Lost Veggies

Normandy, France. This little town looks just like you would imagine an old country-side French town would. I thought towns like this only existed in the movies. Nope. I’m living in one. It’s absolutely adorable. Life has slowed down immensely the past few days…sort of. We still are out and about all day, but the evenings are filled with moonlight walks on the beach, cozy study nights in the living room, and laughter over a family-style, home-made, real French dinner cooked by one of our hostesses. I feel at home here. I feel comfortable.

Over the past few days our tour guide, Steve, has given us some cultural lessons about France. He’s taught us all about the proper use of the word “Bonjour” and the do’s and don’t’s when getting a coffee at a café.  I embrace it. I love learning about new cultures. I have no problem putting aside my social norms to meet those of this new country. I only wish I had known a few of them earlier on in the trip! I encourage others to be open to things that are different. It’s good to be thrown off your axis every now and then. Promise.

The one thing that’s been a struggle for me, though, is the food. Every meal is meat. Not meat sandwiches, side dishes and a main dish with meat….it’s meat. A big hunk of meat. I’ve only been a vegetarian for less than a year, but I quickly became accustom to loving this lifestyle. Not only do I not crave meat, but the smell and look of it has actually begun to disgust me. I told myself that I would try meat in Europe because most of the meat here isn’t mass produced like it is in the states. Here, it’s grass fed, free range, and served farm to table – everything we Americans pay extra for to get good meat comes standard here. But alas, I have been unable to consume meat. Ok, I admit, one night in Portugal I had some chicken because I was in desperate need of protein, but besides that, I just haven’t been able to get myself to eat the pork, beef, chicken, and turkey served at every meal. So what’s left? Fries, bread, and pasta. Joy. I’m getting a little overwhelmed by it all. I’m quite health conscious at home and the mounds of butter, carbs, and sweets that are all around me is a little much. What I wouldn’t give for fresh, raw veggies and some tofu!

Truth be told, the food here is a challenge, but I’m reminded of my newfound love for embracing culture. I’ve learned to drink coffee out of a bowl, eat salad after the meal, and ask for whatever is on the menu…as it is, no substitutes and no changes. If I can change my language and social norms, I can learn to appreciate the food here. So I’ve set out on a journey of appreciation for food and grace for myself. I’ve learned to enjoy the yummy desserts, the bread, the cheese and not feel too guilty for eating them because we walk miles a day. I have yet to embrace the meat, but maybe that will come. Until then, I’m enjoying new culture…carbs and all.

Here are some pictures from our last two days in the Normandy area!

Two days ago we walked to the top of Mout St Michel. You should read about this place. It's amazing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Saint-Michel 

Checking out how much further we have to go...

Walk. Walk. Walk.

View from half way there.

We made it! Now we're ready for the tour with our classy audio-guides and all!

My friend John has a picture like this in his apartment, so I wanted to see if I could recreate it. How'd I do, John?

Girl pose!

Resting.

Photoshoot time!

The flowers were so pretty!

It wasn't that bad. I even had energy after!

And Melissa had about 100x more energy than me...and years of dance, so her jump is much more graceful than mine. She was fun to photograph. 

I got a little dirty in the beach sand. 

Friends!

This morning we walked around the town we're staying in. We discovered freshly baked quiche and eclairs.

Then we drove to Bayeux, France. This place looked like a storybook.

It was cold. 

Too pretty for words. 

Then we went to Caen, France to learn more about the 100 years war. 

We went in search for sugar and coffee to keep us warm after our history lesson. I found the most amazing and HUGE macaroons (French macaroons are nothing like the coconut ones in the States. They are meringue with cream in the middle.)

I thought this was the coolest shot! Love the lights. 

We found a hippie store and a girly-girl store. I called this the Lauren store and Hayley (my girly, pinky-loving sister) store.