I have been with Joni & Tom since Wednesday noon and unfortunately have to leave this evening to get my flight from Toulouse to Paris, then to SFO on Sunday morning. So I think will be my last posting for this trip. I'll summarize my time in Montpellier, then reflect a bit on the whole trip.
I'm really glad that I came. I was able to help a bit for a few days, and Joni has good spirits and the surgery site is healing really nicely. I saw it just now when the home nurse changed the bandage. Yesterday she & I were concerned because her elbow has turned really black & blue & swollen. So we went to the hospital to inquire and the doctor said this is very normal. (It just looked bad).
Yesterday she & I were able to do several errands. The police had asked her to come in with a list of things that were stolen and the detective wrote an official document for her that will help with insurance claims, etc. Being inside a French police station was quite interesting and not something in most tourist books have on their itineraries. 😉 The detective then drove us ( yes chauffeured us!) to the office where she could get a replacement for her stolen metro pass which had around 50 euros left on it. When the clerk there saw the new official police document, he immediately issued her a new pass!
She also has been a basket case without her I phone so we went to a store where she bought an inexpensive android-- to hold her until she gets home for a new I phone. Voilà! Instant happiness!
We had lunch at a creperie ( good for me!).
Joni has a home nurse who has come twice & will return on Sunday. This has been super. So my overall impression is that things are progressing very well. I was amazed at how she was able to run around town yesterday. It's good she will have time to heal before they return home the end of November.
Regarding the Road Scholar trip, I think you could tell from my earlier posts that this was a really good tour. What we saw & did was spectacular. I'm really glad I did this at my age because some people in the group had trouble with some aspects, though no one was a whiner. I could not have hoped for a nicer group of people. A pleasure to be with.
The detour that my trip took when Joni got hurt proved to be part of the whole adventure. I've had to take the train alone and to navigate the travel on my own and things went well. Taking the train can be a challenge, and I was glad to discover that I remembered some of the idiosyncrasies at the station.
So now I will say adieu and get ready for my train trip.
Friday, October 21, 2016
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Oct 19 part deux
I arrived at the apartment of Joni & Tom in Montpellier around 1 pm today. I'm so happy to be here but especially to see that Joni is doing well, considering the ordeal she went through. She had pins put in her shoulder on Saturday so I'm amazed to see that she has kept a good attitude and is slowly getting her strength back. I'd just like to help any way I can, so I helped Joni sort through her paperwork ( insurance, medical, etc) and I washed her hair. That makes a girl happy! Tom made us a lovely chicken soup in the meantime, so we're a good team.
Tomorrow Joni needs to go on some errands so I'll go along for the moral support and the adventure. One stop is to see the police which should be interesting!
I'll be here till Friday night when I have to train back to Toulouse in order to take my flight to Paris on Saturday. Then Sunday I return to SFO.
My trip has taken an unexpected detour but I wouldn't have wanted not to come here if only for a few days.
Happy to have good wi fi in the apartment! 😊
( I know I had some dates wrong in my earlier posts and I'm sure there are typos, but I just wanted to get these days written!).
Jane
Tomorrow Joni needs to go on some errands so I'll go along for the moral support and the adventure. One stop is to see the police which should be interesting!
I'll be here till Friday night when I have to train back to Toulouse in order to take my flight to Paris on Saturday. Then Sunday I return to SFO.
My trip has taken an unexpected detour but I wouldn't have wanted not to come here if only for a few days.
Happy to have good wi fi in the apartment! 😊
( I know I had some dates wrong in my earlier posts and I'm sure there are typos, but I just wanted to get these days written!).
Jane
Wed Oct 19 from Montpellier
this will be a catch up posting-- to ( I hope) summarize my trip since Friday My I-pad only works in a wi fi zone and that has been a big problem.
Friday Oct 14 Rocamadour
We said au revoir to Sarlat ( which I really liked) and set out on our journey towards the ancient city of Rocamadour. This was our first rainy day of the trip so we could not complain. The region and landscape really changed. We entered the state/ Department of Lot. We drove along the river Dordogne and climbed into woods and mountains Our first stop was the town of Souillac where we visited a distillery that makes wines and liquors ext using walnut, chestnut, condiments, etc The tour was fun and personal, as have been the case for most places we visit. This is a benefit of being in a group and being off season. We stopped at Martel, another place dating from the Middle Ages, with reminents of Roman times.
We visited the cave Pidirac as another example of cave paintings ---and geological features. This one had an underground river, and for part of the visit we were in a boat with a guide. I couldn't help but hum a bit of "Yo ho,yo ho, a pirate's life for me."😉🎼. Really felt like Disneyland.
I loved this visit. Really different experience from the other caves. I have a picture of us in the boat. At Caves they don't let us take pix-- this one was taken by their staff.
Our day concluded in Rocamadour. Wow! Gorgeous setting, monastery. atop the cliff, looking down over the Alzou canyon. Our hotel was just beneath the monastery which I looked at from my window. This was spectacular.
Saturday Oct 15.
