Cycling, France, Home exchange, Sightseeing

Cycling on the Basque Coast #1 – Ups and Downs

May 6, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 14 Comments

The first day in our home exchange in Ciboure on the Basque Coast gets off to a good start with breakfast on the terrace overlooking the Pyrenees. There’s so much sun we even have to open up the awning.

After breakfast we go into the centre of Ciboure to buy fresh fish directly from the stalls representing the people who caught it. We choose a dorade rose (red sea bream) which is supposed to be the best of the sea bream family.

We then go to the Coopérative Maritime which sells clothing brands such as Saint James, Cap Marine and Armor Lux, very popular on the coast in France,particularly in the summer. I find a navy zippered cotton cardigan which will be perfect for cooler evenings by the sea.

Typical Basque architecture, even for recent homes

We go home and change into our cycling gear and set off by car to join the cycle path to Bayonne, a nice easy ride for the second day of the holidays. Jean Michel tries a couple of different places and then decides it’s the right one. Theoretically we’ve cycled along this path before but I don’t recognise it. But that’s not surprising – I don’t remember a lot of places we’ve been …

Instead of the flat path I thought we were taking, it starts with a steep hill. OK, I think, now it’s going to get flatter. But it doesn’t. We whizz downhill which is always worrying because there is inevitably a hill going up on the other side. Jean Michel then realises he’s somehow confused Saint Jean de Luz with Biarritz and the roller coaster bike path is not going to stop for quite some time. I groan inwardly.

The coastal scenery is admittedly very beautiful but I’m so busy changing gears that I can’t really take it in. I also can’t take many photos because there is no way I’m going to stop on the way up a slope or I’ll never get going again. Also, my first gear isn’t working which doesn’t make things any easier.

Le O restaurant, Plage de Cenitz, Guéthary — Le C restaurant, Plage de Cenitz, Guéthary

After a while, I realise that if we don’t stop soon, we’ll never get lunch. It’s already 1.30. I see a sign that says “restaurant” just before another hill. We’ve only done 6 ½ kilometers but I’m exhausted. The road goes downhill and we come to a concrete building with a sort of garden tent attached to it and tables and even deckchairs on the grass in front, with a stunning view of the sea.

Tables and deck chairs on the grass at Le O — Tables and deck chairs on the grass at Le C, Cenitz Plage Guéthary

We don’t hesitate. I go inside to find a table as there are no sunshades over the outside tables and it’s about 28°C in the sun. I gradually start to recover and my beetroot shade slowly disappears (I’m not burnt as I’ve slathered on sunscreen). I look at the menu. Twenty euro for harmburger meat and French fries seems a little exaggerated.

Then I spy the set menu for 19 euros – dish of the day, a glass of wine (will I ever get up the slope?) and café gourmand. The dish of the day is Spanish: small sweet peppers stuffed with garlic cream and cod, served with rocket. Sounds perfect. The waiter very sweetly brings us bread and some sort of spread while we’re waiting.

Jean Michel congratulates me on all the hills and suggests we go back to the car, load the bikes again and go to the place he meant to go to in Biarritz in the first place. Sounds like a good idea to me. I manage to cycle back up and down the hills, only getting off and pushing the bike twice.

When we finally get to the flat bike path, I’m not sure my legs are going to cooperate. But apart from a few initial undulations, the bike path really is flat. It’s also shady and I begin to wonder whether I was right to leave our sweat shirts in the car. After those horrible hills, it seems dead easy though. The sky isn’t as blue as it was when we started out.

At Bayonne, we find the café where we had a cold drink last time we cycled from Biarritz, next to the Adour River with a lovely view of the old town opposite. Afterwards we cycle around a bit. The sky is looking more and more threatening so we decide we’d better start making tracks.

On the quayside in Bayonne — Having a drink on the riverside in Bayonne

We stop and put our jean shirts on. The tide is turning and the air is much cooler. We hope it won’t start raining before we get back to the car because we obviously don’t have our rain capes. About 3 K before we reach our destination, we feel the first drops. We’re nearly back at the car when they start getting heavier and, thankfully, IN the car when it really starts to rain.

However, it doesn’t last that long and we follow the coast road back to Saint Jean de Luz, congratulating ourselves on not having to go up and down all those hills again.

