Travel With Betsy

As I was doing my research on Budapest in preparation for my trip, every tour book and article I read said that the baths are the thing to do in Budapest. Honestly, I went back and forth on this before I left home. Then, I revisited my angst all the way up until this morning when I decided I would regret it if I didn’t take a dip in the famous baths. This is, after all, the top rated activity when visiting Budapest. It would be a shame to miss it.

For those of you who follow my blog, or just know me, you know that I am not a water person. I dislike being wet. I hate being cold. I also have trouble with the thought that someone might have taken a pee in the pool….or worse.   But, when I got up this morning, I decided I would forge ahead. It would be an interesting experience, at the very least.

I was not wrong.

I read that in order to use the baths I would need to have a bathing suit and flip flops to take with me to the facility.  Before I left home, I got my bathing suit out and looked at it. I hadn’t worn it in a long time, but it seemed like it was still in tact. It had some of those bra forms that one can take in and out through a small slit on each side. You can decide if you want to be perky for the day or saggy.

That’s nice.

Somehow, the pads had come out. I searched high and low for them and finally located them in the bottom of my drawer. I tucked them into the openings in the bra and went on. Then, I folded up the suit along with a bathing suit cover I bought at “Ross” for $10 and tucked them into the waterproof “bikini bag” that my friend Christine lent me to bring along. It keeps the wet things away from the dry ones. I had never seen one of these things. It is very clever. I also packed my brand new $8 “Ross” water shoes. Flip flops are not my thing.

So, I headed out this morning feeling very pleased with myself. I got on the Metro and headed towards the baths.

I was instructed by yesterday’s walking tour guide to get a cabin to change in, not a locker. She didn’t think I was the type of person that wanted to stand out in the open and change my bathing suit, which is what I would need to do if I got the locker.

She was right.

So, I purchased a cabin for the day.

It’s really very clever how the locks on these things work. When you pay, you get a bracelet with a sensor on it, which you wear on your wrist all day. This is your entry into the baths. When you get inside, you hold the sensor up to another sensored device that pairs you with a cabin or locker. Once the system syncs you use the bracelet to lock and unlock your cabin. Simple! I, of course, got stuck on the syncing part. The cute blond attendant had to help me. Then, he asked if I had purchased a cabin or a locker.  I said,

“What do you think? I’m old. I’m not taking my clothes off in front of all of these people.”

This made him chuckle as he walked me to my cabin.

The cabin was pretty tiny, but certainly big enough to hold my things and give me some privacy.

I proceeded to get into my bathing suit. I was having trouble adjusting the top when I realized that when I packed it, I had not actually put the forms into the bra area correctly. When I pulled the suit on, they were balled up at the top making me look like I had two bosoms in each side of the bra. Well…..this would never do. So, I took the suit off and adjusted the forms. It wasn’t easy to do and it took me about 10 minutes to get them right. But, finally, I got them placed and went out to the pool.

If I was worried about how I looked, I didn’t need to be. I saw people of all shapes and sizes in all kinds of bathing suits. Suffice to say that I saw some men wearing Speedos that should have reconsidered their choice of swimwear. Some women, too. YIKES!

I looked like a beauty queen!

I was feeling more confident now and decided to take a dip in the bath. It was actually like a bath, aside of the rotten egg smell…sulpher. It wasn’t too bad, but definitely noticeable. My guide yesterday told me that the water in the natural spring that feeds this pool is 170 degrees. Clearly, they need to mix this with cool water. Otherwise, people would be boiled as they relaxed in the bath. Anyway, one of my swimming dislikes was knocked down. I was definitely not going to be cold.

The pool was separated into 2 areas. There was a rectangular area for lap swimming….

…and a very large round pool for people like me that just wanted to have a soak.

I began to wander around the outer ring of the soaking pool. The first thing I found were suspended pipes that were forcefully spewing water into the pool like a faucet. They were high enough so that you could get under them and get a good shoulder massage. I visited this section several times.

Then, I looked around and realized there were 2 round pools within the larger pool. The very center pool was a hot tub where you could sit and chat with your friends. Surrounding the hot tub was a river of water that was continually moving around and around, kind of like one of those lazy rivers, if you have seen one of those. I could see people’s laughing faces bouncing around in there. That looked like fun and went over to check that out.

As soon as I got near to the moving water, I was picked up and carried around and around and around. I didn’t need to do anything except to just float along. I met a couple of Italian flight attendants as I circled around. I kept bumping into them. Then, I kept bumping into 2 girls from the USA who were studying in London and were on a holiday. We all rolled around together in the soothing water. There was literally no control once you entered the continuously moving water. Then, when you were done, it was hard to get out.

