Driizzle - Fizzle 8-27-15

I awoke to a fine drizzle, it is 0700 and everyone is still asleep.  So I have this lovely place to myself.  I could stay here a while I think.  

It is now 12:20 and I am fed up with waiting, as usual I hear the sweet sound of France calling while the others in my life SLEEP.  It is a good day for sleeping but I was AWAKE.  So now I am going to lunch a bit on some yogurt, cheese, meat and a baguette we bought yesterday and go forth into the world, alone I guess.

Well this was a fine day, not.  We finally got moving and decided to go to Blois, it was a good option in the rain.  I thought I knew right where it was, but surprise, it was not there, so finding it was a challenge.  We found a parking place right off the bat, but could not figure out how to pay,  the local shop keepers were not helpful, at all.  So we moved the car because I did not feel the urge to be towed.  So we parked in a parking garage which personifies the concept of sardines!  Austin spied a place where I could back up the ramp and then pull in easier than trying to slide a whale in a horse trailer.  Which is usually what I feel that I am trying to do.  

Blois is as lovely as touted.  There is a throne one can sit on and I finally felt almost as at home as when I am in Paris!  Princess Caroline at last!  The way in which folks lived over the centuries is amazing, moving from castle to castle.  Giving it away, taking it back.  Old Catherine de MIdici spent time here too, the different take on her here, versus my memories of Chenonceau, is very interesting. The Blois version is less  venomous, I think.   It is hard to remember due to events that would happen latter.  We left the castle and tried looking for an umbrella, sweatshirts and food, but the best we could find was a bar where we had a glass of local wine and extra crackers for the boys.  Leaving Blois we tried to find a place to eat as I was the only person who had had breakfast so everyone was stinking hungry, but we ran into the same parking problem.  Joe was hankering for Tartare de Boeuf so we decided to just go back to Ambois where we jumped out of the car in the rain, I vividly remember locking the car, because I felt impatient in the rain, but thought "this has to be done regardless." I remember having already placed the key on the hook in my car and locking  it. 

Four soggy creatures had dinner at a place I had indulged good steak tartare the year before.  Our food was good, but not good enough  make up for what was to come.  Jodi and I fast walked back to the car, I unlocked the car as we approached and went back to pic up the boys.  We had left them under an awning to stay dry.  It was a circuitous route, but we got back to them and back we went to Croix en Tourraine where we are staying.  We arrived back at the apartment in high spirits and everyone but me went to the back of the car and Jodi said "where is my stuff?", we searched the car high and low to no avail.  Finally it sunk in that somehow we had been robbed.  Jodi and i went back to the gendarmerie to be heartlessly told to return in the AM by 1000 to file a report.  He was incredulous that the car did not have any damage and I felt vindicated at the Pink  Panther movies, I wanted to ask him if "e would like to bbuuuy a amberger",  We came home pretty disheartened. 

Arriving 8-26-15

Everything took a LONG time.  Customs was not its customary self at Charles De Gauls and it took forever, My suitcase wheel is cockeyed and it is more like dragging it rather than pulling.  I could just cry, I had found a perfectly cute little floral tapestry piece, bought it, and then took it back because it felt frivolous!  God is ALWAY talking to us if we just listen! Getting the car was fortuitous (we are driving a automatic, diesel with navigation!), but still took a long time.  Then, the drive after not sleeping well on the plane, made the 3 hour drive feel like it, too, took forever.  We drove via Amboise, I knew it was an easy first castle for Austin to see.  And then because the cottage would not be available until 3-4 PM, we stopped at the LeClerc to buy provisions.  There was a convenient bank machine, bathrooms and a French version of Meijer's.  I hesitate to say Walmart because no one wore their pajamas, nor was there any fighting in the aisles.  I thought I knew RIGHT were we were going, I had studied and studied, and when we pulled my heart sank.  This was not the place in the photos, and no one appeared to be close.  So I called and fortunately we were not in the right place.  So we drove  bit more and found it.  It is absolutely lovely, photos never do justice to a place and this little house is not exception.  Gabriella was kind and welcoming.  There is everything we could need and more available to us.    We had a quick "parlay" and decided to go to Amboise for dinner.  We found an easy Italian place right on the main drag and all had pizza and a small bottle of wine.  I ma not wanting to create drunks out of the kids and the waitress was very serious that there would only be  three glasses of wine in the Demi I ordered.  So serious, that she only bought three glasses for us to pour.  I had told her about my fathers refrain of " I am not trying to fatten you up, just keep you alive,"  when she argued with me about having enough, but her sense of humor was lacking, it was lost in translation, or as ever soulful Jodi suggested, maybe she has a problem with anorexia and I was offensive, so she was not amused.  My pizza was good and all of the margarita pizza (cheese)  vanished, along with the wine. After a stroll around, a quick trip back and a hot soak in the baignoire (bathtub) it was bed time!

