Castles & Princes

 

We are staying a few days at Château de la Bourdaisière in the Loire Valley. Mr. B has been sick so I have been playing princess at the castle and on my terrace overlooking the gardens. Yesterday I took a long walk through the gardens and into the forest. 

Today I drove to Villandry and enjoyed strolling around the amazing gardens at my own pace. It got a bit crowded after 2 pm as the tour buses rolled in but it is Easter week here so it’s to be expected. 

So you have seen the castle now for the Prince…

There is a real Prince here and our first night here Mr. B tried to make dinner reservations in town through reception. There was a very nice man there who offered to call the restaurant and set it up for us. It was the Prince!  He actually is a hands on kind of guy and is a big part of the gardens around the castle. Tonight I had to change our dinner reservation at the castle to just moi and once again it was the Prince!  He also is known as the Tomato Prince because he has worked very hard at saving heirloom tomatoes in France. I just wish I could bring home some of his seed packets to try at home. 

It looks like we are getting some snow in Tahoe and rain at home!  Way to go California!

Travels to the Dordogne

 Bon Jour - From our lovely lodgings in the walled city of Avignon we headed west to Estaing.  

While Estaing is a Les Plus Beaux Village in France not much was open yet as it is still early in their season. We stayed about 2 minutes out of town at B & B Manoir de La Fabrègues where we have stayed before. Eric & Laurent we’re happy to see us again and they have done some amazing updates on their property. They upgraded us to a suite they just remodeled which was very comfy. Above is the village of Estaing and below that was our view from our living room across the Lot River. 

On our first day we traveled about 30 minutes north to the village of Languol were they make the great bee knives that are world famous. We found Michael who we have bought knives from in the past & he gave us a tour of his workshop and we had a lovely meal in town.  

The next day was spent going to other Les Beaux Villages and cathedrals  with dribbling gargoyles!

Excuse-moi

Sorry for not blogging for awhile but between enjoying so many sights, being Mr. B’s navigator, and packing and re-packing ( yes I brought way too much stuff!) I’ve been slightly preoccupied!

We enjoyed Avignon and took several day trips from there. We spent a day in Gordes (see above) and traveled over to Abbey de Senaque nearby. They had just finished a restoration and cleaning so it was a bit of a shock to see it glistening white!  Yikes what a change!!!

Another day was spent at Saint-Remy-de-Provence where we visited sites and enjoyed some shopping and lunch. 

We enjoyed some excellent restaurants in Avignon thanks to Mr. B’s internet research and suggestions from our inn keeper. 

Our last day there was spent across the Rhône river at a large Brocante and an Abbaye garden & Fort. 

Looking forward to to catching up with our adventures in Sarlat where we are right now!

Au revoir - J

Traveling South

 

Mr. B arrived safely in Paris on April 1st & my two girlfriends left on their own journeys on the 3rd. We packed our already stuffed baggage on the 4th and said goodbye to our friendly & cozy hotel in the 6th in Paris. Off on the train to Avignon for a week. Which is where we are now. 

This is our view from the front of our hotel. 

It is the Pope’s Palais

And this is our serene inner courtyard. 

Inside of our room sits a quaint little desk. On our first day here the hotel owner told us a very French story about our desk.

Several years ago a couple stayed in our room. She was 91 and her husband was 93. They had a lovey time in Avignon. 

Two days after their departure the woman contacted the owner and told him she had left something behind and would he please look for it.  She had left a special letter in the secret compartment of the desk. He found it and told her that he would mail it to her. She gasped and said No not to me, please send it to my friend and gave him the address. She told him it was a letter to her lover and didn’t want her husband to find out!  They had been lovers at 18 and rekindled their spark at 50 and have been writing to each other ever since.

The middle panel slides back and this is where the secret compartment is located.

Springtime

 Spring has finally come to Paris!  The trees are all leafing out, everyone is in the parks basking in the sunshine, heavy coats have come off and the outdoor cafes are filled to the brim! Most people have thrown off their masks and are enjoying the fresh air with abandon  

I just love pale pink & yellow together. The photo above may be used  as inspiration for a future painting when I return. 

This week we spent Sunday at the flea market- Les Puces de Saint Ouen on the outskirts of Paris.   

So many fun things to look at but being practical you need to figure out what will fit into your suitcase and how heavy it will be to cart around. 

We watched the rebuilding of Notre Dame from both near and far. Amazing undertaking!  They believe it will reopen in just two years. 

We went to a twilight concert at Saint Chapelle which was incredible to watch the stained glass windows change color with the setting sun while listening to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons surrounding you with lovely music!

We shopped until our feet ached but always having fun even when lost!  And we dined at several favorite restaurants including a new one - Chez Georges - in the 2nd where the maître de and servers were all so welcoming and even funny at times!  

Tomorrow we are taking the train to Château Chantilly and the weather should be perfect.  

Please Do Not Pick the Bulbs

Yesterday my friends and I went to a favorite park of ours in the 16th - Parc Bagatelle and she was in her finest riches. Although all throughout the growing season she is beautifully adorned. 

After a long beautiful walk through the park we took a taxi to rue Cler to get a few items for lunch. 

The Three P’s

 Paris, Proust and Pans

This morning we went to thé Marais and to the Musée Carnavalet to see the remodeled museum and the Marcel Proust exhibit. The museum seemed much larger and so much so that I had to ask directions on how to find the exit. I enjoyed the Proust exhibit and the paintings that accompanied it. 

We walked over to the Place des Vosges and enjoyed the fountains and shopping along the way.

  Next we took a cab to the Les Halls district to E. Dehillerin to view (and possibly buy) their copper pans. Incredible store that recently celebrated their 200th anniversary. Very kind and informative sales people and we all bought a few goodies!  

Later in the evening we went to the Musée d’Orsay as they are open until 9:30 on Thursday nights. It was lovely to be there without many people and take photos without the back of a head in my photos!

And the sunset was positively dramatic…..

Sorry for the photo quality but it’s a photo from my iPhone taken off my camera. I promise to head over to the Apple Store today to get a transfer cable today!  But you get the idea of the beauty of this sunset thru the d’Orsay’s restaurant window. 

Finished the evening with a late night dinner at Le Deux Magots outside in the brisk evening air.