Well Aged Fine Friendship

I woke up early and had  a donut that I bootlegged and coffee and blogged.  Played on the I -pad until Jodi was up and moving.  By the time we got out the door I was ready for lunch and a friend had suggested a winery.  On the way out I asked the concierge about a vineyard nearby and I got a snarky “its not a vineyard but there is a winery”, “O.K yes”, that, she said the shuttle wold take us there.  So we waited less than a minute for the shuttle and went to an unimpressive building with a porch where a bunch of young women were being served food and flights of wine.  We entered, I was rather expecting to be seated and handed menus in the normal fashion.  It felt chaotic and crazy when we were told that we had to order our food inside and pay and then get our beverages separately.  I started wondering how I was supposed to know that our food was ready if we were outside, but that was handled. After some recon I figured out that the winery and restaurant are run separately and they eventually did bring us our food.

   Jodi ordered pizza and I ordered toasted ravioli, and we shared a flight of wine.  When I went into get the wine I was offere a paper and told to select what we wanted,  we just wanted to eat and get some wine with it not make a production out of it.  We selected blindly and a couple of them were not terrible, though they served the flight with dark chocolate chips and let me. Just say the combo of the wine and chocolate left a rather brown taste in my mouth.  I would not choose that as a marketing ploy at this winery.  Regardless we had somme rather dry Cab Franc and some pretty syrupy Peach Fizzz.  Guess who drank what!

We came back to the Hotel, the room had been “refreshed”” and we went to the gardens and sat in the Apollo spring gazebo and relaxed.  I took my paints, didn’t feel that I had a good place to paint and then succumbed to temptation and did a thoroughly fabulous rendition of a first grader painting the view!  

Along came a red 1929 Rolls Royce with a chauffeur and bride and groom.  At least that’s what  we thought, a guy in a white shirt and tie got out and a woman wreathing a glittering halter dress carrying a bogies got out, and were joined by some folks on foot.  But it was a bit interesting as the bride started juggling her bouquet and a cigarette,  the chauffeur kept messing with the engine, and the photographer took photos from about 100 ft away from the wedding party. I thought I was catching a whale tale outline on the brides behind and was sure of it when she moved just so and you could see right through her dress,  she needed a slip. We are not sure why but everywhere we go we seem to encounter a wedding party. 

Later we met our friends from college at 33 Brick Street and had dinner, it was much better than lunch, but that bar wasn’t very high.  Seriously it was good, I had pulled pork and cole slaw and Jodi had a salad.  Kathy’s tenderloin looked delish!

Friday evening we caught wind of this sound, so we stopped in the library and had a cocktail and listened to a Jazz Trio for an hour or so, long past out bedtime.  

This morning, too cheap to pay $20 ish for a danish, we got breakfast after we checked out at Nana’s diner,  let’s just say I would not return to French Lick for the fine cuisine and leave it there.

But it was really a fun weekend, an item checked off of my list, visiting with old friends, AND the company made it good.

West Baden, Baden-Baden, Wiesbaden, Carlsbad…..

A dear friend of mine from college harkens from a very small town in southern Indiana. A college students we took several trips to her home and I subsequently took several more after she married.  Each trip took me by a huge structure in West Baden, Indiana.  I actually just called it French Lick, but the tiny town does have it’s own name.  I heard someone (as in I took it to heart and had many day dreams about as I drove by) say it had been once upon a time a culinary school.  (In reality it has been a Monastery and a Business College. The history is interesting as some sites say the current building was modeled after Baden Baden and others say Wiesbaden; none really say Carlsbad was the impetus for the building.  I have not seen anything like it before or since and I have been to both Baden Baden and Wiesbaden) This huge round magical looking structure that I could not approach  by car due to blockades, stayed in my mind.  In the Mid 2000’s the hospital took us on some retreats to the French Lick resort (up the road a mile or so, don’t quote the distance), which were nice but did not quench my desire to see the mystical building of my dreams.  

Jodi got “dog coverage”” and I started considering where we could go for a weekend.  It has been a long time since I had seen my friend, and in the meantime said mystical building has been refurbished and apparently a lovely spa opened.  At first I considered the cost and decided not to go, but I have a friend with a very ill family member and I remembered my feelings of being ill and the lessons I learned. I determined to try to be prudent but more generous with my people and with myself. So I made sure my friend and her hubby were free for dinner and  pressed the button.  

