Man About Town

Yesterday, Olaiya took me to the open air market where she used to spend her Sunday mornings. Our mission was to get fresh veggies for some upcoming dinners, experience the Moraccan crepes and (of course) take photos. Olaiya is religious about the honey, goat cheese and spicy olive crepes, but I had to try the mixed vegetable one as well. Lucky thing, as it was the greatest breakfast I have ever eaten in my whole life! Between the hot Moraccan mint tea (which would surely turn into one giant sugar crystal if you let it cool down and then bumped it) and the waffle I had for dessert, I was on an unstoppable sugar high for the next hour or so.


Yes, that giant pickled onion WAS the best part!

We spent the subsequent afternoon picnicking out at Villers la Ville, a ruined abbey first established in the 12th century. Wandering the abbey grounds mobilized every bit of adolescent Dungeons and Dragons and Society for Creative Anachronisms flavor left in me. We even found a creepy basement area that was unlit and flooded with water. If only we had torches and 50' lengths of rope... and perhaps some 10 foot poles and iron rations... then we really could have investigated!


Creepy greystone castle walls and dramatic arches!

Later we had a wonderful dinner with Michel, Cecilia (de Chile) and their lovely children Emma and Victor. They are renovating a fantasic old three-story house in the outskirts of town. Olaiya brought their children some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans... hilarity ensued. While translating the flavors for the wee ones, I learned the French expression for booger: crotte de nez.

In unrelated news, France decided to elect some snotgobbler president.