Although the radio blared loud and clear over my coffee and deep into my ears, I understood only snippets of the rapid French accelerated by the desire to cram as much information as possible into every second aired. In slower, simpler statements, Elisabet informed me that the salon de l'agriculture had begun, using phrases like les grandes vaches, toutes les régions, and les familles to describe it. Hesitating only long enough to brush my teeth and to attempt to persuade Avard (the Swedish student who now lives in Thais' room) from his piles of homework, I headed off toute seule to what I soon discovered is France's equivalent to Texas' state fair.

des petites vaches

des poulets

It rained but everything was inside the large pavilions of the Paris Expo at Porte de Versailles. Elisabet laughingly—yet forgivingly—said that every year, groups of tourists appear at Paris' expo center looking for the Palace of Versailles which is actually located an hour outside Paris in a place called "Versailles." There were so many wonderful photography opportunities of French culture, French children, and French animals that my camera died within two hours. I then wandered, sometimes lost, through the two cluttered levels of Pavilion 7 which held booths from every edge and territory of France showcasing wines, cheeses, and other defining characteristics. Though I stayed 'till the crowds poured out at 19h00, it was too much to absorb in one visit. I would like to go back before the week ends and further examine the different regions of France.