Just 'chilling' but the temperature's rising
Jun 15–21 in France ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C
We enjoy some sleep ins and catch up on the washing. A trip to Intermarche restocks the fridge and the temperatures start to rise. We make the most of cool mornings to finally clear the last of the old timber from the old shed, across to Le Palais de Bois and the chainsaw works overtime.
On Wednesday the pool temperature reached 22 degrees so we cautiously entered the water. Yes, even Roger took the plunge, and declared it quite refreshing!
On Thursday however, our swimming days were temporarily curtailed as Gael, the pool man came to replace the cover of the hydrostatic valve. This involved him getting in the pool, holding onto a pole, held by Roger to stay under water, and unscrewing the cover. Not only was the cover cracked but also the seal that holds the pool liner in place, which has resulted in several ridges in the liner. A new liner is now on the more urgent list, but hopefully not till the end of summer. There were also some chemical imbalances which meant no swimming for 3 days while Roger followed Gaels recipe to get the balance correct.
And yesterday, all was right with the pool again, which was just as well because the temperature hit 42 degrees in the shade under the pear tree. The pool is sitting at 28 degrees and we've been ducking in and out like yoyos to keep cool.
We did venture out over the weekend, hitting le marche early on Saturday morning to avoid the heat. There's a carnival in town, part of Les fete de musique, a French tradition, where musicians were requested by Napoleon to provide free music for the poor people back in the early 1800's. All the typical 'show stands', dodgems, clowns and crazy rides filled the town square, but were not opening till later that day. However, as we turned to corner to our cafe/bar, we were surprised to find it only just setting up. So we joined in to help before getting un cappucino. We're guessing the 'show gang' might just have had a big night in the bar after they'd set up the night before, and our cafe staff were suffering as a result.
We brought another feed of delicious moules and some fresh Sardines, to cook on the BBQ, and enjoyed simple fare and salads, in the garden. We also explored a Brocante in St Julien, which was well patronised, but still mostly garage sale material which is not on our current shopping list. The local charity did do a good 'sausages and chips' with a cold beer in a €1 promo cup so this filled the hole for lunch. And then we retreated to our cool house which is maintaining a steady 28 degrees inside.
We are now on 'red alert ' along with 2/3rds of France and the week ahead shows no sign of a reprieve from the high temperatures, up to 43 degrees tomorrow and Wednesday. We're just glad we're not in the city, where the pavements and buildings radiate even more heat. Trains have been cancelled and schools closed in this unseasonal heatwave. Luckily were just getting things spick and span for the owners arrival next Sunday afternoon, by which time the temperature should be closer to 30 degrees.Read more
Breaking all the records-still living dangerously
Jun 22–28 in France ⋅ ☀️ 40 °C
The week starts off hot and believe or not it just gets hotter! In France its called 'the canicule' and it is taken very seriously. The 2003 heatwave resulted in over 1000 deaths, many elderly and others who unfortunately died from drowning - swimming lessons are not high on the priority list in France.
It was over 40 degrees in the shade of our back yard for 5 days in a row. By day four when even the usual evening breeze was absent, we retreated inside for most of the day. The pool reached 32 degrees and provided brief respite, but the crunch walking across the dead grass and tripping across the hot tiles was hardly worth the effort. After dark - at 10.30pm- it was lovely to cool the body temperature right down before we climbed into bed with the fans on.
On the fifth day, we decided to retreat into our air conditioned car and head back to the surf coast on Ile D'Oleron. It was several degrees cooler there but still very little breeze, resulting in pretty average surf but the water was crystal clear, and the sea temperature a mere 22 degrees. We indulged in a dozen oysters at our favourite oyster farm but although they were chilled they warmed up quickly and lost the ' 5 star' rating of our previous visit. So we headed to our favorite beachside Cafe, L'Atypique, at La Bree Les Bains. Imagine Rogers surprise when he tried to order a burger and chips and they responded 'we're sorry but its too hot to turn la plancha on today', so we settled for croque monsieur, which we figured still required a griller to melt the cheese, or perhaps they just popped it on the metal table! for instant heat. A cooling aperol spritz and a dip in the calm mirror surface of the bay before we headed back to LPR. It was still 42 degrees in the shade.
The government had opted to close schools, and apart from the shoppers in the air conditioned supermarkets, most people stayed indoors. Those who had ventured out, seemed to think they would be cooler if they drove with their arms out the open car windows. We're talking about modern cars, that must surely have had air-conditioning. Go figure? And with no reprieve in sight, as the annual Fete du Musique party kicked off in Paris, the government declared that alcohol was banned for sale and consumption in public places across the city from 6pm - 7am. Only licensed venues could serve alcohol. There was no revolution, and quite possibly it was impossible to police with the large crowds expected, but their intent, apparently, was to reduce the number of hospital admissions through heat exhaustion and over consumption.
Thunderstorms rolled through on Saturday but the temperature remained high and we could count the large drops on our terasse. Finally on Sunday, the heavens opened and we had a solid downpour for a good couple of hours. Thankfully, the temperature dropped, not dramatically as it does in Australia, but enough to seek out a real tshirt rather than a singlet top. It was very very refreshing and provided a welcome relief for us all, including the parched lawn.
