Tid-Bits - yum!

Can't have a blog about France and not talk about FOOD. It is a French obsession.

Brian shops every day. The vegetables are so fresh, the garlic juicy and the onions braided.

We haven't taken advantage of the weekly market too often as the weather had been so bad. 

The English couple who have their house for sale and which we viewed also own a shop called The Brit Stop, 35 miles north of here.  OMG  it was great!!  We bought Heinz Salad Cream, Lincolnshire sausages, Carr's Water Crackers, Double Gloucester cheese and black pudding, this was heaven for us with limited access to Brit food in the US.

Taken at an open air art show

Back to FRENCH food: Speaking of DUCK, last week when were with Charles, the real estate agent, and he took us to a restaurant with outside dining overlooking the Gorges of the L'Averyon in Najac. Absolutely gorgeous.  We had the "plat du jour" (canard something)  baked duck legs (first brined as per Brian) served with a paste similar to the texture and color of pesto but not the same flavor, smashed potatoes and a mixture of spicy veg and, of course, bread. Then there was dessert - flan with caramel sauce and fresh cream whipped dotted around the plate. Charles and I shared a 25cl (1/3 of a bottle) of rose wine. Brian drank water. The entire bill was E34.00 ($48.00 inclusive)   The best restaurant meal we have had. 

Brian has been cooking dinner for Angus - steak hache, carottes, pommes de terre -  as we can't find dog food without wheat (ble, cereales): allergy.

                         Spoiled dog. 

One Friday we were at the supermarche and I saw lamb kebobs flying out of the cooler - seriously, everyone was buying them.

From the same art show we came across while sightseeing

Mommy Daddy & the little lamb.

We bought a package; 4 kebobs. Back home Brian tried to lite the little BBQ but no go so he cooked them in a frying pan; they were superb. Small cubes of lamb faced with a thin slice of fat then a square of green pepper all on little sticks.

So there we were in the supermarchec another time, and I picked out the package of lamb kebobs which .........yuck, turned out to be cubes of gizzards and liver - looked exactly the same to my myopic eyes.  When Brian went to cook them he realized it was not lamb. Angus was the happy recipient those.....  parts.

Moral of the story - don't let me near the meat counter. Truly,  I prefer not to see naked rabbits and ducks pieces anyway

Paula of the Brit Stop told me a funny story.  One of her first village fetes was one where everyone brought their own plate and cutlery. She was served tripe (cows stomach). She couldn't bring her self to eat it, she ate the vegetables and covered the tripe with some bread hoping she could just carry her plate away at the end of the evening. However, dessert was being served and everyone was asked to turn their dinner plates over.  As she turned her plate upside down the juices spread out over the paper table cover, like an Arctic oil spill. Hahahaha - funny story.

Now on to the veggie department:

The produce is signposted with name, origin and price. Just like our US stores but the countries of origin are more varied.

If it is priced per piece then we just put it in the cart. If it is by kg. (2.2lbs to 1 kilogram) we have to put it on the scale, pick the proper picture and press the button. Out pops a bar coded label with the price which we affix to the plastic bag. 

(Sometimes the pictures aren't quite clear so we fake it with the closest looking veg. making sure the pricing is close)

We prefer skimmed milk - could it be 'demi creme"? 

Non - it is ecreme. Who would have thought?  UHT (Ultra High Temperature) is what we buy as it does not have to be refrigerated in our tiny fridge before opening and lasts a long, long time. I don't care for the flavor but B. likes it in his cereal.

Today we were in a MALL. First one we have seen. The anchor store is Geant - a  huge grocery and everything else store. It reminded us of a Super Wal-Mart. We'll have to go back and spend a few hours, wearing our winter woolies - it was cooold in there.


