Saturday, Nov. 29 - continued....Part B

Nancy and Joann set off mid-morning for fabric shopping as noted previously:

Here is the photo of Sacre Coeur:

and the continuation of the story of Nancy's and JoAnn's adventure in fabric shopping in the "patchwork" shops of Paris.

Some "bargain" fabrics were outside the stores. (Sometimes a "bargain" isn't a bargain.)

It was a very fruitful day although I would never go again on a Saturday--even it it is "out of season"! The crowds were incredible, but we persevered and were able to make some lovely choices without too much trouble. My other quilt projects will have to be put on hold while I make a quilt from my newest purchases.

Paris  is mostly decorated for Christmas (Noel)--most every street has an elaborate display hanging from the buildings, strung across the street. But everywhere we went there were still workmen who were busily on cranes or ladders trying to meet some deadline for getting the decorations hung with care. Paris is definitely worth a visit in early December just to see the decorations.

This crane is decorating the side of the mayor's office in the 11th arrondisement.

Here are workmen decorating a newly-opened hotel on the street where we "live".

While Nancy and I went fabric shopping, first to Marche St. Pierre on Montmartre and then over to Ines Patchwork in the 15th, a favorite that I visited last year, Lloyd and Jim went to "Les Invalides" to visit the Army Museum and Napoleon's Tomb there.

Napoleon's Tomb--quite an elaborate building

Lloyd and Jim visited many of the exhibits--as might be expected there is a heavy emphasis on the role played by General deGaulle in freeing France during World War II

We all reconvened for a short cocktail hour before we walked over to Reed Restaurant, a favorite of ours from previous visits. Catherine Reed is a one-woman show--she takes the reservations, greets the guests, cooks the meals, serves them, tallies the bill, and then graciously bids everyone adieu.

All of this in a sophisticated, but warm atmosphere. We had a wonderful relaxing evening with excellent food. A nice way to end another chapter in our French adventure.

Saturday, Nov. 29 - Meeting up with Friends from Easton - Part A

This blog is having technical difficulties up loading pictures and info. Please bear with me--I will re-post as soon as possible. Sorry for the delay....here is what I had written so far....

A beautiful morning--the sun is shining. Our friend Nancy shows up promptly at 9am--fresh from her plane flight from Dulles. (Husband Jim decided to stay at the hotel and have a brief cat nap 'til noon, just like he did before he retired from United--some old habits die hard.) Nancy and I had previously agreed that we would go fabric shopping (kind of crazy since we both already have too much fabric stashed away waiting to go into a new creation.) We headed to the shops on Montmartre just at the base of Sacre Coeur by Metro.
****insert picture of Sacre Coeur

I was amazed that the area was so crowded for a late November day--it must be wall-to-wall people during the summer months. Our

Friday, Nov. 28 - Meeting new friends

Another day without a rigid schedule. We first went out this morning to try our debit cards in the BNP Paribas ATM, (Bank of America partner) . Lloyd had received an text informing him that his card would not be accepted so it was with some trepidation that we approached the machine. It worked! What a relief.  Remember the days when we only had to carry our Am. Exp. Travelers Cheques? On the way back to our apartment (at approx. 9:30am), we saw a long line in front of a local store that specializes in foie gras. At first we thought they were simply shoppers who were waiting to enter the store as it opened. But upon closer inspection, it was simply customers who were waiting to enter until other earlier shoppers departed.

Can you believe this line!!?? We never figured out what the attraction was or why there was a run on foie gras--another one of those travel mysteries!!

Lloyd had previously arranged to possibly meet up with a fellow Internet blogger. Paula and her husband live in the Wash., D.C. area and happened to be on the same plane as we were. We have some mutual friends who also visit France, so it's nice to be able to compare travel notes, experiences, and ideas. They were staying in the Montmartre area, so we decided to meet over there. Paula had heard of a bistro (Bistrot La Bruyere) that had received good reviews so we we met there and had a delightful several hours together. 

It was small, but very busy--obviously a very popular restaurant with locals. The food and the wine were both delicious and we were able to exchange travel experiences as well--a long way to travel to meet new friends, but it was fun.

On the way back to our 'hood, we walked past some of the famous Paris department stores such as Galeries Lafayette that have already begun to fill their windows with fabulous Christmas decorations and animations to delight children of all ages:

(Sorry for the reflection.) Even the inside of the Galeries Lafayette has already installed its upside down, highly decorated Christmas tree in the interior of the massive atrium that opens to the roof of the store many floors above.