Emma Lou and Johnny arrived on Sunday evening after a 12 hour drive from the UK. There was the usual clean-up and preparation for their arrival, and we even set up the dinner table 'in the new kitchen' to visualise the end result. There was much excitement when they saw 'Les Palais des Bois' for the first time and realised the old wood shed was gone, and plenty of chatting about the new build, relaxing and of course, the heatwave.Read more
The landlords arrive and the temperature drops
Jun 29–Jul 2 in France ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
We had a busy week with Emma Lou and Johnny in residence. There was plenty of culinary delights eminatiing from the 'old kitchen' and numerous onsite meetings with Patrick, the carpenter who will be constructing the kitchen cabinets, and also removing the old kitchen at the end of Le Projet, and turning it into a new double bedroom.
We arranged the Whybot app for 'roger the robot' pool cleaner and there was plenty of pool testing to getvthe best clarity and sparkleness, with the least amount of chemicals.
And sadly on Tuesday afternoon we heard the news that Roger's Mum, Zena had passed away at midnight on 29th June. She had had a fall in her home 6 days earlier, which resulted in a broken hip and although she got through the operation OK, her condition deteriorated a few days later as old age finally caught up with her. She was 98 and kept her marbles right to the end, as we had a lovely video call with her the previous day. She enjoyed a lovely mango mousse for dinner that night, and announced to Jenny and Michael that she felt she would sleep very well that night. And there the story ends.
Every year we visited, prior to leaving for Europe, she reminded us 'dont come back if I die', and she was adamant that given her children had not followed her strong Catholic faith, she did not want any religious ceremony, but rather a large farewell party in her home.
So Jenny has taken charge of that and this Friday, the family and friends are all gathering to honour her wishes. We will join in from Paris, before heading out to have lunch with some good Cairns friends, and raise a glass or two to Nana.
The temperature had dropped this week, which cooled everything off, but the builders were absent which was disappointing. Le Projet is looking like taking the projected 6 months or more at this point, because in August, the long summer holidays begin and everyone, builders, tradies etc go away.
On Friday we depart LPR to leave Johnny and Emma Lou to host friends and family, and we head up the A10 towards our Paris cat sit that commences in a week. With 6 nights to fill, I randomly pick a little quaint apartment in the village of Barbizon, which sits on the edge of the Fontainebleau Forest. What we find is just another reminder of why we still enjoy this nomad life of travelling - the element of surprise around every corner.Read more
TravelerSo sorry to hear about Rogers Mum. Falls are the worst thing for the elderly. Mum survived quite a few but the last was the beginning of the end even though she didn't break anything. It sounds as if Rogers Mum went quickly and peacefully which is all you can ask. Give Roger our heartfelt condolances. Enjoy Paris. Julie and I will be in Paris at the end of Sept for 3 days before flying home so maybe that's where we can catch up. Linda xo
A bohemian artists village called Barbizon
July 3 in France ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Barbizon is like a fairytale French village, made all the merrier by the metres of French flag bunting criss crossing the main street, Grande Rue. It just so happens that our quaint apartment is located in this street, and overlooks the daily passing traffic. Our hostess, Marie - Ange, a mature gracious French women who speaks very good English for her generation, meets us at the gate and shows us upstairs to the house of her inlaws who were more than likely artists. Barbizon is fascinating; a bohemian artists commune, established in the 1800's, upon the invention of paint being contained in a tube. This enabled the artists of Paris to travel to the country outside Paris, notably the Fontainebleau Forest which just happened to be at the end of the main street.
There was a large gathering of artists who stayed in Barbizon, including Millet, who painted the famous 'Angelus', and was particularly known for his fabulous sketches and paintings of farm life in the country. We unload the car and then wander from one end of the village to the other in search of a cooling refreshment. The options were limited, with restaurants not opening for business till well past happy hour, and as we discovered later with further research, there were some very mixed reviews. We settled on a wine and Aperol at 'The Royal' - indifferent service so no great desire to return, and picked up a few groceries at Mohammed's grocery store. Here the welcome was warm, the beer and tonic cold, and since Australia were playing Morocco in the World cup that night we had something in common.
Barbizon, it seemed was a sleepy little village and as the temperature rose people remained inside the cool quaint cottages most of the day. Except that is for our friendly elderly neighbour across the road, who appeared in only his birthday suit, keeping all his bits cool by leaning out his attic bedroom window for a good 20 minutes just watching the passing parade in the street below. I did mention artists are an eccentric lot! A photo may have been encouraging, and too obvious, but I'll leave it to your imagination. Suffice to say, the next morning he did reappear, this time in a bright orange towelling robe.
We ventured out to Fontainbleu, a larger village, famous for its chateau, where Napoleon finally abdicated in April 1814, before fleeing to exile in Elba. The parklands and grand canal on the estate were a beautifully cool retreat and we walked to the local supermarket for just enough supplies for our 6 night stay.Read more
Candles and fireworks lighten up the local Chateau
July 4 in France ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Saturday night I had booked a 'bucket list', event one I'd starred on google maps back in 2024. Being married to a pyrotechnician, and with a personal interest in candles, the discovery of the French Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte was understandably exciting. Why, you may ask? Well every Saturday evening through the summer, they host a special display- illuminating the Chateau and grounds with 2000 candles, and as darkness descends, the fireworks fill the sky.
But first things first. We'd packed a picnique, with quiches and a baguette from la Patisserie, GnT in the insulated water bottles and some delicious cheeses from la Fromagerie in Barbizon. We were getting low on fuel and it took a diversion and two stops before the Intermarche fuel station accepted the credit card and we were back on the road to Le Chateau. It was a spectacular entrance, through a beautiful avenue of trees to the Chateau carpark.
Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte was the quintessential French Chateau on a human scale. Not as 'grand' as those we visited in La Loire Valley, but every bit as picturesque, perfectly proportioned and the 2000 candles were already alight when we arrived about 8.30pm, even though it was still broad daylight. We celebrated our arrival, finally, with GnT's and our picnique, before joining the Chateau tour along with many others. There were several hundred visitors but no tour buses and the grounds were suitably large so there was room for everyone.