This post is part of the Lou Messugo monthly All About France blog link-up. For other entries, click here

Cycling, Flowers & gardens, Loire Valley, Restaurants

Deer and Orchids in Our Little Wood in Blois

May 5, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 3 Comments

This morning when we got up, Jean Michel called me from the bathroom whose first floor window overlooks the little wood behind our house which is part of our property. “Un chevreuil à côté du neflier”. Mr and Mrs Previous Owner told us we could see deer in the wood at dawn and dusk but this was 8.30 and unexpected. By the time I got to the window, it had disappeared behind the nearby apple tree.

I dashed off to get the binoculars and was rewarded by seeing quite a large animal sprint past the medlar tree and out of sight. By the time we tried to pick our medlars last year, there were none left on the tree, but I certainly don’t mind. I’d much rather the deer ate them. Maybe next time I’ll be quick enough to get a photo.

We love our little wood. Last time we were here, it was covered in daffodils. Now there our flowering apple, cherry, quince and lilac trees and decorative broom.

On the ground are wild Touraine orchids (two colours), bluebells, tiny white daisies, buttercups, dandelions and periwinkles. Mr Previous Owner had told us about the orchids but we didn’t see them last year probably because we didn’t know what they looked like. But thanks to Susan from Days on the Claise, this year, I’ve observed three species.

Lilac in bloom at Closerie Falaiseau — Wisteria in bloom at Closerie Falaiseau

At the front of the house, the wisteria is in bloom, much more impressive than last year. We’re both relieved and delighted because we were worried that we’d pruned it too late. The drive into Blois along the Loire is sheer delight at the moment with masses of wild lilac and lots of beautiful wisterias which remind me of Venice in the spring time.

We have an enormous lilac opposite the house on the vacant land leading down to the Loire. We often park the car next to it and the scent is overwhelming. I hope it will still be in bloom next weekend so I can take some back to Paris.

Water on the bike path along the Loire from Blois to Saint Dyé

After spending the day mowing and weeding yesterday, we finally found time to go cycling along the Loire to Saint Dyé late afternoon. Wild broom and apple trees dotted our path. Halfway along, though, our bike path suddenly came to a stop. Jean Michel had been noticing how high the river is this year after all the rain and our path was completely under water so we had to turn back.

As it turned out, I think 20 K was probably enough for our first bike excursion since last September. My sore thighs and rear end are appreciating the rest today as we drive from Blois down to Ciboure on the Basque coast, just across the estuary from Saint Jean de Luz.

As a fitting end to the day, we went to a restaurant we’d seen in Valaire (15 minutes by car from Blois) when cycling on another occasion and on the way, spotted the first air balloons of the season. L’Herbe Rouge is just the sort of restaurant I like – unpretentious, frequented by the locals with fresh food, a touch of originality and friendly service. The waiter turned out to be English but has been here for many years.

I had candied capsicums with fresh Corsican cheese while Jean Michel had avocado and prawns, followed by sirloin steak and French fries for Jean Michel and fennel purée for me as I am need to lose a couple of winter kilos to fit into my summer clothes again! Then we shared a serving of cheese cake for dessert. We chose a local chinon which we bought by the glass, followed by a decaff each. The bill came to 65 euro.

L'Herbe Rouge in Vallères — L’Herbe Rouge in Vallères

I’m looking forward to going back there when the weather is warmer to eat on the terrace.

L’Herbe Rouge, restaurant and wine bar, Valaire 41120, 02 54 44 98 14. Open from 12 to 2 pm and 6 to 9.30 pm Tuesday to Sunday. Closed Sunday night (except July and August) and Monday.

Flowers & gardens, French customs, French language

Friday’s French – Bonjour

May 2, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 25 Comments

Now you might wonder why I am writing a post about something as basic as bonjour which everyone knows means “hello”.

However, Black Cat and I were having a discussion the other day about WHEN and HOW it is used in French which is quite different from the English use of hello.

Japanese cherry blossoms at Parc des Sceaux. Absolutely nothing to do with bonjour but we finally got there on Wednesday and it was breathtaking — Japanese cherry blossoms at Parc des Sceaux. Absolutely nothing to do with the subject but we finally got there on Wednesday and it was breathtaking so I wanted to share

If I am in a supermarket in Australia and want to ask the man filling the shelves where the coffee is, the most polite way is to go up to him and say, “Excuse-me, but can you tell me where the coffee is”.

