cmcfong, what can I do to help with Bordeaux?

Sarlat is about a two-hour train ride from Bordeaux. The Sarlat train station is about a 10-minute walk from the historic center.

It's really very difficult to get around the Dordogne without a car, though. There is virtually no bus service except for workers and schoolchildren, and of course trains don't stop in the lovely little villages.

If you want to explore the Atlantic Coast from Bordeaux, there are trains to Arcachon and minibuses from there to the Dune du Pylat and Cap Ferret. All lovely places to explore.

* * * *


TDude, the apéritif was violet (as you would say, Yums!). And it was nettle soup, not terrine. A very subtle soup and very much an ancient Périgord recipe. It's actually a very homey, you might even say homely, meal...just pure simple recipes from local ingredients (most from right there on the owners' property) that change with the seasons. Add to that the infectious enthusiasm of the chef and it's quite an experience.

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. >>

You do not, IMO, want a car in Bordeaux. The traffic is awful and the trams are terrific so no need. We rented a car when we left Bordeaux and spent the rest of the week driving up through the vineyards of Margaux and Pauillac to the mouth of the Gironde where we got the ferry across to Royan, where we spent a night. Then we drove down the other side stopping off at Blaye and ending up in Cadillac, where we spent another couple of nights. Finally we went onto Arcachon for another 2 nights before returning the car to Bordeaux airport and flying home.

obviously this itinerary can be shortened or expanded according to interest or time available.

TD - sounds like a wonderful meal and excellent company. Greetings to all.

[BTW, nettle soup is also an old English recipe but I confess that I've never made or eaten it, though I did have nettle beer in Prague once and it was pretty revolting!]

Thanks, StCirq and annhig for all info above. cmcfong, it will be nice to read about your trip to this area.

After our amazing dejeune, we drove chez MS along scenic roads and through the village of St. Cirq. We can see the wonderful house high up and behind the rock homes from ages ago.

How fun it was to sip some vin noix outside and take in the views, and find even more to talk about. Seems we all had interesting mother stories.

At 5, MS return me to the gare and I return to Bordeaux.

I am enjoying reading about the trip, TDudette.

We really do have to get back to France soon -- maybe next year.

Tdu, if you hang on another two weeks we will meet you in France.

In the meantime, your posts are getting me in a French frame of mind. Well, a visitor-to-France frame of mind.

I hope your trip continues to be satisfying.

Day 7: 30 Avril, 2016: 54 with rainy blowy weather

Short:

Sights: Cathedrale St. Andre; Bourse


Breakfast: Fresh fruit (diced and whole), pain du chocolate, coffert and my own little pot of coffee with another of lait chaud.

Snack: Cafe Baillardran: Cappuccino, macaron chocolat, soffrett
€6,10

Lunch: Karl--Quiche Lorraine, salad, cafe au lait (emporter)

Dinner: Brasserie L'Orleans; Chateau Villa Bel Air (Graves) 2011, Entrecote au poivre, Mousse au chocolate.
€35

Long:

An email from StCirc had us in agreement that we slept well last niight. I didn't even set the alarm. Validating that decision was the wind and rain to which I was greeted.

I was alone in the breakfast room and enjoyed hearing Beethoven ninth in background. Returned to room and stayed there until noon catching up on TR, going through papers and clothes.

Desk clerk and friends enjoyed a day trip to Saint Emilion ("StE"). I had discussed online pre-trip a visit with one vinyard definitely open on 1 Mai. Since question of weather loomed in planning, I had not made a reservation.

Knowing there would be no train nor local bus service, made things just a litle more complicated. Clerk said go by train and just take a cab once in StE. I will also check at tourist center about tours. She also showed me the closest ATMs.

FWIW, I am just now down to €30 after coming to France with €150. I pretty much used my credit card everywhere. This is such a huge improvement from the travelers' checks of yore. Fodorite Scarlett once mentioned how spoiled she was by her DH's attention to the details; I have a huge appreciation for mine for the adding machine he had running in his brain before it was time for a cash infusion and where is that Cook's?

Sun is out so off I go. Tourist center is literally 1.5 blocks (and I pass Orleans resto reccoed above) but a busload of tourists beat me to it but they haven't gotten to the gift shop so I snag an umbrella and head out to the ATM.

