Quand en France....

One of the goals of this summer in France was to learn and experience French culture first hand. Well this lesson was one step removed from being first hand, but a lesson it was. One of the attractions of Bellac was the public swimming pool. We had been planning to visit it shortly after we arrived to escape the heat, but the weather quickly cooled and beating the heat was not a high priority. But this week the heat arrived back in Bellac as well as Steve's nephew Paul, his wife Sybil and the two girls. They were off to the pool for the afternoon,  

Bellac Piscine

and we were to join them later that afternoon, mainly due to the fact that we can only get five in the car. Steve drove them over to the pool, and waited until they were safely in the water. The lesson we were all about to learn, and it does involve the age old question, Why do so many European men like wearing "speedo" like swim suits?" The fashion faux pas that Paul committed, and paved the knowledge highway for us was that men can not wear anything into the pool that might be considered worn outside the pool, such as the North American hybrid bathing suit/short. Paul was pointed out by the life guard and it was explained that he couldn't wear his shorts into the pool. The pool fortunately or unfortunately had a spare pair of approved maillot de bain for him to change into. This meant a shopping trip for us to buy a pair of the approved maillot de bain for ourselves. The family clothing store did not carry any, and our next stop was the Eco Gem. It is a mini department store. The other part of French culture, or commerce is that Monday is still considered a day off for many, especially here in smaller towns, and the Eco Gem was shuttered, as were our dreams of a cool dip in the pool. On returning home, I did some research into this dress code rule, and found that we are not the first tourists to find that our perfectly good bathing suits were not perfectly good in France. The rules only apply to public swimming pools and not private pools or hotels and resorts.

In actual fact, this is a law harking back to 1903 when longer swimming shorts were banned by the Government and despite this rather tricky subject being raised numerous times in the French Parliament for an update, so far its a firm “non”.

So we thought that maybe that the pool wasn't for us, and unlike wine and brie, it would be a part of French culture that we just weren't ready for, or they weren't ready for us. When we found out that Paul had purchased a book of 10 admissions to the pool, we thought that maybe we would have to live up to the traveler's moto, When In Rome...., so the next day we were off to Eco Gem to hunt down the perfect slip de bain or un boxer, and Eco Gem had both. We thought that we would ease into this fashion, so the boxer was the choice. It reminded me of bathing suits that I had as a kid, but that was a long time ago and a few changes have taken place. The next hurdle to cross was the size. Holding up my first choice, large, to my waist, I thought that there was no way....., and after Steve tried on the xxxl (7)  he found that it was too large. We decided that a xxl (6) would the the size of choice. Thank heavens that they were only €12.50 so it wasn't a big investment to be a real France nageur.  Also the cashier assured us that if it doesn't fit, we could exchange or refund as long as we had the receipt. He was a nice guy, and asked if we wanted him to speak English to us. The whole process of buying a tight fitting, all revealing swim suit was way out of my comfort zone and I was happy to complete the transaction in English. He seem surprised that we would even want to swim in Bellac's pool.

Bellac Piscine

So as our heat wave continues again, it will be off to the pool this afternoon and a chance to go European..... 

For those of you following the comings and goings of the house, we are now over-flowing. Tuesday brought the arrival of Donna and Cindy, forcing the youngest 2 on to air mattresses, and later today, Evelyn and her daughter Olivia arrive, and her air mattress is already inflated and Olivia can have the love seat, (two hours late thanks to a last minute change at the airlines). Saturday brings Thespian (Spin), the cot and then Sunday, the final arrival of Evie and Kevin. They get to toss Paul and Sybil out of the Master Bed room on to either the last remaining air mattress, couches or where ever they can find. I am feeling a bit like Basil Faulty trying to keep this place running smoothly.... If I only had Manuel to help.

Sorry for the formatting inconsistencies but Blogger is not a very intuitive program, and the minute you try to drop in pictures it does strange things to the text. Ce n'est pas de ma faute.

