Well, you certainly can't say we've rushed into finishing off this blog! We've been home since late July (it's now March 31st), and we're getting ready to leave for Lyon again in 17 days. Maybe we just didn't want to admit our year in France was over?
AVF
This organization was truly a Godsend! We met wonderful people through it, we went to places we would not have seen, and we enjoyed social events we would never have been able to attend. And, we definitely gained a deeper appreciation for Lyon, France, the French language, culture, and history through this wonderful organization. I've included reminders of some of the AVF events below. |
| The proprietor of a winery in Beaujolais where we enjoyed tasting his wines and sampling his wife's fine cooking. |
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| Scene from cruise on the Saone River. |
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| End of the year lunch for our "Discover France Class" at Andrée-Anne's |
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| David and me at the end of the year gala. |
Our FriendsWe met so many wonderful, friendly, generous people and made so many new friends that I know I’d be sure to leave some out if I tried to list them all. These people really were the ones that made our year in France such a joy! Here are just a few of them.
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| Phillipe & Angeline owners of our favorite boulangerie who were great hosts and went on to become friends. |
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| Dominique and Roger, who started out as "just" our landlords became great friends. |
For someone who has spent her whole life in the US, and on the West Coast at that, being immersed in the history of Lyon and of France was almost overwhelming. I remember when David and I decided to limit our weekend excursions to places dating back to around 12th or 13th century or earlier – not the “recent stuff.” I’ve always enjoying studying history, and experiencing it “up close and personal” was incredible. Here are just a very few of the places and things we saw.
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| The clocher at Cluny |
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The medieval village of Cremieu
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The Food
It would be impossible to mention France without mentioning food! First of all, there is the amazing variety of fresh fruits and vegetables available both in “supermarchés” and in Farmers’ Markets. Then there’s the pastries…maybe there’s a difference in the flour and/or butter that makes the pastries so much better than anything we have at home? And, we were continually pleased to find small “mom and pop” restaurants and cafes, both in Lyon or elsewhere that served absolutely delicious meals. My very favorite being the lunch with had in the small village Solutré Pouilly; it was absolutely the best meal I’ve ever had. Also, meals are NEVER rushed. No waiter will ever bring you your bill unless you ask for it; you could literally sit there nursing your coffee for hours if you wanted to! Then there are meals we ate as guests in peoples’ homes – there was always so much wonderfully food, and the meals typically lasted for hours. One does NOT rush the enjoyment of a meal and the conversations that accompany it. (I won’t mention the wine since I know David has covered it in detail.)
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| My lunch in Solutré-Pouilly - the only meal I took a picture of. |
Estelle and Her Family
I really enjoyed lunches and shopping with Estelle, our French daughter! It’s amazing how it seems no time has passed when we first see her, although there have been years between our visits. She has become a part of our family, and we love her very much. We also got to know her family better and enjoyed their company. Laurent, her husband, was always the perfect host and made us feel so welcome! We had several, very enjoyable, meals with Estelle, Laurent and their boys. And, then there was Christmas when Chantal, Estelle’s mother, included us in the family Christmas celebration and meal. What warm, wonderful people!
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| A "simple French lunch" at Estelle and Laurent's. |
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| Family Christmas at Chantal's. |
I know I’m sure to think of something I should have included, but it’s come time to stop and get ready for our next trip.
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