Apparently Paris merchants have also hopped on the "Black Friday" bandwagon--if you can call it that. We couldn't figure out why this particular Friday seemed so crowded in the Paris downtown shopping area until we got back to the apartment and turned on the news. That's when we heard that Paris store owners have begun big sales to correspond to our day-after-Thanksgiving sales. I must say the shoppers were much more orderly that some of the Walmart/K-Mart shoppers we saw on TV who pushed/shoved/grabbed and stumbled their way through the door to the bargains.

Here most everyone was dressed in black, but there always seems to be someone or two who want to make his/her own fashion statement:

What can I say?  The woman in the center of the picture is wearing some sort of feather coat--perhaps she is descended  from some French robin or pheasant and who knows what the orange-haired woman dressed in the plaid coat was thinking when she walked out of the house this morning!

Back to the apartment for a quiet evening--dinner of Thanksgiving leftovers; some things never change no matter where you travel.

Thurs, Nov. 27 - Happy Thanksgiving!!

A restful night. Lloyd was up early and was almost the first in line for the morning's fresh baguette at the boulangerie.  Unfortunately when he returned to our apartment building, the inner door decided to take a short holiday. Even calling up to the apartment so that I could "buzz" him in didn't work. In fact, after I went down to the lobby, we discovered that I couldn't exit the building. It was only shortly after 7am and too early to disturb the apartment caretaker. Magically after about 10-15 minutes of Lloyd and I looking at each other through the glass door, the connection worked and Lloyd was able to enter. It remains a mystery.

The day started out cloudy, but the fog seems to be gone. Our only plans for today were to be "hunter/gatherers" for our Thanksgiving dinner. That included visiting a different market that is just south of us.

So many choices of fresh vegetables--we bought beautiful green beans, (haricot vertes), arugula, (roquette), and baby radishes. Then we hoofed it over to Rue Cler where we bought some tiny roasted potatoes. Along the way Lloyd spotted a Berthillon ice cream shop. Monsieur Berthillon, who recently passed away in August, started the business in 1928 and it is still operated by his descendants. We thought we'd buy 1/2 liter (approx. the size of a pint) of some of this popular ice cream. When the saleswoman told us the price was 13 euros--almost $16-- we almost fell over. It turned out this was probably the most expensive part of our dinner. But what the heck, the wine is cheap and we figure we drink a lot more wine than we eat ice cream, so we are way ahead on the balance sheet! Besides, it's Thanksgiving, so who's counting.

After several more trips to the local grocery store for incidentals, it was finally time to break into the champagne and start preparing our dinner. Lloyd was up to the task:

He jumped in with his large carving knife and what a delightful feast we had: roast chicken, potatoes, haricot vertes, arugula salad with lentil and pomegranate garnish, the obligatory fresh baguette and French wine.

No turkey/no pumpkin pie, but the chicken and vanilla ice cream with hot apples were a reasonable substitute. Good food/good company...certainly a memorable holiday!

Wednesday, Nov. 26 - onward to Paris

Following breakfast with our newly discovered relatives, this visit had come to an end. Bernard and Dominique took us to the train station for the next chapter in our France adventure. But, not so fast... this Lyon adventure was not yet over. Bernard pulled his car into the parking garage even though the sign clearly indicated "COMPLET", meaning "FULL--and you'd better not enter because no one will be admitted until one or more cars leave." Oh, boy, there we sat while the minutes until our train departed ticked away. Of course, Bernard, ever the optimist, was sure that the garage would admit us in just a few minutes, but that wasn't the case. So we piled out of the car to walk down into the parking garage and from there up into the station leaving Dominique with the car. Soon we saw a car leave, she then phoned that she was on her way to search among the five floors for a lone parking spot. We were all reunited in the station with a few minutes to spare. Thank heavens for cell phones! Bernard and Dominique helped us with our bags onto the train, kisses and hugs all around, then we were on our way to Paris.

Bye, bye Bernard and Dominique--until the next time!

We arrived in Paris on time (the trains in France run smoothly and om time) and we were met by our pre-arranged driver from Victor Cabs, the service we usually use.

Can you see the young fellow in the middle of the picture waiting for us with a sign that almost matches our name!?

Our apartment was ready. That was our first stop--to pick up our key and go through the obligatory introductory orientation. Sam Nall, the Paris Perfect greeter, has helped us previously, so the orientation was efficient and quickly ended. We then had a few minutes to settle in and catch our breath. The apartment is lovely, quite close to the Eiffel Tower which we can see if we lean out the window.

Furnishings in the apartment are typically French.

