November 24th, 2011 was just any old workday for my French coworkers and me. I had a few moments of Thanksgiving nostalgia- particularly when my dinner consisted of plain pasta with butter – but for the most part, I was too busy to even notice. I taught classes in the morning and then rushed over to the art museum to help prepare for the press lunch (which featured several stacks of my newly-translated dossier de presse) and the opening event Friday evening.
The lunch went well, and the opening was even better!
J.J. Grandville was a French caricaturist whose satirical drawing inspired several filmmakers including the Lumière brothers, Charlie Chaplin, and Walt Disney. The exhibit is a mix of Grandville’s sketches and silent films that clearly demonstrate his influence.
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| Me at the Press Lunch, taken by one of the photo-journalists (embarrassingly enough, this photo appeared in the local newspaper, L'Est Republican) |
The same day that the Grandville exhibit opened, the Besançon Christmas market began! Set up in the main square of the town, the Christmas market is a mix of live music, pastries for sale, colorful scarves, and the smell of spiced vin chaud.
At school, my students kept telling me I had to try tartiflette at the Christmas Market, so when I saw a stand, I went on over.
Tartiflette is made with thinly sliced potatoes, Reblochon cheese, and little bits of fried ham. Ok, so maybe it’s not the best thing to eat if you are watching your cholesterol… Good thing I’m not!
I washed down my tartiflette with a glass of vin chaud (hot wine with spices), and was feeling cozy and satisfied.
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