We arrived in Manchester on thursday night and spent the day Friday with Anthony's dad, granddad, and later got together with the extended Bowker family in Manchester. Saturday, we finally got to see Neil's flat in Leamington and meet Alison, Neil's girlfriend. In the evening, Anthony's parents, Neil, Alison, Anthony, and I went to see the Shakespeare play "Twelfth Night" in Strattford upon Avon, one of the places where the Bard lived in England. The play was entertaining and one of the cast members was John Lithegow (the crazy American actor). We even got our picture taken with John Lithegow after the performance (probably due to the luck of Anthony's dad at meeting celebrities).
Today (Sunday), we will spend the afternoon with Anthony's family and tomorrow morning, we head to Heathrow to fly back home to Seattle. We have had a very enjoyable vacation, but we are definitely looking forward to being back home.
:-) Stacy
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Things We Learned in France
There are several possible answers to the question: "Service Compris?" (The question you ask to find out if service is included in your check.)
The most common answer was "Always in France"
except when you are dining at an outdoor cafe near the Louvre, when the answer was "Never in the Gardens!"
or when we were at one cafe, where the response was "Never at lunch"
or in St. Emilion after the waiter poured wine all over Erica, where the answer was "Only if you want!"
Poulpes do not taste like chicken
Stacy won the worst menu mistake in France award for ordering what she thought was a salad with some kind of chicken (the French word is poulet), since none of the dictionaries had a translation for poulpes. That should have been a clue! The salad came out, and instead of chicken, was covered with a bunch of baby octopus. Oops! (I tried a few, but could not get past the texture. It wasn't much different from squid, but I'm not a fan of squid either)
The most common answer was "Always in France"
except when you are dining at an outdoor cafe near the Louvre, when the answer was "Never in the Gardens!"
or when we were at one cafe, where the response was "Never at lunch"
or in St. Emilion after the waiter poured wine all over Erica, where the answer was "Only if you want!"
Poulpes do not taste like chicken
Stacy won the worst menu mistake in France award for ordering what she thought was a salad with some kind of chicken (the French word is poulet), since none of the dictionaries had a translation for poulpes. That should have been a clue! The salad came out, and instead of chicken, was covered with a bunch of baby octopus. Oops! (I tried a few, but could not get past the texture. It wasn't much different from squid, but I'm not a fan of squid either)
The tallest architect in France is 5"9"
Well, this may not be entirely true, but poor Jason, who is 6'7" had to duck through quite a few doorways and hunch in more than a few stairwells in order to avoid head injuries. Bathrooms and beds were also quite small compared to what we're used to in the states (although Stacy and Erica didn't mind having bathtubs instead of showers in a few of the hotels).
The only place in France Bacchus doesn't fit is at the Avis rental return at Charles de Gaul airport!
A bit of an oversight on Avis' part was allowing us to rent a car 2 meters high, when the barrier at the rental return at Terminal 1 of the airport (where we were supposed to return the car to catch our flight to Manchester) would only allow passage of vehicles 1.8meters or less! We did manage to find the Avis service center in the industrial part of the airport and they directed us to terminal 2, which meant we had to catch a train with all our luggage back to terminal 1. Good thing we got to the airport 5 hours early!
You cannot eat leftover pizza at a rest stop cafeteria even if you purchase something from the cafeteria to go with it, so don't even try!
If you stumble into a local hangout in Paris after a drunken bicycle tour and order appetizers, save room for a 4 course meal!
We made the mistake of asking for more bread to go with the wonderful spread of sausages and cheese that we thought was a solo appetizer. Little did we know that it would be followed by 1/2 a cow and a two course dessert!
Getting up early is worth it if it means beating a bus full of Asian tourists to the sight-seeing attractions.
It also means not being awakened by the maids who don't really care if you're in the room or not when they come to clean.
Mold on the walls is a good thing in wine country!
If it grows, the wine must be good! Seriously, many of the cellars we toured were covered in a velvety layer of black mold (but not the kind that makes you sick).
Don't be afraid to try new things.
Escargot doesn't taste like oysters.
Duck and lamb can be delicious if prepared by a French chef.
Never ask what's in the sausage--just try it!
Foie gras goes best with sweet bread.
Cheap wine can be better than Gran Crus.
Read the entry from our stay in Beaune
Watch where you step!
Erica learned the hard way. Dogs are like people in France, except that they don't use the toilet and their masters don't bother cleaning up after them! They are allowed in restaurants, department stores, grocery stores, and some cafes even have menu items just for their canine guests. The dogs are well-behaved for the most part, but they use the sidewalk for their bathroom.
Turn Left means go straight
(When seen on a sign at the right side of the road)
Characters II
More characters from our trip (in no particular order)
Big Nose Man
This was the nickname we bestowed upon the Old Frenchman who led the tour of Musee de Olivier in Nyons. He looked like he had spent many years enjoying the wines of the region and may even have a natural knack for Truffle hunting. The first question he asked Anthony was "you have only one wife?" (in French, of course, as he spoke very little English). He kept joking with us throughout the tour (or at least, this is what we thought since we could understand only a little bit of what he said and he would make motions and laugh every so often as if he had just said the funniest thing). He also seemed to get upset if we moved towards the wrong station too soon (even though a couple of times I was moving to get a better view of something or to read the descriptions in English). At the end of his tour in French, we went around the small exhibits again with our English handout and suddenly, a lot of his hand motions and what we thought were jokes made sense.
Missed the Boat Lady
This nickname pretty much gives away the end of the story, but I'll tell it anyway. In Cognac, we took a tour of the Hennessy distillery. Part of the tour was on the other side of the river, and we had to take a small electric riverboat ride to get to the other side. On the other side of the river, we began the guided tour which began in an exhibit room and was led by a tourguide. The group was made up of mostly senior citizens on an excursion from their Princess Cruise. In fact, besides our group of 4, there was only one other young couple who were not part of the cruise. After we left the first exhibit and entered the cellar (before which we were told to stay with the group, so we wouldn't get lost), one of the younger women from the Cruise excursion wandered off looking for a bathroom. We had noticed from the beginning of the tour that she had a sour expression on her face and didn't look too thrilled to be there. Apparantly, as we were following our tourguide through the cellar, the doors to the highly secured rooms were closing behind us. When we got to the end of the tour, we boarded the boat to go back to the other side, and the tourguide asked if everyone was accounted for, at which point, some of the other Seniors from the cruise said "Where's Lola?" We waited for a few minutes and then left without her. She eventually showed up at the end of the tasting, which was in the store where we bought our tour tickets. We overheard her telling her friends that she had to go to the bathroom and went looking for one, but couldn't find one (surprise) and when she tried to catch up with the group, all the doors had closed and locked. She eventually found her way out and walked all the way up to the bridge to cross the river and back to the main store. I hope Lola learned her lesson and doesn't miss another boat!
