St Emilion & St Genes de Castillon, March 30

   We woke up to rain and another carbolishus breakfast. But, we read that the rain would abate in the afternoon.

    We talked for a long time with Michel about places to go in California when he and Francine visit their daughter, Valentine, who is going to UC Irvine for a 3-month exchange.
    We left around 11 a.m. and drove about 40 kilometers through the countryside to St. Emilion. We honeymooned there so we have fond memories. We have visited since and have found it quite crowded.

    However, today was wonderful. We found a good parking spot and walked in parts of the town where we'd never walked. The population of the town is only 2,000, but it is a huge tourist draw for the famous wines. The vineyards go back to Roman times in the 2nd Century.
     The town goes back to prehistoric times and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
      We went into the cloisters and into the ancient church. As it is Good Friday, all the statues were draped in black. It was built in the 14th century.
       After our stroll, we drove to St Genes de Castillion to eat at Comptoir de Genes where we ate last time we were here. We had a copy of an article in the Wine Spectator that recommended the restaurant and we showed the owner, Anne-Marie Galineau. She had been delighted as she had not seen the article yet, so we gave it to her.
       When we went in, we told the waitress we'd like to see her again and we had a wonderful talk with her. She had a young American from NYC there learning French and living with her and she brought him out to talk with us. He had only been there for 4 days.

       We had the prix fix menu. (14.50 and 17.50) Mark had egg, ham, potato and pickle salad for his appetizer which he pronounced delicious. Barbara had artichokes and anchovy salad which she pronounced delicious. For the main course, Barbara had cod with risotto and vegetables in a light cream sauce. And, Mark had a veal stew. Both were terrific. We split a dessert of custard with fruit.
     It is interesting to be in wine country and not drinking. We are so enjoying the countryside and the architecture.

     Then, we drove back to Montgoyon where we are having coffee/tea on the outside patio (A bit chilly!) and catching up on today's blog. Barbara did another stint of driving today getting her driving "legs" under her.
 

Last night we saw on Facebook that Mary Beth Splaine and Jack Weinhold are in France near where we will be driving tomorrow. What a coincidence as Sarlat-le-Canada is a very small village in a rather out of the way place. So - we will meet them mid-day.
 
After we wrote this yesterday, we spent the evening with Francine and Michel. They gave us a present of homemade Civet (not sure quite what it is). And, a glass of homemade pineau which Mark declined. We chatted for a long time. We exchanged some dollars for euros as their daughter, Valentine, is off to the U.S.A. today for a 3-month exchange. We talked about gardening and birds and family. Francine speaks little English, but we all managed to communicate with a dictionary and Google translator, plus Michel is quite fluent in English. At any rate, it was a lovely end to our stay in Montgoyon.

Bordeaux, March 29

    Our day started out with a hearty (carb-laden) breakfast with the three other guests at the B & B. (Les Champs des Fleurs).

  We are staying about 40 minutes drive from Bordeaux. We visited Bordeaux in 1982 and stayed with Nick and Jecca in a rather dingy hotel and our impression of the city was not particularly positive.

  However, it has undergone  Michel recommended that we go to a tram station with parking to avoid the high cost of parking in the city, not to mention their locations. So, he sent us to the stop called Buttinieres, but...the lot was full. Yikes. Luckily, we had followed the tram line for a bit, so Mark back tracked and we found another station with a parking lot. Whew. It's amazing how challenging little things can be - ie figuring out how to get the combination tram/parking ticket. But, we persevered. Luckily there was no line behind us! And, it was just 4.20 Euros to park all day and take the tram there and back.
   The trams are sleek, quiet, efficient. We got off in the old town. Wow - so beautiful. Full of old squares, stone building, mostly pedestrianized. (Where would we have parked?)

