Bon Appetit - for the "Foodies" - a Food Odyssey
Trip Start
May 15, 2010
1
29
33
Trip End
May 31, 2010
Troy, Illinois
Saturday, June 5, 2010
If you remember from the send off party ' Chezartz" - I tried to serve apperatifs similar (but a little expanded) to what is normally done in France. During the two weeks that we ate together we had the privelege of being submerged in this part of an important French tradition - table time.
We went to paint the beautiful French countryside and historical sites, but we also had a "bapteme de culture" or baptism of culture, total immersion. If you were to ask any of us about our experience, I'm sure they would mention the French hospitality. They know the "art de vivre" - or the art of living, the art of enjoying the moment, taking time to eat, discuss, laugh and get to know each other. At the table, they are never in a hurry, including restaurants. What to Americans might be slow or bad service, is the normal time taken to eat and enjoy each other to the French. It's nothing to spend two - three hours at the table, enjoying one course at a time.
An example of this was the day of our art exhibit "Chezemma." The residents of the hamlets came to see our art at 3:00 in the afternoon. We were going to eat at 6:00, according to our time table. But as the afternoon stretched on and people stayed and talked and laughed, before we knew it, it was 6:00 and many people were still there, esp. Nicole and Gilbert's family and immediate neighbor. Nicole graciously offered to prepare some "bubbly" for an apperatif and we all followed her lead, brought out our wine glasses and chairs to sit down for another hour of "joie de vivre!" Tatyana and Debbie, who prepared the meal that evening, were flexibile and we had a wonderful time. After everyone left, Nicole and Gilbert joined us for dinner at Chezemma for more delightful conversation our last evening together.
Check out the short video clips of this event.
You can read the captions on the other photos that explain where we were and what we ate. One thing for sure, French hospitality is truly unique and we were able to experience it first hand in a way that most tourists never get to see on an organized tour.
I've attached a lot of photos - if you want to skim through them, at least check out the video clip of Gilbert serving the bubbly at our art exhibit at Chezemma at the end of the photos. You can really put yourself in our place. "Tching tching, a ta sante, Cheers!"
Bon Appetit
