expat on the go...

BLOIS

The last day, we visited Blois and its royal palace.  This was the principal royal residence, until Henry IV moved the court to Paris in  1598.  Once Versailles was created in 1668, by Louis XIV - the Chateau Royal de Blois was 'abandonned' (and, also for this same reason, Chambord  was eclipsed).

I have to say that this is one of the most beautiful, colorful, beautifully detailed castle that I have seen.  There are 4 different era wings, but have been 'put together' beautifully. 

There is a 13th century gothic wing that is still intact.  This, apparently, is the largest and best-preserved Gothic hall in France. 

The second wing is the late 15th century, Louis XII wing.  Gothic design with a Renaissance sprinkle (Louis XII's symbol was the porcupine - look for the symbol!).

The third wing is the 16th century, Francois I wing.  This wing has a French  Renaissance design.  This wing has the cool spiral staircase (similar to the one in Chambord - same era/same king).  Francois I's symbol is the salamander with fire.

The forth wing is the 17th century, Gaston d'Orleans wing.  This is a typical, 'straight-lined', Classical design.

This castle has a very troubled and bloody past - as portraited in the paintings.  One is of the Duc de Guise.  He was suspected of heading a Catholic plot against Henry III - he was stabbed in the king's chamber - as seen on the painting.

There is also Catherine de Medici's study room - the walls are made of 237 wooden panels.  It is said that 4 are secret compartments where she kept her poisons...  Ahhh! those royals...

At the entrance of the castle, there is a beautiful statue of one of the kings.  The writing was too far to see who it was - but it is a stunner!

 

 

The courtyard, with the staircase:

 

Gargoyles, gargoyles, gargoyles...

 

 

Spectacular room, fireplace...

 

 

My honey's:

 

Beautiful tile floors:

 

 

IT'S GOOD TO BE KING...

 

 

ROBERT HOUDIN

Robert Houdin was a clockmaker in the city of Blois.  He was born, Jean-Eugene Robert, in Blois.  He then studied in Orleans and moved to Paris to perfect his clockmaking, automat making and his studies in electricity.  He started dating the daughter of his boss and changed his last name, to their last name, Houdin.  He became, Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin.

He made his fortune in opening a Magic Theatre, in Paris.  He used his automats - magic automats!  He became France's most celebrated illusionist.  The David Copperfield of the time!

We went the Magic House, in Blois.  We saw a magic show and visited the museum - the show was dazzling!

 

PS:  If you're wondering, the Hungarian born American - Harry Houdini, took his name as an hommage to Robert-Houdin.

CHAMBORD

We woke up late on that Sunday morning.  We decided to go and see the Chateau de Chambord.

But before the visit, we had a coffee and some pastries (Dad - some things just don't change!):

 

We were then ready to 'tackle' Chambord:

 

 

At first glance, you are quite taken aback by the shear 'bigness' and beauty of this castle.  Then you go inside!  It's a castle that has no soul.  Francois I had it built in 1519, he was 25 years old.  This was a very ambitious king.  He won back part of Italy (Milan region) and so he decided to build himself a castle, with Italian Renaissance style in mind.  He loved to hunt, so this was his 'hunting castle'  - (when you hear these things, one is not surprised that a revolution took place!  What a waste of people's time and money!).  The 'main' castle,  was  in Blois (Louvre/Versailles, come later).

Francois I even wanted to change the course of the Loir River, so that it was alongside the castle!  They couldn't do that, so they had the Cosson River's course changed!  Can you imagine a head of state asking for such a thing today!

It's a hunting lodge, but it is quite extravagant!  77 staircases, 282 fireplaces and 426 rooms.  The stone used is limestone - from those quarries and the troglodyte dwellers.  Francois I reigned for 32 years and spent but 72 days at Chambord.  He never saw the castle completed.  His son Henry II and Louis XIV - both fond of hunting - finished the castle.

Now they say that the double spiral staircase (where big honey and little guy spent most of their time) was a 'masterpiece' of Leonardo da Vinci.  Da Vinci actually died in Francois I arms (or so states a painting in the castle).  The staircase has 2 stairs, with a column in the middle - so if two people each take one staircase, they can see each other through the openings in the central column, but they will never meet.

 

 

 

The little guy on the other staircase!