Mr. Elbows
Well, we didn't run into Butt Babe again in Carcassone, but the Farmers did see another familiar face. On their flight from Seattle to Paris, Erica had the privelege of sitting next to Mr. Elbows, a man who apparently had more elbows than the average person and manage to continually jab her with them during the long non-stop flight. Mr. Elbows and his wife were in Carcassone. We didn't get the pleasure of meeting them personally, but it was funny to run into another pair of tourists in a town hundreds of miles from Paris, who happened to be not only on the same flight as the Farmers, but in neighboring seats! Let's hope Mr. Elbows doesn't sit next to the Farmers on the way home!
Big Nose Man
This was the nickname we bestowed upon the Old Frenchman who led the tour of Musee de Olivier in Nyons. He looked like he had spent many years enjoying the wines of the region and may even have a natural knack for Truffle hunting. The first question he asked Anthony was "you have only one wife?" (in French, of course, as he spoke very little English). He kept joking with us throughout the tour (or at least, this is what we thought since we could understand only a little bit of what he said and he would make motions and laugh every so often as if he had just said the funniest thing). He also seemed to get upset if we moved towards the wrong station too soon (even though a couple of times I was moving to get a better view of something or to read the descriptions in English). At the end of his tour in French, we went around the small exhibits again with our English handout and suddenly, a lot of his hand motions and what we thought were jokes made sense.
Missed the Boat Lady
This nickname pretty much gives away the end of the story, but I'll tell it anyway. In Cognac, we took a tour of the Hennessy distillery. Part of the tour was on the other side of the river, and we had to take a small electric riverboat ride to get to the other side. On the other side of the river, we began the guided tour which began in an exhibit room and was led by a tourguide. The group was made up of mostly senior citizens on an excursion from their Princess Cruise. In fact, besides our group of 4, there was only one other young couple who were not part of the cruise. After we left the first exhibit and entered the cellar (before which we were told to stay with the group, so we wouldn't get lost), one of the younger women from the Cruise excursion wandered off looking for a bathroom. We had noticed from the beginning of the tour that she had a sour expression on her face and didn't look too thrilled to be there. Apparantly, as we were following our tourguide through the cellar, the doors to the highly secured rooms were closing behind us. When we got to the end of the tour, we boarded the boat to go back to the other side, and the tourguide asked if everyone was accounted for, at which point, some of the other Seniors from the cruise said "Where's Lola?" We waited for a few minutes and then left without her. She eventually showed up at the end of the tasting, which was in the store where we bought our tour tickets. We overheard her telling her friends that she had to go to the bathroom and went looking for one, but couldn't find one (surprise) and when she tried to catch up with the group, all the doors had closed and locked. She eventually found her way out and walked all the way up to the bridge to cross the river and back to the main store. I hope Lola learned her lesson and doesn't miss another boat!
Mr. Elbows
Well, we didn't run into Butt Babe again in Carcassone, but the Farmers did see another familiar face. On their flight from Seattle to Paris, Erica had the privelege of sitting next to Mr. Elbows, a man who apparently had more elbows than the average person and manage to continually jab her with them during the long non-stop flight. Mr. Elbows and his wife were in Carcassone. We didn't get the pleasure of meeting them personally, but it was funny to run into another pair of tourists in a town hundreds of miles from Paris, who happened to be not only on the same flight as the Farmers, but in neighboring seats! Let's hope Mr. Elbows doesn't sit next to the Farmers on the way home!
More Wine Tasting in Beaune
On Tuesday, we left our beautiful house in Provence and the wonderful hospitality of our hostess, Annie, to drive Beaune--a town in the heart of Burgundy wine country (home of the Pinot grapes). We decided to stop first in the town of Vaison la Romaine, in order to experience a true Provencial market. It is one of a few towns given the official status of a "Market" town and draws hundreds of locals and tourists alike from neighboring towns every Wednesday for huge Farmers' Market and Artisan fair. In addition to the fresh produce, homemade bread, dried sausages, cheese, olive oil, honey, Provencial herbs, linens, and jewelry, there were also a variety of flea market type booths selling "antiques" and cheap designer clothes. We spent some time enjoying the sights, smells, and sounds of the market and did some shopping. We bought some fresh food to have for a picnic lunch later.
When we arrived in Beaune, the weather was much cooler, so we decided to play it by ear rather than planning a busy itinerary for Wednesday. We ate dinner the first night in Beaune at a small wine shop that has a communal table and pay a 5 Euro corkage fee (rather than paying the hefty restaurant markup). We enjoyed yet another exquisite meal, and got to try the regional specialty, Beef Bourgonogne (beef slow roasted in a burgundy wine sauce).
Thursday, we decided to have a leisurely day of sight-seeing and wine tasting. After breakfast, we walked to the Hotel Dieu, a former Hospice built during the time of the black plague. The hospice is now a museum and held some interesting artifacts (including all the instruments used for blood-letting and a pharmacy filled with medicinal herbs). Later that afternoon, we decided to skip the vineyards and went straight to a local retailer for our tasting of Burgundy wines. The wine store we went to allowed us to walk through their cellars and taste 15 different wines for a small tasting fee. You would think this would be a wine-lovers' dream. Unfortunately, we were mostly disappointed with the Burgundy wines we tasted and did far more spitting than consuming. Out of the 15, I would say only 1 or 2 were likeable enough to drink. Maybe our pallettes were adapted to the Bordeaux wines, but even the cheap Cote du Rhone wine we got at the grocery store was better than most of the Pinot varieties. We did stop in the cathedral in town on our walk back to the hotel, but due to the cold, wet weather (I guess it's finally Fall here), we decided to call it a day. After all, we have to pack all of our stuff tonight and find room for our souveniers.
Tomorrow, we drive back to Paris, where we will drop the Farmers off before catching our plane to Manchester. Although we have had a wonderful vacation and enjoyed it even more with our friends, we are all ready to say Au Revoir to France and look forward to going back home (for us, via Anthony's home in England) to our family and friends.
When we arrived in Beaune, the weather was much cooler, so we decided to play it by ear rather than planning a busy itinerary for Wednesday. We ate dinner the first night in Beaune at a small wine shop that has a communal table and pay a 5 Euro corkage fee (rather than paying the hefty restaurant markup). We enjoyed yet another exquisite meal, and got to try the regional specialty, Beef Bourgonogne (beef slow roasted in a burgundy wine sauce).
