May 12, 2012 Heading Home

Great view of the lake

There isn't much to say about going home except that it does feel good. The flight was uneventful from Germany to the US except for the cute little boy who continued to kick the back of my chair for most of the trip.  We managed to catch an earlier connecting flight from Detroit to Minneapolis( sometimes you have to buy your way in).  A short taxi from the airport and all of the travel is behind us.  All the places we visited are still not as good as where we are. 

May 11, 20112 Train to Germany

  On the train to Paris 2 weeks ago we took the ICE train and from Paris to Germany we were booked on the SNCF the difference in the trains was unbelievable. The train was plush with in car service that included breakfast and coffee.  It takes about 3 1/2 hours and was so relaxing we even managed to have a little bottle of wine that  we purchased at one of the winery's.  After traveling in and out of the country and staying at various places it was good to be back home with our friends.  When we arrived in Frankfurt it was a balmy 82 and sunny.  Teresa met us at the house were we got situated and then walked into town to have a nice cold beer.  Greg was coaching softball and Teresa had a meeting, we met up with them at the school where we would partake in a hamburger, my  second one in 2 weeks and beers in the "teachers lounge".  Every Friday their faculty has happy hour in the staff lounge with beer and wine (gotta love the jobs they have).  Teresa mad  a reservation at a new place in town called the Lounge.  We arrived promptly at 7:30 ordered an appetizer and some drinks.  Time passed and Teresa and I still had not gotten our drinks,  about 45 min. later  we walked out, as we were walking out they were delivering the appetizer to our table, that looked delicious, the vision is ingrained in my brain.  Greg stopped at the bar to pay for the beers and explained our situation the owner was very understanding and comped the beers. .  We walked into town and ate great German food and called it a night, we will be heading home on an early flight.  So great to spend time with out friends.

Last Day in France May 10, 2012

May 10, 2012

Great lunch at a cute street cafe

Luxemborg Park

Our day would begin early so we could start the commute to Paris drop off the car as we were under a time constraint (Bob trying to save a day of car rental charges). We checked out and headed down the road, but missed the turn to Paris so had to back pedal for a few miles. Once on the freeway, things were looking really good until we got closer to the city. It took about 1 hour to go a few miles, this makes our rush hour in a snowstorm look like nothing. While stopping at a construction site our car was surrounded by people washing our windows and of course wanted money, we sped away quickly. Once inside the city with the GPS working overtime we drove directly to the train station to say good bye to our little car. It was too early to check into the hotel but were able to leave the bags in a secure area. Bob and I would spend the day wandering about Paris getting our last look at the city. Being this was our second visit in two weeks we mastered the Metro and the commuter train to get from one side of the city to the other. We stood in line for about an hour to try and get to the top of the Eifel tower but became discouraged when 25 people were allowed to go ahead of the line. We arrived back at the hotel and were able to check in. The hotel  Libertel Gare de L'Est Francais is directly across from the train station and from outside appearances and even the lobby things were looking good. After exiting the elevator it looked like a construction zone, no carpet, new sheetrock, and stuff all over. When we opened our room it was a pleasant surprise, completely redone, only negative things: no air circulation, no internet and lots of street noise. We decided to try one of the places Jan had recommended in her book for dinner , called Les Deux Magots, famous for famous authors, one being Hemingway. The weather could not have been better I compared it to a hot summer night, 75 and a touch of humidity. We took the metro back and amazingly enough the clientele was less threatening than during the day.



May 9, 2012 Road through BeojolaBeaujolais and Fonatainebleau

Today we would check out of the lovely chateau, but didn't leave before tasting some fine wine.   We were given instructions on  how to take a scenic drive through narrow winding roads, and small villages. The trip was suppose to take 1 hour but we spent too much time exploring out of the way winery's.  One that sticks out was the Hirsch winery privately owned by a charming 27 year woman and her husband she was interesting and so charming to talk to, because of limited space we could not purchase any wine.   Beaujolais wine area is a very charming area and interesting landscape.

