Mont St Michel and Sheperds Pie

I made Roger more scrambled eggs this morning as well as toast and bacon. I have decided to issue a challenge to you all...no matter your age, race, gender, or ethnicity, if you do not know how to cook scrambled eggs, pick up a dang spatula and learn how. How can you be forty something years old and not know how to scramble eggs?

I cleaned like mad for a few hours, and I probably pissed off 20 spiders by destroying their webs. We spent the afternoon enjoying the sunny weather (finally!) at Mont St Michel. I I visited the castles in Germany, but this little island cathedral is way better. It's so small but it has got a wall surrounding it and the biggest most beautiful cathedral going forever up to the sky. There are shops along the way, but that's all. Like I said, the island is small. I could probably sit and look at Mont St Michel all day. It's just so grand and pretty! We didn't go inside but maybe when my dad comes we can.

We walked the dog a bit...or should I say he walked me. I've never seen a dog pull on the leash the way Veejay does. I almost got pulled out to sea three times! He's a bad dog, but he's cute too.

We ate lunch at a nice restaurant on the mainland. I thought I ordered a salad but it ended up being something that looked like a pizza. It wasn't a pizza, but it was a deliciously large piece of bread topped with veggies and cheese. I've never had anything like it. We got dessert, and while Roger enjoyed his creme brûlée, I enjoyed my assertee grandeur more. I got four different desserts for only €1,50 more than Roger's creme brûlée. I don't know what they were, but they were all really good!! Check out the picture.

I cleaned like mad for several hours after that. Cleaning is exhausting. I don't know how (or why) maids do it. I'd rather wipe butts any day.

I made Sheperd's Pie for dinner. It was easier and much less stressful than the other things I've made. I've never actually made a Sheperd's pie before. I used beef so I guess "cottage pie," the English term, is more appropriate. It turned out really, really good. Roger had seconds. I was proud. I've realized that this cooking experience has been like learning a language. You learn best when you're FORCED to do it. You learn a language best by actually living in a country that speaks it, forcing you to speak it every day. I'm learning how to cook because i'm forces to do it. That kind of actually applies to everything...for example, I learned how to navigate Europe by being over here figuring it out not by looking at maps and reading books at home. I'm pretty freaking pro now too.

Anyway...we watched Master Chef UK style. It's Roger's favorite, and I see where he gets his unrealistic, fancy dinner inspiration from. I'm glad my dad is coming because I'm starting to feel like I'm dating this old bloke. Imagine what people are thinking as he and I sit in restaurants together. Ew. Sick. Hurry dad!

So you know how Japanese, Chinese, and Korean people all look the same to us? Well, Roger thinks that when we (non-Asians) visit their homelands they can tell Europeans/Australians/Americans/Canadians from each other. They totally can't, the same way we can't tell them apart right?! Roger totally dissed me and said I look as American as they come. Good thing I'm proud to be an American so it's ok.

It's late. I'm tired. The guests will be arriving tomorrow, and we have a dinner to cook for them. Elise will do most of that, but I will be the waitress. I need to brush up on my French!!

Ps sorry of there are typos. I'm too tired to double check.

Henry the Hoover

I made a new friend today!! His name is Henry. He's cute but loud, and I'm not sure I really enjoyyy our time together. See his picture below. Small guy, long nose.

I cleaned five and a half bedrooms and four bathrooms today. I wrestled with eight duvet covers and vacuumed/mopped the entire village of Le Luot. When I finally sat down, helpless Roger looked at me all puppy dog eyed, begging for food. All he got was a piece of grilled chicken that he could have done himself. I don't mind doing it, that's easy...even after all the work I did today. The problem is that he thinks he can't do anything. He thinks he is incapable of scrubbing a toilet, pulling weeds, and grilling chicken. It bothers me. He takes me cool places and lets me stay for free and lets me eat his food though so I really shouldn't complain. I just don't like how he makes himself so useless. Maybe it's all an act so he doesn't have to help with anything. Haha I don't know.

