The Art of “Bon Appétit”!

I need to talk about “bon appétit” for a minute because I like it so much. One of the most regular questions I get while in France is “What do you say in English before a meal?” Unfortunately we do not really have a good expression other than “Enjoy your meal,” or in some cases “bon appétit” is used. This is always received with a sad face. Why is bon appétit so important? I think one reason is because food is so important in France. Enjoying fresh, rich, flavorful food is embedded in the culture. Meals are meant to be savored and enjoyed at a slow, relaxed pace with good company.

There are several common courses that I have experienced and I am sure there are others: apéritifs, entrees, main courses, cheese, dessert, and digestifs. Apéritifs are usually some sort of drink before the meal and can be a mild alcohol, wine, beer, etc. Entrees are a small plate, such as a salad of some sort which is then followed by the main course. Cheese acts as a follow up to the main course and can be eaten with bread. Dessert is self-explanatory but may be fresh fruit instead of another form of sweet. Finally, digestifs are normally a strong alcohol or liquor that is at least 40%. Eating is a ritual and is taken quite seriously.

I bring this up because in the past week I have had three strangers wish me “bon appétit” randomly and each time it has made me smile. The first occasion was when The Hobbit and I went for pizza in Châtillon. An old couple entered while we were eating and as they walked by, they wished us “bon appétit” in the sweetest fashion. For the second occasion I was at the train station in Dijon waiting for my ride to Nice. I decided to grab a sandwich and was eating while resting against a wall when a young, awkward looking guy walked by and wished me “bon appétit” quietly. The third case was last night in Nice when we were returning to the apartment with some food in our hands and my friends’ neighbor wished us “bon appétit” as we were ascending the stairs.

I thought about how bizarre this is to have strangers say this to other strangers, but then my mind transitioned to thinking this is rather nice. It is unusual to get a “hello/bonjour” from strangers in France, but “bon appétit,” this is something sacred. 

I Got a Bit Distracted

Well, the excavations finished this week and I realized that I have not provided an update in a long time. While this might make some of you worry (Mother), this is actually a good thing because it means I was keeping busy and was having such a great time with my friends that I was not on the internet all the time. Since I slacked off, I will give a brief summary of what I did and what we discovered at the excavations this year.

We were still working in the same area as last year on top of Mont Lassois. There is about 12 to 18 inches of soil on top of the bedrock which was removed with some heavy machinery. After much of the top layer was scraped off, we cleaned off additional layers of dirt to search for features, such as postholes, pits, and ditches. We opened a huge area and it took four weeks to get everything visible and clean. What we discovered were lots of postholes which indicated that there was another (or several) houses on top of the plateau in addition to the large house which they discovered several years ago. In the past then, the site had one very large house which they believe belonged to the princess of Vix and then there were several smaller houses, but still quite large, that were around the big house. The entire area was then enclosed by a ditch which we also explored further. Several structures of later dates were also evident during our work and two more graves were also excavated this year.

I did none of this work though. I was adopted by the documentation team and helped to describe and draw 300 of these postholes, pits, and ditches. I worked with then daughter of one of our directors to do this. I am incredibly grateful to her because, though she speaks English very well, she let me practice my French which improved dramatically in a matter of the first three days with her. She is only 19, but she is one of the sweetest and most mature people I have ever met. It would have been a long and more trying summer without her help! Anyway, we were quite the team and really kicked ass at getting all of these documents in order. I even got to do some drawings this year which turned out quite well in my humble opinion and much to my surprise. My supervisors were also quite happy with my work and I feel good knowing I helped make things run smoothly this year. The weather was also much improved this year and we only had one day of rain, but it was not bad enough to make us stop working.

In addition to the work, my very good friend The Hobbit was able to come to the site at the last minute. He is in the top ten of my favorite people in the world, so we had a lot of laughs and good memories again from this summer. There were a lot of great people at the site this year in general. I really liked the people on the Swiss team, which was a nice change from last year and the Austrians were great this year too! Overall, there were lots of good conversations, good jokes, and late nights this summer. I have never felt more exhausted after an excavation as I do this year. It was worth it though.

