Bob and Colette's Wedding

25 Octobre 2008
As soon as Matthew got off work on Friday we headed to Lyon for my uncle’s wedding. First, we had to stop at Ikea to re-order kitchen cabinets (that is a story for a different blog entry!). Two hours later, we were back on the road to Lyon. Saturday morning, Colette left very early for pre-wedding preparations. Matthew and I were given the job of getting Bob (dressed and cleanly shaven) to the Mairie de Lyon on time (it's kind of like if you were getting married at a Town Hall in the US). My cousins Sophie and Christopher were at the wedding, and it was the first time that I have seen them in 11 years! After the marriage ceremony, we drove about 20 minutes to a chateau. The chateau was called Château de Rajat and was gorgeous! After a quick group picture on the front stairs, hor’deurves were served. Sophie and Christopher had to explain most of what I was eating. Under Matthew’s advice, I had to try something before I asked what it was! Next, we sat down to a 4 course lunch. Again, Sophie and Christopher had to explain to me what I was eating. Although I tried some things that I had never eaten before, everything was very good. During lunch I asked Sophie and Christopher a lot of questions I have been wondering since we arrived. They were very helpful in answering ALL of my questions, such as:
Q: How do you know which side to go to first when giving the bisous (the cheek, kiss greeting)
A: You don’t, it is regional, so just stay still and let them lead.
Q: I have been told it is rude to leave food on your plate, but what if I am full, or I really don't like something? Do I HAVE to eat everything?
A: First of all, if you go to a private French home, NEVER finish everything on your plate, bc they will immediately fill your plate back up. So leave just enough that they understand you are full. At restaurants, you are paying, so- yes it would be rude to leave your plate half full, but you don’t have to clean it either.
This Q&A session went on for a while, unfortunately for Sophie and Christopher!
Then we headed back out to the patio for the cake cutting and toast. After everyone had time to eat cake, a couple wearing dance costumes emerged and demonstrated several dances (the paso doble, the jive, the tango, the waltz, etc). They had 3 costume changes, with about 5 dances per costume. After the last dance, they started dance lessons for the guests. Bob and Colette were the first to be called to the dance floor. After about 6 minutes (and his foot being stepped on) Bob quickly exited the dance floor. I wisely opted to remain on the side taking pictures (A- I didn’t know the dance, and B- I couldn’t understand the directions that the instructor was giving, in French of course).
Matthew and I had a lot of fun at our first French wedding. We met a lot of new people and I reconnected with Sophie and Christopher. We really enjoyed Lyon and hope to go back often to visit.

MOVING DAY!!!!

22 Octobre 2008

We woke up to rain this morning, but nothing could dampen our mood. It was moving day! After 5 months, we would finally be reunited with our belongings and live in a place that had our furniture! Matthew and I filled the car with a load to take to the new apartment. The movers were supposed to arrive around 8:30 am. They finally arrived about 9:30 and started to unload. It didn’t take the 3 of them very long to start filling the apartment with boxes. I was opening and emptying boxes as fast as I could. Matthew was in charge of checking off each box that was brought in against the list the movers had made back in June. Without kitchen cabinets, I was quickly running out of places to put things. All of my plates, pots, pans, casserole dishes, plastic storage containers, etc, etc, etc were in piles all around the kitchen. About 10:45 the movers took a coffee break and Matthew and I were able to catch our breath a little. By the time we stopped for lunch, the truck was completely unloaded. After lunch the men set up the beds and couch (we had bought a futon-like couch before we left for extra guests to sleep on). By 2:15 the movers were gone. We had managed to unpack about 80% of the boxes so that they could take the boxes and packing material away with them. Although our apartment was chaotic with piles of stuff everywhere, I am glad we were able to send them away with as much as we did. After the movers left we continued to unpack, and we quickly filled the entryway with empty boxes. I am very happy to say that besides the end of a curtain rod being broken, we had no damages. What a relief! Now all I have to do is find a place for all of our things! Closet space is, shall I say, “limited” in our new apartment.

