Weekends in Cornouaille and Croisic

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So holy moly. It's November already and I have not posted a blog in forever, so I think I'll write a couple of them to make up for it.

So the second weekend in October our program had another weekend excursion, this time to Cornouaille which was an absolutely beautiful region. Once again it was great to spend time with everyone in the program on our bus rides, but also while galavanting around western France :)

We went to Pont-Aven which is a picturesque tiny town which is actually famous because so many painters spend time there to take in all the lovely scenery and let it inspire their artwork. Then we went to Quimper which had a gorgeous cathedral. We had a tour of the city and learned all about the rich history of that gorgeous town. Then we went to the coast and spent the night at a hostel that was right on the edge of the water. Of course we spent time climbing all over the rocks and watching the sunset over the Atlantic. It was so lovely. At this hostel we had to help with the dishes after dinner, so Logan, Sarah and I had a grand old time drying all the dishes while dancing to American pop music. It was quite the interesting experience.

We started the next day by going to Pointe-de-Raz, which is the most western point of France. It was hilly and rocky and gorgeous. It was a chilly morning with fog still rising, but that only added to the beauty of the cliffs that surrounded us. I'm a fast walker and it was early, so I was the first to arrive to the coast and had a minute or two to enjoy the solitude and bask in the miles of ocean in front of me. We climbed some rocks and breathed in the fresh salt air. It was lovely. Then we went to a tiny tiny town (I can't remember the name) and had the most delicious lunch there. Oh, and an absolutely sinful dessert called Kouign-Amann which I'm pretty sure is just butter and sugar (maybe some flour) and oh my! It melts in your mouth and you can feel it clog your veins but it too good to resist. All in all it was an easy-going, wonderful weekend with friends.

The weekend after that I went to grandma's beach house in Croisic in southern Brittany. It was an exceptionally warm and gorgeous weekend for the middle of October, so we definitely took advantage of it. It was fun to pile into the car with my host family and sit between my host brothers to ensure they didn't take part in the usual car ride shenanigans. Saturday, Laurent, the boys and I watched the rugby match. Then we all took a stroll to the beach and then stopped at a restaurant to enjoy some seafood specialties. I ate shrimp, little snails, something else that was in a shell, and last but not least, oysters. It was my first time eating them and they were a bit salty and slimy, but not too bad. Then we continued our walk for a bit. Then the boys stayed at home while my host mom and I took a little trip to Guernade, which is a medieval town, fortified by stone walls and even had a draw-bridge. We had the most delicious caramels and enjoyed some gal time just walking around different shops. Sunday we watched the other rugby semi-final, and then spent the rest of the days outdoors since it was so lovely out. The boys and I played badminton in the backyard and then we went to the beach. I waded in the Atlantic and enjoyed the sun. We built a sandcastle and played soccer on the beach. It was a fantastic weekend with my host family with gorgeous weather.

I just got back from 10 days in Paris and London, but I'll save that for the next blog. Hope life is going swimmingly for all of you and I'm sending my love and warm wishes your way. Also, I can't believe it's November already. Time is passing by so quickly!

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