Andrew Goldwasser

Honestly though, I feel that when many people think about France as a country, they have a preconceived notion that Paris is the final destination with the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and a couple of other sights to see in the city. What they are missing out on are the hundreds of beautiful attractions that France has to offer which are quite far from Paris. Living in Cluny, aka wine country, France for two weeks now, I have seen some of the great features of this region of the country. Here are my favorite things that we have done thus far:

1. Learned about the history of Cluny

Now I know that I have spoken at length already about this small town, but it is honestly quite beautiful! Not only did we stay inside one of France’s 10th century monastery towns, we also got to witness Arts et Métiers Paristech’s (aka Cluny Engineering Graduate School) homecoming complete with a red carpet gala, two farmer’s market days, and a two day international reggae festival (As I type this post my room is buzzing from the base!)

2. The Wineries

I call this region of France “wine country” because when you are surrounded by grape vines every which way you turn, there is bound to be a winery nearby! Our group visited the Perraud Family Winery, Bouchard Winery, and Clos de Vougeot to name a few. At Bouchard, we were able to see some of the oldest bottles of wine in the world dating back to the 1700’s which can be seen dust-ladden here! I got a crash course on how red vs. white wines are made. Speaking of which, did you know that the juice of a red grape is actually white? In order to get those deep red colors that make Burgundy and Beaujolais famous, the juices must sit in vats with the grape skin so that the color from the skin can be dissolved into the juice and then vinified into wine! Not only did we visit wineries, we received VIP all access passes to tour these wineries and taste their wonderful wines! I wouldn’t say that I am a connoisseur by any means, but after tasting more than THIRTY different wines this week, I’d say that I know my way around the bottles.

3. The Cheese Factories

Some people are wine people, while others are cheese people…I am definitely a cheese person! With so many different French cheeses to taste, I quickly became lost when I arrived. In the time that I have been here, I visited two industrial sized factories,and three farms all of which produced absolutely delectable cheeses. Just yesterday, we visited a co-op cheese factory where about ten farmers send their cow and goat’s milk to the factory where it is transformed into either morbier or comte cheese. As a die-hard fan of soft cheeses, comte frightened me a little bit not only because of its large size, but also because of its strong taste. Not only did I love it, I bought half a kilogram of it to eat! I only spent a few days in a couple regions of France which means that I’ll have to come back to try more cheese.

4. Louis Pasteur

I am pretty sure that at this time in your life, you have heard the term “pasteurization” as it is applied to milk. This process involves the heating of raw milk to kill off all microbes in the milk for safe consumption. This process was founded by Louis Pasteur in Arbois, France along with a slew of other (possibly more important) discoveries. Pasteur is recognized internationally as the “Father of Microbiology” due to his development of the world’s first ever vaccine for rabies which allowed for more people to keep dogs as pets. In addition, Pasteur challenged the global ideal of spontaneous generation. He was able to prove that life does not just generate out of thin air. Also, he proved that some microbes were able to live in the absence of air which, quite literally, changed the definition of life forever! As a science major who is interested in microbiology, I cannot believe that I was able to tour his laboratory and look at the glassware and equipment that he used in these pivotal experiments.

5. The Landscapes

With all of the traveling that we have done here, there has been a lot of time spent on the bus. I have finally experienced a highway that I dislike more than the New Jersey Parkway. In fact, all highways in the countryside of France only contain two lanes, one for each way, and most of the time, they are too narrow for two cars, but enough about that. The countryside of France is absolutely beautiful with all of the vineyards and sights to see! One afternoon, we visited the village of Baume and got to hang around this beautiful waterfall. There is just so much green along the highways which makes up for those cons that I previously listed and I cannot forget to mention the pastureland. Some areas are known for their wine, and others for their cheese, but in order to help cultivate both of these products, animals are needed to either plow the land or offer their milk for processing. Every couple of minutes while driving, you can see a pasture of cows, or horses, or goats which was always fun!

Though my time in Cluny, France is coming to an end, I know that I will always remember my trip here! Stay tuned for a couple more installments of this blog!

Bonjour!

As you probably know, I am here in Cluny, France in the Burgundy Region taking a Rutgers University course entitled “The Microbiology and Culture of Cheese and Wine” for two weeks! Each day brings excitement, twists, and turns because we the students cannot keep track of it all. Some days are spent entirely in the classroom devoting our time to studying the science behind the creative processes of cheese and wine making while others hold amazing surprises. Saturday, June 4 was a typical day here with a slight twist which made it all the more interesting.

