No further word about the TGVs to Bordeaux tomorrow. We could have stayed an extra night here in Paris, but I'd rather take my chances. If nothing else, if our particular train gets canceled, we get a full refund (78 euros for the two of us) and we get to take another train. If there is one.

Keep me up to date.I'll do the same.

We just had a lovely dinner with whathello, kerouac, and fuzzbucket, and then went to FMT's bar for a nightcap, and Mrs.FMT was there. Was lovely to meet them. Great dinner, too, at Mobilis in Mobili, but really slooooooow service.

It was indeed a nice evening.

So far, it looks like all of the trains to Bordeaux are running today.

Bonjour StCirq et kerouac et merci. TGV folks wrote that all is well after 8 this a.m. My train leaves at 10:28 de Gare Montparnasse.

Back to TR soon.

So does ours. See you there maybe!

This connection is making me crazy! Previous posts seem to arrive en masse.

Wednesday, 27 Avril, 2016 part ii

Sight: Giverny

Meals: no breakfast

Lunch, Terrasse in Les Nympheas (Giverny)

Quiche Lorraine avec frites
Bougogne rouge Cote
19,80 euros

Frites earn an A, but the quiche was runny and bland so gets C. Also, it was a huge amount of food.

Dinner, Le Machon de Henri

Foie gras de canard;
Magret decanard caramelise a l'orange et au gingembre, puree de pommes;
Clafoutis aux fruit de saison (pears and plums);
Vin gamay and Bordeaux
52 euros

I gave this meal a C+. Great orange sauce and very tender duck but I expected fois gras to be warm and fat onto duck to be crispy. Clafouti had no crunch either. Another meal with too much food. Ionly ate half of each meal.

Long part next.

Long version: OK, on to Giverny. I wrote above about the cab ride and the three of us looking for the ticket holders line. As you face the ticket line, turn right and see group and ticketed painted in green on the wall. The building where tickets are sold IS Monet's home.

There are quite a few other buildings. The Musee of Impressionism is further along that road on the right. Please don't confuse it with artist's atelier.

Upon entering the ticketed area, one has the option of seeing the lily pond first, and I did. The American philanthropist Annenberg donated an underground passage to it. Before, one had to cross the road. Monet got. Complaints about possible poisoning of the local waters.

My photos should show what was in bloom, but the early spring plants like forsythia were in full bloom. Azaleas, tulips and other bulbs just right. There were just a few other tourists.

Back to thehouse

Kindle 3, TDudette 0.

Back to the house. It isn't huge but it is neat. The front yard has thousands of the same plants plus arches that will be covered in roses.

The house was decorated by Monet himself. I found it inviting and more than special that 2 Cezanne's are in a bath room (copies now but not then). One can leave through the gift shop that was Monet's final studio.

It took me a little over an hour and by noon:30 I was hungry. There is a less expensive cafe but Nymphaes was close. Afterwards, I peeked into the gift shop next to it and said ooh la la at the prices.

The morning cabby had given us his cards. As I spot a huge black cloud, I asked a guy if he'd call and he did. The instant he drove up, it started to snow!

I was one hour waiting for the 2:53 (14:53) train but found a table and wrote some TR.

Upon return to St. Lazare, my a.m. buddies who visited the museum, just made the train as tout le monde called for taxies also. They loved the Caillebotes in the museum. Monet collected much art. Copies in the house and the rest donated in this and other museums.

Took a cab home and rested and read emails about possible strike. Le Clement can accommodate me until Monday if I cannot get to Bordeaux. I sent an email to the TGV folks.

The folks at La Vachon were very nice, but the food was not as good as last night. I strolled along the street and liking this area with its many places to eat. A person should live here.

Bon soit, mes amies.

TDudette:

I am enjoying your trip report and conversations. Feels like I am right there at your side! I imagine the gardens at Giverny provide an ever-changing show throughout the growing season. I was there in late summer and the gardens were lovely. Did you walk through Monet's house? I was blown away by his collection of Japanese woodblock prints. Had lunch at Les Nympheas, too.

