Week 4

The end of week 4 is approaching. In order to sum it up, I'll employ the use of the biggest cliché I know: it's kind of bittersweet. I received my IFALPES "diploma" today with the remark "très bien." There was a small reception afterward where I was able to say goodbye to those I met at the school.

This week was a fairly busy one, which explains why I haven't been able to post a note until now. On Thursday, several of us from IFALPES rented a little paddle boat and spent a couple of hours in the middle of Lake Annecy. I always prefer swimming where I can't touch/see the bottom, as I'm never quite sure what lurks in the weeds waiting to injure my feet.

I also made some pasties for my host family on Thursday night. For the most part, they were a culinary success. Outside of the culinary realm, it was kind of an amusing dinner for a number of reasons. For one, I've never eaten a pasty as part of a five-course meal. The entire meal consisted of 1) apéritif (non-alcoholic, however) 2) melon, 3) pasties, 4) cheese, 5) desert. Needless to say, one-pound pasties with all the rest was a lot to digest at one time. Secondly, it was a rare sight to see pasties being eaten with a fork and knife...the European way. Most Yoopers (myself included) dig right in with the fork, if they even use a fork at all. Third, the ingredients were a slight variation of what one would normally use for pasties. The crust was very French, meaning it was a little flakier, a little lighter, and a little more croissant-like. I wasn't able to find rutabaga, which ended up getting replaced with turnips. The ingredient issues didn't result in too much of a difference, fortunately. And for a brief moment on Thursday night, the French culture collided head-on with the Finnish-Yooper culture. It was truly a unique experience.

This weekend, my host family and I are going to visit Chamonix-Mont Blanc, weather permitting of course. The town of Chamonix lies at the base of Mont Blanc, which is the highest point in Western Europe. At more than 15,000 feet tall, Mont Blanc is definitely worth seeing. Let's hope that the weather cooperates.

My flight back to the United States is this Monday, the 29th. I arrive at the Detroit airport at 5:30pm. Then, at 9:30, I depart to Cleveland. I'll explain more about that later!