Puy-de-Dome

19 Sunday 2008
It was a beautiful fall day in Clermont on Sunday, so Matthew and I decided to head up to the Puy-de-Dôme (you can read about the Puy-de-Dôme at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puy_de_D%C3%B4me_mountain ). There were several options to “experience” the Puy-de-Dôme, we chose a walking trail that was 9 km and should take about 3 hours. The trail was the “Walk Around” trail, so I was hoping there would be several spots along the way with breathtaking views of the city below. I did not get my views; it was a 9 km walk through the woods. I say it was 9 km, but I have no idea how far we walked bc we got lost at one point. The signs said to follow the yellow markings. Somewhere along the way the yellow markings disappeared, so we started following the red and white markings…
We ended up on this little road and in a clearing, we realized we were walking straight away from the Puy de Dome. We were still seeing red and white markings, but couldn’t see how this could possibly be right. Praise the Lord, because He sent us a little, old, French angel down the same little road. The man turned us around and we retraced our footsteps back to the trail we had been on. There were several people along the way and we would continue to check that we were headed in the right direction. We eventually made it back to the car (we never did see any more yellow markings).
On the way back down the mountain (I don’t know if it should technically be called a mountain) we pulled over at a lookout point that is at the top of Chamalieres. I finally got my view! There was an amazing panoramic view of Clermont and the surrounding towns.

Plasma TV Adventures

18 Octobre 2008
Saturday was spent shopping for a new TV. The TV we had in the US would not work here, so it was off to several stores to find a new one. We searched in hopes of finding one that could be taken back to the US with us. I left the decision up to Matthew (after I gave him a budget). We found a couple that seemed to fit our needs. Matthew wrote down the serial numbers and while we were at McDonalds making calls home, Matthew researched the different models. A store here called FNAC, was having a really great sale on a Panasonic Plasma Screen TV. The reviews online were really good, and the price was unbeatable. FNAC is walking distance from our temporary apartment. Matthew had read online that the TV only weighed 26 pounds, so he decided we could definitely carry it the 5 blocks home (I keep replaying in my mind that episode of Friends where Ross decides he and Rachel can carry the couch back to his apartment…). We pay for the TV, then have to go downstairs and around the side to pick it up. A guy comes down the elevator with this huge box on a little rolling cart. He asks where our car is, and when Matthew explains we are going to carry it, he very generously offers to let us take the little rolling cart and bring it back later. So off we go, rolling our 42” Plasma Screen TV down the streets of downtown Clermont! Oh, did I mention that the rolling cart had plastic wheels and going over the beautiful textured pavement tiles made a deafening racket??? It was so loud that Matthew and I couldn’t even hear each other! Of course, since it a Saturday afternoon, downtown is packed! People could hear us coming several blocks away. We probably should have been embarrassed, but we were laughing too hard. Here are some pics of our little Saturday afternoon stroll. I took them with my phone’s camera, while trying to walk (and laugh) at the same time, so the quality is awful.

Matthew's New Baby

Many of you have asked if we have found a car yet...below is a picture of the BMW we are getting at the end of the month. The car was bought by an expat a couple of years ago, sold it to another expat when he went back to the US, and now we are buying it.

A Tribute to Boltons Everywhere

I don't know any family that loves artichokes like the Boltons do. In the US, artichokes can be very expensive (even small, little puny ones). In France, they are huge and CHEAP! For dinner one night, Matthew and I had artichokes for dinner. They were the biggest ones I have ever seen, and they only cost 0,99 euros (or about $1.30)! Here is a picture of the artichoke. I put it beside a coke can for comparison.

Swimming Pools, Chit-Chats, and Lunch

Life in France is starting to pick up for me. Last night I went to my first French swimming pool. I went with Claire (Bertrand’s girlfriend) and Eugenie (another girl that works for Michelin). They both speak a little English, and I speak even less French. Claire wants to improve her English so that she can get a better job and I obviously need to improve my French. We went to a pool that is fairly close to where our new apartment is. It cost about 3.50 Euros to get into the pool. Then there is a long row of changing rooms, which has a door on the other side that you go through to get into the “locker room” area. When I opened the door, all I saw was a bunch of men in their little Speedos, so I thought for sure I had been wrong about going through the second door. I went to a changing room further down and went through and found Claire and Eugenie (nothing is labeled that would have told me that there is a men’s side and a woman’s side). Next you have to put your bag in a locker, then you must shower, then you go through this little wading pool to clean your feet off, and finally you are in the area with the pools. It was a very large pool, but only the size of about 2 normal lanes was marked off for the public. The rest of the lanes were for swimming classes, and one lane was being used for physical therapy for several people in wheelchairs. I wasn’t really sure what “going to the pool” meant since it was at night and inside (there would obviously be no sun tanning and lounging around). Apparently, it meant swimming laps. There were a lot of people swimming in the public lane, and people in France swim like they drive. I was constantly being kicked, so I swam very crooked lines trying to stay out of everyone’s way.
This morning started off early as I headed to meet Robin at a “chit-chat”. I had to figure out what bus to take (which can be very confusing, considering the bus and tram maps don’t have road names on them, just a colored line to show the route). When I got off the bus, I felt very much like a tourist since I had to have the map out to find the right street. I found the street fairly easily, but then couldn’t find any numbers on the buildings to show which was number 2. Luckily I bumped into Clarrette, a fellow expat from Columbia, SC. I called Robin and she came down and found us and took us to the right apartment building. Today’s topic had to do with careers for woman. In the group there were women from America, France, Germany, India, Ireland, and New Zealand. It was very interesting to hear how the different cultures handled women working, especially women who had children. The first hour was spoken in French, and then the second hour was spoken in English.
After the chit-chat, Robin suggested we go to lunch before her French class. Robin, Clarrette, and I went to a restaurant that Clarrette suggested. It was delicious. We all got a duck entrée that came with a gratin and green beans. This particular restaurant is known for their patisserie, so of course, we each tried a different dessert.
In other news, we found out that our container will be delivered on Wednesday! So Matthew and I will be moving into our new apartment next week!!!! Hopefully that means we will have internet soon and will be able to call home more regularly.