When we arrived we weren't surprised to see that the Eiffel Tower was shrouded in 'brouillard',

but that did not deter us. After we unpacked, we made a list and headed off to the grocery store and several market places to stock up for the week on victuals, flowers, and other necessities to make the apartment feel like our own.

After the large meals that we had savored for the past two days, we decided it was best to 'cocoon' and enjoy only a roasted chicken from the 'boucherie' with salad and wine. But first, a glass of champagne to celebrate that we are back in Paris again!

Tuesday, Nov. 25 - touring Lyon with the Denuzieres!

It was obvious that Bernard and Dominique had carefully and thoughtfully planned for our visit. They had a lengthy agenda in mind for both of our days together in order to experience their area of France. Monday was devoted to "family" things and today was going to be a Lyon "adventure", but not until we had a "typical" (not really) French breakfast of baguette, croissant, brioche (all of which Bernard had bought fresh and warm at the bakery that morning), jus d'orange and confiture (a homemade apricot jam, another of Dominique's creations.)

Off to Lyon to see the sights: first we visited the Basilica Fourviere on the hill overlooking Vieux (old) Lyon. A stunning church, but unfortunately we're well into November, so the view from the hill was obscured by the brouillard (fog)--this is a French word that we came to know very well.

We then took the funicular down to tour Lyon--the old section and the newer part of the city.

There are old buildings, winding passageways, and stone structures that have been updated with stucco to preserve them:

After lunch at a restaurant in the old section called Daniel and Denise a typical 'bouchon' restaurant in Lyon. Its chef, Joseph Viola, was once ranked as one of the best in France, recognized by the red, white, and blue stripe around his uniform collar.  During lunch we could see why. Lunch was delicious and enjoyable after walking around in the brouillard for most of the morning. I'm sure that without the fog, Lyon is a very beautiful city since the Rhone and the Soane both flow through the city.

 
Mid-November is known throughout the world as the release date for Beaujolais Nouveau. Bernard confirmed that even though this 'new' wine is produced in his "back yard", it is not a wine that is widely enjoyed by him and many other Frenchmen. Lloyd agreed--another of the many similarities we discovered between the two cousins. (Very eerie how many there were!) But touring the Beaujolais area and the many medieval villages were on the "agenda", so after lunch, in spite of the incoming fog--off we went.

Most of the villages had been built of a local yellow stone known as Pierre Doree (golden stone--with an accent over the 'e') which is probably beautiful on a sunny day.

We saw many tiny wine producers--we assume most sell locally only or to larger producers, but it was obvious that none were open for tastings. So even though it was close to cocktail hour (for us), we drove back into Lyon in rush hour for one more event still on the "agenda"--a visit to the city Les Halles, their enormous food market so that Dominique could buy some fresh foie gras (duck, not goose), since we told her that is a delicacy that is not available in Easton!

It was fascinating--the butchers were hard at work, but happy to stop to explain their specialties. Dominique also thought we should buy some "Saucisson Lyonnaise" to take in our bags back to Paris as a souvenir--quite a sense of humor, she has.

The sausages were hung by the chimney with care....oops, I guess that is confusing two different holidays!

Back to Charbonnieres for a "lighter" dinner of foie gras on toast, quenelles in lobster sauce, and salad in light viniagrette made by Bernard (another similarity between him and Lloyd). We "had" to have dessert--ice cream with home cooked cherries from a tree in their front yard. How will ever match this itinerary in Easton!?

Another wonderful day......but we are looking forward to walking off some off this Lyonnaise food when we get to Paris tomorrow.   

Monday, Nov. 24  --  in Lyon

By agreement, Bernard picked us up at the Hotel Carlton where we spent a restful evening and had a healthy breakfast. The dining room was filled with mostly business people dressed in dark clothes.

We drove from downtown Lyon to the suburbs where Dominique and Bernard reside. First stop: the local boulangerie for a baguette--of course. Since it's Monday, two of the three boulangers are closed for the day; the schedule rotates so that the populace is never without their bread!

The town where D. and B. live is a charming village called Charbonniers le Bains--isn't that a beautiful name? Prior to reaching their home, Bernard drove us around the town, up to the top of one of the hills (it is quite hilly in this part of France). Then it was on to their home where Dominique had been cooking all morning (they traditionally eat their big meal of the day at mid-day). Lunch consisted of a scrumptious lamb shoulder, salade with viniagrette, and tiny roasted potatoes plus baguette and wine. A nice way to get acquainted. Their home is beautiful--fitting a retired Air France pilot with a wife who loves to decorate and cook!

JoAnn and Dominque chat about recipes in Franglais!

