Author: ginnyinshanghai

Can’t believe it!  We got another weekend in December where the Gulf tides are good and the weather is holding on so that we can head west for a day of fishing.  We should be doing other things………………………like putting up our Christmas tree, wrapping presents, writing our Christmas letter & cards or putting the final touches on gifts we made, or heck, just go fishing.

While the rest of the nation was enduring canceled flights and chilly temps, we’re sweating and wearing shorts and t-shirts.  Yes, these are the exact reasons we moved to Florida, but after 7+ months of heat, we were looking for a break.   Looking at me as we left the boat ramp, you wouldn’t guess the weather was right for fishing.  I had on 5 layers (t-shirt, Columbia fishing shirt, Columbia fleece zip-up, windbreaker and my life vest).  A buff covered my ears and I also pulled on gloves.  Maybe just maybe, I had a beach towel wrapped around my waist over my Columbia fishing pants.  In my defense, the weather was going to warm up (eventually), but when we departed it was only 59 F.

Not a lot of people were on the water – hmmm, wonder why.  Okay, enough grousing, now for the good stuff.  We motored out through the channel and headed to our honey hole.  We had 3+ hours before the top of the high tide and the first hour or so was a bust.  You know it’s bad when even the bait-stealers aren’t taking your shrimp.

But then it changed……….and the fish began to bite.  Unfortunately all of our catch were not a legal size to keep.  I finally caught a trout over the minimum (15″) and had four keepers one right after each other.  We were at the back-end of the tide and the flow must have been right for the fish to bite.  It was looking like it was going to be a shut out, until Eric brought this beauty in.

We both hooked small reds throughout the morning, but this was the only one within the slot (slot being 18″- 27″).

Ultimately, we came home with a nice cooler of fish.

Eric didn’t really appreciate the addition of rosemary to my fish picture.  I thought it added something!  Otherwise, it would just look like a photo from a previous fishing day.

 

The trout that were keeper size were primarily my catch.  The largest was 18″.

Usually we bring a variety of species to the boat, but  not today.  Guess they were just too cold to eat.

We got home at a decent time but then its time to ‘unpack’ the boat.  It’s not a lot of fun.

Coolers, life vests, ropes, tackle, buckets and other assorted stuff comes off the boat and into the garage on a designated shelf.  Okay, guess I’ll also admit that Eric did most of the unpacking.

Fish swimming this morning were dinner in the evening.  Eric froze the redfish and extra trout filets and served the below for dinner.

The trout was served ‘meuniere’ style, basically a brown butter lemon sauce.  Dirty rice and green beans completed the plate.  A ‘prickly pear’ margarita was served alongside.

It was great getting in one more day of fishing before the end of 2017.

Finally!  We had great weather on our days off, no previous commitments, good high & low  coastal tides which when all combined equaled a chance to go fishing.  Bonus being my sister and her husband were visiting so we all enjoyed the time on the water together.

Putting in at Pete’s Pier meant we run down Crystal River before reaching the Gulf – approximately a 25 minute boat ride.  There is always interesting things to see and this day was no exception.  We ran across a shrimp boat and a crabber checking his traps.

First catch of the day was a blue crab – on a jig baited with a live shrimp.  That crab was not letting go of the shrimp, no matter what.  Lance brought it on board and if only I had my camera/video handy because the whole deal was quite the rodeo.  We were all shocked that it was lifted onboard, then knocked loose, almost hitting my aunt.  Everybody was scrambling.  Eric joined the melee and it hooked onto his shoe for dear life – until it ended up in the cooler (just chilling  🙂 ).

Things after that slowed down, way down.  I obviously had the ‘knack’ for catching lizardfish and hooked more than 12+ during the day.   If I got lucky, they got off the hook before being pulled into the boat.  Let’s just say that I was the queen for catching those.

Then I seemed to get stuck with hooking another undesirable fish, Jack crevalle – small  ones. .

Once in a while, I would catch a few of these:

Eric caught the first keeper fish – a mackerel.

Then he got the second keeper fish……..a 26″ redfish.  It was caught on a bobber that was thrown out behind the boat with one of my tiny, trash fish used for bait.

It was when he caught a keeper trout (remember, I was still catching lizardfish) that I needed to change positions. He was catching his fish from the back of the boat, throwing into a deep channel, letting the tide carry along his bait.  Soon after switching locations, I got a mack and a trout.