Reality had finally sunk in we were leaving the beautiful countryside and heading to the big cities.  Before totally leaving we stopped and had a great lunch at a small cafe in a town called Armour.  Our French is still not so good and when we ordered we thought we were having salad and fish and ended up having a full veal dinner and salad with fish.  We arrived in Fontainbleau in time to tour the famous Chateau Fontainbleau it is huge like nothing I have ever seen. it is second to Versalie.  We checked into IBS hotel  a local change comparable to Days Inn, reality set in really fast, 1 bed filled the room, toilet that didn't flush and no ventilation.  I have to keep telling myself to look back and the great places we have been.  We walked to the main street where there were many of restraunts and enjoyed a foie gras appetizer, steak,  and wine.  Tomorrow we start the drive to Paris to return the car and explore some more areas of Paris. 

May 8, 2012 Last region to discover wine Beaujolais

The last wine region we will tap into would be the Beaujolais area located about an hours drive from Beaune.  May 8, is a very important holiday in France because that is the end of World War 11.  When there is a holiday in France everything shuts down, and it is really hard to find any restaurants or shops to visit.  Thanks to our great GPS we take the correct exit off the highway and arrive at a town called Bellevlle.  We start our search wandering in the town trying to find a place to eat find one place open.  The menu is very small and we order a hamburger that was 1 step below a McDonalds but the french fries were very good.    We continue walking in the town and come across a street market with only clothes, shoes and dry goods.  With limited room in my suitcase I was forced to pass up some really good things, but did manage to buy a new pair of bright red patent leather sandals.  The weather is not good still raining and most vineyards are closed because of the holiday.   We make the decision to find our new home for the night, Chateau de Pizay.  http://www.chateau-pizay.com/fr/index.php  The Chateau is a working winery surrounded by acres of vines, and gardens.  We were not able to have early check in so we decided to take advantage of the onsight spa.  Bob would go to the pool, sauna, steam room, and cold plumge while I opted for a lovely massage. 

 There is a restraunt on site but some how they keep telling us there is no reservation we can have, this means driving a few miles and probably not finding a place open because of the holiday.  Bob is determined to get a reservation and I am not sure how he did it but we dined at 7:00.  The food and wine goes as my best meal on the trip.  We are closing in on the end of our trip and will be traveling north to Fontainebleau where we will stay in order  to be closer to Paris. 

May 7, 2012 City of Beaune

Our morning started with fireworks being shot off at 6:30 in celebration of the new president, as I said not all folks are happy. In our past visits to Europe we have stayed more than 2 days in a hotel so hand washing was easy to do but with limited time we needed to take on the lavorie, once inside we had the challenge of figuring out how things worked. Bob left to find some soap and I was stuck waiting for him with nothing to do. A nice young French woman showed up to do her laundry, she had soap and gave me instruction in French how everything worked it would take some time but worked great. Bob finally made it back an hour later with soap he purchased at the local market. I gifted the soap to this nice young woman for helping us out. After spending 1 1/2 hours in the lavorie we headed to the heart of Beaun to have lunch and take in the historic city. After parking the car we proceeded to walk into town looking for the perfect place to eat. We had some urgency as I needed to use the bathroom we stopped at the first place we saw. The name was Dame Tartine, once inside we were greeted by a man who spoke English and made menu selection very easy. The menu I chose had several courses and each course was interesting and tasty.

Hospice De Beaune

 Directly across the street was a historic landmark called Hospices De Beaune. This hospital was basically a free hospital from the 15th century through 20th century. The hospital was staffed by nuns, in the current day it is still maintained by entry fees and donations to look exactly like it did years ago. Every fall there is a huge wine auction that attracts hundreds to raise money for this hospice and other charities.

Chateau Mersault

Our next stop would be the chateau named after the town Mersault. The chateau Mersault is a working winery that offers a self guided tour and wine tasting. Deep in the caverns there are hundreds of bottles and vates stored in covered in dust. Bob had the fortune of touring the grotto and also seeing the few flying bats. A short taxi ride down the hill would put us at a great Italian restaurant called ARome d'Italie. The food and service was excellent, the taxi was called and another great day ended. 

