Thanksgiving--Sans Turkey

Oh the horror of trying to create an authentic Thanksgiving meal in France! This Thanksgiving, my Anglophone friends and I threw a Thanksgiving party for over twenty people. We couldn't find a reasonably priced turkey, nor an oven large enough to cook a turkey in, so we settled for cooking four small chickens. For the meal, I made a broccoli casserole and attempted to make two pecan pies--a task that proved impossible without corn syrup. "Vous n'avez pas du sirop du maïs? Certain?" Despite these difficulties, we had a great Thanksgiving dinner and I finally had the opportunity to share an American tradition that doesn't involve Big Macs.

Nico, my roommate, enjoying a giant mouthful. He asked if he was supposed to dress up or exchange gifts at Thanksgiving, having confused it with Halloween and Christmas.

We ate a mixture of American and French dishes, buffet style. For example, we had pumpkin pie, but we also had crepes.

The sweet potato casserole was a huge hit. Many French guests asked what kind of "cake" it was because it was so sweet.

Although I can't say that I wouldn't have preferred to be home with my family, I had a good Thanksgiving dinner among friends. And imagine, all this without corn syrup!

Andorra

Last weekend I took a short trip to Andorra, which is only about a two hour's drive away from Toulouse. It was an absolutely breathtaking weekend in the Pyrenees Mountains with sunny skies and a little bit of snow.

A red windmill in France. Aka a "Moulin Rouge."

Still on the French side of the border.

By this point, I was pretty car sick.

Most of the towns we traveled through were very tourist-oriented. I don't think I saw one authentic Andorran house!

The city of Old Andorra.

There is a big black market between France and Andorra because alcohol, cigarettes, and other products are not heavily taxed in Andorra. This bottle of gin that costs 2,3 euros in Andorra is sold for about 11 euros in France.

A ridiculously-sized bottle of scotch whisky priced at 29 euros.

The lobby to the extremely modern/European pool/theatre that we went to.

This is the most beautiful swimming pool I've ever visited! There were lights and jets of water that would appear in time with music. By following a little canal, you could go outside to the jacuzzis and relax under a starry sky. There was also a special grotto with a hot pool, a cold pool, and a cold room.

In Andorra, the drive-thru workers at McDonald's speak Spanish, English, and French fluently-- and they serve beer.

Culture Clash

A view from the hotel.

A mountain range in North-West Andorra.

A view from our "hike" up a mountain road. Little European cars don't perform well in snow, so there was really no choice but to hike.

Art? Or giant hoop for skiers to jump through?

À bientôt !

Carcassonne

This weekend, my friend Joshua and I took a day trip to the Medieval city of Carcassonne. It was only a 45-minute train ride, but we felt like we had traveled to Middle Earth!

Le Déjuner

Les Huîtres

Pavé de Canard

Une Tarte aux Pommes

The Medieval City

You can imagine how Joshua and I skipped gayly across the little bridge singing, "Camelot! Camelot!"

"Unsex me here!"

To this day, some townspeople live within the walls of the medieval city.

"Right on your mark, Lord Joshua!"

"Shall I describe it for you? Or would you like me to find you a box?"

"You shall not pass!" ...by Lord Joshua

Sometimes poor translations are the best interpretations.

With some time to kill, Joshua and I decided to go through La Maison Hauntée. Because of the line of little kids in front of us and this kitschy ghost drawing, we thought it might be a little boring, but we were in for a laugh. We could not have been more wrong...

Here is Joshua mocking the ghost sign before we entered.

In this haunted house we had to wait for the door in front of us to open before we could continue on. The door stays open for ten seconds, then closes and stays shut for another six minutes. Thus, it is imperative that you do not miss the ten second interval.

We entered the first room kind of giggling, arm in arm. By the second room, we were in a lovers' embrace and I was screaming. Joshua, whom I assumed would keep his usual cold demeanor, was trembling from head to foot like a leaf, using me as a shield! By the third room, we missed a door and after over a minute of whimpering in the dark, Joshua started pleading to be let out. Long story short, we didn't make it through the haunted house.

A doll in our last room. It's way scarier than the misleadingly cheesy ghost on the sign!

The Torture Museum

A chair used to extract confessions.

A real chastity belt.

A cavity expanding torture device used for those accused of heresy, homosexuality, or sexual relations with the devil.

A punishment "reserved for those accused of homosexuality" that consists of hanging a person upside down and sawing him down the middle lengthwise.

There were many shops selling medieval-style things like this candy store.

This hat was used as a punishment for "overly talkative women."

The best looking couple.

A view of modern Carcassonne from inside the old city.

Carcassonne looks a lot like the Walt Disney castle.

We spent about two hours in a pub avoiding the rain and waiting for our train back to Toulouse. This is the giant mushroom the locals found in the woods.

Carcassonne is such a fun city! Joshua and I agreed that it was the best day ever (apart from the haunted house). Next time, I'll bring my gown and diadem.

Merci!

Sightseeing, Halloween, and a Birthday

The last few weekends my friends Lina and Rose came to visit from Lille. We had a lot of fun looking at little specialty shops around Toulouse. Lina and Rose got to move on to Barcelona during the week while I toiled away at le Mirail and then they returned just in time for Halloween.

Lina and Rose at Place Saint Georges

Candied violets and macaroons

The impressive view from Joshua's apartment.

A popular tea shop near the Capitol. It was so crowded that we couldn't get a table!

A tea shop.

A wine shop. The store clerk sold us wine that was so disgustingly bitter that we deemed it suitable only for cooking.

A circus shop.

Halloween dinner with the two Lina's, Rose, Joshua, Maria, and Destin. Look at that boy scout's dimples!

A boy scout, a cowboy, and a policewoman. Wherever I went throughout the night people shouted, "Arrêtez-moi !" or, "Arrest me!"

The cowboys.

Sharing crepes with Lina and Rose.

Le Musée des Abattoirs

Maria's Birthday dinner at an adorable Indian Restaurant. For most of the meal I couldn't tear my eyes from the Bollywood music videos.

Toulouse

Ciao!