Today was a different cave: Pech Merle. They showed a short film first which I really appreciated. It was funny because a lady I've been hanging out with is named Merle, so we had fun taking pix of her with the signs. As with other caves, this one has unique characteristics and I really came for the caves, so I didn't feel it was too much. I've not been disappointed in the caves.
Lunch today was in tiny town of Cabreret. Here I had to sing " Life is a Cabreret, my friend... ". 🎼
The chef here showed great respect for the non meat eaters and made a lovely gourmet for us.
My friend who is in Montpellier ( Joni) had a very bad experience last night. Someone grabbed her purse on the street and she fell hard-- on her shoulder. So I was glad to hear from her this evening to hear the doctors had done a great job, operated on her and out pins in her shoulder already-- within 24 hours. We had planned for her and her husband to join me in Toulouse Wednesday but now we will not do that. Instead I am going to stay with the, for a few days and try to help her out a bit.
Sunday Oct 16 Toulouse
When we left Rocamadour, I lamented that I didn't have more time here. Our trip is crammed full of activities and a little more free time would have been good.
Lunches & dinners have included wine (usually red) and lunches were long and dinners were late. That's how it is.
I the journey we passed through a little town called something like St Antoin du Val
We went to Albi where we had a short walking tour and visited the museum of Toulouse Lautrec. I enjoyed seeing so many of his works, but the guide gave way too much information and made us stand too long, so I decided go go ahead at my own pace.
The city views and river were really beautiful. Got lots is pix.
Monday Oct 17
A local guide began today by giving us a lecture about the region -- languages, culture, history. Was helpful & interesting.
She then took us on a walking tour including the St Semin Bascilica-- which was beautiful. It's the largest Romanesque church in Western Europe. The stained glass windows were special and similar to those in several churches in Paris such as St Chappelle
The Dominican order was founded in the 13 th century in Toulouse.
Tuesday- Wed--- I think my entry from Wednesday is already posted so I'll stop and post this before it all gets lost!!
Friday Oct 14 Rocamadour
We said au revoir to Sarlat ( which I really liked) and set out on our journey towards the ancient city of Rocamadour. This was our first rainy day of the trip so we could not complain. The region and landscape really changed. We entered the state/ Department of Lot. We drove along the river Dordogne and climbed into woods and mountains Our first stop was the town of Souillac where we visited a distillery that makes wines and liquors ext using walnut, chestnut, condiments, etc The tour was fun and personal, as have been the case for most places we visit. This is a benefit of being in a group and being off season. We stopped at Martel, another place dating from the Middle Ages, with reminents of Roman times.
We visited the cave Pidirac as another example of cave paintings ---and geological features. This one had an underground river, and for part of the visit we were in a boat with a guide. I couldn't help but hum a bit of "Yo ho,yo ho, a pirate's life for me."😉🎼. Really felt like Disneyland.
I loved this visit. Really different experience from the other caves. I have a picture of us in the boat. At Caves they don't let us take pix-- this one was taken by their staff.
Our day concluded in Rocamadour. Wow! Gorgeous setting, monastery. atop the cliff, looking down over the Alzou canyon. Our hotel was just beneath the monastery which I looked at from my window. This was spectacular.
Saturday Oct 15.
Today was a different cave: Pech Merle. They showed a short film first which I really appreciated. It was funny because a lady I've been hanging out with is named Merle, so we had fun taking pix of her with the signs. As with other caves, this one has unique characteristics and I really came for the caves, so I didn't feel it was too much. I've not been disappointed in the caves.
Lunch today was in tiny town of Cabreret. Here I had to sing " Life is a Cabreret, my friend... ". 🎼
The chef here showed great respect for the non meat eaters and made a lovely gourmet for us.
My friend who is in Montpellier ( Joni) had a very bad experience last night. Someone grabbed her purse on the street and she fell hard-- on her shoulder. So I was glad to hear from her this evening to hear the doctors had done a great job, operated on her and out pins in her shoulder already-- within 24 hours. We had planned for her and her husband to join me in Toulouse Wednesday but now we will not do that. Instead I am going to stay with the, for a few days and try to help her out a bit.
Sunday Oct 16 Toulouse
When we left Rocamadour, I lamented that I didn't have more time here. Our trip is crammed full of activities and a little more free time would have been good.
Lunches & dinners have included wine (usually red) and lunches were long and dinners were late. That's how it is.
I the journey we passed through a little town called something like St Antoin du Val
We went to Albi where we had a short walking tour and visited the museum of Toulouse Lautrec. I enjoyed seeing so many of his works, but the guide gave way too much information and made us stand too long, so I decided go go ahead at my own pace.
The city views and river were really beautiful. Got lots is pix.
Monday Oct 17
A local guide began today by giving us a lecture about the region -- languages, culture, history. Was helpful & interesting.
She then took us on a walking tour including the St Semin Bascilica-- which was beautiful. It's the largest Romanesque church in Western Europe. The stained glass windows were special and similar to those in several churches in Paris such as St Chappelle
The Dominican order was founded in the 13 th century in Toulouse.
