Our Final Day at Pey Au Bruc, Part II

Part 2

Won’t go into details, but that was a bust – as we find out from various stops along the way it’s still a bit early in the “season” for many towns and attractions to be open for tourists – except on weekends. So, after our hour-long trip to sightsee we’re happy to change plans.
So, it’s back to Pey Au Bruc (the house) to enjoy our last full day just doing whatever. As we get closer to the house the sun just gets brighter and brighter. The girls are giddy about getting into the pool as soon as possible and I’m mulling over massive decisions, like when to attack the final prep for the stew. Should we run out at some point and buy a special dessert for our last dinner here….
Once home, the girls are in the pool, David has donned his bathing suit and has taken the plunge (not for me…. an unheated pool!!!!!). Jacqueline insists on helping me in the kitchen with cutting up vegetables for the stew (I wanted to ass some more al dente veggies to those which had been cooked for 3 hours along with the beef). All in all, it’s another wonderful day. Jacqueline and I, in the kitchen with all the windows and doors open. David and the girls, in the pool playing games. No need to guess which game it is, since David’s repeated shouts of “Polo, polo, polo, polo, polo” give us a pretty good clue about what’s up in the water.

After dinner prep, Jacqueline suggests that she and I take a walk, together, to continue on a road which she and David had taken earlier in the day. I was game. So off we went. Stunning views from the gravel lanes curving here and there with 6 foot talk ferns on either side growing wild. It’s not long before we’re at the previous walk’s stopping point. A whole heard of steer come sauntering over to the fence, right across from us….it’s pretty clear to Jacqueline and me that we’re not the only ones who pass by this spot – though we’re guessing that other passersby probably have food, since their reaction to our walking past was pretty Pavlov-like.

After the walk it’s time to assemble the stew and get it into the oven for it’s final 1 hour of “finishing”. I guess it could be the setting and the company, but I’m pretty sure that this is the best stew I’ve ever, ever made. And the wine David bought in Saint Emillion – perfect. Desserts – an assortment of tartlets from the boulanger, picked out by Jacqueline, during a quick run into town. Things are upbeat, considering we are leaving. But, it’s definitely less festive, without Idris.
The girls are all back in the pool, after dinner. Jacqueline and I clean up the kitchen. It’s time to face reality. WE ALL have to head to our rooms to pack.
YUP. It’s time to do the unthinkable: pack our bags for the return home!!!!! Time for bed….

Pictures:

Jacqueline, from our walk, today
Morgan and David get in a final game of ping-pong game
Madeline, poolside
Margaux, taking a break from Marco Polo, before dinner.
Our last dinner at Pey au Bruc

Our Final Day at Pey Au Bruc

Part 1
It’s pretty early on Thursday morning and I’m up early, as is usual. Like many of our mornings here, there is coastal fog swirling around the sky. As most of you are painfully aware from my non-stop rants and raves about the weather, today turned out to be no different. The wet and grey muck hangs overhead for a bit and then, boom, it’s gone and replaced by perfect blue skies and sunshine.
Over these few mornings I’ve developed a little routine: walk outside and head down the driveway to the large wooden gates and unlock them from my reverse duties the night before. I’m guessing that we could have left the gates opened, unlocked and the house, pretty much the same, without any worries. But, it gave me a sense of joy to think that I was closing things up for safe sleeping, each night. My next (daily) task was to grab the car keys and head to the boulangerie (baker) at the center of Vendays-Montalivet to buy fresh bread for the day. Two of the perfect and crusty baguettes were (usually) enough for breakfast and lunch/dinner. By now, the woman who sells them recognizes me and asks something about our vacation, since my visit the day before.
Most days, I then drive back to the house, make myself some really good strong coffee and wait for everyone else to wake up. Today was a “sleep in as late as you want” day (Morgan managed to stay in bed until just after noon). Breakfast talk centers on what to do today. Heading toward the coast to check out an ancient lighthouse seemed to get a mostly unanimous vote.

