Enjoying the Harvest Season in France

So it’s the end of harvest season in France and it has been such a cool experience. When you drive along the highway and fig trees grow as often as weeds, it’s a pretty amazing thing. My house is on the edge of the country and also a river, so if we drive where no people would go to pick fruit and hazelnuts around the river, there are the best figs that are bright and sweet. My host sister Lana likes the figs when they are bright red and often it would take me lifting her up to the tree to reach them (we are a family of shorties).

There also happened to be a vineyard with rows of beautiful grapes growing, so my family went in and picked a grocery bag full of grapes to make jam. Which of course turned out amazing. The favorite jams we eat every morning on breakfast toast is apricot,  grape, and fig jam it’s also wicked good on crepes which we enjoy every Sunday afternoon.

Also surprisingly I have found a different appreciation for bugs.In Canada it is rare to find a mosquito with legs as long as your fingers or moths with the wingspan of your palm but they exist here. I cannot say I have conquered my fear of moths having killed one that kept flying into my face, but I have however grown to love beetles. The beetles in France are very beautiful with interesting designs on their backs.

The weather patterns are also messing with me because it is still +30 Celsius here and it will be until about half way through November, which is new to me. I think what I will miss the most is snow.

Thanksgiving is coming up next week, and I plan to make a big dinner with them with all my family traditions and a piece of my home.