I circled around for a few more minutes and then decided to go to the hot tub. I found a space between 2 people and took a seat. Before too long, the girls from the USA came and joined me. We were chatting and relaxing with the massage of the gentle, rumbling jets….very soothing. I was considering taking a nap when all of a sudden there was a very forceful jet flow under my butt. It sprang up between my legs and and out of the water like a fountain, drenching my hair and my sunglasses. Then, I looked down and realized that some of the water had also gone up both of my bathing suit legs up to the bra area of my bathing suit and had dislodged the forms that I had painstakingly maneuvered into the bra of my bathing suit. They were once again balled up at the top of the bra. Double breasted again. UGHHH…… I looked around to see if anyone was looking at me. Why I thought someone would be watching me is beyond belief. But, still, I wondered. When I realized that everyone was going about their own business, I reached into the bra areas and adjusted the forms. I got them back in place! Again, no small feat! Whew!

After all that, I decided I should get out of the bath and take a look around. I had to pee anyway. You know how it is….all that water……

Then, I realized that I really wanted to get a massage. So, I went back to the cute blond attendant and told him that I wanted to sign up for a massage. This, again, made him chuckle, as most people sign up for the massage before entering the bath area. But, he made it happen. My hero.

After a few hours of fun, I decided it was time to go. I was now wet and cold from being outside in the cool air. So, I walked through to where my cabin was and to the showers. I don’t love communal showering. But, I was also not looking forward to walking back to the hotel wet and now covered in massage oil. It took me a minute to decipher, but check out the status of the showers…….

…..co-ed.  HA!!  I was tempted to go in just to look around. But, I was never going to take a co-ed shower.  I also didn’t want to be rude by gawking, which I knew I would do. So, I went to my cabin, put my dry clothes on and pasted down my now wet and oily hair into a suitable coif so that I could get back to my hotel via the Metro.

Now that I am back in my hotel room and all cleaned up, I have to say that this was one of the most entertaining and fun days I have had in awhile.   It was time well spent.

At the end of the day, I’m still not a water person. I still don’t like to be wet. I still hate being cold. But, a few more experiences in a warm bath in Budapest might persuade me otherwise. I would probably need to get a new bathing suit, though….one with the bra form that’s sewn in. Next time, I might not be so lucky with the readjustment. I could have a wardrobe incident.

Trust me……nobody wants to see that!

…well….maybe not the whole of Eastern Europe. But, I have certainly made a dent in Prague and Budapest…and, I still have a few days to go. I will need to dry out and go on a diet when I get home. But, in the meantime, I’m trying everything and following my philosophy of saying “yes” to whatever comes along…..within reason of course!

The first thing I am going to tell you is that Prague and Budapest are not known for their wine. They are known for beer. If you polled all of the people who visit these areas, I would guess that 95% of them would never even know there is local wine. It’s definitely not the first thing the average person thinks of when making travel plans for Prague and Budapest. In fact, when I told one of my California friends that I was going to do some wine tasting while in Prague she was a bit snooty about it. Why would I do this when we have such good wine in California?

I agree that we have excellent wine in California. I work in the industry there, so I should know. It just happens to be my personal interest.  I explore the wine areas everywhere I travel…..just for fun…and for knowledge.  And, while I was definitely hoping for some drinkable wine on my travels, I knew that it would never be as good as California wine. But, for me, these wine adventure side trips are not always about the quality of the wine. It’s more about the substance of the people who are making and selling the wine, the evolution of the industry and how the culture of the area is impacted by the wine industry. It gives me a broad view of things. Wine people are friendly, open and generally happy to share information. This is the part I love the most and if I get some good wine along the way, it’s a bonus!

My Eastern European wine adventure started with a day trip with some other wedding goers to the Bohemian wine region just outside of Prague last week and continued with a tour to the Eytek region just outside of Budapest this week. I found some decent wine in Prague. But overall, the wines I have had in Budapest are much more to my liking. Because of cooler weather, both regions are focused mostly on whites, although there are some regions in both countries that produce reds as well.  I’ve had a mixture of both.

We visited three wineries in the Bohemian area of Prague.  The best day for us to do our wine tour happened to be a bank holiday. So, the wineries were actually not open. But, they graciously opened their doors just for us And, our guide, Michael…….

……gave up his holiday to show us the ropes!

What a treat!

The first winery was probably my favorite, not for the taste of the wine, but for the overall experience. It was a very tiny, family owned business that also runs a bed and breakfast.   We tasted wine in their small restaurant while their guests were having breakfast.

The owner was happy to show us her wines and shared some of her home made bread with us, just baked that morning.  It was accompanied by a spread made with pork “cracklings”. It doesn’t sound great, but it was really tasty and the acidic quality of the wine was a perfect match for this wonderful treat.

At the end of our tasting, we ventured down a few steps underneath the restaurant to a primitive “cellar” where we tasted a very nice dessert wine made with the equivalent of “grain alcohol”.

I remember this from my college days. But, not in a good way!  Oh boy! It is super strong and will blind you if you drink too much. But, it seems in moderation it is the perfect fortifying agent for the dessert wine. Those of us who enjoy sweet wine, gave it a thumbs up!