Here are some random photos from our time in the French Countryside
From one of our great dinners
The gates leading into the property (which I locked nightly)
Just me in, at the front door

Lepplas In Bourdeax, Part II

Part II:
After our city tour, we walked down a street that Idris claims is the worlds’ longest shopping street. We certainly couldn’t think of a longer shopping area, so we won’t argue the point.
Around 4:00pm, David, Morgan and Madeline went to walk up a beautiful old tower near a church. Margaux and I went to a dressmaker recommended by Idris, so that I could get a dress created for me.
Morgan reports that there were 231 steps to the top of the tower, and all tower climbers agreed that the view from the top was spectacular. Afterwards, they entered a cathedral where the girls were shocked by the various paintings of the crucifixion. They were also amazed that various Cardinals were entombed in the cathedral, and later insisted that Margaux and I bear witness.
Communicating with the dressmaker was challenging, and I await a dress that I can only vaguely imagine! Our last stop was a sweet shop that featured edible art; Margaux is shown near shoes and other creations made of chocolate.
I’m not sure if it was the cumulative toll of lots of walking, or whether David and I wore the wrong shoes this day, but we all felt “walked out” by the end of the afternoon.
We reunited with Idris and visited her apartment so that we could bring back two suitcases for her when we return home. This will make it much easier for her when she completes her Fulbright work in a few days and goes back to California. We are excited that Idris will attend UC Irvine’s medical school in a few months!
After one more dinner feast, we parted ways with Idris, exchanging her for two overstuffed bags, and found out way back to our house with the competent assistance of TomTom.
Photos: Bordeaux 5-9

Lepplas In Bourdeax

Here's the official second posting of that day - from the Leppla family day in Bordeaux, broken into two posts.

Part I:
Idris educated us about Bordeaux’s history on the drive there. Interesting to learn that Paris requires building owners to pay for the exterior cleaning of their buildings once each twenty years, while Bordeaux has no such policy. This explains, in part, why Paris is such a gleaming beauty, while Bordeaux has much more visible grit. Bordeaux is undergoing some deferred maintenance, and has many beautiful buildings standing next to others that are awaiting their turn for cosmetic improvements.
We arrived in Bordeaux around lunch time and received an orientation from Idris along with recommendations on things we should do and see that day. After a delicious lunch of sandwiches in a courtyard, Idris went to a meeting and we set out to explore.
Two out of three girls enjoyed a carousel ride on a beautiful double-decker mery go round. Following Idris’ recommendations, we caught a completely touristy “train” ride that drove us all over the city and described many points of historic interest. There is no way we could have seen all that we did had we attempted to navigate the city on our own. It is one thing to hear that Bordeaux is an “ancient” city, and another to look at buildings and ruins that pre-date Christ. Henceforth, we have decided to embrace touristy things.
Photos show a tiny sampling of Bordeaux’s remarkable architecture.
Photos: Bordeaux 1-4

Madeline's post.....maybe later

As it turns out - by the time dinner and all was done, Madeline was too pooped to post....so we'll hold off on this one, for now.

Two Posts.....same day....

Dan here....and it's Wednesday morning....I've got to admit that I'm (actually) really tired and welcome the chance to just kick back and rest. Bordeaux, the city, is on the map for today, because Idris needs to meet with her professor today. So, I make the big decision to stay back at the house, while David, Jacqueline, Idris and the girls head out for the one and one-half hour drive.

In spite of being pooped and wanting to kick back - I know that there will still be a lot to do today - a bunch of laundry needs to be hung on the line, I should probably throw some stuff into the washing machine (and out on the line to dry)....and so forth.

Not a lot to say about my day, other than it was great to just kick it....in between loads of laundry and making the first part of tomorrow night's beef stew. Oh, and I took a ton of pictures of the house....here, I've dropped in a bunch of random shots from out and about around the house....

