Did I say 3 months? What I meant to say was 8.

I feel as though I just got home and yet I’m already packed and ready to head back to Paris. To be honest I feel like my time here was a whirlwind of activity.

I was in town for a day before I headed off to Milwaukee, where I was a bridesmaid for Lindsay & Ben’s wedding. You’ll have to take my word for it but their wedding (especially the ceremony) was absolutely beautiful. Seeing as they’re both such good friends I want nothing short of the best for them and could not have been happier to see them on cloud nine all day. I wish them a lifetime of happiness and laughter together.

I was able to spend the rest of my time in the Princeton area with my family and friends. Not being here for the summer wasn’t an excuse to go a year without having time by the pool and a BBQ with my girlfriends from high school. Though I think we headed into the pool around 9:30pm, I’m still happy we were able to find time to all get together and catch up. I’m also glad I got to see cousins Jaquie and Ilana before Illana starts her freshman year of college. I still can’t get over the fact that she’s starting college! And though I’m missing cousin Jess’ wedding I was able to see Uncle Bill and Aunt Stephanie for dinner, which was great. I even got to help Melanie prepare and move into her new apartment at school. I’m not entirely sure I got enough quality time with Mom and Charlie but was happy with what I could get and am still hoping they’ll decide to come visit me before January!

As promised, I have a little more insight on what I’ll be up to for the next few months. After multiple phone calls and an e-mail CC’ed to the CEO, I finally got word from the company I’m supposed work for. They said they’re going to hire me through the American office but have me working in Paris on a project. I’m still not entirely convinced I’m starting work tomorrow but I hope to start soon. I guess if nothing else I’m dedicated. Anyway, if all goes according to plan I’ll be working for them through December and taking night classes a few times a week to continue learning French.

I never thought I would have the opportunity to spend three months living in Paris let alone eight. This truly is the experience of a lifetime and I look forward to seeing what the next few months will hold.

Bon Voyage

The idea of coming to Paris started as a joke; something I thought I could never do because logically it made sense to get a job after graduating. But living in Paris wound up being one of the best decisions I’ve made. My goal in living here was to first and foremost learn French but to also fully experience another culture (of course while spending time with John). In the last few months I have successfully started my road to learning French, met my own family while seeing the South of France, met John’s family while seeing central France and Italy, I have tried new foods, learned how to read maps, celebrated my own holidays but also French ones and have embraced every new experience I could find.

I think a good portion of my friends and family assume I’ve been scheming on a way to stay longer. And I have. My parents met a CEO of a software company at a conference back in April who said I could work for a few months st his company. I have been in touch with him and his employees for about five months now. The good news is, it has definitely been a learning experience. The bad news is that I have been trying to work on obtaining a long-stay visa that would allow me to work for them temporarily (but for more than three months) for three months. One of the many lessons I have learned is that the French value their vacation. Unfortunately for me that means that during the summer it’s practically impossible to get something like a Visa figured out when everyone is on vacation. As of right now the three people I have been working with on my situation are still on vacation. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea if anything has been filed with the DDTE so that I can make an appointment for my visa application to be seen and yet I have been reassured that I will begin work for them on September 1^st.

Okay, so I might not be starting work on September 1^st. I might not even get the visa situation figured out at all. But I do have a ticket back to Paris for August 31^st and a return for January 20, 2010. You might be asking yourselves, “so now what?” To be honest, I’m not entirely sure. I still have plenty of French to learn, more to experience and see not to mention a baby to meet in October (John’s sister is expecting her first and everyone is very excited). Besides, I have a week in the states to figure out a game plan.

In the mean time, I’m sad to have part one of my Parisian adventures ending but am excited to see family and friends. True to form, my time home will be short and busy. I’ll be splitting my time between Jersey with family and Wisconsin for a wedding but hope to see everyone. Fingers crossed, by my next blog-post I will have more information on what’s to come.

I cannot thank John’s family enough for being so welcoming. They definitely made my experience that much more amazing. And I can’t wait to be back with John and Oscar for part two of my adventures.