Lunch at the Tuckers

12 Octobre 2008
This morning I woke up to an email from Bene, a fellow expat from Greenville. Bene and her husband, Scott, were having another expat family over for lunch and invited us to join them. Bene lives in a town called Aubiere. Aubiere has a really great market every Sunday morning, and it is walking distance from Bene’s house. Matthew and I met Bene, and one of her daughters, in the market and walked around with her as she finished buying things for our lunch. After buying everything needed, we walked to her house. Their house is gorgeous! It is everything I pictured in my mind a French house would be. Complete with lots of floor to ceiling doors that were all open since today was such a beautiful day. After some apéritifs, we sat down to a Spanish inspired meal in honor of the other family, The Peredas. Robin and Oscar Pereda have two girls (5 and 7, the same age as Bene and Scott’s girls). Oscar’s mother, who is originally from Cuba, was visiting. For lunch we had salad, paella (bought from a stand in the market), a cheese course, and then a mille feuille cake (Oscar’s birthday is this week). It was really nice to sit and talk with people who have gone through everything you are going through. It is a little scary, though, when we hear stories like the Peredas have about how there was water in their shipment container. They had to throw away all of their mattresses because of the mold, and Robin spent a lot of time washing clothes and linens in the bathtub with vinegar solutions to kill the mildew. We are hoping our container (even though it has been in storage in France since July) will arrive dry and in one piece! I have plans to join Robin on Thursday for coffee with a group of ladies from all over the world. This group meets once a week, and each week they meet at a different home. They speak in English and in French, so hopefully I will meet new people and improve my French!

Shopping For Kitchen Stuff

11 Octobre 2008
Today was another busy Saturday. This morning Matthew and I headed to a city about an hour away because there is an Ikea there. We went in hopes of finding cabinets and appliances for our empty kitchen. We found several free-standing cabinets at Ikea that we think will work nicely and could be brought back to the US to use in a basement or, as Matthew likes to think, in a workshop. Next we headed to another store that we had seen a flyer for. This store was back near Clermont. The flyer said that appliances were included in the purchase of a complete cabinet/countertop set. However, for the price, we liked what we had found at Ikea better. The next stops were several appliance stores. We found one that seemed to work with a lot of Michelin expats. Since we needed to buy a fridge, oven/stove, hood, washer, and dryer, the store gave us a bundled deal and even threw in free delivery! We just have to go back to the apartment and measure to make sure everything will fit! As tiring as today was, I have never gotten to plan a kitchen from scratch. It was fun! I can’t wait until it is all put together. Hopefully it will look as good as it does in my mind! :)

