Our Celebrity Host...the life enthusiast... When we were invited on this trip I didn't realize we'd be traveling with a local celebrity! He seems to know everyone. His fluent french and rapid conversations often end with cheek to cheek kisses a warm hug and low loud laugh! A friendly smile is sent our way by who ever he's entertaining. We cautiously smile back having no idea what their talking about. We glance at his wife Roxanne who smiles back and shrugs her shoulders. This man is a "life enthusiast". Once we are in the car he regals us with stories of "I knew him when..." Or "did I ever tell you..." He's joyful in his native land. People remember him because of his joy of life. His "joie de vie" is a magnet. Last night at dinner (la table italienne), the young French owner of this Italienne restaurant, hugged and kissed us...showed us to our table with a smile from ear to ear. The two of them prattled on in their native tongues. With winks and warm hand shakes, it was clear this was a sweet reunion. Next the young man returns with 4 glasses of champagne for the table. When he was asked to join us in a toast, he dismisses the invitation with a hand wave. Later Danny tells us he said "I cannot, I must lead by example. My staff cannot see me drink". The most delicious fresh pasta. He highly recommended the special. Cognac Parmesan Jambon fettuccine... Sounds easy enough...except.... They use a semi hollowed out round of Parmesan. Into this bowl of cheese they pour a shot of cognac and light the bowl on fire... When it stops burning they add the cream, pasta and Jambon (ham)...stir it all up and transferred to your bowl table side ... What a show! So delicious! And...after all the festive conversation Mark and I didn't understand ...the young restaurant owner delivers Lemoncello! Wait! What country are we in? People love this man...he is a "life enthusiast". "Joie de vie""
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"Les Reveries dans la Theiere" It's a 400 year old stucco row house on a quiet village street ...we have the whole place to ourselves. Don, a handsome 50's something french man opens the home for us and gratefully speaks English... He's right out of GQ magazine. Tall, slender, salt and pepper hair with the coolest eye wear ever... I need a pair. Ron and his wife Ann own the house. They bought it 5 years ago and turned this 3 bedroom into a 5 bedroom guest house. They live above their tea shop across the street. Don says they moved permanently here from Paris center 5 years ago when their children started to show preteen signs of difficult times ahead. The attraction to this village was simple: Smaller schools, less of a hoodlum element and a quieter existence made this a good move. Their tea shop is like no other. Over 450 tea blends. Every Tea accessory ever manufactured and then upstairs on the roof level is a secret garden. The garden is lush and beautiful. Probably 30 tables with colorfully pillowed chairs sit among the honeysuckle and climbing hydrangeas...every table placed in a spot where Alice in Wonderland may take tea. They serve a wide variety of pie (quiche), wines, tea and even some French microbrews. There are white Christmas lights and little fairy ornaments hanging from the trees. This must be cool at night. Don said he had a full house at lunch. People come from all over to try his pie and enjoy their garden. If we spoke french we probably could have read the sign inviting us to this magical place but alas. We were happily surprised and captivated. Don is an executive turned innkeeper. He said he used to travel to Boston frequently in his other life. Says he was usually there in the snowy months and has no desire to go back. I want to ask what his other life was? Fashion model, perhaps? Swoon. Our guest room is pink, lacy and done in miniatures. Marks 6 foot self dangles off the 5 foot pink bed. It's cute. A little like living in a comic strip. Complete with shuttered windows that open into the room and look out onto a courtyard of common living space for the 5 guest rooms. The courtyard is decorated in varieties of old watering cans and gardening tools with cast iron patio furniture and cushions of yellow. Orange and green. Simply gorgeous. #donteverneedtoleave "I love your technology kit..." she said with a heavy Slavic accent... I looked up from my e-book. She was looking at my repurposed make up bag. I smiled and said "its perfect"...she smiled and as if dotting an imaginary "i" in the air, says "Clever" And off she rolls..in her smart uniform with wings...pulling the smallest rolling luggage I've ever seen... A pilot? So I'm "clever" to some one today... I watched the sunrise over Iceland this morning... A 5 hour delay, a 4 hour flight and a plane full of cranky travelers ... But the sunrise, above the clouds...that was something. A thin sliver of orange and gold against the night sky created the horizon. Like the sun was peeking out from safety... A spectacular entrance into this rainy Icelandic day. Once we landed there was No time to hesitate...our connecting flight had been delayed 3 hours ... 100's of passenger waiting for us... We board. Hostile territory.. Oh boy... But the sunrise, now that was something.... Travel can be a challenge these days! I understand the restrictions and the security measures. I totally get the baggage weight restrictions. I know the importance of identification for boarding... But 2 weeks with only a carry on! I'm already bored with my clothing choices. It's funny how your mind works when you are challenged with limited space. Suddenly things you have lived without become crazy important and you justify how to make those items fit ...at all cost. It's crazy how going to a foreign country feels like the MOON where toothpaste, shampoo and aspirin will be hard to find. Even my cat thinks the "carry on" is too small. She won't climb in the bag which is her usual response to our pre trip packing. Even the cat thinks this bag is too small. So I'm a big girl. My clothes are big. Which cuts down on how much will fit... Another reason for weight reduction! "Carry on" space! Two weeks in France...so little clothes and much hope for laundry facilities! Considering this camping. In Paris. Fashion Capitol of the world. Camping. Why just a carry on? Aside from the restrictions on WOW air...it's the trunk of the compact car we've rented to travel 4 adults thru Normandy! The French cars are small and we are big. Carry on! Just Carry on! It's a challenge, but I'll Carry on...in the same black clothes every day... There is a reason the French love perfume! When in France... More to come... Thanks Alexis for the photo❤️ |
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