May 6, Chateau du Clois de Vougeot and onto Beaune


We woke early to a typical European breakfast that we enjoyed with the owner Francoise. Francoise continued on her history lesson of the house and her ancestors while Bob and I sat there still fascinated by the living antique’s. She was not just a great historian but also knows the area like the back of her hand, giving us full details on a hike through the vineyards to a chateau and onto a wonderful lunch place. Bob would navigate through small towns and vineyards finally reaching our destination. The only glitch in the hike was that it has been raining for the last few days and the vineyards were very wet. If you can picture the mud over the top of tennis soles and so thick you felt like you have a 2 pounds of weight on each foot and very slippery that is what it was like. The Chateau was constructed in the 12th century by the Cistercian monks. This order became very reach providing wine not only their use but for neighboring political figures. They became so wealthy and corrupt, that is the reason the Abby De Fontenay (we visited on the barge trip) was started. We walked into the town of Clois de Vougeot where we had lunch at Le Clois de La Vouge, surrounded by several French people, a puppy and a dog directly below my feet. The menu was all in French and the waitress spoke no English we did very well except for the sauce on Bob’s porkchop it was a deep magenta, and some kind of wine and berry sauce. It was time to hike back 3 miles to our car and continue on to Beaun. This was Bob’s marathon accomplishing 6 miles in one day. Before the short drive we were in Beaun, and managed to navigate to our way up a winding road to our new home overlooking the city La Terre d’Or. Once inside we were greeted by the owner Jean-Louis and his wife Christina. The feeling of being right at home was there when I toured the manicured gardens in full bloom. The house was built 22 years ago young by Europe standards, designed in wide open rooms with a view of Beaun. Ten years ago Vincent discovered a grotto below the earth and started pursuing the cave. He has successfully dug into the cave where there is a hot tub, stalactite’s and of course a few bats that came to visit on my tour. There is a small family owned restaurant located 5 minutes from the house called Le Bon Accueil. Here we would dine on escargot, salade mixte, boeuf bourguigno, entrecote, wine and vodka all prepared to perfection. After our short walk home we were greeted by Vincent who was more than willing to discuss the new president that was elected just hours before. Vincent was extremely upset by the outcome and shared his feeling with us accompanied by a fine bottle of premier cru wine.

May 5, 2012 Last week of France

The morning would start bright and early so we could start the drive to Paris and say goodbye to new and old friends.  Bev, Bob, Mike and Beth all headed to Paris Nord to continue on to Belgium, Gail and Jim stayed in Paris one more night and Bob and I rented a car to head to Beaune to sample some more fabulous wines.  Our first stop  was a gas station and as we ordering a sandwich our driver Glen ran into us also getting a sandwich for his trip back to the boat it sure is a small world.  We stayed overnight  in Nuits St. Georges a small town not far from the larger city of Beaune.  The B & B we stayed in is called Domaine Comtesse M de Loisy this is a real culture shock after being on a luxury boat for 6 days.  Words cannot describe this place, it was built in 1860 and the character and structure is of that age.  Entering from the street you are not sure exactly what is behind the big green doors, upon entering you are surrounded by a beautiful courtyard with lush plants.  The main floor has high ceilings and a fireplace in every room, the back part of the house is a complete atrium with plants and grottos.  The owner is a charming french woman named Francoise who shows us to our room on the second floor.  The decor is still much like the 1800's and so nicely done. This place is a must see.  Francoise recommends a great restaurant down the street where we dine on Coq lo Vin (spelling?) and sauteed veal, this is by far the least amount of food we have consumed in the last weeks, and excellent.  On our walk back we stop at a local bar for a night cap before ending this great day. 

Last day on the barge May 4, 2012

Today is our last day on the boat so we must enjoy every minute of the luxury cruise.  We departed at 8:45 am to start the last leg of the trip.  There are 7 locks we must complete and then turn the boat around so the crew can transport the boat back to the beginning of the canal where we got on.  This is a perfect weather day for me to walk, so Gail and I get off the boat and walk about 3 miles wandering into a small village,  making sure not to miss the boat at the next lock.  Gail decided to not walk any farther but Jim says it is time for him to walk so Jim and I walk to the next lock. The morning hours walking were spent  along the canal and adjacent to the river,  great day for a hike.  We board the boat for a fabulous lunch of salmon, cabbage salad, crab salad, and tomatoes with mozzarella cheese.  I am personally saying this was my second favorite lunch.  After lunch we loaded in the van to the town of Auxerre where Glen would give us a history lesson on the area.  Auxerre is on the Yonne river that flows into the Siene, at this time because of the continuous rains the river is closed to boat  traffic and  many boats are moored along the sea wall.  As I mentioned earlier I have been dealing with a sinus infection and today I was able to get some amoxicellen at the pharmacy.  Bob and I talked to the pharmacist and somehow we  manged to get amoxicellen to hopefully cure this sinus problem.  This being the last night on the boat we dine with the captain Olviare, and his wife Debra.  The meal consists of steak topped with foe grais (goose liver) broccoli soup vegetables and and apple torte.  This night we had a dry sparkling wine with our desert.  Perfect ending to a perfect week. 