Leaving 8-25-15

What is it about leaving home that makes it all seem more?

The sky is more blue,

The city more pristine (from a distance),

Dear faces more beautiful?

And yet all day I have looked and looked and found a bluer sky, the skyline of Indianapolis more lovely and my mother even more beautiful as she smilingly bid us farewell.   

I am so grateful to have this time off,  off of work, off of my regular life and off of my regular country.

The Countdown is on!

It’s time, It’s time It’s time for another visit to my girlfriend!  I have a friend visiting her right now and I am green with envy.  But it was nice to see their photographs on Facebook and live vicariously.  As usual I am SO ready for a break in my work life.  I love my job as a forensic nurse and forensic nursing program coordinator, it is just draining to be on call all the darned time.  There is still enough mystique about Europe though,  that folks leave me alone when I am across the big water!

So this next week will be filled with all the last minute things that it takes in order to be ready to be gone.  My angel of a mother will stay here with the fur-kids so not only will they be loved on by someone I totally trust, but also someone will be in and out of my house.  We are packing to cary on, and that is a ever challenge with the mentality of the airlines.  But I think I have that area “licked” too!  The biggest concern right now it that the ONLY time I could get a mani-pedi prior to my departure was 10:00 day of our departure.  So I am hoping that Tammy is prepared and not in a dawdling mood that day.

The twist this time is that we are taking Joey and Austin with us.  This is Joey’s graduation gift a year late.  Traveling with 20 year old men will be a  novelty for me, and I am sure for them as well.  Joe is experienced, but this is a new adventure for Austin.  Unless I am dead wrong, though, Austin is a pretty laid back kid. 

Austin had to save money to pay for his own airfare, food and entrance fees.  I am so proud of him has he has managed to belly up to the bar. It was looking dicey to me for a while. I am not sure that I would have had the cash money to do that at 20!  To quote my favorite mystic:  “All will be well".

So, nine, count ‘em, nine days to go!

Another Last Day in Para(Paris)dice

Golly my last day in Paris and I was lazy again after the pace of the first part of the trip. 

I think I am just pooped.  the Kids get up and out fairly early and we have time laying in time.  I packed my box, and then we took it to ship,

I found the lady at the Bruleerie   Duval open, and the place is just as ratty as ever, but she had my tea I. One of four or five boxes sitting on the floor,  at least I knew if was fresh from the company!  So I have some Paul and Virginie tea to last until we meet again.  Funny, I lucked it out because it looked like a word I use at work a lot and ended up loving it!

Then we entered the Metro at the Bastille and went towards the Eiffel Tower via my formerly favorite market.  

It is a mess,  no longer under the Metro platform,but all along the street in a haphazard manner.  I felt dejected.  Hungry, looking for a sandwich and wanting some peace, we headed towers the Champs Du Mars, only to find it all crapped up too!  We eventually found a snack bar, got some food and a reasonable view of my girlfriend.  

But the background notice of the workers was distracting. 

I knitted some, Jodi and I took photos, and we just lingered.  

It was a beautiful warm fall afternoon.  

I had a hair appointment for 5PM and it was an adventure.  I think I have the vocabulary down and then have a hard time with it,  but the young lady who cut my hair was cute,and I really like my cut.  

Not terribly different, but enough so I feel freshened up and not a little sassy!

Jodi hung out in the Place du Voges while I was getting my hair cut and we both talked about the demonstrations we had experienced.

Jodi was feeling my pain in our immanent departure.

There was a cute little clothing store under our apartment and I had been meaning to stop in all week, so we did and to my great surprise the prices were good, and the tops fit!  Jodi talked, yet it is ALL her fault, me into three tops and tried for a fourth, but even I............

For dinner we went to Le Caveau en l'Isle. I thought everyone could find something and it worked out pretty well, even though the fondant was a molleux and not fondant.  

My duck was o.k., 

And Jodi had a vegetables plate.  

Dean had his 15th steak but said it was good.  I talked m into getting Bernaise sauce on the side and at least tasting it. It was BAD!  So not a find, really.  

Shopping and the Moulin Rouge

Today was another lazy morning, we left and bought a box,

then walked toward BHV looking for perfume for me and Gwen, I got lucky and she did not.  I had saved my BD money and so I will come home smelling French!!!!

i eyeballed a purse, but I did not like the color available and we moved on.  I have been looking and looking for a french waiter wallet to no avail, but did get lucky later and found a cheapie with touristy stuff on it that will make me happy for a while to come!  