 

It's worth seeing this just for the staircase alone!  The rest of the castle is empty and very austere.  It feels like the abandoned castle that it is.  It's a shame.

DINNER IN VENDOME

My honey, the big one, was a little teary-eyed when we had dinner in Vendome, that Saturday night.  We went to an Italian restaurant and there were triathletes eating spaghetti (pasta) before the 'big race', the next day.  The difference between a French triathlon and one in Germany - the French athletes have wine and a digestif after their meal!  Honestly, I couldn't believe what these guys were drinking before the  race!

We walked in the city of Vendome - very clean city, with a beautiful church, Church of Trinity - the architecture of the church was just spectacular:

 

 

There seems to be 2 rivers that run through this city - one being the 'Loir':

 

There was a very nice and romantic looking restaurant, with this riverrunning beside it.  The name of the restaurant, "Le moulin du loir".  We would have eaten there, had we been 2 ;)

The little guy had a bottle of coke with his dinner, and needless to say, was a little 'agitated' by all that caffeine - so my honey asked him to be 'ZEN' - this is what happened:

  

Yeah, he's funny that way!  That sure did give us a chuckle!

TROGLODYTE DWELLINGS

Yeah... say that 5 times, quickly!!!  On our way from Chartres, we stopped in Vendome, before heading out to our hotel.  We saw 2 things: 

1) a mushroom farm (!) - http://www.champi41.com/boutique/liste_rayons.cfm

We got 2 jars of marinated mushrooms:  one 'a la provencale' and another,  'au pistou' (pesto).  The little guy chose the flavors.

2) a troglodyte dwelling:  What is that, one may ask:

"Welcome to my kitchen..."

 

It is a house, carved out of the soft limestone, that is so prevalent in the Loire Valley.  These houses were carved out of the facade of the limestone 'mount',  beside is the quarry, where the men went and carved blocks of limestone for local buildings.

My honey thought it was 'cool' that you didn't have to paint the walls - or do much upkeep to the place!

 

 

So basically, quarrymen had their families living in these very humid houses.  They usually lived in certain quarters, had the animals in another quarter and carved blocks, out of the limestone, in another part.

This man showed us around the place.  He is an old 'building inspector' and hated the fact that this particular troglodyte dwelling was falling into ruins, so he asked the city to let him live in part of the dwelling, all the while showing people around and telling them about these caves.  He basically takes care of the premises.

 

He has a little garden on the side of the dwelling.  Lives alone.  Apparently, there are vipers in that 'neck of the woods' - that scared the little guy!

On the doors were symbols - symbols of what the family was all about:

Fish, heart, club, some type of mechanical 'thingy', diamond, anchor and spade - make what you want of this!

 

 

 

Some of these dwellings are now secondary houses, restaurants, wine 'caves', etc...  some, as this one,  are tourist attractions.

Living underground - with vipers when you 'come out to the light' - no thank you!  But, hey!  to each his own!

CHARTRES

On this long weekend, we decided to go to the Loire Valley.  More specifically, Chartres, Vendome and Blois.  Why you ask?  Because, honey had a triathlon scheduled in Vendome, but since he is injured, he couldn't do it, so hotel reserved, we decided to go anyway.

Here is Chartres in a nutshell - GO, go fast, it's one of the nicest, cleanest, friendliest places I've visited in France - and I've been here 3 years!

We had lunch at a very nice restaurant - Henry IV, 31-33 rue du Soleil d'Or, Chartres.

 

Here's the little guy enjoying his mussels:

 

Chartres Cathedral:  Simply beautiful, and we're not 'church' people:

 

 

The statues inside and outside of the church are stunning!

 

 

The big guy and the little guy, both loved the church, as did I.  And, again, we are NOT church people.  The city is just beautiful!  It's 1 hour from Paris.  I'm sure there is a TGV that goes directly to Chartes, from Paris.  You can easily go for a weekend.  They illuminate 8 - 10 historic places, in Chartres, every night in the summer time.  They give you a plan to follow.  You follow the 'footsteps' and see the magnificence of this city.  So  worth seeing!

A random street:

 

Check it out:  http://cathedrale.chartres.free.fr/p01.htm

This is the cathedral with the famous 'labyrinth', beautiful stained glass windows, and indoor and outdoor statues - magic!  Try to get a guided tour, I think it will be well worth it!

