Saturday, Sept. 21 - The Weather Has Improved

Another leisurely morning. Our morning objective was to walk across the river and check out the huge market that runs the length of Avenue President Wilson. Yes, some French bureaucrat decided that President Wilson had been very kind to France by sending our doughboys over to support the French during WWI and decided to name a very exclusive street for him. On the way over the Seine, we stopped to admire the tour boats that were already cruising the river.

                                                           A lovely sight-notice the blue sky

Near where we crossed the river is the location where Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed were killed. Many people still leave flowers and other mementoes as a tribute.

                                                         Not many flowers today

The Avenue Wilson market is well-known for its length and thus the extensive collection of foodstuffs, clothing and trinkets. Since the area where it's located is one of the more upscale neighborhoods in the city, the quality of everything is quite good.

                                              Quite a lot of set up for a few hours work

                                            The aroma from this stand was overwhelming

After plodding through the market, trying to dodge the Parisians and their food carts, we continued up the hill to the Trocadero, overlooking the Eiffel Tower. The last times we were there was during the wintery months (December and March) and the veranda overlooking the Eiffel Tower was crowded, but today it was over-crowded with tourists. You could, if you tried, hear every language under the sun. Speaking of sun, I guess a beautiful, warm day brings out the locals as well as the visitors. We made our way across the Seine, underneath the Eiffel Tower to a familiar spot so Lloyd could prove he is actually along on this trip. (He's the camera operator, he doesn't make it into too may shots.)

                                              Lloyd enjoying a sunny day in Paris

On the way to dinner this evening we walked past the door leading to one of our favorite Paris Perfect apartments. The little shop next to "our" former green door was a flower shop; now it is a cute little coffee shop. It's fun to visit a neighborhood and see what is different and what has stayed constant since the last visit.

                                            This was formerly an adorable flower shop

By the way, we've discovered one of the reasons that people buy Smart cars--particularly where parking is such a premium.

                                                              Have a bon weekend.

Friday, September 20 - A Beautiful Day (finally)

First of all, for those of you who are following the daily blogs, I apologize for being a little tardy on the post for yesterday's blog. I had a bit of trouble getting the pictures posted. But as I said at the beginning, no promises.

This morning was a leisurely start to the day. Lloyd had arranged for a new kind of tour for us--a walk around bakeries, chocolate shops, specialty food shops including all kinds of pastries, as well as the a couple of fresh markets that exist around the city. The tour guide, who clearly had an American accent, introduced herself as hailing from Charleston, SC. We wondered what we had gotten ourselves into. As it turns out, she is a trained pastry chef who has lived in France for 19 years. She is very knowledgeable and she talks about pastry and food with the same passion and adjectives that an enthusiastic vintner talks about his profession. Passionate she is, and she gave us a whole new way of looking at (and appreciating) a baguette and a pastry and a small French chocolate.

                                  Our group of six gather for the initial briefing from Laurel

                                                         The "new" bakery - Josephine
We visited a relatively new bakery that has become very popular where she contrasted his style with the traditional style employed by many of the old artisans. Then we moved on to a shop that we've passed by many times where she gave us a complete history of the famous patisserie Monsieur Laduree whose grandson accidentally "invented" the macaron (macaroon) by putting some ganache on a single cookie and plopping a second one on top. Voila! A whole new business was launched.

               The pastries at Laduree (I can't figure out how to apply the accent) are perfection
We also were shocked by the nuances that we discovered in caramels with sea salt that are hand crafted by Henri La Roux and also the "grand cru" chocolate that is employed in the tiny chocolate produced by Pierre Bartolini. I've never tasted dark chocolate sprinkled with pink pepper. It is truly a taste sensation. These people are masters of their craft.

                            Yes, those tiny candies on the right are covered in edible gold leaf
The tour ended in the St. Germain marche (an indoor market that houses multiple vendors). We stopped at a prominent fromagerie (cheese stand) that sells over 150 kinds of cheeses. We got quite a tutorial on cow's, goat, and sheep's milk and how it is turned into these lovely products. (Within France, over 400 kinds of cheeses are recognized.) Last stop was the boucherie (butcher shop). Another interesting lesson about the how French people buy their meats and fowl. The guide chose some special pates for our little "picnic" to end our day.

                                                          Cheese, cheese, cheese
Actually the final stop was at the wine merchant where Laurel, our guide, selected a lovely Pinot Noir to accompany the cheeses, breads, pates, and desserts to enjoy while the lessons continued. All in all, it was three very enjoyable hours. We would certainly recommend taking this walking tour if someone is looking for a different way to experience Paris and the French food scene.