Tuesday- Wed--- I think my entry from Wednesday is already posted so I'll stop and post this before it all gets lost!!
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Wed Oct 18 Toulouse
I am feeling very uncertain about writing while at this location since I lost a lot of my journal the other day. So I think I'll just write a short update now and I hope to go back later to fill in the holes. Today was the last day of our tour. We went to the medieval Bastide of Carcasonne today which was about an hour's drive. I appreciated that we did a tour at our own lace with headsets to explain the various places and the history. Joan, Jolene and I had gone here when we had our spa week in the south of France years ago, but I didn't remember how much we learned about the history. This was a nice day-- good weather too.
Everyone is getting a bit road weary but unlike the others, I amnot going home tomorrow. I am flying Sat-Sunday and get home Sunday.
Everyone is getting a bit road weary but unlike the others, I amnot going home tomorrow. I am flying Sat-Sunday and get home Sunday.
Wed Oct 18 Toulouse
I am feeling very uncertain about writing while at this location since I lost a lot of my journal the other day. So I think I'll just write a short update now and I hope to go back later to fill in the holes. Today was the last day of our tour. We went to the medieval Bastide of Carcasonne today which was about an hour's drive. I appreciated that we did a tour at our own lace with headsets to explain the various places and the history. Joan, Jolene and I had gone here when we had our spa week in the south of France years ago, but I didn't remember how much we learned about the history. This was a nice day-- good weather too.
Everyone is getting a bit road weary but unlike the others, I amnot going home tomorrow. I am flying Sat-Sunday and get home Sunday.
Everyone is getting a bit road weary but unlike the others, I amnot going home tomorrow. I am flying Sat-Sunday and get home Sunday.
Monday, October 17, 2016
Monday Oct 17
I just spent an hour writing to catch up from the last 4 days and it didn't post correctly so it seems it was lost. I could cry! 😥
I am hoping I can find it somewhere.
But for now I cannot rewrite it all. I don't know when I will have time. I really want to record my experiences but will have to forget about it for now. . . Rats!
Jane
I am hoping I can find it somewhere.
But for now I cannot rewrite it all. I don't know when I will have time. I really want to record my experiences but will have to forget about it for now. . . Rats!
Jane
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Thursday Oct 13, Sarlat
What an interesting day today! Our driver, Didier, and guide, Sandrine, took us to the village of La Roque Gagaec which had houses built into the cliff. This time we walked up stairs to the first level where a walkway allowed us to see the buildings -- including private residences, some small hotels or B & Bs and a few shops. And the view was amazing. We were surprised to see how verdant it was--- really looked tropical to me and my pix confirm that. Looked more like Hawaii than France. 😊 I'm not sure why the trees were such as they were.
We then drove past the home/chateau that was Josephine Baker's-- in Castelnaud. We didn't get to go into it however.
Our lunch today was quite unique---A restaurant & small hotel in Vitrac owned by chef Philip Treille-- who first gave a cooking demo. He showed how to make a duck breast roulade. Then for lunch, that was the main dish. Folks said it was yummy. His sauces were spectacular. Our entree was a dish with asparagus, poached egg, a bit of mushrooms and a fabulous sauce. It was more than a 2 hour lunch, but I have to say it was special-- with the regional ingredients & expert preparation. & presentation.
This afternoon. We went to the museum of Prehistory-- a Huge collection of bones & artifacts from this very rich region. I was surprised to see a list of how many sites there are here. What was most interesting to me was the examples of what the people might have looked like--- sort of Madam Trusaud's version of several people. A short film showed the process used to create a realistic looking head & body. Interesting.
And finally we went to a truffle farm to hear a short presentation about truffles. But then the best part was going down to the trees in the back and watching the man and his dog retrieve some truffles ! The dog was so excited to be doing his job! Great fun to watch!
They gave us a sample of truffle on a toast with butter. Some folks then tasted a truffle toast that also had fois gras.
Whew! A very full day! And I think I'm the youngest person in this group!
This hotel has CNN so we are all catching up on the bizarre, adolescent political BS in the US. So glad to not be home now!
We leave Sarlat tomorrow and head to Rocamadour.
We then drove past the home/chateau that was Josephine Baker's-- in Castelnaud. We didn't get to go into it however.
Our lunch today was quite unique---A restaurant & small hotel in Vitrac owned by chef Philip Treille-- who first gave a cooking demo. He showed how to make a duck breast roulade. Then for lunch, that was the main dish. Folks said it was yummy. His sauces were spectacular. Our entree was a dish with asparagus, poached egg, a bit of mushrooms and a fabulous sauce. It was more than a 2 hour lunch, but I have to say it was special-- with the regional ingredients & expert preparation. & presentation.
This afternoon. We went to the museum of Prehistory-- a Huge collection of bones & artifacts from this very rich region. I was surprised to see a list of how many sites there are here. What was most interesting to me was the examples of what the people might have looked like--- sort of Madam Trusaud's version of several people. A short film showed the process used to create a realistic looking head & body. Interesting.
