This being France, we were graced with 10 days off at the end of October, and it seemed to be the perfect time to take a trip to Bordeaux. So off I went with another American teaching assistant. Thank goodness for France's high speed train system - I found myself in the southwest of France in practically no time. There my friend Miri and I stayed with some local Bordelais that we met and saw as much of the town and region as we could.
Bordeaux is famous for two things: wine and prehistoric art. So of course, Miri and I had no
choice but to embark on a randonnée de vin (translation: wine hike). It was a fantastic day-long trek guided by a bilingual local Frenchmen who led us through chateaux and vineyards, and across tiny villages tucked into the French hillside. We stopped for lunch in a tiny rural chateau where we ate a picnic of the local specialties: little smoked duck filets and rillettes, rare white asparagus, delicious cheese made from sheep's milk, and spiced bread smothered in jam. The meal was accompanied by a light red wine and a classic Bordeaux red. Later in the day we tried seven (!) more varieties of wine at the largest vineyard in the region, including the best red wine I have ever tasted (and whose name I have sadly long forgotten... I had too much wine, I suppose).We also took the time to check out Bordeaux's regional museum, the Musée d'Aquitaine. The museum is really quite impressive because it tells the story of the people of the region from the very first people who inhabited Aquitaine - in prehistoric time, tens of thousands of years ago - 
through the Middle Ages, Renaissance, up through modern time. The caves of Lascaux, for example, which contain some of the oldest recorded human art, are found in the Aquitaine region. The museum is full of artifacts from the area that scan pretty much the entire record of human civilization.
through the Middle Ages, Renaissance, up through modern time. The caves of Lascaux, for example, which contain some of the oldest recorded human art, are found in the Aquitaine region. The museum is full of artifacts from the area that scan pretty much the entire record of human civilization.Upon my return from an energizing and informative trip, I immediately got back into a serious mode with my very first academic conference. The colloquium was all about the work of Pierre Bourdieu, an influential French sociologist whose theory and research was a founding element of the school where I am getting my masters, and - not coincidentally - the most important sociologist in terms of the research I do. The conference was attended by many cutting-edge sociologists from around the world who presented their research and explained how it has been influenced by Bourdieu. I had the opportunity to meet many fascinating researchers, students, and professors. And above all, the conference helped solidify my passion for what I study, and how excited I am to be a part of this field.
My next adventure was a long weekend at my friend Laura's house in the French countryside - this time, the southeast region of France, called the Rhône. Laura is half French and half Greek, and her parents gave me an incredibly warm welcome. Her house and little village are the
epitome of province - she lives in a little stone farmhouse, which she informs me is surrounded by either corn or sunflowers in the spring and summer, and they have two ponies, a dog, and two cats. We spent the weekend sleeping in, reading, walking around the village, and eating wonderful homecooked French and Greek meals.We did take the train into Lyon one day, since it is only 45 minutes away. There we explored the old historic section of town, ate traditional Lyonnais pralines, visited beautiful cathedrals with breathtaking views over the city, and
climbed over ancient Roman ruins. All in all it was a relaxing weekend in the French countryside - I now understand why so many Parisians own a second home in province! Ahhh the things I will buy when I win the French lottery.
