Relaxing Retreat

Sometimes it is just nice to get away for a long weekend and just relax. That is exactly what we did 2 weeks ago. The children were out of school again for winter break and while it seemed that most of France was headed to ski vacations, we opted for a quieter, slower vacation in the Dordogne region of France. This region is known for its castles (more than 1000!) and for foie gras (Goose or Duck liver). Because this was technically the off season, most of the chateaux and tourist sites were closed to visitors, but the natural beauty of the area was magnificent.

We spent our days driving the country side. Most of the roads were winding 2 lanes that connected medieval villages and chateaux to one another. We were able to visit one chateaux, Castlenaud, and its medieval weapons museum.

John and Lauren had a ball playing and pretending they were in war scenes. I also loved that the children were able to see some of the history that they are learning in school. Lauren and Maya in particular are learning French history and were able to recognize some of the places and people that they have read about.

We also saw caves as we drove along the Dordogne River were people first lived in prehistoric times as well as during medieval times.

la roque st christophe

Sarlat-la-canéda is a cute town where we had lunch and were able to try the regional specialty, foie gras. Preston enjoys the whole liver, while I prefer foie gras in the pate form. The children however refused to eat any once they read about how the animals are forced fed to enlarge the liver. I can't argue with their position and there are certain things that I won't eat either. At least they did eat the confit de canard and pomme de terre sarladaise (fried duck and potatoes fried in duck grease, just a note, I still don't know how French people stay so thin!).

As far as the town of Sarlat, it was beautiful with an italian flavor and I loved how the stone of the buildings had a golden hue. We spent the afternoon walking around getting a much needed stroll after such a large, delicious meal.

Although I really enjoyed the history and the beauty of the region, truly the best part of our trip was the house we rented from an American couple, George and Linda. Mulberry Tree Cottage is a beautiful, spacious home away from home. George and Linda were very accomodating as host and thought of every little thing to make our stay comfortable for us. From the welcome note on the fridge and wine and chocolates, to restaurant recommendations and driving us to the store in the nearby village, they were there to help and answer questions. The modern kitchen was completely stocked with every utensil Preston needed to prepare delicious meals, and they even had bathrobes and extra blankets that added an extra touch of comfort. From their English language DVD collection, we watched the Lord of the Rings triology each evening in the cozy living room and although the house is a former abbey, they had wifi!

The house has a huge yard with a heated swimming pool and jacuzzi, gotta try it next time we visit, and the swing set on the property was a welcomed change of pace for us. It really was so peaceful and quiet. I forgot how much I missed having a yard since we have lived in an apartment for the last 18 months. They also own chickens that provided us with fresh eggs every morning. I really enjoyed getting to know George and Linda as well. We will certainly return in the future for another stay and a backyard BBQ when the weather is nicer.

Sleeping in and lazily exploring the country side was a needed change of pace. I love the hustle and activity of European cities, but it is nice to get away for a quiet retreat.

Vinidôme 2010

You may remember that one of my personal goals when moving here to France was, among other things, to learn about French wine. That has proven to be a difficult task. In fact I have given up a few times, only to have my interest peaked again. I mean, wouldn't it be a shame to live here for several years and not know anything about wine?

Well, this past Sunday, Preston and I went to Vinidôme 2010 here in Clermont-Ferrand with our good friends Robin and Oscar. Vinidôme is a wine exposition held once a year with well over 300 wineries from all over France. Each winery has a booth were you can taste different wines and talk to the wine makers themselves.

Last year, Preston and Oscar went alone. 3 hours and 5 cases of wine later, Preston returned home. Not only was I surprised at how much he spent (did you have to buy cases, they don't sell just 1 bottle?!), but I was also surprised that he didn't buy wines that I preferred (the real issue). All of the wines he purchased were reds and I like white. What was he thinking? Well it all worked out because I actually grew to like some of the wine and we didn't have to buy any more red this past year. However, this year I knew I had to go to "supervise".

Our goal this year was to buy enough wine to last over the next year as well as get a larger variety of wines, ie. stuff that I like too. I also thought this would be a great opportunity for me to learn more about French wine. Well, let me just say that Vinidôme was OVERWHELMING!!! With all of those wine vendors from different regions, it was just information overload. Now I know why Preston got a little carried away! I quickly changed my strategy from learning about new wines to finding wines that I know I like and tasting those. That's the real advantage to Vinidôme. You get to taste everything before you buy it. Most of the wine is priced better at the expo as well, so you can get a better wine for a lower price.

All in all it was a very successful evening. The task was to purchase wine and that is exactly what we did. After several hours of tasting...we purchased 7 cases of wine and 3 cases will be delivered next week! I guess I did a pretty good job "supervising"!

We had a fun evening and hopefully have enough wine for the rest of the year. We now have plenty of everyday table wine as well as really good ones for special dinners and guests. I still don't know much about French wine, but I do know that I like what we bought!

Christmas with Family, Part 2

Okay, I can't believe that Christmas was over a month ago. Where did the time go?! I have been sooooo busy with university French classes that I just haven't made time to blog much lately. Between my school work, the children's school work, activities, and life in general, I have been going full speed! But I miss sharing our adventures and keeping friends and family up to date, so....I'm back!

I want to share some pics of my parents' Christmas/New Year's visit. This is a post that I started at the beginning of January...

On Christmas Eve, my parents arrived! Paris with Connie was fun, but what I really wanted was my family together at home during the holidays. I tried not to plan too much since my parents would only be here for a week, but I wanted to share as much of our life here in France with them as possible. The first night was easy since it was Christmas Eve. We went to church service where the children participated in the Christmas pagent. My mother was so happy to see that even though we are in a different country her grandchildren are still taking part in church activities.

After service we returned home for a raclette meal. This is Swiss/French traditional meal and is great in the winter time. How can you go wrong with meat, cheese and potatoes?! It is a very filling and delicious meal. We took a day trip to Mont Dore, a nearby ski resort, to play in the snow. Ok, mom and dad just kinda stood around, trying to stay warm. But Connie and Preston were like little kids, rolling in the snow and playing.

The other days were spent catching up on sleep that was lost on watching movies into the wee hours of the morning. We went out to dinner a few times and invited friends over for a few nights as well. It was great to introduce my family and my new friends to each other. We celebrated New Year's eve and my mother was able to present her book Hooked on another evening. On Connie's last night in town, we all went to one of our favorite french restaurants, La Table de Thierry. We had the entire place to ourselves and very personalized service from Thierry himself. The meal was excellent!

Our week was full of laughter, good food, family time, celebration and late nights. There was not one outstanding moment for me, but many moments that I will always remember.

On January 1, my parents left Clermont and returned home. Although I was exhausted, I was completely satisfied and full of joy. We all were so thankful to have this precious time with my parents and aunt. This was certainly our best Christmas in France!