Yes, the above photo is slightly unusual with the net, but the trout had thrown the hook and the net was the only thing keeping the fish on board.

About the time we were running low on shrimp, it was time to head in.  The others allowed me a selfie before landing the boat.

We had so many macks that Eric gave a few to a gentleman fishing alongside the boat ramp, but otherwise, we had a nice cooler of fish (and crab) for our day on the water.

Fish swimming during the day……………becomes dinner at night.  The mack we ate two different ways, the first being sushi.  Eric had some spicy cukes that accompanied the sushi.  It was a nice contrast.

The remaining mack was broiled and topped with the crab meat while the redfish was blackened.  Eric got to use his ‘fancy’ lemon squeezers he first saw on a trip to France.  Cole slaw rounded out our meal.

Always a great day when you can spend time on the water and an even better day when you catch (edible) fish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Numerous years ago, we started a new tradition, eating out for Thanksgiving.  This came about for a variety of reasons, primarily because we both work on that day and dinner (if cooked at home) would realistically be late in the evening.  Then we would still have dishes to wash.  😦

Where to eat………something uniquely Florida……….. Columbia 1905 Spanish Restaurant in Celebration.

For this day only, they have two menus, their original one and a traditional Thanksgiving menu.

There are two important components of eating at Columbia……….the Cuban bread

and of course the sangria.  It is made table-side and they have several to choose from. We ordered the ‘traditional’ red sangria.  The table next to us ordered the champagne sangria and you can see the ingredients on the tray he’s using.

Only Beverly and I are drinking the Sangria since Eric is the designated driver tonight.  🙂

Eric started with their famous “1905” salad…………

………which is also made table-side.

Sorry, no photo of the finished salad.  Once Eric got the plate, we both dug into it.  We’ve made this salad at home several times after Eric searched the internet for a recipe.

Shortly thereafter, our main entre’s arrived.  First we got Beverly’s turkey dinner:

My ‘La Completa Cubana combo’ arrived next – Empanada de Picadillo, roast pork a la Cubana, Boliche Criollo (stuffed beef), yucca, plantanos and black beans & rice:

It is WAY too much food, but I also have leftovers to take to work the next day.  It is absolutely delicious and I pretty much order the same thing each time.  Eric ordered the seafood paella:

The seafood included shrimp, clams, mussels, calamari, scallops and lobster.

Beverly topped off her meal with key lime pie.

Eric and I shared their chocolate bread pudding and yes, there was WAY too much dessert on that plate.  I can’t imagine one person having room for all of it.

While the posting is a few days (okay almost a week) after Thanksgiving, we all hope everyone had a good turkey day filled with lots of good food and company.

   

 

 

 

 

I added another ‘page’ at the top of the blog titled “EATS!”.  Part of life’s journey is about the food and occasionally the creation of meals.  While no notifications will appear each time something is added, take a look once in a while and see what has been added.  Enjoy.

We planned a quick trip to Ponte Vedra to see Rich, Karen and the boys.  We both worked Friday and drove up afterwards.  Man – the traffic was a drag.  It was bumper to bumper for hours (well, at least it seemed like hours, and hours and hours).  We generally drive up on Saturday after work and we could definitely tell the difference that day.

The plan was to eat at their Friday Night Food Truck with friends, but the area was also celebrating Halloween and only the guys went to the Food Truck event. I ate with Karen and the boys at a local restaurant and it was perfect for us.  We stayed up talking, while the guys were out back on their porch.  Usually I’m the first one to crash and generally asleep before 11pm.  It was after midnight before I headed upstairs to our bed – probably a first.  Must be the cold air kept me awake (at least cold to me………..).

The guys went shooting Saturday morning and Eric came back pleased with his shooting.  The others participate in these events regularly and Eric does not.  Meanwhile, Karen and I sorted through our jewelry making supplies to see what we could accomplish in a few days. We took an early afternoon break and ate at the Maple Street Biscuit Company.  She had taken me there once before and on our last trip, it was closed when we stopped by.  I’ve  had a hankering for their menu ever since.  I ordered the chicken club biscuit with Ranch dressing and we split the cinnamon raison biscuit for dessert.  Their menu board looks great and I’ve got to try some of their other biscuits.