Now, if I do that in France: “Excusez-moi de vous déranger, mais savez-vous où se trouve le café?“, I am likely to get a nasty look. The person will say, “Bonjour” and wait for me to reply “Bonjour“, then I have to ask the question again and will get a helpful answer.

If you go into a bakery or a butcher’s shop or even a doctor’s surgery, you should always say bonjour to the people present, and it’s even more polite to follow it with messieurs, or mesdames or messieurs dames depending on who’s present. You can also walk in and say messieurs dames without bonjour.

Just one tiny section of the Japense cherry tree grove

There is no equivalent to our good morning or good afternoon . Bon matin doesn’t exist, although bon après-midi does (or bonne après-midi because après-midi is one of the rare words that can be both masculine and feminine and keep the same meaning) but that is something you say on leaving and it means “have a good afternoon” which, of course, is quite different.

You can start saying bonsoir instead of bonjour from about 5 or 6 pm onwards, particularly when it’s dark in winter. Bonne nuit is only used when someone is going to bed.

So if bon après-midi means have a “good afternoon”, how to you say “have a good day?” The answer is bonne journée, as opposed to bonjour because the ée ending indicates something that is ongoing. Very occasionally, you might hear passez une bonne matinée (have a good morning) but never bonne matinée by itself ! Bonne soirée means have a good evening (or what’s left of it). Saying Au revoir. Bonne journée when you leave a shop will be very much appreciated.

The cherry blossoms form incredible bunches

Every morning when I wake up (provided we wake up at the same time) Jean Michel wishes me bonne journée. I really miss it when he gets up before me. Just before we begin to watch a film at the cinema, he says bon film and at the beginning of a holiday or weekend, he says bonnes vacances or bon weekend.

Now what about salut? This is an informal way of saying both hello and goodbye and is not used to greet the butcher, for example.

Another thing while we’re on the subject is introducing yourself. If you’re invited to dinner and there are people you don’t know, it’s perfectly acceptable to shake their hand and say, “Bonjour, je suis David“, but it’s practically unheard of to give your name otherwise unless asked.

For example, when I wasn’t strong enough to help Jean Michel get a very heavy wardrobe up the front stairs once, he went looking for help and found a man picking up his son from a birthday party next door. Neither he nor the man introduced themselves and to this day, we still don’t know his name. That, in France, is perfectly normal, but would be considered very rude in Australia.

And, I nearly forgot: you only say bonjour once to the same person the same day. After that, you say rebonjour et even just re!

I’d be interested to hear other people’s experience under similar or different circumstances.

If you want to know how to pronounce bonjour and salut, there’s a great You Tube video by French Sounds.

Next Friday: s’il vous plaît which also holds some surprises!

FURTHER READING

This post is part of Lou Messugo’s All About France montly blog linky. For other posts on France, click on the link.

Cycling, France, French customs, Travelling

Nice celebrates May – Paris to Mont St-Michel By Bike – Real life one bag travel

May 1, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp Leave a comment

Welcome to Wednesday’s Blogger Round-up, on 1st May this time, so very appropriately, Phoebe from Lou Messugo introduces us to the May Day celebrations in the city of Nice. Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike reports on the Paris to Mont St-Michel bike route while Jo from Frugal First Class Travel gives us a packing list for spring travel in Europe that goes into a rolling backpack. Enjoy!

Lu Festin de Nissa – Nice celebrates May

by Phoebe from Lou Messugo, a traveller, francophile, expat, mum and foodie now living in Roquefort les Pins where she runs a gîte after many years of travelling and living in Asia, Eastern Europe and Australia.