     We mostly just walked. 5.5 miles to be exact.
      We found a tourist bureau and got a map. It was in the lovely Bourse building. The Place de la Bourse started as a royal square in the early 1700s. The gorgeous square was designed by the main architect of Versailles. 
   From there, we walked along the waterfront of the Garonne. We could see the new Wine Museum. But, we have little interest in wine these days and decided that we were more interested in the architecture and ambiance of the city than a museum, especially one that cost 20 Euros per person.
    We went to the Esplanade des Quinconces, one of the largest city squares in Egypt. There is a huge monument to the Girondins of the French Revolution. The Girondins fell to the Reign of Terror.
   From there we walked to the Grande Theatre, a huge columned building, built in 1780. The square was filled with people enjoying the sun and strolling along the main shopping street, the Rue Sainte Catherine. 
  But, we were on a quest to find one of the two restaurants Mark had researched the night before.

Well, the first, Fufu, was definitely closed. (Asian cuisine)
  So, we zigzagged to the second restaurant, Grande Bretagne, but it only opens for dinner! So, back across the old town we went and we picked one that seemed packed with locals. (Not many tourists here this time of year, so that seemed a good idea. And, it was possible to eat outside and enjoy the sun.

    It was L'Ombriere. It was not haute cuisine, but okay and we and lingered and watched people. Barbara had a sea bream dish with some salmon, dill loose pate as a starter. Mark had a Basque burger, a burger with some pork belly and special Basque sauce and cheese.
   We stopped in a little linen store and bought a present for Maura J., something small that we can pack.
   From there we walked to the Porte Dijeaux, a large gateway that opens onto a green square. And, then we walked to the Saint Andre Cathedral, a huge Gothic-style building complete with a variety of buttresses. We entered and looked at the various chapels. The original cathedral was consecrated in 1096, but little of that remains. Most of the construction was done in the 14th and 15th centuries. It is the church where Eleanor of Aquitaine married the future king, Louis VII, when she was just 15.
   Then, we strolled back towards the river also taking in another grand gate, the Porte Cailhau, built in the 1490s for defense.

   By this point, it was 4 o'clock and we got the tram back to our car and drove home. We stopped at an Intermarche for a little bit to eat. Then, Barbara drove the 2 k back to the bed and breakfast. She has been timid to drive so far, so...a small start. We then sat in the back garden here, had our snacks and caught up on computer things, such as the blog!

 

To Montgoyon, March 28

   Today was one of those "off the beaten track" days. In the rain.
   We only had about 200 K to drive today and decided to program the GPS for "no tolls," "no highways."

The options then were: shortest, fastest, ecologique and compromise. We have no idea what the last two are, but put in "ecologique" and ended up going on very small roads through forests and swamps and a bit of a round-about way. So, we changed it to "fastest". Hmmmm.
    Our first destination was Cognac, on the Charente River, an ancient town of about 20,000 people. Of course, it is known for cognac, but that was not why we chose to visit. We had been recommended it as a pretty town, an old medieval trading post.
     Once we got a parking spot, we went online to find a good restaurant as well as directions. Ah...the modern methods of travel. Of course, it was still raining and we didn't want to walk too far.

     We found L'Olympias, a creperie and had the special of the day. It was a specialty of Bretagne - buckwheat pancakes or galettes. (ble noir de Bretagne). Buckwheat is a fruit seed related to rhubard and not at all related to wheat or grains. It has more protein that many grains and is completely gluten-free. Who knew? Anyhow, our galettes were plate-sized with salmon, puree of peas and leaks, and possibly sweet potato (not sure). At any rate, they were delicious!
     Then, we made our way to Montgoyon to the bed and breakfast run by Michel and Francine Besse where we stayed 5 years ago. It is in a very small village. There were several detours and "route barree" signs (road blocked completely) and we wound up on some VERY small roads (tracks really) through farms. We wove all over the place. Mark was very patient.

    Somehow, we found the small bed and breakfast and re-united with Michel and Francine.