À tout à l’heure, Paris.

(Don’t forget to check out the highlights of my summer here)

Pastori

I remember dreaming with Melanie about all the places we’d love see last May... at the time Gropallo never crossed my mind. Though if you’d ask me today which places I’d love to see it would defiantly be on the top of my “re-do” list. My first taste of Italy was definitely a memorable experience.

Jean Pierre, John’s uncle, greeted John and me once we landed in Milan. We then took a two-hour drive to John’s grandparent’s house in Pastori. Pastori is such a small village that everyone just refers to it as Groppallo, the neighboring village (with a Church) that’s a little bigger and so close you’d just assume it was the same town. It was a great time for us to visit because Jean Pierre and his wife, Valerie, along with their two children Salambô (and her friend Camille) and Lorenzo as well as John’s other uncle, Mario, were visiting.

I was told it was a small village and had no other reference point than Viverols so I had just assumed the two would be similar. Boy was I wrong! Grandma and Grandpa’s house is really beautiful but the walk up to town (or the equivalent to town square, I suppose) was a fifteen minute walk up hill to, technically, the next town. Grandma was right when she kept mentioning how it’s different from Paris because of the silence. I even thought Viverols was quiet but Pastori won hands down. Don’t get me wrong, though, it was extremely relaxing and enjoyable.

Each day we had a little excursion to take. After our arrival we took a short hike to play hide and seek. We spent a day at the pool, checked out the Monday market in Bettola (where John bought Parmesan cheese), visited Piacenza, Parma and Milan, played lots of pètanque (Bocce Ball) and Briscola but most importantly had a great 15^th of August. The 15^th of August is the feast day of the Assumption of Mary, or when Mary was taken up to heaven. In Groppallo it’s a big deal. The family gets dressed up, goes to the Church, visits the cemetery and eats… a lot. This year only Grandma attended Mass but I’m told it’s still imperative to make an appearance so it looks as if you’ve attended. I don’t think we’re the only ones with that idea because there were a lot of people hanging outside the Church talking, waiting for the procession to begin. John’s dad, Joseph, told us to see it this year. After the service the priest leads a procession of congregants and four men who carry out the statue of Mary around the cemetery. It was really interesting to see, I’m glad we stuck around.

During the service two things happen: First, some people visit loved ones in the cemetery. We visited John’s grandpa’s parents and brother and his grandma’s parents. The other thing that happens is that some people go back down to the main street of Groppallo for drinks. Had John and I not stayed up to see the procession we would have joined Jean Pierre, Valerie and the kids for a drink.

After drinks, we went to “the best restaurant” for lunch. I say lunch but it was more like a five-hour feast. The first dish is Coppa, followed by two pasta dishes (vegetable lasagna and then ricotta and spinage ravioli, followed by the meat dish (veal) followed by salad and then dessert. I made it to through the meat dish (only because I didn’t eat the first plate) and couldn’t image eating anything else. The problem is that everything is more delicious than the last so you’re constantly tempted to eat more. Five hours later I was happy to nap!

Not only did we have our daily excursions but each night that was something to do as well. Between playing Briscola, a very intense Italian card game, and going up to Groppallo for foosball, drinks or to see Alberto Kalle there was always something fun to do as a family. Alberto Kalle is a local accordionist. On the 15^th not only did we meet him at the restaurant, where he supposedly began his career, but we also went up to see his concert at night. Interested in who Albeto Kalle is? Get a sample of his music here!

The amazing thing about Pastori and Groppallo is that the sky is so clear at night that you can see, what seems like, forever. The sky looks like a giant Lite-Brite (yes, I am old enough to remember those!). Jean Pierre, Lorenzo, John and I sat out one night watching for shooting stars. I remember trying to do this with my dad once in Jersey and being unsuccessful but in Pastori the sky was so peaceful and clear we saw them with ease.