First French Class

10 Octobre 2008

I had my first French class today. On Wednesday I went to the Language Lab for an “interview” where a lady asked me questions (all in French) and attempted to have a conversation with me (all in French) in order to evaluate what level I was. Based on that interview, I was placed in a class with other spouses. The class started in September, so I am already several weeks behind. However, I must have done very poorly in the interview because the group that I have been placed with is still learning basics, like how to count in French. At the beginning of class, she asked me to say the alphabet and count to 100. Luckily, these are things I can do fairly easily. Then I had to introduce myself to the class, and then they each introduced themselves to me. In the class there is one woman from Scotland, one from Poland, two from Thailand, and then there are 2 other American women and 1 American man. I actually knew the guy, Mike (he is also from Greenville and Matthew and I had met him and his wife at one of the various meetings to get us ready for expatriatism).
I really like the instructor, she will only speak French (and insists we do the same), but she likes to have fun. Leslie (the woman from Scotland) told me that the instructor next door will come and scold our class when the laughter gets too loud for her class next door. Thank goodness I am not in that class! I feel very confident with my skill level compared to my classmates. Everyone in the class has been living in France for several months. I was worried that even if they were at my level when they left their home country, that after being immersed, they would be a lot more advanced than me. Fortunately, this is not the case. There is one girl from Thailand that sits beside me. She likes to correct everyone and says the answer even when it is not her turn. It is especially annoying when I am asked a question, and I pause for literally ½ a second, to make sure I am going to pronounce it correctly, and she will whisper the answer to me as if she is trying to help out poor dumb me! The funny thing is that she isn’t always right! She does that to everyone else as well. I wonder if they find it as annoying as I do…

Our First French Party

Tuesday night Matthew and I went over to Bertrand and Claire's apartment for a dinner party. Bertrand works at Michelin and met Matthew through various projects (mostly the one in Romania). This is a new apt for them, so they had some friends over from dinner. Claire made these vietnamese spring roll wraps (well actually she just put out the ingredients and we each got to make our own), they were delicious! After dinner, Bertrand insisted upon me playing Guitar Hero (at least all of the songs were American songs!). We had a great time and met a lot of new people. Although Matthew did most of the talking, I could understand the jist of most conversations...except when they started talking about Michelin stuff and then I would zone out (everyone there worked for Michelin!). Below is a picture Bertrand took. I didn't take my camera, but hopefully next time I can get some pictures of our new French friends! Bertrand is also the one that has convinced Matthew to play on his Rugby team while we are here. As soon as Matthew gets a physical done, he can start practice...

The Temporary Apartment

Many of you have asked to see pictures of the apartment Matthew and I are living in now. So here you go!

Our New Apartment!

After another day of apartment hunting with Franck, we decided on the first apartment we saw in Chamalieres. Matthew is working on getting everything lined up for the delivery of our shipment container. We are hoping we can start moving in next week! This weekend we are headed to Ikea to find cabinets and shelving for the kitchen. Below are some pictures of the empty apartment. Enjoy!

Sunday

So, we are back at McDonalds...again. Each time we come we have to buy something so that we will be allowed to use their wi-fi. Today, Matthew made me order. And I did! Okay, so even though I ordered "deux moyen Sprite et moyen frites (2 medium Sprites and a medium fry) and I got 2 Sprites AND 2 fries...I still consider it a success!

I am trying to post pictures to some of the previous blogs, but the internet connection is really, really, really slow. So if I am not successful today, make sure to keep checking back and scroll down to see if pictures have been added.

We miss everyone like crazy, but we are doing well. It still feels like we are just on vacation, and we are trying to get as much done before that feeling wears off!