(We gave him a bottle of wine from Ile de Re as he'd given us some wine last time we stayed here.) Their daughter is going to an exchange program in Irvine, California this weekend for 3 months. Michel has retired as a pilot, very happily.

      He sat with us for well over an hour helping us to plan our day in Bordeaux tomorrow giving us tips such as - do not take a car in - take the tram. He also helped us to map our route to Arles as we like sticking to back roads and avoiding the motorways. (The cost from Paris to La Rochelle was about 41 Euros for 500 Kilometers. But, this is not about the cost. You just don't see anything from a motorway; you might as well stay in the U.S.)

     We chose to have a quiet evening of reading and will snack on some fruit and heat up some soup that we bought.

Ile de Re, March 27

     Jecca and family recommended that we visit Ile de Re as it reminded them of Nantucket when they were here two summers ago. It is an island in the Atlantic, low elevation, about the same size. It is, however, connected by a bridge to the mainland. It was built in 1987.
     There are about 20,000 islanders and 220,000 in the summer, so like Nantucket in that it is a tourist destination. But, the island is still a working island with farming, LOTS of oyster fishing and other fishing and it is not "cutified" like Nantucket is. It is a place where the Parisiens go in the summer, but we did not see a single mansion. We guessed that they probably aren't allowed. But, like Nantucket, it is full of expensive restaurants. Oysters and mussels are their specialities. The island caters to cyclists with many cool bike paths.
  The main similarity today was the weather - windy, foggy and rainy! It felt very familiar. We did a little birding, but even the birds were mostly sheltering.
  We paid 8 Euros to cross the bridge and we explored every single village on the island. Little ferries used to serve the island and, in summers, it could be several hours wait to cross over.

    The island has two distinct geographies. The southwest has sandy beaches and the northeast is marshy with salt and oyster beds.
   Several towns, like St Martin, have incredibly beautiful harbors. St Martin was the main port in the 17th and 18th C and a place where convicts from which convicts like Alfred Dreyfus were deported. A far cry from the tourist harbor of today, but the entire town was fortified. (Fort La Pree, built in 1626) It is on the World Heritage List.
   During WWII, the Germans built bunkers on the shores and we could see their ruins.

    We ate at Le Patio in St. Clements by the Phare des Baleines (Lighthouse of Whales). Very crowded and busy in the season, we were one of two tables occupied. It was a real find. The prix fixe menu was fish soup, tuna with a lemon glaze and vegetables and a dessert similar to creme caramel, but much less dense and not quite as rich.....It was all incredible. The soup was hearty and we could have easily just had it to be full.

The tuna was so big that neither of us finished it.
   Best of all was the wife of the owner who was our server. Her father-in-law was the last keeper of the light house, for one. She also pointed us to places to buy a few local products to take as gifts to our French friends. We went outside of Ars to a place that harvests salt and got some salt and some salted caramels. Then, we went to Le Plage de Bois to a place where they press and sell the wines of Ile de Re and got two fortified wines for presents.
    We did not leave the island till after 4 and we did a brief driving tour through downtown LaRochelle and then went to a Hyper U for a bit of food and then got a bit lost getting back to our hotel!
    But, we picked up some snacks for dinner and spent a quiet evening. We did talk to Grandpa White on the phone as his birthday is soon and we do not know if the next place will have reliable wifi. We also talked briefly with Nick.

Paris to La Rochelle, March 26

 Today we left our nice little apartment on Ile St Louie and walked to Sully-Marland subway stop (No 7) and then changed to the No. 9 subway. 7 stops and then 16 stops. The subway in Paris is not as easy as the Tube in London mostly because there are so many stairs and not many escalators. And, we had all our luggage. But, it was fine and we managed to get seats within a few stops of getting on even though it was crowded.

