3/26/17 - Lille - Sun, Family, Food, Old Mining Caves

DAY 1 - 3/25/17 - Saturday

I Got the Black Lung Pop

Saturday - the first day that Noémie had off work! We had breakfast and then headed off to the train station, after I said an emotional goodbye to her flat and comfy futon bed. It was a pleasant train ride, during which I wrote postcards and Noémie read. I was super excited to see her parents, Jacques and Françoise, who I've kept in touch with via Facebook but haven't seen in person since 2004. 

After Noémie came to stay in Portland my freshman year of high school, I went to visit her family the following summer. It was a joyous time and SO exciting and exotic to be in France! It's funny to think back to it now and how young and naive I was. For example while I was there they kept using a strange phrase over and over again that I didn't understand, which ended up being "aux etats-unis" or "in the United States". Yea, I know. My timid 14 year old self didn't think to ask and I only figured it out months later in French class. Although to be fair things are so much easier now that I can look up any translation on my phone, so I'll cut myself some slack.

ANYWAY, Noémie's parents picked us up and it was so wonderful to see them! They are truly my family away from my family and it was like no time had passed. Jacques had a surprise for us: before heading home we would take a trip to the Lewarde Mining History Centre, which is at the site of an old coal mine called the Delloye pit.

I wonder if every coal miner was this enthusiastic.

We first visited the museum portion of the Centre, where we saw several old posters and items from the active days of the mine, as well as models of the mine at various stages in history. Also for some reason they had an animation depicting the movement of the world's continents throughout the past 3000 years, which mesmerized all of us for several minutes.

Time, the ever flowing river. (It looked cooler while moving).

Miniature model of the mine.

Life-size replica of a miner's home.

Old sheet music. I bet Esther (the real MVP) could play it.

Part of the museum was located in what used to be the miner's mess hall. After a day of work, they would store their uniforms and hats by throwing a rope up to the rafters and hoisting the clothes up to hang. The museum replicated this and it was exactly as creepy as you would imagine.

These are literally called "hangmen". I wonder why?

We all had to wear hardhats because of the dangerous mining work we were about to do. Plus they were very stylish.

Beautiful family modeling the hats.

You heard it here first, the latest fashion from France.

We had to take an elevator down into the mine, and once inside it was chilly and dark, and a little creepy. They even had mannequins dressed as miners to make things more realistic.

I'm sensing a theme for Banglundtyre Halloween 2018...

Basically a runway at Paris fashion week.

Blue Steel.

Vintage warning.

Yes, not creepy at all.

We were led through the mine by a tour guide, who took us through recreations of examples of various stages in mining history, and even demonstrated some of the tools. Upon leaving the mine we discovered that *SPOILER ALERT*: it was not actually underground. The elevator was a ruse, and we had been led through an above-ground recreation. Those tricksy museum workers had us all fooled!

Anyway, onward to chez Pauquet. Their house, like Noémie's flat, is bright and clean. It is located in a suburb near Lille, and has an enormous backyard and chickens.

Basically, it is a dream.

And definitely a dream life for chickens.

View of the backyard.

Jacques, Noémie's father, rides motorcycles and is also a bit of a car buff. He had a beautiful vintage MG Motors car in the garage that I'm sure has an extensive technical description but I would describe as "bright red and cool looking". And I got to drive it!

Pros only, please.

And by "drive" I mean "sit in the drivers seat for a photo op while the car was not moving".

A natural.

After the photo shoot, Jacques took the wheel and took me on a quick drive up to Belgium in the car. That's right, we hopped across country borders. I don't think I stopped smiling the entire time. It was already getting late and the sun started to set - beautiful!

Check out that shiny hood.

Tree-lined, perfect sunset street.

There was some kind of national festival going on in Belgium that day, so as we were driving we passed balloons, carnival activities, and countless townspeople dressed in wild costumes. It was pretty surreal.

When we got back I caught this photo of Noémie and Françoise sitting in the backyard talking. I can't believe that same morning we woke up in the rush of Paris. 

<3

What a day. We had a delicious dinner together and then Jacques brought out his computer with some old photos of Noémie's first visit to Portland in 2004. THAT was a trip. I can't believe how young we were! Think braces, Abercrombie sweatshirts and awkward bangs. Actually just awkwardness all around. It was so long ago that I think some of our clothing is actually coming back in style now.

DAY 2 - 3/26/17 - Sunday

A Day in the Life

I woke up on Sunday to a delicious sugary breakfast and coffee. The plan for that evening was to go to Noémie's aunt and uncles house to celebrate her cousins 19th birthday. I couldn't wait to meet more of family!

But first, croissants.

I dreamed about this chocolate croissant for days.

Jacques, being the badass that he is, started off early to bike to the cousins house about 50km away. He has been practicing for a long-distance bicycle race later in the summer. In the meantime Noémie, Françoise and I went on a walk from their house to a nearby park. 

Catching that perfect selfie lighting.

<3 my French family!

Françoise said she likes to do this walk with Noémie whenever she comes to visit, and that she used to come to this park with Noémie and her brother and sister when they were young. The park had a large pond in the middle and was alive with many other people enjoying the gorgeous sunny day.

A good place to be a duck.

Back at the house, we were greeted by the chickens.

France's hottest chicken band.

We got ready quickly and drove out to Noémie's aunt and uncles house for the birthday party. It was just as lovely, open, and scenic as the Pauquet's house. Really exactly what you would picture as a classy modern French home in the countryside - practically straight out of a magazine.

We had delicious food, wine, and dessert. Again straight out of a magazine. Sigh - this is some peoples actual life, all the time.

Tasty wine. Let's see if I can find it in the states.

The family! Beautiful, of course.

Yes this is real life.

Is every 19th birthday this classy?? No, is the answer.

I am incredibly grateful for being included in such a wonderful family celebration. It was so fun meeting and talking to Noémie's extended family members. They are such welcoming, friendly, lovely people.

After the party Noémie and Jacques drove me to my accommodation for the night - an AirBnb near to the Beauvais airport. Since I had ingeniously booked my flight for 7am on Monday morning (that was sarcastic by the way), Noémie's amazing parents decided to book me a little apartment for the night right near to the airport, so they wouldn't have to drive me there at 4 in the morning. 

I was pretty sad to say goodbye to my second family. We had an amazing few days together, and it went by too fast. I am realizing more and more that although traveling is THE BEST THING EVER, by far the hardest and most heart-wrenching part is having to say goodbye to people constantly.

On the plus side, the apartment was adorable. It was a small garden flat belonging to a sweet older couple, and was only a 5-10 minute walk to the airport.

The downstairs. I wish I had more time to hang out here!

The upstairs. 

On the minus side, it was daylight savings time that night. Which meant things went (expectedly) haywire. Ah well, I really don't think I can ever leave a country without a bang.