Flea market Extraordinaire. Twice last week the instructor of the advanced class, somehow the real beginners needed real help and they decided I should be in the advanced class…, referenced this ‘event’ of sorts that he thought we students should be aware of. So, today, I walked across the Rhône River, found my way to centre ville in this town called Villeneuve (the new city). I wandered about a bit, trying to find this festival, this event, and finally asked someone. Over the hill and spread throughout the town was this massive flea market, all outside, in the narrow little side streets, on little squares, in the court yard of a medieval monastery… and thousands of people in this sleepy little neighbor town of Avignon. Mixed in with all the clothes, old boots, books (101 Dalmatians, in French of course, among them), was street food, yummy French pastries as well as Vietnamese and African treats. Street cafes here and there. Beer, coffee wine. Red elephant shaped toilet training potty; lots of used toys; various parts of rusty equipment; LP’s and video games; lots of sets of little espresso cups; ashtrays (maybe the French are also starting to smoke less); souvenirs from travels abroad. My favorite, and I went back to visit them twice, was this set of three garden gnomes, French garden gnomes… awfully cute! They had had their tongues sticking out. But, as much as I wanted them, it was just too unpractical – I had no room in my luggage. On my first visit back I took a picture. On my second visit back, to say au revoir mes amis, there were only two! One, the one riding the frog had been separated from his buddies; someone had the heart to just by one of them – and they were selling at half price; encroyable - unbelievable! Just think, this picture is very likely the very last picture ever taken of this very handsome French garden gnome threesome!
Talked with Lisa tonight. Everyone was doing homework. Christian and Carl will be going back to school with the Imsdahl kids tomorrow and the rest of this week. How lucky they are! We had a great call; all is going well and everyone sounded happy; they all had a blast with the Haines visiting there as well (they even extended their stay by a day, so much fun they were having) – 9 kids, five adults! Thermal bath visit, including sauna and water slides. Jazz fest in Eutin for the adults one evening. Another trip to the beach on the Baltic Sea today. The boys are curious about my breakfast conversations with Madame (today I asked her about the tadpoles she’s raising to turn into frogs to eat the snails in the yard), what my favorite new French word is (can’t tell quite yet!), and whether I speak German with the other participants (no – while all speak German, we have all stuck with French, or silence, as a mode of communication, even though we didn’t sign any sort of oath – guess we’re all just so motivated – ha!).
Talked with Lisa tonight. Everyone was doing homework. Christian and Carl will be going back to school with the Imsdahl kids tomorrow and the rest of this week. How lucky they are! We had a great call; all is going well and everyone sounded happy; they all had a blast with the Haines visiting there as well (they even extended their stay by a day, so much fun they were having) – 9 kids, five adults! Thermal bath visit, including sauna and water slides. Jazz fest in Eutin for the adults one evening. Another trip to the beach on the Baltic Sea today. The boys are curious about my breakfast conversations with Madame (today I asked her about the tadpoles she’s raising to turn into frogs to eat the snails in the yard), what my favorite new French word is (can’t tell quite yet!), and whether I speak German with the other participants (no – while all speak German, we have all stuck with French, or silence, as a mode of communication, even though we didn’t sign any sort of oath – guess we’re all just so motivated – ha!).
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