Well, just in time to leave we are really getting into the food thing in France ... Morning on Friday was in class or hanging in the study hall until ... LUNCH! we enjoyed a group lunch together in a local pizzeria that looked like a medieval castle inside, the "Grimoire". Calling it a pizzeria does not do the food justice, we had pizza with escargot, frog's legs, scallops as well as "just" tomatoes, cheese, peppers ... a wonderful experience for the tastebuds and a nice chance to regroup on our last day in Bruyeres. Walking down the street on our way to Town Hall, some of us were still hungry for pastries! We were invited by the Mayor to a reception at Town Hall that afternoon, and of course once there we had some pastry and drinks! Then we did a scavenger hunt for information about Bruyeres and ... found more chocolates and macarons at a local pastry shop. That evening, the parents put on a potluck dinner for us at the school, with great food. Some of the chorus students sang for us, and another student played guitar. The school chef had made "beignet"s, a sort of traditional carnaval donut, and the children of the teachers Sylvie and Delphine dressed up in their carnaval costumes.
Au revoir, Lycée Jean Lurçat, this has been a wonderful trip! Saturday began another brutal 24 hour day of travel, from Bruyeres by car to the train station in Epinal, TGV 2 1/2 hours to Paris, Metro to another train station, RER train 1/2 hour to the airport (we knew we were back in Paris when the accordian player began to play on the train!), going crazy in the airport waiting for the flight, 8 1/2 hour flight with some turbulance to land at JFK, find Mr. Kessler, 5 hour bus trip to Laurens with a stop at Dunkin Donuts to eat some real American food, and happily into the arms of parents. Successful trip!! All day today to tell our stories before ... Back to school tomorrow!!