To recover so that I may do more work when I arrive home, I am going to Nice for a week. Many people know of Nice, a beautiful and expensive city in the south of France which overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. I am so excited to see the beach and the water I can hardly stand it. I am sitting at the train station now waiting for my train (which goes back to Lyon first). Why did I decide to go all the way down to Nice? Well, there are Minnesotans in Nice. A couple who went to high school with Reed and who I have met several times have taken a year off from the States to live in Nice. I am looking forward to some familiar faces and accents and I hope they are too! After Nice I will go back to Paris for a day or two and then will finally fly home on the 21^st of August. I will write again before then to share my adventures, but for the moment, just know that I am happy, relaxed, and going to a fantastic place in just a few hours!

Hugs to all!

Bringing Sloppy Joes to Dijon

For my final day in Lyon I actually left the city to visit a small town called Vienne. The city had some well-known Roman ruins and a nice museum that contained mostly mosaics and wall paintings from the many houses excavated in the area. After I returned to Lyon in the afternoon, I relaxed and stayed in for the evening.

I caught a train the next morning and worked my way back to Dijon. My good friend, Sarah, in Dijon left her keys with a friend so I could stay at her apartment. I grabbed those and then met up with my friend Clement with whom I would be excavating. We had an important mission for the day: grocery shopping. I promised him two weeks prior that I would make a traditional American dinner for him and his family the next time I was in town. Trying to decide what a traditional American food is can be tricky as most of ours are modifications of other culture’s recipes which tend to add extra fats and sugars. I proposed Mac and Cheese, a standard for me, but he vetoed this one. My next idea, which I did not describe to him until we had purchased the ingredients, was for good ol’American Sloppy Joes. He seemed intrigued by this but I think perhaps had difficulty imagining it since eating it on a hamburger bun made it seem like it would be more of a hamburger. Anyway…

The next day I went over to his mother’s house and began cooking. I really like a recipe from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Foods which is what I used for this one. I had to substitute ground turkey for ground beef since there is not really that much ground meat in France. I picked up some coleslaw to eat with it which I was surprised to learn is well liked in France, though a bit different from ours at home and not as good as what my boyfriend’s mother makes (you have ruined me, Carol!). After an hour or so of preparation, cooking, and simmering, the Sloppy Joes were ready.

I explained how to eat it and that the purpose of the meal was to get it all over your hands and face. I said that is also why I chose this meal because it would be something so un-French. I also showed them my special technique of squishing down the bread in the center of the bun to accommodate more of the slop; they liked this too! I was a bit nervous because I wanted them to like it but had no idea if they would. After a few bites, the laughter began and I was pleased to see them take not only seconds, but even thirds of my Sloppy Joes! I was so happy that it was a success! 

We left shortly after for the excavations which began that Monday. I am two weeks into the excavations now and am happy to say that while they are quite different from last year, I think things are way better. We have only had a bit of rain one day which is completely different from last year. Many of my good friends did not return this year with the exception of Clement, and then The Hobbit made a last minute effort to come, so I have the two of them again. I have become closer with the French students this year than I was last year which helps a bit with the language. My roommate this year is a really cool Austrian girl that I actually met two years ago when visiting Vix and who I excavated several ditches with last year. I am not really excavating this year, but rather, am helping to document all of the new features at the site (for example, a wall or posthole after its discovery). After two weeks, I have drawn over 150 of such features (mostly postholes). The best change this year though has to be that all of the teams are mixing. Last year it was quite divided and so the Austrians stayed with the Austrians, the Swiss with the Swiss, the French with the French, and the Germans with the Germans. This was different from day one and everyone has been talking, sharing drinks, and doing things together. I have met some really great people so far and am enjoying the excavations tremendously as a result (as I have not blogged in two weeks this should be your proof!).

Ok, now that you have all had a bit of an update, I am off again to enjoy one of my evenings in the beautiful weather and good company I have found in France!

Visiting Lyon: Day 2

I got a later start than anticipated because I could not sleep the night before. The weather was looking a bit gloomy and my body was kicking me for walking up that giant hill the day before that I decided I should go back down to the center of town first and then I would hopefully have enough energy to walk back up the hill again in a little while. I descended and went to the shopping area as I had the urge to window shop. As I learned at the museum the day before, one of Lyon’s major exports was silk, and I hoped I could find a great silk store as I love textiles. Alas, I saw nothing of the sort much to my disappointment. In this area alone I walked three miles before 1PM.

