October 24, 2010 Catherine is spending the day representing her cancer-support group at a senior fair today. We host a French Sunday lunch (a tradition for all France) at our place for Stephan. We start with olives, and bread rounds with tapenade and eggplant “caviar.” H cooks herb omelets and we also have garlic pan-fried… Continue reading Last Days
Month: October 2010
Pézenas and Richard II
October 23, 2010 It’s joyous to sleep in—we have no plans for the morning. But we have invited Catherine and Stephen for a grand lunch in thanks for putting up with us for 3 weeks at their beautiful apartment. Our first thought was to enjoy lunch at a 1-star Michelin restaurant in a very small… Continue reading Pézenas and Richard II
Dordogne IV
October 22, 2010 We wake up to ice again. Our friends from the night before have all stayed over. That must be a nice bit of business for Madam. We have the usual wonderful breakfast except that we have fresh croissants. As the other people check-out I see that the last jar of melon jam has been… Continue reading Dordogne IV
Dordogne III
October 21, 2010 We wake up to a thin layer of ice covering the ground—boy, is it cold. But thankfully our room stays nice and warm. The dining room is inviting with a big fire. Another great farm breakfast except the croissants are day-old. That is a disappointment after such delicious croissants the day before.… Continue reading Dordogne III
Dordogne II
October 20, 2010 We slept 9 hours and awoke fully rested. We had a fantastic farm breakfast: delicious freshly-baked croissants, fromage blanc with jam, farm-made grape juice, cheese (a choice of several aged cheeses), dry-smoked ham, pate and the wonderful coffee with warm cow’s milk. Now we are fortified for the day! Our first stop is the… Continue reading Dordogne II
Dordogne I
October 19, 2010 It’s my 58th birthday!! And we are off to the Dordogne region of France to visit the prehistoric caves. We have educated ourselves to some extent. Our friends, Bob and Brenda Berry, gave H a great book on hypotheses of the origin of the caves’ “decorations” and we read several more books on… Continue reading Dordogne I
Languedoc I
October 18, 2010 The high-velocity winds have hit our area of France. So things have cooled off considerably and we must hand onto our hats when we leave the apartment. I am glad that a purchased a beautiful scarf in Barcelona. I wear it like a French woman and it keeps me very warm. We… Continue reading Languedoc I
Barcelona to Girona
October 16, 2010 I am very happy with my silicon earplugs! They truly block out about 80% of the noise. I sleep very well in spite of the revelry that lasts until 2am. But everyone else suffers. H says that the earplugs hurt so he doesn’t use them. And the Hartleys don’t find them as… Continue reading Barcelona to Girona
In Barcelona III
October 15, 2010 My silicon earplugs worked perfectly but everyone else had a terrible night. I sent an e-mail to the owner complaining. How could she rent an apartment over a nightclub??!! I also called the apartment manager because the Harleys’ bathroom had a horrible sewer smell. Oh, brother… We started our day with a… Continue reading In Barcelona III
In Barcelona II
October 14, 2010 Ah, peace and quiet last night! Today is a “Gaudi” day. We are exploring a few of the sites of the city created by the incomparable Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona’s most famous Modernista artist. Modernism (Catalan Art Nouveau) became popular at the end of the 19th century. Breaking with tradition, artists experimented with glass, tile, iron and brick.… Continue reading In Barcelona II