                     Laurel prepares the table for the "picnic". JoAnn patiently waits for a taste.

We ended the afternoon by touring the Parthenon with friend Nancy Gooding (see yesterday's post) and her daughter Anna who had arrived from Strasbourg where she's an au pair. We had never visited  the Parthenon before. The building, built by Louis XV to honor St. Genevieve, is quite impressive. Today it houses the crypts of very famous French people such as Emile Zola, Louis Pasteur, Madame Curie, and Louis Braille.

                                                                 Inside the Parthenon

                                                Mom and daughter outside the Parthenon

We caught the #87 bus back to our apartment, stopped at the grocery store for some salad and fixings, and then across the street to the boucherie for a rotisserie chicken and we are all set for a quiet evening. That is one of the delights of living in a Paris apartment for the week. By the way, the weather today was gorgeous--a perfect day for strolling through the city-finally.

Thursday, Sept. 19 - Enjoying the Sights of Paris

One of my first chores this morning was to do a small load of wash. Many of my friends had wondered (as had I) if I would be able to pack 14-days worth of clothes in a 7-day suitcase and carry it all on the plane. (Lloyd has an aversion to checking luggage.) I accepted the challenge and studied several web-sites to gather some packing tips. It was good that I did, since our Newark-Paris flight was nearly three hours late and waiting for checked baggage would have caused additional headaches.

                                                                  Seeing is believing
Fortunately I knew that our apartment was equipped with a washer and dryer, so after a very short time, my laundry is done and my clothes are clean, fresh, and ready for another week of wear.

Today we had arranged to meet one of Lloyd's volunteer colleagues from the Maritime Museum. Nancy's husband is an active pilot with United so she has the opportunity to fly to Europe frequently. Currently one of her daughters is serving as an au pair in Strasbourg, France, so Nancy flew over to Paris to meet her for the weekend. After checking in to her hotel, which is in our neighborhood, Nancy came over to our apartment for a cup of coffee and to plan our day together.

                                                              Planning our day

Nancy is a quilter. Since we've both been to Le Rouvray, a lovely shop near Notre Dame, we decided to trek (and I mean TREK!) over to another shop called "Ines" to shop for new quilting fabrics. Fortunately we had Lloyd along to chart the way, since it is a little off the regular tourist paths. But with only one wrong turn, we were soon in a quilting mecca.

                                                               We found it!

                                                           The selection is wonderful.

                                                    We had a hard time trying to choose.

                                               I've never see this brand of thread before.

It was so much fun doing something like this and having the saleswoman cut a 'demi-meter" (1/2 yard) of fabric. We also had fun chatting about quilting in French!

On the way back to our neighborhood, we discovered that the buses were having a "mini-manifestation", so we took a little break by the National Assembly, stopped for a sandwich from a street vendor, and enjoyed a break in the sunshine while sitting on a park bench. Any quilter knows that those hours of fabric shopping deserve a break.

Since Nancy had been awake for over 24 hours we decided to try to find a spot for an early dinner. She mentioned that we should try a spot that is frequently enjoyed by airline crews that happens to be quite near our apartment. Philippe, the owner/chef/entertainer, is lively and friendly. The restaurant, La Varangue on rue Augereau, is casual and cozy (less than 20 seats) and his food is fresh and made to order. It feels like you are eating in someone's home. I highly recommend it if you are looking for very good food at a very reasonable price.

             The happy couple after a delightful meal. (No, we didn't take home a doggy bag.)

                      The Eiffel Tower continues to blink and twinkle every night on the hour.
 

Wed., Set 18 - Paris!!

Reluctantly we headed to the Beaune train station late morning. We loved Beaune and the Burgundy area. We found everyone to be cordial and genuinely interested in making sure that a tourist was treated to first-class hospitality. An observation--as one ventures farther from Paris or other major cities, fewer people speak English. I guess that is to be expected. The afternoons that I spent studying the Pimmsleur French lessons CDs actually were well spent. In spite of a short delay caused by the TGV train, we arrived in Paris in mid-afternoon. We were pleased that our driver from Victor's Cab Service, a very reliable driver-for-hire company, was waiting for us on the platform.

                                       Back at Gare de Lyon - one of the Paris train stations

The weather was wet, so traffic was snarled. That coupled with the fact that the Paris bureaucrats decided recently to convert a heavily used expressway that skirts the Seine into a pedestrian walkway didn't help matters. But our driver knew a few shortcuts, having worked with Paris Perfect, the company we've rented our apartment from. (Sorry to end that end that sentence in a preposition.) The apartment is delightful and conveniently located in a neighborhood we enjoy.