On the 1st of May and then every Sunday throughout the month, Nice celebrates the arrival of spring. This custom dates back to Roman times when a “Mai” (a large pine tree felled in the nearby forest) was displayed in a temple and decorated with garlands of flowers and laurel leaves. Over the centuries the celebrations evolved to include dancing around the Mais placed in symbolic locations in the old town, while eating local specialities and playing “pilou” or “vitou” (two traditional Niçois games). A May Queen is usually elected too. Read more

Veloscenic Cycle Route Update: Paris to Mont-St-Michel by Bike

by Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history

If you are planning to be near Paris or Mont St-Michel this summer, and you are looking for a challenging bike adventure, look no further than the Veloscenic, one of the newest long distance bicycle routes. The resources for the Veloscenic have improved a lot since the last time I updated the route last summer. The main benefit for those interested in the route is that the website is finally available in English, and it is full of helpful information on stages of the route and other information to help with trip planning. Read more

Real life one bag travel – my packing list for spring in Europe

by Frugal First Class Travel, an Australian who loves to travel – especially in Europe – and who has gradually learned how to have a First Class trip on an economy budget, without missing out on anything!

I’m always working on ways to refine my packing and work out how to take even less on my travels. So I’m approaching things a bit differently on my upcoming trip. It’s early spring and things are still pretty cold so I need to pack warm. I’ve bought a new bag (a rolling backpack). It’s much lighter than my old international carry on, but on the downside it’s quite a bit smaller. So, I need a tight list of multitasking clothing that will take me from a week in London for a work conference, to a weekend in the South of France and four days of walking in the Cinque Terre with perhaps a day trip to posh Portofino. All that will need to fit into my new, tiny bag. Read more

Architecture, Art, History, Paris, Sightseeing

Musée Carnavalet – an exceptional museum in Paris

May 1, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 10 Comments

I can’t believe that I have lived in Paris for 35 years and never been to one of its best museums. Musée Carnavalet in the Marais had always been described as a museum of French history which seemed very dry to me but someone posted a photo on FaceBook recently which made me think that it was perhaps worth going to.

Jean Michel had a day off on Tuesday and the weather still wasn’t condusive to going to Parc des Sceaux to see the Japanese cherry blossoms so I suggested Carnavalet instead. He didn’t seem convinced, so I dug out the trusty Routard : “One of Paris’ finest museums not only because of its setting, its proportions and intimate character, but also its excellent permanent collections.

Beautiful wood panelling with Voltaire's chair on the right — Beautiful wood panelling with Voltaire’s chair on the right

The French Capital is brought to life in paintings, sculpture, furniture, everyday and decorative objects. Carnavalet is often considered to be a secondary museum that you only visit if you have a bit of time left over after doing the Louvre and Orsay – a most unfortunate opinion. Nothing could be more passionate and amusing than discovering the many faces of Paris in the Middle Ages, the Revolution, the Reign of Terror, the romantic era or the sixties.

I was surprised the skirts were so short - they're cyclists! — I was surprised the skirts were so short – they’re cyclists!

It’s like walking into a picture book where you can let your imagination wander from one era to next, like in a dream, fascinated by the powerful evocation of scenes from the daily life of Parisians in days gone by. Carnavalet: a must!”

Well, that convinced him and we set off on metro line 1 to Saint Paul and walked through Hôtel de Sully with its flowering lilacs and onto. Place des Vosges. I’d forgotten how attractive it is, with its brick and stone vaulted arcades, terrace cafés and leafy garden surrounded by early 17th century apartment buildings with uniform façades, somewhat similar to Palais Royal which, however, has the added advantages of not having any cars.

There was no queue when we got to the Museum, mainly because it’s free like all the other museums owned by the city of Paris. The building itself is very large and consists of the original town house built in the mid 16th century and purchased by the city of Paris in 1880 and Hôtel Le Peletier Saint-Fargeau connected by a gallery on one side.

The first room was totally unexpected and I knew immediately that I was going to enjoy the visit. It was full of wrought iron shop signs and lead light windows. In the following room, the façade of an old apothecary’s had been reconstructed.

Reception room from Hôtel d'Uzès — Reception room from Hôtel d’Uzès

The late 18th century reception room in the next section comes from Hôtel d’Uzès in rue Montmartre and is quite magnificent. Its beautiful wood panelling is an original example of the neoclassical style.

Many more reconstructed interiors followed, with painted and sculpted wood panelling and matching furniture, all in beautiful condition. A fellow visitor, who seemed to know the museum intimately, told us it was the best collection of furniture outside the Louvre.

Soirée at the Pré-Catalan by Henri Gervex

We didn’t see the whole museum, which is very extensive. I particularly liked the gallery connecting the two hôtels which houses the Seligmann donation depicting French society during the Belle Epoque at the turn of the 20th century.