All Is Right With The World (for now)

It feels like a bit of a confession, as it has been over a week since my last blog entry, but life here continues at a nice slow pace. We have gotten into the rhythm of a late breakfast, a tour to a village or two/a walk around our village, a trip to get some groceries for dinner, prepare dinner, after dinner drinks, a walk around the river park just down the street, and then a good book and bed. The preparing dinner is an adventure in itself. We are using a Laden electric stove. We can't read the labels on the function dial of the oven, so not sure if we are baking, broiling or self-cleaning. Even the burners can be a challenge as there is little difference between 1 and 6. A simmer takes on a new dynamic on this stove. On the days we give the stove a break and bring out the bar-b-que leads us back into time. We do not have a propane grill, charcoal, and not even the old briquets that I remember. Here they use burnt pieces of wood as charcoal. They heat up quickly by using the solid lighter cubes, but burn out the same way if your aren't using the special bbq fan to keep the coals burning. The learning curve was steep, but I seemed to have mastered it now, as we have moved from burgers to kebab to sausages. The grocery stores make up great bbq packages full of a variety of meats in one package. We just need to stay away from the tongue and the feet....


It is hard to believe that it is the end of July. Where has the first month of the summer gone. Since returning back to Bellac almost two weeks ago, we have enjoyed visits to various villages throughout the area. It is surprising just how much history and French quaintness there is in the area. We still sit on our deck looking out over the village and can't believe what we see. We have also had the arrival of Sybil and the two girls, Selene and Sari joining Sharon and Dennis,

Dennis, Vern, Celine, Steve and Sybil 

filling up the house. The weather has cooled off and we even have had some needed rain. It hasn't dampened any spirits, and we look forward to the warmer weather forecast this weekend.  Just like a busy hotel, Sharon and Dennis left yesterday for Paris as they head to Paris, to prepare for Evie and Kevin's Parisian arrival on Sunday. Here in Bellac, Paul arrives to reunite the family on Sunday, Donna and Cindy on Tuesday, Evie and Olivia on Thursday, Thespina on Saturday, and finally on next Sunday, Evie and Kevin. I am gaining some insight into the running of a bed and breakfast, along with a tour guide service and laundrette.

With Sharon and Dennis's departure, it occurred to me that you really don't need to sweat the little things, and that life will work out some how. Their travel tale began as they realized that they had not heard from the landlady of their Paris rental apartment with the address and check-in details. She was not responding to their e-mails and there was less than a week before check in. This was a big issue because not only had they paid in full before leaving Canada, they were hosting Evie and Kevin. With an few emails to the web site help desk, and then low and behold an email from the landlady, the all important details were in their hands. All was right with the world. Not only did she come through with the details, she gave them two extra nights at a great rate so they could cancel their hotel that they had booked for the weekend.

Sharon and Steve, view from the church.

Even though the first act concluded happily, the drama continued at the train station. Their local train to Limoges was running late and this made the quick change to the Paris train even shorter. On further questions to the station agent, he explained that the way the tickets were booked as two separate tickets and not a through journey, if they missed their connection in Limoges, the second ticket would not be valid for travel on a later train. So there were some anxious moments waiting for the train and making arrangements to dash to find their connection. We were so relived to hear from them a short while later that the connection was just across the platform in Limoges and they were on their way to Paris. Even later that evening, we got the follow up text to say they were in their apartment and all was still right with the world. Who knows what the third act will bring, but I am sure there will be a happy ending.


Don't forget to check out our pictures at:

France picture file.

Notre Petite Escapade

Well we have returned to Bellac after a four day escapade away. Last Friday we drove up to Chartres not only to visit the cathedral, but to meet up with our friends, Sharon and Dennis. After rolling through the bus lanes at the train station to pick them up, we were off. Its great to travel and even better meeting up with friends to share the adventure. Sharon wanted to walk the labyrinth in the Chartres Cathedral, so that was our goal. In dealing with old buildings such as the cathedral, you always run the chance that they will be under repair, just like the leaky condos back home. Well that was the case for the cathedral. They were nearing the end of a lengthy cleaning and repairing of the stain glass, the walls and the ceilings. This meant the the floor of the nave where the labyrinth is embedded was covered to protect it from the construction. If you are interested in the labyrinth, I have provided a link and a picture.

Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth 

Chartres Labyrinth

After visiting the cathedral, we wandered around the charming town before heading back to our hotel located on the motorway on the outskirts of town. We were lucky there was a seafood chain restaurant right next door, so we enjoyed a lovely dinner with more mussels in one plate than I have ever seen. After a quiet night, we were up and out the next morning heading to the Brittany/Normandy coast for our next adventure at Mt. St. Michel.

