Chez Nous

We’re pretty much installed in our place here and really like it.  You never quite know what you are getting when you rent something via internet but it is even better than expected.  It is on the outskirts of St.-Remy-de-Provence, one of our favorite towns.  It is right next to a big canal that has a couple of waterfalls and a path you can walk or bike along.

That’s our gate on the left

It’s a traditional 18^th century house (a “Mas”) with really thick walls.  It’s got plenty of room inside – good thing because our nephew and our god-daughter will be visiting us at the same time.

 And there’s a big yard for Lucca to play fetch.  What else does he need?

The only problem is all the low beams on the second floor.  Were people so much shorter in the 18^th century? Was the house built by midgets? 

In any case, I had better learn to be more careful or I will end up with more big bumps on my head like the one I got yesterday.  Either that or I’ll need to start wearing my bike helmet upstairs.

The Hallway

 The Bedroom

 The Bathroom

 The Stairway

 KVS

We're Baaack!

Today was our first full day in Provence so of course we had to have a leisurely lunch with our friends Sara and Christian.  Who has time for unpacking when Champagne awaits? And with Burgundy and Gigondas to follow?

Sara is a wonderful cook and today was no exception.  We started with little appetizers of rillettes d’oie - kind of like a goose pâté and unbelievably good.  Then we had confit de canard (duck leg preserved and cooked in its own fat) with delicious mashed potatoes, the kind Mom used to make.  Well, the kind she would have made if Dad had ever let her put tasty things like garlic and thyme in his pristine Oklahoma-style potatoes.  Then a nice selection of cheeses, followed by fruit salad and then espresso.  I might have left a few things out but you know how it is when you are on your third bottle of wine.

It was wonderful to see Sara and Christian and we got caught up on all the local happenings, like the recent French elections (panic time for the Socialists).  And we coordinated our calendars for a few get-togethers, our next one being a wine-buying excursion in a couple of days.

In other words, it was your basic five hour French lunch.  Ah, it’s nice to be back!  And It's a good thing Val drove home.

KVS

Go South, Young Man

We flew into Zurich and Lucca was waiting for us in baggage claim, whining pitifully so he could go outside and take a pee.  Hey, you try holding it for 14 hours!  That dog has a bladder of steel.

We picked up our rental car and headed to France.  You can see that Lucca was anxious to get going.

It was dark by the time we got to our hotel in a remote corner of the Jura.  It was a small hotel but they had a great restaurant with a nice wine list.  Hmm, wonder why we picked it?  Usually French restaurants have great quality but small portions, while US restaurants are the opposite – huge portions but the quality is just meh.  This restaurant was a cross between the two – delicious food and so much!  We called it France Meets Fresno.

When we paid the bill we had a long conversation with the hotel owner, who went on and on and on about how screwed up things are in France.  She was especially peeved at young people who turn up their noses at entry-level jobs (like in her hotel) and accept welfare instead.  According to her, this was true of every single young person in the entire country.  Or as she put it, “tous tous tous tous tous !”  She then told us that the US totally has its act together.  We quickly disabused her of this notion.

The next morning we got up early and hit the road, anxious to see our beloved Provence.  We made a quick stop at my favorite wine shop in Burgundy to pick up a few tasty bottles.  Then it was drive drive drive to the south.

A few random observations from our first day:

French drivers are as bad as ever.

French croissants are as delicious as ever.  I ate two just to be sure.

The trees and fields were starting to come into bloom, more so the further south we went.  Just beautiful.

Ham sandwiches taste better in France.  Must be all that butter.

It is very strange to have an Australian woman’s voice on our GPS.  Crikey!  Gotta fix that.

It is even worse when the Australian woman sends you ten miles one direction and then changes her mind and sends you back the way you just came.  Women!

KVS