And finally we went to a truffle farm to hear a short presentation about truffles. But then the best part was going down to the trees in the back and watching the man and his dog retrieve some truffles ! The dog was so excited to be doing his job! Great fun to watch!
They gave us a sample of truffle on a toast with butter. Some folks then tasted a truffle toast that also had fois gras.
Whew! A very full day! And I think I'm the youngest person in this group!
This hotel has CNN so we are all catching up on the bizarre, adolescent political BS in the US. So glad to not be home now!
We leave Sarlat tomorrow and head to Rocamadour.
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Oct 11-12 The Dordogne region-- Sarlat
It's actually Oct 13 today ( happy birthday Jolene!) and I finally have a chance to write about the last 2 days. We haven't had much free time.
Tuesday
We said au revoir to Bordeaux and began our coach trip eastward. Our driver will stay with us the rest of the trip.
The landscape changed a bit and where we are now is less vineyards and more geese/duck farms and a lot of corn is grown here, as well as lovely walnuts.
Our first stop was to see our first cave paintings. The Frence use the word " cave" for wine andthe say " grotte" ( like grotto) for what you & I would call a cave. The first grotte we saw today was called Rouffignac. It's one of the largest caves, it's privately owned and we got a private tour to see the original paintings. They had a little train ( like a golf cart with several cars behind it) and entered the semi dark cave. The guide would shine a flashlight on an area & explain what we were looking at. Wow! Most informative and exciting to see!
Next we lunched at Les Eyzies and walked along the cliff side to see the view. Here there were some of those houses built into the walls of the cliffs. I had seen some in the Loire before but never up close. Got some pix. Beautiful scenes!
We ended up in Sarlat where we checked into Hotel Renoir for 3 nights. Walked around the village with pedestrian - only streets. Ancient, quaint village--- gorgeous. Really like Sarlat!
Wednesday
On Wednesday mornings Sarlat has its market (sorry I can't use accent marks to write marche). My new friend Merle and I decided to buy our dinner for tonight to have a picnic, since we're on our own for dinner.
Our driver then Took us to Montignac to a highlight of the trip: Lascaux II. It's the exact replica of the major parts of the actual grotte ( discovered in 1940) which has been closed to the public (thankfully) since 1963. The paintings are fantastic-- and give us a sense of our oldest ancestors nearly 15-20 thousand years ago. Mon dieu! It was thrilling on many levels.
Lunch today was in a quaint village St Leon sur Vezere -- on the river Vezere. Got some gorgeous pix.
Finally we visited the 12-13thcentury fortified / walled city: Bastide Domme. It looks down on the Dordogne river.
We returned to Sarlat for a free evening. Merle & I wanted to do laundry so we had an adventure in a launderette ☺️ Happy to have all clean clothes!
Our picnic awaited us in the hotel: Brie, olives, croissant, fruits, and of course vin!
Quite a spectacular day!
Jane
Tuesday
We said au revoir to Bordeaux and began our coach trip eastward. Our driver will stay with us the rest of the trip.
The landscape changed a bit and where we are now is less vineyards and more geese/duck farms and a lot of corn is grown here, as well as lovely walnuts.
Our first stop was to see our first cave paintings. The Frence use the word " cave" for wine andthe say " grotte" ( like grotto) for what you & I would call a cave. The first grotte we saw today was called Rouffignac. It's one of the largest caves, it's privately owned and we got a private tour to see the original paintings. They had a little train ( like a golf cart with several cars behind it) and entered the semi dark cave. The guide would shine a flashlight on an area & explain what we were looking at. Wow! Most informative and exciting to see!
Next we lunched at Les Eyzies and walked along the cliff side to see the view. Here there were some of those houses built into the walls of the cliffs. I had seen some in the Loire before but never up close. Got some pix. Beautiful scenes!
We ended up in Sarlat where we checked into Hotel Renoir for 3 nights. Walked around the village with pedestrian - only streets. Ancient, quaint village--- gorgeous. Really like Sarlat!
Wednesday
On Wednesday mornings Sarlat has its market (sorry I can't use accent marks to write marche). My new friend Merle and I decided to buy our dinner for tonight to have a picnic, since we're on our own for dinner.
Our driver then Took us to Montignac to a highlight of the trip: Lascaux II. It's the exact replica of the major parts of the actual grotte ( discovered in 1940) which has been closed to the public (thankfully) since 1963. The paintings are fantastic-- and give us a sense of our oldest ancestors nearly 15-20 thousand years ago. Mon dieu! It was thrilling on many levels.
Lunch today was in a quaint village St Leon sur Vezere -- on the river Vezere. Got some gorgeous pix.
Finally we visited the 12-13thcentury fortified / walled city: Bastide Domme. It looks down on the Dordogne river.
We returned to Sarlat for a free evening. Merle & I wanted to do laundry so we had an adventure in a launderette ☺️ Happy to have all clean clothes!