Camouflaged goat - same art show

Goat cheese - fromage de chevre. One of the best tasting cheeses, warmed or cold, in the world. However, in all of our travels we have yet to see a goat - and I mean the 1000s of miles  traveled in France. Where do the farmers keep them - are they kept in barns and force fed? Are they in labor camps where they are hooked up to milking machines 24/7?
Do they every see their kids? One wonders...... we never see goat meat in the marche (store).




Baguette - We have been disappointed with the bread. It used to be each village had its one or two boulangerie(s) where the bread was baked two times a day. But now it is delivered already baked. It is just not the same. Not all bakeries have succumbed and we dearly hope that we will live where we find the bakery by following our noses.


Roquefort cheese - wow! what a taste sensation.
                Blue, tangy, creamy, rich.  
And Brian finally will eat it and enjoy it too!

An exceptional combination of circumstances gave birth to Roquefort cheese : an extraordinary geological feature, men’s tenacity and the special adaptability of a breed of ewes.. A visit not to be missed : down in the underground labyrinth of the maturing caves of Roquefort, formed by Nature after the landslide of the Combalou mountain. These high-vaulted caves, ventilated by the « fleurines »(natural draught passages which operate the natural ventilation of the caves) are where from January to June thousands of cheeses are nurtured in the hands of experts. You can visit the caves all year round.

We have been told that eating the cheese straight from the caves is "to die for".
It is only about 65 miles from us and it has the world's tallest bridge near-by, 2.5km of steel deck spanning the River Tarn. The Viaduc de Millau is one if the great civil engineering feats of our time.

Funny grocery store sights:

Magic Vinegar - can't remember if it was in the feminine hygiene or cooking aisle

Cat Shampoo - who washes a cat ???-they are self-cleaning.

 Piscine Rose - literal translation: Swimming Pool Rose Wine   
    

So what's for dinner tonight?  It's Wednesday - (Mercredi) so that means pizza. Last Wednesday we returned home late and while Brian rummaged around the kitchen I took Angus to the park. I noticed a big van with a generator at the edge of the park - it was  - Pizz 'A Nico (very clever).  We walked back over to the park and 10 minutes later we had our made to order pizza. He also sells beer and wine! 
                   What a great country........

                   

Nous sommes arrivés ( We have arrived)

The rental house is a very old two storey “townhouse” overlooking the babbling river Arn, with a mountain ridge in the background. It is comfortable and the weather has been delightfully cooler than Jacksonville.  As a matter of interest, the other night there was a hailstorm and it was so violent that it broke one of the living room windows.
Thought it was a drive-by shooting!

We were able to secure the shutters so no more damage. Our little leased car didn’t fair as well, the poor thing has dents all over the roof and hood. We had a handyman come and look at the window. He removed it by taking it off the hinges, so easy. A week or so later he brought it back, all fixed. In meantime we kept the shutters closed.

                                  

 We have begun house hunting north and south of here (here being north east of Toulouse), but we haven’t seen a thing which excites us. We are going to have to venture further north and east later this week. The village of Pont de L’Arn, where we are staying, was an industrial center with the wool dying and tanning industry being the biggest employer; but that is no more. It is not a pretty village but the town of Mazamet – 5 minutes from here is quite busy.  We quickly found the grocery stores and Brian shops every day. We had to stock up on Saturdays as the “blue laws” still apply on Sundays but now they are open Sundays for the summer months.

 We do have difficulty with the language but Brian can usually ask for something – directions, an item in the store, food – and he is understood. We are going to the “Mairie’s” (mayor) office tomorrow to enquire about French lessons in Mazamet.

Week Three

July 21st - We have had our 2nd French lesson - 1 hour 3 x week. It is so much easier for Brian as he has a better grounding in it - high school 55 years ago – he’s amazing. 

                Angus traveling atop the suitcases from Spain to France.

Our doggie is well and I am sure he has adjusted faster than we have. He didn't suffer from the same jet lag that shattered us for the first week. 

But now I know what he hears when we speak to him - blah, blah, blah Angus, blah, blah, blah.   Just what I hear when people speak French  to me. 