Inside the Chateau we were all given headsets which allowed us to be transported back in time via a fabulous interpretative dialogue, spoken in the third person by 'one of the original family descendents'. It was brilliant and perfectly synced as you moved from room to room.
By the time we exited the Chateau, darkness had descended so we found a viewpoint on the steps overlooking the gardens.
The sparklers were handed out and right on the dot of 11pm, the fireworks began with a bang. It was an impressive display that lasted a good 15 minutes with appropriate music to match. In the magic of 2000 candles, dancing children with sparklers and some extremely large shells exploding overhead, we were definitely in our element.Read more
Another awesome dining experience
Jul 5–6 in France ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
Sunday was a sleep in day, after all, midnight is a late night for a couple of retirees. People watching out our front window was an awesome pastime and even just listening to the french conversations, provided a very relaxing environment , punctuated only by the need for ice cream latter in the day. The cobbled street is lined with galleries, often with artists in residence and it was much busier on the weekend, as the petite bourgeoisie from Paris arrived and paraded in their very chic attire, teetering on the edge of an accident in their fashion statement wedges.
By Monday we were ready for some retail therapy at the nearby Kiabi to buy Roger a second pair of shorts an a couple of cheap polo shirts. Stopped in at the Carefour cafeteria for a coffee, only to discover they served kir royale, ready mixed in champagne flute to go with your plat de jour, for a mere €1.50! It was tempting, but there was much better to come.
Two years ago via the 'Australians Living in France' FB page, there was a glowing account of La Doyenne Restaurant, in the little village of Petit Saint-Vrain, about 25 mins from Barbizon.
Reviews had come and gone since then, but since we had struggled to find an even half decent review for our local restaurants, we decided one good foodie experience beats six average local meals, so we took a chance and booked.
Le Doyenné is a restaurant, guesthouse and farm set within the historical grounds of the Château de Saint-Vrain. The Château was once the country retreat of the Countess du Barry and Borghese family and has been the home of the Mortemart family for more than two centuries. In 2017, Australian chefs and owners, James Henry and Shaun Kelly, along with the Mortemart family, commenced the restoration and conversion of Le Doyenné – the Mortemart family’s name for the centuries’ old barn – into a restaurant and guesthouse.
The talented and highly experienced chefs, developed the foragers garden and orchard based on regenerative agricultural practices and it is this garden that is the source for their menu. There is definitely a vegetarian focus but they hand make their butter and sourdough bread, too. Protein such as duck and turbot, which were on our menu is sourced locally.
There was a set menu, seven courses plus an amuse and petit fours. Roger followed the sommelier’s choice of wines, but first a special champagne toast to Zena, whose love of food and cooking no doubt influenced Rogers passion.
The hors d'oeuvres focused on the garden and included a platter of petit vegetables with pesto and emulsions from the garden. It was spectacular, as was the raw tuna tartlet with finely diced chives. The photos tell the story.
Our first entree was Ajo Blanco, a cold almond soup with a summer vegetable salad - it was amazing and the plating just perfection.
This was followed by grilled turbot with artichoke, zucchini and stock foam. A most delicious combination.
Le Plat, or main course was a grilled Kriaxcra duck breast from the Basque country, accompanied by a Camargue rice pilaf with zucchini, both cooked over the kitchen's wood fire.
We skipped the cheese, in anticipation of the two deserts. Firstly a refreshing nectarine sorbet enclosed in a figleaf icecream and then, equally delicious, a gaufrette (wafer tube) with thyme cream and red fruit.
Overall Roger enjoyed the variety of different wines presented but when the sommelier presented a 'wine based' boutique Nondegu biere - what? with the stunning desserts he was somewhat perplexed. I had to agree.
In summary, it was a delicious, well planned, beautifully executed and plated, degustation of the freshest ingredients. As we departed we chatted to the maitre de, an Adelaide girl who had worked in Port Douglas for several years. She had been with the chefs for the past three years and spoke of a very special kitchen brigade, representing seventeen different cultures. A very modern, non-traditional take on French cuisine, in a stunning and no doubt, expensive renovation.
Another 2024 'star' ticked of the bucket list.Read more
Following La Seine
Jul 7–8 in France ⋅ ☁️ 35 °C
After our spectacular and somewhat indulgent dinner, we felt the need for some slightly more serious exercise. We've been hit with another heatwave in France and since temperatures are generally sitting in the high 30's, exertion has not been top of our list. We headed into the Fontainebleau Forest at the end of the street, in the late afternoon, and the temperature immediately dropped by at least 5 degrees. As this is only 50 kms from the heart of Paris, Parisions refer to it as the lungs of Paris. The forest was indeed spectacular, a vibrant green with some very spectacular rocky outcrops. Overall Fontainebleau Forest covers 61,776 acres and is notable for its large sandstone boulders, erosive remnants from the Oligocene age, but relatively young in geological terms, that are spread throughout the park. Bouldering is a very popular activity in the park along with hiking the many forest trails. Surprisingly we didnt see another person in the hour we were walking, apart from the group of elderly French people, playing petanque in the sandy parkland near the trail entrance. Its probably just too hot for the average French person.
