Public Restrooms

When in a café, you are allowed to use the restroom, but you cannot just come off the street and use the WC in a café without buying a drink. You never know what kind of bathroom you will get: it may be one you need to access by putting a coin in the door; it may be a toilet like in North America or it may be a turkish toilet, where there is no toilet bowl, but basically a very flat porcelain basin level with the ground requiring you to squat (no picture yet).

You do get used to these things . . . Outdoor restrooms are also available.

There aren't too many of these left around the city. A quick pit stop for guys only. This one is on my way to the bank, just between the street and the sidewalk.

It is also a good place for graffiti.

A more modern version, available to anyone for a euro or two. After each use, the entire inside gets rinsed, so chances are that you may end up with a very wet restroom.

I often wonder why the French put up with restrooms that more often than not are not very clean or user friendly. These things don't surprise me anymore, but they do still make me wonder.

Bakeries

I never tire of looking into bakeries. This one is next to the Marché de l'Estacade--the outdoor market I go to. There is very little standing space inside, which is typical of older bakeries.


When I spoke to a baker last year, he said that baking bread in the past used to be a lot simpler--just bake a lot of plain white baguette. Now people like to have choices and so that is what most bakeries provide. You can get whole-wheat baguette, semi-whole wheat baguette, 5-grain boules--"rounds", 12-grain baguette, etc. I like the variety.



Almost all bakeries all offer basic pastries--croissants, pains au chocolat, flans, even brownies. They also make single servings of quiches and pizzas.


And then not so basic pastries are also sold. These usually cost between 2 and 3 euros a piece.

Le Grand Som-Sept. 27 hike

Yesterday's hike was in the Chartreuse mountain range again. We took a bus to 800 meters and from there spied our destination, the top of the mountain--le Grand Som-the large summit, in the distance in the picture above. The hikes often seem impossible to me, at least from the bottom or from a picture. And yet we do end up at the top! It is good to know that if there is a rock face to the mountain, the trail takes you around to the back or side of the mountain where it is much easier to climb.

On this hike, however, our guide book was not accurate on how long it would take us to get to the top, so we decided to go the "quicker" way for the last hour of climbing to the top. We ended up rock climbing (Luc would have loved this!) for about an hour. Hiking poles where of no use since we needed our hands to grab the rocks. I dared not look down! A guy ahead of us scrambled up the rocky face making this look like a piece of cake. Not for us. We were happy to get to the top!

Here we are at 2026 meters.

I'm looking around for a suitable place to picnic.

From the top, you can see the Grande Chartreuse Monastery below--a very strict Catholic religious order where about 30 monks live, mostly in silence. We visited this area and the museum a couple of weeks ago with the students.

We ate our lunch quickly because according to the signs we needed over 3 hours to get back to our bus stop. We took a different and easier trail back down, but also really picked up our pace in the hope that we would still be able to catch our bus (this was the only bus back to Grenoble; hitchhiking would be the alternative).


As we were going down, we were very surprised to meet some of the Carthusian monks on the path. They were in their white robes (no back packs or water), with their hiking boots. Otto quietly pulled out his camera when they were passed us. It can't be easy hiking in long white robes!

Once we were on an easier path we jogged for about 30 minutes, still trying to make our 4:30pm bus departure. We got there 10 minutes ahead of schedule.

Cooking class #1--Sept. 24, 2011

It is 8:30, Saturday morning and I walk from the tram stop up through the town of Gières where my cooking class takes place. Gières is a bit like a suburb of Grenoble; it takes me about 20 minutes on the tram and about 15 minutes of walking. I like walking here because it feels a little bit like the country and in the morning it is very quiet. Fog is still rolling off the hillside so the house looks like it is in a hazy mist. It is an old farmhouse now divided up into apartments. The cooking class takes place on back side of the house. This is an advanced course; three hours every Saturday morning.


Atelier Culinaire = Culinary Workshop
Les Tilleuls = lime trees (no limes in her yard as far as I can tell); there is a reason why she chose this as the name of her workshop but I can't remember.

