There is something very magical in going for a run at sunrise amoungst endless fields of grapevines, in the French countryside, while listening to "Cello Sonata in G Minor" on my iPod. Ah, C'est la vie, une bon vie!
And now after a shower and a cup of coffee, I am sitting in the garden. It is just after 8:00am, and I am enjoying another croissant (eat your heart out Steph!), with some strawberries, just listening to the birdsong. If only I could package this tiny bit of the trip and bring it home with me! But alas, this is the final full day of our trip. It has gone by all too quickly.
Today the plan is to head east and explore some of the local towns but not venture too far afield. After a leisurely morning of relaxing in the garden and conversation with Carol, we left La Forge with a picnic lunch just after noon, and set out toware Monsegur, a bastide town to the east.
We stopped in a small town (Rauzan) with a 12th century castle to explore. Tami and I got separated from each other. As I learned from past experiences to stay in the place where you last had contact, I stayed put at the entrance to the castle, and eventually Tami returned to find me.
We then headed farther to the southeast. We passed L'Abbet du Blaissmon. It was a pretty little ruins among the field of wild flowers. We continued on to Mensegur, another bastide town.
we parked and walked around the city centre and took a brief tour of the church, which was a juxtaposition of old and new as this was very much a working church. We stopped in a few shops along the collonade and bought a few souvenirs. We then went back to the car to see if we could find the ramparts of this city. Driving around the outskirts of the city walls, we finally found the ramparts, but as it was a steep ascent to the top, Tami opted not to climb.
It was then that the GPS stopped working as it had been running on battery and not charging. So, we had to navigate back to St Quentin de Baron by way of maps. Tis proved difficult as not all route numbers and village names appear on the maps. But eventually we wound our way ack, stopping briefly at the 8 a huit for some wine, baguettes, and last minute items.
We had a very pleasant dinner with our host, Carol and her husband Bruno. I prepared the remnants of our food stores for our contribution to the meal. carol had prepared a starter of smoked trout on toast points which was so flavorful and fresh. This was followed by a smiple green salad, cod fish cakes and our contributions of fingerling potatoes and a cheese plate. Our meal was accompanied by sparkiling water and Margaux-St Emilion wine.
The conversation was interesting as we learned more about Bruno and his field of psychiatry tied with both his interests in nutrition and speech (workings of the human vocal chords). Tami and I found his specialities fascinating and could realte to them in our own respective journies of learning and speaking foreign languages and trying to transform our bodies through eating well and working on physical and psychological transformations as well. We also learned more about Carol's interests with theatre and puppetry and her job as Cultural Affirs Director.
The meal was completed by a wonderful apple tartine which Carol had prepared and served with a very light, whipped cheese. It was a nice end to a hectic vacation, albeit a sad one, to have to come to the realization of saying goodbye to this amazing tapastry of wine, food, culture, history, people and their stories... All woven together to form the south west, (Dordogne Valley and Gironde) area of France.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Day 6 Thursday 9/15/11
We decided after yesterday's tiring trip to stay closer to home. After a nice chat with Carol, she directed us to a nearby town having a local market (Langoiran). So we headed south. In Langoiran, although the market was fairly small, we weren't disappointed. It had lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. (One fruit I had never seen before, peche platte) was similar to a peach but not containing as much juice and is flat in shape, although it was very flavorful. The young man at the fruit stand was amused by our pronunciation of the names of the fruit in french and good naturedly corrected us. We bought a few peche plattes, tomate cerise (cherry tomatoes), pruneaux (prunes), fraise (strawberries). We also wandered over to the next stand which contained many Morocan specialities and purchased some couscous avec poulet (with chicken). All of this was for our picnic that we were taking with us to enjoy while sitting by the canals a little further to the south.
