How I Spent My Summer Vacation #1

Summer vacations from the past have usually been few and far between consisting of a quick weekend here or there.  One year was spent in Half Moon Bay, CA, on the coast hiking, relaxing and enjoying fantastic seafood.  Another, was spent in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  These were relatively quick trips coinciding with my birthday or our anniversary in July.  I have to admit, I felt a tinge of jealousy as we somehow managed to be in Venice, Tuscany and France during hubby's October birthday.  I guess it "just happened" that way!

This Summer I jumped at the chance to go on a RV trip to Yellowstone and Jackson, Wyoming.  It was everything I envisioned and more.  It truly is "God's Country" with miles of pristine forests, rolling hills and meadows filled with wildflowers, bubbling cauldrons dotting the landscape and incredibly blue sky.  We were lucky to see elk, and buffalo/bison but fortunately no bears or mountain lion even though on one of our hikes, the Ranger suggested we take our bear spray from the holster and "be ready"!

Although the Yellowstone area swells in population during July you can still have moments of solitude if you get off the beaten path and away from the famous "Old Faithful".  We were able to experience this solitude when we drove up into Montana just north of West Yellowstone.  Sometimes if you're willing to "get lost" those beautiful and memorable adventures will follow.  On the northern end of Lake Hebgen a river runs through it.  One of my all time favorite movies was being played out as we approached the river's edge on our hike through knee high wildflowers.  Fly fisherman lined the shallow banks and if we would have had more time I would have loved to watch more of their graceful casting.

Continuing on this hike we somehow lost the trail.  Maybe the scenery was too gorgeous because between the four of us we found ourselves blazing a new trail through an evil (think Wizard of Oz, flying monkey forest) prickly overgrown forest.  With each step the stickers dug into my ankles and barbed their way into my skin.  Unfortunately, our friend's dog suffered the brunt of the stickers as they quickly burrowed into her fur and skin.  Poor Lulu!  It took a while but Lulu got a "new hairdo" that day as we took turns snipping, pulling and cutting away the thorns.

All the trauma aside this was one of the most gorgeous mountain areas I've been to in a long time.  Pictures NEVER do it justice.  You'll just have to take my word for it.  BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL 

gorgeous wildflowers

Lulu on the trail

hubby admiring the view

Beautiful scenery = lost trail

Lake Hebgen, Montana

More to come!

Trip to France - The Last Days

I could talk for days about travel, whether in France, Italy, Hawaii or Costa Rica (and many more places to go in the future), but Christmas is creeping up or shall I say arriving at warp speed this year.  The next couple of weeks will be focused on shopping (icky), baking and planning for the Christmas Eve dinner.

So, I'll be as brief as I can to cover the last few days of traveling back to Paris from Bordeaux.

We didn't really see much of Bordeaux.  It was a lunch stop during a crisp blue sky day.  Then the clouds rolled in and the sky opened up as if a giant bucket was hovering over our heads.  So much rain that we sought refuge into the safety and dryness of the car.  We thought this would only last for a few minutes, pass,  and we could continue our trek into the streets of Bordeaux.  It wasn't stopping any time soon.  We made our way (after getting lost, of course) towards the city of Poitiers.

Lunch in Bordeaux..  Salmon!

Basilica of St Michael - Bordeaux   Blue skies before the downpour!

I had no preconceived thoughts about Poitiers, other than it was home to a Disney-like attraction called Futuroscope.  To me, this would mean lacking character in the French countryside.  Our hotel for the night was located inside the "old town" on a hill overlooking gentle rolling landscapes.  And...we managed to get lost again!  That's what you do in a foreign town.

I LIKED this town and felt very much at home here.  Maybe it's because my ancestors from the mid 17th century lived and sailed from La Rochelle a mere drive to the coast from here.  It seemed upscale, yet quaint at the same time, with plenty of pastry/bread stores, shopping and cafes.  After freshening up we had dinner in town.... the menu was no longer dominated with duck entrees, still in French (no surprise) no clues or translation, it was always a surprise!  But, it was always good!

I think these were escargot in a jar??!

Great local fish!

