Back in Austin

We have left the Old World. We arrived in Austin last night, 27 June 2007. ****The most useless article I took with me? My bathing suit. It was never warm enough to use it.

Language Feast

We have been staying in the very comfortable Hotel Real d´Obidos, just outside the walled village. We have walked a lot in the area. Today we turn in the car and will spend the night in Lisbon. These past weeks have been a language feast: Portuguese, Gallego, Spanish, Basque (I speak none) and French, most of which have been overlaid with a variety of accents. I love the sound and the familiar kinaesthesia in the mouth and throat when speaking. Hopefully the stimulation of switching back and forth helps keep cerebral synapses snappy. Through exposure, Glen finds he even understands languages he doesn´t speak. Every place we have visited has been more beautiful and enjoyable than our expectations. Ate logo / Until soon. Home tomorrow 27Jun07.

A Weighty Question

LBS?? KILOS?? After eating our way through Portugal, Spain and France and back through Portugal and Spain, what on earth do we weigh? I think I am the same as when I left-- maybe a pound or two less--but I am afraid the latter may be wishful thinking. Scales in Austin will bring the moment of rude reckoning. --PS 30Jun07 -- Not down, but up, 2 pounds, but 3 days back took care of it.

Musings from Portugal

The lingua franca in the countries we have visited in Europe seems to be English. Germans, Slovenians and Dutch, for example, communicate with the Portuguese, French and Spanish in English. *****Because of temperature, wind and rain in some combination, the most useful item on this trip has been my goretex jacket. We have had perhaps 6 or 7 days that were sunny all day. *****Americans would do well to borrow some energy conservation tips from the European Union. Lights in public places such as halls and bathrooms, usually turn on with motion sensors and turn off with timers. How simple. *****Our sojourn amidst chateaux in France, castle in Spain and paços in Portugal is about to end...

In Obidos, Portugal

After two nights in Lariño, we drove today from Costa da Morte (in Galicia, Spain) named the Coast of Death because of all the ship wrecks. The coast itself is beautiful despite its name, although I am sure that the area and ocean are grim in storms, especially in the winter. We are staying in Obidos (Portugal) tonight, and will spend the last night or two nights in Lisbon. We fly to Austin Wednesday 27Jun07 and arrive at night. This has been a wonderful trip but now we can´t wait to get home. We miss you all.

The Road Less Traveled

In Spain: We traveled yesterday on the centuries old pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. The cathedral was most imposing and inspires great reverence. Then we drove to the north shore of the northernmost ria (estuary) above Pontevedra in Galicia. Pushing on beyond Muros towards Finisterre (land´s end), we found an apartment to rent just outside Lariño and will stay a few nights. There are few places in the world, I think, where one can stay on a clean beach with few people. Last night it did not get dark until 11 pm. Follow the latitude from this area to North America and see where it takes you. This morning we walked on the beach at 10 am and we were the only people on the beach. It is also safe to walk here, whereas in many remote areas it is not. The sun is out! We have not had many sunny days on this trip, but have enjoyed ourselves very much nonetheless. We were told that there was no internet access in Muros by several people this morning but, being persistent with our inquiries, we found a place on a little side street.

On the Road

We cannot always get into our email on these public computers, as is the case today and which is annoying. Our circuitous, spontaneous route in Spain has been: overnight in Vitoria > medieval Frias on the Ebro River (we went on a wild search for a covered bridge) and also found a medieval town and a nuclear plant > overnight in Astorga with Gaudi palace > Ponferrada with Templar Fort > through Galicia mountains with lunch in Sarria (if you can find it on a map) > Portomarin on the Miño River where we are spending the night in a Posada for Santiago de Compostelas pilgrims. The scenery is beautiful and we have stopped in interesting small towns and hamlets. We see many hikers and cyclists. All is well until I can post more detail.

Vitoria / Gasteiz, Spain

We spent last night in the capital of Basque Country. There is a medieval walled city in its center that is interesting. Peaches are in season--fresh, perfectly ripe, and dripping with juice. We bought some last night and have eaten them all. This morning we head west...

Sarlat-la-Caneda and Medieval Perigueux

Yesterday we visited Sarlat-la-Caneda, which is like a town out of a storybook. Film makers like to use Sarlat to shoot films set in the Middle Ages. Today we spent time walking in the medieval section of Perigueux, only some 15 miles from where we are staying. *****Notes: 1) President Sarkozy's UMB Party got a comfortable majority in yesterday's parliamentary elections, which should make some economic reform possible--under protest and strikes I would expect. 2) Tomorrow we leave for Spain and then Portugal. For the first part of the drive, we plan to follow the French [Pilgrimage] Route to Santiago de Compostela. 3) This afternoon we say good-bye to Le Cyber in Brantome, called the Venice of the Perigord. Hopefully we will find easy access to the internet over the next week. 4) We have not been able to go canoeing. Too much rain; the rivers are running too high and fast. 5) The Perigord is lush, beautiful and full of historic structures dating back as far as the Romans. It is more than one can take in. It saturates the senses.