Wine Tasting and History Lesson May 3

Of all the days we have had in the last week this is by far the best blue bird day you can imagine.  We had to travel through 9 locks this means we could spend much more time walking, or biking.  Tonnere is a town along the way and some of us took liberty to stop and PAY for a beer at a street bar remembering alcohol is included on the boat.  Today we were able to sit out on the deck and have lunch which included, tabbouleh salad, cucumber salad, carrot salad and roast pork.  The wine was a rose, I was pleasantly surprised how good it was.  Every time  we go to for our tours it  seems to be 20 minutes away, and heading to the winery is was exception.  Domaine Alin Geoffroy is a family owned winery located in the town of Chablis.  Glen lead us on a tour and history lesson of the winery and some 8 bottles of wine tasting.  Natalie one of the proprietors  who oversees the wine tasting and had a slight resemblance of Barb Jacobson,  so much so I had a picture taken with her.  After the tasting we are driven up to the overlook of the vineyards backdropped with the town of Chablis.  After returning to the boat is was time once again to be served a lovely dinner.  The first course consisted of fryed goat cheese on a toast, followed by monk fish, cheese and strawberry crumble.  As the week winds down the energy level of the group is starting to slow down.  Everyone was tucked in to there comfy beds at a reasonble hour. 

Medieval town of Noyer. May 2


Before getting out of bed this morning we could hear the rain beating on the top of the boat. This day turned out to be a complete rain out. We were not able to walk on the toe paths and spent the day on the boat,  that is not always a bad thing because with the group dynamics there are many belly laughs. Lunch was excellent vegetable soup (pureed) , quiche and of course cheese and salads, there is no going hungry on the boat. In the afternoon Glen transported us to a medieval town called Noyer, here we were given the history of the town and architecture.  While sauntering through the streets we happened upon a great purse shop you could special order one in any size, shape or colors of leather.  Maybe in the next months I will have to save my social security check and invest in one.  Did I mention I am 62 and can draw from the account., I am sure there is a mistake someplace in the system.   After returning to the boat we prepared to get ready for dinner at a restaurant in the town of Chablis. The restaurant was called Hostellerie des Clos. I started out my dinner with escargot, then onto a lovely beef steak with mushrooms, cheese platter and grand mariner soufflé and of course red and white wine. In spite of the rain the day was very productive and a great time. We moored in the town of port de Tanlay a really small town just a short walk from the canal.

Le Chateau d’Ancy Le France May 1


Today is a national holiday so the lock keepers have the day off, but our captain has made arrangements for them to assist us on getting through the locks in a mannerly time. Much to everyone’s surprise we woke up to very nice weather, no rain and peeks of sun it would be the beginning of one of the nicest weather days we have had. The barge moves at a snails pace so when you are walking the boat is always within reach . As you walk along the toe paths there are locks that raise and lower the water levels. In order to get on and off the boat you must pace your walk so you make it to the next lock by the time the boat arrives, this has not been a problem for us. Today we went to the Le Chateau d’Ancy Le France where Glen gave us an extraordinary history lesson and tour of the chateau. After the tour we revisited the panoramic view that I had not been able to complete the day before. Tonight there was entertainment on the boat not just us entertaining one and another but a flute traversiere and guitar player. The Ricercare Duo founded in 1994 met each other at the Sorbonne University . The guitarists bio was interesting because she proposes musical fairy tales for children. After the lovely concert we were seated for dinner. We dined on quail eggs, poached with salmon and cream, duck, and chocolate fondant. The meal was nice but the fondant was not as good as everything else we have had. I forgot to mention the service part of this trip, at each meal we have 2 wines and of course cheese, in the morning our bed is made and fresh towels are laid out, at night before flopping into bed, the covers are turned back and pillows fluffed. Not sure who is going to do this when I get home. The staff is excellent and the rooms are very spacious kind of like being at home.