We went to Villidieu today because Tuesday is their local market day!! There were fruits and vegetables galore as well as meat, fish, clothes, jewelry, flowers, crafts, etc. The whole town of Le Luot goes to the market to buy or exchange goods. The worst part was seeing the crates stuffed full of chickens, waiting to be sold and then slaughtered. Just so y'all know, I wouldn't have that kind of farm. I would have chicken for their eggs and cows for their milk. I can't bear to think about killing my own cow or even selling it to be killed. They would be my pets, and they would be happy, healthy farm animals. I almost decided to be a vegetarian right there at the market. The chickens were being treated so cruely (in my opinion, no one else seemed to be bothered by it). There are definitely much worse conditions out there, but still!! I just kept thinking about the chickens at home and how lucky/happy they are!

We stopped in a cafe for some coffee and jus d'orange. We explored some more and then stopped at a little barbecue place for lunch. They had sausages or pork chops, and they cut them in half, lined up the halves inside a baguette like a hot dog only four times the size, put ketchup, mustard, and French fries on it, bagged it, and gave it to you to eat. All that. Do you know how long a baguette is? Now imagine it with a pork chop and French fries inside. And the Americans are the obese ones? My gosh! I ate 1/4 of my sausage whatchamacallit and was full for the rest of the day! Bleh. The sausage was good but I must say that I really was not a fan of the whole idea.

After that was when I did most of the cleaning and bed making that I complained about above. While I was mopping I thought about how much I used to love it when I was little and also about how I'll always remember working at a B&B in France. What a cool experience! It's easier to clean someone else's house than it is to clean your own so it's not so bad. I'm excited for some guests to come this weekend. I think we have around six to eight people coming to stay. I'll get to see the B&B in action!

We watched some cooking show tonight and the guy made the most delicious looking food that would have cost seven billion dollars per plate. Roger turned to me after it was over and asked me to make it tomorrow. Pretty sure he was only half joking. This guy is real serious about food. I have to spend an hour each might digging up recipes that might be okay for him. He's cheap but fancy...a tough combination. I'm cheap and healthy, and most foods I prefer/ know how to make are easy wraps, crock pot, or mexican. He likes meat. I don't have much experience cooking meat besides chicken, his least favorite It's stressful and like I said yesterday, so intimidating. Mom, it's only been like three days and I'm understanding just how annoying cooking every day can be, even if I like to cook! I will say that you at least have it easier with such an easy to please family...your options are much less limited. I miss your food!!!

Tomorrow I get to go see Mont St Michel. Don't worry dad, we can go again when you come. Roger wants to get some leaflets with information for his guests, and he also wants to eat lunch at a restaurant there. I had probably lost a few pounds up to this point, but as of three days ago I'm pretty sure I've gained it all back. So much food! Make it stop!

Surprise visitor

Bonjour mes amis!! I had another beyond lovely day en France. First of all, I woke to an email showing a confirmed round trip plane ticket to/from Paris. This ticket belongs to none other than MON PERE!! Say what?! My dad is coming here. To France. How amazing/awesome/crazy is that?! I guess my last post was very convincing...or he just took it too seriously. Either way, my dad is coming, and I couldn't be happier!!

I felt very awkward/embarrassed about telling Roger that I had accidentally recruited another guest. After scrambled eggs (Roger's favorite) and explaining that my dad was the handiest handy man he'd ever meet, Roger was excited about it and is letting my dad stay for free if he fixes up the yard. He wants a patio and fence fixed...psh...my dad could do that with his eyes closed. So yes, my dad had joined the workaway program. It will be just like home where I am his assistant for various around the house projects. I will also be doing my regular cooking/cleaning B&B duties. We will be able to go to Mont St Michel as well as the D day beaches so that will be awesome too!! We will spend the second half of his trip in Paris! He is the perfect sightseeing buddy, and I can't wait to see him on the Champs Elysees with his beret. Or better yet, he will be fully equipped with his US Postal Service jersey waving an American flag at the imaginary Tour de France cyclists.

So today I went to the store with Roger and Elise. They go to the store at least twice a week, usually more. They expected me to cook dinner so they bought the ingredients I'd need for that as well as food for the next couple days.

Elise showed me how to make up the rooms, and I started cleaning straight away. I've said this before, but I'm really like my own version of "If you give a mouse a cookie," but mine is "If you give Casie a Clorox wipe." Once I start cleaning, I can't stop. Especially when there's SO much to clean!! I have six rooms to get ready by Thursday. I only got one done today. Every room has a bathroom and most rooms have two bedrooms.