Both were might tasty.  Now that we were ‘fortified’, we headed back to make jewelry.  In the past I had only made earrings but this weekend I wanted to make a necklace.  It had to be something simple enough to complete by Sunday evening.  There are two necklaces I wear that have garnered compliments in the past.  My goal was to copy that style using a different color of beads.  Shockingly………I was able to finish two necklaces.  They are long enough to wear several ways.

Meanwhile, Karen put the finishing touches on a wrap bracelet for me.  I had thought it would be mostly worn on the weekend for casual wear, but twice this week at work I had it on.  Totally didn’t expect the second bracelet.  There had been a delay with the wrap bracelet so Karen made the other one.  It wasn’t necessary, but I love the colors. It is different from any of my others,

Monday, the kids had to go to school, Rich had to sign-in from his home office and Karen went to work!  She got a job at the end of the summer, setting up a new Hobby Lobby store and has continued to work their inventory deliveries.  She’s tried to quit several times and they won’t let her.  It’s pretty cool that she sees all the new things that are arriving and also set up her own Merchandise displays.

We packed up and searched for a breakfast spot before the drive home.  Lo and behold, we found a place in St. Augustine called  ‘The Spot”.

Its small, serves down-home food and at 10am wasn’t too crowded.  We sat at the bar to fully soak in the ambiance.  The coffee mugs were typical of a diner………..

……advertising every business, but their own.  Eric ordered a Southwest skillet with fried eggs, salsa and chili that topped breakfast potatoes.  I ordered the (half) order of sausage gravy & biscuits, topped with two fried eggs  (you can’t see the eggs for the grated cheese – more calories, groan).

Once again we headed south and came across a seafood market – Kyle’s.  Their seafood was fresh and their mullet smoked in-house.

Later that night we had the shrimp for dinner. It was combined with some veggies and a tomato sauce.  Each of us had a different version of the shrimp recipe.  Mine included chunks of avocado and his had cilantro added (yuck).

As an appetizer before the shrimp, Eric took the smoked mullet fillets and made a <delicious> seafood dip.  Sorry, no photo, not a lot of color in fish dip. 🙂

 

It was a great weekend trip.  Loved the cooler temps which gets us ready for Fall to arrive, with the bonus of being with our good friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although back in the states, our trip was not over since we weren’t home yet.  I let Eric talk me into flying in and out of Miami because (1) a less expensive flight (2) direct to Paris and (3) stretch our vacation with a day in Miami at the end.  He caught me in a weak moment.  We both napped a little on the flight but after landing at the Miami Airport, it was a ghost town. The gate was at the end of a terminal that had no other people and no one manning any desk.  Coming through Customs, the fliers on our plane were the only ones in the Customs line and there was no other luggage besides ours on any carousel.  However, got to say that ‘Global Entry’ was a breeze and well worth the money.  We walked up to one of the kiosks, placed our passport on the scanner, then our fingertips and after a printout we were on our way.

We caught a taxi to Coconut Grove, it hugs the shoreline of Biscayne Bay.  Using my favorite internet source……………I discovered that Coconut Grove is the oldest continuously inhabited neighborhood in Miami, first established in 1825.  Many locals take pride that Coconut Grove is one of the greenest areas of Miami.  However, if you remember what happened several weeks before our vacation……..Hurricane Irma.  We saw a lot of vegetation that had been stripped from trees and trees that had been uprooted.  It continues to be in the cleaning up phase.  It’s a cute, quirky part of Miami.

Eric found a Sonesta hotel that was clean, convenient, newly remodeled and an easy trip from the airport.  Although worn out, we needed some food and asked one of the bellman for nearby, walkable options.  When asked what kind of food we wanted……………..we said spicy!  He recommended a Peruvian restaurant that was only a few blocks away – sold.  We wolfed down the chips and salsa, practically before our drinks arrived.  Eric started with a tuna ceviche which he said was delicious.

My mahi-mahi fish tacos were some of the best that I have had.

Afterwards, I was done.  I needed sleep and was snoozing before Eric left to get a drink at the hotel bar.

We had to go back to the Miami Airport to pick up our rental car, but not before breakfast.  We walked a few blocks and found an outdoor restaurant serving food.

Did we need these big breakfasts…………….no, but they both were tasty.

It would have been so easy to go straight up the turnpike to go home, but also boring.  Instead we chose I-95 for a change of scenery.  That got old pretty quickly since we were also getting caught up in morning work traffic.  😦

Halfway home we started thinking about lunch since we were going to cut over to the central part of the state and there would be NO places to eat.  Pulled up the internet and found a top-rated placed in Vero Beach – Ocean Grill.