Wood-stove in the shape of the Bastille Prison

There is practically an entire floor given over to the French revolution and I saw a painting and mock-up of the Bastille prison for the first time – not to mention a ceramic wood-stove in the shape of the huge fortress-like prison.

Reconstructed bedroom in the Napoleon section

We didn’t see Paris in the 16th century or Marcel Proust’s bedroom or the Second Empire collection which was closed for renovation. There is also an archeological section including neolithic dugout canoes that are about 4,000 years old so there will be plenty to see for future visits.

Afternoon tea at Carrette's, Place des Vosges — Afternoon tea at Carrette’s, Place des Vosges

After leaving the museum we went back to Place des Vosges and had a wonderful afternoon tea at Carette’s served in Limoges porcelain with exquisite cakes and very friendly service. I saw they serve breakfast and lunch as well so we might be going back there as well!

Musée Carnavalet, 23 rue de Sevigné, 75003 Paris. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm except public holidays, Easter Sunday and Whitsunday. Free of charge.

Carette, 25 Place des Vosges, 75003 Paris.

Art, Italy, Paris

A Just Reward – The Macchiaioli

April 29, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 9 Comments

Saturday was set aside to do my professional tax declaration, never something I enjoy and I expected it to take all day as there is inevitably something that I haven’t done according to the book despite the fact that I use accounting software and do my VAT (GST) declaration once a month. As it turned out, it didn’t take as long as we expected and by 4 o’clock we were ready to do something more interesting.

Tulips in the Tuileries with the Louvre in the background

My first idea was to go and see the cherry blossoms in Parc de Sceaux, but it was cold and overcast which made the venture a little risky. I suggested instead that we walk down to the Orangerie Museum near Concorde and if there was no queue, we could visit the permanent exhibition. The museum was completely remodelled a couple of years ago and we hadn’t been there since.

Modigliani's Le Jeune Apprenti on the cover of the museum brochure — Modigliani’s Le Jeune Apprenti on the cover of the museum brochure

Probably because it was about 4.30 pm by the time we got there and the museum closes at 6 pm, the queue was very short. L’Orangerie used to be one of my favourite museum, particularly the two oval rooms with Monet’s nympheas, but it also has large collections of paintings by Renoir, Matisse and Derain, with smaller collections of Cézanne, Rousseau, Modigliani, Laurencin, Picasso, Utrillo and Soutine.

I was somewhat disappointed with the renovations, very stark, with lots of steel and concrete, which I found unappealing when compared with the beautiful 19th century rooms that used to contain most of the paintings. However, there is more space now and the Picasso, Utrillo and Derain collections, in particular, are much bigger. Also, perhaps because I have seen them so often over the years, the oval rooms didn’t have their usual effect on me. I remember the first time I saw them nearly 40 years ago, I wanted to lie down on the floor and go to sleep!

Paintings from the permanent collection on the wall inside the museum

However, I did learn the story behind the collections in the Orangerie this time. Paul Guillaume started his working life in a garage and eventually became a wealthy art dealer and collector, quickly becoming a respected figure in artistic and literary circles in the 1920s. He died in 1934 while still in his forties. His wife completed and modified the collection which was donated to the Louvre in 1959.

Paul Guillaume by Modigliani - photo taken from museum brochure — Paul Guillaume by Modigliani – photo taken from museum brochure

As we were leaving, we noticed a temporary exhibition called Les Macchiaioli. As soon as I walked in, I fell in love with everything I saw. I loved the extraordinary light that emanated from all of the paintings, the precision of the lines, the subjects, the colours, the detail.

Les Macchiaioli published by L'Objet dArt, excellent value at 9 euro — Les Macchiaioli published by L’Objet dArt, excellent value at 9 euro

The Macchiaioli date from 1850 to 1874 and are sometimes referred to as the Italian impressionists. They were a small group of artists from Tuscany, many of them revolutionaries, who used to meet in a café called Michelangiolo. They were the first painters in Italy to break with the traditional academic style of painting.

Much of their work was done outdoors to capture natural light, shade and colour. The most prominent artists, represented in the exhibition, are Odoardo Borrani, Guiseppe Abbati, Giovanni Boldini, Odoardo Borrani, Vincenzo Cabianca, Giovanni Fattori, Silvestro Lega and Telemaco Signorini.