Wednesday was going to be just as warm so a little drive through the forest was in order with the AC to keep us cool. It was hard to map out a plan, as I had starred some villages of note, back in 2024, but now I needed to source a decent coffee at the first stop, and a reasonable lunch along the way. Being in the 'not bothered mode', I delegated the research to Roger, who in turn sought a solution from his side kick ' Charles'. And surprise, surprise within 5 minutes, Charles had mapped out a route, found a pleasant coffee shop in the town of Samois-sur-Seine, suggested a lovely walk along the banks of the Seine, and then located a very acceptable restaurant for lunch. Located in the village of Moret-sur-Loing, Le Jardin des lys was right beside Le Loing River, which is a tributary of La Seine.
It was still scorching hot, but we stoically sat outside and sipped our GnT and Aperol Spritz for rehydration purposes only. Moret-sur Loing is a truly picturesque medieval village from the 12th century. With its half timber houses, big stone arches and old flour mills dotted beside a maze of rivers, offering several bathing opportunities, the French were out in force here with their picniques and bathers. We enjoyed a walk through the village before returning to Barbizon for our GnT's and toasting the success of 'Charles's' efficient planning, thou I was assured I would not be replaced yet!
And this is where things got interesting. La Grande Rue was blocked off, just past our apartment and le gendarmes were on duty. From our window, not five minutes later, a large fire truck and water tanker went past, no lights and sirens, but anxious to get up the street past the large delivery truck that was stuck trying to turn right on the barrow deviation road. Naturally after all this excitement we needed to check out what was going on. We walked to the end of the street where we saw a small plume of smoke rising from the forest and hoses hooked up to protect the village, just in case. There was a whiff of smoke but we slept easily, although two more firetrucks went up the road in the morning.
Today, Monday 13th, as I am finally updating the blogg, we are reading that the Fontainebleau Forest is alight. Two areas, are ablaze and over 2000acres have already been burnt. The A6, major motorway into Paris has been closed and a small village evacuated. Fire bombing aircraft from Canada are filling their 'buckets' from La Seine to help control the fire.
I guess this is the year of living dangerously.Read more
An oasis in the suburbs of Paris
July 10 in France ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C
We had a bit of time to kill before our departure from Barbizon, so a coffee was in order in a stunning pattiserie owned by a Japanese Michellen star pastry chef. The coffee was out of a Nespresso machine and was OK, and full credit for recognising that barista skills was not her forte. Her pastries on the other hand were out of this world - to look at, that is. With a price tag of €7.50 ($12.30), for a single chocolate eclair, I settled for my favourite pain de raison with my coffee and the total cost was less than the eclair and coffee combined.
We also witnessed, the French drivers patience at its absolute best. There was a black SUV parked in the middle of the narrow one way main street of Barbizon, and the drivers door was open with no one in sight. Two cars were politely waiting behind it for almost 5 mins, when the driver appeared with a parcel opened his boot, secured the parcel and then quietly drove off. There was no tooting of horns, yelling of abuse or road rage, patience is just a learned skill in France, and I think it starts from a very early age.
The firemen were still at the gateway to the Fontainbleu Forest, at the end of the street. Little did they know what lay ahead.
It was a very hot day and we made our way into the outskirts of Paris to our catsit in a suburb called Chevilly Larue. We are in charge of Havana, who we were warned, doesn't do much except lie around in the garden when it is so hot.
While the owners were finishing off their work commitments, and final packing we headed down to the local shops for some supplies, had a burger at Nelsons Cafe, and then returned to wave them goodbye.
Not long after this Roger hits the wall with a belly bug, and heads to bed. We have set our alarm for 3.15am, to liaise with the family who have gathered in Buderim to farewell Zena. There's only a handful of Zena's friends, not surprisingly given she had outlived most of them, but they enjoyed a chat and Jenny led a fitting and funny tribute to the 'force' that was Nana Zena. RIP. A few more hours sleep before the cleaning lady rocked up at 10.00am. Sadly, we had to cancel our planned lunch in Paris with Kevin and Robin, as Roger was feeling far too fragile, and instead hunkered down inside to escape the 37 degree heat and catchup on some sleep. We ended up having a quiet weekend, only managing a brief walk down to the local market for some fresh fruit and veges. We are only a few kilometres from the Rungis International Market which is the principal wholesale market of Paris and mainly deals in food and horticultural products. With an area of 232 hectares, it is the second largest wholesale food market in the world, and we wonder if the very low prices for our fruit and vegs, no more than €1.50 per kg on average, is due to the close proximity. Some light healthy sustenance soon improves the patient and fortunately, he is back to normal by Sunday.
Our house in the Paris suburbs is like an oasis, with a large garden, big shady trees and even some veges growing. Havana the pussycat rules the patch and keeps the numerous neighbourhood cats at bay. The house is large and very comfortable, and given the shutters have been down all week it is reasonably cool. Luckily our bedroom is in the basement, and its like a wine cave with only a tiny window, covered in black plastic. Its the coolest place in the house. We also brought our fan from LPR as word was out, there were no fans or aircons to be found in France and while we don't mind the heat, we are used to fans and they are not usually found in French houses.Read more
La Fête Nationale - Bastille Day in Paris
July 13 in France ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C
We'd arranged with our hosts, to have a night away in Paris, leaving Havana to look after herself. This would allow us the chance to see the fireworks from Le Tour Eiffel on Monday 13th July and the Fête Nationale Parade down the Champs Elysée on Tuesday morning. Our delightful suburban oasis is on Metro line 14, and we're only two stops away from Orly airport, but surprisingly we've yet to hear a plane, let alone see one. However the close proximity to Paris' second most significant airport resuted in the extension of line 14 a few years ago in honour of the Olympics and this means a mere 15 minute walk and we're on a brand new air conditioned metro train, and in the centre of Paris in 35 minutes. Being close to the end of the line also guarantees us a seat.