TDu, I am enjoying your report but it sounds like the food you are finding is mediocre!

I wrote soit again. So far, I have lost my umbrella, kindle stylus, and forgot my razor.

Hi 2010 and thanks. Yes, I was in the house and feel the same way about ALL of the works he collected. Book about Giverny says he had over 300 of the wood blocks.

I am in my room in Bordeaux now. It is 2-4 steps up from Le Clement. Going to the symphony tonight and hope to get TR caught up after.

OH, my Visa chip card worked on the auto ticket machine! So many Yippees!

Hi jubi, The time differences are placing messages after I have posted BUT before my post. Yes, food not spectacular but so far La Boussole was best. I did offer to adopt the owner if he would make cake all the time... I miss WFD!

StCirq, I just tried to call. No ans. Will try later. Hope you got home.

TD; I can just feel your enthusiasm and joy!!

Great vacation and lovely to stay with a friend.

Just found this, and am enjoying reading about your adventure!

TD, glad for all the Yippees! I am enjoying this immensely and looking forward to more.

Love your description of Giverny. I have yet to get there. One of these days. Enjoying following along.
Not snowing here, but rainy and very cool.

TD, thanks for the description of Giverny [can't believe that I've never been there] and your continuing struggle to get a really good meal in Paris.

hope you get to Bordeaux ok.

St C - sounds like a great meal with the Fodors crowd.

TD, great report. Glad the TGV obliged and got you to Bordeaux. We went to Giverny in June and the flowers were lovely. Unfortunately every school trip seem to have converged there on the same day. We were fortunate to be in Monet's home when the skies opened. Quick storm that was over by the time we got through inside.

Sorry, TDude, was finally back home and surveying the garden to see what might have happened in our absence. Phone was inside. We'll meet you in Le Buisson at 10:17 tomorrow. No problem. Look for a haggard couple. We;re going to have an epic lunch.

What a long day! What a lot of logistics! What a lot of complicated French to deal with! What a success when we finally managed to skirt our way around the local train strikes and get our way home to Les Eyzies and pick up our ride

home with Jocélyne, who lectured us all the way home about hiring a friend of hers whom she claims is dishonest, and we shouldn't go there. I was so fried and tired, I finally just told her to zip it and save it until I had some energy for small-town rivalry stuff again.

Really nice to be back in the quiet countryside again, though how can you not love Paris?

Just back from symphony. See you tomorrow, StCirq and hi to all whose emails to which I have not yet responded.

I can only emphasize the importance of finding your way BACK to your hotel.

Bon soir!

I can only emphasize the importance of finding your way BACK to your hotel.>>

I spy a story there, TD. Care to share it with us?

Day 5, 28 Avril 2016 Bordeaux!

Short:

Sights: Fields of yellow, Opera house, Parlement Squar

Breakfast: croissant, high top, OJ and cafe au lait

Lunch: Ham/sandwich, pringles, water (on train)

Dinner: Bistrot Edouard

St. Emilion;
Dorade deglace au vinaigre de cidre;
Fondant chocolate
25 euros
A-

Long:

Nice, TDudette! I am following along and enjoying. Sounds like a wonderful trip.

Eagerly awaiting Long;)

Long, ii:

Said goodbye to the nice folks ar Le Clement.

They called a cab and it is G7. Driver says this is the best cab company. Les chauffeurs are held to a higher standard. Accordingly, he took me to Gare Montparnasse entrance with an escalator.

By worrying about being late, I am over an hour early and it is downright cold in the gare. They have not posted the track (voie) yet so I find a spot to sit and read. To warm up, I visited the nearby heated info room with various questions. Is the train to Tarbes the TGV I take? Is my e-ticket all I need?