Exterieur of the apartment/workshop

Emily Feltracco (pictured) is the instructor. Her kitchen space can have up to 6 students, but today there were only 2 of us. Almost one on one is such a treat! As is having the class in French. Emily worked in a restaurant for about 7 years but got tired of the very long hours and poor pay. This is a new business venture for her (last year was her first year) and when her classes are not full, she supplements her teaching with catering services.



This morning's theme was summer's last vegtables--zucchini, peppers, egg plant, and tomatoes. Isabelle (the other "student") and I each made a terrine de légumes grillées or grilled vegetable terrine. We didn't use a grill but the oven (and with a grill, I think the flavor would be quite different). Peppers, zucchini, and eggplant are thinly sliced and grilled. They are layered in a "terrine", sort of like a loaf pan. Between each layer is a tomato/garlic/onion/pine nut/basil sauce that has gelatine in it. When all layered, it solidifies after 4 hours in the fridge. You can then pop it out of the pan.


So this is a cold dish, perfect for a summer meal with some grilled meat, or to take along on a picnic. Otto an I had some for supper and really liked it. The kids are not at all keen on these veggies, although Isabelle did try it and said it was okay.


When the terrine was made we made a crumble du soleil--literally, a crumble from the sun (vegetables that love the sun--the same ones used in the terrine). Onions, peppers, garlic, eggplant, and zucchini all diced and sautéed. A crumble consisting of equal parts flour and butter, plus grated parmesan makes the topping.



The veggies are placed in a shallow dish or individual shallow dishes, topped with some sliced coppa (a type of cured pork--bacon or prosciutto could also be used), and some fresh sliced mozzarella. The crumble then goes on top and is baked for 30 minutes.

Baked versions--we had them for Sunday lunch. Very nice!

Hike to La Dent de Crolles-Sept. 21, 2011

This was this week's hike--La Dent de Crolles, which means "Crolles' tooth"--depending on what angle you are looking at the mountain, it looks like a molar and the town at the bottom is "Crolles". We started our hike at 8am, once again taking a bus up to 1000 meters to the beginning of the trail. We really liked this climb up to 2000 meters. There was a nice combination of open areas, wide forest paths, some rock climbing with a cord, and very interesting landscapes. We even saw a wild mountain goat.

This was a fun passage way. The rocks above are very stuck where they are!


When we got to the top at noon, we just caught sight of a para-glider taking off (blue on the left side of the picture). In fact, several people had done the climb with the 10-20kg. paragliding pack on their back (it all fits into a very, very large backpack). That made us pause when we were huffing and puffing with our light back packs carrying our picnic lunch, water and jackets! We actually did quite a bit of huffing and puffing towards the top because of the altitude.


The highest point often has a cross, as is the case here. Behind Otto is the imposing Mont Blanc.



We just had lunch at the edge and Otto is resting. There was snow at the top--you can see it at the edge, which drops at least 400 meters (see the first picture). We didn't even try to peer over the edge, but we did put some snow down our backs to cool ourselves down.

At home

This is Otto's work space in our bedroom.




I'm making croques monsieurs--grilled cheese sandwiches, French style; something that is commonly available in cafés at lunch time. Basically I spread bread with crème fraîche-a version of sour cream that can be heated without it curdling, topped with emmental or gruyère cheese, slice of ham, more cheese and then another slice of bread. The top gets some crème fraîche, nutmeg and pepper and some more cheese. It all goes under the grill for about 10 minutes. With a salad on the side it makes a great quick lunch or dinner.



Luc has picked up a new hobby--card tricks. Here he is practicing a trick so that later he can videotape it and put it on YouTube. He learns most of them from the internet and then tries them out on us, many times over. And yes, there is a point when we've all had enough of his tricks. Most of them are pretty cool, though. The one above is called "Four Kingdoms".