Our picnic awaited us in the hotel: Brie, olives, croissant, fruits, and of course vin!
Quite a spectacular day!
Jane
Oct 11-12 The Dordogne region-- Sarlat
It's actually Oct 13 today ( happy birthday Jolene!) and I finally have a chance to write about the last 2 days. We haven't had much free time.
Tuesday
We said au revoir to Bordeaux and began our coach trip eastward. Our driver will stay with us the rest of the trip.
The landscape changed a bit and where we are now is less vineyards and more geese/duck farms and a lot of corn is grown here, as well as lovely walnuts.
Our first stop was to see our first cave paintings. The Frence use the word " cave" for wine andthe say " grotte" ( like grotto) for what you & I would call a cave. The first grotte we saw today was called Rouffignac. It's one of the largest caves, it's privately owned and we got a private tour to see the original paintings. They had a little train ( like a golf cart with several cars behind it) and entered the semi dark cave. The guide would shine a flashlight on an area & explain what we were looking at. Wow! Most informative and exciting to see!
Next we lunched at Les Eyzies and walked along the cliff side to see the view. Here there were some of those houses built into the walls of the cliffs. I had seen some in the Loire before but never up close. Got some pix. Beautiful scenes!
We ended up in Sarlat where we checked into Hotel Renoir for 3 nights. Walked around the village with pedestrian - only streets. Ancient, quaint village--- gorgeous. Really like Sarlat!
Wednesday
On Wednesday mornings Sarlat has its market (sorry I can't use accent marks to write marche). My new friend Merle and I decided to buy our dinner for tonight to have a picnic, since we're on our own for dinner.
Our driver then Took us to Montignac to a highlight of the trip: Lascaux II. It's the exact replica of the major parts of the actual grotte ( discovered in 1940) which has been closed to the public (thankfully) since 1963. The paintings are fantastic-- and give us a sense of our oldest ancestors nearly 15-20 thousand years ago. Mon dieu! It was thrilling on many levels.
Lunch today was in a quaint village St Leon sur Vezere -- on the river Vezere. Got some gorgeous pix.
Finally we visited the 12-13thcentury fortified / walled city: Bastide Domme. It looks down on the Dordogne river.
We returned to Sarlat for a free evening. Merle & I wanted to do laundry so we had an adventure in a launderette ☺️ Happy to have all clean clothes!
Our picnic awaited us in the hotel: Brie, olives, croissant, fruits, and of course vin!
Quite a spectacular day!
Jane
Tuesday
We said au revoir to Bordeaux and began our coach trip eastward. Our driver will stay with us the rest of the trip.
The landscape changed a bit and where we are now is less vineyards and more geese/duck farms and a lot of corn is grown here, as well as lovely walnuts.
Our first stop was to see our first cave paintings. The Frence use the word " cave" for wine andthe say " grotte" ( like grotto) for what you & I would call a cave. The first grotte we saw today was called Rouffignac. It's one of the largest caves, it's privately owned and we got a private tour to see the original paintings. They had a little train ( like a golf cart with several cars behind it) and entered the semi dark cave. The guide would shine a flashlight on an area & explain what we were looking at. Wow! Most informative and exciting to see!
Next we lunched at Les Eyzies and walked along the cliff side to see the view. Here there were some of those houses built into the walls of the cliffs. I had seen some in the Loire before but never up close. Got some pix. Beautiful scenes!
We ended up in Sarlat where we checked into Hotel Renoir for 3 nights. Walked around the village with pedestrian - only streets. Ancient, quaint village--- gorgeous. Really like Sarlat!
Wednesday
On Wednesday mornings Sarlat has its market (sorry I can't use accent marks to write marche). My new friend Merle and I decided to buy our dinner for tonight to have a picnic, since we're on our own for dinner.
Our driver then Took us to Montignac to a highlight of the trip: Lascaux II. It's the exact replica of the major parts of the actual grotte ( discovered in 1940) which has been closed to the public (thankfully) since 1963. The paintings are fantastic-- and give us a sense of our oldest ancestors nearly 15-20 thousand years ago. Mon dieu! It was thrilling on many levels.
Lunch today was in a quaint village St Leon sur Vezere -- on the river Vezere. Got some gorgeous pix.
Finally we visited the 12-13thcentury fortified / walled city: Bastide Domme. It looks down on the Dordogne river.
We returned to Sarlat for a free evening. Merle & I wanted to do laundry so we had an adventure in a launderette ☺️ Happy to have all clean clothes!
Our picnic awaited us in the hotel: Brie, olives, croissant, fruits, and of course vin!
Quite a spectacular day!
Jane
Monday, October 10, 2016
Monday Oct 10 Bordeaux-- last day
Our wake up call came before any of us planned --- a fire alarm went off just after 5 am. Fortunately it was a false alarm, but we all ended up in the lobby in pj's ( tho I threw on jeans!). While we needed to be ready at 8 to leave today, we would have preferred a bit more bed time.
