Retour en arrière: Angers

Because I am a negligent blogger, I just now realized that I never shared my EXCELLENT weekend in Angers with you, my avid (haha) audience.  Lest I forget, here is some photographic excellence of the fun I had catching up with Bayou, my middle school penpal, his incredibly welcoming family, AND the most lovely and charming of French teachers, JoAnn.  We won't discuss how long ago she was my middle school teacher, for both of our sakes!

I got into Angers pretty late Friday evening, but there was still enough time before bed to sit around with JoAnn, Anne-Catherine, Bayou, and his girlfriend Laureen discussing school (A-C teaches middle school English and is in charge of the English assistants in Angers) and the different noises that French animals make (co-cor-ico instead of cock-a-doodle-doo, for example).  And we got to hang out with monsieur, pictured below:

Ratcliff, the family dog, on HIS couch.  He's a very friendly and well behaved dog, and he's also gifted: somehow he knows when it's Sunday--the only day he's taken for a walk in the morning--and waits at the bottom of the stairs.

Saturday morning was fun.  JoAnn and I chatted over breakfast and then went with Anne-Catherine to tour the high school where Jean-François teaches music.  We also sat in on his orchestra rehearsal for a bit.

Next was the market, where JoAnn and I enjoyed peering at the wares, including delicious cheeses and spices.  YUM!

I love how colorful spice vendors' stands always are.

In our attempts to make it back chez our hosts, we passed by this lovely park and fountain.  Perfect for photos...

Seeing people with sailboats in a park always reminds me of Stuart Little.

The Palais de Justice, another site we passed by on the way home.

Once we made it back, we had a lovely meal of pot au feu with the family and significant others.  Just hanging out with everyone around the dining room table was one of my favorite parts of the weekend.  It's fun to be with good conversationalists!  Afterwards I went out shopping to take advantage of the soldes (sales!).

Jean-François, Ratcliff, and  Anne-Catherine

A-C, JoAnn, Bayou, and Laureen in front of the theatre, taken while we were shopping.

Sunday morning was spent chatting with the family and going to church with JoAnn.  After returning from our unsuccessful search for tarte aux pommes (guess we just weren't in the right region!) we ate a delicious Alsacian meal of sauerkraut and sausages.  2.30 came far too soon, though, and it was time for me to go to the gare to return to Deauville.  Anne-Catherine offered to call Ivan to tell him that I had gotten the gastro and was too sick to return, but I decided that I wanted to keep my job so I turned down her proposal.

JoAnn and me in front of the Angers train station.

Bayou and me in front of my train.  It's lovely that the former penpals can meet up on occasion!