Hike in the Vosges!

(Spring in Gerardmer)

(Everything in bloom and my allergies are having a field day)

The end is near... so I have to live it up as much as possible in these next two weeks!

This weekend we had a choir concert, which was nice. Our choir is quite horrible. Most of the members are over 60 years of age... and to listen to a soprano section that is over 60 is NOT pleasant. But they are a joyful bunch and sing more for the social aspect that it brings. And I am sure only 1% of them actually read music. No matter, the concert had a pretty good showing and even with more than a few mishaps we gave a good performance. (However, if we ever sang like that in any of my former groups... ouch)

Sunday Charlene, Mathieu and I decided to hike one of the highest points in the Vosges- the Hohneck. Situated right on the border of Alsace and Lorraine, it's a beautiful mountain reaching 1363 meters. It was a gorgeous day. Sunny, warm, breezy- the perfect day to hike! We weren't too sure about which trails to take, so we just went with the flow, arriving quite quickly to the summit, which was still covered in a bit of snow. Among the snow patches were the famous jonquilles (daffodils), which will be making their grand presentation this weekend at the daffodil festival.

(Charlene, Mathieu and I at the beginning of the hike)

(Charlene, Mathieu and I at the top- behind us is Alsace)

We were hoping to stop at an auberge on the trail to have lunch. Les auberges usually have fresh, homemade products (cheese, smoked meat, fresh milk, etc) and local delicacies, but we were out of luck and the one we passed wasn't open- probably too early in the season...

(View of the auberge from up top)

The hike ended with a windy way back up the mountain with many steep drops down. Quite a day! Exhausting, but so perfectly relaxing. In those moments everything was good- no worries. Have to remember that feeling more often!

(At the end of the hike, Col de la Schlucht Alt 1139 m)

(After hike snack: tarte flambee with munster cheese and salami sandwich!)

The past week I've been going to the schools to which I give video conferences to proctor the English evaluation for the oldest kids. It's been a challenge trying to get them to talk- especially because the only English they had were our 20 minute sessions over Skype. Not too conducive to speaking English! I made one little boy cry, he was just so nervous and panicked because he couldn't find his words. But my other school was much better and it was clear that the teacher put a much bigger emphasis on trying to teach English outside of my sessions with the kids. It was so rewarding to see them confidently asking and responding to questions in English! A job well done.

(field of daffodils right behind the high school aka our back yard)

Venetian Carnival in Remiremont

(Peter and I at the Venetian carnival, Remiremont)

Great news! After returning to Gerardmer from Morocco, I received a CouchSurfing message from a guy who just moved into town. Realizing that making friends might be difficult in such a small town he contacted me (as I am the only profile on CS to be in Gerardmer) and we've started hanging out. Mathieu has really fit into our group of friends and it's great to have a frenchman amongst us- and someone who is OUR AGE! Although, we do speak more English than French because Mathieu spent a year working in New Hampshire, so his English is good. Charlene had us over for pierogis and we all helped out to make them- delicious!

(Olivia, Mathieu, Charlene with our pierogi dinner)

Last weekend Peter came down for a visit to Gerardmer. The weekend was jam packed: we went to a concert at the Grattoir to see the guitarist of the Pogues play with his new band.

(Charlene, Sylve, Olivia, Mathias, at the Grattoir for the concert)

The next day we went to a nearby town, Remiremont, to see the Venetian carnival. We were warned that it wouldn't be the crazy, loud carnival that comes through other cities in Europe, but this was eerily quiet. The parade took place in almost total silence, there was music playing in the background from speakers set up on buildings, but the crowd was for the most part quiet and the people in the parade did not make a peep once! This made for great concentration on the costumes, which were quite incredible! So intricately crafted and full of imagination. Luckily it was a cool day because I can't imagine carrying the heavy costumes in smoldering hot weather!

(Olivia, Mathieu, Elizabete, Charlene, Peter taking a break in Remiremont)

A visit to Gerardmer wouldn't be complete without a hike in the nearby mountains, so as tired and sleepless as we were, we took the hike up to the Mirelle tower. It was quite a stormy day, but fairly warm and pleasant for walking. The daffodils are taking over all open spaces! What sweet smells and striking pops of color to make you smile. We are a bit worried that the daffodils have come too early- the Fete des Jonquilles (Daffodil festival) is mid-April, so we need them to hold out at least until then!

(Peter and I on the route around the lake, Gerardmer)

(Les jonquilles- daffodils)

"For you- 50,000 camels!"

So it's been over two weeks since I returned from the great sands of Morocco. What a trip it was! What I will tell you about the trip: SENSORY OVERLOAD. That's the best way I can wrap up what it was to be in Morocco. It was my first time in Africa, first time in a muslim country, a lot of firsts...It's all such a blur that it's difficult to put it all into words. So this entry will mostly be of pictures and small captions: a photo diary of sorts. Enjoy!