I had to quit cleaning to cook dinner. I made one of my favorite chicken recipes. Here is the link to it:

http://casiecooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/coconut-chicken-with-apricot-sauce.html?m=1

It's really, really intimidating to cook for these people since they quite literally LIVE for good food. Not just good, good food. Lucky for me, they really enjoyed the chicken and rice as well as the vegetables I roasted in the oven (with the exception of the carrots being too hard). I was so relieved. Elise made dessert and it was really good. She's supposedly quite the chef. I will be trying some of her food this weekend, but I was really flattered when both she and her fiancée asked for the recipe for the chicken. Huge sigh of relief...success! I'd like to thank me mum for teaching me both how to cook and clean. I owe it all to you, although you've never made this chicken before. You should try it out!

I sewed some cushions on the couch while we watched some cricket. That was interesting. I'm amazed that these people don't know how to use a needle and thread. I like roger except that he talks a lot and he's the most helpless man I've ever met. I loaded the dishwasher tonight, and he went to close it but a pan handle on the bottle shelf was sticking up too high...I had to walk all the way over there to adjust it so he could close it. All he had to do was move the handle down a little bit. Sounds stupid, but I'm just trying to give you an example of how helpless the poor guy is. If he was willing to clean, he wouldn't need so much help! He's just very dependent on others, but he's a great guy nonetheless.

Tomorrow I have a lot of cleaning to do, but we're going to Villidieu to see some sights and the local market mid morning. Should be lovely! I never used to say lovely. I totally picked that up over here. It's just a good word to describe things. Try it out.

Oh, I found out that the goats name is Bobaa, not Doodee. I totally like Doodee better so I'm still going to call her that. I feel like such an idiot!! Haha.

I didn't take any picture today! I'm sorry!

J aime Normandy

Attention all readers. Do yourself a favor and drop everything, pack your things, and move to Normandy. Don't ask questions. Just do it, and thank me later.

Today, Roger showed me around the coast. We drove up to Granville, getting out to explore along the way. Unfortunately, it has been foggy so I could not see far. The views were astounding nontheless, and I have officially fallen in love with France. I want to live in a village and own cows, goats, chickens, and dogs. I want to live a mile from all my neighbors. I want to have roads made for cycling and jogging. I want to have a bike with a basket for running to the local market. I want a vegetable and herb garden and fruit trees. Oh, and a field of strawberries. I want a stone house with adorable shutters and window boxes of flowers. I want camping and hiking around the corner. Oh, and I want the ocean just a hop, skip, and a jump away. Where can I find such a place?! Oh, what?? I'm totally there.

No where have I felt so far from the world. Nothing in the media or news matters here. It's truly just beautiful countryside, living the most simple of lives. If I had my family here, everything would be perfect. We'd cook food, eat cheese, ride bikes, play in our acres of land with our dozens of animals, and swim at the beach. No worries or cares...how we'd earn money I have yet to figure out. Maybe a milk/egg farm?? I could bake bread and croissants. We could sell our goods at the local market that I'd ride my bike too. Any and all of the above sounds good to me. The only thing this place is missing are the cobblestone streets I've grown to love, but if I make my driveway and sidewalk cobblestone, I just might have everything I've ever wanted. Doesn't it all sound so lovely? It's really not that unrealistic either, right??

I made the spaghetti bolognese. Bolognese is a word I've learned over here and it is a meat-based sauce for pasta. It's pronounced kinda like "bule-ya-naise." Anyway, Roger gave me an A for presentation and an A- for taste. I've always been better/more concerned with the presentation since I don't have taste buds myself...making it hard to be a chef of any sorts. We enjoyed lunch while we watched futbol all afternoon. It was some great soccer...Arsenal v Tottenham and then Liverpool v Carling. I'm amazed at how stupid Americans are for not jumping on the soccer bandwagon. It is HUGE literally everywhere except America.

I let the goat in/out of its pen today. It has to be staked like a dog so that it doesn't choke itself in the bushes or drown in the pool like the past two goats. If I had a goat, I would walk it like a dog. Doodee is strong!! She pulled me across the yard and it took me several tries to stake her down. I know Roger watches from the window and laughs at me. I want a goat!!!!