The owner also shared stories of how the wine industry has evolved in the Czech republic.   During the reign of the communist party, all businesses (including wineries) were taken from the owners and became the property of the government. The wineries that remained in production became focused on quantity rather than quality. The owner of this establishment was about eighteen years old when things changed to a more open society and the businesses were turned back to the people. It has taken a long time for them to get the wines up to their current standard. She talked a lot about the joy of owning something and her ability to be creative with her product. As I said, the wines weren’t my favorite. But, her story is. I am rooting for them and hope they will be able to keep things going and continue to improve on their wines.

We also visited two wineries that were much more modern in terms of production and tasting room ambiance.

We had lunch in the second of these wineries.

It could have been plopped down right in the middle of Napa Valley somewhere. The dining room was nicely decorated, and they served us some very well prepared and presented food. The quality of the wines was also a bit better. These last two places clearly had more money to work with. Sometimes more money means a better product. But, not always!

Yesterday, in Budapest, I visited the Eytek wine region just outside of Budapest. We had some very nice wines in two tasting rooms here. Again, they are focused on whites. But, we did have a Pinot Noir that was very unusual and tasty. I enjoyed all of the wines we had at both places.

The first tasting room was owned by a man who had actually participated in some harvests in Italy, Australia and New Zealand. The wines here were of a very high quality. It was evident that he had paid attention during the foreign harvests and acquired a good deal of skill. I enjoyed the stories about the wines and the labels.  They were very creative. This one was a blend of two different grape varietals and it was being made at the same time the owner’s wife was having twins.  There are two hands coming together on the label.

Here, we again went under the ground to a rather primitive “cellar” to view the how the wines were aged in barrel and stainless steel.

They even had an old wine press that was still functional.

At the second winery, which was a bit more rustic, we had a wonderful lunch that was prepared by the winemaker’s wife. The whole meal was spectacular, but the highlight was the cow’s milk cheese that she had made that morning, along with some venison sausage that was also home made. All of this was presented with some pieces of freshly baked bread.

What a treat…..a home made meal. Yum!

We had a very nice Chardonnay with the cheese and a lovely Pinot Gris with the main course.  I was quite impressed with the quality.  Each wine was aged in neutral oak and had a small amount of acidity.

I will add that we also met the winery dog, a Scharpe, whose endearing wrinkles made him look a little sad and a bit older than his years. But, he was cute!

As we traveled along, Juliana, our guide for the day, talked to us about the evolution of the wine industry in Budapest. Her family owns a small winery where they make wine just for their own consumption. It has been in play since she was a child.  She talked a lot about her memories of how wine production and consumption was restricted during the time of the Nazis and Russian invasions.  It was a similar story to the one we heard in Prague. IThings have shifted now and are back on track. Until, of course something else changes. We talked quite a bit about how the political scene here seems to be changing to a more Nationalistic approach, which will impact these small businesses. We’ll see what happens.

There are twenty two different wine regions in Hungary.  It is a small country, so all of the wine regions are accessible for day trips from Budapest. I won’t have time to do any further exploration of the wine industry here. But, I feel I have a good sampling and have a good idea of what is available. I also feel that my understanding of the culture is much better from having experienced the wine and the people I met along the way. I have had a real history lesson direct from the people who were living it.  It was fascinating.

I have come away realizing that people are pretty much the same anywhere. We all want to be able to call something our own, to be free to express ourselves in any way we like and to lead happy and fulfilled lives.

And, of course, we want good wine!

After all that wine…and also some beer….I am ready for a nap. So, until the next post…..

I am signing off as sleepy and “soused” in Budapest.

Zzzzzzzz……….

to all…… and to all a good night!

It’s Christmas night here in Strasbourg, France the last stopover as we make our way back to Paris for the journey home.  I had heard from some of my new-found friends in Aix en Provence that if you really want to do it up right for Christmas, Strasbourg is the place to be!  They weren’t kidding!  I can’t think of anywhere I have visited that has more Christmas ambiance and spirit than Strasbourg, the home of gingerbread-style houses and Christmas markets!

Strasbourg is a fairly large city in the heart of the Alsace section of France on the German border.  Over the years, the Alsace has been an area claimed by both Germany and France.  (Right now it’s France.)  Therefore, you get a nice little mix of both when you are anywhere in the area.

The architecture in Strasbourg is very much like many of the German towns we have visited over the years.  The streets in the old section, where we spent most of our time, are lined with buildings that look like old wooden chalets…or gingerbread houses…whichever you prefer!

The food has a lot of influence from the German culture, as evidenced by the meal we had on our first night here.  Mike had a mound of sauerkraut with sausages and different kinds of hams.  I had “coq au reisling”, chicken braised in reisling wine.  And, I had my fill of the big, fat doughy pretzels that I love so much.  (The pretzel bar is always my first stop in Germany, Switzerland, and other places that are German-like!)  But, there is a French influence as well, as evidenced by the meal we had today, on Christmas.  It was very elegant and very nicely presented.  There’s something for everyone here!

