From France?!!?
We have been in France for 9 days now…sort of amazing. I’d never been here before this trip, so I’m no expert, but here are some random observations, mostly about things of no importance. You can follow the trip in more detail at Booked. Photos are for your enjoyment and have no relation to the takes.
Market Day in Montignac
We’ve been in western France (north of Poitiers) and are now near Montignac. We’re staying in gites and small inns that are at your basic mid-priced US hotel chain price point and lower, and have wandered and shopped in mostly small towns and villages. In all of those places, the level of service, class and attention to detail and beauty has been unfailing. A new experience. Yes, I’ve heard one decidedly exasperated sigh as I studied the sea of coins in my hand trying to pick out the .50 from the .20 from the .10 from the .05 from the .02 from the .01, but other than that, it’s been wonderful.
Tennessus Castle, our first stop.
I discovered something tremendously exciting today. In the Intermarche here in Montignac, great rolls of oilcloth, all with super designs, from Provencal to trippy mod. If I could just figure out how to cut a piece, I’m set.
Show at Puy du Fou, second most popular attraction in France after Euro Disney. There’s a saint in there.
Joseph commented, “Gee, gas is so much cheaper here.” Because he was seeing “1.72” where he was used to seeing “3.69.” But then I explained to him – liters do not equal gallons, and euro does not equal dollar. And then we worked it all out. (Roamschool!) Not cheaper. But with a diesel car…not too horrible, either.
At the ruins of the amazing Commarque Chateau
That said, so far, I’m not running into sticker shock. That will come in Paris in a couple of weeks, I’m sure, but right now, where we are – restaurant prices are commensurate when you factor in the 15-20% more you would add to a US meal for the tip – because you don’t generally tip in Europe. Servers are paid more, and service is figured into the price. Food prices, except for fresh (as opposed to cured) meat, seem to be about the same – and what’s more expensive here is evened out by items that are less expensive and of higher quality. I mean, the mass-produced .30 baguette you can get at the chain grocery store is just as good (if not better) as the $2.50 one at the best, proudly artisanal bakery back home. And then the best, artisanal baguettes from good boulangeries here (that I have found) still don’t cost more than 1 Euro. The ordinary butter – that cost me 1.80 E for a brick – is the best butter I’ve ever tasted. Michael had a jambon-et-buerre sandwich from a snack shop at an attraction and said, “It’s good – the butter tastes like cheese anyway.” And so on.
Maison Forte de Reignac – built into a cliffside
That said, Coca-Cola Light (the no-cal Coke you get in Europe) sucks. But that’s okay. It’s one of those more expensive items and I needed to be weaned from Diet Coke, anyway. Also: if you want Roast Chicken and Thyme-flavored Lays’ chips – come to France. Oh, and what’s the French romance with grated carrots? It’s sold and presented in the composed salad case and in restaurant salads like it’s the food of the gods or something. I mean – it’s carrots. In slivers.
Looking down on the Dordogne from Castelnaud Castle
Here’s my stupidity showing: what’s the deal with French notebooks? I go to the stationary section – being a school/office supply geek – and get all excited because the notebooks look so awesome and sleek on the outside – but they’re all like graph paper inside. And I become sad. Je suis desolee. Every single one, of every single size full of little squares instead of nice, smooth lines. Is this a general European thing? Or just French? And who wants to write on graph paper? What is this about? Did Colette have to write on graph paper? Do I?
Sunday Mass in a village somewhere in western France
We’re going to Lourdes this weekend. I just realized I never finalized a hotel. Better get on that. It’s like…tomorrow.
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As a kid I remember getting letters on graph paper from my German pen pal. I just chalked it up to German precision. Maybe it helps them order their thoughts ? :)
Your graph paper comment made me laugh. Don’t know why, but ever since high school, graph paper has always been my paper of choice. All my notebooks and journals are graph paper. Last few years I’ve been drawn to Quad Ruled Steno notebooks. Again, I have no idea why I find these appealing. I always chocked it up to the way that I often like to doodle out my thoughts in addition to writing, and graph paper sometimes helps to facilitate that. Now I’m thinking maybe I have some French lineage I don’t know about.
I love writing on graph paper. I use to search for graph paper comp books at office supply and couldn’t find them. If you write small (I do) I think the vertical lines somehow help in the re-read later. If you write big, I could see getting frustrated–since graph paper is usually tighter even than college rule.
good laugh over here about the carrots!
and, yes, most notebooks are graphed. i know in italy everyone uses them all the time … you get used to it.
I could have used your family around when I was trying to figure out gas price conversions the two summers I lived in Canada – currency exchange rates and liters to gallons: it made my head hurt. The butter in France is amazing!!! Have you had a (salted) butter and radish sandwich? So good.
The cute notebooks in Bosnia were graphed too. And pencils did not have erasers on the end. But I could buy sealing wax, and did, just because I could.
While there we revelled in the dairy products and bread. It was so good. So was the wine and beer.
Try the brand “Clairefontaine”. They have lined paper, and blank etc. in several sizes. You find them in good paper-stores, newspaper-stands, bookstores. Supermarkets somteimes only carry lesser qualities…
If you carmelize carrots for an hour, they become almost a sweet potato taste which is what we do weekly because we’re carmelizing peppers, onions etc. at the same time. Children who don’t like vegetables might like them carmelized in butter and oil for an hour or less at low heat in a saute pan…shuffling them periodically.
My kids would actually rather eat raw carrots than cooked any day. Raw carrots and apples are daily bread, if you will!
Oooh, this is making me salivate to take this trip. Just beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
Says here http://notemaker.com.au/collections/grid-notebooks it’s “The ruling of choice throughout most schools in Europe, grid paper’s strict, obliging framework fosters freedom and neat work!”
Oh you are making me yearn for French food. And, yeah, when I was in Italy all the notebooks were “quad-ruled”. I rather came to like it.
Ah! French notebooks. I used them for three years while in school there. I loved them :D