Roger took me and Elise and Elise's fiancée James out to dinner...it was nice to finally meet her! She's not at all what I was expecting. She's only 22! I hope to learn some fine cooking from her.

Dinner was great! I had duck, and it was beautifully served with mashed potatoes and some sort of pickled cabbage. The portions are much smaller than at home, and the prices are much higher. I was plenty full bit had a delicious ice cream something or other for dessert as well as some chocolate mousse. Did I say I love France?

It is going to be great here! I hope Roger can take me up to the D day beaches when the weather gets better. We're for sure going to Mont St Michel sometime this week. I never liked history before this trip, but learning it in a classroom is much less exciting than the hands on experiences I'm having here.

Anyway, I think that's all. I'm so tired because I'm so full!! Bon soir!!

Bienvenue en France!

I slept miserably on the train. Actually, I don't think you can even call it sleep. It was burning hot then freezing cold, a chair is never comfortable to sleep in, and there was an old, deaf German couple that was SO loud! Usually I love old people, but because they were deaf they were literally yelling in German for most the train ride. I don't know what 75 year old people were doing on an overnight train anyway.

I had a two hour layover in some city called Mannheim. No idea where it is...I'm 90% sure it was in Germany though. The station was SO nice!! I was scared to death of having another Venice train station experience, but this was exactly opposite. I would have a two hour layover at the Mannheim station any day. In fact, make it four hours! There was a bakery where I got hot chocolate and a croissant. It was clean. There were SHOWERS!! (I planned ahead this time so I didn't need to use them, but man, this station is exactly what I needed in Venice) There were lots of people but they were mostly normal looking and smelling. No drugs. No homelessness. Ah..it was wonderful. I was so relieved.

I slept some on the next train and was in Paris in three hours. I immediately felt ok with French being the primary language. I understand most signs and can get the gist of some of the conversations around me. I can say merci, bonjour, and excusez-moi without worrying about the pronunciation.

I took the metro from one train station to another...Paris had like five train stations and a slick metro system. That was fun. I waited around and then two trains and four hours later I made it to Avranches. While on the train I decided I better tidy up a little you know? At least brush my teeth. So I braced myself in the bathroom as best as I could, only falling over twice as the train turned. It was an adventure and a half.

My host, Roger, was waiting for me at the train station. After meeting him, I met his dog, Veejay. The three of us headed off to the supermarket to get a few things for dinner. I like to cook, but I'm not one that can just create a recipe on a whim. I need to plan and I need a recipe so when he told me to get things I'd need for lunch/dinner the next couple days, I panicked. So what did I do? Spaghetti surprise it is. Hahaha. Then we walked by the fish and he got me a salmon and himself some cod. It had been ten minutes and I was spoiled already.

We got a few more things and then headed on "home." Roger lives at the B&B along with Veejay, Doodee (the goat), and two parakeets. Doodee had a brother named Deedoo, but he drown in the swimming pool :/ The view from the B&B is quite lovely as there is a pond just below and lovely countryside everywhere else. The whole village is secluded, and it's as if the real world doesn't exist. It truly is the most simple of lives here, and everything would be perfect if they had chickens and maybe a milk cow. Fruit trees and a vegetable garden would really be icing on the cake.

The inside of the B&B is nice, and I get a whole room, no scratch that, a whole floor of the house to myself! I'm in the attic, but it's finished and I have a nice sun window or whatever they're called. I get my own bathroom and chest of drawers and nightstand. I'm so excited to not live out of a bag/locker for two whole weeks!!

My duties here include lots of cooking and cleaning. Elise is the lady in charge of all that. She is from Avranches so it will be fun to learn some cooking from a native French lady. :) If anyone has any amazing recipes I could show off to them, please email them to me. Merci!

After getting settled, Roger boiled some potatoes while I cut vegetables and steamed them. We fried up our fish and enjoyed a delicious dinner. I can't remember the last time I was that full. I haven't eaten like that in ages. Vegetables never tasted so good.

After dinner, we had cheese. Five different kinds. And like all French people do, we relaxed and ate cheese and talked for a good twenty minutes. We would have had wine, but I let him know that I don't drink coffee, tea, or wine after his third time offering it. I will be implementing the post dinner pre dessert cheesing at home. So delicious and such a fabulous idea!

