DINNER AT THE HEN HOUSE

On Tuesday night we were invited to join Laurence and Christiane for dinner at a restaurant owned by family friends. We met at their house at 7:30pm and enjoyed a drink and snacks. Around 8:30pm we headed out with Laurence in the lead. We drove out of town quite a while before turning off the highway onto a much lesser used road. We continued on this twisty dirt road for about 10 more minutes (passing through a marble gorge) until we were sure that we would never be able to find our way back to civilization. Then we drove into a farm yard. This was Le Bonnerie – an exclusive restaurant housed in an old stone building that was once the farm’s henhouse. We were surprised to see peacocks wandering around the yard and horses in the paddock.
The menu offered three selections for the main course. Logan, Taryn, and Rod ordered the lamb. I ordered the mackerel and Laurence and Christiane ordered les coeurs des canards (duck hearts). For appetizers we sampled cantaloupe with prosciutto, roasted tomato tart, duck with lemon juice and parmesan, and roasted eggplant with roast veggies. These dishes are all examples of traditional French country fare. What a gastronomic adventure! All of the dishes were fantastic. Logan even tried the duck hearts and the eggplant dishes (please don’t faint G & G!) and proclaimed them “really great”.
We had such a good time with our hosts. This was truly a highlight of our time in Castres.

Merci pour le dîner, Laurence et Christiane. Trés fantastique!

CRAWFISH HUNTERS

It all started when Laurence (owner of le Moulin) told us about the little creek by le Moulin and how there are crawfish and trout in the water. On the second day we went down to the creek just to see if we could see anything…nothing. A few days after that Dad and I baited the traps Laurence showed us with some Italian sausage and put it in the water where it was most deep, and within 5 minutes we had our very first crawfish. I named him Phill. With two”L’s”. We put him in a pot that had some water in it, and then put the traps back in the water and we did that a few times. The second one we caught was a bit smaller so I named him Jimbo. After that came Sparky and then the biggest one we caught was Big Daddy – he was the last. Dad named him. At first we thought we would serve them with a delicious rosé sauce but then I decided that they should stay with their families so we put each one back where they came from. We also gave them extra pancetta for their troubles.

LE MOULIN DE LA ROUQUETTE

Sorry for the lack of blogs lately, but we have been lazy while at Le Moulin de la Rouquette. We arrived on Saturday night and instantly fell in love with this place. When we first started planning our trip we looked into booking hotels. Unfortunately, with two teenagers, it was difficult to find hotels with queen beds or accommodations to fit all four of us. The norm for French hotels is one large bed and one single bed. After speaking with family friends that have travelled to France with 3 children, they suggested we look at the website, http://www.homeaway.com/. This is a website where people rent out their vacation homes. At first we were reluctant to go this route, but after looking on the web site and finding some great places to stay, we made our reservations. All three of our accommodations outside of Paris were found through this website. Each of the accommodations has exceeded our expectations.

When we arrived in Castres, we meet the owner, Laurence Maraval Haddon at her mother’s house. Again our GPS unit was instrumental in directing us to the exact location. We were greeted at the gate of the house by Laurence’s mother, Christiane. Then they drove us to Le Moulin de la Rouquette as it was about 8 km outside of Castres. Le Moulin is located in a forested area on 2 acres of land - very isolated. It is a beautiful country cottage with an open concept and four large French doors which open up the whole south side of the house onto a wide veranda overlooking the pool. Beyond the pool runs a small river which cascades over very large granite boulders. It is spectacular. The kids each have their own bed and share a bathroom. The main bedroom has a king-size bed with full ensuite. It also has a full kitchen and large dining and living room.

This home was built by the Maraval family in 1961. It is obvious to us that this is a much loved family retreat featuring items gathered from their many travels and adventures. We feel privileged that they are willing to share this wonderful place with us. Since arriving, Mae and I have already discussed returning. We love the very tranquil and relaxing environment which has been a perfect fit for our third week of vacation. http://moulindelarouquette.blogspot.com/

Since arriving, our days have been leisure. Our morning routine has been eating breakfast on the deck and spending the rest of the morning and early afternoon by the pool. Once we had enough sun, we head out on adventures touring the Tarn region.

