Have had much success with this app since Granada so just starting posting on Facebook. I'm gonna give this another try and maybe it will behave if I don't try to load a lot of photos. So maybe photos on FB and thoughts and observations on the blog. I don't feel like I've lost a lot since the first part of this adventure was a lot of repeat visits and stuff I posted on three years ago. One can say why bother going again but some of the locations were to visit good friends again, some to see familiar places and introduce friends to them and some were just old memories to be seen one last time. This holds particularly true for Italy. We revisited Florence (at least my 8th time), Venice (at least my 6th time), and Milan (at least my 15th time). The difference is that we had the opportunity to see it through new eyes, Paula and Dave, and that revitalizes everything. So that's behind us now and I would visit Italy again to see our friends, Cosimo and Antonella, in Milan and I would go again to see the Amalfi coast. Other than that, I think I've had enough of Italy. But I can honestly say that I don't ever know that I would have enough of Italian food!!!!
So now we are on to France. Not necessarily new territory for me since we did visit Paris when we were living in Italy. I thoroughly enjoyed all that I saw in Paris in the past (particularly since it was in December 2009 and it was snowing in the Champs de Elysse), but I did not connect with the personality of Paris! As we planned this trip, we were not going to spend much time in France originally since we were going to have family join us at different times. Turns out that our youngest and his family weren't able to make the trip because of work commitments - papa has to bring home the money - so we added France to our itinerary. What a surprised blessing! We have spent the last two weeks traveling through France and I have fallen madly in love with this country! The people are so friendly, willing to help, willing to try to work through the language issues, and the food is amazing. We just left Sarlat La Caneda where foie gras is king and I have decided that it is indeed the food of the gods!
My regret on this trip so far is that Paula and Dave returned before we really got a chance to explore France. Yes we did the beaches of Normandy with them but they returned to Texas right after that. As for the beaches of Normandy and that entire experience, I'm not certain How to summarize it. Maybe because it isn't over for Ernie and I yet. While we were at the American Cemetery in Normandy, we were able to find the listing for his uncle Ernie, his namesake. We had already located his gravesite in Europe and are planning a visit there but we searched on his name in Normandy and the listing came up. Neither of us were expecting the reaction that came. Ernie never met his uncle, he died in October of 1944 and my Ernie wasn't born until 1946. When the listing popped up, we were both reduced to tears. We are planning on visiting his gravesite in the American Cemetery in Lorraine in St. Avold, France.
So, Paula and Dave caught the trains to Paris for their flight home and we continued on to Chitenay in the Loire Valley. We visited a Chateau, drank great wine, ate even greater food and missed our friends. A couple of days there and we moved on to Sarlat la Caneda, the home of everything foie gras - the menus are easy to ready - duck, duck. Goose, duck, goose, duck. Goose, etc, etc., etc. I never realized how really good good foie gras is!!!!
The other learning about France is that stores keep their own hours - sometimes open, sometimes not! No rhyme or reason. Croissants are marvelous as is any French bread. Cafe Au lait is the only way to start your morning. And boy do the French know how to make French fries (fried in duck fat) and cook fish with blurred blanc sauce!!!
The other observation is that the French have weird doors. In order to lock a door, you must pull the handle up before trying to lock it with the key. Then there's the toilets! Of course, Americans are now being exposed to the smaller button and the larger button on a commode. Well,I thought I had it all figured out until I got to our current AirBnB in Carcassonne. Went to the bathroom and pushed the button and nothing happened. I keep pushing with no response so I took a different approach and pulled it up. Lo and behold, it flushed! Oh and the front door handle did not need to be pulled up to lock. Maybe it's because we are in the south of France and they do things differently here. Don't know but am learning just to accept!
So talked with middle son tonight and caught up on stuff. He's going to be joining us in three weeks in Basel Switzerland for a few days in this region. We then go on to Prague where daughter and granddaughter join the party.
So we will see if this post makes it. It's now 10:11 pm and Ernie and I finished a bottle of wine with supper and had a few glasses of Port. I'll wait to post this until I've reread it. Night all!
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