However our next stop was to the bastide town of Rions. There we walked the streets and admired the 11th century town and its existing ramparts. We walked to the tower where we saw a woman pruning the flowers in the plaza below the tower. We learned that she was preparing the plaza and town for a medieval faire occuring in the town that weekend. We asked if we could climb the stairs to the town, and the woman was very accomodating. As we climbed the stairs we met David who was in the tower also preparing for the faire. We learend that David was the town's local historian. He took us to the top of the tower to enjoy the view of the town and its environs. While giving us a private tour, David shared with us the town's local history. We learn this this bastide town was built by the Glasconny French who were very happy to continue alliances with the English as they recieved many favors from the English Lords through their trade in wine. David explained that to the Glasconny people, it was the French who were the enemy. It was under the direction of Duke D'Aquitaine (who became to be known as King Richard "The Lionhearted" of England) that this bastide town was built. Richard was the sone of Eleanor D'Aquitaine.
After our tour of the tower David showed us to the local museum where we saw fascinating local artifacts, some dating from the 1st century that were found during a renovation of the church grounds at the center of the bastide. We also saw the paintings of a local painter (Henri Maignan) who painted local landscapes as they existed in the late 18th and early 19th centuries adding a fascinating look into how the town may have functioned and what it may have been like to live there. We also saw the textiles that were created in this building that housed the museum. The building's original purpose was to produce these textiles and wooden shoes for the townspeople.
What a wonderful happenstance to be given not only this private tour, but to hear about the local history from the town's own historian! After thanking both David and the woman (who also happened to be president of the historical association in the town) we headed toward the town of Castets en Dorthe for our lunch at the canal.
We found a nice spot adjacent to the canal for our feast. It was pleasant to listen to the sounds of the water cascading down the loch and see the local bicycle club also having their lunch at this beautiful location. After many exchanges of "Bon Apetite" with many members of the bicycle club and our lunch now over, two older gentlemen came over when they saw me looking over our maps. They politely asked what we were doing and where we had visited, and offered the suggestion for our next town to visit (Verdelais). So that's where we headed.
It was a nice drive to Verdelais and in the charming town we found a nice church which we toured (Cathedral de Verdelais) who's patron saint was the Vigin Madonna. (Here I bought my mom a beautiful rosary). Although I was looking for an irridescent purple color, obviously I did not know as I thought I did what the word in French was for purple, and I had this poor little old nun very confused who was trying her best to understnad me and sell me the rosary beads.
Outside and behind the church we found an old cemetery. As fortune would have it, the cemetery contained the tomb of Henri Toulouse-Latrec (a french painter known as one of the greatest painters of the Post Impressionist period who painted many decadent and provacative scenes of Parisienne life).
After touring the cemetery we headed back and decided to stop in Creon for a drink at a Brasserie recommended by our host Carol. We misunderstood the directions and unfortuantley ended up in a Brasserie that hosted off-track betting. It was not an establishment for the like of us as there were several "characters" hanging about who were quite drunk. We drank our caraffe of wine, politely asked directions to the correct Brasserie and headed down the street. In this Brasserie we decided to stay for dinner, and were entertained by an exhibition of South American Poetry (spoken in French) while we were there. I enjoyed a steak and green salad with roasted vegetables accompanied by a sparkling lemonade (Yes, *gasp* No wine)
It had been a long day, so we headed back to La Forge to unwind, uncork a bottle of wine, and for me to catch up on my journal. Then... REST!
However our next stop was to the bastide town of Rions. There we walked the streets and admired the 11th century town and its existing ramparts. We walked to the tower where we saw a woman pruning the flowers in the plaza below the tower. We learned that she was preparing the plaza and town for a medieval faire occuring in the town that weekend. We asked if we could climb the stairs to the town, and the woman was very accomodating. As we climbed the stairs we met David who was in the tower also preparing for the faire. We learend that David was the town's local historian. He took us to the top of the tower to enjoy the view of the town and its environs. While giving us a private tour, David shared with us the town's local history. We learn this this bastide town was built by the Glasconny French who were very happy to continue alliances with the English as they recieved many favors from the English Lords through their trade in wine. David explained that to the Glasconny people, it was the French who were the enemy. It was under the direction of Duke D'Aquitaine (who became to be known as King Richard "The Lionhearted" of England) that this bastide town was built. Richard was the sone of Eleanor D'Aquitaine.
