Returning to France Day Four

Song - Don't Panic by The Hot Club of San Francisco



My friends and I took an early morning Uber (pronounced Eww-Bear in France) to the Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature which is a private museum of hunting and nature in the 3rd Arr. in Paris. 

 They had several stuffed animals but most of what they displayed were items related to animals and hunting.  Above is a young falconer and below is a leather cap that falcons wore.

Here is a plate with the man of the house returning home with dinner.

From there we walked to the Marais and the Place des Vosges which is the oldest planned square in Paris and was built by Henri IV in 1612. It has red brick buildings and archways around a tree lined park.

No one was hungry until we saw some delicious salads coming out of Cafe Ma Bourgogne and we were gonners! We sat under one of the red brick arches and enjoyed a lovely lunch.

Next we walked over to the Jardin de Plantes as I wanted to see the Buffon Gazebo (see photo below) and Jackie wanted to see the bird aviary.  Both were a bust. 

The Gazebo was being restored so after walking up a hilltop labyrinth we were greeted with a construction site. And the aviary was kind of sad looking with only several birds inside.

Just before sunset Sydney and I went to Sainte-Chapelle to see the glorious stained glass windows. It was built in just seven years and completed in 1248.

It was originally built to house the Crown of Thorns and the relic stayed there until the French Revolution when it found a new home in Notre Dame Cathedral. 

For dinner we had reservations at L'Epigramme in the 6th Arr. We have been there several times before and it did not disappoint.  It is very small and has a lovely ambiance and great food!

PS - Sorry but my dessert was so delicious that I ate it all up before thinking about taking a photo......
Mmmmm.

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, 

if one has not dined well." 

 --Virginia Woolf

Bear With Me

Song - The Camping Song by Smith & Smith


I have been home for two whole weeks now from our recent trip to France. But due to a bad cough, lack of sleep due to coughing, jet lag, laundry and a multitude of other things, I had to put my blogging on the back burner for awhile. Now I'm back and ready to rock & roll!

My garden has been in full bloom and I am enjoying the cut flowers as well as doing some much needed work in the yard.....like putting in my vegetable garden.

Several days after returning we had a double header birthday party for my daughter-in-law Ashley and son Tyler. He always wanted to have a Bob Ross paint-along party so we dug up some of my previously used but not-ready-for-prime-time canvas's to be painted over.

Grandma Betty & Tyler

Above are just some of the birthday painters.  

Pretty great beginners here with their Bob Ross wigs on!

We painted along with his show - "Valley View".

 The very next day Mr. B flew to Washington DC for the week for work. 

I can't imagine what that did to his jetlag????

And with this last weekend being Mother's Day, my kiddo's invited me up to Boonville where they lease a little spot of beautiful land for camping and hunting.  This weekend they took me on a shooting spree........a "cameras only" shooting spree!

They have installed a humongous tent with a pot bellied stove and a queen bed. 

Their plans are to build a raised deck to put the tent on.

There is running water, electricity & a real flush toilet on site!

However, Mr. B and I stayed in the nearby Boonville Hotel which was delightful!

They have beautiful grounds with lots going on, like a Saturday morning farmers market, music,  oyster shucking Sundays and in the summer it's paella Sundays!

There is wine tasting nearby, hikes in the redwoods, a little shopping but mostly peace & quiet.

Andy helping Jon & Jacque set up camp

All of my loveys were there to celebrate & relax (except one - Tyler's SO was in Texas.....we missed you Monica!)

Andy showing Mr. B where things are

Chewy, Jon & Jacque hiking

 Even my grand-dog Chewy was there!

and dear Ashley who is always fun to be with!

Everyone worked so happily making delicious meals.  We even had a picnic lunch by the river while several of the guys went swimming.

We spotted some wildlife.....

 Lot's of  wildflowers......

And even some wild horses! (Unfortunately my camera is having focus problems and probably needs a good cleaning. It's nothing to do with the operator!!!)

On Sunday we had breakfast and a leisurely drive home and then cooked dinner for my sweet mama!

Thank you all for making it a memorable Mother's Day!  

I couldn't have dreamed up anything this special.