I had seen pictures of the abbey on the island mountain, but never really knew much about it. ( as I am writing, the bread truck has honked, and is seeking bread and croissants along our street, just another cute aspect of our village). Getting back to Mt. St. Michel, there are a few hotels on the actual "island" but most of us tourists stay on the mainland. Our Le Pommeray hotel was about 10 km from the parking lot/shuttle station. After parking, you board a shuttle bus to take you across the causeway to the island. If you can time your visits right, you can witness the fastest and largest tide range in Europe. Occasionally on very high tides, the island is totally cut off from the mainland. 

Mt. St. Michel at high tide (not when we visited)

Once on the island, you walk up through the village to the abbey which is precariously perched on the top of the island,  almost defying gravity. It is a testimony to Medieval architecture. The village consists of restaurants, souvenir shops and private museums. The tour takes you right to the top of the abbey, and then you decend down through the magnificent structure. Some of the highlights were the west terrace with incredible views of the coast line and the English Channel, the cloisters, the Visitors' Hall and the Knights' Hall. The large feather sculpture in the Monks' Refectory added a lightness to the hard stone and wood room. It was a mystic place, a cross between an amusement park, and a church.

Feather Sculpture in the Monks' Refectory 

Souviens-Toi, Remember

Today is the change-over day. Our first set of friends, Maureen and Irene, have come and gone to their river cruise, and now we prepare for a weekend away.  Tomorrow, Friday, we meet up with Sharon and Dennis in Chartes to see the cathedral. Then from there we travel to Mont St. Michel and return to Bellac on Monday.

Over the  past few days with Maureen and Irene, we toured our village and then took a day trip out to the Loire Valley to see the Château de Chenonceau. The château dates back to the 1500's, and was the home of Henri III and his wife Catherine de Médicis. It stretches romantically across the River Cher and is considered by many the loveliest of the Loire châteaux. It is surrounded by formal gardens and wooded grounds, this pure Renaissance building was transformed over the centuries from a modest manor into a palace designed solely for pleasure.

Château de Chenonceau

The self-guided tours allows you entry to many of the rooms including the kitchens and the bedrooms. The Grande Galerie, is the ball room that crosses the river, which started its life as a bridge from the original château to the opposite bank of the river and Catherine de Médicis transformed the bridge to this elegant gallery. One of the outbuildings was transformed into a self-service restaurant for a nice late lunch after the tour. The Château also has its own vineyards, wine, farm, maze and donkeys. We had taken the minor roads through the French countryside on the way to the château, but after the tour, we decided to pick the fastest route home from the GPS. The tolls were worth the 130km/hr speed and quick arrival back home. We did stumble upon a Bastille Day celebration in the small village of Bonnes on our drive up to the Loire Valley. We pulled into town to find their public W/C, and found ourselves in the middle of the band warming up. The one remaining parking spot in the community centre was front and centre. We all piled out of the car, past the band and the villagers waiting for the festivities to start and into the W/C seeking relief. After washing our hands, we were back into the car leaving the villagers to their celebrations.

We were treated to an amazing display of fire works on Bastille Day eve. The fireworks were set off from the park just below us. We had the best view in the village as they exploded just at our eye level. No straining our necks to look way up. Almost 30 minutes of Oohs and Awes! A great way to kick off Bastille Day.

After touring the decadent château, we changed gears yesterday to visit the village of Oradour-sur-Glane. Life for the village ended on Saturday, June 10, 1944 when the  soldiers of the Der Führer Regiment of the 2nd Waffen-SS Panzer Division Das Reich, without giving any explanation, killed a total of 642 men, women and children, leaving only a few survivors. They then destroyed the entire village and to this day there is no universally accepted explanation for the massacre. General de Gaulle wanted to preserve the ruins of Oradour, in order to bear witness for the rest of mankind to the consequences of the barbarity of war. It was an eerie feeling walking along the streets with only shells of the buildings and lives left behind after the massacre.

Oradour-sur-Glane

In the memorial, they have on display personal items of the villagers. The most moving were the watches which had the time between 4 and 5 that afternoon when they believed the men were executed. Scattered through the rubble of death were metal items, cars, and sewing machines. Little else survived the fire. We had arrived late in the afternoon, and as we were finishing our tour, we were the last ones left in the village, which intensified the eerie feeling and sense of disbelief that horrors like this can happen. I am sure this is not the only village in Europe that was destroyed by the war, but it was had no military value, and was not a threat to the Germans at the time. It felt strange to leave the village, and head back to life in Bellac for our last meal together at our local pub/cafe.

