My second weekend here in France was busy.
Friday I got my textbooks Here are some photos of them:
Only in a French textbook...
This question (27) in my math texbook says After two prevention campains, the number of smokers reduced by 10% the first time, then it reduced by 20% the second time.
#36 Says this table below gives the average consumption of bread (in kilograms per person) for different years.
I really liked that my math textbook in France asked very useful questions for everyday life here.
Saturday I killed chickens, well not me personally but I saw the whole process. Now I know for sure I'm in the French countryside. My host family and I drove Saturday afternoon to Epinouze where some family of theirs lives and spent the afternoon chatting, eating and cleaning chickens
The chickens were all kept in a cardboard box with their legs tied until it was time to kill them.
Here's Louis carrying one of the chickens.
Here's Pauline looking at a chicken. They're held upsidedown for a while before they're killed so that the majority of their blood is near the head.
Louis showing off one of the chickens for me, it's about half the size of him!
All currently living, for the moment.
I'm not entirely sure where they cut the chicken but my host aunt took a pair of sissors and cut somewhere in the chicken's throaght. Apparently the blood is saved and used in cooking for things such as saussage and stews, which my host dad said I'll get to try. (wish me luck!)
The chicken was then hung back up so that all of the blood was gone, then dusted with this powder that makes it easier to pluck them, then doused in boiling water for a few seconds, plucked and finaly gutted. The above photo is of Louis and my host cousin plucking a chicken.
My host dad begining to gut a chicken.
All of the other lucky chickens.
They also had rabbits.
Aren't they cute?
Left to right (Louis, Pauline and Hugo)
Beautiful french countryside and a quince!
Sunday was journée du patrimoine or heritage day.On heritage day many historical sights and museaums are free so my family and I went and visited two castles near our home. The first was the Chateau de Crussol right above Valence. It was made in the 13th century and was therefore mostly ruins.
Here's a photo of Crussol Castle but you can't see everything in this photo.
Pauline and Louis on top of a turret.
Me, Charlotte and Louis on the stairs to the tower.
More ruins.
View from the highest point in the castle. (below is Valence)
Pauline and Louis
The second castle was in Tournon-sur-Rhone and therefore named le chateau de Tournon. It was newer than the other castle, 15th century, but still older than most things in the US!
View of the Rhone from a window in the castle.
I love the roofs where I live, they're all orange and tile like this.
View from the top of the castle of the Rhone. (you can't see it in the photo but to the left there's a vinyard)
My host dad on top of one of the turrets. (Isn't it cool how the castle is right by the street?)
It was a wonderful, sunny day!