Flashback: Ventenac / Carcassonne

We enjoyed our time with Bob, Claudie, Clara and Remy. Good food, good company, and a lovely house overlooking Carcassonne and the Pyrenees!
PS - Claudie's recipe for roasted Vegetables à la Carcassonne with midi spices has been a hit with my epicurean friends.

Uh-oh! Wanderlust

Wanderlust is setting in again. We may leave Montagrier early to wander back through Spain and Portugal. We will turn in our car and catch our flight home on the scheduled date in Lisbon.

Language versus Usage

We were driving on fumes of gas after a long unexpected detour. We finally reached a bourg with two gas stations. But they had both just closed at noon for lunch. One would reopen at 2:30 and the other at 3:00. "But you can buy gas on a few pumps if you have a Blue Card." We don't have a Blue Card for gas. We found the next day that a Blue Card just means a credit card, because the first cards issued were blue, so theoretically we could have gotten gas. It doesn't matter, though, because the man we talked to at the gas station tried to use his Blue Card and the card reader wasn't working. We had a long lunch that day.

France - Economy

New President Sarkozy has promised to address the economy and make France more business friendly. The final elections of deputies this coming Sunday are predicted to give him a supportive majority. In the meantime, it is interesting to know that Le SMIG (minimum wage) is €8.03 per hour (ca. USD 10.40), the work week is limited to 35 hours and some people prefer to work 30, paid vacations are about 30 work days per year, and unemployment about 8.9%. *****Nicolas Sarkozy has given himself 100 days to pass a first wave of economic reforms to break with the stagnation that marked the 12-year administration of his predecessor.
Before the summer is over, Sarkozy wants to loosen the 35-hour workweek, cut taxes and curb the power of France's labor unions. "I will not act fast, I will act very fast," he has vowed.

Le Cyber

We are at Le Cyber in Brantome to access the internet at this excellent facility. We are getting better at coming when they are open. Le Cyber is always closed all day Sunday and from 12:00 to 14:00 on all other days. It is open once on Monday from 14:00-17:00. It is open twice on Tuesday from 9-12:00 and 14:00-17:30. It is open twice a day Wednesday through Friday from 10-12.00 and from 14:00-17:30, and twice on Saturday the same hours as Tuesday--but I may be confused. This way Le Cyber is not open more than the maximum 35 hour work week in France. If employees worked shifts, could Le Cyber be open more than 35 hours?

The Weasel Waltz

At first we thought it was a stampede of wildebeest in the attic, with the loud, chaotic thumping and stamping, but the space is only about 5 inches high between the wood plank ceiling and the tile roof. "The weasels, zey are in rutt Madame, and zey are protected. We can only trap and move them, and zey are too many." So at dusk they begin their wild chase and dance and squeal their amours until dawn. We fall asleep and sometimes they waken us as they noisily tryst right above our heads. It is Spring in the Perigord.

Dolmens

A Dolmen is a type of megalithic tomb, usually consisting of three or more upright stones supporting a large flat horizontal capstone. Most date from 4000 to 3000 BC . We happened across this one driving through the countryside two days ago. I didn't know that they were thought to be tombs when I climbed on top of it. I have thought them to have positive symbolism.

The Superb Oysters of Marennes

We are at Maryvonne L. and Alain's in Vaux-sur-Mer near Royan on the Atlantic coast. This is only minutes away from the oyster beds of Marennes-Oleron, which produce the best oysters in Europe. For lunch we went to Marennes and ate oysters just out of the water. They were a gustatory delight. Maryvonne had taken me there before. *****PS on June 15: I stand corrected. Marennes produces the best oysters in the world.

A Perigourdin Dinner

Foie gras paté, aiguillettes of duck with cèpes mushrooms and a walnut cream torte were the highlights.

Driving to the Atlantic Coast

We will probably drive to the Courlay/Royan area this week for a couple of days to see Maryvonne and Alain. We will keep you posted.

The Valleys of Prehistoric Man: The Dordogne and Vezere River Valleys

Prehistoric man lived in this area earlier and longer than anywhere in Europe. S/he certainly chose well for water, vegetation, game, climate, cave shelters and sheer beauty. We are awed walking though these landscapes at the thought of how long humans have dwelled here.

