Existing for the Ring

Some notes from the end of the semester happenings in Nantes and elsewhere.

**For our last field trip with IES, we went to a little town called not too far away called Clisson and then later to a vineyard where they produce the wine of the region, Muscadet.  Clisson was a really cute little town, I think it's mildly known for an architectural flair bordering on the Italian style (whatever that is) and we were all able to just chill and hang out for a relaxed Saturday afternoon before that downhill spiral that is the end of the semester.  The city's old castle is now in ruins but what it lacked in completion it made up for in fun--they had an array of fun games for visitors to play!  A bunch of us tried our hands at some archery which, I might add, I hit the bullseye in for my last shot (people asked if I'd done it before, lol) and then to our child-like joy they also had foam swords (and some legit fencing I didn't try).  References to Monty Python and the Holy Grail came in abundance at that point ("it's just a flesh wound!").
Then it was off to the vineyard.  We got to check out some of the vines (they're quite proud of some of the older ones) and then see how the wine process actually goes down.  Then came a little wine tasting.  First we tried a 2009 Muscadet (*which is a white wine, if anyone cares) that was really light, almost effervescent, and you could definitely tell it was young.  I later bought a bottle of this to take back just because it was so different.  Then we had a glass of something just a little older that hada really strong, bold flavor.  Both were really good and we were pretty lucky with the weather, too, because if good wine-tasting weather exists, that was what we had (not too hot, lots of sunshine).

**The last week or so in Nantes was a blur--not because it went by so fast but because it was such a mix of so many things.  There was, of course, one last visit to Marche Talansac that Sunday (best borek and crepe beurre-sucre-citron of the year) and another last visit to "our creperie" for one last salman galette and chocolate/pain d'epice crepe before the return to a country sadly without these fabulous little eateries (I also had a really wonderful crepe with mussels and an intensly creamy white wine sauce--someone tell me where I can find this again and I will love you forever).  I also indulged in quite a bit of picture-taking to keep the visual memories alive once I was back home.  To facilitate the formal good-byes, IES also sponsored a dinner on a boat on the river.  We all got to get decked out in our finest and just have a good time (and, uh, some foie gras...) and have one last fling all together before we would go our separate ways.  Finally, it only seems right that I happened to discover several really fabulous new places on the eve of my departure, including an adorable breakfast place and a really chill place to hang out and have a coffee or other drink just one tram stop in the direction I never go.  Why couldn't I have had these happy accidents earlier??

**Finally, on Saturday, it was time to go.  All my stuff packed up, I headed off to Paris where I would store my luggage as I took a little jaunt to Germany before heading chez moi.  Unfortunately this was not a pleasant little trip to Paris.  By the time I met my friend Yvonne for coffee after moving my bags--which probably equaled 100% of my body weight--up and down metro stairs (no elevators, escalators, or ramps--NOT handicap accessable!), my arms where shaking.  They would then be sore for several days later.  I made it though, mostly by the technique of trying to take advantage of the overly idealistic part of me that borders on naivete and telling myself that where I needed to be was just up this intimidating set of stairs or just around that corner, even though I time-and-again proved myself wrong.  It was so nice that night to be reduced to just a backpack and a shoulder bag on my bus to Germany.

**In Germany, I was going to go to a teeny-tiny town called Kirchwalsede (in Lower Saxony) that a branch from my family tree finds its roots in.  The main attraction is an old church (which I think the town is kind-of named for) that's from--get this--1150 (I honestly didn't even know Christianity existed in Germany at that point, Christian history FAIL) and kept lots of birth, marriage, baptism, and death records (a geneologist's dream and treasure trove) that have allowed me to go as far back as 1629.  I got in contact with a woman from the church and she was able to show me around, let me see the old books of names and dates (including where one of my relative's names was written!) and even sell me some souvenir mugs that will help pay for the restauration of the pictures on the church's ceiling.  It was also really cool to just be able to check out the town and how the people live and such.  It's not the same, of course, as what it was 200 years ago but there are certain qualities that tend to transcend time, I suppose.  In my two days there I also rended out a bike (an old bike whose seat was a scary distance from the ground) and rode to the nearby lake area (the Bullensee) and the town of Westerwalsede where some of the family is also from.  Westerwalsede was smaller than Kirchwalsede and didn't have as much "old" stuff that was relevant to me but I did stumble upon a part of the cemetary that I later found out was for the victims of a bombing during WWII--strange to think that a place this small and simple got bombed.  All in all, this part of Germany was A LOT like northwest Ohio but somehow with more charm--you can see how so many people from the area may have chosen to come to NWO (the cemetaries were particularly telling--lots of traditional NWO surnames) for its similarities to "home," which must have been comforting.  Really glad I made the trip.

**On my last day in Europe, I awoke from my night bus back in Paris where I dropped off some more of my luggage and headed off to Giverny--site of Monet's home and water garden muse.  It was a perfect little day trip--just a 45 minute train ride and another few minutes on the bus and you're there.  The town itself is quite lovely but of course the big attraction was Monet's gardens that have been kept up since his departure (and which are at peak this time of year), his home (very "French country"), and his famous water garden, site of the Japanese bridges and water lilies his paintings have made famous.  Finally, it was back to Paris where I made one more move with my luggage (not nearly as terrible or taxing as the first on) to go to Charles de Gaulle airport to spend the night awaiting my flight (and sleep) in the morning.

So there it is--the semester is over and here I am chez moi just relaxing and getting ready for the summer work and relaxation (research and training for a half-marathon), dreaming up the next journey abroad (crossing my fingers for a nonprofit internship abroad next summer...that's paid.  Well, we'll see what happens....)

Thans to anyone who stuck around to read this!