My father's need to explore any new setting has apparently been instilled quite strongly in me, too. Over the past week, with all of our major apartment-related tasks complete, I've been taking long walks around our neighborhood just to see what's here. I go by myself because I walk too fast for most people and enjoy the freedom to take a stray turn here or there. I left this morning planning to take an hour or less, and ended up being gone for about 2 hours and 45 minutes!
On a previous walk, I'd seen several advertisements for a "Parc des Expositions" (an animal show will be held there next weekend), so when I saw signs pointing to it, I followed them. I eventually ended up next to the river that runs next to Centre Ville. Whoever said the French don't exercise must not live in Reims- it seemed like everyone was out jogging, biking, or rowing along the river.
Eventually I passed a huge structure labeled "Les Grands Moulins de Reims" (The big mills of Reims). Apparently the flour for several local bakeries is produced there, so I just e-mailed them hoping to hear that a tour might be possible. I emphasized my student status, hoping that pride would make them want to teach me about their business.
I've been looking for herbs to grow for cooking, since I love using them and haven't been able to find a reliable source, so I stopped at a small garden store, but they only had sage left, while I was thinking more along the lines of rosemary and thyme (I only want half of the Simon & Garfunkel song, as parsley isn't my favorite either).
Next on my route was an absolutely gorgeous little park. It happens to lie across from the rather shady (in the negative sense) park near the train station, but at 11 a.m. it was peaceful and lovely. There was a garden in Versailles style (very kempt) that led into something more my style- a mini waterfall flowing into a stream filled with koi fish underneath willows and crossed by a bridge.
Still following the signs for the parc des expos, I walked past a strip of really neat houseboats. Many of these boats had more plants than the apartment balconies near us, and some even had patio areas covered with lawn furniture and grills. Two of them were pulled up parralel to each other to allow their owners to socialize. I had never thought of a houseboat as something I'd like to do, but seeing how well these boats functioned made me rethink it. It seems like something my parents might want to do (or at least my father, while my mother would have to hope for one with lots of plants and room for her sewing projects) when they retire.
I eventually stumbled on a bus stop map that seems to indicate it would take me approximately 4 hours (a slight overstatement, but close) to get to what I thought was the park. That was a little more exploration than I wanted to do, so I was about to head back when I started to see people with bags of food. Since I know that basically everything except a few bakeries is closed on Sundays, I followed the people until I stumbled upon a huge market! Yesterday's market had been relatively calm, perhaps because we went early, but this one was absolutely crawling with people. It reminded me of the street fairs we went to in Carlsbad every year. I walked the length of it first, watching demonstrations of the latest and greatest cookware (much more interesting than QVC!), smelling the roasting chickens, and looking to see if there were vendors from yesterday. I saw my favorite salad man, as well as the vendor from whom we bought the mirabelles, but there wasn't much left at either table, so I moved on. A large part of this market was clothing stands. I was surprised to see that there were even a couple dedicated solely to women's underwear- the pretty kind, albeit cheap. I caught myself thinking "Gross! I would never want to buy underwear at an outdoor market. Who knows who's touched that?!" Thinking about it now, I don't know who's touched it at Victoria's Secret either, so to each her own, I suppose.
On a previous walk, I'd seen several advertisements for a "Parc des Expositions" (an animal show will be held there next weekend), so when I saw signs pointing to it, I followed them. I eventually ended up next to the river that runs next to Centre Ville. Whoever said the French don't exercise must not live in Reims- it seemed like everyone was out jogging, biking, or rowing along the river.
Eventually I passed a huge structure labeled "Les Grands Moulins de Reims" (The big mills of Reims). Apparently the flour for several local bakeries is produced there, so I just e-mailed them hoping to hear that a tour might be possible. I emphasized my student status, hoping that pride would make them want to teach me about their business.
I've been looking for herbs to grow for cooking, since I love using them and haven't been able to find a reliable source, so I stopped at a small garden store, but they only had sage left, while I was thinking more along the lines of rosemary and thyme (I only want half of the Simon & Garfunkel song, as parsley isn't my favorite either).
Next on my route was an absolutely gorgeous little park. It happens to lie across from the rather shady (in the negative sense) park near the train station, but at 11 a.m. it was peaceful and lovely. There was a garden in Versailles style (very kempt) that led into something more my style- a mini waterfall flowing into a stream filled with koi fish underneath willows and crossed by a bridge.
Still following the signs for the parc des expos, I walked past a strip of really neat houseboats. Many of these boats had more plants than the apartment balconies near us, and some even had patio areas covered with lawn furniture and grills. Two of them were pulled up parralel to each other to allow their owners to socialize. I had never thought of a houseboat as something I'd like to do, but seeing how well these boats functioned made me rethink it. It seems like something my parents might want to do (or at least my father, while my mother would have to hope for one with lots of plants and room for her sewing projects) when they retire.
I eventually stumbled on a bus stop map that seems to indicate it would take me approximately 4 hours (a slight overstatement, but close) to get to what I thought was the park. That was a little more exploration than I wanted to do, so I was about to head back when I started to see people with bags of food. Since I know that basically everything except a few bakeries is closed on Sundays, I followed the people until I stumbled upon a huge market! Yesterday's market had been relatively calm, perhaps because we went early, but this one was absolutely crawling with people. It reminded me of the street fairs we went to in Carlsbad every year. I walked the length of it first, watching demonstrations of the latest and greatest cookware (much more interesting than QVC!), smelling the roasting chickens, and looking to see if there were vendors from yesterday. I saw my favorite salad man, as well as the vendor from whom we bought the mirabelles, but there wasn't much left at either table, so I moved on. A large part of this market was clothing stands. I was surprised to see that there were even a couple dedicated solely to women's underwear- the pretty kind, albeit cheap. I caught myself thinking "Gross! I would never want to buy underwear at an outdoor market. Who knows who's touched that?!" Thinking about it now, I don't know who's touched it at Victoria's Secret either, so to each her own, I suppose.
Tonight's dinner plan of roasted carrot soup calls for vegetable stock, which we couldn't find in the stores, so I was a bit worried about the flavor. However, I found some good looking celery at the market and combined it when I got home with the peelings from the carrots, an onion and some garlic and herbs. Voilà- vegetable stock!
From the market I took a long way back past the Basilique St Remi (St Remi's Basilica...), several flower shops and our cathedral.
Now off to make dinner!
your mom is responsible for my need to explore new settings :)
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