Usually, our days here begin with a classic French breakfast at 8 am in the hostel: bread, coffee, and jam & butter. Literally, that is all that is served not only in this hostel, but all over France. Not going to sugar coat it, but if you want your classic omelette or hearty protein for breakfast, France is not the country for you. 9 am is usually our “pull-it-together” time and we meet with our two professors, one of whom studies microbiology and the other is the resident direct of study abroad programs in France. Sometimes, our first activity includes a drive around the country-side of France which is full of vineyards and culminates with one of my favorite things to do here, a wine tasting (pictured at the right is our tasting of SIX WINES at the world famous Bouchard winery). On this Saturday morning, we were allotted an extra 30 minutes and to meet up at 9:30 to then continue on with a very special activity.

In Cluny, Saturday morning is the day that the weekly Farmer’s  market intrudes on the old city square. Everyone from the Macon Valley comes to sell their wares which includes, vegetables, cheese, and clothing to name just a few. Both of our professors discussed the importance of the market for the producers and how the market day influences when and how they make/harvest perishable items such as cheese and produce. We were given three and a half hours to wander through the vendors! With all of this time, I was able to purchase three different types of cheese which included a lovely pesto gouda from two very welcoming women from Holland and some other cheeses from other vendors like one pictured at the right. After ordering noodles from a man in broken French and then eating said noodles, our group set off for our next activity of the day.

One of the many historical importances of Cluny, outside of being the largest monastery of its time, was that during the French Revolution, Napoleon had his army horses bred in Cluny! Some of the breeds created during that period are still kept in the equestrian area of Cluny today. Now I know that you have probably seen some horses in your time on this planet, but the mustangs held in Cluny are not only magnificent, they are HUGE! Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures to share with you of said horses (my camera battery gave out), but you are just going to have to take my word on it that these horses were far above the size average. Among the majestic horses was a miniature horse named Yoki and his trainor was able to give us a wonderful “little” presentation of his skills. He was able to walk backwards, and sidestep and many other fantastic things (it really was cool). After a tour of the entire stable complex (which is actually quite complex), we headed back to our hostel for dinner. I decided to stay economical and eat in with fresh bread and cheese that I purchased at the market (have you figured out that my diet has been chock full of carbs yet). Tune in next time for a captivating recap of all that we have done here in France so far!

I’m sure that we have all had that inner debate on what the actual color of that dark red shirt is. Could it be maroon? Or possibly burgundy? Though Crayola does not even make the crayon color of Burgundy, this name happens to be one of the most interesting regions of France. Found on the western half of France, Burgundy is full of rich culture and  history which makes its dual role as a color and location all the more interesting for three reasons.

1. Burgundy is Wine Country

The region of Burgundy, France is world-famous for its vast amounts of fine wine. Only two types of grapes grow here: white Chardonnay and red Pinot Noir. If you’re a grape and you are neither of these two varieties, you will not be allowed to grow here and you will not be able to call yourself a Burgundy. So many regulations exist here on how to classify your wine; my favorite is that a Burgundy can only be enclosed in bottles with wide angled shoulders.

2. More Cheese Please!

Alongside the great vineyards of Burgundy are areas of soil that are unsuitable for grapes to grow, but that does not mean they go to waste! Cows, sheep, and goats call many of these pastures home as France also produces more than 300 unique cheeses every year. Pictured at the left is my favorite cheese to date: Bouton de Culotte. It can be described as a semi-soft goat cheese made exclusively here in Burgundy. According to French legislature, if this same cheese was made across the road from Burgundy, it would not be allowed to share the same name! Though this cheese may look small, it is full of flavor which is exemplified by its creaminess.
 

3. Home of Cluny, France

In the year 910 (yes 910, as in over 1,100 years ago) Duke William of Aquitaine decreed for the construction of a monastery in Cluny, France which was to follow strict Benedictine Rule. This monastery was run by an Abbot which classified Cluny as an Abbey. What separated this Burgundian Monastery from the thousands of other monasteries in Europe was that there was no overseeing lord or king of the monastery; instead, the Abbey of Cluny was ruled only by the Pope. Because the Abbey of Cluny was free to do as it pleased, monks from across Europe traveled, stayed, and worshiped in Cluny which lead to the construction of the largest church in all of Europe at the time (only now second to Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome and only by one meter)! Unfortunately, during the French Revolution, 90% of the original church still stands. In the picture on the right, the silver tower is all that remains of the original church, the rest of it was destroyed.