New video links have been added to the blog (Top right). Click on links.

ANOTHER GREAT DAY AT THE TOUR (STAGE 14)

The start for stage 14 of the Tour de France was again in the small town of Revel, France. Our accommodations were only 20 minutes away. Logan and I got up and had breakfast and decided to go see the cyclists start the 14th stage. The last part of this stage had two very large and steep hills. It was going to be a long day at the office for these professional cyclists. Logan and I arrived in time to see each cyclist sign in for the race. Each day the cyclists go up onto the stage and sign/ autograph the start sheet. It is a great way for the spectators to see each cyclist. Lance got a huge ovation. After they sign in, they mount their light-weight steeds and head out on the 185 km stage. We were able to see all the cyclists leave the starting gate followed by all the team cars. After the cyclists left, we shopped at the cycling and Tour de France boutiques. Not sure how we are going to get all the swag back home in our checked luggage. Unfortunately, this was the last day of the tour for me as it moves farther into the Pyrenees Mountains and is about a 2 hour drive one way. I am thankful my family allowed me the time to see this amount of Tour during our vacation. I would definitely like to come back and follow the Tour with a bike. I saw a lot of cycling groups today at the start.

AU REVOIR FRENCH RIVIERA

Yesterday, we left the beautiful French Riviera and headed west towards the Pyrenees Mountains (Tarn Region). We were able to get away early but found out quickly that it was the long weekend for the Bastille Day celebration. We found out later, that this is the worst weekend to drive in France. You would not believe the traffic on the superhighway. After about an hour into our travels we hit the gridlock. It was like driving in Los Angeles at rush hour, but it was for 75 km and did not look like it was getting any better. We reprogrammed the GPS unit to get us off the highway and take the back roads. Unfortunately, the back roads have slower speed limits, but at least we were moving. Also, the back roads were very windy and every 10-15 km you drove through a small French town. The positive thing about driving through the French country side was that we saw some great medieval castles and chateaus.

After a long day of driving, we arrived in Castres at about 5pm. Unfortunately, we could not meet with the home owner until after 6pm. We were about 20 minutes from Revel, which was a finish line for Stage 13 of the Tour de France. My family agreed (with some persuasion) to head over to the finish line. We arrived just in time, to see the finish and all the cyclists come through and head to the team buses. I was able to get close to Lance Armstrong as he left the team bus and hopped in the team car. It was another great day at the tour.

PARLEZ-VOUS FRANCAIS?

Our children continue to impress us with their language skills. Once we left Paris we noticed that the ability to speak English diminished the farther we drove south. This was no problem for us because the kids were able to communicate very well. Occasionally, there were issues with pronunciation or accent but generally the kids did great. It is so funny how a shop keeper will start talking to Rod or me and then once the kids start talking to them they totally ignore us. Interestingly, it seems to be the older generation that is more apt to be able to communicate in English.
When we were in Marseille we found a Nike store (all of those who know Rod are not surprised, right?). One of the sales staff that was helping Logan came over to Rod and I and told us how well Logan spoke French. Of course, Logan had to translate this for us so we are taking his word for it.

FRENCH RIVIERA BEACHES

We thought that the beaches we had seen in Cassis were very nice but when we saw the ones in Bandol we knew this is why people flock to the south of France for the sea, sand, and sun. The beaches were sandy instead of rocky and instead of dropping right off the water level went deep very gradually. From the beach we could see many sail boats, larger ships and even a French navy vessel. Rod’s dream of owning and spending a year on a sailboat is back into high gear. Rod and Logan especially liked the sights at the beach (did we mention that tops are optional on French beaches?). Once we had enough of the beach (and oogling) we walked into the market area of Bandol. For lunch, we decided on a restaurant that featured mussels. When served, the mussels arrived in a boat with French fries or salad. It was a great presentation. The consensus was that the French mussels rocked. After this we had ice cream, of course.
I don’t know what it is about being at the beach that makes a person so tired. We felt like we had the stuffing kick out of us. So the rest of the evening was pretty low key. We started packing our bags and cleaning the apartment knowing that we would be leaving in the morning.

