Tuesday 7/26/16

Dave and I went down to Maison Plisson again for pastries for breakfast and then took off for the Catacombes.  Nick was able to purchase tickets for us online yesterday so we were able to skip the long lines and go right in.  The tour was amazing, yet macabre!  The cemeteries in the city were full and were beginning to collapse into church basements so it was decided to move all of the bodies in the dead of night to the abandoned quarries.  The work was begun in 1756 and was not completed until 1814.  One of the young men in charge decided to place the bones in arrangements so that there was some order and design to them.  There are the bones of over 6 million people in the Catacombes, including some famous people as well as plague victims.  When we came back out into daylight, we texted Nick and met them at the St. Paul metro stop.  Dan was getting his hair cut nearby so we waited for him and then walked to a famous place for hot chocolate.  It poured out of the pot like melted candy bars - it was that thick and it was wonderfully delicious!  We then walked down to the Bastille Tower and hopped on a canal boat for a tour.  We went under the Bastille Tower through a 2 km. tunnel and then through a series of locks.  The ride was delightful until we came to a lock which would not open.  The tour took a short walk to the other side of the lock and were going to reboard, but since we were almost at the end of the tour, we opted to walk to the nearest metro station and head for home.  This is our last day in Paris and we are going out for a fancy dinner tonight so I will go and get ready to change.  I will put pictures on when I get a chance at home.  This has been a magical trip, it is sad that it is ending, but we have had a wonderful time with many great adventures.

Monday 7/25/16

Laura and I walked up the street to a wonderful bakery, Maison Plisson, and picked up croissants and other goodies for breakfast.  These must be the best croissants in Paris, if not France - melt in your mouth delicious!  We then all walked to Notre Dame Catherdral - great gargoyles and a first for us:  a stained glass window with opening panels to let in fresh air!  We walked back and on the way stopped to pick up empanadas for lunch - very good.  We then took the Metro to the Arc de Triomphe.  What a wonderful view from the top and what a crazy traffic mess!  There are 8 boulevards that come into a circle around the Arc, including the Champs Elysees, which is 4 - 6 lanes wide.  There are no lines in the circle so people just make their own way around and cut in front of others when they want to get out onto one of the boulevards - fascinating to watch!  There was a quick little rain shower when we were at the top - this thinned out the crowd.  We stood under an overhang until it passed.  It was a warm day so the wet shirt felt good.  When we came down, we decided to walk along the Champs Elysees so that we could window shop in the very expensive stores and Dan could fancy car spot for his blog.  We came back and had a nice dinner at the Cafe Hugo at the Place de Vosges, just down the street from the apartment.

Sunday. 7/24/16

This morning we made our way by Metro to the Louvre.  What a massive museum - you could come here every day for a week and still not see the whole thing!  I had chosen two pieces as "must see" items so we enjoyed other pieces of art on our way to see Winged Victory and the Mona Lisa.  We came out and walked through Tuileries Gardens, where we stopped to let Ella play for a few minutes on the playground equipment (and where Laura got christened by a bird overhead) and tried to make our way to the Arc de Triomphe.  Unfortunately, all of the pathways and roads were being blocked off as it was time for the end of the Tour de France, which come down the Champs Elysees to the Arc.  We gave up that quest and made our way to the Luxembourg Gardens (beautiful) and then back to the apartment for a small rest.  Dave and I tried to go the the Catacombes, but the line to get in was blocks long so we texted Laura and Nick and we decided to meet up at the Eiffel Tower.  Laura, Nick and the kids opted to walk up the first two levels - Dave and I took the elevator all the way up to the top.  There was a great view of the city from the top!  We spent a lot of time walking around and enjoying the views from every angle before taking the elevator back down.  We got back to our general area and found a restaurant in which to have a late dinner.  We got back to the apartment around 11.  Before going to bed, we discovered that we could see the Eiffel Tower if we leaned out of Laura and Nick's window.  It is lit at night and changes color - quite spectacular!

