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Bienvenu en France et à la Braderie . . .
Welcome to my first blog! As stated in the description of this website, this blog is intended to be an entertaining yet informative description of my experiences here in Europe. Hailing from New Orleans, I am a foreign exchange student studying French Linguistics in Lille, France at l'Université Charles de Gaulle.
Let me first start off this blog saying that France is absolutely beautiful. From the moment I entered the country, I was breath-taken by its beautiful rustic-like appeal.
My journey to Lille began with the world-famous "Braderie." La Braderie is an enormous flea market that takes place the first weekend of each September in Lille. According to legend, this lilloise tradition dates back to the Middle Ages. During the first weekend of Septemeber, servants were supposedly permitted to sell and buy goods from one another. As you can probably imagine, this this ancient tradition has sparked the immensely crowded, worldknown Braderie. As in Middle Ages, thousands of people roam the streets of Lille as they search with endless determination to find deals on a wide assortment of miscellaneous objects (such as bikes, tools, movies, etc.)
Before ending, it is absolutely imperative to discuss the main meal of la braderie: Les Moules et les Frites. This deliciously prepared Northern French delacy is sold everywhere during the Braderie.
After cooked in a delicious, creamlike sauce, the mussles are served with a delicious batch of fresh, cruncy French Fries. After finishing the mussels and French Fries, the meal is ended by dipping delicious pieces of bread into the creamlike sauce. Oh là là ! It is absolutely délicieux. Needless to say, if you want to become a real lillois, this traditional Northern meal is an absolute must!
As this is my first post, I invite you (and even encourage you) to leave comments, questions, or any general remarks. My goal, again, is to keep you informed about my life here in France. I hope my small presentation of la Braderie and les moules-frites offer insight into the outrageously beautiful and immensely diverse country I call La France.
À la prochaine !
--André
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