A clarification of this posts title: Walking through the markets in any city is stressful and overwhelming, mostly because the vendors are yelling at you to come look at their goods. Many times, seeing a white, blond female calls for even more remarks. One evening as we were on our way to do some last minute shopping, a man called out to me: "For you, 50,000 camels!" Implying that he would buy me/marry me for 50,000 camels. Quite a deal! That's a LOT of camels... we just kept walking.

(Paris de l'Est train station, Paris, France)

Planes, trains and automobiles. What form of transportation didn't we use on this trip? A bus to out of Gerardmer, a train to Paris, a bus to Paris-Beauvais airport, plane from Paris-Beauvais to Marrakech, buses, mini-buses, trains within Morocco, a ferry to get from Morocco to Spain, a bus to Seville and finally a plane back to Paris-Beauvais, only followed by more metros and trains. Traveling on ground is a great way to see scenery and changing landscapes, especially in Morocco where it is so diverse range of desert to greenery, from flat to mountainous views!

(Riad Marrakech Rouge, Marrakech, Morocco)

We stayed in a riad [A Riad (رياض) is a traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior garden. The word riad comes from the Arabian term for garden, "ryad".] (Riad Marrakech Rouge), which was in the Medina [The traditional, old or non-European area of a North African townof the city.] The hosts were very welcoming, always served us fresh peppermint tea or offered us hookah in the evening. Breakfast was quite packed with carbs, but delicious!

(Place Jemaa el Fna, Marrakech, Morocco)

In the main square were many vendors and stands selling all kinds of delicious snacks... most of which we were too afraid to eat because of the risk of getting sick (this of course did not stop us from getting sick, which we did). But we took a leap and drank some freshly squeezed orange juice (making sure it was squeezed in front of us and not out of a bottle). The sunny weather was perfect! Although not as warm as I would have liked, we were able to comfortably walk around during the day and catch some rays. The nights, however, were pretty chilly!

(Sunset on Place Jemaa el Fna, Marrakech, Morocco)

(Palace, Marrakech, Morocco)

(Marrakech, Morocco)

The food of Morocco would easily deserve an entire blog post all to itself. Tajines (as seen in this picture above) are cooked in clay pots and are a combination of vegetables and meat (chicken or beef or ground lamb). I was a bit disappointed with the lack of spiciness- I really thought I'd have many more "Wow, that's hot!" moments, but it was nevertheless delicious!

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(Desert near Zagora, Morocco)

The picture everyone has been waiting for! Imanta riding a camel! Here he is, the lovable camel named Mimun. After a 7 hour drive over mountains and through desert we were dropped off on the side of the road and left in the hands of some wonderful Berber nomads, who plopped us on camels and led us on a 2 hour trek into the desert. One of the most painful experiences ever! I think we were all sore for about three days after!

(Sunrise outside Berber tents, Desert near Zagora, Morocco)

(Trek to desert, rest stop at an oasis, Morocco)

(Me, Aneel, Olivia, and Marco, Ouarzazate kasbah, Morocco)

(The windy trip to the desert, Morocco)

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(Sunset on the coast, Essaouira, Morocco)

After a great trek to the desert and a lot of shopping in Marrakech we were ready for a break! We took the weekend to go out to the coast, to a small coastal town, Essaouira. A much more laid back feel, it was a chance to relax. We stood in the Atlantic Ocean- from the other side! I really enjoyed watching the sun set over the ocean and knowing that the sun was continuing its day over in the States with our friends and families. We met some musicians who were nice enough to show us around town and took us out for an authentic (albeit a bit scary) experience going out at night!

(Port in Essaouira, Morocco)

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(Mosque in Fes, Morocco)

Fes was a much further trip than we had expected and we spent an entire day en route. An older, dirtier city, it took us a while to warm up to it. Our friend from Essaouira gave us the phone number of his friend who works as a guide and he gave us a tour of the city, leading us through the windy streets that only a local guide could handle. Getting out of the old town made me like Fes more because we walked up above the town and could see it in its entirety. I guess sometimes things just look better from far away!

(View of Fes, Morocco)

(Tanneries in Fes, Morocco)

("Just don't show my wife!" Olivia with our tour guide, Fes, Morocco)

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(Monument in Rabat, Morocco)

After a few days in Fes we spent a day in the capital of Morocco in the city of Rabat. I was a bit nervous coming here because of the recent revolutions in Northern Africa and although we did see a lot of police officers and heard a strike pass by, it was peaceful and we were OK. The guide book described it pretty well: Rabat is the DC of Morocco, taking a much calmer role in tourism. The old town was not very touristy and the new town was full of administrative buildings. This memorial, however, was very striking and beautiful.