Today we took a coach to St Emilon-- a charming village started by monks. At every corner the view down winding ancient streets was straight out of the movies. We had a private visit to several monuments: an hermitage where St Emilion lived and counseled followers, and the largest underground church. If you picture a huge quarry completely underground, the developers of it (between 9th- 11th century) carved out a church--- with stone altars and religious painted walls. We've never seen anything like it!
Next we visited a winery -- Chateau Laniotte. The owner-- a very entertaining man, showed a simple, interesting and informative film showing the vineyard's life cycle over a year. It was the best explanation I've ever seen about winemaking.
I got some excellent pix today.
We had a nice lunch in town & I sat next to our guide, Sandrine, and got to know her a bit. She's been doing these tours for 15 years--- very seasoned. 😊
So today's our final day in Bordeaux. We're all excited to move on to the prehistoric caves ( grottes) next.
Jane
Today we took a coach to St Emilon-- a charming village started by monks. At every corner the view down winding ancient streets was straight out of the movies. We had a private visit to several monuments: an hermitage where St Emilion lived and counseled followers, and the largest underground church. If you picture a huge quarry completely underground, the developers of it (between 9th- 11th century) carved out a church--- with stone altars and religious painted walls. We've never seen anything like it!
Next we visited a winery -- Chateau Laniotte. The owner-- a very entertaining man, showed a simple, interesting and informative film showing the vineyard's life cycle over a year. It was the best explanation I've ever seen about winemaking.
I got some excellent pix today.
We had a nice lunch in town & I sat next to our guide, Sandrine, and got to know her a bit. She's been doing these tours for 15 years--- very seasoned. 😊
So today's our final day in Bordeaux. We're all excited to move on to the prehistoric caves ( grottes) next.
Jane
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Sunday Oct 9. Bordeaux
This morning began with a coach trip to the Medoc wine region north of Bordeaux. Our guide, Sandrine, pointed out sites along the way as well as background about the region, the wines and the vineyards. We had tours & tastings at 2 wineries--- one small and one large:
1. Chateau Baudan
2. Chateau La Tour Carnet
At the first, the owner provided us with an informative tour. Her French was clear, slow and easy to understand ( tho Sandrine also translated). I've met a gal from Tennessee who used to teach French & we agreed to try to speak French when possible-- Bon!
The winery served us a lovely 4 course lunch, of course with wines! 😊
I'm not a big fan of the reds which was all we got today, but they were very nice wines.
Second was Chateau La Tour Carnet which is a very big operation. They bottle 600 thousand bottles of wine a year. The chateau is from the 12th century, with various additions along the way. Gorgeous inside & out. They recently began using the chateau also as a B & B (on sites like hotels.com) & we got to see all the interior living space--- would be a fun place to stay! Quite unique. We sampled a carnet wine from 1998! Wow!
I took a lot of pictures today. My favorite is the black swans in the moat outside the second chateau.
The landscape, of course, felt like the wine country we're most familiar with in California. The weather was gorgeous. We agreed that we appreciated the sunshine for the wine tours and would be ok if it's rainy when we're in the caves and museums next week.
I'm tired & have to get up early tomorrow, so I'll call it a night.
Jane
1. Chateau Baudan
2. Chateau La Tour Carnet
At the first, the owner provided us with an informative tour. Her French was clear, slow and easy to understand ( tho Sandrine also translated). I've met a gal from Tennessee who used to teach French & we agreed to try to speak French when possible-- Bon!
The winery served us a lovely 4 course lunch, of course with wines! 😊
I'm not a big fan of the reds which was all we got today, but they were very nice wines.
Second was Chateau La Tour Carnet which is a very big operation. They bottle 600 thousand bottles of wine a year. The chateau is from the 12th century, with various additions along the way. Gorgeous inside & out. They recently began using the chateau also as a B & B (on sites like hotels.com) & we got to see all the interior living space--- would be a fun place to stay! Quite unique. We sampled a carnet wine from 1998! Wow!
I took a lot of pictures today. My favorite is the black swans in the moat outside the second chateau.
The landscape, of course, felt like the wine country we're most familiar with in California. The weather was gorgeous. We agreed that we appreciated the sunshine for the wine tours and would be ok if it's rainy when we're in the caves and museums next week.
I'm tired & have to get up early tomorrow, so I'll call it a night.
Jane
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Sat Oct 8. Bordeaux
First full day of our tour
Well the group arrived yesterday and we met in a short meeting then went to dinner together. I'm very impressed with these people. They include teachers (of course), professors , 2-3 MDs, one who worked at NIH, a musician, etc. I'll learn about more about them as we go along. One woman has a daughter who works for Hillary! Several have worked in other countries. Quite a few speak some or a lot of French. Others have taken 15-20 Road Scholar trips! And overall it's an extremely well traveled group. Each one I have talked to is interesting. One woman has lived in Spokane & when I told her about my ill- fated experience there, she said she wanted to reassure me that leaving was the right thing to do! Can't wait to tell Roger all about that discussion .
