Toulouse, France and Andorra

This past weekend was probably the first time I felt truly homesick. Siri, Josh and I went to visit Guillaume's family in Toulouse--a city which I can best describe as the Cowansville of France (for the few of you reading this who are not from the river, I am referring to where my grandparents live). It broke my heart not only to be around a loud...crazy...loving family for a weekend, but also to look out the window and see green fields and potted plants. Even on Sunday, when I did homework the majority of the day, I couldn't stop thinking about my grandparents (I worked and sipped tea at the seat with the best view, just like at their house).

Next time I live in France, it will be in Toulouse.

Guillaume's mom is an AMAZING cook (although I would expect nothing less after tasting Guillaume's cooking). We snacked on homemade bread, jams, and deserts.... and we FEASTED on roasted potatoes, goat cheese, smoked ribs, duck, and chicken (fresh out of the backyard). I thought I was going to explode.

Oh. Did I mention that Guillaume is the only person in his family who speaks English? Talk about an entertaining dinner experience...

In addition to spending some time in town, we drove to Andorra (a small country between Spain and France). Honestly, Andorra is only worth visiting if you would like to do some duty free shopping. We ended up buying some baguettes and cheese, driving up the mountain, and having a picnic on the side of the road. I personally took the opportunity to work on photographing people as opposed to scenery for a change.

Last but not least, one of my favorite memories from this trip: Sitting in the hall of the night train with Siri, tangled together in the small space, and sharing a bottle of Champagne while reading a French storybook out loud.  It's the simple things you know?