Saturday 7/23/16

It rained heavily last night, but that was okay because we were inside and it was our last night.  We had just over an hours ride to the airport this morning.  Fortunately, the car rental return is just across the street from the terminals.   We got our boarding passes, got rid of our luggage and had a very easy time going through security as there was a special line for families traveling together.  Our flight was short.  I sat next to a young man (9th grade) from Melbourne, Australia.  His father is French and he comes here every other year to visit his grandparents in Toulouse.  He must be a great kid as his favorite subject is math!  We took a taxi van to the apartment that we are renting for the few days we are here in Paris.  We are located just a block away from the Place de Vosges, which is the oldest planned square in Paris.  It was built between 1605 and 1612.  The surrounding grand buildings are all of red brick - very impressive.  Dave and I took Dan and Ella to the square so that Nick and Laura could have some quiet time to figure out dinner plans, etc.  We walked along one side of the square which had all of the art galleries and had a contest about the weirdest painting or sculpture - there were several in contention for first place.  We ate at a small restaurant a few blocks away.  We found a bakery that they had been in on a previous trip here and Dave and I volunteered to go out tomorrow morning for fresh croissants for our breakfast.  Dave and I are relaxing at the apartment while the others have gone for ice cream - we were just too full.

Friday 7/22/16

It is a bit rainy today so it was a sleep in day for Dan especially.  When Ella woke up, we left Dan sleeping and went into Mirepoix for fresh croissants.  Dan was awake when we returned so we had eggs and croissants for brunch.  We had a relaxing morning - caught up on a bit of laundry, which we had to hang inside, did some reading and straightening of suitcases.  The sun came out weakly and it was pool time!  When everyone was dressed we drove to another vineyard - this one featured sparkling wines and then went into Mirepoix to get a few more postcards.  We decided to have leftovers (mostly pizza) for dinner as we will leave tomorrow after breakfast.  We will be flying from Toulouse to Paris for the next part of our adventure.  La Prade has been a wonderful and relaxing haven.  We have enjoyed the local sights, but it has been nice to come back to the pool and the lovely gardens.  Everyone is feeling very relaxed.  I will catch up with you all again once we get to "The City of Lights".

Thursday 7/21/16

Happy Birthday to Laura!  We got up earlier than the kids would have liked to drive to Grotte de Niaux, a cave famous for its prehistoric cave drawings.  Unfortunately, all of the tours were booked until Saturday.  It was a disappointment, but we went to plan B.  We drove up to a ruined castle, Le Chateau de Miglos high up on a hill and admired the wonderful views of the mountains and the valley.  We decided to drive across the mountains - spectacular scenery and sometimes we were above the clouds - on an unsaved, winding road.  We stopped at a small village, but there was no bakery so we continued on to Ax-Les-Thermes, a city built on hot springs.  We had lunch in the main square and put our feet in the springs.  Ella was excited as her child plate had a hamburger and purple mashed potatoes!  Unfortunately, while we were having lunch, the market and most of the shops closed.  I took a picture of a little girl in the cafe who had the larges lollipop I had ever seen.  I took a picture and then went over to talk with the father.  It was not the huge lolly I supposed, but a round container filled with about 20 smaller candies.  The shops close up for "lunch hour" - usually from 1 or 1:30 until 3:30.  We did get to admire a mountain bike that was for rent.  The young man who owned the shop says he rents the bikes as they cost 5000 euros to buy!  I must say that it had all the bells and whistles - shock absorber on the front fork and in the frame and a specially raised chain so that you wouldn't bottom out while going downhill, but really - 5000 euros?!  On the drive back we drove through beautiful countryside.  There were many places where trees were planted next to the road making a lovely shaded alley for the car.  We stopped at Domaine Gayda for a bottle of wine for Laura - beautiful grounds - huge bunches of lavender and a rose bush planted at the beginning of every row of grapes.  We came home and jumped in the pool for a refreshing swim and then Laura and Nick went up the road for pizza (a small RV fitted out with a brick oven) for our dinner.  The choices were different and wonderful - we tried several: chicken with pineapple, ham, asparagus, and mushrooms, lamb, sausage, onions and mushrooms.  We came in and had cake and ice cream to celebrate Laura's big day and then played a game of pinochle.  It was another wonderful day!

