Last week in Toulouse!

Our last week in Toulouse went by entirely too fast. On Tuesday we crammed into a car and drove to Roquefort, France. Here we learned about all the specialized processes that go into producing Roquefort cheese. Cheese is something I am very interested in so I had been looking forward to this trip most of all. The place we went to was called Societe cheese. Here they produce three different kinds of Roquefort cheese along with several further processed products. Along the tour we learned the legend and history behind the cheese. Deep in the cave where the cheese grows for three weeks it was cold and you could see the mold growing on the rock walls. When we finally got to the growth room it was breath taking to be able to see all the cheese lined up wall to wall. We were allowed to go inside the growth room and talk to one for the cheese masters of Societe. He showed us how he digs into the core of the cheese wheel to make sure there is adequate growth throughout the cheese. At the end of the tour we got to sample the Roquefort cheese and purchase some freshly wrapped. This was definitely an experience I will be crossing off my

bucket list.

This week we also toured several other caves including one with cave paintings from over 12000 years ago. We took a boat tour along an underground river that had different types of stalagmites and stalactites. And we viewed two water plants that purify and recycle the water supply for Toulouse. For our last week here in Toulouse we made sure to sample as much food as we could, we even had a delicious fondue with mushrooms floating right in the cheese.

We got to Paris yesterday and have already seen so many sites. In one day we walked around the city and viewed the outside of several famous landmarks. We have seen the Louvre, Arc de Triumph, the French embassy, and of course the Eiffel tower just to name a few. Later this week we are going to see parts of the Louvre but it will be too big to see it all even in the short week we have. I also tried escargot for the first time and loved it. Time to immerse myself in Paris’s history, this last week is gonna go out with a bang!

Off to Paris

So we have managed to make it to Paris finally. The 3 weeks in Toulouse were definitely eye opening. There are many beautiful places we had a chance to visit. One of the most touching things i saw would have to be the day we went to the underground river and prehistoric caves. it was amazing to think about how long ago humans created images of what they saw. The number of years before recorded history. The ancient tools and techniques and how far we have come along with the technology we have today and what might be accomplished in another 16000 years. I'm looking forward to what Paris has in store for us. So far during our free time we have see some great things, noticed the massive lines, and had some food that brought us home for just a little bit. Home sounds nice about now and its hard to believe that we only have one more week in France.

The hotel we are in will be a challenge. It seems strange to me how accepted no air conditioning is here. Back in America a/c is essential to life it seems. I can hardly imagine living in Texas without a/c. Back to the hotel, as you can guess we have no air conditioning in our rooms. The windows would be nice, if the room didn't back into a closed off ally with no airflow. The wifi is bad and we will see if I will even be able to post this blog.

Out trip has been a journey that will not be easily forgotten. We have learned and loved, yelled and shouted, we have been saddened, we have been overjoyed, but most of all we have been given the chance to experience things that we would not be able to experience back home. The people, the food, the sights and weather. all of these have added up to an adventure for the ages.

(sorry not pictures this week. unable to upload images from my phone, will post some when able.)

Small Transportation, Big Destinations

        It is hard to believe that we only have one more week in France. Right now I am on a train headed to Paris, sitting with six other Aggies. Some are sleeping and others, like myself, are wishing they could sleep, which has been a recurring scene this week. We covered many miles around southern France this week in a rental car that had seven seats exactly...but unlike the United States, a seven seater does not have the leg room of a Suburban. But shoulder to shoulder and knee to chin, we trekked over and around the green French country hills. We saw chateaus, caves, and various other facilities, but my two favorites of the week were Roquefort Cave and Montsegur Castle.
        Roquefort is a town built around the production of their famous Roquefort cheese. It spends about two weeks in the actual cave, maturing with the help of a fungus to give it a specific and renowned taste. So far, the simplest way I have found to describe the difference in how cheese tastes here is to say that they are strong. There are probably so many different elements to assess, but I feel like this sums them up. Cheese and bread are staple food items in France, and they are even offered as a substitute for dessert at the end of meals. Since I arrived, it seems to me that the goal of everything is simplicity, not necessarily the simplest way to do something but definitely the more natural way to doing things. And this goes right down to the style of food they have. Bread and cheese are as old as time it seems, and yet it is something France takes pride in and makes extraordinary. Simplicity with some integrity mixed in is truly the best way to make something beautiful.
        If anyone ever asks me if I have toured all of France, I will have to say “no,” but if anyone ever asks if I have ever seen all of it, I believe I can say “yes.” The view from Montsegur was breathtaking. You could see villages nestled within valleys, winding rivers, and billions of trees. And I have to say I am a little envious of the people who lived there so many years ago. They got to wake up and see that everyday...they also had to climb up to it, but I would do that hike five times a day for that view.
         I am learning, especially through what we saw this week, that people are incredibly smart. And I know that sounds silly because yes we all use our brains and have since time began, but looking at all of the architecture here and the tools developed, it is inspiring to see our capabilities. I am in awe of what the human mind can imagine and what the human body can build. Next stop, Paris!