I'd booked a room at the Mecure near Gare Montparnasse, with a balcony as there was a chance we may be high enough to see the fireworks. And if not we weren't far away from a street corner/ bar that would offer a partial view. But here's where the fun begins. We check in, take our keys and head to our room on the 6th floor, only to find that it's indeed a rooftop room but instead of a verandah, it has four fixed windows like angled skylights with the sun beating down on them behind the metal shutters, which naturally are all closed so it is almost pitch-dark. The outside temperature is 37 degrees, but even with aircon you would barely survive.
Back to reception to present my Booking.com voucher, clearly stating my room with verandah, and pleasantly seeking a solution. After some time the manager appears and offers an alternative room, but still without a verandah. My earlier thorough research had highlighted several Mecure properties on the left bank so my proposed solution was for the manager to seek us alternative accommodation with a verandah at another Mecure property. Twenty minutes elapsed when he finally returned, and the confirmation email for a room with a verandah appeared in my email box.
We had a 30 minute walk across the Jardin du Luxembourg where half of Paris was escaping the heat, before we arrived at Hotel Mecure Paris, La Sorbonne. First impressions, a classy cool lobby with a nice little bar were indeed favourable, and when Amilee welcomed us with an invitation to view two rooms with balconies, our prayers were indeed answered. We chose the verandah overlooking the Paris rooftops and the setting sun, and after a refreshing GnT in the bar, organised the verandah and opened the bottle of champagne we had carried in the backpack. Sante!
There were four hours until the fireworks, and we'd picked a viewing location in Le Jardin Luxembourg so how should we remain awake. By eating of course. Colvert was a restaurant I'd enjoyed when I was in Paris for the Olympics so Amelie kindly made a reservation for 9pm and we were able to savour some delicious and different food, and Roger some interesting wines. Our walk up the hill to Le Jardin Luxembourg was in vain as we found the gates to the gardens, firmly shut. So we walked quickly back to our hotel and joined the fireworks with a birds eye view on our TV! It was indeed spectacular with lots of drone displays and some wonderful sound and light presentations, no smell of gunpowder though, so for a pyromaniac's partner, it wasnt quite the same as the real thing. Next year maybe?
After our hotel breakfast buffet, we checked out and headed along the Seine to find the optimum viewing point for the military flypast, and the video tells the story. It was indeed spectacular and the continuing display of military aircraft and helicopters that flew in formation down the river was brilliant. We knew it would be impossible to get near the parade itself, due to the crowds and security, but instead loitered in a bar on the side streets as the military contingents dispersed. There were crowds, but not as many as we'd imagined for France's national holiday, but no doubt the high temperatures kept many people away.
A speedy trip home on the metro, to find Havana stretched out on the cool tiles in the garden shed.Read more
A week in the suburbs of Paris
Jul 18–19 in France ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Its hard to believe we're only 9kms from the centre of Paris, its just so incredibly quiet in the suburbs. The most noise we've got is chirping birds and whistling builders on a building site a couple of blocks away. Its serene and even HRH, Havana the pussycat is very low maintenance and mostly justs sneaks in for a daily midnight snack. And what's more, we are just a 30minute metro ride to the right bank of Paris, Chatelet metro station.
After our busy stay in the city, we were glad to put our feet up and stay home for a few days. We did wander down to the local marche which was much quieter on the Wednesday than the Saturday, and also managed a walk around the block to check out our local boulangerie. The baguette was OK and as the days slowly cooled down, we ventured a bit further afield. At the end of our street is a tram which took us up to large shopping centre, Belle Epine. Similar to Forest Hill Chase, in Melbourne, it was pleasantly cool and had a wide range of ladies and men's clothing, including a Kiabi, much to Roger's delight. We picked up a few groceries at the huge Carrefour and then headed home on the tram for a late lunch. Came across our first grizzly french children. They didnt want to wear the hats Dad had brought them but amazingly there were no tantrums or meltdowns. Ultimately Dad was the boss and the whining was very short-lived.
On Saturday, we ventured back to our marchè as the prices were so reasonable. But first there was some people watching to be done, so we sat with our drinks outside the local restaurant and watched the world go by. A delightful young Dad rocked up with a beer and asked to share the shade. He had two gorgeous little girls with him (2yrs and 5yrs) and he just watched while they played happily in the jets of water, which was the local community splash pad. It turns out he was from Algeria and had been in Paris for 23 years. His wife worked in the bank and was doing end of year audits so he was on babysitting duties. Such a lovely guy who spoke very good English and whose daughters had such fun but were also very shy. When it was time to go, they waved and the littlest one turned around and said 'aurevoir' . Very cute.
By Sunday, we'd done the household chores and needed some serious exercise. I discovered that only 30 minutes away on the bus there was a large estate, Chateaux Seaux with gardens, a large canal and some beautiful treelined promenades. It was a spectacular small scale Chateau built in the mid 1800's, probably more of a country house for the gentry of Paris at the time, but the grounds were of an impressive scale, the water features refreshing and the long canal, similar to the one we had walked round in Fontainbleu even had rowboats for hire. We settled on sharing an icecream instead, and broke the 10,000 step barrier by the time we got home.Read more
A day out in Paris
July 20 in France ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
On Monday, we went on a mission to buy Roger a new pair of Brooks running shoes - no he hasn't taken up running but the particular style suits his feet and he's worn out his original pair after 3 years on the road. The problem we have is that French men have very normal feet, constrained by their couture brand shoes that are the daily work wear requirement. On the other hand the tropical style - barefoot, thongs and a boat shoe for special occasions, gives our feet alot of room to spread so wide fittings are the norm. I'm guessing our feet are probably better of for the fresh air and room to move, but it precludes any of the Paris shoe stores from stocking 2E wide fitting shoes. Not to be defeated, a very helpful young lady steers us to the Brooks online and the appropriate runners were purchased once we got home. Just awaiting the delivery notice. An interlude discovering Le Jardin Anne Frank, was perfect to realise that Paris is full of surprises, many of them local green community spaces.