Thursday, we decided to have a leisurely day of sight-seeing and wine tasting. After breakfast, we walked to the Hotel Dieu, a former Hospice built during the time of the black plague. The hospice is now a museum and held some interesting artifacts (including all the instruments used for blood-letting and a pharmacy filled with medicinal herbs). Later that afternoon, we decided to skip the vineyards and went straight to a local retailer for our tasting of Burgundy wines. The wine store we went to allowed us to walk through their cellars and taste 15 different wines for a small tasting fee. You would think this would be a wine-lovers' dream. Unfortunately, we were mostly disappointed with the Burgundy wines we tasted and did far more spitting than consuming. Out of the 15, I would say only 1 or 2 were likeable enough to drink. Maybe our pallettes were adapted to the Bordeaux wines, but even the cheap Cote du Rhone wine we got at the grocery store was better than most of the Pinot varieties. We did stop in the cathedral in town on our walk back to the hotel, but due to the cold, wet weather (I guess it's finally Fall here), we decided to call it a day. After all, we have to pack all of our stuff tonight and find room for our souveniers.
Tomorrow, we drive back to Paris, where we will drop the Farmers off before catching our plane to Manchester. Although we have had a wonderful vacation and enjoyed it even more with our friends, we are all ready to say Au Revoir to France and look forward to going back home (for us, via Anthony's home in England) to our family and friends.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Carcassonne and Nyons
I'm a little behind on updating the blog, so I'll do my best to catch everyone up on our adventures. Saturday, we left St. Emilion after strolling through the town and buying some of their famous macaroons (yum). Because the weather was rainy, we decided to take the less scenic, but easier drive on the motorway to Carcassonne. We were very fortunate that the rain came the day after our wine tour of the Bordeaux region. After checking in to our hotel in Carcassonne, we wandered across the street to the medieval walled village. The village itself is very touristy (much like leavenworth). We had a meal at a small cafe and some of us were brave enough to try the local specialty, Cassoulet, a bean stew with pork sausage and leg of duck. It was very tasty and reminded me of gumbo (except without the cajun spices).
Sunday morning, we left early for a leisurely drive to Nyons. On the way, we stopped at a small town on the Mediterranean coast, touched the sea and took a walk along the boardwalk. We also stopped later to see the Pont du Gard, an original Roman aqueduct that still stands across a river. It was pretty spectacular. We decided to skip the museum, so we would stay on schedule to get to our next destination, a small hotel in Nyons.
Our hotel in Nyons was a surprise to the Farmers, since we arrived on the day of their first anniversary. It is a quaint house with 8 bedrooms with a beautiful garden, restaurant onsite, and everything is run by Annie and Jean, the couple who own the hotel. This has been the best place we have stayed by far--so much so that we changed our original itinerary in order to enjoy more time at the hotel and eat the fabulous food they prepare for us. Last night for dinner, I tried the escargot and lamb, which were both fantastic!
Today (Monday), we visited the olive oil musuem in Nyons and were greeted by an old Frenchman who gave us the tour in French (with a handout in English to follow along). He is a character I will write more about later. We also took a walk through the old part of town and then visited the botanic garden, a beautiful public garden of aromatic plants. This was a good way to pass the time before waiting for the local essential oil distillery to open. Unfortunately, the distillation only happens on wed, thurs, and sat, so we missed out on a complete tour, but we did get to see the bushels of dried lavender and all of the distlillation equipment. We also found lots of neat souveniers in the gift shop. We plan to enjoy another meal at our "house" (the name of the hotel is Une Autre Maison, which translates to Another House) after relaxing by the garden pool. Tomorrow, we drive to Beaune and look forward to more wine tasting in the Burgundy region.
Sunday morning, we left early for a leisurely drive to Nyons. On the way, we stopped at a small town on the Mediterranean coast, touched the sea and took a walk along the boardwalk. We also stopped later to see the Pont du Gard, an original Roman aqueduct that still stands across a river. It was pretty spectacular. We decided to skip the museum, so we would stay on schedule to get to our next destination, a small hotel in Nyons.
Our hotel in Nyons was a surprise to the Farmers, since we arrived on the day of their first anniversary. It is a quaint house with 8 bedrooms with a beautiful garden, restaurant onsite, and everything is run by Annie and Jean, the couple who own the hotel. This has been the best place we have stayed by far--so much so that we changed our original itinerary in order to enjoy more time at the hotel and eat the fabulous food they prepare for us. Last night for dinner, I tried the escargot and lamb, which were both fantastic!
Today (Monday), we visited the olive oil musuem in Nyons and were greeted by an old Frenchman who gave us the tour in French (with a handout in English to follow along). He is a character I will write more about later. We also took a walk through the old part of town and then visited the botanic garden, a beautiful public garden of aromatic plants. This was a good way to pass the time before waiting for the local essential oil distillery to open. Unfortunately, the distillation only happens on wed, thurs, and sat, so we missed out on a complete tour, but we did get to see the bushels of dried lavender and all of the distlillation equipment. We also found lots of neat souveniers in the gift shop. We plan to enjoy another meal at our "house" (the name of the hotel is Une Autre Maison, which translates to Another House) after relaxing by the garden pool. Tomorrow, we drive to Beaune and look forward to more wine tasting in the Burgundy region.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Chocolat
If there is one thing the French do well second to wine, it is chocolate. In every neighborhood with a bakery, butcher, fish market, pastry shop, and wine shop, you will probably find a chocolatier. Chocolate is an art in France and artisan chocolates are as beautiful to look at as they are delicious. Some of the best chocolatiers in the world are located in Paris. We had the pleasure of tasting some of their wares during our stay in Paris; however, we also made a point to visit a chocolatier in several other towns on our journey around France. I still haven’t tasted a chocolate I didn’t like ;-)
Flavors range from nutmeg, chile, and cinnamon, to lavender honey, Gran Marnier, and the more traditional caramel, coffee, coconut, and nougat. You will also almost always find sampling chocolates from around the world containing up to 99% cacao. We didn’t buy chocolates to pack, since these preservative free creations don’t travel well. Fortunately for us, many of the best chocolatiers also have websites and ship to anywhere in the world (even though we did find a couple of souvenier items to bring home).
In addition to excellent artisan chocolates, the chocolate desserts on every French menu are exquisite. Chocolate Mousse is a must have and can be found on nearly every menu. Hot chocolate in the morning is another staple and is far superior to our mix with hot water instant cocoa and even better than Hershey’s or Nestle and milk. You are often served a cup of the chocolate cocoa powder along with a carafe of hot milk to mix to your liking. Another breakfast staple is the chocolate-filled croissant (yum). We learned that in some places, dark chocolate covered almonds rolled in cocoa powder is a standard accompaniment to hot beverages, like tea and coffee (usually wrapped and served with the sugar).