   We rented the car in St Cloud. It is a red Peugeot 208. It was an efficient process and we were on our way quickly. And...quickly took a misturn! We do have GPS, but it the distances are not always clear. At any rate, after a little wandering, we found ourselves out on the motorway.
    It was about a 5 hour drive to La Rochelle. At the first pay toll, our credit cards were rejected. We have 10 days to log on and pay. But, at the second, the Visa was magically taken. The tolls are expensive. Today we paid 41 Euros and about 50 Euros to fill up the car. (We ate yogurt/sandwich at a rest stop.)

     We found the Spa Hotel and Chateau in Lagord outside LaRochelle with only minimal difficulty. The chateau is quite nice and we did not pay much. The room is big with big windows into the garden. (But, the weather is rainy and foggy) We went to a nearby supermarket and got some food for dinner.
      We also took a drive to the sea where we could see the bridge to Ile de Re, tomorrow's destination. Fingers crossed the weather improves.

Walking Paris, Part 2, March 25

 We had another walking day today. It started out cloudy, but the sun came out mid-day which was great.

  We strolled past Notre Dame first which was very crowded as it is Palm Sunday. Then, we strolled our way to the Luxembourg Gardens, a favorite from years ago. There were a few flowers in bloom and buds on the trees, so not as lush as summer. We sat in the sun and watched people enjoying the day - all ages, but a lot of students studying en plein air. There were quite a few boats in the fountain pushed by children and a few larger, more expensive boats. Most of the latter gave up quickly as there was not enough wind.
   From there, we strolled to find a Vietnamese restaurant we'd looked up. We circumnavigated the Pantheon where many French dignitaries and literary notables are buried, but chose not to go in. We did not find the restaurant and the Vietnamese restaurants we did see, we all closed. It did not matter as we enjoyed the stroll.

    We decided to treat ourselves to the St Regis Cafe back on Ile St. Louie where we ate yesterday. They did not have the lamb dish that Mark had liked, but he had thinly sliced chicken marinated in lemon and Barbara had the chicken Caesar salad again. We sat outside and chatted with 2 American mothers and 2 daughters (seniors in high school on their first trip to France) They gave us their untouched cheeses and the kind waiter boxed it and added 3 "ruined" croissants. (Breakfast tomorrow!)

    We stopped into the church in our neighborhood - very old.
    We also walked to the other end of "our" island and watched the river go past.
    A lovely day.

Walking Paris, Meeting a former student

Today was a lovely, lovely day. It started grey, but ended up sunny and in the 50s. We shed our warm clothes for the first time.

  After eating what was left from our dinner, we headed out...in no particular direction. First, we walked the perimeter of the Ile St. Louis. Wow. Then, we went toward the Bastille and walked that area. We got a bit lost and wandered through bits of the 3rd arrondisement. We eventually found the Rue de Rivoli and walked to the Hotel de Nice where we stayed with Nick and Jecca when they were little.

(1981 or 82?) We stayed there a few times after that, but it has become too expensive for us. There was a nice open market across from the hotel where we got some cheddar cheese (I think) and some more brie, as well as 2 tomatoes. Later, we got a baguette.

     We came back to the flat for a little rest and organizing and laundry doing. Then, we met former drama student from Nantucket High School, Becky Cavannaugh, an talented singer who had the major parts in The Boyfriend and Guys and Dolls. Becky has English and American citizenship with parents from both countries and did her early education in England. She has been living in Paris for 11 years. Her husband has a school of rock in both Brooklyn and in Paris and Becky teaches at the Parsons School of Design's Paris campus, as well as doing translating work.

    She and her 10-month old, Simon, met us at the St. Regis restaurant at the end of the Ile St. Louis. Mark and Becky had duck leg confit and Sarlat potatoes. Excellent. Barbara had a chicken fillet Caesar Salad. Then, we walked to Berthillon Ice Cream, one of the most famous in the world and made on the Ile St. Louis. Flavors had: white chocolate, pear, peach. All pronounced delicious.
    We walked with Becky back through Le Marais and to the Place des Vosges where she left us and walked home.