Bikes and recycling in Grenoble

These pictures are just odds and ends of things that I find interesting.

Grenoble is very flat and as such is a great city for bikes. There are bike routes throughout the city and as a pedestrian you do have to be careful when crossing a bike path because the bikers are off to work or school or to do errands and are going at a good clip. The "métrovélo" (city bike in English) are rental bikes, for the day, month or year. There are so many of them around town that I sometimes wonder how people remember which one is theirs. Since I like biking, I considered renting one, but then decided that I really like walking around town and have the time to see everything when on foot.


This can be found in every neighborhood . . . a glass recycling container. We recycle all paper and plastic, but all glass goes in this container (there are no refunds for bottles, plastic or glass). About every other week, a truck comes to empty the container by lifting it by the hook on the top. A trap door on the bottom opens to release all the glass into a truck. This of course makes a clattering noise which always makes us jump since this one is just outside of our building.

First snow

Yesterday's rain in Grenoble brought snow, the first snow, to the Belledonne mountain range. So now when looking out one of our windows, or down the end of streets we see this. There are also some lower hanging clouds in front. The lines you see crossing the street and at the top of the picture are Christmas lights that stay up year round and will not go on until December.

Grenoble Art Museum--Sept. 18, 2011

This is the Art Museum of Grenoble. I really like the inside of the building--lots of daylight (note the glass structures on the roof to let in natural light), very high ceilings and all painted white. The art collection is also impressive.




Matisse-Marguerite Lisant (Marguerite reading)




And even a Calder mobile.



This is the view from one side of the museum-- the Italian neighborhood across the Isère river.

The museum was very busy today because it was free. Lots of kids were doing a type of treasure hunt where they had to find different paintings.

Making gloves in Grenoble

This weekend is an annual cultural event held throughout France-- "des journées du patrimoine" "cultural heritage days" when state properties are open to the public (in the US for example, you would be able to visit rooms in the White House not usually open to the public). It is also a chance to visit the workshops of traditional artisans.

The girls and I went to a "ganterie"--a shop where leather gloves are made. Grenoble used to be the center of glove-making in France, and now there is only 1 place left in Grenoble that makes gloves by hand. We got a 1 hr. demonstration of glove-making. The man pictured above is wearing a ribbon around his neck with a medal (hard to see) because in 2000 he was designated the "meilleur ouvrier de France"--the best artisan in France. He is demonstrating with the red leather how to cut it to size. The white pattern does the front and back of a glove; the brown smaller pattern is for the thumb, and the long, narrow, caramel-colored pattern is for the "fourchettes"--the forks or the parts used on the sides of the fingers.

The leather comes from baby goats, raised on the hillsides surrounding Grenoble. Note that the goats are slaughtered for their meat and the skin is something that would be tossed if not used for glove-making.

When the basic size is cut, the edge of the square of leather is glued to silk and left to dry for a day. The glue is just to help with the sewing. Gloves can also have a cashmere lining.





The exact size of the glove is punched out with the metal punch on the left. It can do up to 5 gloves at once.





The sewing of a glove (22-24 individual pieces) is done with a machine. This lady can sew a glove in 20 minutes. Only the edge of the wrist is sewn by hand, as well as any embellishments that the customer might want. She uses tweezers to adjust the leather in the machine. We all knew that this finicky work was not for us!





When the sewing is finished, a wooden dowel-like contraption is inserted in each finger to ensure that the sewing was done well. The gloves then get put on an iron in the shape of a glove. Here the gloves are pressed. You can see that the gloves on the left have been pressed. They are ready to be purchased now (price you ask?--about 100 euros for a pair of cashmere-lined gloves).

lunch with Isabelle and Anna

Otto and Luc are in Lyon (1 hr. from Grenoble) this weekend with the students, so I took the girls out for lunch, just down the street. Since the weather changed to rain and cooler temperatures, we ate indoors. The girls ordered a "croustillant au St Marcellin", which is a local cheese baked in a pastry with a side of salad. The small white bowl had a vinaigrette for the salad.