Macchiaioli at Caffè Michelangelo (courtesy of Wikipedia)

Macchiaioli was originally a derogatory term invented by a art critic in 1862. Macchia not only means patch or spot but also sketch or sketchy. Macchia denotes a forest as well, in reference to the fact that the artists painted outdoors. In any case, the idea of patches or spots, denoting areas of light and shadow, corresponds well to what they believed was the essential component of a work of art.

Silvestro Lega "Il Canto di uno stornello" — Silvestro Lega “Il Canto di uno stornello”

Jean Michel noticed that in two of the portraits the eyes followed you, no matter where you stood: Antonio Puccinelli’s Portrait of Nerina Badioli and Odorardo Borrani’s Portrait of a Young Man. We were both particularly taken with a large light-filled portrait of three women: Silvestro Lega’s Il canto di uno stornello.

It’s definitely one of the best exhibitions I’ve seen in many years. It has just started and will be on until 22^nd July 2013 in Paris, then in Madrid at the Mapfre Foundation from 20^th September 2013 to 5^th January 2014. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I know I’ll be going back to see it again.

Loire Valley, Loire Valley châteaux

Monday’s Travel Photos – Château de Montpoupon

April 28, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 5 Comments

Château de Montpoupon in the Loire Valley, just 10 minutes from Château de Chenonceau, is an excellent example of what can be done to make a small family château attractive to the public. A recorded conversation between a young girl and her father, for example, is used to take the visitor through the living and dining rooms downstairs and the bedrooms upstairs. The extensive 19th century outbuildings contain several exhibitions relating to the Hunt, which was and still is, one of the main activities of the various owners. In particular there is a large display of Hermès scarves which were originally part of the hunting scene. Definitely worth a visit.

The king's bedchamber — The king’s bedchamber

Extensive outbuildings of Château Montpoupon

A wonderful collection of riding coats for the Hunt

Château de Montpoupon 37460 Céré-la-Ronde, tel 02 47 94 21 15

Open every day from April to September, 10 am to 7 pm; October to 11th November, 10 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm; 16th February to 31st March, weekends and school holidays from 10 am to 1 pm; closed in January and December.

French language

Friday’s French – hôte

April 25, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 4 Comments

Hôte is the strangest word because it has two opposite meanings: guest and host! So chambre d’hôte, which means Bed & Breakfast in French, is literally “guest room” while table d’hôte is the host’s table.

Le Clos Postel, one of the my favourite chambres d'hôte in the Cotentin — Le Clos Postel, one of the my favourite chambres d’hôte in the Cotentin

So, je suis votre hôte, vous êtes mes hôtes means “I am your host and you are my guests”. Of course, to avoid the ambiguity, you can say, je suis votre hôte, vous êtes mes invités, which is what most people do. The problem only exists in the masculine, by the way, because hôtesse can only mean hostess and not guest.

Now how did this come about? The reason is simple. There are two different etymologies: one comes from the Latin hospes meaning guest, which also gives hôpital and hôtel, and the other from the Old French hostage (lodging) which also comes from hospes. Now, to make things more complicated, hospes is derived from hostis (stranger, enemy). This explains the meaning of our modern word hostage (otage in French). It was the place where enemies were lodged. Have I lost you?

On another track, have you noticed that the ô in French corresponds to “os” in English: hôte: host, hôpital: hospital, hôtel: hostel? The “os” reappears in the corresponding French adjectives: hospitalier. A circumflex nearly always indicates an “s” that fell out of the language in French, so we have château: castle, bête: beast, août: August. I’m sure you can think of a few examples.

Art, France, Paris, Restaurants

The Tuileries Gardens in Spring and a Chess Tournament

April 24, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 7 Comments

Jean Michel and I have just had lunch at Café Diane in the Tuileries Gardens for the first time this year. It was wonderful sitting under the trees on the edge of the duck pond lined with sweet-smelling pink hyacinths and vibrant red tulips.

View of the Louvre from Café Diane in the Tuileries Gardens

Spring has been a long time coming this year, but I’m sure it makes us appreciate it even more. It was even warm enough at 20°C to take off my sweat shirt. Our Australian friends Redfern and Saint Vincent are visiting Versailles today, experiencing sun and warmth at last.