Darned tourists make a line across the sidewalk. Derned tourists. It rains! It blows! I reverse course and pop into the coffee shop for the snack. This seems to be a chain but it sure is well-placed. Lots of red and a big counter filled with macarons, coffretts, and the coolest fish (clerk will say they are nougat) confections.

Service here was pretty poor. I had to get up and ask for a napkin. I had emptied my little change purse to leave a little tip, but kept returning coins as things made me unhappy. When server added an unasked for coffertt, I put some coins back. That it was hard as a rock, earned another cointake back.

Rain let up but the line for ATM is even longer so I reverse course and head to the Tram. Went inside this time and bought a 5-trip pass and take the B line for St. Andre church.

Thanks Vttrav and Coquelicot!

Walked around the church area but stayed outside. You could tell things are returning to former glory, but Bourse is calling out so I return to Tram station and change to line C that will stop there.

annhig mentioned that she and DH used the tram and one can see why. There is a good tram system in Rome also. Steve told me about Miroir d'Eau across the road from Bourse. If you have ever seen an outdoor ice rink without water, that should give you an idea. Steve said "they" make it spew fog!

The Bourse is worth the trip visually. Its vastness reflects Bordeaux's incredible importance in the past. Bord (border) eaux (waters)--get it?

Hi, TDude.

We had a rainy, windy, yucky day here yesterday, too. Today was better, but still a cold wind.

The trams in Bordeaux are wonderful. So is the Tourist Office, IMO. They do a good job, even though they are always swamped.

St-André is pretty lovely, no? The Beaux-Art Musée, not so much, unless you really like dark old religious painting, which I do not.

How much longer are you in Bordeaux? If another night or so I'll try to track down the name of the little tapas bar we read about and visited off one of the side streets from the Place du Parlement. Lord, that was good food, and inexpensive! Or seek out the Bistro St-Georges for good, solid food, lots of choices, at good prices, on a pretty square, also just south of the Place du Parlement.

The Bourse is indeed majestic. Can you imagine what that city was like in its heyday in the 17th and 18th centuries? Wowza! And much of it because of all that wine they made in the area and shipped downriver to the east in wooden boats they tore apart and burned once it got there (anyone see "Chocolat?").

Where are you staying in France, Coquelicot?

Hi StCirq!Your post came up just after I sent the short one above. You know, I had the same thought about what Bordeaux must have been like in its heyday. Incroyable.

I go tomorrow so no worries about the tapas place. I looked a bit ce soir but didn't see either place.

Yes, I saw "Chocolate" and loved it AND Johnny Depp with long hair...yum.

So, I realize Place de Parlememt is just behind Bourse and walk there to try Karl. It is busy so I emporter a quiche and salad. They get A rating. Quiche is as is should look and taste for this American (am I wrong?) and the salad has carrots, cukes, mushrooms, red lettuce and an ok tomato.

Back to room to TR some more. Then off to Brasserie L'Orleans. Others here have recco'ed.

I am seated but there is a bit of a wait as waiter has lost his tie.

teve told me about Miroir d'Eau across the road from Bourse. If you have ever seen an outdoor ice rink without water, that should give you an idea. Steve said "they" make it spew fog! >>

yes, I had forgotten that. it was quite warm at least one day when we were there and the children were having a wonderful time enjoying the cooling water spouts and "fog".

I am seated but there is a bit of a wait as waiter has lost his tie>>

a tie is necessary to produce a menu or to take an order?

well I never.

Tieless returns however another takes my order! The entrecote had a few tough parts but tasty. Sauce on the side was nice and warm so the parts that were not presque cuit--but soigne--could get cuited a bit. When pix come up, you can see how different the frites were from thise of Giverny. Both very good. I emporter'ed these and had them for breakfast.

Accompanying the meal was a half tomato gratinee. Good but skin still on. This doesn't trouble me chez moi but it does in France. Plus are toms even in season?

This meal earns a B-. The frites and gratinee save it.