This region has a cooler climate and it’s quite cold here now. (We are now the proud owners of two new pairs of gloves!) The wines here are what you would expect for a cooler climate.  We have had nice reislings, pinot gris, gewürztraminers, and pinot noirs.  All were quite tasty.

Food and wine aside, though, the draw here at Christmas is the Christmas markets.  I have seen these all over France since about the middle of November.  But, none of them can touch the grandeur of those here in Strasbourg.  There are ten markets in all in different parts of the city and each one is a little different.  They are themed differently and, therefore, decorated differently.  And, they sell different things.  The areas of the city surrounding each market are also decorated to compliment the style of the market.  Suffice to say if you don’t find what you want here, it doesn’t exist!  Truth be told, we didn’t make it to all the markets….I think we hit about five.  That was enough for me.  But, it was quite a Christmas spectacular that I am glad to have been a part of.

I did see some fun Christmas things in other places I visited as well.  So, I thought I would include some pictures of Christmas in France!  I hope you enjoy them!  I certainly enjoyed enjoyed getting them!

This is one of my favorite photos, probably because it was fun to get.  It’s also cute. I engaged (en français) a man who was walking with a dog that was dressed in Santa Claus garb, to ask if I could take a picture of the dog.  He was thrilled!  He spoke to the dog in French and asked him to sit and “regardez la Madame” (look at the woman)….and, he did!

The fun of getting this photograph made me think again of something important that I have thought about over and over again on this trip. (Not every day was as exciting as I would like you to think.) Some simple joys of life can be gleaned even from the small things that cross your path each day, even on the days when those things are hard to find.  Sometimes we just need to look for them!

So, as Christmas Day 2014 comes to a close here in France, I would like to wish you all the best for the holiday and for 2015!

Going forward,  I plan to make the most of each day and find the joy in each moment.  I hope you will do the same!

A number of years ago, I traveled to Paris with my sister and her family. I was between jobs and they needed someone to fill in a space to make a double in one of the rooms. Aside of the fact that, even then, I was a fun traveler….HA!……there was an issue of cost. It’s always more expensive to have someone in a single room. It’s always better to share the cost with another person. So, I agreed to go along, on the condition that my sister would be OK with me leaving the group from time to time to have an adventure or two on my own.   Seemed OK to them, so I signed up. It was a fun trip that was highlighted by a solo adventure by train from Paris to Lyon for lunch at the Paul Bocuse restaurant.

The story is a good one and, if you are interested in hearing it, give me a call. I love sharing it! It always makes me smile! Suffice to say that I had the greatest meal I had ever had to that point….and….I met Paul Bocuse himself. He gave me a great big kiss on the lips, put his arm around me and, under the restaurant sign, happily posed for a picture with me…..which I still have. I was reminded again of this story as we left Lyon today on our way to Strasbourg for Christmas. As the train pulled away, I looked up and out the window and what did I see but the very restaurant where I had that experience all those years ago. It was a fun “déjà vous” !

Paul Bocuse, for those of you who may not know, is a famous chef who made a name for himself, and a little bit of money I’m guessing, with his Lyon based Michelin rated restaurant and the “brasseries” that followed. Actually, he was one of the pioneers, along with Julia Child, who introduced us Americans to the finer points of eating…. and French food. He helped to carve out a place for “fine dining” all over the world.

Paul is an institution in Lyon as is evidenced by the above-mentioned restaurant and brasseries, a cooking school and the multiple and many references to him throughout the city. I think there is also a connection to him with the small restaurants, called “bouchons” that serve “typical Lyonnaise” food.” It appears that in order to be called a “bouchon”, one must have a certificate of authenticity. I’m guessing that Paul Bocuse had a hand in this one, too!

Lyon is a place for good eating, and I have to say that we easily followed this path during our visit there. We did make it around to one of the four Paul Bocuse “brasseries”, to one of the most traditional “ bouchons”….and to one that was not so traditional…..and we had dinner at the restaurant of the arch enemy of Paul Bocuse, Georges Blanc. (This felt very sinister and a little disloyal…..but, the food was really good!) Wrap that up with a couple of visits to some “patissiers” and the Christmas market where we had sauerkraut with sausage, potatoes in a cream and chive sauce and some “vin chaud” (hot wine), and I would say that we have been, as Mike says, “diabolically saracified”.

My tummy is full of this yummy food!

You will be happy to know that we did more than just eat. I know it’s hard to believe. But, Lyon is also a fantastic city in many other ways as well. The views and the skylines are lovely, the shopping is great and here, as in many of the places I have visited on this trip, one is compelled to just wander through the city and look. And, being here at Christmas is very special. One can really feel the excitement of the holiday with the decorations, lights and festive spirit of the people! I loved it!

