Apres the start- the middle

Hi All - the days are speeding by and I seem to have been doing nothing but study and sleep. I have however managed to take a bit of time to visit the museums and the streets of Bordeaux as well as sample some of the vin and the gastronomic delights.
One, the Canelle, is a small cake made after the yolk of eggs is used somehow in the wine making process. The white is then combined with a bit of cinnamon and creates this cake. It is shaped like a small kids sandcastle and has three types- soft medium and hard. Tastes like blomonge with texture. they have a number ofways of using the white of eggs - seems to be a thing here as they must have had hundred recipies for it. one, the Ile Flottante, is a ball of merange boiled in milk with caramel and custard. Goes ncely with a small Pinneau. Quite a lot of desserts for a lover of the stuff!
I have visited St Emillion. here there is a small train to take you around the village. it arrrives with a hundred english tourists and then proceeds to travell with a guide around this village giving a description of the conquest of the english by the french in 14C -- in French!! Only in france! It is a magnificent wine growing region , fully mechanised but with very strong rules as to how the wines can be produced, cultivated, crushed, bottled and labelled and then sold. elaborqate is not the word for it _ even more complex. Have completed a quick day trip to the garonye river aswell. I hiked with two Auusie women, Di and Danielle the daughter, around the country side. Mum, Di, needed to have break so they are thinking of missing Rome and resting in Vienna for an extra day - probably a great idea when your seeing europe in 14 days. Nathalie the guide, spoke very good english, but as we had 10 french speakers, it was great to listen and catch a phrase or two about the wine growing. The Saturdays are filled with some lovely wanderings around Bordeaux5found the Satin Doll, a sleasy yet friendly blues bar with english rugby channel and french football star giing a commentary). I have had to buy some shirts as the stocks are low. C&A( stands for Cheap& Awful Im told by an authorative german) are similar to Target. There are obvoiously poor people everywhere.I have now been to the Canadien v Japan Rugby. Extremely exciting as the Canadiens lost by a kick after full time. Much Canadien crying . i sat on the half way line! Lots of rugby promoted here. they are discuusted with t he french players except for the Beast- the large number 4 for France who is quite a maniac. have just got tickets to the Australien game agianst canada- yahoo!
See ya later off to taste some more wine at the LEcole Du Vin- a very famous tasting school in Bordeaux. life is hard! The french keyboard is killing me so Im off;
A Bientot