 Also thru our landlords, we were contacted by an English couple, Susie and Robin, who invited us to an al fresco dinner last Saturday night along with about 18 other people.  They live way out in the country in a beautifully natural setting, about 35 minutes north. Their house includes 2 gites (rentals). There were English, Irish, Scottish, Norwegian and French guests. It was extremely interesting and informative. They had tables set up in their lawn/field. We had drinks first then a five course meal.  Robin and Susie did this all themselves!  First course was pate and bread; then Greek salad with pita bread; chicken, rice, orange slices, green beans and jus/broth; 4 cheeses plate with bread; dessert which we didn't have.  This took about 4 hours from drinks to dessert, but what a beautiful night.  We left at 11 and people were still there. We met an interesting couple (Norwegian & French) who are 79 and 78 and absolutely amazing! He speaks 7 languages.  Check out their beautiful location:www.la-plaine-gites.com
    

We also met an English couple who have their house for sale. However, as they say on House Hunters International - It is at the top of our budget. We went there on Tuesday and are going back for a second look on Saturday and to attend the village fete, which comprises of food, wine and entertainment for about $20.00 each. I'm sure it will be a good time. They live near Susie and Robin’s, but in the hills where the countryside is breathtaking - rolling wheat and corn fields, acres of sunflowers. 

Yes - The fete was a good time. The village is one street through the center and down a hill. There were long tables set up in front of the Mayor’s building, a stage with a young band and a bar where drinks – Muscadet wine, water, beer or soda – could be purchased before dinner. Dinner was a salad and bread then homemade sausage cooked on a half an oil drum over wood fires, scalloped potatoes and bread with rose and red wines. Cheese and bread came next then a dessert. An older gentleman (probably about 85) caught my eye and motioned for me to dance with him.  It made me smile! After the dance he thanked me and went to his seat. Not a word was spoken during our dance. We left about 10 and the party was still going on.

 
  Weather conditions: 55 – 58F and it has rained every morning but sometimes sunny in the afternoons. The past four days have been constant rain. We are not used to the cold and the rain – hate it! 

              Photographed on a country road on one of those cold and rainy days.

                                                    "A hole in the road"

                                        Brian on a hillside

Twenty Seven Days and Counting 

Today (July 29^th) is sunny and warm. We went into town for our French lesson and then had two grande crème cafes in the square. The sun was shining and it sure made us feel good to relax in the warmth. The air is dry but not arid.

French lessons today were numbers. The French numbering system is idiotic to say the least. Everything goes somewhat well until 70.
70 is 60 plus ten = soixante dix. 
71 is 60 plus 11. 
It then follows (il)logically until 80.  
80 is 4 x 20!  And why not continue the lunacy ?? 
90 is 4 x 20 +10.  99 is quatre-vingt-dix-neuf (4 x 20 +10+9)
Unusually so, 100 is easy – cent! 
French kids must be awfully good at math! 

Since we have to know how much two cafes cost or water and a beer (the are the same price – Euro 5.00 about $7.25 USD) i The price of the drinks sound expensive but as the tax and the tip are included, so not much different from the US.  It is very important that we learn to listen and understand what the waiter says.  Plus I like French Kronenbourg 1664 beer so I have to know how to say that!   Seize soixante quatre (sez soosont cat)

No happy hour prices here though :(

Brian and Angus at Happy Hour. Happy hour to Angus is all about eating cigarette butts which, to his his delight, are all over the cafe pavements.

  

Before The Trip

We put our house on the market in 2009 but did not have a firm offer until April of 2011.  We listed with our good friend Sandi of Watson Realty in October 2010.  Closing was scheduled for June 29^th which gave us ample time to arrange movers, flights, dog travel, a car and to have several garage sales.  We were so fortunate at our second garage sale. A former neighbor whom we had never met, bought our 16ft. runabout boat and our car – for cash!  We gave him the titles and agreed
that we could keep the car until the 29^th of June.

