The Baking Gypsy: "Normal" Life in France

It's hard to believe that I have already been here THREE months! Thankfully, I feel much more comfortable here as I begin to settle into some sense of normalcy (which I hesitate to even type, knowing that things are always unpredictable and changing). So, here's a little random glimpse into my "normal" life:

I can now order an afternoon treat for myself, in French, and have been checking out all of the local patisseries and boulangeries to see who has the best pastries.

Chocolat chaud et un macaron a la framboise

....and at the farmer's market this weekend I wasn't terrified that somebody would speak to me, but instead was eager to practice my French and chatted (very briefly) with one of the vendors after I ordered my pastry.

A beautiful day at the market

The Farmer's Market/Swap Meet/Flea Market

This week I had the pleasure of dining with some new friends in their home. A very kind couple who are a host family for our students. They cooked a beautiful, organic dinner - pumpkin/carrot soup and a leek quiche, all made with veggies they grew themselves. But the best part is that the majority of the evening the conversation was in French, and I understood it!! They were very gracious and patient to repeat and explain things slowly, and then to occasionally clarify in English, and I was even able to respond in French (very broken and heavily accented, but still French). It was a pleasant, but exhausting evening for which I am truly thankful.

Last week I got to go to an open mic jam session - I wasn't playing, just listening. It was rather chaotic, but fun to watch the various musicians put their names on the board and then assemble other musicians to play songs. No rehearsal, just live music. Some of it was surprisingly good, none of it was awful, and all of it was interesting. The venue is an old hat factory that has been converted into a community center, this provided some interesting things to look at during the music.