The French Cherry Monsters

Well, we have again, while in France, debunked a common myth. It is not possible to consume enough fresh ripe cherries to get a stomach ache even if you chain-eat constantly for an hour while picking from the tree(s). Last week we worked on this research project while at Elisabeth's brother's house, and yesterday we found an overladen tree on the side of a country path we hiked. ****We also ate Guinea Fowl (pintade) for lunch today, so the poor guys are not just ornamental as some say. Delicious!

Sensory Surfeit: Rocamadour, Carcassonne, La Roque Gageac

When we drove to and from Carcassonne, these are three notable sites we visited. However, just driving along there is so much beautiful scenery, and myriad historic structures and monuments everywhere that one does not know what to look at first. Many farmers and ordinary mortals live in ancient, historic structures. We try to move slowly to drink it all in. People in this area live immersed in centuries of history that lie outside of one's consciousness in the New World.

Internet Center in Brantome

Every few days, we drive 24 kms to Brantome to an internet center with good facilities to check email and keep you posted. We also hike on trails out of Brantome. Of course, then we have to stop for a cafe along the river and also go by one of the ubiquitous boulangeries to check out the fresh bread and pastries. Tough duty, but someone has to do it. *****PS - The internet center is open a few afternoon hours Monday, a few hours each morning and afternoon Tuesday through Friday, and a few hours Saturday mornings. On walking out today, I need to check to see if the hours correspond to the legislated 35 hour work week in France.

L'Etiquette des Toilettes

Along major highways in France one finds frequent service areas for gas, food and les WC. The bathrooms are nice, large with many cubicles, and very clean. Male janitorial personnel wander in and out of the Femmes and the Hommes facilities at will. The entrance doors are kept wide open and one walks by a view of men lined up to the wall, obviously busy. One can view les femmes lined up as well, but washing hands or combing hair. Men feel free to walk into the Femmes facilities if they can't access facilities in their bathroom, or to wash their hands at a free sink. In some places the facilities for men and women are not separated. In all, this works quite well and speeds up the flow, so to speak, rather than queuing where no facility is available or leaving available facilites unused.

Then there is the toilette arabe in more modest public places. Condition those quads. It is best to have thighs of steel. (This facility is not recommended when wearing a long skirt with both hands full of purse and packages. )

Back in Montagrier

We are back, safe and sound, from our driving trip to Carcassone. More soon.

Carcassonne

Wednesday, May 6, 2007: we drive to the walled city of Carcassonne, which we have long wanted to see. We will stay with Robert "Bob" and Claudie L. Bob is a Green architect. We will leave Carcassone to return to Montagrier on Friday, but have not decided via what route or how long we will take.

Cave Paintings: Lascaux II and More

Monday--rain again, but only when we were inside the caves, as J-L predicted. We spent the day with Jean-Louis and Elisabeth. The exact, full-size replicas of 90% of the Lascaux cave paintings were incredible and a must-see for me. I now can close my eyes and play the cave images in actual size and color across the screen of my mind. Jean-Louis made a fresh cream, cheese, and ham torte in flaky pastry for our picnic--from our first visit to France we learned to love the French concept of food for picnics. Returning from Lascaux, we stopped in hamlets across the countryside and close to Montagrier visited 2 more family mansions. Elisabeth's family, we learned, has been in this area for at least 800 (sic) years.

Weather Report: Freezing our Derrieres in the Perigord

Well, I had orignally planned to bring more than one light-weight, long-sleeved shirt with me, after monitoring the weather along the coast of Portugal and Spain, but I didn't want all that unnecessary baggage with me for balmy late May and June in southwest France. Wrong. All of Europe is having unseasonably cold and rainy weather. Nights have been down to high 40sF and low 50sF. Today, June 2nd, I have on my usual garb of 4 layers: a t-shirt, my one long-sleeved shirt, my zippered velvety jacket that is not warm, and my goretex jacket. I am not warm. I have not used my goretex jacket so consistently, every day, in the last ten years. Since we arrived in Portugal on April 9th, we have had 4 or 5 sunny days, and maybe 4 warmish days.

*****However, this is a weather report, not a complaint. Portugal, the northwest and north coast of Spain, Bilbao and the Perigord/Dordogne region of France have all been more beautiful than expected. The Perigord is like a magical land of rolling hills, meadows, fields, forests, and ferns. It is full of history and structures that date back to the Romans, and even to prehistoric man. It makes me wish I had the talent of a Steven Spielberg to make a magical, fantastical film of it.

*****Yesterday--among other things--Jean-Louis L. took us to visit some of the family's houses in the area that date back to the late 15th and 16th centuries. What a trip back in time.

*****And, yes, again we are told that "tomorow" will bring sunny, warm weather.