Pulling under a double entrance sign that reads “West Baden Springs, Carlsbad of America, this time I knew I would be able to enter.  

Oh the power!, of time and the dollar!  We passed (following signs) an lovely staired entrance, then another entrance on the right with beautiful gardens on the left, around to the  ‘Back’ where our car was valet parked. We then trekked across the amazing atrium to the check in (The first set of stairs we saw) to register and get to our room. The elevators are small, must be due to the original construction.  Originally there were 500 rooms, now about 250 as the original rooms did not boast bathrooms!

Getting to our room we settled in quickly as I wanted to go to the atrium and listen to the music, so we selected chairs and had a daiquiri (Jodi) and nice merlot (me).

After a while we decided to have a stroll in the gardens where there are still some of the buildings from before also,  skirting the gardens.

  On the way back in the front door we discovered another lounge with a band playing, “tomorrow night”, we said…

Collecting Memories

Today was awesome, I was just getting ready to go the the patisserie and Sheryl asked if I wanted to meet for breakfast, sure! So we went to Capones on the corner for a Cafe Au last, Croissant, Beurre and Confiture!

We went from there and wandered through the market one last time! I tried to imprint the sounds and smells with the mental images I was collecting.  

These guys were playing in the Metro and it was so lovely I almost cried!

We went to the 5th androissment and picked up a couple of goodies for the kids.

  I always remember my grandparents bringing stuff back from vacation, it was so special!  And I found a sweater in Nina Kendosa, when I finally found a stinking store!  We stopped on Rue de la Huchette for a crepe, Banana and Nutella for me!

 We wandered along the Seine across , down by the water, and on and on.

We stopped in the American Church in Paris for a quick look

and then back alone the Quai

Ahh, at last I saw her. 

And, Oui, I rode the carousel!

We sat for a good long while, I didn’t’ think Sheryl had it in her to sit that long, but we did and it was so pleasant.  People acting crazy, there was a run on Red Berets today, cute little kids and a guy playing music.

Finally we wend to Bistro L’Estrapade for dinner where we shared the ravioli,  and pork with mustard sauce and a Tarte Tatain for dessert.  

Back home and mostly packed, but not ready to say good bye, to Paris or my new friend. 

Decoratif

Today was another mini croissant and a sort of filled (mini) one, It was good, not sure what was in it.  But it was good.  Sheryl and Katherine had bought lingerie and I wanted a new French Bra too! So we went there first. I found a lovely pinky peach set ,

What ever will I do if I like it and want more?

I had to laugh when we stopped in a hardware store, this is exactly what would trip my hot button if it said Paris.

  I guess Parisian’s like antique/USA stuff.  The sky was moody

Then blue, then moody again

We were looking for a sandwich shop she had heard about in a u-tube video, but it was crazy expensive and no where to even sit once we bought it.  So we were right by the Marche Des Enfants Rouge so we went there. 

 I had never been there,  it is a daily market, with food, but also many restaurants there, We had Italian, I felt like I was speaking the wrong language!  We shared Buratta (that seems to be a hot ticket here right now) and I had a truffled pasta, Sheryl had Vongole (Clams).

        This is not cheese, can you guess??

 We took the metro to the Invalides and walked across the Alexander the Third Bridge, and there was my girl! 

We were on our way to the Petit Palais, where I had also never been! 

I have no idea what these orange flowers are, but they are nice!

 It has decorative arts so some statuary, some painting.

  Sheryl has been teaching me some of the fun stuff  my phone can do, photography wise. 

We had a tea/hot chocolate break, I had a caramel macaron, it inspired me! It was also a lovely area to relax.  

Crossing the Champs D’Elyses

We went from there to the Southby’s Auction, Again fellow artiste, there is nothing stopping you! Seriously, nothing.  This stuff is not as good as ours!

We think ( we were I just checked) we were near the Elysee Palace as there were guards on every corner.  

We came home and I decided to have a quiet night in, I am sort of glad as it is coolish and VERY windy.