I finished seeing all I wanted to see in the lower area (it’s called “The Little Island” as it is between the two rivers. I started toward the Saone and saw there was a fresh market that day. I love walking through street markets because the fruit always smells fantastic as does the stinky cheese and the meat looks so fresh. Yum! After browsing, I started to move toward the river walking under some trees when I felt something hit my head. I heard the flutter of wings and hoped it was not what I thought it was. Much to my dismay, it was; a pigeon shit right in my hair. I remember the last time I was pooped on by a bird. It was May 1996 and I was at the Detroit Zoo when a bird pooped on the sleeve of my yellow hoodie. This occurrence in Lyon will certainly be as memorable. I walked over to a fruit vendor who was packing up and asked her if she had a napkin and then showed her my head. She frantically began looking around for one as did her husband and the woman they were helping at the time also searched in her bag. Between the three of them they got a napkin and got me cleaned up. People can be so generous and kind at times it’s incredible. I thanked them thoroughly and continued on my way with a smile on my face thinking my trip to Lyon was now complete.

I did a lot more walking around the foot of the hill looking at different shops and bakeries and funny museums (they have a lot of unusual subjects for museums in Lyon such as one dedicated to miniatures that were used in films and animated wooden dolls/puppets). I made my grand ascent up the hill once more, which was a bit easier this time even though my body was exhausted. I made my way to the Musee Gallo Romain which happened to be free on Thursdays – woohoo! The museum was fantastic too! Lyon was a very important city in the Roman period and it has the finds to prove it! I took a lot of photos for future use in teaching and just enjoyed the museum. 

After the museum I walked outside to the Roman theatres which are right next to it. To my joy, another concert warm-up/practice was going on and I got to see another show for free! Once they finished, I walked slightly uphill again to the highest part of the city to see their famous (though not old) Notre-Dame de Fourviere which was perched on top of the hill overlooking the city. It offered a fantastic view of the city. It was incredible to see because Lyon, while it is the second or third largest city in France, it does not feel that big. Seeing it nestled into the river valleys though, the expanse of the area is evident and breathtaking. The other incredible thing of note is that from this point it is possible to see Mont Blanc on a clear day (and it was for me) which is 250km (155 miles) away! Unbelievable!

I headed back to my Couchsurfing host’s apartment and waited for her there. We made some pasta for dinner and she suggested we see a concert of Caribbean and African music that was playing in a park for free. Lyon has great summertime festivities for its residents and this concert was part of an event called “All the World Outside” which features different types of music each week. Well, we underestimated the precise distance of the other park and did not realize we would have to descend our hill only to climb up another. While on the map it is about 2 miles round trip, with the going up and down, up and down it was probably much more than that. We took one path that probably had no fewer than 300 steps going down. It was incredible and had me laughing most of the way. When we finally made it up the last hill to the concert it was packed with people, but we found a good spot on the lawn and had a listen. I really like African music because it sounds so happy and there are so many distinct sounds each instrument makes. Some jugglers came and were performing next to us too, so we had music and a show. We stayed for some time and then headed back to the apartment where I had no problem sleeping that night.

Visiting Lyon: Day 1

Yay! I have something interesting to write about! Its not that I don’t like my museum research, but it is sometimes a bit tedious to live it once let alone write about it again while trying to make it sound entertaining. Luckily though, I took a trip to the lovely city of Lyon this week and have lots to share!

I got a ride to Dijon on Wednesday and then took a two hour train ride to Lyon. In my train cabin I sat with a woman from Morocco who had been living in France for eight years. She was nice enough and patient enough to let me practice my French and I helped her with some English language questions she had. It was a nice ride overall and it was nice to spend it with a very smiley person! As we were leaving the train I somehow ended up talking to a French girl who was looking for a map like I was as it was the first time in Lyon for both of us. We found the information area, got our maps, and then went our separate ways.

The first thing I do when I arrive in any European city is to find the center of the town. From there it is possible to orient oneself, find a map (if you did not find one at the station), and find something to eat because, at least for me, I am typically hungry after my trip. I found a road on the map that went from the station to the center of town and followed the other signs which got me to my destination. While on my way, I crossed the Rhone River. I think this was my first time seeing it in person and it was quite large! The center of town was typical – a big square of some sort, a big statue, lots of shopping and lots of restaurants. I flipped through a tourism book that I got at the station and found something to do as I had some time to kill.

