I am back in New Brunswick, where the sun is blazing and the cheese selection is minimal. I have not blogged on account of spotty interent. However, I will make up for it by post-blogging my experience, complete with accounts of the bizarre and reflections upon them. This will take a few days, for me to compose my notes and thoughts, finish up my report, and get over a sudden attack of jetlag.
Your understanding and patience is much appreciated.
Les Fromages
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
The Digital Age: How Everything Shuts Down Without Wifi
For the most part of the day we huddled together in the living room of Dr. Häggblom's Bed and Breakfast for the wifi.
To be fair, we were all researching our selected cheese and wine for Saturday's final exam. It was quite fun and nostalgic to go through concise, thick guide books and encyclopaedias for information, but ultimately they did not provide enough information.
I took a gamble and brought only my iPad along, even buying a blogging app for this blog, but alas! The thick walls of the re-purposed abbey section that served as our lodgings made access to internet or wifi impossible! Two sweet weeks of no internet and no contact with the outside world! Also, an iPad meant I couldn't create a neat presentation with lots of pictures and fancy fonts. Time to dig up my old-school chalkboard and hand-waving presentation skills.
Food
That evening we went to the fanciest restaurant (in our judgement) with three stars. 'The White Horse'. Shenanigans ensued. It was quite early for dinner, I believe, so the restaurant was relatively quiet and we with our foreign ways lightened up the space.
Following are food pictures:
It was, to date, my most informal meal with a professor. Coming from a culture where your elder - or someone who is your educator and by default knows tons more than you - should befeared respected from afar I was quite apprehensive and uptight at the table. The interaction was warm and nice though, and we debated whether to call Dr. Häggblom 'Max' (as he insisted) or 'Dr. Häggblom (because he is Dr. Häggblom, with all our respect and admiration) and we settled for 'Dr. Max'.
Admittedly, the wine did serve to lighten up the atmosphere, and Wei Jie and I started behaving like silly old Malaysians. This produced a comment from Dr. Häggblom, something along the lines of 'those two are usually so serious in [Applied Microbiology class]'. Ahaha silly Malaysians.
To be fair, we were all researching our selected cheese and wine for Saturday's final exam. It was quite fun and nostalgic to go through concise, thick guide books and encyclopaedias for information, but ultimately they did not provide enough information.
I took a gamble and brought only my iPad along, even buying a blogging app for this blog, but alas! The thick walls of the re-purposed abbey section that served as our lodgings made access to internet or wifi impossible! Two sweet weeks of no internet and no contact with the outside world! Also, an iPad meant I couldn't create a neat presentation with lots of pictures and fancy fonts. Time to dig up my old-school chalkboard and hand-waving presentation skills.
Food
That evening we went to the fanciest restaurant (in our judgement) with three stars. 'The White Horse'. Shenanigans ensued. It was quite early for dinner, I believe, so the restaurant was relatively quiet and we with our foreign ways lightened up the space.
Following are food pictures:
Obligatory bread basket. French bread baskets are the best. |
My starter course dish. I regret not writing the name down. It tasted like very soft cold pizza. But it was nice cold pizza. |
Not food, but our lovely classmates |
Soup! |
Lamb! I think. |
Some white wine. I should get more meticulous on name-recording. |
The unbeatable cheese carriage |
Our impeccable selection |
It was, to date, my most informal meal with a professor. Coming from a culture where your elder - or someone who is your educator and by default knows tons more than you - should be
Admittedly, the wine did serve to lighten up the atmosphere, and Wei Jie and I started behaving like silly old Malaysians. This produced a comment from Dr. Häggblom, something along the lines of 'those two are usually so serious in [Applied Microbiology class]'. Ahaha silly Malaysians.
Finished off the meal with rum and ice cream. I prefer wine still.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Beaune
Beaune, North to Cluny, is situated in the Côte d'Or department and home to wine négociants. Négociants are like distributors, who buy and accumulate wines from smaller vinters and then sell them under their own name.
The morning bus ride was cold and rainy and involved a lot of sleeping.
Rainy morning of Beaune |
Rain does not deter tourists or students from documenting their trip |
Old structures and wine presses |
A Greek pot-thing which is probably related to wine |
I'm not entirely sure what this is, but it is possibly a statuette of the patron saint of gardens/vineyards/agriculture |
Old little vineyard boots |
Grape-baskets! |
Barrels! There was a good documentary about barrel-making playing in the museum |
Old, old wine bottles |
Also not to be missed, the tapestries famous in the region |
The Hospice's beautiful tiled roofs; they were a later addition, though |
Hospice interior |
Hunks of beautiful nougat. Tragically, I forgot to buy some |
Obligatory tourist shot |
Wine barrels |
The chapel in the Patriarche Wine Cellars |
Within the cellars |
Slurp |
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