The lamb burger was even better than the beef burger I had last time, while Steve's pork burger was improved with the caramelized onions which they ran out of last time we were there. Maureen and Irene also enjoyed their lamb burgers. Not very French, but delicious none the less especially since it is all made at the right there in their kitchens. And where else can you enjoy a meal on the banks of a river, looking up at a 13th century church on a hot summer evening.

This morning we were up early for a train station run, and now back home to do laundry and catch up on our pictures and this blog. It is too quiet around here now......but very hot.

Château du Chenonceau

Oradour-sur-Glane

Oradour-sur-Glane

derniers jours de solitude

It is a lovely sunny Sunday morning here in Bellac. The radio has some classical music on, the gentle breeze, while not whispering Louise, is keeping the house cool. It is now the end of our week of solitude. Friends start arriving today, and will keep us company now right through to near the end of August. Over the past few days, we have refined the art of relaxing. We took another hike on Friday starting in a cute village, St. Junien Les Combes. This hike/walk took us through farms and some woodlands. We had a nice break next to un étang, (a pond).

Our étang

Near the end of the hike we passed a château. Not as grand as the ones in the Loire Valley, but a château none the less. The day ended with a delicious dinner sur le patio. We started our shopping trip to the supermarket with one thing in mind, and as we checked out the various departments, dinner plans evolved into something totally different than originally  planned as we discovered new and interesting foods up and down each aisle. We spent more time putting things back. We feasted on pasta with a oil/garlic/pesto sauce and muscles. It was great with the white wine and the view.

Saturday was a day spent here in the village because we had seen signs talking about a spectacle. Well it was not as spectacular as we thought. The international Festival was in its last day, so there were some free performances around the village. We sat in the park by the river watching a crew set up for the evening's performance by a traveling show. It was a nice relaxing day peppered with a few walks around the village, and some reading time on the patio. The park down by the river is a nice shady place to sit or lay out on the grass. The day ended with dinner in the Café le Pont de la Pierre. It is a five minute stroll away, and it is right on the river. Under new ownership, they have a limited menu, 5 different hamburgers and lasagna. I had the Limousin Beef burger while Steve had a pork burger. Both were excellent and we will be going back again. After dinner we made another circuit of the river park, catching a glimpse of the theatre production that we saw being set up.

Theatre in the Park

The full crowd seemed to be enjoying themselves, though we couldn't understand what was going on. It was the end of another great day.

This morning I spent blogging while Steve went off exploring more. He came back empty handed as his favourite boulangerie was closed and the other boulangerie was lined up out the door. He will have to find a new dealer for his new found habit.

Don't forget to check out the updated pictures at our Paris picture file

After a great meal.

Je suis malade.

It was Thursday morning here in France when I started this entry. Great friends, Sharon and Dennis were just 4 hours or so away from Paris. (They have since landed and are enjoying Paris.) We meet up with them next week for a weekend away in Chartes and Mont Saint Michel. Before that I have two friends from work visiting starting on Sunday. Before any of these visits, I need to get over this stomach bug I have caught.  It's not to serious, but just enough to be
to be uncomfortable and .....

Wednesday

Limoges

we ventured into Limoges to check it out before we do a train station pick-up on Sunday. We thought it would be a quick and easy drive. We discovered that Limoges is bigger than we had thought, and missing one sign can change the whole drive. We eventually found the train station to find that we had no change for the parking. In an attempt to find free parking, we drove around the city, and across La Vienne River. Not only did we find a parking space just up from the river, we discovered the Pont Saint-Etiene. Built in the 13th century, it is one of the best preserved in France. Across the bridge is the Medieval section of the city, with the Cathedral Saint Etienne (St. Steven). The construction of the Gothic cathedral began in 1273 and finally finished in 1888 when the nave and the bellower were connected. The central core of the city is near, with many narrow and winding medieval streets now turned into a shopping area. There are many ceramic stores selling the famous Limoges pottery.

As I continue this on Friday morning, where does the time go. We made it out for our second hike yesterday. This time we were equipped with the local hiking map downloaded on our phone, so we did know where we were and where we were going. We have found evidence of some wild creatures on the trails other than horses, we are sure it isn't bears, but we will have to get the app for that some time.... The country side here is rolling hills, fields, and farms will little clusters of homes scattered about.