I spent a fair amount of time wandering through the Bellecour section of the city, which is where we stayed in our hotel that overlooked the Rhone River. According to the taxi driver that brought us in from the train station, this is the best positioned area of the city…..right in the middle of everything. We were on Presqu’ile, a piece of land reminiscent of an island, between the Rhone River and the Saone River. The driver was right, it was a great location….easy to walk to many of the main sites of the city…..and to the best restaurants!

I was ready to have a first class hotel experience, and, so we did this at the Sofitel, another hotel offered by the Accor Hotel chain that I told you about in the last post. It’s on the other end of the ambiance scale from the Ibis Styles. I loved them both, but they were very different. We had a little bit of pampering and a great view!

In our Bellecour section there was a lot of high end shopping and eating. We bought a few things, not many. Mostly, just “leche-vitrine” (window shopping) and walked. It was fun!

On one of the days, I wandered over the bridge crossing the Saone River and explored “Vielle Lyon” (old Lyon). It was different from the Bellecour section with old buildings and tiny, narrow streets lined with shops, cafés and restaurants. Lyon is also known for overhangs that connect the old buildings together. There were a number of these in the older section that were interesting to explore.

On our last day, I convinced Mike that he should go with me to visit the old church on the top of the hill beyond the Saone River. It was the coldest day we had in Lyon. I don’t know what the temperature was, but we were both formed into a block of ice when we got back the hotel room. (I’m still thawing out!)

We climbed up the hill to the church by “funicular”. Not only was the view spectacular, but the church was also quite grand and on par with many of the larger old churches I have seen on this trip. It was well worth the visit.

So, “that’s about all folks” on the visit to Lyon. I liked it so much that I may go back next year in the fall for some more French classes and maybe some cooking classes. There is a “Paul Bocuse Cooking Institute” near the hotel where we stayed.

I have checked it out, and I’m sure they will be willing to accept me should I dare to do this. I feel the need to support the mission of Paul Bocuse for fine and elegant dining. And, what better way to further my prowess with the french language.  After that, I will need to buy a new wardrobe to accommodate my new dress size. I think I can do that in Lyon, too.

Stay tuned!

Last week, as I moved closer to the last few weeks of my stay in the south of France, I decided that I should consult the list of things I had hoped to do and places I had hoped to visit when I started out on this great adventure…..just to be sure I hadn’t missed something.  I hate missing things!  As I reviewed the list and thought about my experiences, I think it’s fair to say that I covered a lot of ground.  I missed a few things and a few places…..but only a few!

However, in contemplating how best to spend my last few weeks in France, Nimes bubbled up to the top of the list of places yet to be visited. It had been recommended by several people as a great city for ambiance,  food and some of the best Roman ruins in the area! Sounds like my kind of combination!  So, I was off!  I boarded the train on Thursday from Aix en Provence and looked forward to my long weekend in Nimes!

What a great stop!

My best description of Nimes is that it is “timeless”.  It’s a city that is just a little smaller than Aix en Provence….by about 50,000 people, I think.  But, the pace seemed similar.  You could leisurely wander the narrow, cobbled streets between the old buildings and find just about anything….or nothing.  There were the same “patissiers” and “boulangeries”, some of the same stores, and lots of places where the streets come together in a “square” housing many small cafes where one could while away the day drinking coffee, hot chocolate or something else while watching people.  The thing that was different about Nimes is that you could be aimlessly wandering through some of the old streets, losing
all track of time, look up and see an ancient Roman ruin…..right there in front of you!  I had a similar feeling in Arles when I visited a few years ago, but Nimes was different. Unlike Arles, where the ruins were on the outside of the town, in Nimes, it seemed that the town grew up around the ruins and incorporated them into the every day function of the city.  I thought it was quite unique.  In Nimes, one is always in the midst of a mixture of the modern verses the aged.  It was quite something.

As usual, I had some favorite things that I would like to tell you about…..

The first success, which was not a Roman ruin, was my stay at the Ibis Styles Hotel, one of the budget hotel options offered by the Accor Hotel chain.  It is located directly behind the train station.  I was coming to Nimes from Aix en Provence by train and Mike was coming from Paris by train to meet me, so the location was ideal.  And, even better, a quick walk out of the hotel and through the train station brought us to a scenic walkway that led right into the middle of town.

Right at the end of the walkway was the first of the Roman ruins, the arena.  It is reminiscent of the arena that I saw in Arles and the colosseum in Rome.  However, it is better preserved than the arena in Arles and is more complete than the colosseum.  In fact, they are still using it and have bull fighting there several days during the week as well a variety of performances….. like ballet.  Strange, but true.  But, a good example of what I mean by the new meeting the old.  At night, because it was the Christmas season, there was a light show projected on the outside of the building.  It was quite striking.

A walk forward through the old streets past a variety of clothing and shoe boutiques, restaurants, cafes, patissiers and chocolatiers brings you right up against the next of the well preserved Roman ruins, the Maison Carré.  According to my tour book, it is one of the most beautiful and best preserved of the Roman temples in Europe.  It is said that it’s Corinthian columns were an inspiration to Thomas Jefferson as he designed his buildings.  On the other side of the street was its modern counterpart.  The design of the new building mirrors the columns of the old building.  Another example of the old and the new working together.  Fascinating!

