À Ventenac, près de Carcassone

This afternoon we will ride bikes on the Canal du Midi with Bob and Claudie.

The house overlooks Carcassone.

Travels in France 2013

Come with us from Paris through central France to the Dordogne, then along the Pyrénées and into Provence.

Loir-et-Cher Birding

My blogposts in France could not keep pace with my activities. We birded in various locales within an hour's drive from Vendôme and whenever a bird opportunely presented itself on one of our jaunts. We had the pleasure of joining the Loir-et-Cher Nature association on an outing.

Birding with the hospitable Loir-et-Cher Nature association in Blois, on the banks of La Loire (not to be confused with the Le Loir tributary).

My birding activities scored 10 "lifers" (list below, not in taxonomical order). I vote the Green Woodpecker my best bird.

The European Green Woodpecker (photo found on Google images).

• Gray Wagtail
• Carrion Crow
• Little Owl
• Cirl Bunting
• Gray Partridge
• Red-Legged Partridge
• Little Tern
• Little Ringed Plover
• Linnet (Common)
• Green Woodpecker

A Total Relooking

At the Académie Française, that august body that is the protector of pure French, there must be a gnashing of teeth. In daily life, the language is constantly being “mondialized” (to anglicize the French term). There is no escaping the creep of globalization.

Consider these borrowings and adaptations from English:

• Total relooking – a complete make-over
• Espresso et un brownie
• Sandwich au choix – your choice of sandwich
• Le hot dog
• Le muffin myrtille – a blueberry muffin
• Donut
• Une pasta box à emporter – a small box to be hydrated with hot water for a pasta meal
• Café Snack – name of a coffee and snack counter
• Auto Grill – name of a highway restaurant
• Stand Chaud – a hot buffet
• Chicken nuggets et frites – chicken nuggets and French fries, not at McDonald’s
• Simply Market – grocery store name
• Break Pain – name of coffee and bread/pastry shop (like a coffee break?)
• Un camping car - a motor home
• Quickos – something you order at McDonald’s (not to be confused with quickies)
• Speedy – name of an automobile oil change, etc. shop
• Le brushing – at a hair salon, ask for this to blow-dry hair
• Le footing – jogging
• Athle-Running – name of athletic shoe store
• C’est nickel – it is bright and shiny, in perfect condition
• C’est super - it’s super
• Le scotch  - trying to figure out how to say scotch tape? Easy.
• Vente de mobile homes – sale of mobile homes, although you might not understand these words when spoken

Universal Directions

Going around and around in a round-about with five exits and not sure which way to go?  There is an easy solution. Just follow the top arrow for “All Directions”.

Medieval Lavardin

We have been going for hikes in the surrounding area. For this outing we started at the foot of the Château in Lavardin, about a twenty minute drive away. We enjoyed the cliffs with troglodyte dwellings on one side of Lavardin, the view. the town itself and a path along the Loir river.

Gathering at La C….rie

The sun came out for the family lunch that MD had planned. She made a delicious Moroccan Lamb Tajine.

View Full Album

La Ferme de Nouray

We drive to a nearby farm for fresh produce.

Park & Wash?

Never saw this in a parking lot before:

Rainy Day

It is a rainy day. I sit on the veranda and enjoy the bucolic view as I sip my hot coffee and check email.

Vendôme

MD’s farmhouse, where we are staying, was built in 1897. We are just 15 minutes by car from lovely Vendôme which is located on the Le Loir tributary of La Loire. Vendôme is a pleasing venue for long walks.

The Birdhouse Project

The birds are giddy with Spring libido. We have been tracking them in the dense foliage of trees with binoculars. It is much easier to get an eye-full at a feeder, but cousin MD’s had fallen down because the post rotted. So the morning project was born.

  Success. Now we just need to get the birdseed.

The Cheese Keeper

Ahhh, back in France.

This was our abundant cheese board at lunch today at MD’s. The Le Mothais goat cheese wrapped in chestnut tree leaves was remarkable for its flavor and my favorite. When finished, we set the whole cheese board in a small garde-manger used as a garde-fromages where it fits perfectly. The cheeses are kept in a cool pantry by an open window, not in the refrigerator, so that they are ready to eat and not too cold to taste.

GPS-ing in France

The GPS checked the satellite and knows it is in France now. Oh la la, it may start speaking French to Glen. "Fallait pas tourner ici, andouille." ( You should not have turned here, dummy.)Heureusement il a sa traductrice (he has his translator with him). We are on the road for Wolfersweiler this morning.

Bordeaux: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Today we go to Bordeaux, on the Garonne River near the Atlantic coast. The city has nearly 350 buildings that are "classified" and buildings that listed as Historic Monuments, including 3 World Heritage sites considered part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France. Then, on the 19th, I head home.

Vaux-sur-Mer on the Atlantic Coast

The seaside and the market at Vaux-sur-Mer

Visiting more cousins. The sea food and the oysters here are an epicurean delight. From here we will drive down the coast to Bordeaux.

Restaurant in Tours on the Loire

On Wednesday M and I ate at a restaurant that was outstanding for the quality and freshness of its seafood, as well as for the attractive presentation of the dishes.

On to Montagrier in the Dordogne

Today I arrived to visit more cousins in the Dordogne.

Le Loir et La Loire in Pictures

See the region of Le Loir et La Loire on TracyZeye.

The Chateau d'Amboise on the Loire

Yesterday we visited the Chateau d'Amboise on the Loire. M participated one year in an equestrian event where she rode up the wide spiral entry in the round tower on horseback. The 'ramp' is wide enough for a wagon. We also saw the burial place of Leonardo da Vinci where he lived nearby.

Night back at the farm brought rain and a thunderstorm--39 mm of rain.