Au Revoir Toulouse, Bonjour Paris

This week was the last and best week in Toulouse!  It started out with a tour of Toulouse by Julien.  During this tour we visited multiple churches.  Each church had unique elements from different points in history, and each one was beautiful.  The architecture and paintings were incredible!

After visiting some churches and eating lunch we went to a high rise parking garage where we could see the city from a different perspective.  The view was remarkable; I now know why it is called the pink city.

The next day we traveled to Roquefort to learn how their cheese is made.  This is one of the two best experiences I have had on this trip.  We were given VIP treatment! Not only did we learn the process from the cheese master himself, we also had complimentary samples of all of their cheeses.  Needless to say, the cheese was delicious.  One thing I have learned is their cheese making process is precise and time consuming, but it is worth it.

The best day I have had pin this trip was on Thursday.  It started out with a relaxing boat tour of an underground river.  From there we has a delicious lunch at a local restaurant.  I do not think I will ever get tired of eating duck; I wish it was more common in the states.  After the meal we headed toward our main destination, a cave containing prehistoric drawings.  This cave was fascinating! It was completely dark (except for our flashlights), which added to the effect.  The drawings were interesting.  My guess is the cave was used as a celebration area where people would go to relax and converse after a hunt.

  From there we traveled to some castle ruins.  After a nice hike to the top of the hill I could see a breathtaking view of southern France.

On Saturday we departed for Paris by train.  Upon arrival I was greeted with massive clusters of impatient people.  Once everything was organized and checked into the hotel, I headed directly to Chipotle.  Since chipotle uses local ingredients at its restaurants I thought it would be an interesting comparison. It was more expensive but just as delicious.  After chipotle we made our way to Notre Dame.  It was a remarkable sight.  From there we traveled to the Louvre for a quick look.

 The next morning I went with the group to see the Eiffel tower.  We were unable to go up it due to the amount of people in line, but just standing near it was a worthwhile experience.  Once we were done with pictures we explored that part of the city. Although I have only been in Paris for a little over a day, I can tell it is going to be a great week.

How does one person have so much fun!?

I don’t think life gets any better than it is right this moment. I’m sitting outside of a small French café eating and drinking; watching the people stole by. This past week has been, by far, the best week in France yet. The things we’ve seen and the people we’ve met have been simply incredible.

With our final days in Toulouse we traveled, ate amazing food and hung out with some very cool people. Probably one of the most interesting moments last week was when we traveled to Rockford cheese to learn about the rich history and unique process they use to make their world-famous cheeses. Seeing the caves and all the cheese wheels wasn’t nearly as unique as meeting the master ager of said cheese and the head of international business. I was very humbled by the fact that two of the most important people at the facility would take time out of their busy day to meet us and talk with us for a few minutes, they are masters of their respective fields. I had a very interesting conversation with the lady in charge of international business because for once I final could finally hold a interesting conversation about something we were learning about, biodiversity is a little over my head. I would love to be their business partner and bring Rockford to Texas! (Like that’ll ever happen! But a man can dream..) Another unique experience last week was visiting the cave paintings in the mountains, I was again very humbled to see something that was 14,000 years old. Who gets to do that!? I like that we spent a lot of time outside the classroom last week, I learned so much more walking around than I ever did in a lecture. Our last night in Toulouse was spent out on the town with our good friend Elie, man did we have a good time eating Lebanese food and enjoying the night life one last time.

