Thanksgiving in France!

What fun it was to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for my French neighbors!  Stuffed Turkey Breast Roulade was the main course on the menu as whole turkeys are impossible to buy in France until Christmas time!   Sweet potatoes, cranberries, mashed potatoes,  brussels sprouts  and  pumpkin pie  rounded out the meal.  They had never tasted some of our new world foods and even loved the dessert!  My explanation of the story of Thanksgiving (the same one I had told earlier to my students) added to complete the cultural exchange!  

Wine Tasting in the Beaujolais Region!

My Fulbright friend Susan and I drove to the Beaujolais region on Sunday, November 14.  It is located only about 1 1/2 hours from Grazac.  We drove through many interesting towns such as Belleville and Beaujeu before stopping for a great lunch in Villefranche-sur-Saône.  We were ahead of the big celebration of Beaujolais Nouveau by a few days but we had fun wine tasting anyway!

Trip to Languedoc-Roussillon (Day 4 and 5 Collioure)

After leaving the Château de Peyrepertuse we headed down a small sea-side village on the Mediterranean called Collioure.  It was wonderful to see the bright, blue sea off-season with only a few tourists meandering about.  This little fortress town on the water  has a royal castle which was the summer residence of the Majorcan kings from 1276 to 1344 when it was taken by the kings of Aragon.  Bright Catalan boats and beachfront promenades make this a colorful and inviting destination.  We enjoyed 2 days here, dining on shellfish and other specialities such as anchovies before returning to the Auvergne!

Trip to Languedoc-Roussillon (Day 3 Château de Peyrepertuse)

Janet and I were amazed at the wild and massif landscape we passed on our way through the area of Les Corbières.  The region is known for its ruined castles and its wine (fruity, full-bodied red, white and rosé wines with bouquets of local flora).

Château de Peyrepertuse is one of the finest examples of a ruined fortress in the Corbières.  We hiked all the way up for an unbelievable view.  This photo was taken from the highest section of the ruins!  In the 11th and 12th centuries the castle was associated with the counts of Barcelona and Narbonne and during the Albigensian Crusade, it was handed over to the French.

Trip to Languedoc-Roussillon (Day 2 Abbaye de Fontfroide)

We visited the beautiful Cistercian abbey set among serene cypress trees and terraced gardens.  Most of the buildings were erected  in the 12th and 13th centuries.  Our tour of the cloisters, Chapter house, dormitory, chapel was very interesting.

Trip to Languedoc-Roussillon (Day 1 Carcassonne)

Janet and I drove south over the mountains and hit some very icy roads so we decided to take the longer (miles) but safer and faster way on the autoroute.  One of my best purchases has been my international GPS.  With a quick change of course and a push of a button we were on our way again.  After coming to France for so many years, renting a car and using a number of maps, I would say now the GPS is the way to do it.  Technology at its best!  After 6 hours on the road we arrived in Carcassonne.  The view of the medieval, walled city as we approached was breath-taking.  The fortress, the largest in Europe, consists of a fortified nucleus, the Château Comtal and a double curtain wall:  the outer ramparts include 14 towers,  separated from the inner ramparts (24 towers) by the outer bailey.  The earliest sections of the wall were built by the Romans in the 1st century, were later enlarged by the Visagoths, and during the 13th century Louis IX and his son Philip the Bold strengthened the fortifications giving it the appearance it has today.  We toured the entire city and had a great dinner that night (the regional speciality,  Cassoulet, a delicious dish of pork sausages, duck confit and white beans).
 

Janet visits from Boston!

I had a wonderful visit from Janet for about a week.  We were joined, for the first couple days, by two Fulbright friends, Susan and Kristin,  who stopped in Grazac on their way north to visit Paris and the regions of  Burgundy and Brittany during our 11 day Toussaint school vacation.  We visited Puy en Valey and enjoyed lunch at a nearby restaurant.

 

During our visit we climbed up to St. Michel-d'Aiguilhe, an incredible chapel located at the top of a gigantic needle of lava which rises up 262 ft. in a single shaft.  The building dates back to the 10th-12th century and testifies the architect's ability to plan complex vaulting on such a small site. The small chapel evokes an atmosphere of a very holy place and one can understand why Puy en Valey was one of starting points for pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

Week-end in Renaison!

I had a wonderful invitation to the home of family friends in Renaison, a lovely town about 2 hours north of Grazac.  Martine and Michel took me on a great tour of the area where we visited the town center and the beautiful church.  We also had an opportunity to visit the Musée Alice Taverne, an  extremely interesting museum concerning traditional rural life in the area during the second half of the 19th century.  Fully decorated rooms depicted life during that time including a school room, a store, a one-room farmhouse and the fascinating office interior of the "Robouteux" (a rural medicine man somewhere between an herbalist and a magician)!

Martine, a fantastic cook, made the week-end so perfect with wonderful meals she prepared using the best regional products.  Thank you again, Martine and Michel, for your warm and gracious hospitality!

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