Then on to G Detour, with a stop for lunch on the way.  

I decided to try a little place that looked like they were just starting out. There was no sign on the building or awning like most, only  a name written on the window.  I ordered potage d'ongion and Fois Gras,  Jodi a milleflois.  We got our food, or rather I got my soup and Jodi her dessert.  My soup was just like you get it in the states, so thick with bread that is was hard to really call a coup and so lacking in cheese that it was difficult to discern.  Jodi's dessert, well let's say had a few presents some apples that looked like from a can. The crust was so puffy that you would have thought it was so e different dessert but not a millifois.  We waited and waited on my fois gras, I finally asked that if it had not been prepared as of yet, I really didn't need it.  To which I was told it was already preparedm but I heard the waiter on the phone asking someone where it was.   So clearly there was none in the house.  On some level, I can appreciate quick purchases to ensure freshness, I can not appreciate that he lied to me.  

When it arrived at last it was swimming in a pool of brown purred  stuff that tasted like puréed kidney beans.  Still in the spirit of assisting a fellow cooking type persons suggested to the waiter that maybe some tension between the flavors might be more interesting,  to which he just acted offended.  He informed me that everyone loved it.  O.K., but where is everyone, we we're one of 2 tables taken in the place.  NO good deed goes unpunished!  

Then we went to G Detou for some vanilla and chocolate perles, dextrose, well.........  I had a list.  But I only got the vanilla and the chocolate perles.  I  HOPE I can order the dextrose online because it only came in a kilo package.  

Now I am beginning to be loaded down.  But on we went to the 5th where I had seen a touristy purse and wallet that needed to come home with me.  I have been looking for months for some new bathroom accessories.  I just have not found anything that this my hot button, until we were in another little souvenir shop and there they has just what I have been looking for! Along with all the other necessary other presents for home, we were really weighted down now, and decided to spend some time in the park behind Notre Dame.  

There was a daddy with his son there:  they played soccer, swang, and talked to other families present.  He was so tender with his son.  

I tried to ge the little chap to play with me, but he was too shy.

Jodi wasnt too shy to play though!  

Eventually we had to wander home and we decided to walk.  

I had a chocolate ice cream for dinner as we are going to the Moulin Rouge tonight.  

I went to a show who I was a kid with grandma, part of our "tour".  But have not been in the years since,and Jodi was not so excited. I told her to get ready to enjoy some T & A because we had the tickets and they were not cheap.  

I did not know anything about arriving, so we left an hour early. Got to the taxi stand and there was a long line.  Worried to pieces that they would not seat us if we were late I internally fusses and fussed. At last a cab appeared with a green light on top and we got in.  The first words out of his mouth were it is three euro extra for a fourth person, I said do I need to leave someone behind?  Seriously, What is one going to  do about it?  Pick one person to leave behind?  Our time together does not start well.  Then he asked where we were going and I tell him, mind you this would to have been on my list of things to do tone begin with.  This arrogant ass laughs and says "tourists",  now he has made me so angry that I am unable to speak.  I am sure the anger radiated off me me I was so furious,  those tourists make up a huge part of the Parisian economy. I finally relaxed enough to face forward again and when we got there I told him. I would like to see him make a living without tourists!

The Moulin Rouge was interesting and as much as a glimpse of LauTrecs era might be nice, I was glad for the AC and no smoking rules.  

My favorite segments we're a ventriloquist  with a little white dog ( it was precious) and the can-can!

Oh and the champagne that came with,  enough said.    

Everything became very funny and we had a great cabbie on the way home, patient with my hysterical French.

Cookin again

We had a lazy morning followed by trip to Cookin With Class.  The cooking school is in a new location, not the best part of town, but the new space is awesomme.  

I was disappointed to find I had a new teacher, but Alex was funny and I learned a lot from him today.

 We made a millefois, chocolate tarte, chocolate icecream, and caramels.  The class is about 4 hours long, and the new school does not have stools which made it hard to stand that long.  Otherwise the class was delightful.   

 

 The Kids were home when we got back, and we decided to eat at a place I had found that was just up the street.  I don't know if I said wrong or someone heard wrong, but there was not a restaurant at the address I had in my notebook so we just hit up what was close and it was bad.  I ordered steak tartare and it was insipid, I added tobacco, then wurtze, then I even tried balsamic vinegar to no avail.  

When we got home we found that the restaurant was a block further up the st, and probably open.  Cest la vie.

Dessert was the fruit of my labor.