Chez Papi Bernard

On Tuesday morning, we packed up and headed for Chinon, where Patrice's Uncle Bernard lives. Bernard was a gracious host and guide to us while we were there. It was a great opportunity for a small family gathering, too. Patrice's cousins Patrick and Christine and their families came over one evening for dinner. It was the first time they were all together in many years.

These pictures are out of order, but again, I don't have the patience to rearrange them.

Patrick, Pascale, and Christine. Patrick is a cop. He had quite some stories to tell. Pascale was very kind to me. While everyone was chatting and visiting and catching up, she sat down beside me and asked about me and my visit. Christine is bonne-vivante, full of life. She has a very generous laugh and smile.

Mamie, Bernard, and Papi.

Nicco and Christine's kids, his French cousins. At first they were all very timid, but after a few minutes, I don't think they knew they didn't speak the same language. Nicco said that Camille knew some English. I guess they were counting together. Pierre said that Nicco knew some French, but it was hard to understand. I guess his American accent is pretty heavy.

Cuties. Very sweet, all three.

Me and Christine, visiting the best we could. I feel like I understand a lot more than I have before but it is still hard to come up with words myself. She is showing me a picture of the cousins when Patrice was 7 years old or so.

Bernard, Papi, Michel, and Patrice. Michel is Christine's husband...he's from the Basque country. I had a hard time with his accent, but I got a good impression of his personality. He and Christine make a good pair, both very gregarious and friendly.

This was taken earlier in the day at Bernard's cave. It is an actual cave, and he did all the wood, tile, iron, and stone work himself.

Inside the cave. It is like a second home!

Patrice behind the bar.

On a small piece of land above the cave. Bernard is thinking of selling this little property. It is getting harder for him to maintain. I asked how he came about it in the first place and I was told it is "la mode" to have a cave. Everyone in that area has one.

Nicco and his cousins, gathering (and counting) nuts and shells.

This was the morning we left. We could not have ordered better weather until that day. The temperature was not much different from back home for the first week and a half of our trip. I was afraid I would be freezing the whole time, but we've been blessed with something of an Indian summer. It was a surprise and something of a disappointment to see the fog. Nervy of the weather to resemble fall in October, I tell you.

This is Bernard's house. Lovely.

Nicco loved the swing out front.

And the attic bedrooms. He was curious about being so close to the roof.

And he was delighted that our room had three beds...one for each of us!

And, this is the cave next to Bernard's...it is unfinished, unlike his.

Saturday Market in St. Foy la Grande

Every Saturday there is an open market in St. Foy. Papi said it is the biggest market in the southwest. I love farmers' markets, but the French open air markets are something else altogether.

The flag outside of some government building in town. R F stands for Republique Francaise, in case you didn't know.

Stained glass windows on the church.

An old building. I can't help myself...I really like all the old buildings.

Ham, sausage, pate. The market smells are hard to describe. Very pungent.

Live animals; rabbits, ducks, chickens, and geese.

This vendor was checking the gender of this rabbit. Nicco was intrigued.

A fruit and veggie stand on a pretty street corner.

Mmmm...bread. We have bread every day. Even when everyone wes exhausted from a day of driving and sightseeing, it was imperative that we stop at the store for bread on the way home because there was only a demi-baguette left. Patrice and I went to the boulanger this afternoon. Patrice was debating between buying 2 or 3 baguettes and settled on 2 until he found out they were just fresh from the oven. I ate the end off one before we got home. Couldn't help myself.

Cheese. Cheese comes after the aperitif, after the main course, and after the salad. I am almost always too stuffed to eat cheese and bread at the end of my meals here. There is a saying in France that a meal without cheese is like a woman without lipstick. Well, I don't wear lipstick either.

Everywhere I've been in France the people have tablecloths made from a variation of the fabric in this photo. Always yellow, always floral. Very French.

Nicco and Mamie buying mussles for moules-frites for dinner.

And, we ran into everyone I know in this town at the market.

Patrice's Birthday

Patrice celebrated the 12th anniversary of his 29th birthday in France for the first time in roughly 20 years. I think his mommy was happy to have him home for the occasion again, finally. My pictures are a little out of order but I do not have the patience to fix them. We had dinner at Severine's house on his actual birthday, then the following Sunday everyone came to my in-laws' house for a special birthday feast.

Nicco and Mamie presented Patrice with his birthday cake.

Pretty, and delicious.

Nicco had been running around the yard playing tag and kicking a soccer ball before dinner. He got a sweaty head and fuzzy hair.

Severine and Sonia bought fireworks instead of candles. Hee hee.

Birthday treats...yummy.

Nicco was happy to get an extra wii day this month, but he became a little frustrated as the hour approached 10:00. I can't dal with him when he is frustrated at games AND exhausted.

Nicco helped his Papa open presents.

A bottle of wine from Patrice's birth year. How about that.

Good times.

Checking In

We have had some adventures since my last post and I have roughly 7,000 pictures to sort through.

Patrice contacted an old friend from his days in Philadelphia who, it turns out, lives not too far from his uncle near the Loire Valley.

We spent 3 days as guests of Ton Ton Bernard (or Papi Bernard, depending on the particular point of view) touring the valley.

We also spent a half day and a night as guests of the Vitré family in their charming home, a remodeled 12th century (I think...) stable. Amazing.

Pictures to come.

Gardens at Eyrignac Manor

We spent a long day driving around and visiting different sites and my people were a little tired, but once again favored me with a visit to these out of the way gardens. The property of Eyrignac Manor is about 500 acres, with about 100 acres of manicured gardens. When we bought our entries, the cashier gave Nicco a scavenger hunt to help occupy his little mind while the grown ups enjoyed the gardens.

This is the courtyard at the entrance.

The path from the top to the gardens themselves was lined with these horse-head posts.

A lovely archway.

Nicco liked the avenues of shaped bushes, but he was dying to run around and in between all the mazes of trees and bushes. Sadly, it was prohibited to walk on the grass.

There was a Chinese pagoda at the end of one path. Nicco left his mark in the sand.

Pretty...

We finally came to a spot where walking on the grass was allowed. Nicco was so happy.

Pretty...

You can rent these houses for vacation between €500 and €750 per week, depending on the season.

This section was called the White Garden. There are over 700 bushes in 5 varieties. Beautiful.

Entrance to the white garden.

Next to the big fountain in the white garden. It was very hard for my boy to resist playing in the water.

So pretty. Breathtaking. As usual, pictures don't quite do the place justice. It would be nice to come in the spring. They only plant white, yellow and blue flowers. I bet it is spectacular. Maybe we'll come back.

Picnic by the River and the Crystal Cave

My sister-in-law told us that we could picnic right by Le Bournat, but we looked and looked and drove and drove, and were just about to picnic on some random side of the road when we finally turned a corner and found picnic tables.

A nice view for a picnic, right?

These houses were built right up against the mountain, like the buildings near the fortress.

The delicate stalactites and stalagmites inside the cave. Nicco really wanted to touch. There was only one place where we could touch called the dirty stalagmite because people just can't resist, but the oils in our skin change the composition of the minerals so the calcium (I think...) doesn't stick, then the stalagmites can't grow.

These perfect little triangles are formed when the water with whatever minerals drips into a stagnant pool of water. Nicco liked the perfect little triangles.

Winged Victory, just like in the Louvre.