As mentioned, I like to reference food as it helps me remember when I look back. Also, there are a few new foods that we've tried that we'd like to look up when we get back to normalcy (whatever that is).
In Paris: We went grocery shopping and had various things to eat: Camembert cheese, cured meats, baguettes, croissants, pastas, and even ramen. We only really ate out once and had salmon tartare, french onion soup, spaghetti, and fish over mashed potatoes. At about 12 euros a piece, it was a nice meal. Each night Audra and I shared two bottles of wine
Workaway: (Saint Frambault) Since we're living with an English couple, most of the meals are traditionally English. Breakfast usually consists of cereals, bread, jams, butter, and the occasional crumpet. Elevenses consists of coffee and biscuits (cookies). Lunch is almost always a spread of meats, cheeses, breads, and jams. I've been using Picallily (a mustardy tangy condiment) on my cheese sandwiches. We did have bacon, black pudding, and fresh eggs for one lunch (topped with brown sauce, which is actually the name of the condiment). Usually there is also an afternoon tea or coffee with cake before Dinner. We've had fish and rice, merguez sausage with potatoes and veg, lamb roast (yes, one of their own) with gravy and mint sauce (easily my favorite meal I've had in a while), and then a lamb stew/casserole the day after. We went out for pizza and beer (Leffe Ruby) with them yesterday and I had a grilled sausage in a baguette as we were walking around a flea market today. I wasn't even hungry, but I never pass on street food. Dinner today we had roast pork with cracklins, potatoes, veg and jus (we're really going to miss Louise's cooking)!
We talked about making a list of traditions/foods/things we want to take with us when we finally settle in back home. We like the idea of having a lidded tray with various cheeses that we can take out at lunch. This would eliminate having to unwrap and wrap various blocks/wheels of cheese. Also, why do we store butter in the fridge?! It's so much easier to use if you store it at room temp! We need to improve on the kinds of bread we eat too. Baguettes (or similar types) are just better hands down!
The rest of Paris: Audra and I got to do a bit more sightseeing. We went to L'Arc de Triumph and then walked down Champs Elysses until we saw the Eiffel tower. I was so much more impressed by the Eiffel tower than I thought I would have been! Eiffel was a bridge builder/architect and the tower is basically a vertical bridge build for a world's fair. It reminded us of the steampunk movement before it was cool! We spent a few hours there, climbed up to the second stage, and listened in on a couple tour groups as we looked out over the city.
We went to Sacre Coeur church which is atop a hill overlooking the entirety of Paris the next day. The view was incredible, and the architecture awe inspiring (first sightings of gargoyles), but the line was half mile long to get in, so we just wandered back home and worked.
Another day we went to the Louv're, which also impressed me more than I thought it would have. We saw Mona Lisa (SO DUMB), but also saw amazing paintings like the Coronation of Napoleon (which took 3 years to paint, as the artist actually painted 80+ accurate portraits of people who were there), sculptures from various cultures (Egyptian, Persian, Italian, and Native American), as well as archaeologically important pieces like Hammurabi's code (the first form of written law). The building itself is a work of art! We spent 3 hours there and would have happily spent another day or so there! After, we wandered to Notre Dame Cathedral (another freakishly long line), walked around it, and then had dinner at a chinese buffet in a pretty cool district near the Pompidou Center (modern art museum).
Our last night there, we went out to La Defense and saw the Grande Arche (impressively large piece of art-chitecture) which looks out over a large square with other art installations. An international festival was going on, so we had a gyro wrap with fries and some beers before heading back.
Workaway (<-- clickable link) is a program that allows us to save money and also experience local traditions more genuinely. In exchange for meals, a place to sleep, company, and local tour guides, we need to work 4-5 hours a day for 5 days a week. Our first workaway is with a "retired" british couple (Tony and Louise) who purchased an old farmhouse with 7 acres in the French countryside. They've been here for 4 years with their two dogs (Poppy and Belle), cat, chickens, ducks, and sheep. The house is in the midst of renovations, but they have kept many of the original parts of the house as focal points (fireplaces, huge wooden beams, floors, etc.). They live just outside the little village of Saint Frambault (san frambo), which boasts a beautiful lake to wander around, camping, a church (EVERY village has a church), a bar, and a yearly flower festival. We've walked there several times and have almost become regulars at the bar (serving Beck, Leffe, and Jupiler on draft). We had the chance to cycle to the next village Couesmes-Vauce (co-em vosay) where we sat for a few beers and talked to a local builder, Andy.
Work consists of various things(gutters, chicken coops, painting), but mainly putting up an electric fence and cutting overgrowth to clear the edge of the field for the sheep. I can see why people would choose to have workawayers stay with them. Without us, Tony would be in a ladder with a chainsaw by himself cutting logs, and then he'd have to come down, trim them all, put them in a trailer, haul them to the river, and throw them in. The work is 3 times faster since Audra and I are here. It's helpful that I can drive a manual too (although the driver sits on the right side in Tony's Land Rover) because we've hauled 20+ loads of branches to the river.
Tony and Louise have been great hosts for us. In addition to great meals, they make great conversation. Often, we talk about how we call things different in British English and American English (Restroom or Toilet, cookie or biscuit, etc.). I've also had a chance to learn about their inspirational travel ideas! They both have the same birthday (April 27) and they travel (go on holiday) every year to a different destination based on the alphabet. Places like Budapest, Cappadocia (Turkey), and Gilbert Islands. When we're not working, eating, or doing a jigsaw puzzle, they've taken us around to various villages and towns in the area. We're at a coffee shop in Avranches now while they're at an appointment. On the drive up, we got to see Mont St. Michel. On Friday they'll take us to the Normandy beaches before we take a train toward Lyon and Marseille.