Sunday, 1 May 2016, Day 8, Sunny but cool

Short:

Sights: Saint-Emilion (electric navettes avail. €3 or €5)

Breakfast: Cold frites and water from fridge (which I forgot to mention not in previous hotel)

Lunch: L'Envers du Decor: Omelette de cepes et vin blanc de la maison (best wine--Cote de Bordelaise)

Dinner: fuXia (not a typo): Gnocchi al pesto, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Bio

Long:

Up and out by 9:30 to walk the 1.5 block to taxi line. Oh, I pass a beautiful rug in a rug store along the way. Oh my. Well no local bus or tram service. Am able to use ticket machine for aller et retour. Since the times are specified, I don't need to use the yellow validator machine.

Nice 1/2 hour ride to STE. None of the things I read mentioned the electric navettes. They took us to the top and it was worth it. Nice couple I spoke with said the walk to the town was easy but to the big vinyard pretty difficult. Hah! Easy has a different meaning when one is 20.

STE is so picturesque. Please read about the history of this area. The knights Templars, the monolithic church. Fascinating.

Not mobbed on this holiday....yet. I stroll and go into the wine school. Have just missed the tour but look around the gift shop filled with bottles of wine and wine accessories.

Also, there is a fun room where one can test one's nose. You open a tube, inhale, then guess the aroma but pressing one of 3 buttons.

I pass resto at 11:30 and they say come back at noon which I do. Truly, the wine went with the omelette perfectly. B+/A-

Back to pickup spot after seeing many wine stores and expensive restos. There are meny more people now and not enough places to park?

I suggest train to STE, navette up the hill and walk back to train. It took 10 minutes to drive down the hill.

No, toms are not in season now, so you can't expect much. Not until late June or July, really. But skins on? Nah. And no tie? That's odd, as no one much cares normally.

I cannot believe there are navettes in St-Emilion now. You'd think I'd know about such things, but actually a lot of my current info comes from visitors like yourself! Good to know, though, because that hike up the hill isn't all that much fun. I like St-Emilion off-season like now - in July and August, not so much. Glad you got to see it. The monolithic church is a wonder.

The French love those little smell tests. Our Tourist Office in Le Bugue has one for kids that involves about 20 little vials of essential oils. The kids have to smell each one and mark down, from a list they're given, what is what - cinnamon, lavender, cumin, honeysuckle, lilac, sumac, caraway...I've always thought that was a bit of a testament to their passion for the intimacy of foodstuffs, to impress the delicacies of smell upon youngsters.

So you are back to Paris now? If you get to the 20ème, don't forget about Les Entrepôt's - amazing lunch of lentils and sausage (and other homely old-world yummies for only 5.50 euros). Long way to travel for a cheap lunch, though, if you're not in the neighborhood.

Enjoy, whatever you end up doing!

Also, there is a fun room where one can test one's nose. You open a tube, inhale, then guess the aroma but pressing one of 3 buttons.>>

there was one in the Maison du Vins at Cadillac too. We had the most interesting franglais discussion with the girl there who turned out to be from Normandy; she had fallen in love with the Dordogne and got herself a job there in order to study wine. We predicted she would go far.

I have no idea how you ate those frites cold the next day, TD - cold chips is/are one of my pet hates.

The navettes are recent additions, StCirq. Even the desk clerks didn't know. If I get up to the 20th, I will find that resto. You are the best!

I love cold pizza also, annhig.

I have to tell you that I got to say, "That eez not my dog." on the TGV today. Unfortunately, no one understood. You have to know the "Pink Panther" movies.

I am in a nifty Montparnasse room now. Going out to pick up a few supplies for the week and will finish Bordeaux tonight. Need to find Nikki and AGM's resto also.

Have about 15 minutes to wait for the train and, hearing England, sat with a woman from California and one from Paducah Kentucky who knew of DH's little home town.

Children are playing in the miroir d'eaux and it remains a sunny day.

Back to room and napped and TR'd until 7 and decided to get a shot of the opera house and find a resto. Nice evening but I decided to get closer to hotel. fuXia is next to l'Orleans and it looks casual.

I will find it online later and see that they deliver. The only gnocchi I have had did not taste like pasta. It may have been potato gnocchi though. Nice pesto taste and wide slices of parm cheese. The name of the wine made me nostalgic for Italy. B/B-. If I knew from gnocchi, it could have been a C.