(Coastal view, Rabat, Morocco)


* * *

(Port in Tanger, Morocco)

From Rabat we took a train to Tanger, the upper tip of Morocco, to catch a ferry to Spain. Unfortunately, the ferry couldn't leave on time because of bad conditions on the water, so we were stuck at a port for a few hours! Luckily we met another traveler our age, also from America to chat and swap stories with to pass the time. (check out the sweet leather duffel bag I bought in Morocco!)

(Olivia and Carolina at a Tapas restaurant, Seville, Spain)

Once in Seville we were greeted by Olivia's friend Carolina. She was a great host and showed us all around town! We ate delicious tapas and went to a flamenco singing concert, which was so powerful- the voices and technique combined with the intense emotion was something I hadn't seen before. The weather was turning for rain and sure enough, the very last day of the trip we spent inside because the rain was so bad. So we didn't get to see as much of Seville as we would have liked, but that just means I'll have to go back sometime. :)

(Cathedral and Giralda tower, Seville, Spain)

(Getting ready for Easter celebrations, Seville, Spain)

And now we're on the last leg of my experience in France. It's hard to believe how quickly this all has passed... but that's how it is! Next posts to come: Venitian Carnival in Remiremont and in a few weeks the Fete des Jonquilles (Daffodil festival in Gerardmer!) Cheers!

Mirecourt- Violin capital of France!

After an inspiring and uplifting weekend in Bonn, Germany, where I met great Latvian friends, sang my little heart out, I decided that it was finally time to get my violin tuned up! Peter had so generously brought it over from the States to me in France...I had gotten a few jams with it, but then it lost its tuning...so what better place to go to than Mirecourt, not too far from Gerardmer and full of violin shops!

So Friday night, after work I set off to Mirecourt. I had gotten in touch with another teaching assistant that I had met in November, Stephanie, who is placed in Mirecourt and she was going to be in town for the weekend and even better- was invited to a party by a few of the students who attend the violin making school! GREAT! I arrived, dropped off my stuff in her apartment (nice to see how other assistants live! Gotta say, we've got it pretty good in Gerardmer- mostly because we don't have any fussy neighbors!) The theme for the party was "Countries"... I obviously went as Latvia, as that was all I could scrounge up in short notice for any attempt of a costume. Stephanie decided to go in Greek garb. The hosts of the party were flight attendants for "Air Coloc" (Colocotaire is roommate in French, awe, cute). Most of the other party-goers were dressed in Egyptian/middle eastern themes. One girl had made a funny sign "Get out Mubarak!" in light of the events going on in Egypt the past few weeks. The party was full of energy- dancing (to some straaaange music), eating and drinking. The apartment was beautiful and even had a violin workshop next to the living room! A table saw, wood, the works! Pretty cool that these 20-somethings (many of them FEMALE) were studying the art of violin making.

The next morning we got up at a respectable hour to go to the violin shop, which I had already contacted earlier in the week, to drop off my violin and get it tuned. The man was very welcoming and got to work right away on my little violin, despite many interruptions by other customers, etc! We watched for a bit as he took out each peg and covered it first with soap (from Marseille) and then chalk, so it would hold better. It was quite shocking for me how roughly he handled the instrument. I'm usually over-cautious.



While the violin was in the shop, Stephanie showed me around Mirecourt... not that there was much to see! Many, many violin shops, a river and ... that's pretty much it! After a refreshing loop we popped back in for the violin and of course, the shopkeeper made a point to oversell- I need a new bridge, this should be fixed, that should be improved. Oh, thank you. One day, yes. Right now I just want it tuned! And 15 Euros later, we left with a beautifully tuned up violin! :)


That afternoon we lucked out that there was an open house at the violin school: Ecole Nationale de Lutherie. The students were in their workshops shaving away meticulously at their masterpieces. SO MANY VIOLINS! WOW! The program is about three years- each year completing more than one instrument. The students learn to make violins, violas, and even cellos! The program also makes them learn how to play instruments, so at the end of the day there was a short concert by the students themselves.

It was a greatly inspiring trip. I was amazed to see such dedicated young people learning a real trade- something so specific! These days we're all about being able to do everything and that "arts & sciences" education has dissolved the traditional idea of developing a specific skill set. I really admire them for their work!

Festival recap

So there we are... one film festival under our belts and what to show for it? Circles under our eyes, for one. And maybe a bit more experience in the realm of horror films. It was a great weekend! Except for the fact that the french really don't know how to organize their volunteers (this turned out to be almost a good thing because we got to watch a lot of movies... but because I like to work and feel useful I found this excruciatingly hard to deal with).