DRIVING IN FRANCE

When first starting to plan the trip, we thought that we would travel by train around France. It seemed like it would be a great adventure. Once looking into the cost and the lack of flexibility to move around easily, we decided to get a rental car for the two weeks. It was optional to get an automatic or standard transmission. I thought it would be fun to drive a standard around France. It has been about 15 years since I have driven a standard vehicle. I took the subway to pick up the car at Hertz and tried to drive back to the hotel to pick up Mae and the kids. Unfortunately, the address I punched into the GPS unit did not take me to the Hilton hotel. I drove around for about 60 minutes until I found landmarks I knew and finally arrived at the hotel. I think Mae was getting concerned. We got the car packed up and headed out of Paris. That was the only time the GPS has failed us. We followed the directions out of Paris. Unfortunately, it took us through the 10 lane traffic circle around the Arc de Triomphe. There are no lines on the road and it was a true free-for-all going around. We almost got nailed by a truck cutting us off. With all of us looking on their side of the car for vehicles and motor cycles we got through. That was the toughest traffic circle we have experienced so far. There are many round-abouts (traffic circles) in France and a great way to get around without traffic lights. As for the motorcycles, you have to be watching out for them all the time. They pass you on both sides and cut in front of you at the lights. Also, they are usually in packs. As I am still getting used to driving a standard again, I am not the fastest driver. The French drivers are very impatient. I think the first day I was honked at 7 times. Each day, there is less honking. Hopefully soon I will be the one honking.

If you do plan to drive through France we would definitely recommend the use of a GPS. The maps from AMA only show the main highways and super highways (toll highways). All the little side roads to the towns are not on the maps. Our GPS unit has got us to a lot of places that we would not be able to find on a map.

Once out of Paris, it was much easier to drive and the super highways have a 130 kpm speed limit which allows us to travel long distances as fast as possible.

Drive throughout France has been relatively easy. Once we got to Cassis it was very challenging. This port town is surrounded by steep hills. Therefore all the roads from/to the port/marina are windy and steep. It has been difficult going up hill with the standard. I am sure my passengers have sore necks from whiplash due to the high revving of first gear.

We will be leaving Cassis on Saturday for the Pyrenees Mountains along the Spanish border. I am sure there will be more hills to deal with.

HAPPY BASTILLE DAY

In France, July 14 is formally called La Fête Nationale (National Celebration) or Bastille Day. It is comparable to July 1, Canada Day. Unfortunately, this year we did not get the opportunity to celebrate Canada Day, as we flew to France on that day. Last night, down in the port area of Cassis, the celebration was starting. The port area was full of people, the restaurants were full and there were bands, street performers and magicians throughout the streets. There were also open markets with all the vendors selling their goods. It was a great evening. We headed to the car at about 10:30 pm and we were walking upstream of all the people heading down to the port. I am sure the party went on for a long time after we left.

In the morning, we spent time by the pool. The weather has been so hot that by 9am it is in the high 20s. With no air conditioning in the condo, we just want to eat breakfast and head to the pool to stay cool. Logan made pizzas and salads for lunch. We then headed towards Bandol, the next biggest town east of Cassis along the French Riviera. It was a beautiful drive along the coast. It is a very hilly area with long windy roads overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. It took about 40 minutes to get to Bandol. With it being a National holiday, everyone was at the beach and very difficult to find a parking spot. We finally found a small parking spot and I had to use my parallel parking skills, with Mae eyes outside to assist getting the car in. We walked along the beautiful beaches and looked at the wonderful shops. Mae found a great bikini. Taryn also found a great ice cream shop to help us cool down from the intense heat of the sun. The thermometer was at about 34oC today. We then drove back to Cassis.

We cooked a wonderful dinner at the apartment. We picked up fresh seafood yesterday for our Bastille Day dinner celebration. We cooked up garlic shrimp and mussels in a tomato wine sauce. Dinner was accompanied with a great bottle of local French wine.
After dinner, we cooled off with a swim in the pool. We then walked over to an open area overlooking the port. It was a perfect spot to watch the great display of fireworks. When we returned to the condo, we all had a delicious bowl of ice cream with several games of cards. Now it is time for bed.

