Adventure/Travel

Foodie Friday … Amboise

Posted on by Jeanine / 4 Comments

My home-base in the Loire Valley was the perfectly situated, Amboise. It is a quaint little village to walk in, with cute shops, great architecture, and of course the beautiful Chateau Amboise.

My original plan for my fourth day was to travel to Ch├óteau de Chambord, Ch├óteau de Cheverny and/or Ch├óteau Royal de Blois (all highly recommended), but to be honest I was tired of driving and exploring and just needed a day to relax and read in my cozy little apartment. Our book club selection for the month was Demon Copperhead, and it’s a big book, as some of Barbara Kingsolver’s books can be. I walked down to the water and read on a bench for a bit, wandered the tiny streets, and then went back to my apartment for more reading and then made myself a delicious dinner, if I do say so myself. I put together a little charcuterie board from some delicacies I had bought at the farmer’s market, and then made some fresh pasta with pesto. It was DEEEELISH!

My last day in the Loire Valley concluded with a cave tour and wine tasting at Caves Ambacia, which was an easy walk from my apartment. I’ve been to numerous wine tastings, but this one was especially interesting, due to the pairing with select cheeses/salamis. The cave tour was so interesting, but the wine tasting was even better (okay, of course it was, wine was involved!) It was kind of amazing how a very dry white wine (I’m not a fan), on first taste, transforms into a semi-dry delicious wine when accompanied by a soft goat cheese … or how a red wine taste can change so much with the addition of spicy or fatty salami. Try it yourself!

I thought I was done looking at chateaux, but there was one that was just up the hill from Chateau d’Amboise and kind of on my way back to the apartment. Seemed silly not to go at least check it out.

Ch├óteau of Clos Luc├® is best known as the final home of Leonardo da Vinci before his death in 1519. I forgot to mention that Leonardo is buried at Chateau d’Amboise and that he had an extensive relationship with France’s kings Charles VIII, Louis XII and Francis I. So much history in all of the chateaux in the Loire Valley. I’m not a huge history buff, but the escapades of the French monarchy … Fascinating!

My final stop in Amboise was at Les Arpents, another amazing restaurant with a Bib Gourmand rating, and recommended by the apartment owner. It was less than 50 euro for 3 courses and an amuse bouche and my mouth is literally watering looking back at these pictures.

I’m not much of a dessert person, so this final cheese course was divine!

A couple more food recs from my 5 days in Amboise …

It was pouring on pizza Monday, but that didn’t stop me from indulging in this delicious pie. Via Roma, is right across from the chateau and the ambience was lovely. One thing I noticed more on this trip than my previous visits to France, was how bright the lights were in all the restaurants. There were a few I wanted to say, “turn down those lights!”

There was another restaurant named Paul, also right across from the chateau. Paul, I later found out is a chain restaurant, with outposts in Paris too. It may be a chain, but the food was really good!

Well, that’s it for Amboise! Such a quaint little town with great food choices, beautiful architecture and the perfect place to wander!

You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Adventure/Travel

Travel Thursday … Loire Valley

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(…because I forgot to click “publish” on Wandering Wednesday!)
I boarded the TGV, fast train, at Gare Montparnasse for the 1 1/2 hour ride through the French countryside down to the Loire Valley. I hopped in my rental car and made my way to the first of six stunning chateaux I had planned on visiting on my five day stay in the region. I only made it to four! The amount of pictures I took at each chateaux is ridiculous, so I’ll just show you a few highlights from each. I’ll get to some restaurants and experiences later, but the pictures of all the chateaux is everything you need to understand why so many people flock to this area of France.

First up … Ch├óteau d’Azay-le-Rideau

the cute little village outside the chateau

second stop … Ch├óteau de Villandry with the most amazing gardens

Day Two … The Amboise Sunday Market on the banks of the Loire River and The Royal Ch├óteau of Amboise

They had an interesting fashion exhibit at Amboise, curated by local art students, depicting the clothing inspired by 16th century period fashion.

Day Three … Ch├óteau de Chenonceau my favorite one of all …

the most gorgeous floral arrangements throughout the chateau

… and on to Ch├óteau de Chaumont, with an interesting art exhibit

Day four & five coming on Foodie Friday … stay tuned!

You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!

Adventure/Travel

Wandering Wednesday … 36 hrs in Paris

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I left Barcelona on a quick flight for my two-night stay in Paris, before heading on to the Chateaux of the Loire Valley. Paris is always a good idea and the perfect wandering city. I dropped my bags at the tiny hotel I had chosen, close to Gare Montparnasse to make it easy to catch the train to the Loire. I arrived kind of late in the day, so I took a metro ride over to the Trocadero to catch the Iron Lady light up the night. It was a chilly, drizzly, night and I was too late for the 7pm spectacular, so I tucked into a cozy warm cafe across the street for a hot bowl of gratin├®e ├á l’oignon (French onion soup) and a glass of wine. People watching from a bistro/cafe window is so entertaining while you’re dining.

I stayed for about 45 minutes and then walked across the street for the top-of-the-hour light show. It did not disappoint … and it never gets old. I even love all the people that are taking the same pictures as me, enjoying a shared love of Paris and their gift from Gustav Eiffel.

