Beaujolais Nouveau

Contrary to Liz, spending a week in the serene countryside of central France made me realized how cut out I am for city life. I've always found spending time in nature rejuvenating, but before long the isolation and peacefulness of Marsat made me feel...claustrophobic. As a result, I was happy to drive into the nearby town of Riom with Alex and her daughter Margot to take part in the lively tradition of Beaujolais Nouveau. Beaujolais Nouveau is the name of a red wine produced in the region each year. It is made to be drank soon after its production, so the locals make an event of sampling the wine together and assessing its flavor that year. Tradition trumps taste in this case, as everyone knows the wine is not great. That doesn't stop them from celebrating. 

The bar we arrived to in Riom was full, and featured a live french folk band whose sound was distinguished by their accordion player. There were local snacks for sampling, like slices from a large cheese wheel and saucisson. We sat outside on the patio with some of Alex's friends and family, eating, sharing bottles of this year's Beaujolais Nouveau, and socializing in a combination of english and french. Only Liz and I, a pregnant friend, and all of the children did not chain smoke the entire time, a stereotype that has proved very true in France. It was a nice afternoon that segwayed into our last evening. We had dinner with Alex, her father, and her two children, which we had gotten to know over the past week despite a language barrier. Margot is 12, and her style reminded me a lot of myself when I was her age. She even had the same converse I did. Sascha is 15 and autistic, and was looking at different high school options during our stay. He was sometimes difficult to communicate with given my inexperience with french, but roads like this one to mutual understanding are what makes homestays so enriching. It's where we tap into a culture, observing the small differences and weeding out the misconceptions until, suddenly, you find that you are home again.  

Please excuse us for our belated blog posts! We will have updates about Thanksgiving and beyond within the next few days.  

Love,
Alexis