A Very Busy Day

4 Octobre 2008

This morning Matthew and I decided to walk to Chamalieres, the town where the apartment we liked is. We are leaning towards getting that apartment (unless we see something better on Tuesday). But, we wanted to make sure we liked the neighborhood. It was a very quick walk from our current apartment. Even though it is Saturday and there are people walking everywhere, Chamalieres is a very quiet town. We easily found the apartment and took some pictures from the outside. The name of the street is “Place de Beaulieu” (literally translated: The Plaza of the Beautiful Place, how great does that sound?!? J). Then we decided to explore to see what kind of shops were close by. We found one little street that had every little shop you can think of. There was a poissonnière (they only sell fish), a boulangerie (they sell all different kinds of breads), a boucherie (a butcher), a shop that has only legumes et fruits (vegetables and fruits), a patisserie (a pastry shop), fromagerie (a cheese shop), a wine shop, and there was even a “maison de pommes” (all they sold were apples!). We kept walking and found the farmers’ market that we had seen on Thursday, apparently the vendors are in Chamalieres every Saturday as well.
This afternoon Matthew’s boss’ wife and a friend (who is from Canada and speaks English!) came to the apartment to help answer any questions we had. They tried to show me how to use the washing machine/dryer. After they left, Matthew and I headed to Place de Jaude to attempt to buy cell phones and possibly internet service. Matthew was communicating very well with the guy, and as usual I just nodded my head. Every once in a while I would ask Matthew a question and the guy would answer me in perfect English, but then go right back to speaking French! After figuring everything out, picking out phones, deciding on a plan for Matthew and plan for me, we go to pay. Even though we were armed with all of the paperwork we had been told by others to bring, we were missing one document that kept us from getting our phones. We came back to the apartment to search for the document. Matthew went back to the store with the proper document and returned…with his phone, but not mine. Apparently, the phone I picked out was out of stock! So, we will have to go back on Tuesday to pick it up. Matthew now is able to get internet on his phone, which helps a little when we are trying to check email and don’t feel like sitting in McDonalds!
Tonight we took the car out for the first time since we arrived Wednesday afternoon. Armed with a map of the area we set out to find Auchan, which is kind of like a Wal-Mart. There are a lot of one way streets here, so even though we didn’t get there the way I had mapped out, we were able to follow enough signs for “Auchan” and arrived in one piece. As we pull into the multi-level parking lot, I start thinking that maybe this store even puts Wal-Mart to shame. They even have these smooth escalators (like the moving sidewalks at airports, but on an incline) so that you can go between the different levels with the shopping carts. We walk in the door and realize we are in the middle of a mall, with Auchan at the back (picture the front wall taken off Wal-mart so that all of the registers are exposed, and connect that to the inside of a mall- sorry, that is the best way I can think to describe it). There are people everywhere! They have everything from appliances to TVs to clothes to shoes, etc, etc. They were closing in 30 minutes, so we just grabbed a few things and headed back to the apartment. It was a long, but very fun day in France!

10 Things I Have Learned So Far

3 Octobre 2008

1. Being an expat is overwhelming!
2. Kids are much cuter here in France. It could be that all their parents are beautiful French people, but I think it is mostly because I can’t understand what they are saying. Everything that comes out of their little mouths sounds sweet and beautiful. They could be smarting off to their mothers, or saying mean things, but to me- it all just sounds beautiful.
3. There are very few commercials during TV shows in France.
4. As difficult as NCIS is to follow in English, it is nearly impossible to follow when the characters are speaking French!
5. French ovens are very different from US ones. First you have to choose how you want the oven to heat and cook (there are about 10 different choices depending on what you are cooking- all of which are written in French, of course!), then you have to choose your temperature (after you have converted from Fahrenheit to Celsius).
6. You can buy a bottle of wine for the same price as a liter of Coke.
7. McDonalds is very expensive here! A Big Mac meal is about 9 euros (which is about $13!). Matthew and I have been using McDonald’s wi-fi so that we can communicate with everyone back home. Each time we go there, we have to buy something so we can be considered “customers” in order to use the internet. We bought 2 medium cokes and it cost almost 5 euros ($7.25)!
8. Everyone had told me that the French don’t wear a lot of color- just greys and blacks. This is mostly true, except for the color red. And bright red at that! Everywhere you go you see black, black, black, grey, grey, RED!, black, grey, RED!...
9. We are now Mr. and Mrs. Cab. The “e” on the end of our name is completely ignored. I am “Keemberly Cab”. I am married to “Matt-chew Cab”.
10. French people have gotten a very bad rap. Everyone has been very nice and welcoming so far. Yes, they speak mostly French (and those that are fluent in English, still prefer to speak in French- which is very understandable). Thank goodness for Matthew!!! He has been amazing. Each day he just gets better and better. Everyone we meet compliments him on his French. I, on the other hand, just smile and nod at everything! :)

La Jour Première

2 Octobre 2008

Today we went to look at apartments with Franck, a representative from Coloc. After picking us up at our apartment, he took us to his office to fill out some paperwork. Even though he speaks perfect English, he spoke in French the entire time. I prayed Matthew understood what was being said as he signed the documents. Hopefully we have not just signed a legal document forcing us to name our first born “Franck”.

Frank took us to see 2 apartments in Chamalieres, which is just beside Clermont. I was pleasantly surprised with the first one. There are several buildings for this apartment complex. Each building is no more than 3 or 4 stories. The buildings are scattered around, so when you walk between them, there is a court yard feel. It could not get more French because in the first floor beside the entrance to “our” building is a chocolate shop! This apartment had 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms (very rare). Although there were no closets in the bedrooms, there was a closet in the entry and one in the living room. One of the best things about the apartment was the large balcony that had an alcove at one end where you could put a table. It had a roll down metal shutter so that even in bad weather you could use that space. The bad thing is that there is nothing in the kitchen. When I say nothing, I guess I am slightly exaggerating. There is a sink. But…there is no refrigerator. There is no stove or oven. There are no cabinets. There are no countertops. We have been told that this is not uncommon though. The apartment is walking distance from downtown Chamalieres where there are lots of shops (a boulangerie, a patisserie, a boucherie, and don’t forget the chocolatière). From what I have heard there is also a wonderful farmers market every Thursday that is a very short walk. We can also walk to Place de Jaude, in the center of Clermont, in about 10 minutes. For Matthew, it would be a very easy, short car ride to work. It would be about a 15-20 minute walk, which wouldn’t be bad at all on days that the weather is nice.