We had built up a thirst and a
hunger by now so we're headed towards the 1st arrondisement, where Roger had booked his 'sidekick', Charles's recommendation, Bistro Richelieu. It was a gorgeous sunny day, the heat has gone and mid 20's is the order of the day. Le Marais area was remarkably free of people, including tourists up until this point, but now en route to lunch we find the workers queued outside the trending cafes, a hamburger joint and a Japanese poke bowl style cafe. The lines were long. We had also observed a number of young people 'eating on the run', croissants on the metro, baguettes while they walk. This is just so 'un French', and seems a sad inditement of the universal world we live in. The french long lunch hour, even taken by our tradies on the building site, is potentially heading for the 'memory bank'.
Our lunch however, was traditional, little round tables, wicker chairs, and the bare minimum between the tables, which made for interesting people watching and listening, as we were surrounded by tourists, a Chinese couple in the midst of a domestic, tears and the lot, and a snooty American woman, and her young daughter, who pushed their way into the table next to us and ordered a hamburger and chips with a coke. We on the other hand, enjoyed confit canard and porc roti and they were both delicious. We had some time to kill, after lunch so we wandered down to sit by La Seine and watch the passing boat parade, some of which were sailing very close to the waterline. When that view became tiresome, we sought out a couple of the infamous green chairs in Jardin des Tuileres and watched a couple of young Asian 'influencers' spend a good 15 minutes creating the perfect image. Strange thing was they were sitting by a dirty green pond - the fountains were not working, and the background was a totally un known building, with some interesting detail at best.
Oh well, each to his own. Roger had suggested exploring another arrondisement of Paris, with a Paris Greeter, and although it was short notice - we only made the request on Friday, the delightful Philippe had picked up our details and we arranged our meetup outside Corvisart metro station in the 13th arrondisement. Philippe is a mature, retired French GP, who grew up in Le Marais but now lives on the Paris outskirts. He has grandchildren similar in age to ours, but even more amazing, he's been to Cairns, and almost made it to Lockhart River to visit his daughter who was living there (her husband was a teacher there), except the flight was turned back due to bad weather. And his best friend (a Parisian) has been living in Melbourne for the past 10 years and is moving to Cairns in 2027. It really is such a small world.
Philippe took us on a wonderful walk through the Butte-aux-Cailles area a small hill in Paris, far from the tourist crowds, but with a really fascinating history. It was the landing site of the first manned hot air balloon flight in 1783 from Le Bois de Bologne only 8 miles away. The small park is still there, now a children's playground and another beautiful green oasis in Paris. There's a delightful art deco building housing a public swimming pool in the centre of the village, and the water comes up from a spring, 600 metres below the ground. Naturally, because were in Paris, the main street is lined with little bistros, including one, Le Temp de Cerise, originally run as a cooperative by the Commune de Paris movement. This movement had a significant influence in the history of Paris following France's loss to Prussia in 1871. The uprising of the peasants- 'to the baricades' - resulted in the loss of many lives, and is remembered as France's second revolution. Street art features throughout the Butte-aux-Caille and adds just one more dimension to a very Parisian 'village' on the hill. The only thing missing are the windmills which gave the village its name.
After 18,800 steps, the next stop was our suburban retreat, in Chevilly Larue, where the GnT was well deserved.Read more
A church, some culture and plenty of cheese
Jul 22–23 in France ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
We had a 'stay at home' day on Tuesday, but were ready to pound the streets again on Wednesday, making the most of the beautiful summer weather in Paris. We'd booked a 'Cheese tasting with Max' which didn't start until 2.30pm so in order to justify our afternoon of indulgence, I had planned a visit to the Petit Palais, a delightful art museum with a wonderful collection of eclectic sculpture, and art from the Renaissance to the 20th century.
Our walk from the metro, is where the church came in. As we popped out of the metro, right in front of us was this very imposing, Greco Roman building, complete with towering greek columns - the Eglise de la Madeleine, designed by Napoleon as a monument to his army. You certainly couldn't miss it, and given it had very little resemblance to the more traditional church with steeples, bell towers and the like, we were drawn inside to look around. It was massive and impressive - yet another Paris surprise.
The Petit Palais was spectacular. It showcased 'bites' of art styles, plaster moulds of sculptures collected from basements around Paris, and saved from ultimate destruction, timber furniture - a complete dining room donated to the museum, and even a lesser known Monet, 'Sunset on the Seine at Lavacourt'. It was the perfect size and scale for a delightful overview of the arts in Paris, without all the crowds. Some people have described it as better than Le Louvre, but personally I think its more like a 'peoples gallery/museum' and just as an FYI, its FREE.
