Bayeux, France

PortenBessin: check!
Next stop, Bayeux- a small town centered around the medieval cathedral (see Bayeux Cathedral post). It just so happened that we were in Bayeux for their yearly Renaissance festival. The streets were crowded with patrons adorned in authentic medieval attire who were selling their handmade goods. Browsing the vendors, I found everything from blacksmiths to jewelers to bakers. Which brings me to my next point... lunch. Having known enough French to confuse myself (and others) we decided to grab a quick lunch before heading back to the hostel. There were a few fancy restaurants around, but we decided to take advantage of the festival and eat authentic French cuisine (which I would equate to a burger or some type of sandwhich in the US). So, I waited in a very long line to get, what I though was, a smoked sausage on a baguette. It looked and smelled great. Andouillette. It even had a beautiful French name. They cooked in fresh to order, I was excited to be trying something new (as you can tell from the picture) and for only 3 euros. Due to the sheer size, we decided to share. Best. Decision. Ever.
Thank goodness we were sharing- which required us to split the baguette in half. We found a shady area, sat down, and began breaking it in half. As soon as the middle split open, things I am unsure of began pouring out of the middle. Since I still don't know what they were, I will give you some adjectives that came to my mind when I saw it-- juicy, chunky, jiggly, abnormal, scary... I couldn't even eat the bread it came on. However, it was entertaining to see my group attempt to eat it, without success. In attempt to be portrayed as well-mannered tourists, we waited until there were no French people around us to promptly chunk our baguettes in the nearest trashcan (this will be one of many baguettes that find their way to the trash). After speaking with our leader (who is French) we discover that we were eating intestines in their natural form- straight from the pig. This became the running joke of the trip and made me all the more thankful for everything else I ate.
Lesson learned: Try something new. You may... or may not like it.