“A vision, an object, a symbol, the Tower is anything that Man wants it to be, and this is infinite. A sight that is looked at and which looks back, a structure that is useless and yet irreplaceable, a familiar world and a heroic symbol, the witness to a century passing by and a monument that is always new, an inimitable and yet incessantly imitated object… ” Roland Barthes 1964

After the dazzling light show, I headed over to my favorite little cafe, the St. Regis on the Ile St Louis. I went here on my first solo trip back in 2012 and I’ve gone back every time I visit, always at night for a beautiful walk along the Seine, glass of wine and some frites or escargot, before heading back to my place.

For me, no trip to Paris is complete without a walk through the Tuileries. I always bring a book and hope to sit and enjoy this beautiful space in the middle of the city. Yes, there are other great parks, but this one captured my heart the first time I visited. This day was a bit windy and cold, so I didn’t get to sit and read, but I relished in the visual promises of Spring … singing birds, flowers & trees budding … and the beautiful architecture that surrounds you as you walk towards the Louvre.

From here I made my way over to Bd Saint Germain and lunch at Les Deux Magots, another favorite place to sit for awhile. Yes, the places I love are very “Paris” and can be somewhat touristy, but I love the familiarity I have with them and it doesn’t mean I’m not exploring and finding new, exciting places along the way.

From there it was a quick stop at Monoprix (kind of the French equivalent of Target) for a few things and a walk in and around the Rodin Museum, one of my favorites. It’s not huge, has beautiful grounds & gardens, and the building is so enchanting.

I didn’t have a reservation for dinner, so I took some time to just wander back towards my hotel, stopped at Le Bon Marche and then saw a little place that looked promising. The menu looked tasty, they had a 36 euro prix fixe meal (amuse bouche, starter & main), and it had a distinction of Bib Gourmand (side note: If you’re traveling and want a good meal, do a search for the Bib Gourmand places near you. They’re usually pretty darn good, under $49 … so much less expensive than their Michelin star cousins.) The place I found, Bistrotters, lived up to it’s Bib Gourmand status.

Satay Beef Ravioli, dashi, eryngii mushrooms, horseradish
Crispy Pork belly from Paris region confit with cider and fennel, new potatoes, carrots, onions

Well, that was my quick sojourn in Paris! On to the Chateaux of the Loire Valley …

You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!

Books and Daily Affirmations

Motivational Monday … The Dash

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THE DASH by Linda Ellis (written in 1996, but worth repeating)

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
From the beginning…to the end

He noted that first came the date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time
That they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
Know what that little line is worth

For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering this special dash
Might only last a little while

So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash…
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent YOUR dash?

You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!

Adventure/Travel

Wandering Wednesday … I digress

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This was going to be a continuation of my recent trip, highlighting Paris and the Loire Valley, but after watching POTUS travel to Ireland this past week, I decided to do a “Best of Dublin” for those of you that may be traveling there in the coming months.

When Biden said, “I feel like I’m home!” it truly made me homesick for Ireland and I can’t wait to get back later this year. Here are some touristy must do’s, some of my favorites and some from Gina …

Places to stay & see …

  • The Westbury Hotel — upscale hotel recommended by Gina & my daughter’s friend, Monica, who stayed there on her recent visit
  • The Shelbourne Hotel — 5-star luxury hotel — the the visiting dignitaries stay here
  • Epic Museum … voted best museum in Europe (still have to get to this!)
  • Guiness Storehouse … yes, touristy, but can you say you’ve been to Dublin if you don’t go? Great view from the top!
  • Grafton Street … take a stroll down this famous pedestrian street. yeah, again, crowded and touristy, but some things you just have to experience.
  • Trinity College …walk the beautiful grounds and maybe see the Book of Kells
     (I really enjoyed the Long Room more, but part or all of it may be closed due to renovations.)
  • Temple Bar area … another obligatory tourist area, but the Temple Bar or Stags Head are big pubs, have live music & a lovely place to stop for a pint. While you’re in the area take a stroll across the Ha’penny Bridge
  •  Dublin Castle & Chester Beatty Library … and grab a bite to eat or afternoon tea at Silk Road Cafe
  • Wicklow … Take a day trip down to the beautiful Wicklow mountains and have a meal at Kilruddery Grain Store ..cute little shop too
  • Howth (pronounced HOth long O) … take the DART to this beautiful coastal town, have lunch &/or hike along the Howth Cliff Walk. Travel back via the water on Dublin Bay Cruises into Dun Laoghaire (pronounced Dunleery), walk around this cute town and then take the DART back to Dublin.
  • Marsh’s Library first public library in Ireland, open in 18th century.
  • MoLi — Museum of Literature and their charming gardens — or stop for a quiet bite to eat at The Common’s Cafe
  • Parks to rest your weary feet … St. Stephen’s Green or Merrion Square right in the main area or rent a bike and explore the very large Phoenix Park

Restaurants and Pubs …

There are a so many more places to discover and meals to be eaten, but as always, please leave plenty of time for wandering to discover your own special places!

You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!