Saturday Market and French Dinner Parties

These past few days have been crazy, and it's difficult to find time to write, but here I am! I was planning to write yesterday night, but we got home late, and I was exhausted from the day's adventures. It feels like it's been so long since yesterday morning, because we always seem to fit in so much, but here is what I remember: I woke up and my French host dad, Manu, drove me, Charlotte, and Antoine into downtown Privas, where there is an open-air market. It's open every Saturday and Monday, and the streets are crowded with people who are shopping and bargaining. We stopped for a few minutes at a cafe, where I conveniently ordered a "cafe" (thinking it would be a regular cup of coffee) and of course, it was something much different. It was the smallest, strongest espresso I've ever had, and there was no sugar. For those of you who know me well, you understand that this is a big problem. However, Manu must have seen me make a face when I tried it, and he ordered me sugar before I could ask!

We left the cafe after we finished all of our drinks and walked around the market. Antoine bought me and Charlotte bags of French candy at a cute little store, and we stopped at a boulangerie (bread shop), fruitier (fruit shop), and charcuterie (meat shop). Of course, this whole time, I looked like such a tourist taking pictures and carrying my French/English dictionary, but it's the price I pay for keeping all of you back at home updated! Manu made lunch when we got home, and soon after, Anne came home from work. I thought she said we would be going to my high school to meet people, so I grabbed my wallet and dictionary, and started thinking of questions to ask about my classes and schedule. However, we got in the car and started driving in the opposite direction. I hunkered myself down, not knowing what to expect. As it turns out, we drove all the way to Valence again where we stopped at a patisserie (pastry shop). After Anne bought 2 cakes, we drove maybe 30 minutes away to a chateau near the mountains.

Instead of going on a high school visit, we ended up at a French dinner party. As it turns out, it was Anne's high school graduation, and there were about twenty people there. Everyone was very nice, and I had a few good conversations with the other guests. We played many games, including boule, the traditional sport of Southern France. It basically involves two teams that compete in throwing medium-sized metal balls nearest to a small, yellowish colored ball. After the games, everyone sat around a large table for conversation and a few hours after that, we finally ate. For dinner, we had pâté, sausage, bread, cheese, pasta salad with seafood, and wine. It was all delicious, but I was glad when the party ended at 11:30. I was exhausted, and when we got home, I used a mint in substitute for my toothbrush and an anti-bacterial surface wipe instead of my face wash. It felt like the longest day ever, and bed never felt so good!