Today began with a short lecture about the history of Bordeaux. We then set out on foot to see the streets & neighborhoods- --all places where I had walked before on my own. Our guide today was a Bordeaux native-- Mary Chantel who, as it turns out, has worked w Road Scholar for something like 20 years and has been responsible for the development of the itineraries in many regions in France. She was extremely knowledgable all day!
First she took us to the Musee du Vin & du Negoce-- museum of wine and Trade, which she was a part of creating! It's a small museum in Cellier Des Chartrons--- a part of Bordeaux where Mary Chantel is from. She had loads of side stories that I doubt other guides should have had.
Next we went to my kind of lunch: wines & cheeses! And finally we walked to the cathedral St Andre ( beautiful) and then the Museum of Bordeaux & Aquitaine. I easpecially liked the section about the prehistory of the region--- a foreshadowing of our next couple weeks when we visit prehistoric caves & art.
The group is exhausted from traveling, so tonight is on our own... a good idea. I'm heading out to eat with a few gals shortly. As I write, BBC is on tv, telling about the latest Trump insanity. So glad I'm not home to hear it all day.
The tour is off to a super start!
Jane
Well the group arrived yesterday and we met in a short meeting then went to dinner together. I'm very impressed with these people. They include teachers (of course), professors , 2-3 MDs, one who worked at NIH, a musician, etc. I'll learn about more about them as we go along. One woman has a daughter who works for Hillary! Several have worked in other countries. Quite a few speak some or a lot of French. Others have taken 15-20 Road Scholar trips! And overall it's an extremely well traveled group. Each one I have talked to is interesting. One woman has lived in Spokane & when I told her about my ill- fated experience there, she said she wanted to reassure me that leaving was the right thing to do! Can't wait to tell Roger all about that discussion .
Today began with a short lecture about the history of Bordeaux. We then set out on foot to see the streets & neighborhoods- --all places where I had walked before on my own. Our guide today was a Bordeaux native-- Mary Chantel who, as it turns out, has worked w Road Scholar for something like 20 years and has been responsible for the development of the itineraries in many regions in France. She was extremely knowledgable all day!
First she took us to the Musee du Vin & du Negoce-- museum of wine and Trade, which she was a part of creating! It's a small museum in Cellier Des Chartrons--- a part of Bordeaux where Mary Chantel is from. She had loads of side stories that I doubt other guides should have had.
Next we went to my kind of lunch: wines & cheeses! And finally we walked to the cathedral St Andre ( beautiful) and then the Museum of Bordeaux & Aquitaine. I easpecially liked the section about the prehistory of the region--- a foreshadowing of our next couple weeks when we visit prehistoric caves & art.
The group is exhausted from traveling, so tonight is on our own... a good idea. I'm heading out to eat with a few gals shortly. As I write, BBC is on tv, telling about the latest Trump insanity. So glad I'm not home to hear it all day.
The tour is off to a super start!
Jane
Friday, October 7, 2016
Thursday- Friday Oct 6-7 Bordeaux
I'm writing on Friday because I was out late last night. I attended the season opening concert of the Bordeaux Opera Symphony orchestra held in a new venue "L'auditorium de Bordeaux." This hall has the audience surround the orchestra and the acoustics are fantastic! A contralto from the opera sang some Wagner, and the other selections were orchestral-- Boulez( ugh!), Ravel and Debussy (Bon!).
I discovered something I didn't know about French women: they have huge bladders ( evidently). When I went to the WC at intermission I saw only about 5 women there! In the US the lines would have been immense! How is that?
Yesterday morning I took a bus tour of the city. I liked doing it after I had walked around a lot the previous day because this gave me the big picture. When my Road Scholar group begins, we will see more places-- museums, churches, etc, so I don't feel the need to visit more sites now. Instead I'm enjoying my book " the Cave Painters".
The weather turned much cooler than when I first was here. Feels more like autumn.
I'm happy to be missing the incessant insanity on US tv -- the election-- tho I do get a bit of news on BBC tv. The Hurricane news is pretty scary. It was fun to see the actual announcement of the Nobel Peace prize live--- since I'm in the same time zone. I tried out the small hotel gym while watching the announcement.
I'm ready to meet my new group tonight! 😊
Jane
I discovered something I didn't know about French women: they have huge bladders ( evidently). When I went to the WC at intermission I saw only about 5 women there! In the US the lines would have been immense! How is that?
Yesterday morning I took a bus tour of the city. I liked doing it after I had walked around a lot the previous day because this gave me the big picture. When my Road Scholar group begins, we will see more places-- museums, churches, etc, so I don't feel the need to visit more sites now. Instead I'm enjoying my book " the Cave Painters".
The weather turned much cooler than when I first was here. Feels more like autumn.
I'm happy to be missing the incessant insanity on US tv -- the election-- tho I do get a bit of news on BBC tv. The Hurricane news is pretty scary. It was fun to see the actual announcement of the Nobel Peace prize live--- since I'm in the same time zone. I tried out the small hotel gym while watching the announcement.