Lunch is actually the biggest meal in France, and everything closes from 12-2. A two hour lunch break! Can you believe that?? They work til seven, but still! They really seem to have great food here, and tomorrow Roger and Elise are taking me to a nice French restaurant. I'm so stoked! They are spoiling me big time.

Btw, Roger and Elise are not married. They're just business partners.

After dinner, I facetimed with ma famille and then watched the telly. Nothing really good was on, but it was American TV and it felt good to watch that after a month away. Maybe I can catch the Bachelor on Monday!

Guests will be arriving on Thursday. I will wait the tables for the dinners and set up breakfast as well as the rooms. Til then, Roger will be showing me some of the sites around here: Mont st Michel and maybe even the D day beaches! I will be doing some research on things in the area and enjoying my time in France. I can't believe I'm here. In France. So amazing!!

I will try to take more pictures soon.

Jewish Quarter of Prague

Another slow start today. I like taking my time...it's relaxing.

Today I saw the Jewish Quarter of Prague. Jews have lived in Prague since it was founded over 1,000 years ago. At one point, Prague had the third highest Jewish population in Europe. The Jews were forced to live in the three block area and they were allowed to collect and archive their treasures there as the Nazi's planned on keeping it as a "museum of an extinct race" after they finished murdering all the Jews. The Jewish Quarter holds the most visited Jewish Museum in the world. The museum is composed of seven diffrent sites. I went to five of them.

First I saw the Pinkas Synagogue where the Jewish people worshipped for 400 years.  Today, it is a memorial to the victims of the Nazis. The walls are COVERED with names of people that were sent to gas chambers at Auschwitz and other camps (77,297 Czech Jews to be exact).  It was a beautiful way to display and remember all the people that died/suffered.My pictures did not turn out (they're not allowed anyway) but here is one from google:

In the upstairs of the synagogue, there is a room full of pictures that kids that were sent to the Terezin Concentration Camp painted/drew. They weren't allowed to do hardly anything, and this was their way of expressing themselves. If it weren't for these pictures, there would be no record for them...this is the only proof of their existence. The pictures showed life both before and during their time at Terezin as well as some that looked like hopes for the future.

After that, I got to go into the Old Jewish Cemetery.  For about 300 years, this was the only place that the jews were allowed to bury their dead. So there are layers and layers of bodies just piled on top of each other...as time went on and the ground settled, the tombstones went crooked. It's kind of eerie, but really, really cool at the same time.

I went into a monastery and two synagogues and saw the exhibits there. I learned all about Jewish culture including birth, bar mitzvahs, marriage, eating, the Sabbath, medicine, death, and much, much more. I learned a lot!

I ate lunch nearby and saw the Astronomical Clock show on the hour. I think I talked about that in an earlier post. There was a huge crowd, and it was very anticlimatic.  I enjoyed it though. I took a video so you can see that when I get home.

I went to Wenceslas Square one last time and while I was there I did some thinking. I decided that instead of paying to send a package home I would buy a bigger day bag/purse to hold my stuff in. So I went to H&M and did just that. Sorry family, you will have to wait longer to get that Swiss chocolate as well as the Sicilian Sundried Tomatoes I forgot to tell you about. :)

I take an overnight train to Paris tonight. I didn't even bother getting a bed this time since I slept just as bad with a bed as I did with a seat. I arrive in Paris late tomorrow morning and immediately take a train to Avranches for my next workaway. It is a 4 hour ride west of Paris. I can't believe that my travels are mostly over...this next part of my journey is mostly workaways. I'm really looking forward to unpacking my bag for a while and staying in one place. I'm excited to work at a B&B in the beautiful Southern Normandy for almost three weeks! 

Tombstone

Old New Synagogue

Spanish Synagogue

Town Hall tower

Ceremonial Hall/monastery

Inside a synagogue

The wall of names

Astronomical Clock

Old Jewish Cemetery

The pictures the kids painted/drew

Old Jewish Cemetery

Old Town Square

Cemetery

The menorah that the Obama's borrowed a couple years ago

Old Town Square with the Church of St Nicholas