Flavors range from nutmeg, chile, and cinnamon, to lavender honey, Gran Marnier, and the more traditional caramel, coffee, coconut, and nougat. You will also almost always find sampling chocolates from around the world containing up to 99% cacao. We didn’t buy chocolates to pack, since these preservative free creations don’t travel well. Fortunately for us, many of the best chocolatiers also have websites and ship to anywhere in the world (even though we did find a couple of souvenier items to bring home).
In addition to excellent artisan chocolates, the chocolate desserts on every French menu are exquisite. Chocolate Mousse is a must have and can be found on nearly every menu. Hot chocolate in the morning is another staple and is far superior to our mix with hot water instant cocoa and even better than Hershey’s or Nestle and milk. You are often served a cup of the chocolate cocoa powder along with a carafe of hot milk to mix to your liking. Another breakfast staple is the chocolate-filled croissant (yum). We learned that in some places, dark chocolate covered almonds rolled in cocoa powder is a standard accompaniment to hot beverages, like tea and coffee (usually wrapped and served with the sugar).
Wine Tasting in the Bordeaux Region
Today (Friday), we experienced the treat of a lifetime. We hired a local expert to chauffeur us and organize a wine tour of the Bordeaux region. Axel was our chauffeur and we were very impressed with his vast knowledge of wine—he grew up near the Riesling producing region of Germany and came to France 7 years ago, where he started learning about wine by harvesting the grapes. Since then, he has taught himself much about the history, the region, the economics, and anything else related to wine. He gets invited to barrel tastings every year and has “ins” at many of the most prestigious wineries. He also spoke excellent English and gave us some great suggestions of other things to do before we leave the area.
First, a bit about wine in France. As you may know, wine is very important to the French. It is something that they are proud of and they don’t understand anyone who doesn’t appreciate a good wine. So, how do you know if a wine is good? The labeling in France is strictly regulated. You don’t just buy Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, you buy a specific vintage from a specific Chateau, made from grapes grown in a specific sub-region. In the Bordeaux/Medoc area, each sub-region has different soil, perfect for different varieties of Cabernet grapes. In fact, there is a Classification system called The 1855 Classification that was originally created to present the most famous Bordeaux wines at the Paris Universal exhibition. It classifies the best of the best Chateaux (wineries) into 5 tiers. The First tier is the most prestigious and contains only 5 Chateaux. There are 14 second-tier, 14 third-tier, 10 fourth-tier, and 18 fifth-tier. Only these Chateaux are allowed to put the 1855 Classification on their label.
Our tour started with a stop at the Chateau Giscours in the Margaux sub-region of Medoc. There we learned all about how wine is made. We got to taste grapes from the vineyard, saw the barrel room, and tasted a young (2004) wine. Next, we stopped at a shop in Margaux to buy wine to ship to the US, then we had lunch at a café that our chauffeur had booked for us. Our second stop was Chateau Mouton Rothschild, one of the most famous winemakers in France (in the First tier of the 1855 classification). The Baroness Phillipine Rothschild took over the business from her father, and they are one of the wealthiest families in the world. We would not have been able to tour this chateaux had it not been for the connections of our chauffeur (another reason we are glad we did the private tour rather than a bus tour). After viewing the art and wine museum (a gift from the Barron Philip Rothschild to his wife), barrel room and the impressive private cellars and archives of the Rothschild family, we got to taste 3 very young wines (all 2006 still in the barrel). One bottle of their premium label goes for around 400 Euros (pretax), so tasting these even in their young state was quite a privilege. Our final stop was Chateau Brainaire-Ducru where the winery was just beginning the harvest. At the beginning of the tour, the owner of the winery himself, Monsieur Maroteaux, was on the property and came over to greet us personally. He is well known in the wine industry and is recent investor in the area after working for years in the sugar industry. We got to see the sorting, the barrel room, and the contrast of this relatively technological winery compared with the very traditional Rothschild winery. Our tour ended with a tasting of a 2006 barreled wine and a slightly more mature 2004 wine. A good wine in France is meant to cellar for 15-20 years (and some even cellar for up to 60, depending on the quality), so young wines aren’t exactly smooth going down. You can still appreciate the aromas and flavors, though, and we really enjoyed learning about French wine.
First, a bit about wine in France. As you may know, wine is very important to the French. It is something that they are proud of and they don’t understand anyone who doesn’t appreciate a good wine. So, how do you know if a wine is good? The labeling in France is strictly regulated. You don’t just buy Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, you buy a specific vintage from a specific Chateau, made from grapes grown in a specific sub-region. In the Bordeaux/Medoc area, each sub-region has different soil, perfect for different varieties of Cabernet grapes. In fact, there is a Classification system called The 1855 Classification that was originally created to present the most famous Bordeaux wines at the Paris Universal exhibition. It classifies the best of the best Chateaux (wineries) into 5 tiers. The First tier is the most prestigious and contains only 5 Chateaux. There are 14 second-tier, 14 third-tier, 10 fourth-tier, and 18 fifth-tier. Only these Chateaux are allowed to put the 1855 Classification on their label.
Our tour started with a stop at the Chateau Giscours in the Margaux sub-region of Medoc. There we learned all about how wine is made. We got to taste grapes from the vineyard, saw the barrel room, and tasted a young (2004) wine. Next, we stopped at a shop in Margaux to buy wine to ship to the US, then we had lunch at a café that our chauffeur had booked for us. Our second stop was Chateau Mouton Rothschild, one of the most famous winemakers in France (in the First tier of the 1855 classification). The Baroness Phillipine Rothschild took over the business from her father, and they are one of the wealthiest families in the world. We would not have been able to tour this chateaux had it not been for the connections of our chauffeur (another reason we are glad we did the private tour rather than a bus tour). After viewing the art and wine museum (a gift from the Barron Philip Rothschild to his wife), barrel room and the impressive private cellars and archives of the Rothschild family, we got to taste 3 very young wines (all 2006 still in the barrel). One bottle of their premium label goes for around 400 Euros (pretax), so tasting these even in their young state was quite a privilege. Our final stop was Chateau Brainaire-Ducru where the winery was just beginning the harvest. At the beginning of the tour, the owner of the winery himself, Monsieur Maroteaux, was on the property and came over to greet us personally. He is well known in the wine industry and is recent investor in the area after working for years in the sugar industry. We got to see the sorting, the barrel room, and the contrast of this relatively technological winery compared with the very traditional Rothschild winery. Our tour ended with a tasting of a 2006 barreled wine and a slightly more mature 2004 wine. A good wine in France is meant to cellar for 15-20 years (and some even cellar for up to 60, depending on the quality), so young wines aren’t exactly smooth going down. You can still appreciate the aromas and flavors, though, and we really enjoyed learning about French wine.