                                        Our living room - comfortable and nicely decorated

                                           Two bathrooms make morning routines a breeze.
After a thorough orientation to all facets of the apartment by one of the Paris Perfect greeters, we were off to the marche (grocery store) to stock up on a few basics (coffee, wine, cereal, wine, crackers, wine, cheese, etc.) We unpacked and headed off to dinner (fortunately the drizzle had stopped) to one of our favorite restaurants, Reed Restaurant. Catherine Reed works wonders with fresh, local goods in an open kitchen. She does everything herself, making for a relaxing, enjoyable evening.

                                              Catherine cooks on an eight burner stove.

Lloyd enjoyed his beef stew and I had a beautiful tomato tart in puff pastry followed by mushroom risotto. We shared a classic tarte tatin to cap a perfect evening.

                                               Catherine and JoAnn have a laugh together

Our apartment is in the 7th arrondissement (a division of the city) so we have a view of the Eiffel Tower everywhere we go.

                                        This photo was taken on our walk back from dinner.

We're hoping that the weather will improve for our usual excursions through the City of Lights. 

Wed., Sept 18 - Travel Day to Paris (Bye, Bye Beaune!)
Part 1

Some interesting factoids and observations:

There seem to be some very close familial relationships throughout France. At the market on Saturday in Beaune, we came across this couple. I guessed it was an older uncle walking with his younger niece. Lloyd didn't think so. You be the judge.

                                                               Uncle and niece?

Earlier I mentioned that we had a lovely room thanks to being "upgraded" at check-in. You probably wondered why I never mentioned the view. Well, here's why:

We look at the tile rooftops and there's a peek of vineyards on the hill that I can see with my binoculars. It's better than a wall, I suppose.

We've been staying in the Hotel Le Cep in Beaune. There are pictures of grape vines everywhere throughout the hotel. I thought it an odd name. But on Monday I learned something new.

  I learned that the bottom trunk of the grape plant onto which new growths are either grafted or one sprout is selected for future growth is called the "cep". The cep can be seen in the lower left corner of the picture above. Who knew?!?

(In case you're wondering, the large chateau in the center of the vineyard above was inserted in my blog by mistake. But since it's there, I'll explain it was started in the 12th century by Cistersian monks who first discovered that different types of soil (from different levels on the slopes) produced different flavors and textures of wine. Quite a break through for that time.)

One more factoid before we depart from Beaune. While driving from vineyard to vineyard, we learned that last November, the French parliament passed a new law that every car must carry two breath-a-lyzers. The goal is to reduce drunk driving, of course. The purpose of two is so that an individual can self-test following an evening of indulgence, wait until your alcohol level diminishes, and then self-test again before getting behind the wheel. No statistics on whether this new tactic is working.

And finally, just as we were leaving the hotel, Lloyd noticed a plaque on the wall on the building directly across from our hotel. See below: it was, long ago, the home of the Chevrolet brothers- Louis, Gaston, and Arthur. It was meaningful for Lloyd since his grandfather Jules Devigne raced against Gaston in the 1916 Indianapolis 500 Race!! What a small world.

                                                               A family connection!?!
Off to Paris......

Tuesday, Sept. 17 - Exploring the area and Searching Historic Sites (checking off 'must-see' sights)

This morning we were met by Tracy Thurling, proprietress of Burgundy By Request, who was to be our guide for the day through the Burgundy countryside. She has lived in the area for @20 years, having relocated from the UK. She is quite knowledgeable about the area and very flexible since we had all day. The goal was to visit medieval ruins, abbeys, chateaux, etc. and check out the area west of  Dijon and Beaune. Our first stop was the Abbaye de Fontenay, a UNESCO site, and an excellent example of a 12C. monastery. It is amazing what those people built out of stone long ago.

                                                                 Quite impressive!

After driving around the Auxois region, an area well-known for agriculture and stock-raising, we visited the battle field of Alesia where Julius Caesar fought the Gauls, led by Vercingertorix. While I'd heard of Caesar and many of his exploits, this battle was news to me. Of course, Lloyd, the history buff, was keenly aware of everything that happened here.

                                             Caesar's battle plan against the unified Gauls
Since we were in the area, we drove into the valley past Montbard on the Burgundy canal. Lloyd asked Tracy to follow the canal route as much as possible since we had originally planned to see Burgundy on a canal barge. We soon came to a pretty lock on the canal, but no barge was in sight. Oh, well: see canal and lock system--check!!