CASSIS BY THE SEA

On Saturday we said goodbye to Leslie and her family and began our journey to Cassis. Rod’s idea was to take the scenic journey via secondary roads that wound their way through towns and villages instead of using the super highways. This was a great idea until we discovered that we had been driving about and hour and a half and had only covered about 1 ½ inch on the map (approx. 10 inches to our destination). So off to the super highway we go. These highways are toll roads and even though these tolls really add up, they are worth the time they save driving (especially with the “are we there yet?”s in the back seat). We finally arrived in Cassis after 7 hours of driving. We tried to follow the directions to our rental but we ended up getting hopelessly lost. This port town is built in the coastal cliffs rising almost straight from the water and the roads are amazingly steep and narrow. The owner’s father came to get us on his motorcycle and we followed him up the cliffs to the apartment. We were so happy to get there.

Sunday morning Rod and I left the kids and made our way to the market to get some breakfast fixin’s. After eating we headed to the beach. Parking any where near the beach is a nightmare. Even if you find a spot it will only be about 8 inches longer than your car and you would have to an amazing parallel parker. So Rod dropped us off and drove up the cliffs to find parking. The first beach we found was very rocky but the next beach had much smaller rocks and was lots more comfortable. We ended up staying too long and the kids got sunburned. Taryn loved the sea. The water was so clear and refreshing.
For supper we headed back to the heart of Cassis and ate at La Place. This restaurant set up a big flat screen TV outside where everyone sat and watched the final World Cup game. When Spain scored the winning goal the whole place went nuts. After Spain won (11:00pm) we headed for the car and back to the apartment. It was another long day and everyone was very tired.

STAGE 6 TOUR DE FRANCE 2010

Logan and I got up early today to go see the tour stage 6 (Motangris to Gueugnon). We went to the feeding station between the start and the finish (Brinon-sur-Beuvron). We drove through the French country side passing through small towns and villages. There was no traffic on these windy roads and would be wonderful to cycle on. We arrived at the feed station just before the cyclists arrived. We waited for about 2 hours for 30 seconds of cycling action. After they went by, we headed back to the Chateau, where Taryn and Mae had a relaxing day. I think I got a better perspective as to how fast these cyclists are moving in a group (peloton). I can now check off “Seeing Lance Armstrong at the Tour de France” from my bucket list. Overall, it was a great day for 30 seconds of excitement.
On the way home, from the highway to the Chateau, there is a stretch of road with no traffic. Ever since we got the rental car with a standard transmission, he has been intrigued. You should have seen his eyes when I pulled over and told him to try it. One of the reasons I wanted to let him try was that he thought it was so easy to drive a standard. Just release the clutch and push the gas. Well, I have to tell you after a few tries and stalling the car each time, he could not figure out what he was doing wrong. After several attempts he did get the car moving in first gear and shifted nicely into second. We continued practicing all the way to the Chateau. I have to give him credit, he did learn a lot quicker than I did. I still remember my bride having the patience to teach me how to drive a standard transmission.

CHATEAU DE SERRIGNY JULY 9, 2010

After six hectic days in Paris it was time to get out of Dodge and head to a slower pace. We had booked a Chateau gate house on the internet in the small village of Serrigny in the Yonne region (2.5 hours south east of Paris). On our way there we stopped in Montargis so that Rod could fulfill one of his bucket list items - to see first hand, Le Tour de France. Montargis was a finish so all of the sponsors and bike teams had their large trucks and caravans there and were giving out swag (Rod’s term) to the spectators. Rod was like a kid at Disneyland. All of Rod’s fellow triathletes and biking buddies would probably understand this excitement but Taryn and I were not so enthusiastic. It was 36C and there were hundreds of sweaty bodies to squeeze past on walkways that you had to turn sideways to pass through. After scooping all of the swag he could carry, Rod finally agreed to let us leave there and continue to Serrigny.