Okay so everyone is probably wondering the same things… and if not humor me and pretend like you were, please.

a) Was it the best Pasta I’ve ever eaten? Yes. Though I think John’s grandma’s pasta is better than the pasta we got at restaurants.

b) Did I have trouble with Italian since I’m still trying to learn French? Yes. Italian is a very difficult language, I think. One I may need to hold off learning until I’ve mastered French but at least I could tell the difference between the two!

c) Was Italy beautiful? Yes! I would definitely like to go back.

d) Did I learn anything interesting? Of course, I did. What else is this experience for? On top of learning how to play Briscola and Pètanque, I found it very interesting that Europeans look at politicians differently than Americans. I hate to bring it up but Bill Clinton had a heck of a lot of bad publicity after his Monica days and he’s not the only one. Politicians who cheat on their wives are big no-no’s in the states but look at the Italian President. He’s been linked to many mistresses but he continues to be elected. Though the idea of an unfaithful man being a supported president made me extremely confused, I think it goes a long way to think about the Politics, not the personal life of our politicians.

Not that I need to say it again, but I loved Italy. I had a great time with John’s family and am so thankful they shared their piece of Italy with me. I’m thankful for the experiences, memories and, of course the vacation. I see why John thinks the world of his family and completely agree. I cannot thank the Silva’s enough for such a great first experience in Italy. I look forward to hopefully helping Salambô and Lorenzo have a great first taste of the states soon!

Don't forget to check out the pictures from Italy!

The Market at Bettola

Our day in Parma

Our visit to Predalbora (where John's grandpa is from)

The 15th of August

Around the Silva House

Cento Pecore, where we saw John's cousins' horses

Our day in Piacenza

Our day in Milan

Meeting my family in Saint Maximin!

Anyone who knows me knows that my family is perhaps the most important thing to me in the world… that is after Ernie of course. In all seriousness though, since my first trip to Paris (I think in 2003) my mom and grandma have told me that I have a cousin who works as a diplomat for France. Each visit we tried to get in touch to see if she was in Paris and each time it didn't quite work out. So when I decided to come to France this time and my mom and grandma told me I should visit my cousin Alain and his wife Bernadette I really made an effort to make it happen.

John and I arrived at Aix en Provence’s train station and met up with cousin Alain, who set the tone for the weekend by wearing his Garfield t-shirt (circa 1980’s)! I was taken aback as I walked into their house in Saint Maximin (25 miles from Aix en Provence) as I noticed the pictures of their grandchildren, Morgane and Laura, who look remarkably similar to Carrie and Melanie. I’m not quite sure what I expected but was so surprised in how similar our families are, both in looks and behavior. Though I suppose we are the same family which would make it only natural.

Over lunch I was able to hear some stories about the Schlifka side of the family. Bernadette even showed me a photo album with pictures of my immediate family that grandma left behind the last time she visited. I couldn’t believe it! Here I didn’t even know I had so much family in France let alone that I would ever meet them and there I was looking at pictures of Mom, Charlie, Carrie, Melanie and me!

After lunch, Frederic took John and I on a drive to see the Gorges du Verdon. The view was absolutely beautiful. Frederic was an awesome tour guide. He took us on both bridges, the beach and in a small neighboring town (to have a drink) so we could get the best view of the water. The gorges covers an old town, which you can still see when water is drained to clean the gorges every 10 years. The story goes that when you hear the bell from the town you know something bad is about to happen.

After we got back to the house John was able to figure out how to get my mom on Skype so we could all video chat. I think that was one of the cooler things I’ve experienced in my life. My mom was so happy to not only talk to everyone but to also see them. It was great to have been able to make that happen. Mom says she was having a little difficulty finding her words but I think she may have gotten a little teary-eyed.

The following morning, cousin Alain took John and I into the town of Saint Maximin. Here we saw the Wednesday market, which was quite impressive. What I thought would be a block of flea market turned out to be an avenue worth of different fruit, seafood, olive, herbs and clothing vendors. We were also able to see the Basilica; the home of Mary Magdalene’s bones. Though the exterior was never finished, the Basilica is absolutely gorgeous.

