From Paris to Portugal: Pâques, Pascoa, Easter 2011

I decided that instead of writing in the usual format I do, I'd make a list of the top moments from Easter 2011. Just to introduce, I spent this year's Easter in France with our good friends Jean-Claude and Claudie and their family. I did not really know what to anticipate, but I can assur you that I did in fact have a traditional French Easter. Instead of spending it with them in their house in Moreuil close to Amiens, we celebrated at their beach house in Fort-Mahon, France (where I will be living this summer while interning at the local tourist office).

1. Food and Drink
Let's just say it was like Christmas in April. Seafood: crab, shrimp and homemade mayonnaise; Appetizers of all sorts; Amazing chicken with moroccan spices; Steak (need I describe more?); CHEESE (including camembert, roquefort, chèvre, maroille, brebis, and comté); Desserts: four different types of cake and all the Easter chocolate you could dream of. Champagne. And champagne. And oh, champagne.

2. Location
Beach in Northern France. I have been here before during the summer, and let me tell you, it can be cold, so I was wondering what it would be like in April. However, I can honestly say that it was perfect weather. Sun, not too windy (except for the last day), and I even got a tan...in my opinion anyway. This beach town, Fort-Mahon, is located on the English Channel. Jean-Claude and Claudie's beach house is literally a two-minute walk to the beach.

3. People
Everyone from Christmas minus my good friend Katie and plus my good boyfriend Laurent. This included JC and Claudie, their daughter and her family and their family friends from Rouen and Amiens. I had actually seen one of them in Rouen when I went in March, but couldn't put a name to her face. Small world. We laughed, conversed and had fun spending time together. JC and Claudie's four grandsons were there and have friends in Fort-Mahon so afternoons were spent with young people ;).

4. Activities
Beach. Promenade around town and in the Channel. Bike pedaling (those four-wheeled bike type vehicles you can rent) around town with Laurent and Paul, the youngest of the grandsons. Eating - yes, it is an activity. Uno. Visiting my future employer. I was not able to attend an Easter service - kind of a bummer and made me miss my family traditions and family, but at least I was with people who cared about me. This made missing out on activities back home a bit easier.

Last activity: documenting the trip with pictures, even though Laurent enjoyed my camera more than I did :) (The photos below were taken by him)