Once again, the weather was awesome.....had a glass of rose wine with my omelette, for dinner....The Lepplas rolled in, pretty late....around 10:30pm.....I'll let them report on their day.
But first here's Madeline to do some blogging.....

The Tapestry....

Early, on this morning, having accumulated all the necessary Euros, David announces that it "was time". So, Idris handles the phone call to the couple from the open air Market, on Sunday, and we arrange a time to meet - near the post office in our little village. There, we'll "make the exchange" --- Euros from every ATM machine that would dispense it to us FOR a beautiful tapestry, made in Flandres, France - known for its long history of creating the most sought after thread and fabric creations, on earth. I went along, just to interpret. Jacqueline and David were quite psyched when the meeting took place. You've got to admit - it's pretty amazing (see for yourself).

Tuesday Separation Anxieties...

Tapestry safely stowed at the house, plans for the rest of the day were not quite as firm. We knew that Saint Emillion was a "must see" during the trip, so that's what was decided. But, with the incredible weather we've been having and the non stop going and fun, the girls asked if they could stay "home" with their cousin Idris. My stomach turned ---- how could we possibly leave the girls behind? David and Jacqueline were not so worried....so, the three of us piled into the car and headed out, leaving Morgan, Margaux, and Madeline to spend time with their incredible cousin, Idris.

Weather was iffy as we moved south and inland from the house. David asked for us to indulge him, with a slight (very slight) detour to see if we could visit and score one of his other favorite wines: Chateau Pontesac. We'd tried looking their site up, on line, but had no luck with a specific location nor an actual "Chateau" to call to visit. Just a town. So, we drove through the beautiful Medoc region of Bordeaux - truly exquisite - vineyards everywhere, with nothing but elegant "Chateau" (houses) set back, often behind very grand gates. Very "unflashy" when compared to Napa and Sonoma. Low and behold, we find the town of Ordonnac, where we believe the vineyards to be located. Down one small road and up another until, at last, we discover a sign indicating "Chateau Potensac". We take it upon ourselves to head up the gravel driveway and enter the very understated building sporting a very understated sign with, simply, Chateau Potensac incsribed above the doorway. Once inside we found five bottles of the wine, just sitting there all alone, with a side door open, into the barrel room. I found workers who were "topping off" the barrels and who informed us that they had neither tastings nor retail sales at the site.

I felt bad for David - since he really was hoping to score a taste and a purchase. Once back in the car, David said "I'm so happy....thanks for indulging me.....now I know where it comes from". Smiles all around and off we head, onto Saint Emillion, as the weather turns from cloudy to rain. A perfect weather change, for a perfect day with grown ups, only!!!!

Our very trusty "TomTom" GPS gets us to the outskirts of the town - which are unlike anything we've seen, so far. Tiled roofs, esclusively, top every building in this hillside town. As we wind up the hill, to park, the rain lets up, and it's just incredible shades of blue, white and grey everywhere.... Once parked, we set off, on foot, to explore.

First priority - lunch. Man, I'm lovin' this trip. As we look for a cafe to have some lunch David scoots into a wine shop - he wants to be sure we have a great bottle of red wine for our beef stew dinner. In case I didn't mention it: Man I'm lovin' this trip. The guys in the wine shop suggest a great little place for lunch: Chai Pascal. We each ordered the soup of the day - an incredible puree of vegetable. Jacqueline opts for a butter lettuce salad for her entree. It had large pieces of buttery/tender pork which have been sauteed at a very high heat and deglazed with wine vinegar - tossed, warm, with the lettuce. David has the duck confit, and for myself, I am scoped out something that a guy was eating at the bar, which didn't appear on the menu. It was yesterday's special, according to the waiter. A veal stew. SOLD. And boy, was I happy that I was eating French Cafe "leftovers". An incredible broth studded with tiny mushrooms and carrots with "melt in your mouth" morsels of veal. Perfect.