This café is also a pastry shop. Isabelle ordered a "babylone". The cone has a cookie base filled with vanilla and chocolate mousse, and a caramel center. The outside is a ganache with walnuts. Yes, it is very good.

Food Pantry of the French Reformed Church-L'Echoppe

On Thursday mornings I'm volunteering at the French Reformed Church's food pantry called "l'Echoppe"--which translates as a market stall. The pantry is about a 5-minute walk from St. Marc's in a poorer neighborhood. Unlike Neland's food pantry which is part of our church building, this one is in a former elementary school far from a Reformed Church. A team of about 12 people run the show on Thursdays. According to the lists pictured above we pack boxes of food (pasta, polenta, oil, couscous, etc.). We also add butter, meat, bread, fruit and veggies.


In this room, the food is chosen according to the number of people in a family. Those who come to the food pantry do not "shop" for the food, but can chose not to take something. This morning, much to the consternation of some of the ladies, an individual did not want "compote"--applesauce. How can you refuse food, they wonder. I did not think this was such a big issue, but they did!



The fruits, vegetables and meat are all weighed so that there is enough for everyone who signed up the day before. This takes more time, but it does allow everyone to get something.


The food we pack is put in boxes. Those who come for food--this morning we served about 30 people--pack it in their caddies (large market bags on wheels), in their strollers if they have a child along or in their backpacks.

I had a long conversation--half in French, half in English--with a refugee from Kosovo. He and his wife fled their country 2 years ago and since coming to France they have lived in 29 different places. They have finally received permanent status so they will not be sent back to Kosovo. Life is very hard, but he is a graphic artist and his wife an elementary school teacher, and they hope they can support themselves soon. He was very thankful to God for the lodging he has (15 sq. meter apartment!), the food he gets at the pantry and for being able to start his own website.

Some of our favorite things

Sitting in a café, glass of water and the newspaper. The black dish on the left holds the receipt and also is where you put your coins to pay--in this café, an espresso is 1,40 euros. Not all cafés ave a dish for payment. In this case you catch the server and pay up. If you have your coffee standing at the bar inside it is cheaper because you are not taking up any floor space inside or terrace space outside.

Yesterday morning the weather was again great and so Otto and I took our morning coffee at a nearby pastry shop and shared a "croissant aux amandes" (almond-filled croissant) as well.

This is looking down the street from where we were sitting--the café/pastry shop is 2 minutes from our apartment.

La Chartreuse--day with students-Sept. 10, 2011

We joined the students on their excursion today to the Chartreuse--the same area Otto and I hike yesterday. This time we had a hired bus to take us to various spots. We started with an hour's ride up to the spot where we would do a short (1hr) hike of the "Charmant Som"--charming summit. It was extremely windy and a bit cool. But after the climb we warmed up.

Behind us and to the right you can see a vague outline of Mont Blanc--snow covered.

After the hike, the bus took us 15 minutes further to St. Hugues-de-Chartreuse, a church/museum of contemporary sacred art work by Arcabas. We had a very good guide who explained the art. Most impressive were the large deep red, black and some white paintings of the 10 commandments which depicted the life of a person.

Lunch was 15 minutes further in St. Pierre-de-Chartreuse: Salad, followed by beef or chicken--we cooked the meat ourselves on flat volcanic rocks (heated in an oven and brought to our tables) and ate this with baked potatoes and a choice of 4 different sauces. Cheese followed and then dessert (green ice cream, made with the chartreuse liqueur, a specialty made by the monks in this area). Otto and I have had the liqueur but never the ice cream, so this was a nice treat (sorry no picture of green ice cream!).

Our final stop of the day was a museum of the Order of the Chartreux--an order of monks who live in the valley and which has been in existance for the past 900 years. Since you cannot visit their monastery, the museum, which replicates their daily life, is the next best thing. They live in silence and amongst other things, read or sing all 150 Psalms every week.