Continue reading “The final 251.3 miles” →

We made every minute count for our last 24 hours in France.  Briefly the sites we visited and/or experienced  were (1) Eiffel Tower (2) Seine Dinner Cruise (3) Tuileries Garden (4) Champs-Elysses (5) Arc De Triomphe (6) Mini Palais Restaurant.

In years past, we had stood in line, took the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower and saw Paris from 906 ft above ground.  In 2015 it was the most visited paid monument in the world with 6.91 million visitors going up.  This time we didn’t go up, but admired it from various angles at ground level.  Yes, just walking around the area for 45 minutes there was a serious drop in the temperatures, hence the extra headwear.

A lot of publications say don’t bother with the Seine River cruises, especially the cruises with food because they are over-priced and under-whelming.  However………..it had been on my bucket list.  Eric did tons of research on the internet, perused lots (hundreds?) of on-line reviews of various dinner cruises and found one that said ‘If you really want to do this on your trip to Paris, this is the boat to be on.’  It got good reviews for the cruise and the food – done.

Instructions were check-in at the boat dock at 7:45pm with a 8:30pm departure, dress code ‘smart-casual’.  We got on the boat, found our table and proceeded to enjoy the evening.

The menu:

But even before departing, we started with Kir Royale and some fromage squares.

Our expectations were already going up.  Next were our starters (prawns & foie gras) then the main courses (duck & beef).  You’ll have to figure out who ordered each one.  🙂

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At the end of the meal we had a choice of fromage (cheese) or dessert.  Eric chose wisely selecting the fromage.

While the food definitely exceeded our expectations, a primary reason for the cruise was the night-time views of Paris.  The cruise did not disappoint on that end either.  First was Notre Dame.

And as we turned around to go back, we saw a small version of Lady Liberty with the Eiffel Tower.

Before catching the Metro back to our respective abodes, we had time for one more group photo at the base of the Eiffel Tower.

Saturday was a day for walking.  Across from the hotel Alice & Bob was staying was the Tuileries Garden.  Created by Catherine de Medici in the mid 1500s, it eventually was opened to the public in the mid 1600s and became a public park after the French Revolution.

Researching on the internet the origins of the Tuileries Garden name I discovered…..’tuillerie’ were workshops in the 13th century which made tiles for the roofs of buildings.

This same research stated that in the 19th and 29th centuries, these gardens were the place that Parisians celebrated, met, strolled and relaxed.  It was no different today.  There were lots of chairs occupied by parents, as they watched their children play in the gardens, relaxing and talking with friends and neighbors.

Okay, there was one strange thing we saw in the garden, this ‘bird frame’.  While none of us wanted to get close, I will tell you that the black ‘covering’ you see looked exactly like dead birds.  I’ve got nothing else to add – strange.

We continued our walk, going up the Avenue des Champs-Elysees ( 1.2 miles long) ending at the Arc de Triomphe.  We passed fountains and tree groves…………

……..and the Luxor Obelisk. It was gifted to France by the Ruler of Egypt in the early 1800s.

Throughout history The Avenue des Champs-Elysees has been the site of military parades and every year on Bastille day on 14 July, the largest military parade in Europe passes down the avenue.  It has been the last stage of the Tour de France and also popular for huge public gatherings such as Advent, Christmastide and New Years Eve.

The Arc de Triomphe monument was commissioned by Napoleon after his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz.  Althought it was not finished by the time Napoloen fell out of favor, it was eventually completed.

We headed to our final destination for that night’s dinner ‘Minipalais’.  Getting there we passed several ornate buildings, museums and monuments, one of which our restaurant was located inside.

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Minipalais had creatively crafted dishes which also were quite tasty.  I didn’t notice until much later that  (1) I forgot to get a photo of the menu (2) their lighting was giving everything a blue-purple color and (3) makes the dishes harder to identify.

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As this was to be our last evening together, there had to be one last photo (selfie of course) to commemorate the evening and our time in Paris.

 

I’m closing this with a few final glimpses of the Eiffel Tower.  While not the tallest building in Paris, it continued to show up in photos during the week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In an earlier post, I mentioned that Notre Dame was a big draw for me whenever we visit Paris.  One of the things on my ‘bucket list’ was to climb to the top of Notre Dame.  On earlier Paris visits we had gotten to the top of the Eiffel Tower and also to the top of the Arc de Triomphe.  BTW – reaching the top of the Arch requires going up 284 steps.  Getting to the top of Notre Dame is …………..433 steps.  Eric found a tour that included the top and the draw was ‘skip the line’.  Score!  Past research discovered that you had to wait in the line, usually 2+ hours if you wanted this experience.