On Monday, I went powerwalking in the Tuileries around 5 pm. The first thing I noticed were the chestnut trees which are one of the earliest to sprout new leaves, along with the linden trees.

Ice-cream vendor in the Tuileries Gardens

There were enormous beds of multi-coloured tulips and purple hyacinths. The ice-cream vendors had appeared around the fountains, but surprisingly, no sailing boats for the kids.

I saw several photo shoots of bridal parties all speaking foreign languages. Getting married in Paris in the spring is definitely romantic!

Chess tournament in Carré des Sangliers in the Tuileries Gardens

On Monday, I noticed a sign indicating the Paris-Saint Petersburg 2013 chess championship in the Carré des Sangliers from 21st to 25th April, so after lunch, we wandered down towards the Orangerie to a temporary pavilion to see what it was all about.

It’s the same spot where the Ahae photographic exhibition was held last year that I loved so much. We went through a lobby first where we were asked to turn off our phones, then into a second room with two commentators but no players. An usher came over and took us into a small dark corridor where we were given headsets and sent into the next room.

Ahae exhibition last summer in the Carré des Sangliers

About six tables with chess boards were lined up on a podium, five of which had only one player. I don’t know where the others were. Our headsets meant we could hear the commentators next door and a screen above the players showed a projection of each board. It was all very hush-hush.

Linden trees in the Palais Royal gardens

We didn’t stay long, first because we’re not chess players and second because it seemed criminal to be inside when there was so much sun outdoors!

As we strolled back up the gardens, we saw a very sophisticated-looking lawn-cutting machine that rolls the grass at the same time. Nothing like the basic electric model I use to mow the grass at Closerie Falaiseau in Blois!

View from Café Diane looking towards the pond

And now Jean Michel is back at work and I’m about to attack my professional tax declaration which means finishing off the accounts first. Not one of my favourite activities at the best of times and definitely not on a perfect spring day. Sigh.

French customs, Loire Valley, Loire Valley châteaux, Paris

Paris kiosks celebrate 150 years – An excellent fortress: Chinon

April 23, 2013 Rosemary Kneipp 5 Comments

Only two posts on this Wednesday’s Bloggers Round-up (I’m a little pressed for time). Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, brings us a very interesting interview with a kiosquier as Paris celebrates 150 years of newsstands. Niaill and Antoinette from Chez Charnizay take us on a visit of Chinon castle in theL oire Valley. Enjoy!

Paris kiosks celebrate 150 years. My interview with “kiosquier” Jacky Goubert.

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

From April 17 until April 21, Paris is celebrating the 150th anniversary of one of the most iconic symbols of the French capital – its kiosks. On Friday, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jacky Goubert and his daughter Gaelle, who operate the kiosk on the Boulevard Saint-Germain between Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots. It’s where I buy the International Herald Tribune whenever I’m in the neighborhood.

MK: This has to be one of the best kiosks in Paris. How were you able to get the concession for it?
Jacky: Normally, it’s not possible to pass a kiosk from parent to child because they are only licensed and not purchased from the city. But somehow my mother arranged for me to take it over when she retired. She started working here in 1972. Read more

An excellent fortress: Chinon

by Niaill, a Scotsman, and Antoinette, a Dutch American, from Chez Charnizay, who live in the village of the same name in southern Touraine and blog about their adventures in the Loire Valley

We like Chinon and we stopped by again earlier this month. We’ve always liked Chinon from our very first forays into the Loire Valley as tourists in the early 1990’s. This despite the fact that every time we approach it from the south side of the river Vienne and pass the SuperU [it wasn’t a SuperU then but some other chain] on the left-hand side of the road where it runs between huge plane trees we’re reminded of our failure at the time to get to grips with the French custom of closing on the dot of noon for lunch. At least 3 times we were doomed to disappointment at that supermarket, arriving just as the doors were firmly closing.

The fortress walls as we see them today are mostly due to Henry, Count of Anjou, later King Henry II of England. It was one of his favourite fortresses, which is hardly suprising given its strategic location on the crossroads between 3 regions: Anjou, Touraine and Poitou. Read more

Aussie in France