The following morning we threw on some clothes to get in a morning walk, a little sightseeing , a bite to eat/coffee and snacks (cookies) for the return trip.  Poitiers did not disappoint!  My trusty camera got a workout here in this historic area.  Heck, who am I kidding!  I downloaded (barely) well over 750 pictures from this trip  I also journaled every day as I do for most vacations.  Perhaps, we'll meet again France and after more time has passed, I'll share some more.....

Cathedral St Pierre by dawn,  began construction in 1162 and ended 1379 

Notre Dame la Grande in Poitiers

Amazing sculpture of entombment circa 1555 inside of Notre Dame

Perhaps the oldest  (4th century AD) Christian building in France baptistere St Jean

Castles, Churches and the Cookies of France

To get the full picture and "flavor" of a country one must take part in a few tourist attractions.   In France, there is the cuisine, of course, along with the wine, however, the castles and churches have so many stories to tell.  Most produced a feeling that life was certainly not easy.   Constructing a castle took many lifetimes with one generation starting "the project" while the next generation or two would fulfill the dreams of their ancestors.   Most castles were built with protection in mind, thus the fortress, and were usually perched on top of lofty hills or mountains affording great views, not to mention a superb vantage point to spot encroaching marauders and barbarians.

Carcassone, a sprawling castle compound surrounded by the lower city, was extremely Disney-like.  Built and rebuilt over the centuries, it was more or less a refuge for the believers of Catholicism and a city within a city.  Due to its easy access, roads, river, etc. it has survived the battles and test of time quite well.  It helps to have a good tax base with all of its restaurants, hotels and souvenir shops in the mix.

One of a multitude of towers in Carcassone

St Nazaire Cathedral in Carcassone

On the other hand, the Cathar compound of Montsegur, did not fair so well.  It's easy to see why not!  You have to applaud their efforts to schlep food and supplies up this steep grade in the first place.   The beauty and serenity of the surrounding area was overshadowed by the fact that over 200 Cathars were finally overtaken and marched down to the waiting flames, because of their religious beliefs.  

Montsegur

Hugging the Pyrenees Mountains further North from this site was the town and Chateau de Foix.   This was closely affiliated with the Cathars.   It was one of our "day trips" and quite the hike to the top.   The Chateau was a stand alone castle unlike the self contained Carcassone, but was still rather impressive.  Before the climb we dined on more tasty salads de France with gizzards or anchovies and goat cheese medallions.  You can never get enough cheese in France.

Which brings me to the next subject, the cookies in France.  Pastry shops are plentiful and the sweet aromas purposely lure you over to the entrance (and inside) these beautifully displayed shops.  One of our favorites was in the town/city of Poitiers on the way back to Paris.  We spent one night there but Poitiers had me yearning for at least another night.  Centrally located, it was a short drive to the coast and quite near to the gentle hilly wine regions of the  fertile Loire Valley.  Maybe, on the next trip.  More about this area to come....Just a few more installments and I'm done!

Cookies in Poitiers  Too many to try!  What's that handsome Italian doing in that French shop?

Part Four - Thank You, Mirepoix

I may have mentioned or hinted that our home for a week in the South of France was a bit secluded.  Thank God for Mirepoix, a sizable village/town around a 30 minute drive.  It has at least two claims for fame that I witnessed.  One is that it is a very well preserved medieval town with its carved timber construction.  Very quaint!  Another claim is its "famous" apple festival (all things apple) which was held the weekend we were there.  In addition,  Mirepoix is also home to the equivalent of an upscale Walmart-like store called the Super U!  I found myself in the produce section the first day just staring at the displays in awe.  Beautiful varieties of fresh produce abounded.   Stopping by the seafood area was a sight and not smelly, and the selection process could take hours in their massive cheese section.  Yummy!  I was thoroughly impressed!

