by Today was my nineteenth birthday in Paris, France. That means April 1st/Poisson d’Avril/April Fool’s Day.
You can slap me with a fish (and Florie slapped me with a whole bag of them) if this weekend wasn’t one of the most spectacular weekends of my entire life. My last day of being 18 was just as phenomenal as my first day of being 19. Here’s what happened:
At five o’ clock in the morning on Friday, I woke up, threw some stuff in a duffel bag, and met my friends in the lobby so we could haul our luggage to the Menilmontant metro stop in pure darkness. Not very often are the streets of Paris completely silent, but at 5 o’ clock in the morning, it’s as if the whole world becomes still.
We arrived at Gare de Lyon, set down our things, and found Melanie Satterwhite (our chaperone who carries herself impeccably well and I aspire to be as graceful as she is), Cindy, and Xavier, and then our favorite upperclassmen showed up (Nadrah, Audrey, Erin, Sika…that whole gang of crazy kids). From the first minute, we were in hysterics. Of all the people who could go on a trip together, I honestly feel like we had a really wonderful group.
I laughed so much this weekend (to the point of tears, sore cheeks, and sore stomachs) that I don’t even feel that guilty for the inordinate amount of cheese we ate. But let me first elaborate.
I love trains. I love being in transit, in a big, comfortable seat, with the French countryside gliding past the window, and having nothing to do but stay occupied; read a book, listen to Florence & The Machine while looking out the window, or sleeping on your friend’s shoulder. So that’s precisely what I did, sitting next to Sofia. Anna, Elodie, and Jaime sat in the four-seat arrangement thing behind us, and between my short naps, I heard their chatter that made me silently smile to myself.
After three and a half hours, we found ourselves in the lovely, gorgeous, heartbreakingly beautiful south of France – with its skies as blue as a Mediterranean ocean, completely void of a single cloud, and its sunshine that puts you into a hazy state of sleepiness, and its pink cherry trees that frame the snow-covered Alps.
We were in Annecy.
We clambered off the train, excitedly awaiting our next adventure. Muddling our way out of the station and towards our bus, we loaded in our bags, and then turned to the village.
Thus, Nadrah began applying lip gloss, I started to make fun of her, “I can’t deal with this right now..” moments, and Erin and Sika started cracking jokes that made Jaime and me practically fall over laughing. Despite my feeling somewhat nauseous from the motion, we had a very nice tour of Annecy, with a tour guide who looked just like a little Edith Piaf. Sofia obviously took a secret video of her from behind while we were walking. We also go to stare at some woman’s house (because it isn’t painted or something) and she got excited, opened the window, waved to us, and started holding up her snake-like dog. I thought this was absolutely hilarious. My shoulders were shaking from trying to contain the laughter. We were shown the river, which was apparently formed (according to legend) by three angels who cried from the heavens, and we were led through markets, out onto the most gorgeous lake in the entire world. There we were, standing in absolute sunshine, it t-shirts and shorts, with backpacks on our shoulders, staring out at blue, blue water so pure that you could see everything underneath, and far away in the distance, the Alps shot up into the sky, covered in snow.
It was the most beautiful paradox.
Of course, while we were walking through the markets, we lost some of the crew – Elodie, Sofia, Nadrah, and Jaime. Sika had to go back and search for them in the middle of the tour. They were distracted by the food, evidently. Comme d’hab.
Jaime helped carry my backpack like a slave (heehee, love you, Jaime, because I know you’ll read this) because I wasn’t feeling well. Jaime’s the best. But I finally started feeling better just in time for lunch! After briefly perusing a souvenir store that sold wolf/gofer backpacks and keychains, we picked out a restaurant in the sunshine with the sweetest waitress ever. We got pizzas, salads, and Nadrah ordered a bowl of cheesy, potatoey stuff that bubbled it was so hot. It looked delicious, and my salad (with goats cheese) was also scrumptious. Jaime, being Jaime (who I love), ordered the kids’ menu of a steak haché with grenadine and ice cream in a little tub for dessert.
That was just the beginning of the cheese, though.
We went back to the lake to marvel at its beauty a little more before getting onto the bus and making our way to a tiny little cheese farm. On the way, though, our bus overheated, and we had to stop. Sofia was so tired that all she could do was laugh. We eventually had to escape the bus and wait outside for it to cool, where we discovered that we were practically in a windstorm. We could not fathom how it was so warm inside the bus, and yet, so cold outside. Sofia and I sat in a gazebo and laughed at the hilarity of the situation for a while, before returning to the bus, and taking a nap. It was pretty funny because Sofia pulled the curtains closed to keep the sun out (which are bright pink), then put her sunglasses on and leant back in the chair. She looked like a little diva! We also couldn’t stop laughing at my “cheeses” face, which involves my looking a little bit like a mouse. I think you had to be there, but nonetheless, it needs to be recorded.
