Tuesday night already? Must be the Alps!

Hello!  I'm sorry that I totally missed Monday in the blog.  I'll try to make up for it tonight and tell you about both days.

Monday was the first business day of the month, so I spent the morning sending emails, newsletters, etc. for the Norwex business.  We left the apartment around noon and met two of our very favorite people in the world Martin and Patricia Lammert on the nearby Place Pie square.  Beautiful 70 degree day and sunshine that only Provence can deliver!

Jerry had Carbonara

Mine was the plat of the day,  duck breast

We met Martin 3 years ago in Delhi, IA when he attended the graduation from high school of his granddaughter Vicky Agromayer, a foreign exchange student from Madrid at Mac Valley. He and Jerry are the same age and we hit it off immediately.  He lives with his wife Patricia in Vaison la Romaine, a small town just a little N.E. of Avignon and we visited them there last year.  This year they came to us.

After lunch we walked around town a little and went to a beautiful church where they know the parish priest.

I am burning that top when I get home!

Bye bye, Martin and Patricia!

The rest of the day was a wash.  I finished my business, Jerry did laundry, Dee cleaned and packed.  Really nothing.  Jerry and I decided we were not hungry for dinner (I know....can you believe it?) so David and Dee went out alone for a burger and fries.

Tuesday was leaving day.  We packed, we cleaned, we left.  Got a taxi to the TVG station (there are 2 stations in Avignon, the city center one, and the TVG (fast train) one.)  Here Jerry has made a photo montage of  what it's like to travel by train in Europe.

The station

Gare means train station

The departure board, here the departs are blue, the arrivals are green

The ticket.  We are going from Avignon TGV to Lyon Part Dieu(2) (which means there are 2
stations in Avignon, #1 and #2) on TGV #9866
Over to the right:  2nd class, voiture (car) 5, seat 17
at the bottom: price 38.00 Euro

When your train is up, look at this to find out where you should
stand on the platform to get on your train car.  In our case, car#5
So stand by the "T" on the platform

Everything is labeled very easily, even for English speakers

The Relay store:  In every station; Food, magazines, candy, etc.

We are going to platform #4, and there is an elevator and a bathroom nearby

Stamp your ticket in one of these little yellow things before you get on.
We don't know why, no one ever checks them.

Little restaurant where you can get food that isn't
wrapped in plastic

This station has an escalator.  Not all of them do and David
has to carry my "steamer trunk" up for me.

We will wait by the "T" exit to get on the train

Just like any travel, hurry up and wait.  Except on a
train you are responsible for your own luggage.

Now we go upstairs to the platform.  The station is below in almost all TGV stations.

Here we are waiting by the "T" sign to get on car #5

Our ride was great over to Lyon, we went 150+ mph and saw a lot of beautiful countryside. But, the TGV was 5 minutes late so we missed our connection to Annecy.  Not to worry, the train company put us on a bus.

The buses are right outside the train station

When you see all our stuff, I wonder why we have so much.  I

Annecy is in the French Alps just an hour from Geneva Switzerland.

canals all through town!  Its like Amsterdam

We had a kir here right beside the canal

Annecy is just like a fairytale

taking a boat ride tomorrow on Lake Annecy

On my bucket list is to have real Swiss Fondue

and we did!

We ate so much cheese!  Delicious!

Saturday/Sunday with Laurence at Pont du Gard

Saturday was a rainy, cold, miserable day.  Dee and I went to the market in the morning but it was packed because there was a wine tasting there along with free food.  French people are just like Americans when it comes to FREE!

All kinds of Oysters

So we came back then went out again to shop and find some lunch.  We ate but came home because of the rain.  It's no fun window shopping when its raining.  Oh but I did take a picture of the street of Jerry's infamous accident.

Right up on the left where the road bends by the green window grates.

About 7:30 we went to a great restaurant called Fou de fafa (yup, that is spelled right).  It is owned and operated by a british couple and is the #1 rated restaurant in Avignon (out of 300).  We had been here last year, and tried to get in the year before.  It did not disappoint.

The street is all torn up, but it didn't stop people from coming.

We started with an "amuse bouche" of anchovie paste and garlic.  Yum.

Not a very big place.

Amuse bouche

Then first courses:  This is another quiz for Gail and whoever wants to play.

#1 Calimari

#2 Goat cheese in phylo pouch

#3 Pork terrine (cold meatloaf)

Second Course:

#4 - Duck Confit wrapped in Eggplant slices

#5 Sea Bream

Desserts:

#6 Flourless chocolate cake

#7 Best dessert award - Cookie, Carmel sauce, bananas, whipped cream

#8 -Panna Cotte with rhubarb

#9 - Vanilla and Passion fruit sorbet

Part of the charm of this little restaurant is the owner/chef who are a 2 man show.  She is in the front of the house and he in the back cooking.  Antonia and Russell Coughlan.  Darling people and very welcoming.  Thank you again!

Antonia and Russell

This morning we met Laurence at the train station and went to the Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct) which is about 20 miles from Avignon.  Another rainy morning, but we were prepared.  Dee's back was killing her, so she decided to stay at the apartment rather than ride in a little car all day.

Pont du Gard is the remains of a Roman Aqueduct that was constructed in the 1st century AD.  It is amazing!  And huge! 

Roman Graphiti

After the hike across the bridge and to the museum and back we needed lunch so ate at the park's little restaurant.  Surprisingly very good. 

 Then on to Tavel and Lirac to see the vines and taste some wine.

Miles and miles of Wine vines

Hard to believe this kind of soil can produce such beautiful wine. 

At the wine coop, members can fill up their own containers of
the 7 kinds of wine they produce.

Fill it up!

We need this sized wine box.  Those little 3L boxes just ain't doin' it.

Back to the apartment now eating baguette and olive tapanade along with goat cheese.  I know.  Its a dirty job....Au Revoir!