Happily, we head out on foot to walk up and down the narrow streets of this incredible ancient village. Then, we head home....separation pangs are hitting us all, as we get into the car to head back "home" and to the girls.....each of us assuaging our guilt with "God, this was another perfect day" comments. As we neared the house the weather turned glorious - sunshine, sunshine, and more sunshine. We knew the girls had also had a great day - they have been in the pool everyday....and, we guessed, today was no exception; it was not. But, they had also been busy with some cooking projects headed up by Iris.

Fresh Atlantic Salmon, grilled by David on this rustic chimney-ed BBQ for dinner. I made a chive butter to go with the fish. Plus, we had mini-mini bow-tie pasta and brocolli. Topped off with some great champagne and, for dessert, the fresh apple tart, made by the girls.

I know this is sounding hard to believe - but it is all true. And, it has all happened just as I've described it. Some activities planned way in advance (Chateau Margaux accepts a very, very, very limited number of visitors each week for tours) and others - spur of the moment. Even the cooking (and, of course, the eating and sipping) has been out of this world!!!!!

Time for bed.....

After our visit to Chateau Margaux....

Continued by Margaux: We finished the tour at around noon and went to the Margaux chocolatier and got chocolates and tasted chocolates, that place as uncle Dan would put it was "trippy." After the awesome chocolate experience, we went to lunch in a little town nearby and ordered 3 huge pizzas which were all demolished. One reason being that Morgan ate 7 pieces of pizza, but we all had enough to eat, and then got gelato and started the drive home.

Thanks to Margaux for the great post....Dan here now:

So when we land back at Pey Au Bruc, I get things going with the lamb. It was a delicious dinner - complete with homemade brownies for dessert. Oh, and, of course: great wines!!!!! We decided to make things easy with the brownies - and buy a box mix. You gotta love the way things work in France....the two packages of brownie mix we bought called for eggs and, between the two packages - almost two pounds of BUTTER. Yup, they were very, very, very good.

If It's Monday it Must be Margaux...Chateau Margaux, That Is!!!

Probably the most anticipated day of the trip is today, Monday. Chateau Margaux is considered by pretty much everyone who loves wine to be at the top of the list when it comes to fine wines - many vintages sell for upwards of a thousand dollars a bottle. Throughout her life, Margaux has had to contend with Americans who don't know how to pronounce her name. The poor girl has watched her sisters locate personalized items in gift shops on many occasions, while she has never found a key chain or anything else with her name on it. Yes, she was named after the wine. Not a far-fetched notion when you consider names like Moonbeam or Scooter......especially when I think back on David and Jacqueline's life and their love of all things delicious. A dog named Pesto (yup) and a cat named Tanquerey have all been "members" of their family, over the years. And hey, let's face it, Margaux is a pretty and spectacular name.

At the top of our list, when we were planning activities for the trip, was a visit to Chateau Margaux. Finally, Margaux would have her day. Here's Margaux:

When we were driving up to Chateau Margaux, we passed through the small town of Margaux, and it was awesome because there was a chocolatier named Margaux, a spa and golfcourse named Margaux, and when we got to the actual Chateau it was amazing, my name was everywhere inside!!!!!! After parking the car, we went inside to the office where almost everywhere you looked the was a picture of Chateau Margaux or the wine's label. When we were taking the tour, we got to go into the cellars where on every handmade new oak barrel was the Chateau Margaux logo with the year that the wine was made on it. The even more amazing thing is that the room we were in held 1,000 barrels which is about 300,000 bottles of wine.

Sunday Market

Everyone sleeps in. We've been going non-stop.....having a great time, but this morning was a big giant WHEW!!!! Weather is (still) perfect as we get going nice and slowly!!!!! Breakfast of eggs, croissants (I stole the van and drove the quick 5 minutes to the center of our village, Vendays-Montalivet. Blink, and you miss it....one bakery, a little "epicerie" -a civilized version of a 7-eleven/corner grocery, with produce out front - and TWO HAIR SALONS. Once back at the house and breakfast is over, we take note of the warning by our proprieter, Jane Butler, that the outdoor market, two villages away (Motalivet les Bain....by the water), closes at 2pm....many stalls start finishing up just after 12 noon.