Our GPS unit could not find the address that we had for Chateau de Serrigny so it was a good thing we had directions from the owners. After driving through Chablis (yes, that Chablis, like the wine) we turned down a rural road that led us past endless hilly sections of grape fields, past farming land and small dairy farms to a village that did not seem to have any inhabitants. We were not sure where to go from there as our directions were only to the village. So we continued on this road until, at the end, there it was – a huge chateau that had definitely seen better days. We learned from the current owner that it was originally built in 1148 was rebuild in 1689 and then fire destroyed a part of the chateau so it was again rebuilt in 1884. Throughout its history the chateau was owned by Dukes, Knights, Lords, and eeven a Musketeer. The land and castle changed hands many times and was lucky to have survived the French revolution and WWI.


The current owners , Paul and Leslie Cheesborough and their children Angus, Harry, and Charlie, have purchased the chateau and have turned the gatehouses into gites (rental accommodations) and are using the income from that to fix up the chateau with the long range goal of living in the chateau year round. I had the privilege of a tour by the owner and it was immediately apparent that this was no easy Home Makeover episode (this would be too big a project even for Ty). The inside was once very grand with amazing wood paneling, beautiful ceilings with large chandeliers, hand painted leather wall coverings, geometrically designed parquet floors, and massive fireplaces. But due to neglect and the ravages of nature she has deteriorated considerably. The ceiling in the library has actually collapsed. Paul and Leslie seem undaunted in their monumental task. I wish them the best and would love to revisit this place when they have completed this restoration.

CRUISING THE SEINE RIVER

On Monday night we all went on the Seine river cruise. The boat launched close to the Eiffel tower and went all the way up to the Notre Dame Cathedral and back down the Seine River. At every seat there was an ear phone on a retractable cable and when ever we passed an ancient building, bridge or museum it would talk about it and tell the history. It was about an hour long tour. Dad made it extra special by kissing mom and I too would get a little peck on the cheek every time we went under a bridge. There were 22 bridges. One of the bridges had 384 faces carved into it. It was so cool. As we floated down the river we could see the couples and groups of people sitting at the edge of the river enjoying some wine and fresh baguettes. It was a wonderful evening of pure enjoyment that we’ll never forget. If you ever get to Paris, you definitely have to catch the last boat of the evening and sit at the back so you can see every thing that passes.

DIFFERENT FOODS WE HAVE EXPERIENCED IN FRANCE

1) One night in Paris we went to a pizza parlor. On the menu several of the pizzas had "egg" as a topping. Three of us were reluctant to get a pizza with egg on it, but Taryn convinced us to order one. When the pizza arrived, it looked like it had a fried egg in the middle with runny yolk. It was very delicious. Since then, Taryn has ordered other pizzas with egg on them. When we return home she will continue to cook an egg on her pizza.2) After an exciting boat ride down the Seine River at night to view the lights of Paris (blog entry to follow), we found a crèpe stand near the metro station. Once again, Taryn convinced us to get a crèpe with chocolate and banana on it. We watched the crèpe master spread the batter thinly over a hot circular piece of metal, and then gracefully flip the crèpe to cook the other side. Once cooked, he spread chocolate sauce and then topped it with banana slices. He then folded the crèpe into an edible package of goodness which tasted amazing. I'm sure we will enjoy more crèpes during our trip.3) Lays chips are known everywhere around the world. At home in Edmonton we have sour cream and onion, ketchup, dill pickle etc. But here in France, they have some flavors that we would never conceive of being on a chip. The first flavor we had was Roasted Chicken with Thyme. It sounds like an amazing Thanksgiving dinner, and no word of a lie, it tasted exactly like that. The second flavor that we tested was Cheeseburger. Again, it tasted just like it sounds. You should be sinking your teeth in a big juicy beef patty topped with ketchup, mustard and relish. But instead you're crunching into a potato chip. You can even taste the hint of mustard and pickles. We also tried the pepperoni pizza flavor. Again, it tasted just like a pepperoni pizza with a crunch. The next flavors we need to experience are mustard with pickles and bolognaise.
4.) It took us a while to find the bakeries in Paris selling baguettes. But when we did they were amazing - especially fresh out of the oven. Now in the French country side we are finding bakeries on every corner in the small towns. Also, the ice cream is rich and flavorful. Hope to have more of both before we leave.
5.) Taryn and Rod are now huge Crème Brulé fans. This comes as a big surprise to Rod as he does not normally like mushy pudding-like desserts. Bon appetite!!!!