We crossed the Champs Elysée, which was all set up for the infamous Tour d'France arrival on Sunday afternoon, and made our way up the back streets of Montmatre to meet Max, our cheese guru. Max is a 27 year old entrepreneur type, who owned and managed a specialised Cheese shop in Montmartre for the past four years. His two hour cheese and wine gatherings (with a maximum of 12) have become so popular that he recently sold the shop to concentrate on his tasting sessions, and to be able to spend more time with his fiance and new baby daughter. There were nine of us tasting, two young travellers from Norway/Sweden, two girls from Chicago (who didnt really like cheese that much - go figure) and a mom and dad from the US who brought their 18 year old son with them, (but he didnt really like wine!) As you might have guessed we well and truly joined in, along with the Scandi girls and almost cleared our cheese platters, along with the generous pourings of complementary wine, all white, as white wine pairs better with cheese than red wine because its high acidity cuts through rich fats, and it lacks the tannins red wine has through being aged in oak barrels. These tannins can react with milk proteins in the cheese to create a bitter, metallic taste. Fascinating stuff...and we'd only just begun.
Max, was friendly, fun and full of knowledge and we learnt heaps about the production of cheese in France - the home of comte cheese, being just one small area up near the Swiss Alps, and the Tome, which is a smaller thicker wheel, from many areas in France, and named accordingly. We sampled goats, sheep and cows milk cheeses and also learnt the trick to selecting the correctly aged cheese, according to the season as the best milk production occurs when the cows are on the mountains in spring and summer, rather than in the sheds through winter. It was a brilliant afternoon, lots of fun and very educational.
We rolled down the hill back to our metro, but passing by La Terrase Hotel, decided a cleansing beverage was necessary in their rooftop bar. The view was impressive, the service nonchalant and the crowd, mostly American tourists, so we didnt stay long. And once again, Thursday was a recovery day.Read more
Au bientot Paris
Jul 24–26 in France ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
Our cat minding is coming to an end, but there's still a few things on the 'Paris to do' list and the lovely weather continues. Friday took us back to the 13th arrondisement, as there was a large marche down the main boulevard. It was fairly typical fruit and veg with several empty stalls as many of the Parisian locals have already left for their holidays. We heading to the park at the bottom of the hill, another stunning green space with a large children's playground and cafe. The adjacent street was also home to Paris' first residential skyscraper, built in 1960 with 23 floors, an impressive building in its own right, but even more interesting was our opportunity to meet one of the residents who was leaving the building just as I was taking the photograph. An absolutely charming lady who announced she was 85 years old, came to Paris from Russia, 30 years ago, and worked as a technical physicist. She spoke 5 languages, Russian, Ukrainian, French, English and a little Italian! She had a large apartment in the highrise and was a bit unhappy about paying €4000 a month for the 'body corporate' fees. Her daughter also had a small studio apartment in the same block. Just another spontaneous snapshot of Paris, a meeting we won't forget in a hurry.
We meandered up to the main street for lunch, and had to settle for a Parsian hamburger as our preferred bistro was closed for the summer holidays. It was delicious according to Roger, the French know how to cook meat well - perfectly medium rare. A quick metro ride took us back to quayside on La Seine, where we picked up an icecream and wandered along the river which was not particularly busy for a sunny Friday afternoon, apart from the swimmers at Piscine Josephine Baker and another gathering, on the opposite side, actually swimming in La Seine under the watchful eye of the surf lifeguards. It was also refreshing to observe that public displays of affection, for which the French are so well known were still around, although perhaps not quite as frequent as before. With another 18,000 steps under our belt, it was time to return to Chevilly Larue. This time we sat in the very front carriage of the driverless train, chanelling Albert and his love of trains, it was amazing whizzing through the metro at 80kmh! Coming up from the metro, we smelt a BBQ cooking, and discovered an enterprising local with a shopping trolley half full of corn cobs. Tucked at one end was an old tin converted to a home made brazier. The coals were red hot and the corn was roasting under his watchful eye. It smelt delicious.
On Saturday I left Roger in charge and headed back into the city, for some retail therapy - cheap summer dresses are not as prevalent as they were in previous years, so further research was required. I eventually picked one up at an op shop equivalent for €10. I also caught up with Karin, my favourite epilage (waxing) lady near Gare de Lyon to prepare for a return to poolside at Les Petites Rivieres and then had an adventure on my way home as line 14 had an electrical failure. As holidays were beginning for many Parisians the metro was packed - line 14 is the Orly airport line so not only were there people, but suitcases too, jammed in like sardines on line 7 the alternative route to the airport. Cest la vie. A refreshing GnT in the garden was most welcome on my return, and on Sunday we packed up in preparation for our departure the next day.Read more
The beautiful village of Sancerre
Jul 27–30 in France ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Our hosts arrived back at midday on Monday, so we set off for Sancerre, our 4 night stopover en route to Les Petites Rivieres. We'd packed our leftovers for a picnique and found ourselves in the delightful village of Briare. We ate lunch in the park and then walked over the Pont Canal de Briare, 662 metres long and designed by none other than Gustal Eiffel. It is a very spectacular aqueduct, which crosses high above the Loire river, and until 2003, was the longest aqueduct in the world.
We arrived in Sancerre late in the afternoon, and what a surprise. Whilst most of the Ile de France region (Paris and surrounds) is flat agricultural land, suddenly out of the blue you come across a hill, surrounded by vineyards and a beautiful village, that has been here for centuries. Another quintessential French scene, narrow cobblestone streets, a Chateau, a bustling square surrounded by cafes, and to our delight every second shop was a wine tasting venue representing some of the 300 vineyards in the region. We strolled through the village to pick up some supplies for dinner, and a bottle of Sancerre and then it was time to put our feet up and relax with GnT of course.
Since we had secured a car park, almost outside the door of our little studio apartment, we decided this would be a pedestrian based adventure - car parks are a premium in these villages. We are on the ground floor of a narrow one way street, perfectly placed for people watching and listening!