I'm ready to meet my new group tonight! 😊
Jane
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Wednesday part deux
This afternoon I enjoyed a tour of the Grand Theatre ( opera house). It's a beautiful 1780 structure--- gorgeous inside and out. I would have liked to see a performance there but the timing wasn't right. But I did see that the symphony will perform at another venue tomorrow night so I got a ticket for that concert.
Both my lunch & dinner were outside -- the weather is fantastic! In the 70s. Parfait! Looks like I won't need any warm clothes this trip.
I visited the Tourist Office again & got some ideas for tomorrow.
I walked down to the riverside--La Garonne-- where there is a " mirror of water". On the ground---a stone surface, there is a huge, thin puddle of water ( man made) and the effect is to reflect the sky, buildings, etc. The little kids, dogs, and selfie- seekers loved to play in the water! As I wandered around the district (la Bourse ) I found a little restaurant at the Place du Parliment for dinner.
I'm enjoying going at my own pace and just following my nose around town. I keep discovering places that I would not have come across if I had planned my day & route out in advance. A nice way to go. I'm feeling more confident about finding my way around and using French.
As I'm writing, the tv is on with American shows dubbed in French. First was " the Nanny" and now it's " the Wolf of Wall Street." Quite amusing!😉
I talk to Roger every night & we share our news. I appreciate my friends at home who are helping with my puppy's exercise! She's got a good life ( as do I).
Nitee night,
Jane
Both my lunch & dinner were outside -- the weather is fantastic! In the 70s. Parfait! Looks like I won't need any warm clothes this trip.
I visited the Tourist Office again & got some ideas for tomorrow.
I walked down to the riverside--La Garonne-- where there is a " mirror of water". On the ground---a stone surface, there is a huge, thin puddle of water ( man made) and the effect is to reflect the sky, buildings, etc. The little kids, dogs, and selfie- seekers loved to play in the water! As I wandered around the district (la Bourse ) I found a little restaurant at the Place du Parliment for dinner.
I'm enjoying going at my own pace and just following my nose around town. I keep discovering places that I would not have come across if I had planned my day & route out in advance. A nice way to go. I'm feeling more confident about finding my way around and using French.
As I'm writing, the tv is on with American shows dubbed in French. First was " the Nanny" and now it's " the Wolf of Wall Street." Quite amusing!😉
I talk to Roger every night & we share our news. I appreciate my friends at home who are helping with my puppy's exercise! She's got a good life ( as do I).
Nitee night,
Jane
Bordeaux Oct 5, 2016 Wednesday
I'm here! Today is my first full day in France. I arrived at my hotel yesterday afternoon after the shortest long flight I've ever had--- thanks to Business class on a KLM flight (and my Swedie❤️). I could NOT believe the difference-- flying horizontal much of the way. ( fully flat beds). Normally I'm in agony the whole way. This was a pain free trip. And the luxury on this plane: our upper level cabin had only about 25 people w 2 flight attendants. The seat next to me was Empty! The space around me could have accommodated a couple more people. . . And there even were toiletries in the WC! For the first time I was able to adjust to Europe the way my brother suggests: skip the nap when you arrive & go for a walk instead. Since I didn't feel like I had been run over, I was able to get acquainted with the neighborhood, have an early meal, and pass out early (for over 10 hours). I feel completely over jet lag today. A miracle.
The hotel ( Bayonne Etche Ona-- Best Western) is in a super location & is excellent. Thanks to Linda for the expert tips, I've walked around the area today & will take a small group tour of the Grand Theatre this afternoon (en francais😉) I am on my own until the group tour begins Friday at 5 pm so I am still considering options for how to spend the next 2 days. It's a beautiful city. Just walking around was a pleasure. I called Joni & chatted--- so fun to have a friend in France. ( in Montpellier). I'll see her in a couple weeks.
It was fun to stroll the streets, stop for coffee & lunch, and window shop. But best was the people-watching and listening to the French. For the most part I have even been understood. 😉 A group of 6 Texans sat next to me at lunch and I was their translater for ordering. Ha!
I'm heading out now for part 2 of my day: tour of Grand Theatre and.... Who knows what else...
Until next time,
Jane
The hotel ( Bayonne Etche Ona-- Best Western) is in a super location & is excellent. Thanks to Linda for the expert tips, I've walked around the area today & will take a small group tour of the Grand Theatre this afternoon (en francais😉) I am on my own until the group tour begins Friday at 5 pm so I am still considering options for how to spend the next 2 days. It's a beautiful city. Just walking around was a pleasure. I called Joni & chatted--- so fun to have a friend in France. ( in Montpellier). I'll see her in a couple weeks.
It was fun to stroll the streets, stop for coffee & lunch, and window shop. But best was the people-watching and listening to the French. For the most part I have even been understood. 😉 A group of 6 Texans sat next to me at lunch and I was their translater for ordering. Ha!
I'm heading out now for part 2 of my day: tour of Grand Theatre and.... Who knows what else...
Until next time,
Jane
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