THE TOWER AT NIGHT

We freshened up and then headed to the Eiffel tower for a bird’s eye view of Paris. Logan stayed back at the hotel to watch the soccer game between Spain and Germany. We arrived just as the sun was setting. It was a beautiful night in Paris. When we arrived the soccer game had just ended which was on a big screen in the park beside the Eiffel tower. Thousands of soccer fans were parading through the area underneath the tower. Well, the Spanish fans were parading. We had about a 30 minute wait to get our tickets then took the first elevator to the second stage. We spent some time looking out at the city. Then it was about a 45 minute wait to catch the elevator to the summit (top). Now that was a great view of the city and the surrounding areas of Paris. We also had a wait to get down from the top. We finally got our feet on solid ground. It was about 12:40am so we headed to the subway station. We caught our first train back to the Arc de Triomphe station and waited for the second train to take us to our hotel. Unfortunately it was after 1:00am and the trains had stopped for the night. The station manager came down and spoke rapidly in French. Taryn stood up and started crying. I did not know what he had said but I thought it must have been catastrophic. Then she told me that there were no more trains for the evening. We had to walk about 4 blocks back to the hotel. Taryn’s feet and body were so tired. When we arrived back at the hotel she literary fell into bed. What a day!!!

A DAY IN VERSAILLES

One of Mae’s requests on our trip to France was to spend a day at Versailles. It was the Royal palace for the French Monarchy for many generations with the most notable being Marie Antoinette. The palace was amazing with its many different exquisitely decorated rooms. We first toured the inside of the Versailles palace then walked the huge gardens along with labyrinths created from the very tall bushes. At the far back of the hundreds of acres was the recreational summer cottage. This building was still fit for a king. It was an adventure for the start of the day. We had to take the outer Paris railway system to get to Versailles. It would be like taking the VIA rail to get to Camrose from Edmonton. Once we got to the Versailles train station we had to walk up to the palace which looked massive from a distance. All the trim on the palace sparkled from the gold. As you may know, Marie Antoinette spared no expense or taxpayer’s money to look good and be comfortable. It was a very long day walking the palace and gardens in 30oC heat. Air conditioning seems to be a big deal over here. We have had many hot and muggy days and the day we went to Versailles was one of them. The kids were so tired that they fell asleep on the train ride back into town. Taryn was really sleeping because when we reached our station and we woke her up she was totally out of it.

THE LOUVRE LOVERS (July 5, 2010)

We woke the kids up at 7am much to their dismay. We were determined to get an early start so that we would beat the queue at the Louvre. This was a good plan as we basically walking right in just after they opened. We first visited the ancient Egyptian collection which was amazing in its large quantity of artifacts. There was everything from hieroglyphics to mummys to sphinxs to large pieces of stone from ancient buildings. Incredible!! I could have stayed in this area all day but the kids wanted to see the rest fo the museum so we moved on. Next, we toured the Greek pavilion and it was every bit as good as the Egypt collection. We went through the Italian exhibit and saw the famous “Mona Lisa”. It was an unbelievable crowd of people waiting a long time to see a very small painting. Then we moved on to the history of the French royalty from the 17th century. We did not realize that the museum is housed in the actual royal palace where all of the French royalty lived or spent time in from the 1600’s. Each room in the Louvre is actually a museum piece on its own from the bed chamber of the king’s mother to the hall where the sculptors and painters had their studios. We saw the dining halls and grand salons where many people gather and partied in their time.
We even saw Napoleon’s apartments with the actual furniture there as well.
Once we completed our tour of the Louvre we had lunch at the Hard Rock Café and then visited the Paris wax museum. This was very close to the restaurant and we were not expecting much but this museum turned out to be a lot of fun.
The remainder of our day was spent meandering through the streets of Paris window shopping.