Back to room to pack for Paris.

Day 9, 2 Mai 2016,60s?

Short:

Breakfast: SSDD (Same stuff, different day)

Lunch: Mixted nuts, 1/3 pack choc covered cookies, small bottle of red wine. On train - sandwiches are fini.

Dinner: La Cerisaie: Vin rouge de la maison (2);
Veloute d'esperages, fois gras et truffee rapee;
Fricasee de pigeon et raviole de foie gras;
Tarte fondant au chocolat et glace cafe.
€61

Long:

The week passed quickly. Packing, meaning taking everything out of my duffle and re-packing in order of level of cleanliness.

I have saved a croissant for emergency. In 1/2 hour, I checked out, walked to the tram, got to gare. I am an hour early once again. I found several tables where people hunted, thumbed, and pecked on devices using free wifi. And so did I.

There are 3 TGVs at around the same time so I check the train number on my ticket and all is well. I then practice saying 8430 in my head so I will recognise announcements about it. That exercise becomes useless as I meet a nice French woman who is taking the same train.

Off we go on time and conductor directs me to the furthest car. It will be first in Paris though. I hop (no, I plant the umbrella firmly on the step and heft the duffle--dirty clothes weigh more) on the nearest second classe car and make my way inside.

Frankly, I don't see much advantage of first class on thus train. Instead of a single seat, I am facing another person and we share a fold-down table.

She has a huge boxer dog. Huge. Huge. And he is the biggest baby. He gives me a kiss and settles down on my right foot. This makes it difficult for poor walkers and folks with large bags. When someone finally says, "pardon, Madam" TO ME, I reply, "Eet eez NOT my dog." No one got it, but ILMAO.

I love dogs on trains!

That is very funny TDu.

Dogs are more welcome here, elberko, for sure.

Thanks, jubi. Too bad the folks on the train hadn't seen the movie, eh?

Long, ii:

We arrive at 3 (a little late) and my bladder says take a cab even though hotel is near. Room is modern and sunny. There are 2 soap dispensers that they hope we all will use. Other than a narrow ledge by sink, no space for stuff. No wall hooks either.

I unpack and head on out. Oh, you do know about toilets with two levels of flushing, n'est-ce pas?

I spot the resto de Nikki and AGM and copy the phone number. Then to the nearby Monoprix and take my time looking at stuff. Get 4 disposable razors, shampooing [sic], and a new bottle of peroxide. Forgot the Kindle stylus.

Back to hotel and I asked desk clerk if she, with her beautiful French, would see when I could get 7:00 (19:00) table. Tonight? Another yippee!

Quickly get wash off the train and walk around the corner for the first A meal of the trip. La Cerisaie is tiny. Fewer than 20 tables. Small tables. Waiter speaks English SO much better than I speak French. I wished for StCirq's fluency.

This was my first time eating pigeon (is squab the same?) and it was very good. I was too close to my neighbors to take a photo unobtrusively but the plates were all beautifully presented and just the right portion sizes.

Received a coffert with my bill and it is perfectly cake-like. "May I return tomorrow?" I plead. "Bien sur, Madam. Same time?" "Oui, merci, Monsieur."

Oh, I think it was a confit of pigeon. Still good.

And now, to bed.

Day 10, 3 Mai 2016, 60's and mostly sunny

Short:

Breakfast: SSDD plus a twisted pain chocolate

Lunch: At Bon Marche:
Domaine Jos. Drouhin, Cote de Beaune, Bourgogne 2013 (such a long title for a meh wine);
Free-range ("Poulet Fermier" LOL) chicken, mushrooms/truffles fricasee, candied lemon.

Long:

I give this hotel 1/2 below Majestic in Bordeaux but desk gal is wonderful. The room has three windows which, when closed, completely mask the busy street below. Montparnasse tour to the left, Lafayette opposite, and Gare to the right.

The room key is flat and looks like a mag card.

Yesterday's plan is to sleep and I do! Breakfast room has window-sized photo of the back of the Orsay clock. Cute.