Okay now we are in PARIS! Holy crap I never thought I would fall in love with a city so fast, well aside from Barcelona. Everyone I have talked to so far has been incredibly nice and willing to help me get through the language barrier; still kicking myself for not knowing more French. So far we have seen the Louve, Notre Dame and parts of the Eifel Tower; man is this city beautiful. I really enjoyed visiting the outside of Notre Dame, I could probably sit there all day in the sun and people watch like I did yesterday. I look forward to see what the rest of this city has to offer and I’m sure that I wont have a shortage of things to write about as the week continues.

Fair well for now,

Anthony Bourdain (I wish)

“I eat, I write, I drink and I’m hungry for more” 

Au Revoir, Toulouse!

I don't know if I could have had a better time in Toulouse these past three weeks. I have taken this last week as an opportunity to reflect on my experiences and time here. I have learned that the French have strange toilets, pomme means apple AND potato, and that everything is not exactly as it seems. 

I came to France afraid that the people would be rude and dismiss me for being American, and some people did, but others were friendly and interested in our lives. It was so refreshing, and I realized that France was not as different from America as I thought. There are all kinds of people, all over the world. You can't say that all French people are stuck-up, the same way you can't say all Texans are friendly. It's just possible to make such a general stereotype!
     
We had a lovely last week in Toulouse, between exploring the city's hidden treasures and traveling to Roquefort to see how they make their speciality to cheese. I even tried some of the stinky cheese! I have never had cheese where I can physically see the mold on it, but when in France! It was different from any other cheese I had ever eaten, and I probably will never eat it again. At Roquefort, I had the opportunity to meet the manager of international business. It was very cool to hear someone in another country talking about the same things I learn about in my classes at Texas A&M. She discussed expanding their target market and creating a marketing mix that will interest more Americans in French luxury cheeses. I guess money speaks the same language in every country! I enjoyed the chance to have a discussion about something that applied to my career, but also involved the agricultural aspect that plays a big role in the culture and economy of not only France, but also Texas.

Canard and Barcelona!

  Wrapped up our second week here in France with  an extended weekend trip to Barcelona. The first part of the week we experienced some lectures on poultry production, the difference in GMO's and transgenic plants, and tropical plant production. My favorite experience though was definitely the tour of the poultry farms.

  On Wednesday we went about two hours outside of Toulouse on a bus to tour a poultry farms. The interesting thing about poultry production here is that unlike America the farmers can make a living off only a few thousand chickens. They also have a much larger access to free range and have a longer growth period. The farm that we toured raised guineas, turkens, and ducks. Guineas and the turken chickens are consumed in about the same amounts in France. The barns that they are reared in are also very similar to those back home. In the duck barn we got to see the machine that assists in the force feeding of the ducks for making foix gras. The process used by the feeder ensures that the duck is not harmed or given to much feed at once. The mechanism used to force feed the ducks does not hurt them it only helps to administer the required amount of food to produce excess lipids in the liver.
   Wednesday night we had a send off dinner for the students from UGA. While they will be sorely missed their time here had drawn to a close and all were ready to go back to their families.
   On Thursday we began a four day weekend by taking a train to Barcelona, Spain. It was difficult to get there because our first train was canceled and we had to make a few quick and unplanned transfers but we got there safely. We checked into our hostel that evening and proceeded to go out on the town and try tapas which are like appetizers. The next day we explored the city and all of the shops that looked interesting. I noticed that a lot more people in Barcelona speak English than those in Toulouse. There is also a much higher unemployment rate there which lead to protests in some parts of the city at night. We were lucky enough to witness one of these protests while walking back from a nights meal. On Saturday we toured the Picasso Museum and saw his abstract works as he progressed throughout his career. We also went to the beach to enjoy some of the sun and the local atmosphere. To wrap up the weekend there we went to a small restaurant at the marina and had some of the best food of the entire trip. My favorite part was the goat cheese ice cream which may sound gross to some but it has a very unique flavor if you give it a chance. I'm glad I did.
   On Sunday we headed back to Toulouse on a straight shot train from Barcelona. As exhausted as we were a good long nap was in due order on the long ride back. I am excited for our comming week discovering what France has in store next!