C'est bien, ou c'est bon(ne)?

Hola chicas y chicos!
I'm writing this from the gorgeous flat in the 19ieme arrondissement where Mom and I are staying for a few days.  It's a far cry from my student chambre, - the bathroom has proper lighting for one thing, and I have yet to notice any ants in the kitchen. You might wonder why the title of this post is what it is.  In fact, it is what it is because I always struggle with the proper time to use bien and the proper time to use bon, and they really have the same meaning:  it's good, things are going well.  And that's how I'm feeling about ma vie francaise at the moment.

Since my last post I had the fantastic chance to spend a sunny, wine-soaked weekend in Burgundy visiting old friends.  The two days were full of good food (boeuf bourgignone and choucroute were the two delicious lunchtime highlights), lovely people and some absolutely sumptuous wines.  We visited the Beaune Hospice, an old hospital that is now a museum, complete with a display of  - what else - wine tasting cups!  I left with my very own cup that I plan to put to very good use.

Beaune Hospice

I also left with some key advice on good places to find a husband.  Here's a hint: it wasn't England (explicitly, in fact), or America, but the flag does have blue, red, and white:

It's anyone's guess, really.

I think my only regret about the weekend was that it was only two days long - in France that's really only enough time for two meals!  What with the apéro, the first course, the discussions, the second course, the required game of soccer with the children, the introduction to new guests and subsequent stumbling along in my broken french, the dessert, the explanation of what Halloween is in North America vs France, the final coffee, and the the long, relaxed winding down of the conversation, these meals are long, loud, lovely laughter-filled extravaganzas, institutions of Burgundian and French culture that I am lucky enough to have a window into.

Burgundy sunshine

A few other things that have happened in my life recently:

I went to one night of Pitchfork music festival, which was in the huge Grande Halle de la Villette, a huge venue in the 20ieme arrondissement.  The venue used to be known as the Grande Hall aux Boeufs, or even the Cite du sang, back in the 1970's when it was a slaughterhouse, but now is used for concerts and other events.  La Villette means "a world apart".

La Grande Hall de la Villette 

I also celebrated Halloween with all the other international students at my residence, complete with pumpkin carving, spicy cider, and costumes for everyone on the big night.

Whatta bunch of clowns!

And now, Mom and I have had a very lazy Parisian sunday - time to go hit up the canal and mingle with the locals!  À bientôt mes amis!