Cognac and arrival in St. Emilion
On Thursday, we departed Amboise (after stopping by another famous chocolatier) and hit the road to head to St. Emilion, a medieval village centered around the ruins of a castle with over 200km of catacombs below the city. On the way, we stopped in Cognac, home of the same-named liquor, made from distilling wine. We got a tour of the Hennessy Cognac distillery and learned all about the history of Cognac and how Richard Hennessy, an Irishman, got into the business over 150 years ago. Hennessy was an entrepreneur and was largely responsible for the exporting of Cognac to Britain and other parts of the world. The tour finished with a tasting of Cognac and we got to sample 2 different kinds—a younger blend, often used for mixed drinks, and an older blend more suitable for sipping after dinner. After taking the tour, we took a walk around the town before getting back on the road to St. Emilion. We arrived at our hotel –Au Logis des Remparts, and squeezed our large vehicle into the narrow entrance to the parking lot. We were very thankful that we hired a chauffeur for our wine-tasting on Friday and would not have to worry about parking again! We enjoyed a nice meal at a restaurant outside the church abbey, although our waitress didn’t seem too pleased to be working (this was our first encounter with a grumpy French person, and it had nothing to do with us being American).
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Characters
To keep the reading interesting, this blog entry is dedicated to some of the many interesting characters we observed or interacted with so far on our trip.
Butt Babe
First among the characters was “Butt Babe”. This nickname was bestowed on her by our Fat Bike Tourguide in Paris. She was traveling with her sister and mom from Vancouver, B.C. as part of a 40th birthday celebration. Butt Babe was given this name because she wore the orange reflective vest (that just so happened to match the color of her hair) and volunteered to ride at the end of the pack. She was crazy enough for this role as she had no problem riding across 6 lanes of traffic when the light turned red in order to keep up with the group. She also kept her mom from falling behind by yelling at her to go even after the lights changed and taxis and buses were beginning to fill the intersections. Her mom, who hadn’t been on a bike in 40 years (or so she claimed) was quite a good sport. When we got to the river cruise, Butt Babe told us that we had to go check out the flea market at the end of one of the subway lines (she didn’t remember which one). She and her sister had bought at least 10 new pairs of boots for 10 Euro a pair. When we asked if they brought enough luggage to take their boots home, she said that they had to buy 2 new suitcases for all of their purchases--I hope they weren't planning to take the train! In our conversation, when we mentioned that we would be driving around the country, she told us that they had plans to drive to Carcassonne and stay for awhile. This just happens to be one of our stops, so who knows, we may see Butt Babe again, and if we did, it wouldn’t be the first time. On Monday, we saw Butt Babe again while we were waiting in line to see St. Chappell. Granted, there is always a good chance of running into tourists at tourist destinations in Paris, but for such a large city, it was funny that we saw her again. I will definitely keep you posted if we run into Butt Babe and her sister and mom.
Blue Shoe Guy
Blue Shoe Guy was our tour guide at the winery in Vouvray. I gave him this nickname due to his smurf-colored blue leather shoes (that matched perfectly with the blue stripes in his sweater). Blue shoe guy was the epitome of a flaming Frenchman. In fact, at one point, Anthony asked if that girl was going to be the one giving our tour, to which I replied that the guide’s name is Nicolas, and I don’t think he’s a girl. Blue shoe guy had a very high pitched voice and some other mannerisms that put him beyond European man in touch with his feminine side to European man who vacations in Mykenos. Blue shoe guy was a good tour guide, although the person who served us at the tasting bar said it was too bad we did not have him as a tour guide instead—I have to disagree, as Blue Shoe Guy was a much more interesting Character to write about in this blog entry.
Obnoxious New York Lady
Although I never had the pleasure of interacting with Obnoxious New York Lady, she was enough of a character to write about. She and her traveling companion were staying at the same hotel as us in Amboise. The first morning at breakfast, she was very loud, which was the first clue that she was an American (and probably from the East Coast). After breakfast, she went to the reception desk and asked where they could go to see a Chateau and taste wine (as she is standing in front of a display of brochures, some in English, of the local tourist sights with maps and phone numbers). When the clerk didn’t understand everything she was asking, she spoke louder and slower (as if he was deaf). This was a good example of why American tourists are stereotyped by many French people as obnoxious. This also helped us make the final decision that we would not visit a Chateau as was the original plan, since we did not want to be somewhere with more obnoxious tourists. The morning we were packing up to leave, we overheard Obnoxious New York Lady say that she was from New York (hence, my nickname for her). This time she was at the clerk’s desk asking if they had found her car keys, which she claimed to have lost somewhere on the premises. When the clerk replied that he had not seen her keys, she got louder and said “you mean nobody has turned in my car keys?” Apparently she thought that he had not understood her question the first time, and she continued to ask at least 2 more times until she was finally satisfied that the clerk did not have her car keys! I’m sure the clerk would have been happy to pay for a taxi to take her back to the airport, so she wouldn’t be stuck in France!
Butt Babe
First among the characters was “Butt Babe”. This nickname was bestowed on her by our Fat Bike Tourguide in Paris. She was traveling with her sister and mom from Vancouver, B.C. as part of a 40th birthday celebration. Butt Babe was given this name because she wore the orange reflective vest (that just so happened to match the color of her hair) and volunteered to ride at the end of the pack. She was crazy enough for this role as she had no problem riding across 6 lanes of traffic when the light turned red in order to keep up with the group. She also kept her mom from falling behind by yelling at her to go even after the lights changed and taxis and buses were beginning to fill the intersections. Her mom, who hadn’t been on a bike in 40 years (or so she claimed) was quite a good sport. When we got to the river cruise, Butt Babe told us that we had to go check out the flea market at the end of one of the subway lines (she didn’t remember which one). She and her sister had bought at least 10 new pairs of boots for 10 Euro a pair. When we asked if they brought enough luggage to take their boots home, she said that they had to buy 2 new suitcases for all of their purchases--I hope they weren't planning to take the train! In our conversation, when we mentioned that we would be driving around the country, she told us that they had plans to drive to Carcassonne and stay for awhile. This just happens to be one of our stops, so who knows, we may see Butt Babe again, and if we did, it wouldn’t be the first time. On Monday, we saw Butt Babe again while we were waiting in line to see St. Chappell. Granted, there is always a good chance of running into tourists at tourist destinations in Paris, but for such a large city, it was funny that we saw her again. I will definitely keep you posted if we run into Butt Babe and her sister and mom.