The second apartment was bigger, nicer, and of course more expensive! But it was just too far out of town. I would feel completely cut off from the rest of the world all day when Matthew is at work with the car (and he would definitely have to drive to work each day).

We are going on Tuesday to look at more apartments, but we feel really excited about the first one we saw today. The other good thing is that it is available now, so we could move in quickly.

We also took our first trip to the grocery store today. We were able to get everything we needed and didn’t make fools out of ourselves. The biggest difference is that you weigh your produce and hit a button (thank goodness for pictures) of the item. It prints out a sticker that you put on your plastic produce bag. You also have to bring your own bags or buy ones there; they do not give you plastic bags for your groceries. It was also strange to see all of the cashiers sitting down in office-like chairs behind the registers. Matthew said it is because of the unions here. Who knew that even grocery store cashiers have unions! Only in France probably!

Tonight we met Freddie Page (he and his wife, Jen, and their 3 kids will be moving here in January) and 2 of his colleagues for dinner. We went to this tiny restaurant called Le Caveau. It is on a little side street and although there is a red neon sign outside, walking up you are really not sure where the restaurant the sign is referring to is located. Both Matthew and Freddie have eaten there before, so I followed them down this little set of stairs to a door below the street level. Here we walk in right beside where a very large bald French chef is cooking very large steaks in skillets. We sit down and the menu is written on a chalkboard on the wall. Matthew orders a steak and the rest of us order a meal that includes une salade, jambon (ham) et truffade (a skillet of cheesy, garlicky, fried potato deliciousness!). The restaurant was small and you feel like you are eating in a dug-out cave, but the place practically oozes French charm, and the food was fantastic.

Je Suis Arrivé

Our First Night in France

1 Octobre 2008

We have only been in France a few hours and we have already committed our first faux pas.

A representative from Coloc met us at the airport and, after renting a car, we followed her to the Michelin headquarters to pick up the keys to our home for the next month. We were met there by another Coloc employee who will try to help us find a house or apartment to live in while we are in France. We followed them to our apartment. I was pleasantly surprised at the size of it. There are high ceilings and 3 large floor-to-ceiling windows in the living/dining/kitchen. There is also an enormous tub/shower area. After showering for the first time in about 40 hours, Matthew and I headed out to check out our neighborhood. We are in a great location, only about 5 blocks from the Place de Jaude.

We decide on a restaurant where we will eat our first meal in France. It is crowded, which seems to us a good sign. Matthew decides on a “steak et frites” and I choose a salad that has a cheese on it that Matthew says is really good. We order a ½ bottle of wine and toast ourselves on successfully ordering our meal. About 10 minutes later the waitress sets plates down in front of us. On each plate is a small salad, a covered pot containing something that looks like mashed potatoes, and several thin slices of a meat that looks like a mixture of ham and bacon. We look at each other, questioning why we were given this- is it an appetizer??? Like at Olive Garden, where you get salad and breadsticks??? We are not sure, but oh well, we start eating. About 5 minutes later- our food comes out, but the waitress is confused because we already have plates in front of us. Apparently we took the dinner of the table next to us (and by the way, the tables are very close together). The couple apparently had already figured out that we were eating their meal, but had not said anything. Our waitress comes over and starts speaking rapid French. Matthew tries to answer, but she does not seem to understand. So she turns to me, as if I could fluently explain to her that we thought it was a first course. In the end they take the meals we ordered back to the kitchen and leave us with what we were already eating, and go back to make the poor couple beside us their dinner…again. Although it was their fault for serving the food to the wrong table, we feel like fools for eating food that we had not ordered. To top it all off, they charged us for what we ate, which turned out to be a lot more expensive that what we had originally ordered!

Tired, and still hungry, we headed back to our apartment to get some much needed sleep. Tomorrow we will start the hunt for our permanent home in France!