Day 2 of working the festival> Got to the theater by the lake a bit late, but still nothing to do. Lucked out and was able to watch the presentation of the Short Film category, where they introduced the jury and the directors of each film. Some very good, some verrrry bad...
Grand Prize for Best Short Film went to Le Miroir (The Mirror) by Sebastien Rossingol. Beautiful colors and a intriguing storyline made for a wonderful piece of work.

Volunteers weren't allowed to watch the next few movies because they were the sessions that were voted and in high demand for seats (so to be fair, they didn't even want us standing in the back)... after my shift ended we headed home for a quick dinner and drinks then returned to the Casino theater to help out for Olivia's shift. There we saw half of J'ai rencontre le diable by Kim Jee-Woon. Gruesome, violent and full of vengeance. Seriously, where do people come up with this stuff? Is it therapy so they don't go all crazy killing people in real life? And why are we so obsessed with it as viewers?




Last day of Festival>
My shift was only at the end of the night. I arrived just in time for the Prize ceremony. The theater was packed with photographers, video cameras and seemingly famous people (I didn't recognize anyone!)... but the atmosphere was a great thing to be a part of. They kept the ceremony short and sweet- Grand Prize went to Bedevilled by Jang Cheolsoo.



After the ceremony was a viewing of The Hunters by Chris Briant. Also a very twisted storyline about a group of men who play manhunt in the woods with real targets and kill people. Funny thing about this movie was that the actress who plays Quinn in Glee was a main female! Kind of weird to see her in a horror film, but I guess you have to start somewhere...

Alrighty! That's all the energy I have to put into this... exhaustion and excitement for this next week are taking over! For all of the award winners check out the festival website: http://www.festival-gerardmer.com/index.html

First night of the film festival

First night at the Film festival complete and survived! Saw some great movies. Of course, in true French style there were WAY too many of us volunteers and nobody really had a sense of what they were supposed to do.. we ended up handing out voting tickets to everyone who entered so they could vote on the Audience Pick Award. It was great to see they types of people who come to this sort of event... and see who stays for the entire night! Someone said that there were more people this year than previous years, which is good. However, I don't sense too big of a change in town... maybe all of the festival goers are watching films or sleeping in preparation for watching more films. Who would have thought that sitting and staring at a screen would be so tiring?

So what films have we seen so far?

1. Devil by John Erick Dowdle. Written by M Night Shyamalan. A group of people gets stuck in an elevator and are tortured/killed by the devil. Who is the Devil? Why is he doing this? Ah, could he be a SHE? Great use of a small space and interesting use of black outs to keep the intrigue and mystery going just a bit longer. Loved that it took place in Philadelphia and the main character had a link to Bethlehem Pike.

2. Somos lo que hay- We are what we are by Jorge Michel Grau.



OH WOW. As gruesome and terrible this movie was to watch, I couldn't help but be completely taken in by the story line. A family who loses their father is at a crossroads as to how to continue their way of life. What is this way of life? It involves chasing people down, bringing them back to the house and performing some sort of ritual/rite.... aka they're cannibals. Full out I'm going to eat your face now, cannibals. The most terrifying aspect of this movie was that we never truly find out who they are and what they are doing- and of course, the movie ends with one of the family members surviving and going out into the street looking for the next victim. This story isn't over yet... For the most part, neutral, subdued colors and a very intricate set design for the family's home, clocks and boxes and jars (not filled!). And an unexplained stressful relationship between the mother and one of her sons.

3. The Troll Hunter by Andre Ovredal.



Took me back to my childhood books of a girl living in some Scandinavian country and dealing with the naughty trolls. But so much better! These trolls come in all shapes and sizes. They are controlled by the Secret Troll Control Bureau (the Norwegian government), who doesn't want the general public to know about the trolls, so they make up fake stories, like bear attacks (complete with fake bear prints!) to give people an acceptable story. This group of young people meet the only troll hunter, who takes them on a journey to find the trolls and see how they work. Well, the trolls smell people who believe in God- so beware- they'll eat you. High tension wires are actually used to contain the beasts. And to make sure the trolls don't smell humans, they have to rub nasty troll gunk all over their body and clothes before entering the forest at night. The story line kept me going the whole time- it was humorous, frightening and all around interesting to think about how brainwashed we could potentially be by our governments. Also, SUCH a great storyline for camp games! Can't wait to whip something up to scare the kids.

All three of these films are in the Competition category of the festival. Can't wait to see if any of them win!

Today working the festival 12+ hours! And most of the films will be with the jury- so that's super exciting!

International Film Festival comes to town!

More about this to come... Olivia and I are working this weekend in the festival as volunteers, helping people to their seats, etc etc...

And we already met some vampires in the forest.... ;)