Paris....too busy to blog

Having a blast in Paris!

Few for the Foodies

A lovely dinner last night at the restaurant just below our apartment.  Sorry for the picture quality.  The food was amazing!

Foi gras with cranberry gelee

Red Mullet with root vegetable mousse

The cheese course

Dessert

The restaurant

The entrance.  We thought it was a window and walked past several times!

Wine!

We took a city tour today with a wonderful guide.  We will post more later but here are a few pictures of some wine presses throughout the years.  One is dated around the year 950!

Sunday Drive

Today we took off in the car to travel south.  We were looking to taste some wine but most tasting rooms were closed.  We ended up wandering through many small towns.  On the way we stopped at a magnificent chateau, "Chateau Pizay" in Saint-Jean-de-Ardières.  Below you will see the most unusual way they trimmed their trees.  We also stopped along the way in Chardonnay and shared a bottle of Chardonnay!!  

Some of the locals arguing about a boci ball game!

A few more photos of Beaune

Remembering Jurbise, Belgium

I enjoyed a small beer today while sitting about six inches from a the two high inch curb on a narrow street here in Beaune. It struck me that The best beer I have had this entire trip was at Carl's  Place, Au Chevalier D'Or. Carl, the proprietor is over six feet tall and robust. He greeted is all warmly at the door. I offerred him a handshake, and he insisted on a kiss on the cheek. He recommended a Belgian Dark Ale named "Scotch". Best beer of the trip, and the tidiest well kept drinking establishment of the trip, Carl. I tipped my glass to you today in Beaune, France Carl - Prost!

Kaysersberg

Rob here. Another day, another castle. Kaysersberg.is another nice hill town in the Alsace. We made another trek uphill to the highest point above town. This time Cinda made the sandwiches and we brought a  bottle of the local sparkling wine "Cremant". Margo, a wonderful friend we met in Belgium recommended ithe wine. Margo -" When you get to the Alsace, be sure and drink the Cremant, pronounced like cement with an r"!

The hike up to this Chateaux was part of the route that Trekkers take from town to town when hiking the Alsace. Our route was shorter and easier than the last. As for the Castle,  more of this Structure was left to explore. 

I thought about my nephew Steve when I looked down through the narrow "archers window" to the stone walkway below. 

On the way up the spiral stairs, I shared the story of the "Sinister Hand" that my friend Mike Kraemer gave me last year. The "Sinister Hand" was the moniker given left handed knights during the High Middle Ages. They were given this name because the spiral staircases in the castles were made with the spirals in the direction that would give advantage to the defenders of the castle (those already occupying the advantageous higher point on the stairs.

However , the direction of the upward spiral provided advantage only against the right handed swordsman. Against the left handed attacker, the advantage was handed over to the attacker, hence, the "Sinister Hand".

More on the "Cremant" the sparkling wine of the Alsace -  We bought our bottle of Cremant bottle in neighboring Katzenberg the day before, after tasting it at the Stoeckle' Winery. At the winery we met an engaging couple from Holland. Like most people from Holland, they spoke several languages, including English. When we were all making our sorry attempts at speaking French with the owner, he came to the rescue. He told us he loved speaking English, or any other of the five languages he had learned instead of his native Dutch!

 He explained that speaking Dutch was "not so much a language, but a disease of the throat!

When he pronounced Cremant he  a chcchhh sound  between the c and the r.

More on the Stoeckle' Winery. After struggling with our (lack of ) French, the owner called in his charming 25 year old daughter Fannie from her harvest duties. Fannie is a sincere, engaging young woman who could carry any room with her charm and quick wit ! 

Fortunately Fannies English was far better than our French! We asked many questions about the wine growing in region !

" Who works the vineyard during harvest? Do you have to bring in workers from elsewhere or are they local?"

There are several varieties of grapes growing in most of the individual wineries vineyards. These varieties of grapes grapes are each ready to pick at different times. So the labor needs are not huge. It is manageable. Our grapes are picked by local persons, but also a great many pensioners (retired people). 

I was pretty excited about that. I asked Fannie "so when I retire, I can come work harvesting grapes ?" Her reply was stern.  "Yes , but you must first pass a test ".

I asked, is the test difficult?" 

"Oui, you must drink two bottles of wine"

Food Porn

For those foodies who may be following us..... We had dinner on Monday night at Au Vieux Porche and went with the chef's surprise prix fixe menu.  Started with shrimp in dill sauce, next a generous portion of foie gras (mmmmm ) with toast.  Next scallops over leeks with the most tender mussels.  Just when we thought dessert was on the way they brought the most amazing lamb chops.  Again.....dessert? Then our cheese plate arrived.  We each received enough cheese for the 4 of us.  Finally dessert.  Orchard peach (really plum) tart with ice cream.  Oh, also a white wine paired with each course and red with the lamb.  Over the top amazing.  The next night we had a rotissery chicken, bread and green salad at home.  We needed a break! Here are the lamb and scallop dishes.  Enjoy!