After our tour of the tower David showed us to the local museum where we saw fascinating local artifacts, some dating from the 1st century that were found during a renovation of the church grounds at the center of the bastide. We also saw the paintings of a local painter (Henri Maignan) who painted local landscapes as they existed in the late 18th and early 19th centuries adding a fascinating look into how the town may have functioned and what it may have been like to live there. We also saw the textiles that were created in this building that housed the museum. The building's original purpose was to produce these textiles and wooden shoes for the townspeople.
What a wonderful happenstance to be given not only this private tour, but to hear about the local history from the town's own historian! After thanking both David and the woman (who also happened to be president of the historical association in the town) we headed toward the town of Castets en Dorthe for our lunch at the canal.
We found a nice spot adjacent to the canal for our feast. It was pleasant to listen to the sounds of the water cascading down the loch and see the local bicycle club also having their lunch at this beautiful location. After many exchanges of "Bon Apetite" with many members of the bicycle club and our lunch now over, two older gentlemen came over when they saw me looking over our maps. They politely asked what we were doing and where we had visited, and offered the suggestion for our next town to visit (Verdelais). So that's where we headed.
It was a nice drive to Verdelais and in the charming town we found a nice church which we toured (Cathedral de Verdelais) who's patron saint was the Vigin Madonna. (Here I bought my mom a beautiful rosary). Although I was looking for an irridescent purple color, obviously I did not know as I thought I did what the word in French was for purple, and I had this poor little old nun very confused who was trying her best to understnad me and sell me the rosary beads.
Outside and behind the church we found an old cemetery. As fortune would have it, the cemetery contained the tomb of Henri Toulouse-Latrec (a french painter known as one of the greatest painters of the Post Impressionist period who painted many decadent and provacative scenes of Parisienne life).
After touring the cemetery we headed back and decided to stop in Creon for a drink at a Brasserie recommended by our host Carol. We misunderstood the directions and unfortuantley ended up in a Brasserie that hosted off-track betting. It was not an establishment for the like of us as there were several "characters" hanging about who were quite drunk. We drank our caraffe of wine, politely asked directions to the correct Brasserie and headed down the street. In this Brasserie we decided to stay for dinner, and were entertained by an exhibition of South American Poetry (spoken in French) while we were there. I enjoyed a steak and green salad with roasted vegetables accompanied by a sparkling lemonade (Yes, *gasp* No wine)
It had been a long day, so we headed back to La Forge to unwind, uncork a bottle of wine, and for me to catch up on my journal. Then... REST!
Day 5 Wednesday 9/14/11
Today the plan is to head to the coast to La Rochelle. When we arrived in La Rochelle after a brief pirstop in the village of Pons (stopping at the tourism office to see if we could find a local market). We did find some markets in nearby towns, but decided to just head to La Rochelle.
Arriving in La Rochelle it was considerably warmer (33° C) and the sun was shining warmly. La Rochelle is an old seaport city with two great, imposing fortification towers protecting the harbor. The stonework towers were starkly beautiful against the clear blue of the sky and dark muddy blue in the shallows of the inlet within the harbor which contained the marina. We walked the streets of the old port (vieux port) which were crowded with people on holiday enjoying the sunshine and the reamining days of summer sunshine.
We met with Tami's friend, Sylvia and her husband, Hans at Fitgerald's Irish pub on the boardwalk facing the harbor. We shared a drink (more Irish Cider for me) and a meal while swapping travel stories and political ideologies. (I had the fish and chips ; after all I was in an Irish Pub, but was sorely disappointed. I should have considered that this was France and the French do french food well. English food... not so much). It was an enjoyable afternoon relaxing on the boardwalk in the warm, salty air of the seaport. We then strolled the streets of the old port after bidding adieu to Sylvia and Hans.