I chose to visit the Musee des Tissus/Musee des Arts Decoratifs de Lyon first. It was a fantastic museum that had a lovely and varied collection of textiles from all places and times. It starts with ancient textiles from Egypt which included lace, fine hair nets, detailed patterns and scenes (many with peacocks!). Later periods also have a wide variety of textiles and some complete costumes from various parts of the Near East, Turkey, Spain, and so on. While all of these were fantastic, the best part may have been seeing the fantastic dresses and garments 18^th century France and England! Oh my goodness! The style of the dresses, the fabric – this would have been my era! There were beautiful cuts and designs that flattered nearly any form. I loved it! The second part of the museum includes walking through various re-constructed rooms with objects and décor that dated to around the 17^th and 18^th centuries as well. This was quite lovely and it was nice to have a change of subject than my normal archaeology museum!

After the museum I walked around for a while and then headed toward the ruins of the Roman theatre. I had no concept of the layout or topography of Lyon prior to my arrival so I was quite surprised I had to cross yet another river, this time the Saone, to get to the bottom of a hill. The ruins were on the top of this hill and so I started working my way up. Ooo la la! This was a tall and steep path and I was sweating almost instantly! My hips, rump and thighs thanked me for the exercise!

 

I planned on looking at ruins in more depth the next day, but when I arrived I heard a warm-up for a concert that would happen later that night. I basically got to see a free concert while others later in the night would have to pay 30euros for the same show. It was a good deal and a nice way to conclude the afternoon.

Around 5:30, I headed toward my evening’s destination. I am not sure if I have talked about the website Couchsurfing.org yet on the blog, but I shall briefly describe it here. In a nutshell, this is a website for people who would rather stay in someone’s home than at a hotel. While it is typically used by young people, older people are joining the site more frequently because there are some great benefits to this idea. For students its great because you stay in someone’s home, so it is free. The main reason I like it, and the appeal for many others, is that it gives you a chance to meet people who live in the area and they can tell you good places to see or eat, or just basic things to know about traveling in the city. It gives you an opportunity to be a diplomat for your country and allows you to meet people from all around the world. You get to learn about a place and about people from these places. You give them a face to associate with your country and you also have a face to associate with theirs. It is an amazing opportunity to foster friendship and understanding.

I described all this because I have used it in the past and used it again in Lyon. It was a bit funny because I stayed with a German girl in France. She was very nice and hospitable and took me in at the last minute for three days! That night she had a friend coming over, another German girl, and the three of us made pizza which ended up being incredibly yummy! They suggested we go out for a little while after dinner. I never go out in the evenings because I am typically alone and because I am not really one who likes to go out often. It is incredible though to see a city at night; it can look so different. We walked by the opera house, which was beautiful all lit up and there was music going on as well. We went to a bar near there which was incredibly tiny and was decorated like the inside of a pirate ship inside! The floor was even the funny sort of wooden grates that you see in movies that someone is inevitably trapped under/inside. There were wooden kegs all around, wooden planks for the walls, and all sorts of funny things stored in jars behind the bar. It was loud and I was far too old to be there, but it was amusing nonetheless since I never go any place like that while in Europe.

Well, that certainly seems long enough for one entry. I shall describe the rest of my trip in another one tomorrow.

Off to Lyon!

Not much to really say yet, but I am finally forcing myself to get up and to get traveling! I am getting a ride to Dijon tomorrow, then am catching a train to Lyon where I will stay until Saturday morning (hopefully). I am excited to see some kick ass Roman ruins and might even take a day trip to Vienne (France, not Austria) for even more ruins! Woo!

I am looking forward to sharing some stories and, if nothing else, some photos!

Celebrating My Independence in a Most Independent Way

Since turning to a life of archaeology, I have celebrated very few ‘Fourth of Julys’ properly. Properly consists of 1. Being in America; 2. Eating delicious food fresh off the grill, various sorts of salads, and lots of watermelon; 3. Watching fireworks; and 4. Being on the beach or near water. That is what I, as a girl from the water-abundant places in the Midwest, think of as being good ways to celebrate being an American.