However, before going up, we go in, inside of Notre Dame.  Just wanted to include a few photos of things I found interesting.  Naturally on previous visits, I had noticed the rosette windows in the center of the church, particularly the one to the left of the altar.  It was the one rosette that was the most intact from WWII.

However, what I had not picked up on was that the rosette (bottom photo) to the right of the altar, catching the (new) morning sun was the New Testament stories. Thus making the one in the top photo the Old Testament since it catches the sun at the end of the day.

The two statues at the bottom are Mother Theresa on the left and Joan of Arc on the right.

There is so much detail and symbolism everywhere inside and outside of the church.  Reading skills in Medieval times was minimal for the poor so stories were shown through these sculpted reliefs.  In the photo below, it shows ‘Judgment’.  Underneath Christ there are two groups of people, those to the right are chained and heading to purgatory.  You can guess the other side.

There is also the story of St Denis.  He was a 3rd century Christian martyr who was a bishop of Paris.  He became so popular that the Romans had him imprisoned and eventually beheaded.  Legend has it that after being severed, Denis picked up his head, walked several miles from that location.  Once he reached a spot that had Christian followers-apparently preaching a sermon along the way- he died.  I know, the tale is a stretch, but it makes a good story.

So, we began the journey of 433 steps up…………..

………….and then saw the gargoyles.

Another short flight of stairs and we were at the third level which had the bell tower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But there was one more flight, to the fourth level for our walking/climbing tour and this gave us great panoramic views of Paris.

You might notice on the spire there are statues of saints and Apostles, looking out over the city, except one.  The person in charge of the renovation (Viollet–le-Duc) had one of the statues made in his image, and is standing facing the church to admire his work.

>hint at the bottom if needed<

But alas, we headed for the stairs to go down and leave the church.

We can now mark this off my bucket list – check.

There were a few other sites included with this tour.  The place we started had more of the ‘love’ locks – which the city considers vandalism by the way.  The tradition is believed to have started by an Italian film in 2006.  With Paris being the ‘city of love’ couples would attach a padlock to a bridge and throw the key into the Seine river.  At one time, there were 45 tons of padlocks on the Pont Des Arts bridge and it was causing structural damage.  This photo below was near a park on the island, not that bridge.

This building was on the island and during the French Revolution was the dungeon for Marie Antoinette.  Our guide said Marie was held here until paraded through the streets of Paris before facing the guillotine.

All those steps built up an appetite.  During our first Paris visit years ago, we found a restaurant recommended in one of Rick Steve’s travel books and it has become a tradition to have a meal at the Polidor.

Going to spell it out now – I always get the chicken surpreme, hands down the best chicken in Paris (of course my opinion).

I know, I know, not a ‘stunning’ photo, kind of boring with the white mashed potatoes,  chicken covered in a the tan/brown wine sauce (throwing in the green parsley for color ha!), but only one word needed………delicious.

Eric usually gets the country style foi gras, followed by the veal sweetbreads and wine tops off the meal.

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So I’m including the Polidor napkin for a reason – it opened in 1845 and

there’s at least one thing that has not changed since that time, the toilette.  It is a ‘squatty potty’ just like in China.  While I have a photo, I just couldn’t add it into the blog.  Nothing wrong with it, very clean, everything is appropriately functional, has rails for the ladies……….but still after the food photos, I just couldn’t do it.  Use your imagination or google it.

>hint – figure is on the right, his head is closest to the top of the photo<

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re ending our 3 week vacation being joined by Eric’s sister and her husband, Alice & Bob.  We met them at the airport, dropped off their luggage and the tour began!  They got a lovely hotel, right across from the Louvre.  We all had a quick drink to celebrate their arrival.

Alice had found a pretty neat place for a late lunch, but we introduced them to the Metro and saw Notre Dame before heading to the restaurant, Le Train Bleu.  Coming out of the metro, one of the first places seen is ‘Hotel deVille’ or City Hall.  It’s an impressive building.

However our first group photo was in front of Notre Dame.  Even though we are not Catholic, this is my favorite spot to visit in Paris.  There’s something that pulls me there time and time again.  We did a quick walk-through since the line was so short, but then got back on the Metro to find our lunch spot.