As it was getting late we decided to head for home. We took other routes (not the main highway/toll road) to get back and wound our way through the coastal towns of France getting sidetracked a few times, but finally found our way. It had been a very long trip and so we retired early.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Day 4 Tuesday 9/13/11
Today the plan was to head toward the region of Perigord (Northeast) and check out Lascaux and Rocamadour. But after a slow start (albeit a pleasurable one having coffee and conversation with our host Carol) we headed for Perigeux (capitol of the Perigord region). The city was beautiful with many ancient Roman ruins. We came across an archeaoligical museum with en enclosed excavation of the ancient Roman city at Vesoné named after a local Celtic/Gaul goddess that was adapted by the Romans into their polytheism. The self-guided tour of the excavation (with English translated headset) allowed us to tour and experience the site at our leisure. It was an amazing find for us! It seems our unplanned adventures are so richly rewarding!
As all museums are set up to do, we exited via the gift shop. I was amused to find (and purchase) a comic book version of an historical fiction novel I had read years ago (called "Druid") where the Gaulish prince prepares to become king and his aided by his friend who becomes a Druid master; The book culminates with a major battle of the celtic Gauls vs the Romans. Finding the comic book and seeing that these figures are very well known in France was interesting.
We ate a late lunch in a Boulangerie (Fournil) in Perigeux. I treated myself to a birthday treat in additon to my salad of pearl onions, smoked meats, lettuce and baby pickles (cornichons), I had a luscious chocolate tart. Yum! After lunch we walked around the old part of the city a bit. We peeked into the local church (St Etienne) and walked to the lookout tower. After a brief visit to the tourism office we decided to head off to Lascaux.
Lascaux has always been a place that I hqd wanted to see; hearing about the Neanderthal cave paintings that were dicovered nt the 1920's, shown on the History Channel. Although the guided tour was completely in French, the essence of the place was not lost on Tami, nor me.
Lascaux, like the dig at Vesoné in Perigeux, was one of those places that had an energy about it. Like it was a special place on earth that man felt that it needed an embellishment to mark its existance. An adornment of sorts. We learned that the original cave at Lascaux was closed to tourists in 1969 due to the pollutants that were ruining the paintings that had been there for 80,000 years. Lascaux II was built and opened to the public in 1983. It is a replica of the orignal caves, complete with almost 90% of the original paintings done by an artist; It in itself, was an amazing feat of workmanship.
After a full day we headed back and stopped to pick up a few groceries at Carrefour (local grocery store chain). I made dinner of steak cooked with shallots, garlic, green pepper and finished in red wine. We had red potatoes with dill, and a green salad (with home-made dressing à la Tami), and of course more baguettes and wine! Dishes done, laundry washed... Time for bed. Bon Nuit!
As all museums are set up to do, we exited via the gift shop. I was amused to find (and purchase) a comic book version of an historical fiction novel I had read years ago (called "Druid") where the Gaulish prince prepares to become king and his aided by his friend who becomes a Druid master; The book culminates with a major battle of the celtic Gauls vs the Romans. Finding the comic book and seeing that these figures are very well known in France was interesting.
We ate a late lunch in a Boulangerie (Fournil) in Perigeux. I treated myself to a birthday treat in additon to my salad of pearl onions, smoked meats, lettuce and baby pickles (cornichons), I had a luscious chocolate tart. Yum! After lunch we walked around the old part of the city a bit. We peeked into the local church (St Etienne) and walked to the lookout tower. After a brief visit to the tourism office we decided to head off to Lascaux.
Lascaux has always been a place that I hqd wanted to see; hearing about the Neanderthal cave paintings that were dicovered nt the 1920's, shown on the History Channel. Although the guided tour was completely in French, the essence of the place was not lost on Tami, nor me.
Lascaux, like the dig at Vesoné in Perigeux, was one of those places that had an energy about it. Like it was a special place on earth that man felt that it needed an embellishment to mark its existance. An adornment of sorts. We learned that the original cave at Lascaux was closed to tourists in 1969 due to the pollutants that were ruining the paintings that had been there for 80,000 years. Lascaux II was built and opened to the public in 1983. It is a replica of the orignal caves, complete with almost 90% of the original paintings done by an artist; It in itself, was an amazing feat of workmanship.