After lunch it was off to the cemeteries to sleuth and try to determine the family connection between the Devignes and the Denuzieres. We visited a small cemetery located in the middle of a vineyard, on a steep hillside, overlooking the Rhone river:

Voila! Is this the connection that was missing from Lloyd's research?! The family Denuziere had a large tombstone that contained the name "Merlanchon" whereas Lloyd's family had always told him the name of his great-grand mother was "Melanchon". Etienne and Eugenie Merlanchon are apparently the  relatives common to both families--more research is necessary, but Lloyd thinks he is getting "warm".

Next we set off for another cemetery to see more family connections and then a visit to the town of St. Etienne--what a surprise it was. Both Lloyd and I had always imagined a small, sleepy village in the heart of the heart valley where his grandparents and further back relatives had lived. The town is actually a small city--much, much larger than Easton or even Annapolis. There we visited the location of Bernard's parents' wine business had been located:

  Lloyd and Bernard in St. Etienne

At this point we were exhausted; time to head back to Charbonniers. We made a quick stop to meet D.'s and B.'s son Jerome, girlfriend Anne, and 6-year old grandson who is becoming a golf sensation. Then back to their home where we met daughter Diane (pronounced Dee-Anne).

Most of the Denuziere family

As I mentioned, it seemed that Dominique had been meal planning for days. For dinner we enjoyed a Lyonnais specialty: saucisson in brioche--what a treat! (I've got to try this when we return!)

A pleasant end to a very exciting day--we are thankful for so many things!

Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014

We are off and on our way--a bright, beautiful weather day for traveling. "Frankie's Limo Service" (our wonderful friend Frank Garahan in masquerade) picks us up for the drive to Dulles.

Fortunately no 'events' on the Bay Bridge nor on the Beltway, so we arrive for check-in with plenty of time. I'm traveling with a brand-new passport, so I have to check in at the United ticket counter and become "official". TSA Pre-Check works like a charm--agents are friendly, inquire about our trip, no shoe removal, no 3-1-1 bag examined--it's a new world. We are among the first in the United Club--a privilege that we still appreciate. There are travelers who arrive later (with rug-rats, literally) who use the space within the Club as their personal playground--perhaps they are trying to tire out the urchins--probably a good thing. Boarding goes smoothly, but during our first glass of champagne, the captain (a nice-sounding 'chick') announces that a piece of the navigation equipment must be replaced before our trip over the Atlantic (a good thing), but that delayed our take-off. Fortunately, thanks to strong tail winds, she mostly made up the time and we arrived only 10 minutes late. Good flight, but bumpy over the Atlantic, of course. Because of no checked bags and seats in the Business Section, we were among the first off the plane and on to our next adventure--searching out our train for the trip to Lyon....

Off we go....

Sunday, Nov. 23

As I mentioned previously, the next portion of adventure is catching the train to Lyon. We found the train station at the Paris airport. Sunday morning seems to be a popular time to travel--the station was very crowded. Since we had plenty of time before our train arrived we were able to do a lot of people-watching.

If you think Paris is full of beautiful people--think again. This particular Sunday morning, everyone looked like they had hopped out of bed, neglected to comb their hair, and hoofed it off to the train station.

We arrived in Lyon on time, and we were met by Bernard, Lloyd's "cousin" (more about the family connection later) and his wife Dominique. Much to our delight, they greeted us effusively and seemed genuinely pleased to meet us--quite a relief--you never know. They took us to our hotel to drop our bags and much to our surprise, they invited us to join them for lunch. (We thought we'd drop our bags as well as ourselves, have an afternoon rest and recover from our jet lag.) They took us to a wonderful restaurant in Lyon named Brasserie Georges, a typical venerable, old Lyonnais restaurant that was crowded with families having Sunday dinners and special celebrations. The place was huge and packed.

Each celebration was accompanied by a special dessert called Omelet Norvegian (looked suspiciously like a Baked Alaska).  Of course, the meeting of the "cousins" also called for a special Omelet topped with the obligatory sparkler.

Welcome to Lyon!!

Following a sumptuous lunch, we were off for a short drive around a bit and a visit to a nearby preserved, medieval village called Perouges dating back to the 15th century. Bernard and Dominique thought it would be interesting (?) to see a village that Bill and Hilary Clinton had visited almost 20 years ago. The village was quaint; it had been built of round, river stones that made walking around quite difficult, but we persevered.

Above is a photo of Bernard and Dominque Denuziere and moi, our hosts for the next two days. And following this, we went back to the hotel to rest for the next chapter of our Adventure!