Week 2: Toulouse, France Part 2

Week two in Toulouse started on Wednesday, October 27th with a solo trip to the farmers market near Benjamin's flat.  Armed with a list of items to purchase and the smattering of French I have managed to acquire, I put on my backpack and headed out.  My first stop was the vegetable stand Benjamin prefers.  There was a rather cranky woman ahead of me in line - I accidentally bumped her, then pardoned myself in french, but she didn't seem very impressed.   I waited for my turn before realizing that all the vegetables I wanted to purchase were on the other side of the stand.  There were a bunch of patient ladies by the tomatoes, where I made my selection, passed them to the man at the scale, asked for some pasteque (watermelon) to go with my tomates (tomatoes), and paid.  Then I made my way to my preferred cheese stand, Brigitte et Bernard.  She is always lovely and patient with me.  I requested some Rochefort Papillion, cent cinquante grams (150g), and she smiled as she sliced of the correct amount of cheese.  I also ordered two small pieces of chevre, motioned that I was finished with my order, and paid.  She smiled and wished me a good day.  My final task was to ask for some 'poitrine de porc, fumee' or smoked bacon, 1 cm thick.  I chose a butcher that I liked, and was lucky enough to see the cut of meet I wanted right in the corner! I made asked for my cut of meat, pointing at the one I wanted.  Then things were a bit challenging, as I tried to explain how much I wanted.  The didn't understand my 'un cenimeter', so we mimed our way through, the butcher indicating with his knife the different widths I could have.  We finally understood each other, and he sliced.  His assistant took my payment, and wished me a good afternoon - in English!  All in all I was quite proud of myself.  Mission Accomplished!  After work Benjamin took me to meet some of his friends who have recently been blessed with twin boys.  I wasn't able to communicate much, but I did get to hold one of the babies.  He was sleeping and so sweet!  There was also an adorable little girl there too, not much older than the babies, and she was quite playful.  It was a lovely evening!

On Thursday evening, Benjamin and I went to our dance class.  This weeks lesson was on connectivity and frame.  The follows were all blindfolded, and I was one of the models to show the exercise.  It was very interesting - I was able to tell which leads were dancing with me by their unique styles (it was a small class), and at one point I felt three hands leading me, as my partners changed.  I think my technique is improving.  I'm learning to slow down and listen, not anticipate as much and just be in the moment with my partner.

Friday was a lovely experience - Benjamin prepared racalette.  He has a device with little trays that you melt cheese in to drizzle all over your meat, potatoes, vegetables, and in my case fruit, as I insisted on including apples and pears on my plate.  Then we played Carcasonne again and watched a French movie called 'Demain Tout Commence' (Tomorrow Everything Begins), about a man who reluctantly accepts being a single father, only to discover how much joy his daughter brings him as she becomes the center of his world.  It is a sweet, sad story that was wonderful!

Saturday again started with the farmers market to buy fruit, vegetables, and cheese - but Benjamin did most of the talking.  He had purchased several types of cheese, dry meats, and pate then organized a tasting for me.  He ordered the cheeses from the mildest to the strongest.  My favorite was in the middle, a hard aged cheese with an interesting texture.  We didn't eat them all, and took several of the cheeses to the potluck at the dance party that evening.  We stayed fairly late, and I was excited to go dancing twice in one week!

Sunday was very special.  We went to an 'American iner' for lunch.  It was amusing to see how french people interpreted American food.  We went for 'brunch', which was a meal in three parts.  Part 1: orange juice (with ice) and choice of hot beverage (coffee or tea).  Part 2: Breakfast sandwich (English muffin, egg, American cheese, bacon, and ketchup). Part 3: Choice of dessert - Pancakes, Typical American Cake, or Pain Perdu (what we would consider French Toast - literally 'lost bread'. My friend explained this in a comment on my last post - thanks Tess!).  I went with the Pain Perdu, and was surprised to receive a hambuger bun - complete with sesame seeds, that had been dipped in egg batter and fried, then served with ice cream, whipped cream, and caramel sauce!  Benjamin laughed at the puzzled expression on my face, and I laughed at the interpretation of 'American French Toast'.  Then he took me to a  natural history museum - I LOVED it!!!  From the minerals, to the fossils, to the re-articulated skeletons, the specimens of insects and the taxidermy animals.  It was very cool.

Monday Benjamin worked from home because he only had a half day as he was flying to a conference in Geneva, Switzerland.  I was flying to visit my friends in Germany.  After a simple yet filling lunch of tomato, goat cheese, and fresh basil salad (he also made himself a watermelon and Rochefort salad - which even his friends think is strange but he enjoys.  The textures clash to me...), we left his flat and headed to the airport together.  We were lucky that our gates were close together.  His flight left and then mine, an hour later. A train ride and a tram ride in Germany, and I arrived at the flat of my friends, ready for a few relaxing days of good times, great laughs, and wonderful people!

ps Please forgive my French spelling and missing accents - I have yet to figure out how to make them with my American keyboard and I dislike Benjamin's French keyboard as too many letters are in the 'wrong place'! ;-)