The views were absolutely phenomenal as we drove through, up a mountain, with the bus driver going along at an alarming rate, so it was quite exciting. The whole time, Erin and Sika were making Jaime and me crack up like crazy. Put those two together and they’re unstoppable. Jaime and I decided to call them “The Clementine and the Black Grape” and give them a TV show, with Jaime’s job being the person who holds up signs like “applause”, because she’s the one who is best at being a good audience. Truthfully, though, those two bounce off each other when they speak in the most hilarious way. It was the most entertaining weekend of my life because of them. Erin and Sika, you guys make my day.
At the little cheese farm, a cute, super-happy woman with rosy cheeks brought out plates of cheese, glasses of cider, and brioche with blackcurrant jam and honey for us to eat in a cosy little room. We sat with some of the upperclassmen, who kept us thoroughly entertained while we devoured a ridiculous amount of cheese. It reminded me of Heidi – all this cheese and the Alps. I remember reading Heidi when I was younger, and how the cheese made her healthier so that her cheeks turned rosy and red. I loved that part.
Then, we were separated into groups, and my group was taken downstairs into a little cheese cellar where we learned that some cheeses at Franprix should not ever be bought. We also learned how cheese was made, and it was actually really interesting. I have a new found respect for farmers who make cheese – it’s an intense process.
Then, we were taken into a barn-type thing where all the goats are kept. The guy telling us about them was hilarious – whenever a goat made a noise, he’d speak to them like they were a human. When one farted, he yelled at it to say sorry, and then it bleated a little bit, so everyone laughed. The goats jumped up on the fence a little so we could pet them. In the back, a bunch of baby goats were being kept in what looked like a trough. Very cute. We were then led around the back to where a goat was hanging out, waiting to be milked. And guess what..? That’s right. WE MILKED THE GOAT. I had been looking forward to that moment all trip, and we were finally going to milk the goat. So, we all took turns milking it, but that’s not all that happened. As soon as we were done milking, we were told to bend down, and the farmer guy squeezed milk directly from the udder into our mouths. It was warm, and it was an experience. That’s all I’m gonna say.
We were set free after that, so we went into another barn, where we discovered pigs and a cow that randomly decided to start bounding around crazily and chasing after us. Everyone rushed out of the room, and once safe, we all started laughing. I turned around to Jaime, and she was completely buckled over in laughter. Then, she pointed up the hill and, through her laughter, said, “Sika!” I looked up at where she’d pointed, and there was Sika, with the most distraught expression her face (and Sika is known for her insane expressions) all the way at the top of the hill. Never in my life have I seen someone run so fast away from something. Actually, I take that back. Once, while playing soccer at school with the Shahrins and Ralph, we were attacked by a swarm of bees, and Ralph ran away so fast that we didn’t even notice he was gone for a second there. But this was just like that time, and those two times are the fastest I’ve seen anyone run away in my life.
After that traumatic episode, we were carted back onto the bus, and, after almost rolling off the edge of the mountain in the bus, we were off again, back to whence we came (Annecy). We got to our hotel, a little building right next to the most photographed building in Annecy, situated just next to the canal, and we got our keys. Jaime, Anna, and I were rooming together, so we had to drag our bags up five flights of stairs because we’re not lazy and everyone was using the elevator. Once in, we had just enough time to change clothes so that we didn’t smell like goats, and then, we were outside in the glorious street lights of Annecy, ready for our fondue dinner.
That’s right, more cheese.
I think NYU France took up most of that restaurant. We were served big pots of stringy, bubbly fondue, with bread to spike on long forks, accompanied by an assortment of cold meats, salad, and potatoes. For dessert, we had oregano ice cream in some kind of cakey stuff. It was yummy to me, though Erin and Sika weren’t feeling it that much, I’m guessing. I told them they at least had to try to enjoy it, and I could see they did – vague attempts at broadening our palettes. But when Erin had made it halfway through and had started turning the same color as the ice cream (a vague shade of whitish/green), I decided I’d better help her out. By the end of that meal, we were absolutely stuffed, and so full of cheese we could hardly bear it. In fact, when they first brought out the desserts, I cracked a joke that it may be cheesecake. At first glance, we really did think that it was cheesecake, so we were utterly relieved to discover that it wasn’t. Too. much. cheese. As Sofia would say, “Cheesed out.”
While at dinner, we made a plan to do something rebellious. I felt it was appropriate being that it was my second last day of being 18, and I had to do SOMETHING rebellious before I turned 19, didn’t I? So, we figured that once we’d returned to the hotel, we’d all go out at midnight and jump into the frosty lake at Annecy. A few short moments later, we all gathered in the cold air outside, towels at the ready, and made a shameless walk through the village to the water’s edge. We bumped into our chaperones getting a drink, but all they did was laugh, give us the thumbs up, and wish us luck. We were jumping into water that is just recently-melted snow from the Alps. 8 degrees celsius during the day, probably less than that at night. On the count of three, Erin, Jaime, Anna, and I jumped into that icy pool of iciness.