The shower and I make peace. There are two heads; rain and hand-held. The top knob controls the two heads by turning it. This is difficult with slippery hand. The bottom knob controls water temperature. Turning it when you mean to turn the other = ouch.

I spent the a.m. TR-ing and checking train schedule to Bayeux, and busses that go to the St. Lazare gare (again!). There is a super site for Paris busses that can download as a PDF file and I do through a free software (word for kindle?) Andrew recco'd some time ago. One doesn't need wifi for it.

Did I mention that I bought socks at Bon Marcher yesterday? My plan is to take a bus to Gare st. Lazare, return to BM for socks and stroll on back.

The 94 looks like a good one. Desk clerk says buy tickets at Gare machine and I do. In 5 minutes, I am at the machine and get 10 tickets. Outside again, there is a creperie in a tiny Swiss chalet shanty, clothing/shoe vendors setting up, AND the correct bus stop. Another yippee!

We pass all of DH's favorite places, the Raspail market and the stop for BonMarche (Sevres Babylone). What we don't pass is the Gare! I remember from last week that we went around the Madeleine not too far from it. We pass Au Printemps and I'm sure I see it. Perhaps there are some one-way streets.

Nope. We have passed it. So, I ride for a while then alight and cross the street and take the returning bus. Something is wrong. The electronic board now reads "Nouvelle Arret: Sevres Babylone". We are now by the Gare and people are repeatedly hitting the stop button.

Driver lets a bunch of folks off. I see a sign for #28 bus and make a note to recheck. Since I am fine with the new stop, I sit back and watch the world. Upon alighting, I ask driver what happened and he said bad traffic problems.

Back to shop for socks. I now have 6 pairs in diff bright colors. I forgot to mention that I drew black flowers on my white sneakers this a.m. you will see a photo of my au courant look.

Lunch was good and they gave out a perfect gourgere. The Bon Marcher is really a feast for shoppers. Beautifully arranged areas with the manufacturer names for you to see. Guess what? The big Kitchenaid mixer cost €999!

Outside, armed guards are a new and unwelcome sight. And it's 3:30! Back to bus stop and home. I got off a little before looking for a shop with stylus but no luck. Yes luck to the #28 bus stop. It is on my street just a few doors to the right. I went left this a.m.

Took a nap and TR'd in anticipation of another A dinner.

This was my first time eating pigeon (is squab the same?) and it was very good.>>

yes, just another name for the same thing, though I've never had confit of either. served with a black cherry sauce they are nice, or just roasted.

€999 for a kitchen aid is a little pricey - could it make a cup of tea as well?

I need to mark this so I can come back and catch up with tdudette!

Hi annhig and Toucan2! I got caught up last night and lost it all. Going bus around today then see if hotel has public computer. Combo small kindle keyboard and odd, albeit it free, wifi signal.

For using a little keyboard, you are doing quite well. I hope your golden words about yesterday are not permanently lost. But the trip report is not as important as the trip itelf.

Oh that is frustrating tdudette!

I got all caught up, it looks like you are having a great, and busy! time. Shame you didn't get more time with StCirq.

Hi TDu - I'm so enjoying your trip report. DH is waiting for me to have breakfast but I just can't put it down. I feel like I'm there with you. I've been to all the places you visited except unfortunately not St. Cirq's.

This is such a fun read - an "on the fly TR" - really enjoying all the bits and pieces as they come forth.

Thanks all. Here is Tuesday night dinner again:

Waiter shook my hand and asked if i wanted my regular table. Since there are only 12 tables for 2, it wasn't a terribly difficult guess.

I meet Betty and Tom from ND and enjoy them very much. We finally figure that formule dishes differ slightly from the a la carte.

Tom (alias BTW) and I each got the same starter:

Oeuf cocotte et la creme et truff-d'ete.

His had enough more cream for his to be pale yellow, while mine was brownish. If summer truffles are white AND inseason, it gets an A.

It started getting busy so we stopped chatting.

The Plat was:

Pastilla de canard, fois gras and cresson salad. The canard was tartare and encased in an "envelope" of something. Waiter didn't have an English word for cresson but it was a 6-inch green and was atop regular ones. This also gets A.

Tom had cassoulet and Betty had the trout that is the color of salmon. The both gave thumbs up.