The restaurant was in the Lyon train station so when Eric and I arrived earlier in the week, we saw exactly where we would be eating.  It’s another impressive place.

It is truly lovely inside and has a lot of what I would call  ‘old world’ atmosphere.

The food was also an enjoyable part of the experience.  I ordered the Arts’Menu………

…………selecting the haddock & sea bream tartar, followed by the steamed lythe with risotto.  While both were good, the seafood tartar was absolutely amazing.  I could have made a meal with just that.  The slivers of grapefruit totally made the dish.  I would have enjoyed three times as much grapefruit as what was on the plate.  🙂

Eric started with the smoked salmon and it was followed by leg of lamb for his main course.

Alice ordered steak flambe and we had the ‘flambing’ occurring right at the table.  Her plate looked amazing, made me rethink my order.

The dessert I selected for my meal was the Rum baba – only because that was the only thing the waiter could describe to me.  Luckily Eric ordered something different because part of the preparation was pouring the rum on the cake at the table, and it was WAAAAY too much rum.  After two bites, Eric traded.

Alice and Bob were crashing from the jet lag (trust me, its brutal!) so we helped them get back to their hotel to catch up on their sleep.

Before heading back, we located the metro stop for the Fabric Market, it’s near Sacre-cour.  We stopped there on our last France visit and I wanted to go back to pick up more fabric.

Eric was a real trooper.  We had a general idea of what we wanted, but it still required a lot of walking around.  The place we visited had five levels with each floor carrying something different.  There was a multitude of store fronts that carry bolt after bolt after bolt of material, but this particular market was known for its wide variety.  After making our selection (Eric gave input) he looked for the ‘cutter’ that wrote our slip and cut the material.  It definitely helped that Eric could speak French!  Otherwise, we would still be there waiting.  FYI – we made an additional trip later in the week and let’s just say that packing all of our fabric purchases was a bear.

We booked a guided tour the following day (Paris Gourmet Food Tour of the Marais) and really enjoyed the experience.  The tour started at the statue near Notre Dame.

Our tour guide gave us some historical information about Paris before we set out.  She talked about the design of Paris, going away from the half-timbered buildings, which were prone to fires and kept the inner city a dark, dank place.

Napoleon III commissioned Baron Haussman to bring air and light to the center of Paris.  It basically was a vast public works program in the mid 1800s which included demolition of medieval neighborhoods that were overcrowded and unhealthy.  Paris had narrow streets, foul sewers and more than one cholera epidemic during this time.  While eventually Haussman got out of favor with Parisians (due to the money spent and continual construction), he made huge contributions to Paris as a whole with open public spaces, reduction of disease epidemics and improved traffic circulation.

She also introduced us to the ‘Wallace Fountains’.

There are at least 80 of these fountains still in existence and working, primarily March 15 to November 15, stopping due to the potential of freezing.  They are an integral part of Parisian landscape, most are green, as all urban development of that era were in order to blend in with the parks and tree-lined streets.  Sir Richard Wallace used his wealth for a variety of things, but he is most remembered by the fountains which bear his name.  It is a free source of water for all Parisians.

The region that this tour is focused on is called ‘Le Marais’.  In the 17th century it was the French nobility’s favorite place to build their mansions.  By the late 18th century, it was no longer the most fashionable district, but kept its reputation.  AFter the French Revolution, the district fell into despair and would stay that way.  In the 19th and 20th century is became a popular and active spot, hosting Paris’ main Jewish communities.  This area was targeted by the Nazis who were occupying France.  There is a monument that recognizes the families that helped many Jewish families escape.

While there’s no photo, right across from this monument is a school and 500+ children were taken during the Nazi reign.  There was a small sign recognizing their loss.

What takes a tour from ‘good’ to ‘great’?????  Food!  During the afternoon we had a chance to eat three very different type of pastries.  Each of these bakeries focus on generally one thing and they are considered some of the very best in Paris.  Our first stop was Aux Merveilleux and these pastries were extremely light.

They were like little puffs of goodness.  Eric selected the top one which had a cherry flavor, while mine was a coffee flavor.  They only made eight different flavors and truly, it was hard to choose.

Our second pastry was a macaron.  This place makes 18 flavors each day.  They have a standard 10 flavors (chocolate, vanilla, pistachio, etc) and the other 8 change from day to day.  I included the 8 flavors for today’s extra macarons.