Our friends, Mary and Ray, threw a going-away-party for us. What a great night to have our friends in one place and to share stories. Great food, DJ Ray and everyone’s presence made it a happy but sad evening.

ALL the arrangements had been made to fly out on July 1^st.
Our house closing was postponed from Wednesday the 29^th at 11 a.m. to finally signing the last document at 6:30pm on Thursday due to the buyers’ mortgage company not doing their job. Just a tad bit stressful, ya think? We then had to drive our rental car 300 miles to Macon, Georgia to a pet-friendly hotel I had booked. Since it was now almost 10pm when we arrived and all the restaurants were closed, we had a memorable dinner of vending machine potato chips but good wine. 

The next day we drove to Atlanta airport. The fun now began in earnest. Where do we find the cargo area to drop off Angus, our dog? Before we left Jacksonville I had called Delta to find out where the cargo was and I was told there were signs. Signs in the clouds maybe!  It was now about 1pm and Angus was to be there by 2. After three pieces of directional misinformation, we found it. We were told to stand in the hot warehouse, Angus would be weighed and to come back into the office to pay. Not so!! After 45 minutes of standing around (no seats) we were advised to go to Domestic Cargo to purchase a crate. So we all piled into the car and off we go. A very helpful and caring Delta employee put the crate together and took it to International (as we had no room for it in the car) where we were finally able to have Angus processed for the trip of his life. We had to leave the poor little guy sitting in his crate. It was heartbreaking.  Bye-bye Angus.........

We returned the rental car, loaded our three big suitcases and miscellaneous stuff onto a trolley, and pushed into the main building but at the entrance, there is a sticky-up part so the cart bucked and our luggage went flying. A couple of travelers took pity on us and helped sort the mess. Merde! What next? After taking two airport trains to the check-in area we barely made it to boarding. No relaxing time calling family, no winding down, just a rush to the gate. Fortunately, when we arrived at boarding the flight was 15 minutes (6:15pm) late. We were the first ones on. We were exhausted and stressed to the max from the past few days. One of the perks of flying first class is the service (aka free booze). When we first boarded I was given a glass of champagne and Brian, water. We clinked our glasses, Brian said Slange, and I, quite loudly, said F*&% instead of Cheers!  We laughed and laughed - it released some of the tension, if embarrassingly so. 

It was a pleasant flight in "the front of the bus" (a present to ourselves using our frequent flyer miles) with champagne, wine, a four-course meal, port, individual TV screens, breakfast, and comfortable almost lie-flat seats. After a few hours, we started to decompress. 
These seats were the opposite of our flight to Paris in 2009. I had pre-booked our seats with the thought that since they were the last ones in the column nobody would be behind us. That was true. But, also true, they didn’t recline at all and we had to sit upright for the entire journey and we had to listen to the lavatory door banging all night.  What an improvement this was!

And In The Beginning

We had visited France in 2001, 2006 and 2009 and loved it. 
So, when the opportunity arose, we sold our house, packed up and moved. 

                            If only it were that simple.

In 2008 we demolished our house of 20+ years and built a new one. This was near the beginning of the “real estate crisis” in America. We had made the decision to build as my mother was physically healthy but with only a wee bit of dementia and living in Canada. As I was her only child, I did not want to leave North America. The timing was regrettable. We moved into our house in June and in July my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer; she was a nonsmoker. Her care by the medical community was excellent and she had so many friends and family who would visit. Ultimately, as foreseen by the doctors, she died in December. It was a sad, teary, cold, windy, day she was buried with my brother's ashes beside her and next to my father and stepfather. She was now safe from becoming an old woman who would not know her family or friends. She was 79. 
Brian's boys, having families of their own and well-established in their lives, we didn't feel the extra miles between us would be detrimental. With Skype and the Internet, we don't have to feel so far away and may even be closer. We hope they will visit us once we are settled.

The Bingham Clan