Bordeaux!

Picture 1: The fancy bar we went to

Picture 2: Saint-Emilion

Picture 3: Scarry rock road!

Picture 4: Finally on the train!

So I left off with us arriving, which I was just so glad to see someone I knew and be done with public transportation for awhile. We had to much luggage so we had to go back to Marcs house before we could go to our first place in Bordeaux. So we rode around Bordeaux, which is so beautiful. It looks a lot like Paris with the architecture and set up with a river running through it, but it's nicer because the weather is beautiful and it is cleaner and safer. Marcs house is cool, its different than houses in America because in the cities there is no front or side yards, only the back because the houses are connected. I think it is an older building because that is what it looks like from the front but the inside is very modern and the backyard is beutiful and where they spend a lot of there time.

We didn't have to much time to explore though because we needed to go pick up Julie and go to our first place in the area. Julie, Marc's girlfriend, lives about 40 minutes away in a vineyard area that was so pretty to drive to. Her house reminded me of something out of Under the Tuscan Sun and I was suprised to realize that she also spoke English well. That was good and bad because I didn't have to use French but it was also easier to talk. She's very nice and funny and it was nice to have a French girl around to get her perspective on the places we went.

We went to a place called Saint-Emelion which is know for its great wine. The place was absolutely beautiful and had really old beautiful architecture. The roads were extremely old stones that people probably die walking down. Grammie and Grandaddy I know you would love this place, but even I had issues walking there so I think you can just stick with the pictures I bring! haha We had a crepe like thing filled with chicken and cheese and tomatos at a restaurant Julie really likes and it was really good, plus the ambiance of all of the vineyards and old chapels around made it feel really cool. After that we walked around, took a few pictures and Marc an Julie had us buy a little tea cake looking thing that I can't remember the name. It was pretty good and apparently famous to that area so that was nice. It was getting sort of late around that time so we left to drop Julie off at a friends house.

When we got back to Marcs his parents were there and they were very sweet when I met them. We bisoused, of course and introduced ourselves, but apparently he spoke English pretty well also so he decided to talk to us that way. He is very nice and inviting and chatty so that was good. His mom doesn't speak as much English so we spoke in French and she is very sweet. She made us dinner and I kept trying to help but she wouldn't let me. Finally Marc and I were able to set the table, where he conviced me that in France the knives go on the left side, which I knew was wrong but wasn't sure then I realized he was messing with me when his mom came out and yelled at him. I felt pretty stupid lol.

Dinner was really really good, better than anything we ate in Paris. Marc's mom made duck with a rocquefort sauce that was awesome. Also, ratatouille, which I'd never had before that was also very good, and potatos of the region that were friend and delicious and green beans. She was so sweet because she kept saying, if we didn't like it not to feel bad, but it really was delicious and I had no problem eating any of it. The only hard part was Marc's dad giving me wine, I tried to get the Rose kind but I still didn't like it so it was hard to sip it during dinner. Luckily they really didn't care. After we finished eating I tried to help clean up but Marc's mom wouldn't let us and she ended up bringing out creme brulee ice cream with caramel, fresh strawberries, whip cream, and candy type straws in little bowls and it was so sweet. I feel bad for all of the trouble she went to but Marc said she's like that all of the time so that must be nice for his family! It was definitely the best meal of the trip so far and they were all very easy to talk to.

After dinner I helped clean up a little and a few hours after we went to where Julie was with her friends and hung out with them some. Only a few spoke English so most of the time was just spent trying to understand what they were talking about while they drank wine and smoked, all very French lol. After about an hour one of the girls boyfriends wanted to go to a bar in downtown and we were close so we walked there. Apparently it is a very chic and snobby place and I could tell when we got there. They only let certain types of people in so I'm glad they didn't kick us out lol. The people were all very chic and the bar was where all of the rich and famous people in Bordeaux hang out. A soccer player for the France team whose apparently very famous was there also with a mix of younger and older people. We danced a little and waited till there friends got there and I met them all. They were all nice and didn't speak English but it was hard to understand anything with the music loud. We left around 1:30 and I was glad because I was so tired from the day but I was glad to meet all of Marc's friends becuase they all seem cool.