On the north end of town was, in my opinion, the best feature in the city and my favorite collection of ruins in Nimes.  It was a park called the “Jardin de la Fontaine”.  This park uses the ruins of an ancient Roman shrine as the centerpiece.  The park itself stretches out from there.  To the south of the shrine is a large park area with fountains and multiple benches where one can take a good rest.  The extension of the park to the north provides walking paths that climb a very steep, well-coiffed and terraced garden.  The paths are lined with chestnut and elm trees with flower gardens in the background.  One could spend a lot of time there walking and contemplating life.  I spent a fair amount of time there myself.  It was lovely.

In the lower area of the park near the Roman shrine was “Le Temple de Diane”, the remains of an ancient roman temple and some roman baths.  At the very top of the park was the “Tour Magne”, the city’s oldest Roman monument.  For a small fee, you could climb to the top and view Nimes and the surrounds.  This was probably the first of the climbing opportunities in the last 3 months that I opted out of.  I ran out of time.  But, the view from the ground was eye-popping, too….just without the climb….

Of course, as in the other towns I have visited in my time in France, this town also had it’s fair share of old churches.  I didn’t have time to go in, but did have time to view the architecture and take some photos as I passed by.  Just beautiful!

Oh, and we also had some really good food….some of the best of the trip to date, I think.  And, of course the wine wasn’t too shabby either here in the heart of the Langedoc wine region!

On Sunday, as we pulled out of Nimes on the train to go back to Aix en Provence for my last few days as a resident, I felt that I had taken a step back in time and then quickly fast-forwarded to the modern day while passing a “mélange” of everything in between.  The stay in Nimes was a real study of the complement of the old and the new and how well they can fit together.

Somehow, it just works……timeless!

in the “shoulder” season”…….

In all reality, when I started out here in October and even as I moved into the middle of November, it really was  the “shoulder” season.  There were some tourists, however they came mostly on the weekends.  But, now, in December a week or two before Christmas, it’s really more into the “off” season.  The joy of traveling at this time of the year is that, in general, there are not a lot of people around.  And, the people you do find are mostly locals   If you want to do something that typically attracts tourists, there are generally very few, if any, people to contend with.  You can actually walk up to things and get a good look.  And, sometimes, you receive unexpected special treatment that surprises you.  I had one such experience last week at “Chateau la Coste”.  What a great day!  Read on……..

Since almost the first day in Aix en Provence I have shared with everyone crossing my path that I work at a winery in California and have a strong interest in wine.  Each time,  I have been told that before I leave the area, I needed to make a visit to Chateau La Coste, a winery in the close-by hills near Aix en Provence.  Not only would I taste some of the best wines in the region, but I would also view some of the most interesting artwork as well.  Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?  I thought so, too.

So, last week, I did some research to find out how to access this little gem by bus (no car, remember?).  The helpful tourist office in town got me started and then I got in touch with the nice folks at the “chateau” and they guided me in the rest of the way.  They helped me to decide that I should take the guided tour of the artwork and the guided tour of the winery.  And, I decided that I should do it in english.  I speak some basic french now, but probably not enough to fully appreciate the explanation in french.  So, it was set.  I would do the art tour at 10:00 and the wine tour at 1:00 and have lunch in between at the restaurant they have on site.

Getting there was a little complicated, I have to say.  I had to meet a bus here in Aix en Provence and ride about an hour out of town to one of the small mountain towns that I have been telling you about.  Then, I had to meet a smaller “Navette” bus for the short ride to the “chateau”.  The interesting folks who run the “Navette” require at least one hour notice to come by and pick you up….and, they are very strict about that!  So, you have to call them one hour ahead and arrange for this.  Oh…..and they don’t speak english….only french.  YIKES!

So, needless to say, on the appointed day I was up and out early so that I had time to walk across town to the “Gare Routiere” (bus station) and meet my first bus.  At the appointed time, I got on the bus and confirmed with the driver that, yes he was going to the stop I was looking for.  (Here’s something interesting to note…I discovered after one or two rides on the local buses that they don’t always stop where the published schedule says they will.  And, sometimes the stops that go to a place don’t have a stop for the return trip.  This is not always clear on the schedule.  So, it’s always prudent to make friends with the bus driver and ask lots of questions.)

Once we were clear on the stop I wanted, I settled into my seat and called the “Navette”.  After some negotiation on the phone with those interesting people (the conversation was mostly in french with a little “franglish” mixed in) ….I was on my way.  When we got to my stop, the very kind bus driver let me know that this was the place to get off.  He wondered if I was going to taste wine.  I said I was and then he let me know that I would need to walk another little bit to get to the pick-up point of the “Navette”.

OK…..good to know…..(See what I mean about making friends with the bus driver?  I may have missed this very important fact!)