Blue Shoe Guy
Blue Shoe Guy was our tour guide at the winery in Vouvray. I gave him this nickname due to his smurf-colored blue leather shoes (that matched perfectly with the blue stripes in his sweater). Blue shoe guy was the epitome of a flaming Frenchman. In fact, at one point, Anthony asked if that girl was going to be the one giving our tour, to which I replied that the guide’s name is Nicolas, and I don’t think he’s a girl. Blue shoe guy had a very high pitched voice and some other mannerisms that put him beyond European man in touch with his feminine side to European man who vacations in Mykenos. Blue shoe guy was a good tour guide, although the person who served us at the tasting bar said it was too bad we did not have him as a tour guide instead—I have to disagree, as Blue Shoe Guy was a much more interesting Character to write about in this blog entry.
Obnoxious New York Lady
Although I never had the pleasure of interacting with Obnoxious New York Lady, she was enough of a character to write about. She and her traveling companion were staying at the same hotel as us in Amboise. The first morning at breakfast, she was very loud, which was the first clue that she was an American (and probably from the East Coast). After breakfast, she went to the reception desk and asked where they could go to see a Chateau and taste wine (as she is standing in front of a display of brochures, some in English, of the local tourist sights with maps and phone numbers). When the clerk didn’t understand everything she was asking, she spoke louder and slower (as if he was deaf). This was a good example of why American tourists are stereotyped by many French people as obnoxious. This also helped us make the final decision that we would not visit a Chateau as was the original plan, since we did not want to be somewhere with more obnoxious tourists. The morning we were packing up to leave, we overheard Obnoxious New York Lady say that she was from New York (hence, my nickname for her). This time she was at the clerk’s desk asking if they had found her car keys, which she claimed to have lost somewhere on the premises. When the clerk replied that he had not seen her keys, she got louder and said “you mean nobody has turned in my car keys?” Apparently she thought that he had not understood her question the first time, and she continued to ask at least 2 more times until she was finally satisfied that the clerk did not have her car keys! I’m sure the clerk would have been happy to pay for a taxi to take her back to the airport, so she wouldn’t be stuck in France!
Vouvray and Gastronomy
After lunch on Wednesday, we took a drive to Vouvray, a town and wine region in the Loire valley known for its sparkling wines. We went to a winery that offered free guided tours of the wine cellar, located in a maze of trogolyte caves (originally quarrys for limestone used to build many of the expensive Chateaus in the region). The cave/cellar was over 2 miles and housed over 4,000,000 bottles of wine. We learned all about "Method Tradiocional", which is the method used to put bubbles in the wine and was invented in Champagne. We also got a chance to sample several of the sparkling and still Vouvray wines and were very impressed with the difference to sparkling wines we're used to back in the U.S. These wines are all made from Chenin Blanc grapes and have a very different flavor to Napa Valley white wines.
For dinner, we made reservations at a fancy restaurant located in a 4 star hotel in Amboise. We enjoyed a 4 hour 9 course meal and shared a few bottles of wine throughout the evening. The food was exquisite and the experience was something we will all remember for a long time. The entire meal with wine totalled less than 70 Euro per person (unbelievable!). We will be digesting our meal for the next couple of days, but it was well worth it.
Today, we are headed to St. Emilion via Cognac, where we will stop for a Cognac tasting at Hennessy.
For dinner, we made reservations at a fancy restaurant located in a 4 star hotel in Amboise. We enjoyed a 4 hour 9 course meal and shared a few bottles of wine throughout the evening. The food was exquisite and the experience was something we will all remember for a long time. The entire meal with wine totalled less than 70 Euro per person (unbelievable!). We will be digesting our meal for the next couple of days, but it was well worth it.
Today, we are headed to St. Emilion via Cognac, where we will stop for a Cognac tasting at Hennessy.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Versailles, Chartres, and Amboise
Due to a lack of internet at our hotel in Amboise, I am late in writing about Tuesday's adventures. We got our rental car--a Renault Trafic (the size of a VW bus, but the shape of a Honda Element), loaded up in the very narrow street outside our hotel in Paris as other cars managed to squeeze their way past. We hit the road around 9:30 and headed for the Palace at Versailles. In Versailles, we toured the Royal apartments, the chapel, and headed out the the gardens, where we opted to see the sights with the aid of a golf cart (since we were all tired of walking by that point). It also gave Jason the opportunity to drive in Europe ;-)
We drove through the gardens, saw the summer home of King Louis, and enjoyed a leisurly lunch at a local creperie before heading back on the road. Our next stop was the Cathedral at Chartres. A large, gothic style cathedral built in the middle of a relatively small town that is a popular Catholic pilgrimage destination. It was perhaps the most amazing cathedral I have ever seen. Over 12000 scenes depicted on stained glass, hundreds of carved statues, and the veil of the Virgin Mary on display were all sights worth seeing. This was also much quieter (fewer obnoxious tourists) as it is off the beaten track. We arrived in Amboise in the evening, and checked into our hotel. Our car barely fit through the entrance gate, which made for a funny story.
This morning we decided to go to the Da Vinci Museum here in Amboise. It is located at the home where Da Vinci retired and spent the last 3 years of his life and was well worth the visit. The gardens had life sized models built from his drawings and inside were smaller models of some of his ingenius inventions. After the museum, we had lunch, strolled down the pedestrian street, and went to a wine tasting room--the Loire valley is known for it's Rose and White wines.
Well, 15 minutes at the internet cafe is almost up. I will update tomorrow hopefully!
We drove through the gardens, saw the summer home of King Louis, and enjoyed a leisurly lunch at a local creperie before heading back on the road. Our next stop was the Cathedral at Chartres. A large, gothic style cathedral built in the middle of a relatively small town that is a popular Catholic pilgrimage destination. It was perhaps the most amazing cathedral I have ever seen. Over 12000 scenes depicted on stained glass, hundreds of carved statues, and the veil of the Virgin Mary on display were all sights worth seeing. This was also much quieter (fewer obnoxious tourists) as it is off the beaten track. We arrived in Amboise in the evening, and checked into our hotel. Our car barely fit through the entrance gate, which made for a funny story.
This morning we decided to go to the Da Vinci Museum here in Amboise. It is located at the home where Da Vinci retired and spent the last 3 years of his life and was well worth the visit. The gardens had life sized models built from his drawings and inside were smaller models of some of his ingenius inventions. After the museum, we had lunch, strolled down the pedestrian street, and went to a wine tasting room--the Loire valley is known for it's Rose and White wines.
Well, 15 minutes at the internet cafe is almost up. I will update tomorrow hopefully!
Monday, September 17, 2007
The Louvre
This morning, we got up early to get to the Louvre before the crowds. It was well worth the effort, since we were able to see the main attractions in just a few hours and didn't have to beat through the hordes of tourists (mostly Japanese) taking photographs of everything in the no photograph zones! We saw the Mona Lisa, of course, and the Venus de Milo. The Renaissance paintings and sculptures were our favorite exhibits. We decided not to spend a lot of time in some of the areas that held period artifacts, since we had all been to other Museums with similar artifacts. The Mona Lisa was not as interesting as the other Da Vinci works on display, since you could not get close enough to really appreciate it. Some of the large masterpieces, such as the Coronation of Napoleon, were incredible (approx 15ft x 20ft).