We explored a bit more of Sancerre on Tuesday, including a couple of the recommended wine tastings which were remarkably good. Sancerre wine is made from Sauvignon grapes, and most people that know me, know that I will not drink Sauvignon Blanc under any circumstances- just the highly perfumed passionfruit nose is enough for me. However, the Sancerre experience is something completely different. It appears, from our research that the terroir here is quite different to NZ and Australia. They have three soil/rock types, terres blanches, silex and caillottes, and the wines from each area are quite specific. Some winemakers also put their wine in oak barrels for a period of time or even amphora's, the clay pots from Georgia. The climate here is much cooler generally, and the long and short of it is the Sancerre wine has a negligible fruit nose and a very acceptable taste. A nana nap followed the very generous tastings.
On Wednesday we ventured further afield and down a long hill (we actually got a bit lost! ) to the number one recommended vineyard, Fouassier. It was indeed lovely wine and Roger was even quite taken by the Pinot. Charles has now got Roger pretty sussed, in case you were wondering 😂 Since the climb back up the hill was hardly a challenge, I headed out late in the afternoon to climb the 193 steps up the Tour de Feifs. This is the last remaining tower of the original six towers of the 14th-century feudal Château Sancerre. A spectacular 360 degree was the reward. We also had a chance to explore more of the local shops many of them local artisans, potters, jewellery makers, a weaver and a beautiful gift warehouse, kitchenware and children's toyshop. A couple of pattiseries, Piaf a gourmet delicatessen, and a specialist grocery store were all part of the retail choices and it was obvious the village caters to the fairly affluent visitor, with lots of English and American accents passing by our window. We were also just around the corner from the Eglise Notre Dame Sancerre, and yesterday there was a wedding. It was 37 degrees, but the friends and relations had all dressed for the occasion in suits and ties, with the ladies make-up melting and hairdos drooping. The bride arrived late, by foot, running and clutching her dress to prevent her tripping up. There was lots of hurried commands to mothers, bridesmaids et al, it was hard to tell, but eventually the mayhem died down and her very composed Dad appeared to walk her down the aisle. Later we bumped into her and her new husband walking back into the village square, still clutching her dress but smiling and looking very relaxed. We offered our congratulations.
Today we woke to heavy rain showers and wind, a welcome relief from the previous day, but by lunchtime the sun was shining and we headed out for our little bus ride through the vineyards. Our vehicle was a little 6 seater 4 wheel drive ATV, necessary as we were basically off road over some steep and rocky paths. We had four English retirees for company so there was plenty of stories to tell over a tasting at EricLouis' vineyard.
Back home for a shower and GnT before we headed out to celebrate Jo's birthday albeit 8 hours behind her dinner celebrations at the Flowerdrum in Melbourne. We went to a highly rated local restaurant, La Fleur de Vigne where we enjoyed a beautiful 3 course dinner, in French Japanese fusion style. The chef was Japanese and his wife, also Japanese was the pastry chef. The two of them ran the restaurant, alone and did an excellent job.
And here's the funny ending to our night out. You'll remember we walked over a kilometre down a very steep hill to the Fouassier Vineyard ! Charles had mentioned it was only 50 metres away but we just thought he'd stuffed up. Low and behold as we walked back up our street last night, we saw the Fouassier wine shop front, right at the corner of the square. Ah well, we probably needed the exercise anyway!Read more
A 'family' gathering at Les Petites Rivieres
Jul 31–Aug 4 in France ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
With thanks to Roger's input... Back to LPR on Friday and a reasonably easy drive. All the Cubitts are here and we settle into 2 pm lunches under the cherry tree, swims in the pool that Johnny has maintained and what could be called “gin clear” water. Some have a nap before gin and tonic time, then it is an 8 pm dinner.
Everyone takes a turn at cooking and we enjoy some hand made pizza, beautiful salads, crusty bread and cheeses, quiche and EL’s famous green puy lentils, goat's cheese and sundried tomatoes.
As a cheeky challenge, she asked Flashy to make a paella. No drama there, except she didn’t want chorizo, rabbit or chicken. Not too spicy either. Goodness me.
Lady P managed to get some succulent prawns, firm white fish, local mussels and a squid tube from the market. Juicy tomatoes the size of cricket balls and some saffron were also acquired. Prawn heads and shells made an excellent stock. And as you know, that's the secret.
We re-jig the Weber and using a large paella pan and metres of aluminium foil - we made it fit. All present were happy with the end result. Champagne and Sancerre paired well.
The only complaint was that the neighbouring farmer decided to spread ten tonnes of cow manure over the paddock at our back fence just before dinner. A day later and it still smells like a dairy on a hot day. It also brought millions of flies. There’s probably only one person other than Flashy who hates flies more than him and that’s Casper Cubitt. They both gave up counting after 50 swatted each. Nonetheless we soldiered on.
On Monday, with great fear and trepidation, we drove to Landes, a village just up the road, to the local post office, where with Google translate and head nods, we managed to post a tracked letter to Australia. For some reason to do with transit through the Middle East, France will not post parcels to Australia. So, you have to make sure it is a letter in a plain envelope. Our previous attempt at Chevilly Larue la Post failed. Our French only speaking mature lady at the Landes post office “ummed, ah’d, ‘ello, ah ha!” and stamped them. Phew!
A light shower of rain has not diminished the fragrant odour of cowshit.
Tuesday and the flies and smell remain with us. The carpenter turns up and starts to put on the roof of the extension and it’s taking shape.
The Cubitts head off for the 12 hours drive and ferry to the UK in the morning and we take stock of the remaining food and beverages. It is surprisingly peaceful.Read more