      The Place des Vosges, the oldest planned square in Paris. (1605-1612) It was one of the most expensive squares in Paris in the 17th and 18th centuries and one of the reasons the Marais became fashionable for the nobility of Paris. Cardinal Richelieu lived there, Victor Hugo lived there, among others.

     Then, we walked home with a break to sit along the Seine in front of our apartment. (Which we cannot see - we look out over rooftops)
     Dinner consisted of bread, tomato and cheese.

     Then - out for a walk in the evening to the Ile de la Cite and Notre Dame. Then, over to the West Bank which was crowded and then walked back home.

   
   
   

London to Paris, March 23

  Maura kindly accompanied us by subway to St. Pancras Station where we had tickets for the Eurostar to Paris. She used her trolley to help Mark carry his orange bag, which was a help. Before we started off, she made a lovely breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.

   As we got there a little early, we got coffees and watched people go by. Then, we said our goodbyes (never easy) and went through the gates. (First we got a few snacks for the train at M & S.)
    We had a 12:24 train and arrived in Paris at the Gare du Nord at 3:45, although we went ahead an hour, so it was just over a 2 hour ride. A lovely family from California with 3 delightful little girls were across from us. We all chatted. They were excited to be visiting Paris for the first time.

     Getting from the subway to our studio apartment on the Ile St. Louis was not particularly easy. We got a wee bit lost at the Gare du Nord station, but we are not shy to ask for help and had also picked up a map at the Tourist Bureau at the station.  At any rate, we got to Les Halles and had to change trains again. It was a long walk and had lots of stairs. (London's transport is a bit easier with escalators and lifts) Then, we walked to 22 Quai de Bethune and used the codes to get past the 2 doors. Then - up a TINY lift which barely fit us and our luggage to the 6th floor.

     A lovely woman, Christel, a former lawyer whose daughter is studying aeronautical engineering at UCSD, let us in. She showed us all the devices in the apartment and chatted for quite a while. We instantly took a liking to each other and we all hugged when she left.
    The apartment is small, but charming, looking out of the rooftops of the Ile St Louis. It used to be one house for a noble of the court. We look down to where the horses used to be brought in.

   After a bit of a rest, we went out to the 'main street' where there are old fashioned butcher shops, patisseries, small grocery stores. We bought a tomato, a baguette, some sausage and some cheese, went home and had a nice dinner in our flat.

   Unfortunately, around midnight a loud American woman was on the phone in the next apartment and woke us up. Oh well. It's a great, great location. We are both very happy, very relaxed.

   Good news from home- David gave Maura an engagement ring of Montana sapphires. Evidently, he had it hidden in plain sight for a few days in a curio cabinet, waiting for Maura to notice.

Olympic Park, London, March 22

 We set out to visit the East End and the Olympic Park. Our original intention was to spend some time there and then go back into London to the Wallace Museum. But, the Olympic Park was so interesting, that we spent the day there. The weather started out rather grey, but, by the afternoon, we had quite a sunny day. It is one of the largest urban parks developed in Europe in the last 150 years.
    The East End was quite transformed by the 2012 Olympics. It took a lot of wasteland and developed it and attached it to the city as it had been neglected and disconnected. Of course, it also displaced some people, but some affordable housing has been built and will continue to be built. (Always a question of the definition of "affordable."

     We started out by getting information from the volunteers at the information center. Turns out there are over 200 volunteers.
     We started with a coffee at the Aquatic Center and tried to get tickets online for the Accelor Mittal Orbit as they are cheaper on line. We failed to get them that way, so we walked over the the Orbit, an observation tower, and England's largest piece of public art and the tallest sculpture in the U.K. It is really high. At any rate, we got the tickets for the discounted price when we explained how we'd failed. The Orbit gives a spectacular view of London. On a clear day, you can see 20 miles. Children wanted a slide down, so that was included in the structure in 2016. It is a daunting drop. We watched several people as they emerged at the bottom. Whew!