For an instant, I felt nothing. Then I felt rock. Oops. But almost as soon as I felt rock, my legs went so numb I could feel nothing. Something in my brain started to scream, “GET OUT! GET OUT!” Sika had been lecturing me, in her Carribbean accent nonetheless (getting her mommy on) “Not to go in that water, you hear?”, but there I was, scrambling out because I was afraid I was going to turn to ice. But once out, we all thought the entire affair was hilarious, and though my feet still couldn’t feel the ground on which they were standing, I felt immensely happy and free. We wrapped towels around us to start the warming up process, then began to head back. On the way, we discovered Anna had a bleeding foot, so we had to patch it up with band-aids and cream back at the hotel, but as Anna said – “Still so worth it”.
The next morning, we lazily awoke and went downstairs to our breakfast of fruit, cereal, croissants, and yogurt. Then, it was back to the bus to start the day once more.
First stop, another farm up a mountain for more cheese, believe it or not. More animals, too. Cows, this time, all lined up in a row, gushing pee all over the place which put us all into hysterics. We saw how they were milked and things like that, and then we saw some more demonstrations of the making-of-cheese. We were led into the room where the cheese is kept and aged, and there were just rows and rows of pure, white cheese. Even though were were cheesed out, as it were, this cheese was mild and tasty enough that when they brought it out to us, all neatly cut up on china plates and set on a table at the top of the mountains with a gorgeous view, it actually tasted good enough that I went in for a second slice!
We lazed about in the sun. I started calling Nadrah my Grandpa Muhammad as a joke that you have to know Nadrah to understand.
Then, we traveled from the top of a mountain all the way down to the bottom – another lake – in the town of Talloires. This, my friends, was just as heartbreakingly beautiful as Annecy, with clear, clear water, the mountains, the pink cherry-blossoms, the yellow flowers, the green, green grass, the wooden docks. Everything looked like it had been brought to life out of a painting. We were given free time, so we all went to get ice cream, strawberries, chips, pixie sticks, and things like that from a nearby grocery store, then we walked down to sit in front of the grass, on the deck, feet in the water, mountains overhead, for a picnic in the sunshine. We lazed about eating, laughing hysterically, dozing in the sunshine… Erin and Jaime even jumped in the water again – fully clothed – while being watched by some french jeunes who were particularly judgmental, but who also later climbed up a pine tree. We went for a walk on a pebble beach nearby, too. All in all, it was a sublime afternoon in the sunshine with the most wonderful people in the most beautiful place.
With sun-kissed skin, windswept hair, and chapped lips, we very contentedly made our way back to the bus. Time for paddle boating – the last event of our trip!
Back to Annecy! We all got on various sized boats on the lake we’d looked out at a few hours ago as we ate our picnic on the dock. I got one with Sofia, Jaime, Elodie, and Anna. At first, Sofia and I pedaled, and then Jaime and Anna jumped off to swim before we rotated the pedaling. To be out on that blue, blue water was phenomenal, and we had a great hour of basking in the sunshine, dipping our hands in the water as we glided along, laughing at funny things that happened, rocking the boat on the waves of other boats bobbing past. When we finally had to get off, we sat down in a park, then crossed the bridge back into the village to get ice cream (I got two scoops in a waffle cone – nutella and speculoos flavored..mmmmmm…)
Finally, it was time to head back to the train station, all bags in tow, to head back to Paris.
We got things to snack on at Relay, then clambered up the stairs to wait on the platform, climb onto the train, set our luggage down, and prepare for another three and half hour train ride back to Paris. We all cracked open our books – “The Princesse de Cleves”, Machiavelli’s “The Prince”, and “As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning” being a few of them. Bent spines, sunshine coming in through windows, sitting in a four-way seat thingy again with Elodie, Sofia, and Jaime, feet propped up on each others’ seats, we were content.
But our drowsiness made the train ride begin to feel long, and slowly the books started closing, and we felt we needed to get up and move. The train was also delayed by an hour for some odd reason. Jaime and I decided to go say hi to the upperclassmen, who were sitting opposite the chaperones, to listen to their tales of how they were playing MASH. We did it again for me and Jaime. Apparently Jaime’s going to be a dog food chef, and she’s marrying me with a mustache. I feel it’s accurate.
We went to get crocodile candy from the train’s cafeteria, which, according to Erin, looks like “Zenon”…a Disney Channel reference I don’t have the culture to understand very well, but I think the name gives you a general idea. It was incredibly futuristic.
So then, with gummies at the ready, we re-joined the upperclassmen to complete the train ride home with some more hysterics.
Then, back to the metro and back home.
Jaime came over at three minutes to midnight, because we were going to wait for it to be my birthday together. As soon as my Mac read “12:00 AM”, Jaime hugged me and yelled “happy birthday!”
She brought me tea and a little match that we used as a temporary candle. It was so sweet. At midnight exactly, I also received a message from Charlotte on my phone. I couldn’t believe that in Norway, she was sitting there counting down the minutes, too. I love her to bits to bits to bits!
…and then it was my birthday..but there are enough words in this post for now. First, pictures, and then, a story of my birthday.