I was still about 30 minutes early and it was cold outside, so I parked myself in a cute little local bakery to warm up with a coffee and fill my tummy with a pastry while I waited.  When I went back to the appointed stop, the “Navette” was waiting for me.  I got on the bus, and off we went to the “chateau”.

I have to admit that this whole coordination was a little more complicated than I thought it would be, and even the tour guide wondered how I got there on my own without their help.  In the end he decided it was because I speak a little bit of french and could communicate with the people at the “Navette”.  HMMMMM….maybe……I’ll have to give that one some more thought!

But, nevertheless, there I was, ready for the tour.  It was probably one of the best I have had anywhere.  And, because it was….you guessed it….. the “off” season, I was the only one on the tour.  So, I spent the next two hours on a private guided walking tour of the estate, learning about the works of art that were carefully designed for the location and strategically placed on the estate. It was fabulous!  Here are some of my favorites.

I was going to tour the winery at 1:00 and it was around noon by the time we were done with the tour of the art.  So, the tour guide took me to the restaurant and sat me down for lunch.

He said, “Don’t worry.  You are the only one on the wine tour.  Take your time with lunch.  The guide will wait for you.”

Score!  Another private tour.  So, I took my time, had a very nice lunch and went on to the wine tour when I was done.  As it turns out, the people who own the restaurant also have one in Los Angeles.  Small world!

The tour of the winery and the tasting that followed were outstanding as well.  I had a private guided tour of the production area, bottling line and the cave used for aging.  It was fascinating.  This was one of the most technologically advanced production areas I have ever seen….both on this trip as well as in our region at home.  All of the machinery was state of the art and all seemed to be very new.

And, to top it off, the building where all of this was housed was specially designed on the exterior to reflect the artistry of the estate as well as to maximize efficiencies on the interior.  The building was a piece of art in and of itself.  Very interesting and creative!

Oh, and the wines were good, too.  My favorite was a “black label” syrah that cost a whopping $45.00 Euro.  I really wanted to buy some.  But, it was a little out of my price range for this day.  And, honestly, I didn’t know how I would be able to drink the four bottles I already had at the apartment before I head back home.  So, I declined.

When I had seen everything that there was to see, the nice tour guide I had at the beginning called the “Navette” for me so that I could return to Aix en Provence.  Then……….my last complication for the day….the “Navette” pulled up to the main bus stop where I would get the bus back just as it was pulling away.  I started to get out of the “Navette” and the driver shouted (en français), “No! Get back in!”  I did and he quickly took me a back route to the next stop so that I could meet the bus there instead.   I would have waited another hour for the next one if I had missed it!  What a nice guy!  A perfect ending to a perfect day!

I will also throw this in…..all of the bus drivers complimented me on my use of the french language.  None of them had any english, so we communicated in french.  Success!

So, my thoughts are this…some things, even though they are complicated and difficult to achieve, are well worth the effort….like learning french and coordinating bus transportation to remote spots such as this one………. and………the private tours are nice, too!

You gotta’ love the “shoulder” season……….and, the “off” season isn’t too bad, either!

Parler….parler…..chat…..parler…..connect……parler…..chat……on and on it goes….

Here’s a news flash for you….I love to travel! I love to see new things, experience new cultures and marvel at the wonders of the areas that I am visiting.  But for me, equal to seeing the “things” along the way,  is meeting the people as I go along.  I have told you about a few of them in my past blog posts.

I seem to connect with interesting people wherever I go.   Sometimes I find them……and, sometimes they find me. On this trip, it has been a good mix of both. But, regardless of how I find them, people just seem to be comfortable telling me their stories, no matter what the situation.  And, somehow, I just can’t turn away.  I like to hear the stories (although, I have to admit I have heard some stories over the course of time that I could have done without.  HA!).  Tony, my friend at the winery where I work, says people share information with me because I always ask questions.  It’s true.  When people start talking, I start asking questions.  And, before I know it, I have made a connection.

At the beginning of my sojourn, I didn’t need to make an effort to meet people.  I had a nice start, thanks to my San Luis Obispo “coach”.  Then, I started the classes at the school.  There, we were a “mélange”of people trying to learn to speak french.  We were in class together everyday in a very intimate learning situation.  How could you not meet people and connect?!  But, now, after the classes are over, it’s a little different.  It takes a little more effort to connect.  So,  I have put my networking skills into play.  I’m happy to say that it’s working!  I have met some pretty interesting and amazing people in the last few weeks from all over world.  And, I’m kind of impressed with myself for having made the effort to find them.

I’d like to tell you about the nice people I have met here in France “on my own steam”.

My first encounter took place on the day after Thanksgiving.  After about two almost solid weeks of wind and rain, I decided that I needed to treat myself to a really nice meal.  So, I got on the internet and in my usual research method checked out the reviews on TripAdvisor and Yelp.  After some research, I decided on a restaurant named “L’Alcove”.  It was highly rated on both sites and not too far from my apartment.  So, I called and made a reservation.