     Two volunteers in an electric trolley, one of whom we'd met earlier, stopped and asked if if we wanted a ride to the Velodrome, our next stop, so, as the park is quite large, and we'd already walked quite a way, we took it. That turned out to be serendipitous in itself because the two women were interesting in their own right. One was so taken by being a volunteer during the Olympics, that she moved into the East End to continue being able to be there. The other woman, a retired engineer AND retired primary school teacher, commutes from 70 miles away to volunteer there.

     They told us lots of stories of the Park on the drive as we passed other venues. Then we went into the Velodrome where we got to see some cyclists practicing. All 4 Olympic cycling events can train in the park: track cycling, road cycling, BMX and mountain biking. We watched training on the 250 meter indoor track. It was interesting to watch, especially as the height of the banks on the end are very intense. As we had made sandwiches and snacks at Maura's we found a sunny spot in the Velodrome and ate there.

     Well fed, we walked back to the subway via the Park's gardens which were not much in bloom other than acacia trees and daffodils. There are gardens devoted to 4 areas of the world. There is also an interesting lock to observe.
     It was a great day out, lots of fresh air, walking and great information. And, because of the time of year and the initial forecast of grey weather, we almost had the 560 acres to ourselves.

      Then, back across London to New Malden and another delicious dinner made by Maura - Cumberland Pie. YUM! Hearty after a day in the fresh air.
      Mark, Maura and I never run out of interesting conversation and stories. It was a fabulous 3 days in London to start this adventure.
 

London - "The Great Wave", Day 2

  After a really good night's rest and wash, we went by subway into London. We walked around the Piccadilly area and had a lovely lunch at Patisser Valerie.

 Then, a walk across the Thames to the South Bank and the National Theatre where we saw a matinee performance of, The Great Wave by Francis Turnly at the Dorfman Theatre. We had seat on the balcony, stage right. We had to crane a little bit to see the whole stage, but not much. The set was amazing with noiselessly moving and spinning sets made of Japanese-looking walls.
    The play was brilliant in every sense - acting, writing, staging. It revolved around the abduction of 17-year old Hanako on a stormy night on a beach in Japan by the North Koreans in the late 1970s. At first, it was assumed she had drowned, murdered or run away. Hanako's older sister, Etsuko, had had a fight with Hanako the night she disappeared and often blamed herself. Etsuko's friend, Tetsuo, came under suspicion. It ruined Tetsuo's family's life in the village and they had to leave because so many people believed he had been involved. Etsuko had gone to the beach to search for Hanako that night, but was knocked unconscious by the big wave. She remembered 2 long-haired men and another man being near Hanako. But, few people believed her.

   Years passed. Tetsuo wandered and came across similar stories in coastal villages in Japan of various people having gone missing. He began to piece together the story of abductions, but it took years before Etsuko and her mother got appointments to talk to the Japanese government who acted as if they did not believe her. (All based on fact - the Japanese government did believe the stories, but did not want to jeopardize their precarious relationship with N. Korea.)
   The scenes alternated between the loved ones in Japan and the life that Hanako led in North Korea. She was forced to teach spies the Japanese language and customs. She was promised she could go home if she succeeded, but that never materialized. She was forced to become Korean. Eventually she was married and had a child. She could never tell them that she was really Japanese.
    It was a very moving play which treated the subject matter delicately and without harsh stereotypes. The N. Korean authority figure, while harsh, was also shown in a human light and one who was imprisoned almost as much as Hanako. Hanako's husband was also a complex man who grew up in a labor camp and who had betrayed his family as a teenager. During the course of the play, he decides he will never betray anyone every again. He was tested when their daughter, Hana, drew a caricature of the "Great Leader."
    We all were really moved and impressed by the performance.
 

Afterwards, we continued to walk along the South Bank to the new Bridge Theatre where we had a coffee. Then, back to the train station and home. We stopped to order Indian take away which was delivered. It was delicious and a tradition for us with Maura.
    Another good night's sleep.