Dessert was a little bowl of warmed strawberry halves surrounding a scoop of nougat ice cream. Atop it was a decorative cage of gingerbread. A+

Au revoir, Cerisaie! And thank you Nikki and AGM.

Back to room to lose my dinner report. So, I opened the vin noix I bought with StCirq and Steve, and wrote her a sigh email.

Cresson is an easy one: watercress.

Wednesday, Day 10, 4 Mai 2016, Not a cloud in the sky and high 60s.

Cunning slices of lemon sponge cake were tasty for breakfast, along with an HB egg, OJ, a croissant and cafe au lait. Same waiter really is noisy with dishes. I expected him to have a meltdown, but he was very pleasant when I asked about the weather.

Lunch was an A at Musee d'Orsay. Dourade (a filet) with small pieces of carrots, a parsnup and. 3 kinds of potatoes atop a swipe of mashed potatoes mixed with sesame seeds. And a glass of Languedoc-Rousillon, Chateaux de Serame.

Waiter saw me take a pix so rearranged things for dessert:

Limoncello swirled with what tasted like cream cheese ice cream. The waiter removed the rectangular dish on

which the dish rested with a square one with 2 colorful napkins. Then he stood the long spoon on end and leaned it against the plate. What a hoot. A- because I hoped for more limoncello and less glace.

Hi kerouac. Is there a type of watercress that is that large?

Long: Today was supposed to be Bayeux but I overslept. Went ahead and experimented with the #28 bus and am happy to see that its slightly different route intersects the streets nearer Grand Palais. In studying the bus routes, I see I can pick up #73 which terminates at d'Orsay.

Its end point IS gare st Lazare. Takes about 45 minutes even with traffic seemingly better than yesterday. Oh, Betty and Tom said there was a big demonstration at/near Invalides.

If it was a real pastilla, the "envelope" was made of brik, a North African dough that's even thinner than phyllo (and a bi*ch to work with) but makes a nice "encasement" for meat and/or vegetable fillings. In Tunisia one of the greatest snacks is a brik à l'ouef or brik à thon, little deep-fried pockets of brik with an egg or tuna, or sometimes both, inside. Like an empanada, but feathery light.

We had a glass of SarlaNoix last night, too. No complaints, though sometimes I like the peach one better if it's a hot day.

You should see the living room, TDudette - it looks like Baghdad!

It takes me an hour to find out that the best I can do to get a Goldilocks trip, is go to Bayeux Saturday. Lines were long everywhere. I decided to be a considerate tourist, go to Info and take an A ticket instead of a J (meaning for a ticket today) so that took longer. Another €,70 toilet visit and I had to laugh at Cruze remark about adult man in the ladies when both sexes used this one.

Here is a BIG hint: buy Bayeux tickets in advance. It wasn't a problem for me as I had flexbility on my side.

ALSO, pay attention to where bus stops and where you will pick it up. 94 is on the other side of the huge gare from the 28. DH enjoyed getting turned around--me less since age caught up with my feet and bladder.

Finally get out into the sunny day. I know I am at the end opposite of the one in which I entered so look for 94 and voila!

I take it to Place de la Concorde and stroll toward Grand Palais. Some soldiers along the way. Take shots and enjoy the weather.

Decide I would rather go to d'Orsay for the Rousseau exhibit and a shot of Impressionism. Incredibly, it's only one block to closest bus stop and it is the right one.

If seeing Monet is topmost on your list, proceed directly to the opposite end of the building until you reach the leftmost corner. There you will find the escalators that will take you to the 5th floor. If anyone knows a shorter route, kindly advise.

I don't remember a litle snack place in that area. Also, the rooms seemed larger by alot. DH and often found ourselves fighting with school kids for views.

Wear good shoes, my friends.

I ate first, walked down one side and back to Rousseau exhibit, and found the ballroom for the first time. Quel opulence.

At 3;30, my feet are done. Go back out and 2 blocks back to Blvd. St. Germaine where I spotted a #94 stop. I also stopped at Mucha Cafe for a chilled cafe and tarte citron. They added a meringue covered cookie. I am done and undone.

Sit and watch the monde for another hour. End this day with a yippee as it is the correct bus.