We did the apple festival and on other days we chose to make that a lunch stop on our way to explore the countryside.  Duck was ALWAYS on the menu and hubby usually gravitated to that entree.  On the day of the apple festival we stopped by an eating establishment that had less than stellar service.  I'm sure the waiter was having a bad day as the menus were practically thrown our way.  In his defense, it was extremely busy, however.....    The menu was hard to decipher (all in French, no surprise, but also no hint at what anything meant).  So, canard (duck) was a safe choice at this moment in time!  And I knew the word for fries.  When the order arrived it wasn't what any of us were expecting.  How can this be?  It had to be a mistake, right?  I didn't have the appetite for duck innards and icky potatoes.  Hmmm..should we summon the waiter or eat what was plopped in front of us?    We were saved when the crabby waiter guy proceeded to grab the crock of stomach lining and deliver it to a table elsewhere!  Whew!   Wrong table!   Our duck arrived.  What was this?  It looked like ground duck with spices wrapped under a blanket of duck skin....actually pretty tasty.

Duck Innards?  I didn't order this or did I?

That's more like it!

At two other restaurants the service was very good and the award for best cassoulet goes to Chez Paps.  Enjoy the pictures of our meals although pictures never do the real deal justice.  Stay tuned for more!

The BEST cassoulet

Selling confit at the apple festival

I'll have one of each!

Great fish dish

More chocolate mousse?  Bien sur!  (Of course!)

Part Three - The Food of Southern France

As we traveled through France I can truthfully claim we had only one mediocre meal not counting the less than appetizing chicken sandwich from a gas stop auto grill.  After a few bites it was quickly chucked into an eagerly waiting trash bin!  We continued on our journey from Paris to a tiny hamlet near the Pyrenees and a town called Mirepoix.  This area would be our "home" for the week.  

At the halfway point, in a city called Limoges (known for its porcelain), we barely found a "suitable" bed for the night.  But, a serendipity of this choice led us to the Le Vert Gourmand restaurant adjacent to the motel property.  This unassuming eatery provided quite the menu, in French only,  so to be safe I ordered the salmon fillet.  A not so safe salad choice of duck, gizzards and chevre turned out to be a pleasant surprise.  Delicious!  I also have to say the salmon was cooked to perfection, probably the best I've had, except for freshly caught from a Seattle area waterfront restaurant.

The following week was spent at the rental house near Mirepoix, France.  We usually ordered our biggest meal around lunchtime for many reasons.  No sense in venturing out from the house since it lived up to its description of "secluded, in the woods", and after a few glasses of lovely French wine no one wanted to volunteer to make the drive out in the dark.  Besides, I prefer to have the big meal earlier in the day, then climb to the heavens while exploring all the castles scattered around the area.

One of the highlights was in a nearby village of Leron at Le Rendezvous bistro.  To me, it was everything a French countryside eating experience should be.  We sat outside in the warming sun, under the canopy with a view of the village with its blue and burgundy colored shuttered windows.  The meal was a fixed price with three choices of an entree, plat and dessert.  I chose the vegetable crudites, quintessential French quiche and a silky chocolate mousse with a hint of orange.  Of course, you can't have a meal without a great glass of Bordeaux.  Yes, please!

crudites

quiche

chocolate mousse

One day we ventured out towards the Mediterranean coast, if only to be able to say we sank our feet into this ancient sea.  After a stroll to collect seashells we were more than ready to dine.  I was not going to be shy or demure as I ordered a bucket full of the biggest tastiest mussels I have EVER had - superb!    We meandered our way back and called it a day.
  

Giant mussels!

More to come as we returned to Mirepoix for several lunches and an apple festival.  Stay tuned!



  

Part Two - The French Food Parisian Style

J'aime beaucoup la cuisine francaise.   I love French food!  Before arriving in Paris I developed a "bucket list" of sorts.  One of the best ways to experience a different culture is through its food.  And I proceeded to have my fill.  While the potential to gain at least 10 pounds was real,  I was surprised when the scale registered only 1 1/2 pounds gain!  But, Paris is hardly the place to stick to any type of diet!

One MUST try as many fine pastries, chocolates, cheeses, wine and baguettes as possible!   I excelled in this category.  I'm 1/4 French, after all.  It's in my blood!  Here's a sample of the beautiful food.  Disclaimer:  Not all was eaten, but they sure looked nice.

The mornings usually began with cafe or chocolate chaud (hot chocolate) along with a buttery flaky croissant, pain chocolat or other mouth watering pastry.

Paris is truly a walking city, fairly flat and spread out.   To devour some of these treats with no guilt attached, a metro trip to Montmartre with the equivalent of 20 flights of stairs (Who's counting?  I was with every breath!) would be in order.  The reward?  A fresh chocolate hazelnut crepe from one of many street vendors in the small quaint village.