Wednesday 7/20/16

Today we had a kid-centered day.  We went to a go-kart track, where Laura and Ella took the slow cars (putt-putts) and Nick and Dan took the fast ones.  Dave and I opted to be the photographers.  Everyone enjoyed the experience.  Dan was excited as the track was very long and he beat Nick, going 65 kmh and having the best lap time at 1.16 to Nick's 64 kmh and 1.19.  We then drove to a lake where we had lunch in the cafe.  The water was quite cold so again Dave and I (the wimps) elected to watch.  Laura was excited to get a long distance swim in (the pool length is about a half normal lap), but we heard thunder getting closer so wisely elected to pack up.  We got sprinkled on slightly as we walked to the car, but the bigger drops waited until we were driving.  Once at home, Ella and I made a birthday cake (Ella's execution, I just stirred).   It was a bit of a challenge not having the correct tools (no beaters, just a wooden spoon)   and ingredients, but we were able to make a bluish/pink vanilla cake with chocolate frosting.  The edges got slightly burned (the oven was in Celsius), but we trimmed them.  We played Kings in the Corner (a card game) while we waited for it to cool.  The frosting was made with super fine sugar as there was no confectioners sugar at the market, but it was good despite being slightly grainy.  Ella decorated with a variety of sprinkles in patterns and arranged the candles to make the number 44.  We went out to dinner in Mirepoix at La Flambee.  The dinner was very excellent - Dan had a whole pot of mussels and then we went for ice cream in the square.

Sadly, I can't seem to get any more pictures onto the blog as the machine is full.

Tuesday July 19, 2016

Today we went to Grotte de La Bouiche, a cave with the longest underground river in Europe.  It was discovered in 1938 by a young man.  We took three different boats with a guide through the cave (had to get out and walk past a waterfall and another section that was too narrow for the boat).  The guide pulled the boat along the river by using a series of cables in the walls of the cave.  I found it interesting that the boats had to come into the caves in pieces and built on site as they wouldn't fit through the opening.  Cameras were not allowed inside of the cave so I only have a picture of the exit.  There were a couple of wonderful structures.  My favorites were the birthday cake, complete with candles and a giant foot structure aptly named Big Foot.   We then drove to Foix where we had lunch in a cafe just under the hill that the castle stood upon.  The castle is on a very tall rock structure in the middle of the city.  We walked up to the castle (Chateau de Foix) and enjoyed a self guided tour.  This is a medieval Cathar castle first mentioned in 987.  The round tower, however, was not built until the early part of the 15th century.  Not surprisingly, it was only taken once in 1486 and that was due to treachery between two branches of the Foix family.  I got

a picture of the boys climbing up to the castle and the girls at the top of one of the towers. There is also a view of the town from the castle as well as one of Dan and Ella standing inside of a fireplace.  We came back to the house and had a swim before a wonderful dinner made by Nick.

Pix from Mirepoix

Mirepoix is a charming town and the closest to where we are.  It has a grocery store, the Super U, and    Plenty of restaurants.  The pictures I have selected are one of the interesting architecture, a great old sign, a funny sign: Mall of Evil?, which is a dress shop, the carousel in the middle of the square, a French couple napping after lunch at one of the cafes, and a close up of a gargoyle on the cathedral.

Pix from Chateau de Lagarde

The ruins here were impressive, but it was neat to see the drawings of what the chateau looked like when it was in its prime.  There is also a view of the Pyrenees

from the chateau, llamas under the old moat bridge and a photo of Queen Laura and Princess Ella (Ella made the crown of flowers).

Pix from Camon

The pictures are of the church bell, an arrow slit in the wall, a narrow street, a close-up of a shutter latch, a blue door with roses and a view of the river in Camon.

Pix from La Prade

I am putting up some pix from the farmhouse where we are staying.  The house is quite large.  We are staying in the darker section off to the right (separate photo).  There is a double living room, kitchen, dining area, laundry/utility room and full bath downstairs.  There are four bedrooms upstairs with 3 full baths.  Ella shares with us.  The gardens, pool area and surrounds are lovely.  I took a photo of the huge lavender by the pool.  The rainbow effect is taken in a corn field across the road from the house.  They water constantly and the sun was catching it just right.

