once more, reconstructed to look like the original.

With my tour over, Claude dropped me back off in Armentierès and I had some down time before I had to catch my train back to Lille, and from there to Brussels. I reflected on the events of the day, the whole reason for my weekend trip. I had gone to a place that I never thought I would get a chance to see, at least not so early in my life. But, now that I have seen it, I hope to use the information gained to complete my short story and keep the memory of the truce alive, lest we forget.

A Carol from Flanders - Frederick Niven

In Flanders on the Christmas morn

The trenched foemen lay,

the German and the Briton born,

And it was Christmas Day.

The red sun rose on fields accurst,

The gray fog fled away;

But neither cared to fire the first,

For it was Christmas Day!

They called from each to each across

The hideous disarray,

For terrible has been their loss:

"Oh, this is Christmas Day!"

Their rifles all they set aside,

One impulse to obey;

'Twas just the men on either side,

Just men — and Christmas Day.

They dug the graves for all their dead

And over them did pray:

And Englishmen and Germans said:

"How strange a Christmas Day!"

Between the trenches then they met,

Shook hands, and e'en did play

At games on which their hearts were set

On happy Christmas Day.

Not all the emperors and kings,

Financiers and they

Who rule us could prevent these things —

For it was Christmas Day.

Oh ye who read this truthful rime

From Flanders, kneel and say:

God speed the time when every day

Shall be as Christmas Day.

 Remnants of a communications trench

Hitler was here

La Ville de Lille

Ever since I knew that I would going to France, I was exited by the possibility of seeing the place where the 1914 Christmas Truce happened in World War I.

A little background

In the WWI, during the first Christmas, German and British troops laid down their weapons and had a truce during Christmas. Both sides mingles in No-Man's Land, exchanged gifts, and games of soccer were even played in some sectors. The truce lasted until New Years, but then the higher up officials got wind of it, and transferred the divisions to other areas where they did not know the enemy, and made them continue to fight.

This story had captured my attention, and I have now written a short, historical-fiction story centered on this event. After the copious amount of time researching the event, I would now be going to see the sight where it happened!

Back to Trip

I awoke the morning of March second and met up with a group of friends to watch the sunrise from Fourviere. I was getting up early to catch my train to Lille, so why not get up a little earlier to take in this sight.

Unfortunately, it was a little "smoggy" along the horizon, so the sunrise wasn't the best, but it was still nice to be up there, and a great way to start the day.

I then proceeded to the train stations to set out on my adventure. Just me and my backpack on my journey to the North. It was the first time that I have ever traveled somewhere by train. I exclude the field-trip I took to Burbank airport on the Amtrak when I was in elementary school.

I took the TGV, the French bullet train. It took 3 hours to go from Lyon to Lille.

On the train, we sped past farmlands and woods of central France. The landscape was soon covered in fog.

I got to Lille at 12 and exited into an overcast, grey day. I made a stop to eat lunch at Quick Burger (France's versoin of McD's). I had this "Dark Vador" burger that they were running for the Star Wars 3D promotion. It came on a solid black bun, and had a spicy sauce with some bell peppers. T'was pretty good.

I had to go to the bathroom, so looked for one in the mall where the train stations was. I found one, but you had to pay to use it. I refuse to pay to relieve myself. It makes no sense. In fact, it takes away cents. This idiotic ideal of having to pay to use the toilet made me "uncomfortable" a few times over the weekend.

Now full, I set off to explore Lille. I walked wherever my eye was captured. I saw a beautiful church, St. Maurice, with gorgeous architecture and stained glass windows that looked like a colored reflections of a lake.

I also saw the Grand Place, the opera, and the old trading square called Vielle Bourse.

I love Lille. It is one of my favorite cities that I have seen thus far. I love the buildings in the city center. They reminded me of a much cleaner New Orleans, as they should as both have French influence. Lille is a smaller city than Lyon, but still has a big town feel and also a lot of culture.

I continued to walk all around, and found my way to the citadelle; a fortress island. I was looking forward to being able to walk inside, but it is now controlled by the army, so I didn't get to see much. I then walked all the way down to find my hotel. I walked for quite a bit, but I finally got there.

I was glad to get my backpack off. I am also glad that I decided not to take my 900 page book with me on the trip. I took a little nap before going back to the city to have some dinner.

I decided to take the bus into town. I found a nice restaurant called Les 3 Brasseurs (the 3 brewers). I had a great plate consisting of their "favorites;" half a croque monsieur, carbonnade (some meat in a sweet gravy sauce), salad fries, and Welsh (a gooey cheddar cheese dish that covers some ham and a piece of toast, scrumptious). The weirdest thing on my plate was a piece of bone that sat on some toast. This bone had a spoon in it and also had a lot of salt. I was afraid, but, when in France....

I took a bite, and I don't really know what I was supposed to be eating. I just tasted mostly salt. I have just done some research, and it was bone marrow that I ate. Apparently I was supposed to put it on my toast. There wasn't much marrow to spread.....oh well, live and learn.

After diner, I took in the city at night, and then went back to the hotel. 

I watched a little bit of a French Western (odd combo) called Lucky Luke. It is a comedy that stars the newest Oscar winner for Best Actor Jean Dujardin. I liked him better in The Artist.

I went to bed knowing that the next day, I would go a little further north to the French/Belgian border to Armentieres to see the field of the Christmas Truce. I slept, eager with anticipation of the day ahead.

The clear water of the United Nations

Thursday, I went to Geneva, Switzerland. It was my first voyage outside of France so far while in Europe. I don't count sitting in the London airport as being in London.

We drove to Geneva and went to the United Nations building. But, before entering we had to go through security. But, they didn't even check our passports, which we were told to take with us. No one even asked about them while we were in Switzerland. I know they're a neutral country, but c'mon Switz. So much for security.

The UN building was pretty cool. We saw some conference rooms and also some art from all around the world that had been donated to the UN.

Yes, I did represent the United States during the recent discussions on disarmament.

I even got to see the original League of Nations building,called the Palais des Nations, the precursor to the United Nations that was created by President Wilson. Ironically, the US didn't join it and the League was short lived.

After the tour, we went into the gift shop. I decided to get a pin, as I thought the UN building was deserving of such an honor. I also picked up a beautiful post card of the city, but those weren't the only things I purchased.

My good friend Steffi pointed out a book to me; "The Bro Code." What an awkward find in the UN gift shop. Also, it happened to be the last copy. The book is based off of the Barney Stinson character from How I Met Your Mother. I read a few lines, and as it was hilarious, and as I was going to be traveling the next day, I bought it. Now I know what really goes on when our world leaders hold a summit. Disaster almost struck when I realized I had forgot my wallet on the bus, but a friend spotted me.

This is how I chill

Then, we went down to Lake Geneva, but not before familiarizing ourselves with Geneva traffic.

Lake Geneva is gorgeous. The water is a brilliant shade of blue and clear. It looked safe to drink, but I restrained myself. There was this aquatic bird (perhaps a certain species of duck) that swam around under the water. As the water was so clear, I could see him swim under the surface, and it was entertaining to say the least.

I walked around the lake some more before heading back to the bus. It was a beautiful day; sunny out, 17 C, or 62 F out. I could see myself living in Geneva. Possible retirement home?

Too bad we didn't have more time to discover Geneva. We only had 2 hours after being dropped off by the lake. So, it was back onto the bus to go to Lyon.

Mi casa es su casa

Clear water

I headed home to Lyon, knowing that the next day, I would being my journey to Lille, Armentieres and Brussels. A trip that I eagerly awaited. A trip that I had wanted to do before even coming to France.