Well, it is the Fourth of July once again and once again I am not in America. I have not eaten anything delicious today except for the last of my jelly beans which I brought from the States. There are certainly no fireworks, although I could probably count the lightening we had. And the closest I have come to a beach was the sand that got in between my toes and I hurried through the park on the way back from the museum during a watery downpour. Here I am in France, probably the only American for at least 30km, celebrating my independence to the fullest extent…alone.

I know, I am in France!, but the Fourth of July is my second favorite holiday (Thanksgiving will always take the pie!) and while I am here alone in this dark and abandoned dormitory (yes, the very same one from last year), it makes me miss home and the few traditions I still enjoy. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I decided to recount some of my favorite July 4^th celebrations that took place outside of the U.S.A.

2011

Last year I was in the city of Chatillon-sur-Seine, France having arrived the day or so before from Dijon. I did have someone ask ‘Oh, isn’t this your country’s birthday? Happy Birthday!’ This made me smile a bit. Nothing else that exciting happened. Ten days later though, I was back in Dijon and they were celebrating their country’s Bastille Day complete with some spectacular fireworks! (See this post for photos). I silently pretended they were for America. 

2009

I was a week into excavations at Alalakh in southern Turkey. The heat was unbearable most days, but the evenings were rather comfortable. There were a fair number of Americans at the site, so we all knew what the day should hold in store. The Fourth of July fell on a Saturday, which meant we had both Friday and Saturday to celebrate since it was still early in the season. We grilled like we did every weekend and at some delicious, delicious food! There was music, dancing, and lots of alcohol to go around. It was a beautiful night for sleeping on the roof and watching the stars pass through the night sky.

2007

After a day of excavating at the coastal site of Kenchreai, we headed back to our hotel in ancient Corinth, Greece. We were an American run excavation and there were about fifty of us. There was no way we were not going to celebrate the Fourth of July! I remember I packed party hats and noisemakers for the event! I think there may have even been a birthday or two that we decided to celebrate as well. Before we even began, we were told by our project leader that we should not draw attention to ourselves or be loud (this was at about the height of the world hating us). We said we would move our cocktail party to the back porch instead of the roof and celebrate there; a fair compromise it seemed to us. Well, the noise makers did not go over well with the project director and we were told to ‘shush!’. It did not matter though because even though the noise makers went away, the party hats stayed as did all of our cocktail attire and joyful spirits! We even had sparklers! It was a fantastic celebration with a wonderful, laid back group of people with whom I shared some of the greatest memories and conversations of my excavation career.

2006

And finally, probably my favorite Fourth of July celebration away from home. I was near Batman, Turkey in the southeast excavating with local residents and ‘the Italians’. As per usual in that part of Turkey, it was hot. There were four American students (including myself and my soon-to-be-best-friend, Ami), and our professor from GVSU. I seem to remember the students discussing what we should do for the Fourth of July, if anything at all. We all seemed to be a bit disappointed that we would miss it. When we arrived back at the hut that night, we found that while the Italians were at the market, they found a form of sausage that is about as close as one can get to a hotdog in a foreign land. We had all the proper fixings for our ‘hotdogs’ on the grill and tons of watermelon! I believe there was some mild drinking involved as well. This was by far the most special Fourth of July for me because there was a tender extension of consideration and respect for our traditions. Buying hotdogs may seem like a simple and silly thing to gush over, but at that time with so much of the world despising us, it made me see that some people could recognize that we were people too and that we did not need to be ashamed of who we were.

That wonderful hotdog...

After remembering these past Fourth of July celebrations, I come to see that you do not need to be in America to celebrate the Fourth of July, but it does work best if there are other Americans to celebrate with you! Hope you all celebrate the crap out of today for me!

The Contents of [Katherine] Mary Poppins’s Bag

I hoped to have some of my new pages for the blog up and ready before I left for this trip. Maybe if I would have finished them (or wrote yesterday's entry) before I left I would not need to write this entry. I was a bit distracted before this trip to France and consequently, I forgot some of the little things that make my life easier while traveling. On the upside, a few last minute (and literally an hour before I left for the airport) purchases and unassuming items have really helped on the trip so far!