"Cherish your children...for they are the footprints 

that you will leave behind." 

--Taylor Evan Fulks

Almost Normal

Song - I Love Paris by the Avalon Jazz Band

I just returned home from a month in France and I am almost back to normal from jet lag. Unfortunately I was unable to blog while traveling due to Google Blogger not allowing me to download my photos to my blog post.  

So now that I am home, I would love to share some of my trip with you......

The first 10 days I spent with two of my girlfriends who are long time friends - forty plus years.  And even though we don't spend a lot of time together in California, it's so easy to slip into a fun and comfortable relationship with each other. They are sisters and so incredibly funny and dear. They don't like to have their photo taken so this is probably the only view you will see of them!

 

Our first day in Paris was spent getting situated in our room, trying to get over our exhaustion and reorienting ourselves on the local streets. I had left my house at about 3 am to catch or flight out of San Francisco and in the process I left my Camera, toothbrush, travel binder & glasses at home - they happened to be sitting right next to my purse but......Mr. B mailed them to the hotel and saved the day!

Over the next couple of day we visited Notre Dame as it was raining. It is still standing and is still amazing.

We also visited Musee d'Orsay with the delight of small children!

I couldn't quite decide what time zone I was in so I covered all of my bases. Quiche Lorraine, salad, wine and Diet Coke!

Haystacks by Monet 

Detail from Haystacks - just look at all of those yummy colors in both his shadows and lights!

 

 

Petite Dancer by Degas 1881

Le Dejeuner sur l'Herbe by Monet

On the evening of our second day we dined at Cafe Varenne which was recommended to us by several friends.  It was a great neighborhood café in the 7th with excellent food and a fun staff.  When it was time to leave we had two waiters and the Maitre d’ all outside helping us hail a cab!

.....and it was asparagus season!

"Traveling....

it leaves you speechless then turns you into a storyteller."

--Ibn Battuta

Laundry While Jet Lagging

Song - There's No Place Like Home - The Wizard of Oz

This was how I felt in France.....

relaxed, a little spoiled and carefree!

 

Mr. B and I returned home on Wednesday evening and I wish the ride home was just like Dorothy tapping her heels three times and presto I'm home but it's a long and sometimes bumpy flight! 

Today I am a little no a lot loopy with jet lag 

 which is mostly due to the 9 hour time difference and no sleep.....because of bumps!

But I was delighted to walk around my garden while it was still light out 

and which is flooded with blooms!

An absolute riot of color. 

 

And I was in heaven sleeping in my own bed!

"Travel brings power and love back into your life." 

--Rumi

Day Tripping in France

So very sorry for not posting an occasional blog from France but Google blogger will not let me access my photos.  Trust me as I have tried several time per day but apparently with this new edition bloggers are frustrated around the world.  Google is aware of the problem and they are “working on it”.

But for right now let me just share with you that my 10 days in Paris with two girlfriends were so full of fun, beauty, friendship, food, flowers, laughter, shopping & art that I can barely contain myself! They few back to California on Wednesday and Mr. B joined us Tuesday night and we have been visiting the Loire Valley for the past few days.

Tomorrow we head to the Dordogne region and stay in Sarlat.

Today we are off to Villandy & their amazing Gardens......if Mr. B can find his passport.   Oye vey. Never a dull moment!

Au revoir

Day Tripping

Song - Valse de Niglos by Django Rhythm

If you have the time, take a day trip from Paris. Here are a few suggestions:

Giverny - Giverny is a village in the region of Normandy in northern France. Impressionist painter Claude Monet lived and worked here from 1883 until his death in 1926. The artist’s former home and elaborate gardens, where he produced his famed water lily series, are now the Claude Monet museum. Nearby, the Musée des impressionnismes Giverny highlights the Impressionist art movement.

Auvers-sur-Oise -The Auberge Ravoux is a French historic landmark located in the heart of the village of Auvers-sur-Oise. It is known as the House of Van Gogh because the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh spent the last 70 days of his life as a lodger at the auberge– Visit Vincent Van Gogh’s room and travel on the path where he spent his last few months painting. Great little restaurant with an amazing assortment of cheese.