GIVERNY

Went to Giverny.  It was just simply beautiful.  It's my 3rd time there and it never gets boring.  I've been in the spring, summer and fall.  I think this was the most beautiful.  The tulips were exquisite.  Different varieties that we are not used to.  The peonies, as are the roses, about to bloom.  You need to visit this place if you are in Paris.  You can take the train there.  You can also have lunch in restaurant in front of C. Monet's house - very French bistro - quite good.  Beautiful surroundings.  Not very kid friendly, unless you're used to 'lugging' the stroller up and down stairs.  By the way, his kitchen and dining room are my dream kitchen and dining room - the lucky bugger!  Beautiful!  A must.

http://www.fondation-monet.fr/fr/

DIJON

The next day my honey went to Brussels, and,  as he says, 'someone has to work!' - yes, my honey, 'someone has to work' and you do it very well!!!  I went to Dijon.  I couldn't be in the area and not visit Dijon! 

Dijon is a small city, that seems to be very lively.  Dijon is known for 3 products:  mustard (of course), 'pain d'epice' (or spice-bread) and 'liqueur de cassis' (the stuff you put in your white wine to make a 'Kir'). 

Actually, the Kir does come from Dijon.  A cafe owner, who often went to Paris, saw that 'gangette' (bars) were becoming popular in Paris and, subsequently, started serving drinks at his cafe.  He wanted to make some of the lower-end white wine drinkable, so he added some cassis liqueur.  The mayor of Dijon, Felix Kir, gave this 'new drink' to all politicians and diplomats that visited his town (it was cheaper and different from the 'obvious' champagne) - and, I believe, 're-baptized' it 'Kir', for it was previously called, 'blanc-cass'. 

Here is the first visit:  Mailles mustard.

 

Now, Maille has been around for a long time.  They started by making vinegars in Marseille.  It is said that people used the vinegar to combat the great plague that hit Marseille in the 1700's.  Maille, in the 1800's, was purveyor to most of the Royals in Europe.  He is the first to open a boutique and sell the mustard in pots.  They used to ladle the mustard, in the buyers' container, back then.  In 1930, Ph de Rotschild buys Maille, because the company has no longer any descendants -  the recipes are still original, 'Antoine Maille' recipes, written in a notebook bearing the Arms of the King of France.  The Maille empire was then bought by Danone and then sold to Unilever.  They have 2 boutiques - one in Dijon and one in Paris, where you can buy your mustard from a pump.  That mustard is about 15 days old.  When you buy it in the supermarket it is about 9 - 12 months old, and,  if you're overseas, 12 - 18 months old.  I bought a small pot of fresh mustard, to see if there wasa difference.  I'll let you know!  There are now 40 different types of mustards:

 

http://www.maille.com/pages/produits.aspx

Also, for my Canadian readers;  did you know that the mustard seed, for this mustard, is grown and harvested in Canada!  Yes,  Canajon Mustard!

We then visited a 'pain d'epice' boutique, where they described the history and the process of making the bread.  I'm not a big fan, but I did prefer "Mulot et Petit-Jean" over "Auger's"  pain d'epice.  It had an anise/lemon flavor, compared to the 'orangey' flavor of Auger's, that was fresher tasting.

 

They serve this bread at Christmas time, with foie gras.  Other than that, you don't see it much, which is sad really, because it has no preservatives, fat, oil, butter, etc... It is simply made with flour and honey.  In Germany, they make this with rye flour and honey, thus giving it a darker color.

So here it is - the 3 main products of Dijon:  mustard, pain d'epice and cassis liqueur.  Enjoy!

 

LYON - THE LAST DAY....

The last day in Lyon, I took that 'hop-on, hop-off' bus, again, but this time, I was going to visit the sites.  Due to a bus problem, I was unable to visit the inside of the Basilica, but I absolutely wanted to see "Les Halles - Paul Bocuse".  A top-notch, culinary experience.

 

This place has from truffles (mushroom to the chocolate) to wonderful oysters.  I met a friend at this place and we had a wonderful lunch of 'bulots' or whelks -'seasnails'.  You eat these with some aioli and white wine - miam, miam!!!

We also had some oysters.  I had never had oysters from the Normandy region!  They were called 'Utah Beach'.  Very good.  If you ever come across them on a menu - they're a MUST.