It was approaching lunch time, and Tracy had made a reservation in the town of Flavigny, the picturesque village where the popular French movie "Chocolat" was filmed. I must admit, while the town looked very quaint, the empty shop seemed sad and desolate. But there is a placque on the wall, marking the film work. Lunch was in an old grange building, cleverly called Le Grange. It is run by the local farmers and their wives. Food was all fresh, local, and delicious. There is also a beautiful old church there. OK: see Flavigny--check!

Tracy, our guide, and the Chocolat shop facade












Eventually we saw a canal barge, but upon closer inspection, it was not one that we would have hired. Hmm, see canal barge--check!

The final highlight of the day was a visit to the chateau named Chateauneuf en Auxois, built in the 12th century by Jean de Chaudenay for his son. The name Chateauneuf means new (neuf) chateau (house). I guess Monsieur Chaudenay had a sense of humor. Anyway, the chateau was donated to the state not long ago--the most recent family, although wealthy, apparently did not want to pay the taxes nor the upkeep. There were workmen (obviously state workers) busily rebuilding the old stone wall and moat.

The weather today was chilly and gray until the afternoon, but we still had a delightful time visiting and seeing new things. See the countryside--check!

Off to Paris tomorrow.

 

Monday, September 16 - Wine everywhere!

Beaune/Wine: this is what Burgundy is all about and why so many visitors come each year. Several months ago we decided we wanted to visit a different part of France so we focused on this area. In order to get "up close and personal" with a few vineyards/vintners and to learn more about this business we booked an all day tour with a small company called "Burgundy Discovery". Prior to coming Lloyd communicated with them extensively as well as checking their references and what reviews revealed on TripAdvisor.

             *The very professional-looking folder prepared for each couple for the day's tour*

After having spent the entire day with the owners, Rob and Joy Pygott, we can vouch for their thoroughness and professionalism. During the morning, prior to visiting or tasting any wine, Joy and Rob gave a 20-30 minute overview of the region, what has been happening with the weather this year (cold spring/rainy autumn) and how all that affects the wine production. As it turns out we should have been in the midst of grape harvesting at this time of year, but instead, because of the crazy weather that the vintners have experienced, the harvest is delayed until "probably" October 3. More about this later.

                                                      On the way to the wine area

                                                          The areas we'll be visiting

During the morning, we visited two small wineries. Quality of wines in this region is closely controlled by governing bodies. For example, unlike how wine is made in California, the amount of yeast or sugar that can be added to a batch of wine is tightly regulated. Similarly, the amount of wine that can be produced in a hectare (about 2 1/2 acres) is also tightly controlled. In a year when a vintner produces more grapes than he/she can use, the grapes either have to be destroyed prior to bottling, or bottles from a previous year must be destroyed. So if the tax man knows that a given "clos", an enclosed walled area of grape vines, usually produces 4000 bottles of wine and the vintner produces 5000 bottles this must be reported. If not, the winemaker runs the risk of a stiff fine, or possibly even a jail sentence.

                                      (A few additional photos appear on my Facebook post.)

In this area, wine-growing land is passed by Napoleonic law from father to children. If the children do not desire to enter the business, then the land can be sold, but this rarely happens. And sometimes, in today's world, the wineries are being taken over by the female children. We visited the Jean-Pierre Bony winery and were greeted by Fabienne Bony, daughter of Jean-Pierre, who now runs the winery. She has been tasting grapes and trimming vines since she was a little girl. (I didn't know this: vintners taste their grapes and the stems of the vines throughout the entire growing season. As harvest time approaches, it is not uncommon for them to be tasting the ripening grapes every day!)

The woman in the pink jacket is Fabienne Bony, a very highly regarded winemaker of the region

                                                     Grapes that soon will be harvested
Lunch was at a lovely roadside restaurant that served the most elegant, beautifully-presented meal that we've had since we've been in Beaune. The setting was also lovely with this beautiful pond outside the window from our table.

                      This setting reminded me of Monet's paintings of Giverny. How about you?

In the afternoon we visited one more winery that produces primarily Grand Cru (the highest designation that can be applied to wines in France). It is not uncommon for bottles with this designation to sell for multiple 100's or even 1000's of dollars. I must admit that my palate could not appreciate what we tasted. However, it's nice to give it a try.  All in all, I'm happy to report it was a fun, interesting day.