After seeing what we wanted to see in the Louvre, we had lunch at an outdoor cafe near the gardens, then went in search of more Chocolatiers. We found 3 more and sampled chocolates from each--yum! Once we got our chocolate fix, we went on the Ferris Wheel outside the Louvre for yet another spectacular view of the city.
Because we got such an early start, we had time to go the La Sainte-Chapelle, a church with the most incredible stained glass windows (over 1000 scenes depicted) as well as the infamous "shoosh"-ing man who enforces the silence rule by shooshing everyone loudly in French. Unfortunately, the shooshing man did not make his appearance until we were nearly ready to leave, and even then, he only managed to get the hordes of tourists quiet for one second! Sometimes, I'm not sure why all the museums and attractions even bother with the no photographs, no talking, no cell phones, no food, and no pets signs. I saw people breaking every one of these rules with no apparent consequences. For those of you reading this who think I'm being unfair to the illiterate, the signs were all in pictures as well as written in several languages.
Enough rambling--tomorrow is the first day of our road trip around the country. We will start with a trip to Versailles. I also apologize for not posting pictures yet, but the internet connection here has been spotty at best. I hope to get some up as soon as possible!
:-) Stacy
After seeing what we wanted to see in the Louvre, we had lunch at an outdoor cafe near the gardens, then went in search of more Chocolatiers. We found 3 more and sampled chocolates from each--yum! Once we got our chocolate fix, we went on the Ferris Wheel outside the Louvre for yet another spectacular view of the city.
Because we got such an early start, we had time to go the La Sainte-Chapelle, a church with the most incredible stained glass windows (over 1000 scenes depicted) as well as the infamous "shoosh"-ing man who enforces the silence rule by shooshing everyone loudly in French. Unfortunately, the shooshing man did not make his appearance until we were nearly ready to leave, and even then, he only managed to get the hordes of tourists quiet for one second! Sometimes, I'm not sure why all the museums and attractions even bother with the no photographs, no talking, no cell phones, no food, and no pets signs. I saw people breaking every one of these rules with no apparent consequences. For those of you reading this who think I'm being unfair to the illiterate, the signs were all in pictures as well as written in several languages.
Enough rambling--tomorrow is the first day of our road trip around the country. We will start with a trip to Versailles. I also apologize for not posting pictures yet, but the internet connection here has been spotty at best. I hope to get some up as soon as possible!
:-) Stacy
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Notre Dame, Cluny Museum, Victor Hugo’s House, and the Pompidou Museum
Sunday, we decided to sleep in a bit and were surprised at how much sight-seeing we managed to pack in. We started the day by heading to Notre Dame and walked through the Cathedral during morning mass. It is an incredible place, although I was a bit surprised at the number of disrespectful tourists taking pictures with flashes during the mass, climbing on statues to get better views, talking loudly in the prayer areas, talking on cell phones, and wearing inappropriate clothes.
After walking through Notre Dame, we headed to the Cluny Museum, a Museum of Medieval art. This provided great contrast to the Pompidou Museum we visited later in the day (the Museum of Modern Art). We also visited one of Victor Hugo’s houses in Paris before strolling through a Bohemian area, full of art galleries and artisan crafts. We managed to stop in 2 Chocolatiers and tasted some wonderful chocolate. For lunch, we found a small café that served crepes and enjoyed another Berthillon ice cream, this time from the Bertillon shop. I had Cacao extra bitter, and it tasted just like the inside of a really good truffle!In the evening, we stopped in a store and bought food and wine to enjoy a picnic style dinner back at the courtyard of our hotel. Next on our agenda is the Louvre, more Chocolatiers, and maybe some other museums.
After walking through Notre Dame, we headed to the Cluny Museum, a Museum of Medieval art. This provided great contrast to the Pompidou Museum we visited later in the day (the Museum of Modern Art). We also visited one of Victor Hugo’s houses in Paris before strolling through a Bohemian area, full of art galleries and artisan crafts. We managed to stop in 2 Chocolatiers and tasted some wonderful chocolate. For lunch, we found a small café that served crepes and enjoyed another Berthillon ice cream, this time from the Bertillon shop. I had Cacao extra bitter, and it tasted just like the inside of a really good truffle!In the evening, we stopped in a store and bought food and wine to enjoy a picnic style dinner back at the courtyard of our hotel. Next on our agenda is the Louvre, more Chocolatiers, and maybe some other museums.
From the Eiffel Tower to French Cuisine…
Our day started out at 8:00 with breakfast in our hotel. Breakfast consisted of fresh croissants, fruit, cheese, and coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. After breakfast, we walked to the Eiffel Tower to get in line. We arrived early and rode to the top soon after it opened. The view from the top was amazing, and we were glad we did not have to wait in a long line to get there. We decided to take the stairs down from the second observation deck—although not sure at the time if that was the wisest choice.
After experiencing the Eiffel Tower, we headed to the Arc de Triomphe. We went to the top, which involved more stairs, but the view from the top was rewarding. We had lunch at a café near down the street from the Arc de Triomphe, and then took the Metro to our hotel for a break before embarking on our next adventure, which was a night time Fat Bicycle tour and cruise of the Seine.
The bike tour was a lot of fun. It departed from a location near the Eiffel Tower and we rode all around Paris, stopping along the way to take in historic sites and to eat Berthillon ice cream (some call it the best in the world). The most spectacular part of the ride was going through the courtyard of the Louvre, which was peaceful and almost magical as you could hear the sound of a solo clarinet playing nearby. We will have to go back another night to capture the experience on camera. The tour concluded with a one hour cruise of the Seine river, and of course, free wine! By the way, it is true that wine is cheaper than water in France.
After our full day of activities (the bike tour concluded around 11:45pm), we decided to find somewhere near our hotel to get a late meal. We happened upon an authentic French restaurant less than a block away from our hotel that appeared to be quite popular with the locals. We decided to have a seat and were under the impression that the kitchen was closed with the exception of some appetizer-type foods. We ordered a bottle of wine to share and enjoyed some wonderful bread, homemade sausages, pickles, and some type of meat loaf (although I’m not sure I want to know what was really in it). We found ourselves quite satisfied and very surprised when the next course was brought out—generous portions of beef and mushrooms. In France, you can expect all of the food to be very fresh and prepared to bring out the most flavor. The beef served was practically raw by our standards, but we had already eaten things we normally wouldn’t have, so decided to try it, and it was fantastic. The mushrooms were also wonderful and paired very well with the beef and wine. Just when we thought we couldn’t possibly eat anymore, the waiter brought out dessert—crème brulee and another cream dish served with figs and cranberries. Both were fabulous, and we were pleasantly surprised when the check totaled less than 35 Euro per person for all the food! This meal would have easily been worth $75 per person in the U.S.