First class on the TGV doesn't look measurably more lux than second--more leg room? In years past, someone came by with a food cart. This time, one went to another car.

The seat nnumbers were on little electronic squares atop each seat. Very smart for re-arranging train cars.

Good trip to Bordeaux and we pass fields with the most yellow plants. StCirq will tell me it is colza which she and Steven believe is for canola oil.

Wifi goes caput but I have books on the Kindle and enjoy the scenery. A toddler runs up and down the aisle until he falls. He sidled up to me when I opened the can of pringles, puts his hand on my leg, and stares out of puppy dog brown eyes.

Thanks to all kind for words above. I have lost posts twice on this Kindle. Or is it the connection? Forgive poor spelling and no French accents.

Note to self to check map for all the rivers the train crosses. At the Bordeaux Gare, one is greeted with full scaffolding and almost a half hour to reach the toilets. ,70 euros for a stop in a nice potapotty.

Tram desk is empty but the sncf folks point me to the tracks and ticket machine. It takes me watching for another 20 minutes a French woman to get her credit card accepted but I finally get one. Just keep hitting "valider" after you choose the type of ticket and number of riders until the icon of coin slot appears. The tram is wonderful and hotel is 1/2 block from Quinconces stop. Another Yippee.

I meant to write that with a first class ticket, our was first on BUT last in line upon arrival in Bordeaux.

This hotel is very nice. Room is brighter and larger than previous one. Wait till you see photo of carpet and curtain in this music-oriented area.

Front desk folks are friendlier than before and we sort out some laundry (my free day the holiday 1 May is also a Sunday so much closed), and directions to places open early enough for pre-symphony dinner.

I unpack and head out around 5:45. It is an easy walk to Place du Parlement and I pass many eateries and young folks. A street with a tattoo place gives me pause. I note location of nearby and immense Opera house. Old (and maybe empty?) huge buildings. I hope to get a closer look.

Dinner!

Chose Bistrot Edouard randomly and it is best meal yet, however, my table gave me a good view of the boxes of wine lining the serving area. The cider vinaigrette gave the dourade a wonderful taste. Another however, was the entire fish on the plate. If you knew DH you knew we rarely ate in fancy places. But servers always made a big deal of de-boning whole fish. With the exception of 5 or 6 bones, I did a good job and buried its head beneath a pile of oranges. Nice salad with a mild vinaigrette.

Server hooked me up to wifi. Have you all noticed that places are more quiet these days?

With perfect timing and planning I leave for the Opera house. "Oh Madame, this performance is at the Auditorium. Do not worry. If you walk quickly you will make it." Moi, walk quickly?

so they are still working on Bordeaux station - they were doing so a year or so ago. I think they like making people walk - we thought it would be easy renting a car from the station but it turned out that we had to walk a mile or so to the rental depot which is allegedly sited there.

i hope you made it to the correct place for the opera!

Sounds terrible, annhig. You were brave to drive.

Moi, walk? So, directions received and asthma inhaler clenched, I hustled up the street to Auditorium. The Hippopotamus store is on the corner and made it with 2 minutes to spare.

Doggone, they switched from Prokofiev to Charles the 4th and an amazing Russian hymn about Mother Russia's enemies, wars, dead boys and rebirth with full and outstanding chorus. I will furnish details later. Few things enchant me as much as watching an energetic conductor who knows the music fluently. A conductor who almost jumps in the air, who makes a tight upward twirl or a grand sweep with the baton.

The British narrator of the Shakespeare sounded very much like the late actor Alan Rickman. Although I would not have chosen this performance, it was very enjoyable.

To beat the crowd, I followed a less used sortie sign and ended up in a dark alley. Just the place we are warned against, eh? I made myself invisible like the grandfather in "Little Big Man" and found tthe Hippo store and the opera house in view. There are fewer tourists and more youngsters out. Two pass me and either ask me for a date or said I am too out to be abroad.

Back to room and it is too late to call StCirq so sent her an email and crashed.