Soon after we returned to the house Francois and his family came for a BBQ. I still can’t get over how similar Francois’ personality is to Uncle Henry’s. Being with family I didn’t know I had, swapping stories and learning about my family was a lifetime experience I will never forget. As we all swapped e-mail addressed I realized how important it is for my generation to keep the family connected. As if I didn’t have enough motivation to continue learning French…

After spending only two days in Saint Maximin I now understand why everyone speaks so highly of Alain and Bernadette. They welcomed John and I into their home and family without even knowing us. For anyone who has ever questioned their mother, I think this is proof to always take her advice. If I hadn’t, I would have never had the opportunity to have such an experience!

Make sure to check out my pictures from the weekend here!

Viverols

I can officially say that I have now seen what’s south of Paris. We got back very late last night from our week in Viverols. Just as John had promised it was the perfect place for delicious food, great walks, and tons of sun bathing with its peaceful atmosphere.

We were welcomed with open arms and great food from the start. I must say I never thought I could eat so much in one week! And though I may not have been adventurous enough to try the cheese I did enjoy a delicious frog dinner! If only I was told that cheese tasted like chicken...

I suppose you can tell I enjoyed myself because I have some 300 plus pictures to show for a few days. Papie and Mamie, John’s grandparents, live on the top of the hill near the castle (Chateau de Viverols). I can’t describe it perfectly, I don’t even think the pictures do it justice but the town is amazing. It’s one of the towns where you can see history and character no matter which way you turn. Almost every morning we took a walk down to the town square: home of the bakery, the Boucher, grocery store and church. Some days we picked out desserts and some days we picked up bags for Mamie that she had at the grocery store.

For a small town I feel like there was plenty to do. Each day there was a different afternoon outing. We visited the castle, which is being renovated by the new owner during his spare time. Mamie led a hike where we ate raspberries fresh off the vines! We went on a historical tour of the town. We visited the Musee Louis Terrasse, who built really amazing wooden miniatures. By the time he was six he had already carved a miniature pair of clogs out of wood. I don’t think I was trusted with a knife at six! We went to the cemetery where found a Morel family stone. We visited Montpelloux, an inactive volcano turned into a quarry turned into tourist site. We even attempted to get into the Mausoleum near the cemetery to see the Granet family tombs... the story goes that when Hector Granet’s parents died he buried them in glass coffins filled with alcohol to preserve their bodies. When he died he was put in a similar coffin except one of them was pierced and all the alcohol spilled, leaving the body to go to dust. No one knows which coffin was pierced but the Granet family still rests in the Mausoleum, which is now sealed up and closed for visitors.

We spent our evenings playing games. It was great because there were four grandkids visiting: John and Daphne and their cousins Alexis and Johan as well as Johan’s girlfriend and me. Between the six of us we kept ourselves laughing with Risk, Uno, Belote and Briscol. We lucked out because while there Viverols was having its festival, carnival and all! Friday and Saturday night we went down to the town square to check out the carnival. We also got to see a lantern parade on Friday night and a costume parade on Sunday before we left.

I can’t forget the kitten! We noticed a kitten who, we were told, was 8 days old hanging out in the street crying. John and I couldn’t bear thinking he was hungry and ran to get him milk and bread. The kitten was so cute we named him Louis (or Louise if he turned out to be a she). Oscar almost came home with a brother but not to worry we left Louis with his brother and mother in Viverols.

The week went by so quickly. I can’t believe we leave for Aix en Provence in a few hours! I’m excited for our next adventure but am still sad the week is over. I cannot thank John’s family enough for being so welcoming and friendly to me. Between Daphne and Alexis I caught almost everything that was going on! And Papie and Mamie are such generous people... thank you for sharing your slice of Viverols with me.

Make sure to browse through our pictures from Viverols!

Pictures from the Castle are here!

Click here to see pictures of the town Viverols!

Usson: A museum we visited

Click here to see Viverol's Festival

Monpelloux: the Volcano/Quarry/Tourist Site

Frog Night: Yes... there is proof I ate frogs!

Check out Louis Terrasse's work. It's really amazing.

Check out Mamie's Hike

The Morel Home