A beautiful farm house.

We did walk up into the village yesterday afternoon, only to find our supply of croissants sold out... need to get there earlier... there is always tomorrow...

In case you were worried, my stomach issues seem to be on the mend. I am feeling better, but will continue to be careful of what I eat....

With two days left before we start entertaining visitors, we plan a hike around a pretty village we discovered yesterday, a quick dip in the local pool (the temperature is on the rise again for the weekend), some grocery shopping, a trip to the local pub for a burger and a beer (it is Friday after all) and one last concert which is part of the Festival here in Bellac. So a busy couple of days, but I'm sure we will find time to kick back and relax and do nothing, which we do so well.

À bientôt.

Check link below for all photos

Paris2015

Me on the Pont Saint-Etiene

Medieval Street in Limoges

Au jour le jour vive

As we try to beat the heat here on a Monday afternoon, we are listening to CBC 1 Vancouver and hear all about the fires and the smoke in Metro Vancouver. We hope the weather there changes soon, to blow the smoke away. Here, it is hot today, but we have had a few thunder storms over the past few days to keep it cool. Last night it was downright cool. Today we headed out on a hike across some of the hills and valleys of the area. We did this without any idea where we were headed. The countryside is more a farming area than the vineyards of Provence. We past cattle, sheep, goats and horses on our wander. After getting home, we discovered the web site which had maps and details of the hikes. If only we had continued just a bit further, the trail we were on would have turned left and headed back to town, but we didn't know at the time. All was well and we enjoyed our first day out. On return we laid out on the lawn down by the river by the pub (only about 2 minute walk away). Even better back at home where we discovered the lawn chairs and our lower deck. We had lunch outdoors and then a nap in the new lawn chairs. We are quickly learning how to do nothing and do it with style, not that reading is really doing nothing. Looking forward to sharing out beautiful house and village with visitors that start rolling in next weekend. Even our quick run to grocery store took a different route just to learn more about the village. After 3 daily trips to the Carrefour, we are beginning to stock up our pantry. Now that Tuesday is coming, and the village opens up, we hope to use some of the local shops instead of the large grocery store. It is just a nice quiet, slow pace to life here, that you can't help relax. Even when a bus dropping off some special needs adults at the pub was blocking traffic in both directions, we all just waited until they were unloaded and the bus left. No horns or angry words were shared. 

On our hike. The River Vincou

Our lower patio...

To bad the kitchen is one floor up...

Our  big choices are where to walk, when to eat, and red, white or rosé, or beer...... 

As of Tuesday morning we had finally discovered the church that is the major part of our view and the soundscape of the village. The 12th - 15th century church dominates the village. It began its life as Romanesque, but as construction continued through the centuries, it took on the Gothic architecture of the time. It is not a pretty church, but impressive all the same. It houses a treasure chest adored with jewels from the beginnings of the Limoges decorative arts period. The chest is the oldest testimony of the craftsmanship of the Limousin goldsmith enamelers.  It is a copper-gilded-enamelled chest of the 12th century. It is adorned with semi-precious stones and with 14 medallions of inlaid enamel representing Jesus and the four evangelists. The older homes near the church date back to the 15th to17th century. There are parts of the defensive wall still to see, and the city hall also dates back to the 17th century, with two small towers on its corners. 

We also discovered the local train station, the swimming pool complete with water slides, (can't wait to take a dip) and Steve's new favourite patisserie et boulangerie. Since the village in on a hillside, and we are on the opposite hill side, we walk down to the river and then back up to the village. There is on path called the 105 steps, so it is a good way to work off the breads and croissants and wine......

So we are working into the slow paced life of nothing to do...just like we planned. Tomorrow we will get energetic and drive into Limoges to scout it out before we need to meet Maureen and Irene on Sunday midday, as they arrive for a short visit before they take a river cruise. Also we need to take back a toaster to the Carrefour as we found one in the cupboard just before I was about to put in some toast for breakfast. This should be a good use of my French as we try to explain why we need to bring it back. Wish us bonne chance, if not anyone wanting to buy a grille-pain, never been used... only 15€. On the other hand it might come in handy when the population of this house goes from 2 to 11 or even 12 later in August. 

Well now back to.......without even feeling guilty.