Monday 7/18/16

We went into Mirepoix this morning to visit the Market.  It was wonderful.  There were butchers, fish mongers, bakers, and lots of people selling fresh produce.  There also were the typical stalls of clothes, shoes, leather goods, etc.  The kids loved the people selling rabbits, chickens, ducks, etc., but their favorite was a tiny black baby pig, who was not for sale, but was being used as a promotion for the Animal Rescue League.  Ella loved him because he made little noises like a squeaky and he wagged his tail when you petted him.  If you bought a box of candy, the profits would go to rescue animals.  My favorite was the escargot seller.  He had two huge wok type pans of escargot and he advertised his wares with a couple of stuffed snails on the counter.  It was a colorful, busy and fun market.  We had breakfast at a cafe (The Mad Hatter) run by some Englishwomen and then spent some time just walking around and shopping for fresh food.  We came back to the house and have all been reading or working now that the Internet is up.  We will have lunch and then go to a nearby lake for a swim.

We did not go to the lake as we were still having spotty Internet service and Laura had a wee bit of work to do before a conference call with her boss and an interview with a prospective employee later this afternoon.  She finished that up when the wifi was up and we went into the pool.  It is a warm and windy day today.  There is very low humidity here.  We are washing clothes and hanging them on an outside line and they are dry in 10 minutes!  Nick bought something at the market today that he will grill for dinner.  Later on tonight, we will go for a walk and make a plan for tomorrow.  Last night on our walk, Dan and Ella tried to roll a hay roll in a field.  They didn't get too far, but had a great time trying.  The moon was almost full so I expect that it will be full tonight.  It stays light very late here - until about midnight and the sun is up around 4:30.  Quite nice now, but I wonder if it flip-flops in the winter?

Sunday 7/17/16

The Internet was down yesterday so will try to catch up on the posts today.  Will get pix on when I can.  The owners of the farmhouse (La Prade) were very nice.  Andrew works in the business district of London and Sally is a flight attendant for British Air, although she has a reduced schedule now - she works 6 days and then has 12 off.  She also only flies in Europe so she doesn't have any overnights.  They have two children, a boy, 16 and a girl, 15.  Their daughter was here with them as well as their dog Max who had an insatiable appetite for having you throw the ball and then running to fetch it and drop it at your feet.  He apparently can do this for hours.  The humans wear out well before he does.

Yesterday was another beautiful day.  We had breakfast and then drove a short distance to Camon, which is known as the most picturesque village in France.  It was quite lovely with a beautiful Abbey on the top of the hill (now an Inn and restaurant), narrow streets and great views of the surrounding countryside and the river.  The Abbey was built in the 10th century and supposedly started by Charlemagne.  Most of the town was built in the 12th through 14th centuries.   Camon is known as the city of a hundred roses and there are roses everywhere - in gardens, on trellises on the sides of the house - quite beautiful.  We had a nice time just walking around and poking into little alleyways.  We headed back and stopped at a ruin that we had seen from the road - Chateau de Lagarde.  This was started as one watchtower in the 12th century and grew into a major fortress by the 14th and 15th centuries.  In the late 16th century it was converted into a mansion and was inhabited by a series of dukes until the French Revolution.  The owners fled to Italy so the commune then deemed the castle a quarry and it was dismantled for its stone, ending in the ruinous state today.  If the owners had stayed, they would have been beheaded and the mansion saved.  Quite the choice!  We came back to La Prade and had lunch out by the pool.  Some of us chose to stay in and by the pool while others chose to nap.  We then went into Mirepoix for dinner at a restaurant on the square.  Nick and Dan are quite adventurous in sampling local fare so Dan had beef tongue and Nick had tripe.  After dinner we found an ice cream stand further along the square and those who wished had either a cone or a bowl.  I am not much of an ice cream eater, but Laura gave me a taste of her strawberry and it was like eating the fruit right out of the field - I may have to indulge next time.

7/16/16 Mirepoix, France

We have arrived safely, but the Internet is very slow so am not sure about putting pictures on.  I will try tomorrow.  We landed in Paris and had to run from terminal A to terminal F to get our next flight. With the help of a lovely airport worker who expedited our baggage handling, we made it to our gate just as they were boarding.  Our flight to Toulouse was only an hour long and we were met by Laura and family.  We had lunch in the beautiful square in Mirepoix and then drove to our wonderful secluded farmhouse.  Andrew and Sally, the owners, will leave for London (their home) tomorrow morning.  The house is lovely and we took advantage of the pool right away.  Lots more to say, but the keyboard just ran out of battery juice so I will continue tomorrow.