Keeping myself fed during my spring break in France turned out to be quite an interesting culinary adventure filled with lots of cafes and bakery stops, as well as a few home cooked meals. Of course I had to sip some coffee in a few posh cafes, and at one I was served a sticky little Bourdelaise pastry-type snack called canelles. It was oddly chewy and dense, but something that would probably become a craving problem if I had stayed in Bordeaux and had many more. I also felt the extreme need to fill myself with carbs (my favorite!) and so lots of croissants, fresh-based cookies from La Mie Caline (the triple chocolate squares were so big and so yummy), and were typical french "jambon-beurre" (baguettes with cheese and ham) were consumed.

I was treated to some nice hospitality as my friend offered to let me stay with her in her homestay so I wouldn't have to book a ridiculously expensive hotel room, which led to one of the strangest meals I have probably ever had. Her homestay mother loved to cook and whipped up a pot full of fresh onions, carrots, and lentils with herb seasoning, and started to rip off the packaging to what looked like strange sausages. My gut instinct told me I knew what they were, but I'm not at all familiar with french cuisine so I didn't want to freak myself out... But lo and behold I was right on target. We were served blood sausages that night, and they are one of the most... intriguing foods I have ever had. The taste was not bad, and actually went quite well with the lentils, however the texture is what got me. It was soft and smushy but also thinking that it was made out of blood made it just seem ever so slimy and curdled... I'm still not sure what to make of it. I think I psyched myself out too much by reminding myself that it was blood in order to truly enjoy that meal, but hey, I'll chalk it up as a cultural experience.

The two things I absolutely wanted to try while in Bordeaux were its famed Bordaeux wine and a french crepe (or what I later found out is also called galette). The cheap student vineyard tours were booked for the weekend, so instead my friend took me to her favorite wine bar where we tried fruity red wines from a local winery. My palette is definitely not that refined, but I could really taste the jam-like notes in my glass versus the peppery aftertaste in my friend's which were both very different but quite tasty. My favorite meal of the entire trip took place in this kitschy little hole-in-the-wall restaurant we randomly stopped by because of the colorful tables outside. We were a bit sketched out by the broken glass in the sliding door, but found ourselves inside a whimsical little place with lampshades attached to the ceiling, piles of books and toys and typewriters along the walls, old black-and-white portraits and photographs along the sideboards, and an eclectic mix of mismatched vintage tableware that gave the entire place a cozy vibe. I got a traditional galette with ham, cheese, egg, and potato which was super delicious and met all of my expectations, not to mention the banana-coconut crepe we shared for dessert.

While italian cuisine will forever trump french fare in my mind, it was a good break from all of the tomatoes and pasta, and I really see how the same foods can be enjoyed in completely different cultural contexts to shape your interactions with the city and the locals.