The Streets are packed with the hustle and bustle of Christmas time. Children stop and stare in the windows of the puppet displays for some of the department stores. There are street shops lining the paths selling everything from Crepes to toy helicopters to leather knee high boots. Noel is in the air and it's a special time. We stop to enjoy a Crepe. I have Nutella and Almond, matt nutella and bananna, and Will decides to take Sel (salt). This is partially because he's jealous of my breakfast taco I made that same morning. Potatoes, eggs, cheese, bacon, hot sauce...
We scower the stores looking for the appropriate gifts. Enjoying the style that France has to offer. Matt buys a grey and black scarf. We are becoming more and more French by the minute. *Sidenote: I actually was amazed just this past afternoon when I was riding the bus from the gym to the apartment and I could read the titles of the Newspaper over the shoulder of the women next to me.*
I notice while shopping in the stores, there is a lot of American influence here. You have some of the same brands, however the styles are a bit more fashionable. For instance Carhart, a brand I know for tough rugged wear, for cowboys or more so the blue collar guy, where actually designer t'shirts, pants, sweatshirts, etc. I mean they still had a true carhart jacket that one would be familar with, but WAY more fashion. America has a big influence on the world, and you begin to realize that the world becomes a smaller place with advance in technology and international influences.
A European Carhartt Jacket... I know Eddy Parker would never approve!
After shopping in the main district, we went home on a route that showed us more street vendors. I guess you would think china town type of look. There are row after row of tents set up on another never ending street. One side of the street has endless amounts of shoes mixed with other random products, while the other side has clothes and attire. It is pretty crazy. Finally we arrive at the apartment with enough time to change in order to make it to coach david's place by 7:30.
Have I told you yet how much I love French meals! Coach David and his wife, Karen, invited us over to his new place to enjoy a meal. Coach's place is really nice. I was impressed by the size, again the perception that everything is sooo much smaller in France was wrong. I think it's just America's obsession with more, more, more. I mean it's not anywhere near an unliveable one room flat like some would think, but I will say that their balcony is pretty huge, I can only imagine the barbeques and partys they will have on that thing. You could play a small football game on there!
It's a good time with the group, Coach, Karen, William, Matt, and myself. Apparently William, David and Karen all worked at the same company and this is how the relationships where born. Karen met David and obviously that's working well! Also, David introduced William to the sport of football. They tell stories of playing in the long corridors of their office and getting the President to play with them. There's also a story of perfume wars and Will breaking down a door to try and get to David. It's a great night learning about the people that are becoming my close ami's.
Ha so of corse being a man who loves tasting the food and remembering the places by the food I eat, I'm going to tell you all about this meal. Will starts cutting up the sauscission, a big sausage that we put on the toasted bread and butter and David brings out by far my favorite meat so far. It is a wild boar loaf with noisettes or some other kind of nut in the middle of the loaf. It is so good. I mean it's a little creamy with a slight "gamey" type of taste that just hit's the spot. I don't know why but I love it. Also it worked really well with the glass of Porto that I had.
We continue to trade stories, Will brings out the action figure of Coach David making a touchdown catch for the Cougars. It's awesome, Coach's own action figure! Apparently the guys got it for him as a wedding gift. Karen and David got married in September and we see all the photos from the wedding. Oh and my favorite David explains why Will calls him a "farmer" in French though. Because the word actually means standing in Cow manuer or something like that, apparently David is from the North Eastern part of France closer to Belgium and was from a farm. This leads into Texas and cowboys and country music. Karen actually says she likes some country, or more so the line dancing...and I say I noticed the Country greatest hits CD she had under the TV.
For the meal we eat a Pork loin that has been cooking for a while so it is nice and tender. It has prunes in the center of the meat to give it a nice flavor/dynamic. The sauce or natural jus from the meat is just really good. I use that to put on top of the alfredo pasta and the cheese pilled on top. The bread of corse is amazing... I've become so used to having good bread that it's almost an after thought now.
Afterwards we have cheese, and bread and a nice bourdeaux. Coach describes the cheese as a mild one. Mild my butt. It's pretty strong. I eat a little and enjoy it. I think for me the fromage is only good in moderation. It is good though, but too much of a good thing can sometimes take away from it's quality. I eat about three forths of the cheese and then get prompted to finish with the encouragement/ force of David and the rest of the crew. David then starts talking about some of the other cheeses and how there only good when the maggots or worms crawl out of them. This of corse is only for the hard core fanatics or the older population. I've had enough needless to say.
We drink some wine which provokes another story from the group. David apparently never had alchohol until he met Karen. They talk about him and being a farmer and it's just good times and good laughs. I enjoy it so much just sitting around the table learning about each other eating good food and laughing. We take a bouche which is like a traditional christmas dessert. Much like a log cake or whatever is in America. It has ice cream and caramel and little toffee pieces in it. It hits the spot and concludes another fine French dining experience, well along with another digestive of Courvoisier.
I love this the most. Good food with good friends and good laughs. It's quite the time.
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