If you are feeling intimidated by 'Les Halles', you can always go right next door  ;)

 

I was then on a mission to find the best chocolate maker in Lyon - Bernachon, on Fr. Roosevelt street.  My dad saw a t.v. show, and the guy swore that the chocolates from Bernachon, were the best in Lyon.  I told my friend this story and he said that he buys his chocolates at a place in 'Les Halles' called, Seve, Maitre Chocolatiers.  Well.... can you say CHALLENGE!!!!  I bought chocolates from both places and put my honey to the test, since he's the 'chocolate' guy around here!  Dad, I'm sorry, he liked the chocolates from Seve, better than the ones from Bernachon!  I will now put my daughter to the test - for she's my chocolate girl!

Here's are pictures of the Bernachon 'window':

 

Yes, that is  gold paper on the egg!

 

Here's the display of the Seve chocolates/pastries:

 

Here's a picture of one of the cheese vendors in 'Les Halles':

 

This place is immaculate!  It is a pleasure to shop at this market.  It's a must if you are in Lyon.  You can also get a very high-quality lunch.

That night the honey and I went to Paul Bocuse's 'Sud'.  OK, where do I start!  I'll start at the beginning!  We ordered an apperitif of rose champagne - we ordered, got our entree - all in the span of 10 minutes!  What is this French fast-food?  McBocuse?  Honey and I had the brandade the morue - he said mine was better!  (Thank you, honey!  But really, thank you, Mary - my extraordinary cooking teacher).  He then had a bland tagine.  I was rushing to finish my rose champagne, and here comes the entree, with the glass of white wine I had ordered.  As I'm rushing to finish rose, entree and white wine.... here comes the main course!   Whoowwwwww!!!!!  Slow down, cowboy!!!  We had been there 15 - 20 minutes and we had our main course in front of us!  My husband thought they would be able to get us out of there within 1 hour.  He was close - one hour and 10 minutes!  The food is ok, not more.  Another 'thing' we noticed, was that there were hardly any French people in the restaurant - only tourists!  Not a good sign!  I'm sorry,  maybe the bar was too high, but I know something better can be done!  Now don't tell me that I have to go to the really, really expensive one to 'get better' food!  I'm not going to buy that.  Go visit, 'Loiseau des Vignes', in Beaune - now that's good quality/cost.  It costs us a little less at Sud - with very ordinary food and very fast service;  when we ate an extraordinary meal and  had terrific service  at 'Loiseau des Vigne'.  Chef Bocuse, with all due respect, you need to have a little chit-chat with the staff - in the kitchen, as well as 'on the floor'.

LYON

The first day in Lyon, I decided to take a bus tour of the city.  You know, one of those 'hop-on, hop-off' buses.  The first day, I decided to simply ride the bus without getting off.  I wasn't feeling too well.  I did take a few pictures, though:

I learned that a 'traboule' - the name of last nights' restaurant, means a passageway, in Lyon.  There are quite a few 'traboules' that you can check out - such as this one:

 

Lyon is also known for its paintings of scenery on their buildings:

 

Paul Bocuse, the famous chef, figures on the building above:

 

Here are pictures I took from the bus - just sceneries:

 

 

Lyon has both the Rhone and the Saone river running parallel to each other.  Your crossing a lot of bridges!

Here is a Gallo-roman theater.  They found it when they were excavating.  They found that the drainage system was quite advanced for its time.

 

Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourviere.  They say it looks like an upside down elephant.  I think its looked really nice!  I loved the sculptures at the front:

 

The scenery from the top of the elevation, where the Basilica stands:

 

The 'Bartholdi Fountain', by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, in Place des Terreaux.  It symbolizes the rivers going to the sea.  Can you name another famous sculpture he did?  Yes, you can!  The Statue of Liberty, New York City!

 

City Hall, next to the fountain:

 

Lyon is a nice city.  It is not very big, so you can see a lot of sites in a few days.  It is a very walkable city, as well.  It is quite clean.  There are a lot of young people (and by young I mean, 'University young'), so it is quite lively.  There are some pedestrian streets with great 'traboules' (passageways) and 'bouchons' (bistros).  You also need to see the 'old Lyon'.  Apparently the market (open every morning) is something to see, in 'old Lyon'.