Once upon a December

It is FROSTY! Not anymore - everyone thought it was going to snow because we started having FROSTY MORNINGS, but cruel Mother Nature crushed our/my hopes and dreams and made it rain french poodles instead. Here are some frosty mornings photos where I got overexcited:

Even the solar panel froze over

Frozen puddle

 My host family has a massive lovely fireplace so we ordered a billion tonnes of wood and got burning. Now the house smells like camping all the time!

Woodshed is actually a woodshed now

 I went to Jade's dad's house for lunch one day and we ate roasted chestnuts - SOOOO GOOOOD. I love chestnuts. Even more than dark chocolate and pineapple. YES, THAT MUCH!

Chestnuts ("chataignes")

 Had a Rotary meal - normally it's just a meeting without food but this was a special occasion... it was the CHOUCROUTE meeting! Which is French for sauerkraut! Basically, we ate a LOT of pork and salami and sausages and bread and cheese and wine with a little bit of healthy cabbage on the side. The French really do have healthy lifestyles sorted out! (Though I can't complain - I ate it all)

Rotary

 Another night, I laid eyes on an amazing beast! In the light from the headlights as we turned in the driveway I saw something running across along the lawn (actually it looked more like it was rolling). Ran over, saw my very first HEDGEHOG! He was seriously adorable, I nearly picked him up and kept him.

Monsieur Hedgehog

Saw my friend's sister's band play, there was a drunk old man who was dancing to the music, HILARIOUS

Went to a Tex Mex restaurant for lunch, don't understand why everyone thinks Australians drink Fosters beer...

 I've been hanging out in Chinon (a town about half an hour from Loudun) a lot recently because there's a Canadian girl from my district living there - at last! Students that live near me!

Statue of François Rabelais (famous author) in Chinon

Sunset over Chinon

 Rotary had a big gathering a while back to give food baskets to struggling elderly people in Loudun. 24 baskets were prepared but only 1 got given out that night - 23 people were so grateful they didn't even turn up! Old people, I ask you.

The members of Rotary Club of Loudun

A couple of weeks ago we had a district weekend in Bourges for Noel (Christmas), which was my last ever chance to see the other students in my district... it was all a bit sad and tragic. Adieu, newies!

C00l k1dz in Bourges

 There was a really big and cool Christmas market in Bourges!

Andika, Miranda, Victoria, me

 For the first time in recorded history, our Rotary district coordinators gave us wine! A whole half a glass! EACH! Hooray for Christmas!

The kids: Camila, Miranda, Juliana, me, Lydia, Jane

One day I decided to take my camera to school (actually it was still in my pocket from my weekend at Bourges because I'm kind of slack when it comes to unpacking) so I took some photos.

Lycée Guy Chauvet - seen from my classroom

Also, this was the day where we had to bring in cakes/goodies to English class to celebrate Christmas/the end of the year (even though it's only the middle of the year for them) - so I brought Milo and Vegemite for everyone to try! Although only a few people were brave enough. I think I ate most of the Milo.

Milo and Vegemite - 'Straya REPRESENT!

 Went back to Chinon another day to chill with Victoria, her host dad took us to the Rabelais' house (the author who has a statue in Chinon, there's a photo if you scroll up this post). I'd read the kiddy version (the original version is old French and even French people struggle to understand it) of two of his books, which are basically fairytales about a family of giants.

A giant from the story (Pantagruel)

A very old wine bottle

A doorway from back in the days when people were apparently only 3 feet high

Wine bottles in the cave at Rabelais' place

I don't even know how they managed to get this downstairs into the cave...

Loudun's even been decorated with Christmas lights and decos, all over the town! It's just during December but it makes a nice change from what it usually is.

Lit-up streets of Loudun

The governor of the district (1720) came for his annual dinner with Loudun (he/she goes to every club in the district during his/her time as governor) so we got to go to a restaurant, and everyone marvelled at the weight and beauty of my pin-infested blazer! Will put a photo up sometime, I'm pretty proud of it.

Loudun president with the governor

Christmas post coming SOON!