I could easily write much more about our experiences today, but alas, I must get some sleep so we can get to the musuems tomorrow!
:-) Stacy
After experiencing the Eiffel Tower, we headed to the Arc de Triomphe. We went to the top, which involved more stairs, but the view from the top was rewarding. We had lunch at a café near down the street from the Arc de Triomphe, and then took the Metro to our hotel for a break before embarking on our next adventure, which was a night time Fat Bicycle tour and cruise of the Seine.
The bike tour was a lot of fun. It departed from a location near the Eiffel Tower and we rode all around Paris, stopping along the way to take in historic sites and to eat Berthillon ice cream (some call it the best in the world). The most spectacular part of the ride was going through the courtyard of the Louvre, which was peaceful and almost magical as you could hear the sound of a solo clarinet playing nearby. We will have to go back another night to capture the experience on camera. The tour concluded with a one hour cruise of the Seine river, and of course, free wine! By the way, it is true that wine is cheaper than water in France.
After our full day of activities (the bike tour concluded around 11:45pm), we decided to find somewhere near our hotel to get a late meal. We happened upon an authentic French restaurant less than a block away from our hotel that appeared to be quite popular with the locals. We decided to have a seat and were under the impression that the kitchen was closed with the exception of some appetizer-type foods. We ordered a bottle of wine to share and enjoyed some wonderful bread, homemade sausages, pickles, and some type of meat loaf (although I’m not sure I want to know what was really in it). We found ourselves quite satisfied and very surprised when the next course was brought out—generous portions of beef and mushrooms. In France, you can expect all of the food to be very fresh and prepared to bring out the most flavor. The beef served was practically raw by our standards, but we had already eaten things we normally wouldn’t have, so decided to try it, and it was fantastic. The mushrooms were also wonderful and paired very well with the beef and wine. Just when we thought we couldn’t possibly eat anymore, the waiter brought out dessert—crème brulee and another cream dish served with figs and cranberries. Both were fabulous, and we were pleasantly surprised when the check totaled less than 35 Euro per person for all the food! This meal would have easily been worth $75 per person in the U.S.
I could easily write much more about our experiences today, but alas, I must get some sleep so we can get to the musuems tomorrow!
:-) Stacy
Friday, September 14, 2007
We survived the long journey
Our long day of travel began Thursday, the 13th when we left Seattle and headed to Paris via Copenhagen. The Farmers' flight departed just a couple of hours before ours, and we got to the terminal just in time to see their plane leave.
We had a safe journey to Copenhagen. I think I was one of a handful of Americans on the flight, although once we arrived in Copenhagen, we blended right in with all the other blond-haired, blue-eyed Scandinavians. We noticed that just about every male in the airport had a can or pint of Carlsberg beer in hand--even those enjoying the caviar and oysters at the high-end seafood bar in the airport. Our layover in Copenhagen was just long enough to stretch our legs a bit before our relatively short flight to Paris.
We arrived in Paris around 5pm and got our hotel shuttle. Traffic was crazy due to the Rugby World Cup being held at the stadium near the airport. There were lots of Brits in town as tonight's game was England vs. South Africa. After a crazy shuttle ride and lots of near misses with motorcycles, we made it safely to Hotel de la Tulip, a quaint city hotel near the Eiffel Tower. We met up with Jason and Erica and walked a few blocks to the Rue de Cler for dinner at a bistro, where we sat outside and enjoyed a pleasant evening. Afterwards we walked towards the Eiffel Tower to see it lit up. It was an amazing sight!
Tomorrow we plan to go to the top of the Eiffel tower, do some sight-seeing around our hotel, and take a night-time Fat Bike Tour.
I will try to post some pictures tomorrow if I have time.
:-) Stacy
We had a safe journey to Copenhagen. I think I was one of a handful of Americans on the flight, although once we arrived in Copenhagen, we blended right in with all the other blond-haired, blue-eyed Scandinavians. We noticed that just about every male in the airport had a can or pint of Carlsberg beer in hand--even those enjoying the caviar and oysters at the high-end seafood bar in the airport. Our layover in Copenhagen was just long enough to stretch our legs a bit before our relatively short flight to Paris.
We arrived in Paris around 5pm and got our hotel shuttle. Traffic was crazy due to the Rugby World Cup being held at the stadium near the airport. There were lots of Brits in town as tonight's game was England vs. South Africa. After a crazy shuttle ride and lots of near misses with motorcycles, we made it safely to Hotel de la Tulip, a quaint city hotel near the Eiffel Tower. We met up with Jason and Erica and walked a few blocks to the Rue de Cler for dinner at a bistro, where we sat outside and enjoyed a pleasant evening. Afterwards we walked towards the Eiffel Tower to see it lit up. It was an amazing sight!
Tomorrow we plan to go to the top of the Eiffel tower, do some sight-seeing around our hotel, and take a night-time Fat Bike Tour.
I will try to post some pictures tomorrow if I have time.
:-) Stacy
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Itinerary
For friends and family who want to know where we'll be at all times, here's our itinerary:
September 13th--leave USA
September 14th--Arrive in Paris; spend 4 nights
September 18th--drive to Amboise; spend 2 nights
September 20th--drive to St. Emilion; spend 2 nights
September 22nd--drive to Carcassonne; spend 1 night
September 23rd--drive to a mystery location near Vaison la Romaine; spend 2 nights
September 25th--drive to Beaune; spend 2 nights
September 27th--return to Paris and fly to Manchester, England; spend 1 night
September 28th--spend 3 nights in Nuneaton (with Anthony's family)
October 1st--leave England, arrive back in USA
September 13th--leave USA
September 14th--Arrive in Paris; spend 4 nights
September 18th--drive to Amboise; spend 2 nights
September 20th--drive to St. Emilion; spend 2 nights
September 22nd--drive to Carcassonne; spend 1 night
September 23rd--drive to a mystery location near Vaison la Romaine; spend 2 nights
September 25th--drive to Beaune; spend 2 nights
September 27th--return to Paris and fly to Manchester, England; spend 1 night
September 28th--spend 3 nights in Nuneaton (with Anthony's family)
October 1st--leave England, arrive back in USA
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
One more week
It's hard to believe that we leave for our trip in just one week. We are looking forward to exploring France, tasting food and wine, and having an unforgettable vacation with our friends, Jason and Erica. We will do our best to update this blog as we travel.
Cheers!
Cheers!
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