Things That I Am Sad I Forgot:

1.     Light My Fire Serving Spork

When I am traveling solo or on a budget (so, always), it is unnecessary to go out to eat, but a girl’s gotta eat. Markets and grocery stores provide a nice opportunity to experience local flavors (it is actually quite fun to peruse a foreign grocery store) and it is the most affordable option for long-term travel. I first bought this handy utensil (about $2) for my trip to Europe with Ami to make our eating on the road a bit easier. Unfortunately I had packed both hers and mine in my bag which was lost thanks to the airline. Luckily my bag reappeared magically on my mother’s doorstep unannounced and I was able to finally retrieve and use my handy gadget on future trips. The small, lightweight, and durable plastic ended up being handy for everyday use for my lunches at school; it never left my backpack for three years. Last year while in France I managed to snap it in half while scooping peanut butter (I am not sure exactly how beyond that). Well, I am back in France with my peanut butter but do not have my handy utensil. A fork and knife on one end, a spoon on the other, and an easy to hold curved handle. How I miss you.

2.       Washcloths

You might be thinking, gross, how is she getting clean. I have a scrubby cloth thing that my soap is in, gross I am not. A washcloth though can prove handy for various purposes. Last year I used a washcloth as a clean surface on which to place cups or fruit after washing them, and another for either giving my face a quick scrub or for cleaning up messes in my room. Not essential for some, but I am missing mine today. As I noted in my last post though, this is one of those things I could easily buy if I truly cannot live without it.

3.       Clothes…!

Seriously, WTF was I thinking for this trip. I packed clothes and even made sure I stuck with the same colors to make it easier to mix-and-match/coordinate, but I feel like I really failed this time. I was definitely distracted. It is also difficult to pack when you have museum research, tourism time, excavation dirt, and lounge-around-in-the-evening time to consider. Also with the amount of equipment I had to bring, I had so little room for clothes it was a bit frustrating. I suppose it might be one of those rare trips where I actually buy some clothes here because two t-shirts is not going to cut it for 2 months.

4.       My Updated I-pod

Yes, my I-pod is here, but for whatever reason, it did not update and add all the great TED Talk Videos I downloaded right before I came. As I do not have I-Tunes on my mini-computer I am without. Sad.

Things That Have Already Broke

1.       My USB External Mouse

While not essential, it would have made some activities on this trip a lot easier than the tiny touch pad on my tiny netbook.

2.       The Scale

I needed to bring a scale to weigh some ancient coins. Alas, I plugged her in and she said ‘no’. I am scrambling to figure out another alternative, but nothing has come up so far.

(On the Upside!) Things I Am Thankful to Have With Me

1.       Osprey Meridian ConvertibleBackpack/Wheeled Luggage and Detachable Daypack

While this pack was a hefty investment (even at 30% off like I snagged it), it is really quite worth it. As far as looks go, it is a big awkward and big/bulky. As far as convenience and ease of travel, it is a winner; totally worth hunting down the UPS driver to make sure I got my bag before I left (it’s a long story). Anyway, this bag is great because it is a duffel-style (easy to access everything), a rolling suitcase, but it also has the option to convert to a backpack when the terrain gets rough! In addition to the main bag, there is a detachable daypack that zips on to the front providing extra storage and ultimately, one less bag to pack!

2.       Razor Blades with Built-in Shaving CreamThings

I’ll try to limit details here. I never used these before but razors are one of my mother’s classic stocking stuffers at Christmas. This year she stepped it up with these fancy ones. At first, I was thinking, “Hmmm… I never use anything so fancy, and I only use shaving cream if I’m shaving in the sink… I guess I’ll give ‘em a shot since they were free and all…” Well, I can totally live without these fancy ones at home, but for travel, they are great. The showers at the school where I stay for research and excavations are push-button timed making it nearly impossible to shave in the shower. I typically did it in the sink last year which resulted in lots of cuts. BUT THIS YEAR, I can shave cut-free with the fancy cream-included razors. For those of you that always use shaving cream, you might want to consider this alternative since it would be one less liquid/bottle to pack. Thanks Mom!

3.       JIF Peanut Butter

Everyone laughs, but I have been packing a jar of peanut butter since I started traveling abroad. It is one of those rare things that is difficult to find in the form we know and love in the States. Apparently you can find Skippy in Paris, but I have always been a JIF girl. It is perfect for breakfast, for snacking, or when you just need a taste of home. 

Ok, I am off to Dijon tomorrow to see some good friends. I will start actually discussing my travels instead of my packing issues soon! Have a good weekend all! :)