They made some very interesting (and tasty) flavor combinations.

I”ve got to let you in on my secret…………………….I have never liked macarons, until now.  Every one that I had ever tasted was like eating flavorless meringue, crumbling to pieces and just generally were not worth the calories.  OMG – I selected the chocolate and passion fruit macaron, and now I see what the big deal is about.  I will probably never eat another one, unless I go back to this place.  Eric got the pistachio & raspberry and he pretty much had the same comments as I did.

Our last pastry was a Kouign amann.  The official definition is “round crusty cake, originally made with bread dough, containing layers of butter and sugar folded in, generally from Brittany, France”.  This place had a lot of decadent things they made (oh, the caramel) but these were the star.  I had the apple caramel one and Eric got the almond flavor.  We found out they had two other locations in Paris and we were lucky enough to find one on our last day and made some kouign-amann purchases!

Our last stop was a wine bar.  The owner was very willing to share his knowledge (and wines of course) plus a cheese plate and a meat plate.  He personally visits the vineyards, which are typically small, family owned places and brings back wines that he enjoys.

He had this really cool agriculture map that he used when sharing his knowledge with our group.

So, basically he had to kick us out of his store.  He had extended his hours for our tour group but our pack of seven (plus the tour guide) really bonded and didn’t want the night to end.  While the tour guide couldn’t join us, she guided us toward an excellent restaurant and the seven of us went together.  Alas, they couldn’t seat us at one table, so the group had to split up.

I started with a goat cheese salad while Eric ordered the ratatouille starter.

My meal was crawfish with avocado while Eric got the duck.

But, I’ve got to tell you. The best part of the meal was the company.  The seventh person (sitting with Alice & Bob) was in Paris for a wedding and originally from Sri Lanka.  After this he was working in Africa for a month, before going back to his home office in Japan.  The last couple (Sverrir & Diana) were from Iceland and this was their first trip away (together) since the birth of their fourth child.

Eric and I have been talking about Iceland for a while, well okay, maybe just me.  Eric has discovered that Icelandair flies from the US to Europe and staying over in Iceland is no extra charge.  Maybe I will finally get there.  🙂  Diana sent me a link already with things to do in Iceland.  I had done some research last year, but this link had some things I had never seen.

Not really sure if Eric and I are the best tour guides, but we do enjoy spending time in France and showing others our favorite places.  Eric has really picked up the French language using the Rosetta Stone learning program and it makes a difference.  You can almost see the difference in their faces when Eric makes a request or asks a question in French.  I’m just not very good at it.  Maybe by the time we are back for our next trip, I can manage more than a few words.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We returned to Paris early Monday and booked an all-day tour to the Loire Valley.  While there is always more to do in Paris, we wanted to venture out of the city and see things on our bucket list.  Eric found this tour on Trip Advisor which picks you up at your hotel ( or apartment 🙂 ), stops at three different castles, included a lunch and restricts their group size to eight or less.  Ultimately, our group was a total of four, plus the tour guide.  The other couple was from CA and had been visiting their daughter who was completing an internship at The Hague.

Chateau Amboise

Occupied since Neolithic times, Amboise became the main settlement of the Tourones, a Celtic people.  In the 4th century AD, the first trenches of the château were dug to defend the buildings and its occupants.  During the Renaissance, this chateau was a place to live and stay for the royalty.  It was the stage for numerous political events in the kingdom: births, christenings, aristocratic marriages, conspiracies and peace treaties. This formidable fortress ensured the royal family’s safety.

The first thing we ran into was the St. Hubert Chapel, the patron saint of hunters. You can just barely see some antlers in my photo – but they are there.

It was constructed in 1493 and designed for the sovereigns’ private use.

This chapel is famous as the resting place of Leonardo da Vinci, who died in Amboise on May 2, 1519.  He arrived in Amboise in 1516, aged 64 and King Francois granted him the privilege of being buried here.  He was already famous by this time and became the King’s “first painter, engineer and architect” and gave him an annual pension of 700 crowns.

And here you have the main building.

One of the first rooms you enter is the Royal Lodge Entrance, the Guard’s room.  The King’s bodyguard were made up of Scottish and Swiss companies and later French Musketeers.

This was used as the King’s throne when in residence at Amboise.

We pretty much had the castle and grounds to ourselves since we arrived when they opened at 9am.