I am humbled to be able to live in Burgundy for only a short span of time. Everything from the culture to the food has been exquisite. Check-in next time to hear about the day-to-day life here in Cluny!

¡Hola Chicos!

Due to limited blog time in Spain and incredibly strange WiFi regulations here in Cluny, France, this is the first time I have been able to sit down and post, but wow, do I have so much to tell you! My three days in bright and sunny Barcelona, Spain have been absolutely magical. I cannot believe how a city can be so beautiful (like seriously even the subway platform was appealing to look at)! Speaking of the subway, let’s start with how I got there. I sat next to the two hippest women on the plane there; we all watched the Good Dinosaur together and let’s say some tears were shed. The seven hour flight went by so quickly, I barely slept which was unfortunate because landing at 7:15 in the morning meant I couldn’t waste the day and sleep. Aside from my two friends traveling with me, I had another friend on my flight whose name is Sam and was only spending a day in Barcelona. Jess, Kelly, and I did not have a set plan on getting from the airport to the hostel and Sam suggested taking the subway. This idea had not even crossed our mind, but after just our first ride, we knew that our 3 day trip would be indebted to Sam. Seriously though, we bought a two day unlimited pass (should have purchase a 3 day pass but that’s not important) and have used the metro (subway) at least 3 times each day. If you ever consider traveling to Barcelona (which I will convince you of next) the metro will be your best friend it is so simple! We used it to go to all of the fun touristy sites and our hostel.

Our hostel named Bed & Bike Barcelona was superb with no problems whatsoever! We were able to drop off our luggage for the day before check-in and parade about the city. Throughout my time in Barcelona, we visited Parc Guell (pictured above), the Gothic Quarter, Arc de Triomf, La Sagrada Familia (pictured at the right), Las Ramblas, and a couple others which were absolutely awe-inspiring! Honestly, every activity that we completed was time spent well; we all fell in love with the city on the first day. Again, traveling with the metro was extremely easy and without it, we would have been down an extra $100 at least! One of my favorite places to visit and the most memorable was the beach (one of the reasons for which is that I got a sunburn and I am still peeling a week later #oops).

 

We were so tired after our long plane ride that we dropped our luggage at the hostel and walked over to the beach (which was only 4 blocks away). We laid out our towels and soaked in the sun for a couple of hours. People would walk around us trying to sell us tchatchkis and other souvenirs. We still joke about the bar employees shouting “¡¿Sangria Mojitos?!” or the old lady asking us every five minutes for a massage. There was even one guy walking around who we thought was speaking in gibberish which mad us crack up every 15 minutes when he would walk by us. The beach itself was gorgeous and looking out into the deep blue of the Atlantic was mesmerizing. All in all, our first day on the beach was really great as was the rest of our stretch in Barcelona. I would highly recommend making your next travel destination this historic and lovely city! Please stay tuned for another blog post coming soon!

Hasta Luego,

Andrew

Hello Friendly Readers!

I have known since January that my summer will not only be spent relaxing by the beach and eating great food while on summer break, but I will be doing so in FRANCE! For two weeks, I will be taking the Rutgers University summer course entitled “The Microbiology and Culture of Cheese & Wine” where I will learn about the rich history and biological processes that underline the makings of both cheese and wine in Cluny, France! *drops jaw*. Believe me, I had the exact same reaction when I first heard about the program and I cannot wait to begin the experience.

When I tell my friends and family about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I am constantly met with either: “You’re joking right?” or a “Can you take me with you?” No,  this is the real deal and no, I have been told that I am only allowed to check one bag for my flights. I am here to document my experience in one of the wine and cheese capitals of the world and though you cannot come with me, I hope that you find my blog posts a source of adventure because I assure you, you’re in for quite the read!

Just yesterday, a couple friends and I solidified our pre-France plans and we have booked a youth hostel in Barcelona for a couple days before the course begins. We plan on hitting the beach, the town, and most definitely the shops! I am so excited to begin my summer and I have to thank the SEBS Office of Global Engagement office for making this remotely possible by sponsoring my travels. Make sure to return back to this page for more on my summer adventures!

~Andrew