After a full day we headed back and stopped to pick up a few groceries at Carrefour (local grocery store chain). I made dinner of steak cooked with shallots, garlic, green pepper and finished in red wine. We had red potatoes with dill, and a green salad (with home-made dressing à la Tami), and of course more baguettes and wine! Dishes done, laundry washed... Time for bed. Bon Nuit!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Day 3 Monday 9/12
Woke up late (8:00 am) and went for a run. There was more traffic on the road since it's a workday. Today we plan to go to Libourne and St Emilion. We are scheduled to meet with Fabian at 6:00pm for a wine tasting class set up by our host, Carol. Any wines that we select from our tasting we can take to dinner with us.
Touring the city of St Emilion was breathtaking! The view of the vineyards in all directions mixed with the ancient stoneworked walls (some still existing from the original 10th century construction)was stunning.
We toured the old church and walked along it's cobbled hallways. I saw a statue of Joan D' Arc which intrigued me. We discussed the statue with a local guide at the church and she told us that Joan D'Arc was so venerated in France that her statue was placed in most churches throughout the country, but Joan D'Arc had not been known to have travelled to this region. (more toward Rennes)
Tami found a linen store, "Les Dames d' Aquitaine" and sa Garnier Thibout brand of linens that she has wanted ever since seeing it at Epcot Cente in Disney World in 1978. We had a nice conversation with the shop keeper who was so patient with our broken French. We chatted about the linen and about living a simpler life; one not surrounded by so many "things". The shopkeeper said that I was young, but in time would come to a less complicated life.
We met with Fabian as planned and the wine tasting and class was a great eye opening experience to how important wine is to the French and how tradtion and awareness of the land and pollutants plays a part in their ways of wine cultivation.
We learned about the different apellations within France, how wine growers must present thier wines each year to the jurande to maintain their inclusion in the appellation. We also learned that Crus and Grande Crus maintain their distinction for 10 years.
We alo learned that the roses at the end of the row of the vineyard will tell the farmer if the soil is sick or healthy. If the roses start to die the vines will soon be affected within the week.
We left St Emillion and found a grocery store in Libourne and bought some provisions for dinner but since it was already after 10 pm, we decided just to drink our bottle of Esprit d'Eglise (Pomerol ) and snack on cheese, fruit, and bread;
Touring the city of St Emilion was breathtaking! The view of the vineyards in all directions mixed with the ancient stoneworked walls (some still existing from the original 10th century construction)was stunning.
We toured the old church and walked along it's cobbled hallways. I saw a statue of Joan D' Arc which intrigued me. We discussed the statue with a local guide at the church and she told us that Joan D'Arc was so venerated in France that her statue was placed in most churches throughout the country, but Joan D'Arc had not been known to have travelled to this region. (more toward Rennes)
Tami found a linen store, "Les Dames d' Aquitaine" and sa Garnier Thibout brand of linens that she has wanted ever since seeing it at Epcot Cente in Disney World in 1978. We had a nice conversation with the shop keeper who was so patient with our broken French. We chatted about the linen and about living a simpler life; one not surrounded by so many "things". The shopkeeper said that I was young, but in time would come to a less complicated life.
We met with Fabian as planned and the wine tasting and class was a great eye opening experience to how important wine is to the French and how tradtion and awareness of the land and pollutants plays a part in their ways of wine cultivation.
We learned about the different apellations within France, how wine growers must present thier wines each year to the jurande to maintain their inclusion in the appellation. We also learned that Crus and Grande Crus maintain their distinction for 10 years.
We alo learned that the roses at the end of the row of the vineyard will tell the farmer if the soil is sick or healthy. If the roses start to die the vines will soon be affected within the week.
We left St Emillion and found a grocery store in Libourne and bought some provisions for dinner but since it was already after 10 pm, we decided just to drink our bottle of Esprit d'Eglise (Pomerol ) and snack on cheese, fruit, and bread;
Day 2 Sunday 9/11/11
I am sitting in the garden, enjoying a cup of coffee and a buttery croissant. It is quiet except for the hum of the grape harvesting truck harvesting grapes on a local vineyard. I passed this vineyard on my run this morning. It was so peaceful to run down these winding country roads, past endless fields of grapes all dangling, ripe on their vines. Past the old 14th century church of St Quentin de Baron. The sun had just come up, but was partially obscurred by some low clouds. "Cheese" the cat greeted me as I unlatched the gate out of the courtyard.