We found these empty frames placed around the grounds and they made an excellent photo.

 

Chateau de Chenonceau

The estate of Chenonceau was first mentioned in the 11th century with the current château being built in 1514 on the foundations of an old mill and was later extended to span the river.  This photo shows the only part of the building left from Medieval times, the tower or keep, which is separate from the main chateau.

Other than Versailles, it is the most visited château in France.  It is also called the Ladies’ Chateau as through the ages, a series of at least 5 ladies had the most impact on its construction and upkeep, the first being King Henry II’s mistress, Diane de Poiters.

When the Queen became a widow, she forced the mistress out and made the Chateau her permanent residence.  When she became Regent, she governed France from this Chateau.  The 16th century tapestry behind Eric is exceptional for its (original) green color – which has now turned mostly blue – and inspired by the discovery of the Americas.  Things depicted in the tapestry are plants and animals unknown in Europe until 1492: silver pheasants, pineapples orchids and pomegranates.

So while the mistress had a bridge built over the River Cher, the second lady in residence, Catherine de Medici had a gallery built in honor of her son, King Henry III.

In the 1900s it was no longer owned by royalty, the current owner paid for the château to become a hospital during WWI.  During WWII, the River Cher corresponded to the line of demarcation so the entrance was in the occupied zone.  The door at the far end of the photo gave access to the left bank and made it possible for the French Resistance to pass large numbers of people into the free zone.

Can’t visit a castle without walking through the kitchens, which were below the main building.

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While in every room there are portraits of notable aristocrats, this one was exceptional, since only four pieces of wood were used for the frame and it had very intricate carvings.  By the way, the figure in the portrait was Louis XIV.

This bedroom was given the name of ‘The Five Queens” since Catherine de Medici’s two daughters and three daughters-in-law had been here at one time or another.

So there was way more to the château and we had to run through part of it since we had limited time on the tour to explore and the gardens were a major draw for us.  Prior to arriving at each chateau, the tour guide gave us some history of its occupants and building, got our tickets and let us explore on our own.  Of course he always gave us a deadline to meet back at the minivan.

Everyone has to take photos of the span across the river and we were no exception.

The garden most easily seen was created by the first lady in residence (Diane the mistress) and the current layout of this flowerbed has remained unchanged since its creation, including the water feature.

 

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On the other side of the castle was the garden created by Queen Catherine and is considered more ‘intimate’.

I had to take another photo of the river flowing through the château, from the ‘back’ side.

As we were leaving to meet our tour guide, I got a few last photos.  There is a ‘forest’ with walking paths for some to breathe in more of the outdoors.  Obviously, some guests have used this green space for other things.

There was a 16th century farm  and that is where two florists work all year around.  There are absolutely awesome floral arrangements in every room inside the château.

This runs into the vegetable garden.  We didn’t really have any time to explore this area, but got one photo before meeting the group.

We went into the town and ate at a small local restaurant as part of the tour.

The first plate was the ‘vegetable’ plate and the cream-colored veggie was celeric root with a tangy mayo-based dressing – delicious!  Eric got the seafood option while I ordered the guinea hen plate.

Dessert was apple tart with vanilla ice cream and chocolate cake w/ a cream based sauce.

Chateau of Chambord

Ever since its creation (early 1500s) by King Francois 1 at the dawn of the French Renaissance, Chambord has been a source of never-ending surprises for visitors.  The distinctive architecture of the moment and the unity of the domain since the 17th century has always been respected by successive political regimes.  It was Louis XIV who completed Chambord while respecting the spirit the original architecture and nothing has been added since.

The first floor of the château presents numerous furnished apartments.  The blue was the Queen’s bedroom.

While this room was considered one of the Guest quarters.  These rooms were furnished as could be seen in the 16th to 18th century.

We eventually made it to the terraces which offered a panoramic view of the park and the surrounding gardens.  This also immerses a person in the abounding display of chimney stacks, dormer windows and stairway turrets showcasing the elevated rooftops of the chteau.

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In the center of it all, the lantern tower rises majestically skyward, topped with the royal fleur-de-lis.

The gardens were impressive and expansive.

 

 

Everyone decided that while this château was probably the most impressive, you just couldn’t wrap your arms around it.  We only had 1 1/2 hours to explore and you could spend most of the day if you wanted to see and absorb everything.

My favorite for the day was Chateau de Chenonceu.