Week of 12 Fevrier, 2024
Lundi
School pickup is at 4:30 p.m. — later than in the U.S. because of the school’s hour-and-a-half lunch break. I love to see the parents’ commitment to the gouter (goo-tay), an afternoon snack meant to tide kids over until dinner time. The first few weeks of school, I noticed that many parents arrived at pickup with a few cookies or a pastry from a nearby bakery, which their kids would nibble on as they made their way home. Now that I’ve gotten the hang of things, I try to bring a snack for Oli, or we’ll head across the square to a bakery where he can choose his own gouter — usually a flaky, buttery chocolatine (chocolate croissant). It gives him a little energy boost for the ride back, and keeps him from begging for dinner the second we arrive home.
Mardi
I purposely decided not to get my hair done before leaving the U.S., wanting to have a French hair salon experience. But as my appointment approached, I found myself feeling increasingly nervous, intimidated by the fancy-looking salons in town and worried about the language barrier.
I shouldn’t have worried — I had the best haircut and color of my life today! I went to Pascal Lombardo Salon because it was near our apartment and had solid Google reviews. Turns out, the owner had previously worked in London and speaks perfect English. He took the time to talk with me about how I wanted my hair to look, and convinced me to try balayage instead of highlights. He did a truly incredible job.
I had to show off my new ‘do, so we left Oli with the babysitter and headed out for a date night later on. We decided it was finally time to try L’Entrecote, a touristy place near the opera house that always has a massive line snaking out the door. We claimed a place at the front of the line about 30 minutes before they opened, and were corralled to a table on the fourth floor promptly at 7 p.m. They asked what we wanted to drink, and how we wanted our steak cooked, and that was it — l’entrecote (steak) is all they do! They brought out a simple salad with walnuts, followed by two plates piled with frites (fries) and thin, bloody slices of steak. (Note to self: Medium in France is more like extra-rare in the U.S.) They also brought out a silver platter with even more steak, pre-sliced and swimming in a buttery sauce, with two votives underneath keeping it warm. A server with a platter of frites circled the dining room, making sure everyone’s plates were filled — and she seemed surprised when the Americans declined a second serving. It was a delicious, truly indulgent meal, and we finished it off with some profiteroles in hot fudge sauce with coffee.
Mercredi
Valentine’s Day is much more low-key here in France, florists and jewelry shops being the only places with any sort of decorations. Hema, a Dutch store, is the only place I saw with any Valentine’s products for sale. I did see quite a few girls walking around with single roses today, and a few gentlemen carrying pretty bouquets or boxes of fancy chocolates, which I assume they were bringing to their amours.
Since Oli had no school today, there wasn’t even a question of class valentines or a party, which was kind of a bummer (for me, not him… I always enjoyed that in elementary school). But instead, we enjoyed the sunny, 70-degree day by biking up to Parc Bordelais, a sprawling park with lots of playgrounds, ponds with black swans, a little farm, and a cafe.
We let Oli choose the lunch spot, and as usual, he asked for McDonald’s (McDos). The fast food chain is significantly nicer here in France — typically very clean and well-run, with reusable containers to reduce waste and notably better quality ingredients. It’s especially popular with French young folks, as we saw today when we arrived just as the nearby middle school (called college, confusingly) was letting out for the day (upper grades usually have half days on Wednesdays). There were probably 100 kids milling around, ordering their food from the kiosks when we arrived. I was amazed that they all ordered and paid for their food, sat down and ate calmly and quietly with their friends, cleaned up after themselves, and left — with no adult supervision. I can only imagine the absolute mayhem that would have occurred with that many unattended middle schoolers in the U.S.
Jeudi
I’m feeling hopeless today after hearing the news of the mass shooting in Kansas City, on the anniversary of two other mass shootings, just days after a church shooting in Texas. As always, the most tragic part of all of this is that I fear nothing will change in the U.S. Terrible people will always have easy access to guns, and this will happen again and again. I take that back — depending on how this election goes, it may be even easier for awful people to access guns.
France isn’t perfect, but I feel safer here. My son doesn’t have to endure the trauma of active shooter drills at school anymore, and I don’t feel afraid in crowds. I miss home so much sometimes, but I don’t miss the constant anxiety of living in a gun-filled country.
It was a hard day, but it ended on a high note when we went for a walk to the playground after dinner, happy to still have a bit of daylight to enjoy. There were two boys around Oli’s age there, chattering away in English, and they played tag until well past dark while Todd and I got to know their mom, an expat from Ukraine. They live a block away from us, and I’m hopeful that we’ll continue meeting more of our neighbors now that the days are getting longer and warmer.
Vendredi
Todd and I have gotten into a habit of walking to the Jardin Public a few times a week, and it’s such a joy to see the subtle signs of spring arriving in the park. Each day, it’s something new — a cherry tree with a flush of pink blooms, daffodils, hellebore, and snowdrops. I’m hoping we’ll see some baby ducklings in the pond before long.
On the way home, we swung by Picard, a popular frozen food store that’s comparable to Trader Joe’s… if Trader Joe’s only had frozen food. We’ve been really impressed with everything we’ve gotten there so far, so today we stocked up on frozen fruits and veggies, pizzas, waffles, and other ready-made meals. It was a long walk home weighed down with our haul, but the American in me is relieved to have a fully stocked freezer.
It’s hard to believe that today Oli finished his first term at school, and he’ll be on break until March! I know he’s excited for some time off after working so hard these last six weeks, but I think he’s going to miss it, too. This school is genuinely fun for him, with lots of time outside, free time for reading, and a generally more relaxed vibe than his strict classroom in the U.S. He’s not discouraged from talking with his friends in class — they’re encouraged to help each other. And when it’s time for “recreation,” they just grab their coats and head outside on their own to play until they’re called back inside. He’s happy, making friends, and learning a lot. What more could we ask for?
We kicked off les vacances with dinner with friends at a pub built in the 1600s that once served as a women’s prison. The kids ran around ghost-hunting while we enjoyed a few drinks and nachos.
Samedi
The nice weather must be making the expats come out, because we saw and heard English-speakers almost everywhere we went today. After having a picnic in the Jardin Public, we went to the playground and noticed a big group of Americans drinking wine in the corner while their kids played. We realized Oli had gone to summer camp with one of the kids, and before we knew it, we were sipping wine with them and meeting everyone in the group. It was so cool, for the first time, to meet several families who are following a similar path as ours — leaving everything behind in the U.S. to try a new life in France. It also just made me realize how much I miss the easy friendliness of Americans. Of course, I want to make some French friends, but I also realized I’m craving some connections who can relate to this whole crazy expat experience.
Dimanche
I recently learned that there’s a huge flea market held in the Saint Michel district every Sunday (les puces), so we headed over there this morning. For a vintage lover like myself, it was an absolute dream, with beautiful antique china, stacks of paintings, old books, racks of vintage clothes, affordable antique rugs and furniture, and so much more — all with the Gothic Basilique Saint-Michel in the background. The restaurants around the square were all filled with people having brunch and enjoying the sun, making me wish we hadn’t had lunch before going out. I bought two small paintings and some serving spoons, but there’s so much more I wish I had gotten — or at least had the bravery to ask the price. Next time, I plan to bring plenty of small bills, bags, and my best haggling skills.