First Day cruising  Monday April 30, 2012


Today is the first day of our cruising trip we leave from Ravieres about 9:30 after a European breakfast. The weather has not been so good light rain and cloudy that would be not be same this morning when we started our trip it was cloudy and no rain. The decision is to get off the barge and get some exercise between the locks. The rain managed to stop for some time and several of us got off the barge before we dropped to the next level of the canal, it is only about 1 -2 k between the locks so in 1 day we can walk for about 4 miles. The boat stopped we boarded without damaging ourselves that is a saying the captain always says. That days lunch would be beef bourgione once again pared with great wine and cheeses. The beef bourgione was prepared as good as Julia Childs would have done. After heading down the canal we would stop at a small town called Ancy-lefranc , here we could be driven to the famous Abbaye Fonatenay. This is the only remaining monastery in the world built according to the will of St. Bernard. It is located in a forest surrounded by trees and lovely gardens. The abbay is privately owned and open for tours. After the tour I chose to walk to the small town to explore its streets. I wandered up to the church where there was a sign that pointed to a panoramic view, I hesitated and finally went ½ way up and turned around. I was hoping to get back to see the aerial view of the famous Italian palace. After arriving back on the boat it was time to prepare for another exquisite dinner. Tonight’s dinner would be stuffed chicken legs with sweetpotato sauce and many other dishes of course paired with fine wines.

Last day in Paris then onto Barge

Today is our last day in Paris before we head to the barge for our 7 days of cruising.  The weather has been to not  good, rainy, cold and sometimes very windy.  As my friend Teresa says it is not bad weather but bad clothing and we are prepared for the bad weather.  With only a few hours left we need to explore the Sacre Coeur a beautiful basillica located in the Monmarte area of Paris.  The metro gets us within a few blocks and we begin to hike up steep stairs to the top.  While climbing Bob is approached by 2 men trying to tie some string around his wrist to make a bracelet.  Jim, Gail and I are not sure what is going on but keep yelling at him to look out for himself.  It appears these men were attempting to pick pocket him, in the end his arms are flaling as he wards them off, he saunters away without incident.  After finally reach the top of the stairs we turn around to see the perfect panoramic view of Paris.  We are on a tight time schedule today so that we can get to the barge by late afternoon.  We arrive at the hotel just in time to be met by our driver Glen where we all pack in the van for our 3 hour drive to our new house for the week.  The barge is C'est la Vie  http://www.bargesinfrance.com/cestlavie.htm   which is a  privately owned barge captained by Oliva, and crew member Deborah, Ruthie and chief Anue.  For the next days they will be exposing us to the history of the Burgandy area, serving us lovely meals, supplying the bar, ad making sure we are happy with our stay.  Our first night on the boat we were moored at Raviere on the canal de bourgoun.  We were served a nice  dinner that  included wine  paired  with the following courses:   scallop ceviche, braised lamb with a wine reduction, cheese platter, and a macaroon topped with cream.  The night  ended dancing to great songs that were downloaded on Beth Grangers iphone.  A great action packed

Hop on and off bus

When Bob and I were in Italy 2 years ago we chose our mean of touring the city on the hop on hop off bus.  Bob calls it the "hip hop bus"  anyway we all headed to the Eiffel tower.  Along the way we were fortunate to experience one of the Saturday markets filled with produce, fish, cooked chickens, baked goods and clothing.  We finally arrived at the Eiffel tower where we all boarded the double decker bus, equipped with ear phones and cameras  we started the long ride around the city.