Bon soir!

Day 6: Friday, 29 Avril, sunny cool.

Short:

Lunch, only lunch: Auberge de Layotte with

StCirq and Runningtab ("MS")

Course 1: Terrine ortilles (nettles)
Course 2: Pate of wild boar; smoked ham; red cabbage salad with fern, wisteria and primavera.
Course 3: Duck confit with rhubarb; pommes de terre a la saladaise.
Course 4: Boar and stag stew.
Course 5: Des fromage
Course 6: Walnut cake with side sirops of green tomato, dandelion, sorrel, roses, and dill

Cafe (no lait) with sugared sage or sugar. Digestif choices of coriander, juniper, rose or plum.

I will editorialize and more fully describe this resto and our lovely meal ere long. Hopefully MS can correct and add in the meantime!

Long:

You write a nice report, TDu, through good times and travel niggles. You have the right spirit for travel.

But I think you made a mistake going past that tattoo place. Can you go back and get a tattoo? Then you could call yourself Tat2TDuTwo on Fodor's.

TDu, you didn't stay overnight at St Cirq?

Good point, Coquelicot, go find that tat parlor!
Still loving following along with your journey.

LOL, coquelicot about the tat possibilities. Where could it be placed for maximum interest? And thanks for your nice words.

Long:

I was up at 6:30 to catch the 8:05 train for St. Cirq. On the tram yesterday, I see my plan to use it on sunday to tour Bordeaux is dashed. There will be no tram on Sunday. I regretfully decide to make my MS trip a day one. I convey this in last night's email to StCirq. They are pooped from Paris, so I hope the will be relieved.

It is a 2 hour trip on the train. The views around Libourne and St Emilion show wine and more wine--plantings on huge and small scales but all staked and about a foot high. The height of the tractors could could be adjusted as plants grow.

As we proceed, landscape becomes more rolling. Trees hugged the sides until they are growing from rocks! Poppies pop up from between and beside the rails.

There were quitena few stops and I wished for an alarm clock so as not to go to Sarlat. All is well and it is a treat to see MS. They have not received my email but understand about my decision. With her fluent French, StCirq and the sncf gal sign me up for the 5;30 train.

We go off to the Le Bouisson market where we get vin noix, candied fruit, and a cool antique coffee pot. Then to a specialty store for some saffron, and finally to Julien's cave for peach wine.

And now--drum roll please--MS and I are off to our amazing lunch. Steven (a super driver) takes us through Les Elysies (sp?) where StCirq says streets are packed in the summer with folks here to see the cave drawings thought to date back 40,000 years.

The sign for resto would be easy to miss and the rutty road dismayed but the day is warmer and still sunny. Owner lives here and welcomes SM with open arms and we are led to a table by a fireplace with fire.


I neglected to say above that a bottle of red wine, water and an aperitif (I forget--rose?) are provided for our table, but with one short plastic tumbler to use for all. I daresay the courses consisted of enough food to feed at least twice our number. One does not order; food that has been grow on site ot bought locally served. Cheese but no milk. Since I don't know what some of this food is SUPPOSED to taste like, I am giving this meal an A- for food but an A+ on originality. SM can say more.



We ate and talked for over 2 hours. Much about the food, the area,

what to see in and around Paris, how MS got to the area, and how happy they are. Only grrr is bureaucracy.

yestravel, your post appeared while I was typing. Maybe Fodors can provide body stickers for our next gtg.

Off to take a nap....

Oops, just remembered your upcoming trip, cmcfong. I think Bordeaux would make a great base for exploring this area. Mind you, I don't have a car. annhig can tell you more about driving to and from. Looking at the tram maps, I think you can see most of the sights easily.

StCirq said that the current mayor has improved the historic area immensely. The words 'formerly glorious' have come to mind a couple of times.

Sarlat is a straight shot by local train. I don't know how far from the center it is.

Can others contribute here?