Trip to France

Blue Windows Trip to France
What happens in Paris...
...Does not stay in Paris!...
We share!

Many of you were asking about our latest trip to France... Here is the Tales of this amazing race, a 6-day whirlwind that took us through some beautiful regions and allowed us to combine pleasure, business and family.

Tuesday September 2nd and Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008

How to lose a day in 8 hours...? Fly to France! It's that simple! Here is how it works: Board a plane in Atlanta at 3:00 pm and arrive 8 hours later at 6:30 am in Paris, THE NEXT DAY! I have done this trip many times and the jet lag still kills me. On a good note, we flew Delta and at today's flying standards, the service on board was good, efficient and the fact that I had selected emergency exit row seats, gave us plenty of leg room. Here is the kicker: in Paris, we only had 2 and a half hour to clear customs and immigration, to check in our connecting flight and to find our new gate. From past experience, it's impossible to accomplish if you have checked-in luggage. So... no big suitcase for you, Mari! (I must admit... Can you ladies imagine going to France for 6 days, having to attend a foo-foo family reunion with dancing involved and having only a carry-on with you? Leave it to Mari... she has become the packing expert!) We got off the plane at Charles-de-Gaulle and we started looking for our next gate... I can't imagine how any non-french speaking traveler can make it through that airport. Signage is practically inexistant, confusing and misleading. We stood in line shortly to ask for directions and just before it was our turn, the clerk got up, shook her head and left the counter... I guess it was break-time! Communists! Did I mentionned that most of the moving walkways were... non-moving? Broken or simply not turned on, I don't know, but it took us 45 minutes of walking to reach our gate. Of course we had to go through security again and the french authority confiscated my travel corkscrew although it had no blade attached to it... leave it to the largest wine consummers to take-away my most important travel accessory! Still hunting for that cup of Joe, I spotted an automatic dispenser. I felt real smart with my 15 Euros saved from a previous trip. That burst of optimism fell sharply after realizing that only coins would be accepted in this machine. Without any retail store around to give me change, I sat back and watch the sparrows that had gotten trapped in the terminal and had found refuge in the silk trees scattered in the waiting area. Without any announcement, the Air France staff started the boarding procedures and we finally sat in our new Airbus A-321 for a short (1 hour and 10 minutes) flight to Pau (P0), the Gateway to the Pyrenees mountains, located between France and Spain. Pau, being a small regional airport, proved to be a real joy to go through and the reserved car through Europcar was reach without a snag. I think we might have been upgraded too as we were led to a 4-door Fiat Pronto, powered by a diesel engine. (Diesel is cheaper in France and therefore considered an upgrade)

We left the airport for our first destination: Lourdes! This foothill city is home to a religious site where in 1858 (exactely 150 years ago) the Virgin Mary appeared to a local young girl by the name of Bernadette Soubirou. The grotto where the apparition happened is toured non-stop and processions of pelgrins visit the site and the Basilica built atop the grotto which is dedicated to the Madonna.

The water from the spring that mysteriously started during those apparitions is considered to have miraculous healing powers and people from all over the world come to Lourdes to collect and drink the water. As I am writting these lines, the Pope is on this site today (September 12th, and 13th) and I can only imagine what the croud is like.

Wisely we had booked a hotel. "La Solitude" hotel is located within walking distance to the Sanctuaries, with an underground parking, a riverfront terrasse for dining, a beautiful view of the fort and they let us check in at 2 pm. After dropping off our luggage, a refreshing shower (we are now on 20 hours of traveling) and a 2-hour nap, we proceeded towards the hotel-bar for a Kronenbourg beer and a glass of of dry white Jurancon. Yummy! We then battled the crouds and found our way through the Sanctuaries. Catholic or not, this place will move you. Between the beauty of the Basilica, the peaceful surrounddings, the sculptures around the walkways, the burning candles made to extend your prayers and the melting pot of people of all races, you can't help but feel the presence of the Lord. On a less spiritual note, be prepared for supermarket size stores full of God-zy stuff (Des Bon-dieuseries as my Mom would say in French!) over priced and made in Taiwan.

We left the Basilica in search of a place to dine and we found this Brasserie right alongside the river 'le Gave de Pau" which flows through Lourdes. Tired as we were, we started with a bottle of dry Rose' from the region. We shared a warm goat cheese salad, I opted for the duck breast with pommes frites (french fries!) and Mari had a sirloin with green beans. While it was not a gourmet setting, the meal was fine, the service attentive and we felt quite relaxed, especially after I ordered a second bottle of Rose'... Prices in restaurants are inclusive and tipping is not required. A couple Euros as a tip is always appreciated by the staff who is strictly on a fixed salary. At about 8 pm, in the middle of our dinner, our first server (a charming young woman who spoke some english) informed us that she had reached her limit of hours she could work and turned us over to one of her co-worker...We retired to our room, slept with the windows open hoping that the effect of the jet lag would be mild. Here is the view from our room:

Thursday, September 4th 2008

After a breakfast of Cafe-Creme and croissants, Mari and I left the hotel in our little car for the high country. We would end up in one of the most beautiful area I ever hiked in... Located only one hour or so south of Lourdes, Garvarnie is known for the mountain formation accesible by foot or by donkey, recessed 2 hours or so in the high country.

After a long hike to the base of the Cirque (an amphitheatre shape mountain) we were delighted to find a rural stop that were offering hikers refreshments and nutrition. Take a look:

Une Garbure. . ................................................................Jambon de Pays
(Cabbage and bean soup with smoked Pork).............. (Cured Ham)


The hike back down in the valley was a breeze but it required one more stop!



On our way back to the car, Mari found this appealing store with some of the local specialties:














After a relaxing late afternoon in Bareges (less than an hour from Gavarnie) where we found this cute little hotel with a Junior Suite, we dined like King and Queen! I started with l'assiette de Charcuterie de Pays (local pate', ham and saucissons) and Mari had a butter lettuce with melon balls and vinaigrete. For her entree, she had the fresh mountain trout done meuniere style, and I had the duck confit which is a way of cooking and preserving the duck in its own fat. We flushed our arteries with some local rose' first and then some red juice (Madiran) that had enough character to stain your teeth! Dessert consisted of local cheeses served with Black Cherry jam.

More about our trip down below!...

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