You can follow a map through the village and the countryside to see places where Van Gogh painted.

Fountainebleau - Fontainebleau is a town southeast of Paris, known for the opulent Fontainebleau Palace. Built by French royalty, with parts dating back to the 1100s, the palace houses Marie Antoinette’s Turkish boudoir, the Napoleon Museum and a lavish theater. Its formal gardens feature ornamental lakes and sculptures. Surrounding the town and chateau is Fontainebleau forest, home to Le Grand Parquet, an equestrian stadium.

Rouen – https://budgettraveller.org/day-trips-from-paris-rouen/

 I have yet to visit Rouen but hopefully soon!  I have heard that it's incredible.

Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte - It is said that three villages were destroyed to build this grand chateau owned by Nicholas Fouquet in the 1660's.  Fouquet was the superintendent of finances for King Louis XIV.  He built such a grand estate and had such lavish parties to impress the King.  Well, it worked!  The King was so impressed that he had Fouquet arrested and imprisoned for life and his family exiled so he could take over the dazzling chateau. Oops....

Château de Malmaison - The chateau de Malmaison is the former home of Napoleon and Josephine. It is a relatively small chateau, but decorated with original belongings of Napoleon and Josephine. There are also beautiful and well-known paintings (portraits) in the castle. If you are interested in history, absolutely worth a visit. I went on a tour here because Mr. B inherited a pastel of this chateau from his great aunts.The château de Malmaison, purchased by Josephine in 1799 was, together with the Tuileries, the French government's headquarters from 1800 to 1802. When Napoleon moved to Saint-Cloud, Josephine stayed in Malmaison and commissioned a wide range of improvements to the house. She settled in permanently after her divorce in 1809 and died there on May 29, 1814.

Versailles - Versailles is a city in the Yvelines département in Île-de-France region, renowned worldwide for its château, the Château de Versailles and the gardens of Versailles, designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  Unfortunately I didn't have a digital camera when Mr. B and I went to Versailles many years ago and my paper photos are probably somewhere in the attic.

Loire Valley -  take the TGV from Paris to Tours then rent a car

Below are Jackie and myself trying to find a route from the car rental agency to the Chateau's.  I had forgotten to ask for an automatic and received a stick.  Luckily it all came back to me - "just like riding a bike"!  Thanks dad for teaching me to drive a stick shift all of those years ago!

   Villandry – amazing gardens....just incredible.  I don't even know if I have ever been inside the castle after three visits here!  But they do have a little outdoor cafe that is great for a nibble.

   

Chenonceau - a beautiful estate.  The chateau and the grounds are well worth a visit. The bouquets of flowers inside are a delight as is the kitchen filled with copper.  Henri II gave the chateau to his mistress Diane de Poitiers and it was she who added the bridge over the river Cher as well as the gardens.  When Henri died, the Queen, Catherine de Medici, forced Diane out of Chenonceau even though Diane was the legal owner.  Catherine proceeded to build the gallery and grand ballroom on Diane's bridge which finally gave Chenonceau its now iconic look.

   Chateau d’Azay-le-Rideau - A much smaller chateau on the Indre River. The present castle was built in the 1520's.  There is a cafe and a nice park to relax.

t is hard to imagine Andre Le Notre laying out the exquisite landscape designs for Vaux-le-Vicomte, and later the magnificent Chateau de Versailles, with no high hill to stand on, no helicopter to fly in, and no drone to show him the complexities of the terrain. Yet he did, and with extreme precision, accuracy, and high style.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/versailles

"It is hard to imagine Andre Le Notre laying out the exquisite landscape designs for Vaux-le-Vicomte, and later the magnificent Chateau de Versailles, with no high hill to stand on, no helicopter to fly in, and no drone to show him the complexities of the terrain.  Yet he did, and with extreme precision, accuracy, and high style."  --Martha Stewart

t is hard to imagine Andre Le Notre laying out the exquisite landscape designs for Vaux-le-Vicomte, and later the magnificent Chateau de Versailles, with no high hill to stand on, no helicopter to fly in, and no drone to show him the complexities of the terrain. Yet he did, and with extreme precision, accuracy, and high style.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/versailles