It took me a minute to find it.  It is in an old section of town on one of those narrow, winding streets that are so common here in Aix en Provence.  After I entered the foyer of the restaurant, I carefully made my way down a very tiny circular staircase into the dining room.  It was a challenge on par with mounting the stairs in some of the old castles I have visited in my time here……especially challenging for those of us with eye issues.  But, I made it, got to my table that was in a room with about 10 tables and sat down.

In a few minutes, a woman came in and sat at the table behind me.  She turned around and, en français, asked me she could join me.  Of course, I said “yes”.  Before we knew it, we were talking, en anglais, about our common experience at the IS Language School (she was just finishing up) and our home country of the United States.  My delightful dinner companion was an attorney from Manhattan who, like me, has a fascination with the french culture.  Over a wonderful…and lengthy…..dinner of foie gras, veal with mushroom sauce, and of course, wine, we compared notes on a wide variety of things from learning french to retirement to the holidays and beyond.  On parting we exchanged email addresses so that we could stay in touch and she could find and read my blog.   What a nice dinner surprise!

My next encounter was even more surprising.  I mentioned in an earlier post that I had begun exploring the small towns outside of Aix that I could get to by bus.  On one of the days, I visited Puyloubier in the heart of the wine region.  I was too late to do any tasting and, so, thought I would go back the next day at a better time during the day.  Sadly, it rained the next day and I didn’t feel like tramping around in the rain to do wine tasting. (This was before the purchase of the quirky rubber boots!)  So, instead, I stopped in at Adrian’s coffee emporium to have a coffee and work on my blog post.

It was mobbed!  There were people everywhere.  They were all Americans who were cruising the Mediterranean and had stopped off for a guided tour of Aix en Provence.  We chatted (they were very interested in what I was doing here)…..and then the tour guide joined us.  I told her what I was doing in Aix en Provence and mentioned that now that my classes were over, I was looking for someone to practice my french with.  Maybe she knew someone who might be interested.

After a bit of thought, she said, “What about me?  It’s now the off season for my business and it’s very slow, so I have time.  I want to improve my english.  Maybe we can help each other.”

Deal!

She and I have met twice since then to practice.  Of course, as we have been talking, we have gotten to know each other a little bit.  We find that we have a lot in common with our love of travel, food and wine and also our interest in languages.  Yesterday, she took me out of Aix for lunch, to tour some of the local wine country and to visit Ventabren, one of the small hill towns, which was just beautiful.  Even she was amazed at how lovely it was with its Christmas lights in full force.  She had never been there at Christmas!  Hard to believe!

I have to throw this in as well.  I had a very adventurous lunch at this cute little local restaurant we went to.  I had something called “poulpe”, better known to you as “octopus”.  It was done like a “beef bourguignon”.  I can say without a doubt that I would not have tried this had I not been with my new friend.  Octopus…..hmmmmm…But, it was delicious!  I’m glad I had the experience!

We chatted along and before we knew it, it was dark and we needed to part.  But, what a great afternoon.  Sadly, this will be my last opportunity to spend time with her.  But, we have exchanged email information and I am certain we will be in touch.   She, too, is interested in doing an immersion….but, in the United States to improve her english.  Who knows, maybe she will be our next visitor for the guest house!

I found my next group of people on the internet of all things.  In San Luis Obispo, we have an internet organization, called “meet-up” that connects people with common interests.  I wasn’t sure, but I thought they were at least a national organization.  So, I went to my trusty lap top and started to search for a “meet-up” group, or something like it, in Aix en Provence.

Much to my surprise, I found a group of people here who are doing a “language exchange”.  About 15-20 people meet on a weekly basis to talk to people who are trying to improve either their english or their french.  They were meeting at a cafe in town that I knew, so I decided to try it out.  I have now gone several times and have met people from Germany, France, Ireland, India, New Zealand, Romania…..and the list goes on.  Most of them are in France for work.  But, some are here just because they wanted to live in France for awhile.  Most of them are trying to learn english, but a few are english speakers that are trying to learn french.  It’s quite an eclectic group…and the conversation is rousing at times!

I had coffee today with one member of the group who writes novels.  We met at a little book store here in town that caters to an english-speaking clientele.  They sell her books translated into English from German.  They were on special today, so I bought a few.  She signed them.  (Some of you will be getting a copy for Christmas.  I thought this was fun!)  My German friend would like to do a language immersion in the United States to improve her english.  We talked about her renting our little guest house in California for a time.  We exchanged information.  Maybe she will be the second visitor for the guest house!  Who knows!

I realized at the end of my day today, that during this french “immersion”, I have “parlèed” and chatted with more people from more places than I ever dreamed possible……and, I made a few friends along the way……Some will be friends for a day and some will be friends for a longer time.  Either way, I have benefitted from meeting all of them and the memory of their smiling faces and helpful chatter will be stamped in my mind for a lifetime!