Today we plan on heading to Bordeaux to a large Brocante (Flea Market) held there, take in some of the architecture and history of the city, and maybe just people watch, while sitting in a café.
So, while on our way to Bordeaux, we came across a Marché aux Fargue St Hauille Petite Puces; (community yard sale). What a find! This was such a fun experience. I found some neat jewelry and small ceamic items. Tami found a placard of a Bordeaux street sign. In this particular stall we met a nice old gentleman and his wife. We took a photo with them. The man was from Germany (originally) and he showed us a picture of himself as a 20 yo soldier. (There were other military items in his stall) The couple were so nice and they took their time trying to explain things in French so that we understood. In another stall, while looking at some handmade lace doilies, a women next to me picked up a pair of women's underwear (with an opening in both the front and the back) for the wearer to "do her business" without having to remove her garments. This woman and I had a good laugh over them. She told us that she had travelled to San Fransico in 1978 and would love to return someday. We also met another woman who had a disability (in a wheelchair) who's stall benefitted a mission in Africa. From this stall I purchased an egg cup shaped like a chicken and a small cermic condiment tray. As we were wandering our way through the stalls we met another woman (at least we think was a woman) who was selling comically shaped incense burners. Realizing we were from the US, she asked how we were doing because of September 11th. At first Tami and I did not understand the reference until we realized that today was 9/11 (and it was the 10th anniversary) This woman went on to say that she would have killed the men responsible by cutting their throats with a sword (motioning to a nearby stall that was selling swords) We then got a laugh when she and I both made a slicing motion much lower on the male anatomy.
In Bordeaux we went looking for the brocante but couldn't find it. Instead we travelled around the city on a Tram and on foot. We went to the old part of town (Quinconces) and took pictures at a fountain commemerating the military men of Gironde and their sacrifice. The fountain was beautifully carved! We went to St André cathedral and the Tower of Pays Baron. From their we went to have a drink in a bar calle Sweeney Todd's to people watch. I had a delicious Irish Cider beer.
For dinner we stopped back at the 8 à huit and bought some groceries and I cooked Chicekn Cordon Bleu with a salad and wild rice that Tami prepared.
Now, it's time to prepare for tomorrow and then bed!
Today we plan on heading to Bordeaux to a large Brocante (Flea Market) held there, take in some of the architecture and history of the city, and maybe just people watch, while sitting in a café.
 |
| Our German friend and his wife at the marchee aux puces |
For dinner we stopped back at the 8 à huit and bought some groceries and I cooked Chicekn Cordon Bleu with a salad and wild rice that Tami prepared.
Now, it's time to prepare for tomorrow and then bed!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Day 1 Saturday September 10, 2011
 |
| Kitchen area at La Forge (our little country cottage) |
 |
| Sitting area at La Forge |
 |
| Courtyard area outside our front door |
After a long qnd uncomfortable flight we arrived 1/2 hour early in Paris. Customs in Paris is virtually non-existant. We changed to our connecting flight to Bordeaux. On the plane we met a very nice off-duty stewardess who sat next to us. She had been visiting NY and was intrigued by the grocery shopping in NYC.
 |
| "Cheese" the cat |
After getting to our charmingly beautiful cottage and freshening up, we sat and chatted with our hostess, Carol, and met Patouche the dog, and Cheese the cat. Then we went out into town to do a little exploring. We went to the local "8 à huit" store and picked up some provisions ie: milk, eggs, cheese, olives, coffee, orqnge juice; and wine, and then went to the patisserie for a nice warm baguette, and some croissants for breakfast.
At night we dined at Baron du Garamond, a very nice local restaurant. I had poisson du mer and creme brulè with a nice local wine, Haut de Lechey (Bordeaux).
Finally around midnight (local time) we went back to the cottage, and discussed the next day's plans. btw... I'm sleeping in the loft, and Tami is sleeping in the "motion" bed under the skylight down below;
 |
| My garden paradise outside La Forge at sunset on Day 1 |
Bed time... Bon Nuit!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)