If you want to eat a little more sensibly the choices are everywhere with a bistro or cafe on every corner, it seems.  Or you can grab a quick bite from the market or display cases of the local neighborhood boulangerie.

Next segments:  Some sights in Paris.
                          The food of Southern France.  Stay tuned!

We'll Always Have Paris - Part One - An Overview

Why is it that every time we take a vacation it goes by in warp speed? Just when I'm beginning to appreciate the food, history, people and the beauty of France, Father time jerks me back to reality and plops me back into an airplane seat for another 10+ hours on my return trip home.  Yes, it goes by that quickly.  Enjoy all the moments and take hundreds of pictures, which I did!

I have so many favorite moments during this trip.  I also have many regrets of not seeing certain areas, monuments and historical places.  Perhaps another trip will be in the future...I would like to think so.  For the most part, the food was exceptional, the pastries divine and the sweet smell of freshly baked breads from the boulangerie in EVERY village could gently lure me in.

We spent only 2+ days in Paris so you have to hit the ground running if you want to see the sites.  We "mastered" the Paris metro and glided our way to the mountaintop of Montmartre with its Bohemian style village, creperies and the Sacre Coeur, (Sacred Heart church).  We got lost several times but around every corner was usually a pleasant surprise.  We dined and wined, walked and sipped cafe while nibbling on a croissant or chocolate pain.

We also made plans (reservations weren't accepted) to sail down the Seine River towards the Eiffel Tower at night all lit up, BUT the boat NEVER showed up...upset?  very!!!  Oh well....C'est la vie or such is life!

The morning before we left Paris for the South of France, we eagerly ran to the Luxembourg Gardens since it was only 3 blocks away, a must see with the sun streaming through the manicured trees and ornate gardens lining the great palace.

Because I snapped soooo many pictures it may take a while to load them but here's a few from my smaller camera.  This was a "petit" portion of our Paris leg of the trip.

Notre Dame - Paris

Notre Dame - side view, massive

Several flights of stairs to the top of Montmartre.  Note to self, tram ride a few blocks over!

Sacre Coeur

Streets of Montmartre - many creperies and cafes

Very quaint around every corner

Stay tuned for more Paris and the French countryside.

Riviera Maya Getaway - Part Three

In Mexico there are plenty of all inclusive properties to choose from.  One must do the research to find the best ones.  In my opinion, The Royal in Playa del Carmen meets and exceeds my idea of "the best".  The restaurant choices are Pelicanos,  beach front, serving upscale beach seafood, Tapas Pinxtos, Spanish and Basque style food, also beach front.  Then there's Spice, the "breakfast" spot also serving lunch, dinner and the best coconut ice cream!  You can sample almost every cuisine here.

Down the street is Asiana, serving sushi, noodles and several Southeast Asian entrees, including duck. 

Across the street you find Italian and Mexican restaurants.  The new kid on the block is Mediterraneo accompanied by a whole new wing of rooms, quiet pool and Starbuck -type coffee house.

Grouper from Mediterraneo

One of the best restaurants I've ever eaten at is called Marie Marie.  Most of the other restaurants don't require reservations.  This one?  Absolutely!  And it's easy to see why.  They "literally" rolled out the red carpet for us the first night.  (We ate there twice)  As we entered the place all the servers were lined up and started to applaud as we strolled in.  I almost had to look around  to make sure Angelina and Brad weren't behind us!  I guess that's what they do for the 1st arrivals!  Nice touch!

The food was terrific, the atmosphere romantic, yet colorful, with beautiful murals on the walls, and the service was amazing.  Okay, so it sounds like I'm being paid to write a good review for them.  Not so!  But I will show you some pictures...see what you think.  Too bad there's no taste-o-vision on this blog, huh?

Yucatan fondue - not the diet special!

Hubby's steak

Monk fish medallions

Lobster bisque

Melt in your mouth lamb chops

Disclaimer:  All of the above food was not eaten in one sitting!  For those of you with a hearty appetite this could be accomplished.  That's the beauty of going to an all-inclusive!