  We rode the bus past  Notre Dame before our hipping and hopping would begin.    Our first stop was the Arc de triomphe this is where Napoleon ordered the arches  be built,  but never lived to walk under them.  The group made a decision to stop and have some lunch amazing  8 people all agreed with a restaurant called Geroge V.  The food was tasty but ordering vegetable soup can be  labor intensive I think because everyone had finished their meal and finally my tomato soup arrived warm, and tasty.  We wanted to explore Notre Dame so we hopped on the metro  and made it to the 6:30 mass.  There was a line 2 blocks long but Jim managed to walk through the exit and we all had front row seats at high mass.  After a lovely church  service and the roof not falling down we headed back on the bus stopping at  Trocadero.  The restaurant that was chosen by the group was Le Coq a very  upscale place with the best people watching we had seen the entire time.   The service and food was excellent.  I chose to forgo the big menu and have aspargas soup and a superb macaroon with raspberry sauce.  Tired and full from a great day we hailed a taxi and headed back to get ready for our last day in Paris. 

Next stop Paris by the fast train



Luxemberg Gardens



After a great dinner and good nights sleep we all got up bright and early to start the big commute to Paris.  Teresa made our train arrangements and with all of her tools we made it to Paris without any complications.  The train took about 3 1/2 hours and Bob and Jim spent time in the bistro having lunch with 2 French women.  I forgot to mention Gail and I were busy holding our seats because everyone getting on did not have a reserved seat.  With only alittle time to start to explore Paris we started moving pretty fast.  The hotel we were booked in is called the Hotel Concorde Montparnasse, the location is not so good and the first room we were assigned to was not to my standards the smell was really bad. 

With only a few hours of daylight we saw, Luxemberg gardens, St. Supice church, and the famous Eiffel tower.  The other 2 couples that will be on the barge with us are Grangers, and Tilges, we met up  with them at the boat were we toured the Seine river and finished the night walking back to our hotel and stopping along the way to eat  at LePub Saint-Germain.  Bob and I had probably the best snapper I have tasted in a long time.  The final decision was not to continue to walk but go by taxi to our hotel.  Did I mention our hotel had a bar.  To bead late to start the big all day trip on Sat. 

Rudesheim by train April 26

With only a short time in Germany we tryed to pack in as much as we could.  Teresa set us up with all the information and maps to complete the jorney by train to hike, get on a boat to see the castles and enjoy the the beaufiul Rein river.  Our day would start very early as we had 2 trains to catch to get to the Rein.  When I woke up feeling as if   I encoutered limes disease I knew it was going to be a tough day.   To say the least the train ride was not so good for me.      We arrived at Rudesheim about 10:00 after wandering through the streets we purchased tickets to take the gondola up to the famous Niedwerwald monument that was built in the 1800's.  The monument commemorates the Franco-German War of 1870-1871 and the reestablisment of the German empire.  We strolled through meandering paths and stoped for lunch at Jagdshcloss (hunting castle).  We ended the walk taking a chair lift down that I am sure was not up to any  OSHA standards but it sure was fun.  Once down from the hike we got on a boat to take us down the Rein past historic castles and vineyards lining the sleep slopes. 

After many questions we figured out what train to take us back to Frankfurt and then on to Teresas's and Gregs.  We all were really proud we had pulled off another uncertain day.  We ended the evening eating at the Ratskellar, located in Oberusel and is very quant with great food.

48 hours in Germany April 25-27

We started planning the trip to Germany and then onto France sometime in the fall of 2011.  The Menne's and Paines put the trip together with a travel agent from White Bear.  The first stop on our 2 1/2 week trip starts with a  48 hour stop over at Dupres in the beautiful German town named Oberursel.  Our flight left MSP on Tuesday April 24 with a 3 hour layover in Detroit then onto Frankfurt.  Teresa had her favorite driver pic us up at the airport and deliver us to her apt.  After afew brief instructions from Teresa we headed out to see the sights and taste the food in this quant little town.  There are  several great restraunts and we chose to eat at the Bierstube for a light lunch. Exhausted from traveling all night we finally had to give in a head back to the house.  With our key in hand we attemped to open up the door and it was jammmed.  I called Teresa on her phone and she was deliverd to the house with 4 pathetic people standing outside trying to get in.  After trying all attempts a man who lives in the building got the door open and we were able to catch a 1 hour nap and prepare to go to dinner at Marktwertschaft.  The food was wonderful and cocktails even better.  After along day we walked back to the house and turned in.