So, off we go. No luggage in our very comfortable 7 passenger van. Within 20 minutes we are there, parked and heading for the grouping of sellers at the market. Produce, clothing, lots of food, and a tapestry vendor. The husband and wife who run the tapestry stall are, in fact, the first stop we make. David and Jacqueline immediately have their eyes on one very special hanging. Jacqueline's sister, Mary, a very talented decorator in Washington State, has urged David and Jacqueline that this very empty wall in their (Reno, Nevada) master bedroom is crying out for something "with texture". BINGO, this is IT. I urge them to walk the rest of the market and contemplate it OR see if they find something equally ideal for that key spot in the bedroom from, maybe, another vendor.

The market is pretty crowded and, as always, David and I have one thing on our minds: "what to make for dinner". David has always been a partner in crime when it comes to food and cooking. When we shared an apartment in Berkeley (way, way, way back in 1980....almost 30 years ago) there was never a shortage of good foods. By that time, David had already begun what was to become a lifetime passion for wine. When Jacqueline would come over for dinner we would really FEAST OUT!

So, divide and conquer it was. Idris, Jacqueline, Morgan, Margaux and Madeline headed out into the stalls looking for clothes and other goodies. David and I hit the food stalls. On the spot, he and I planned the week's menus. Something equally as easy as last night's ravioli for dinner tonight. We scored a leg of lamb at a "butcher", some cheese, and then bought two very large rotisserie chickens from a rolling roasted chicken stall. The line for the roasted chickens (many people were eating them on the spot - at adjacent tables, with the freshly cooked french fries) was huge - - - always a good sign.

The girls scored lots of cool stuff for themselves, David and I scored stuff for dinners, so now it was time to decide about the hanging tapestry. Back to the stall, David and Jacqueline had lots of help from Idris (her French is "super", as the French love to say) negotiating with the husband and wife for the beautiful hanging. After agreeing on a good price one problem presented itself....the couple only takes cash - as you'd expect from this kind of a market. So, after exchanging phone numbers and the promise to rendezvous later in the week with EUROS we mapped out a plan to acquire the money. It was going to take David, Jacqueline, and I pulling the maximum amount of cash allowed, each day, from whatever ATM machines we passed. I didn't think it would happen - but I do know David and Jacqueline: when they set out to do something....THEY DO IT.

Home for dinner of roasted chicken, more great wine, and a homemade fresh cherry clafoutis - suggested AND cooked by Idris and girls.

Pictures:

Negotiating for the tapestry - that's Idris on the right!!!!
Truly incredible fresh cherry clafoutis - thanks Idris and the girls.

Come Saturday Morning

Before I get into the day, let me back up to last night. Just to be safe, Jacqueline, Magaux, and I (this is Dan writing, now) took the few minutes walk over to the Gare Montparnasse - the train station, where our fast train departs. We wanted to scope it out and, if possible, get printed tickets/seat assignments. The offices were closed, by the time we got to the station: 10pm. So, we headed back to the hotel and hit the sack.

Got up the next morning and decided, since David was in the middle of a losing battle with a cold, that David and Margaux (since she walked with us the night before) would taxi with all our luggage to the station and the rest of us would head over on foot. It's about a 5 minute walk - but we figured this would make it easier on everyone. Or so we thought....

The immense size of the station had been hidden from us, when we made our late night visit, in the dark. So, you might see where this is going. Jacqueline arranges for the tickets and we wait and wait and wait....for David and Margaux to arrive by taxi. Turns out there are several entrances to the station - on various levels. So, we missed our train. After criss crossing the station 4 or 5 times I finally took Jacqueline's advice and walked up to uniformed security guards and explained, in French, that we were looking for a man and a young girl with PILES OF LUGGAGE. I figured this was a total shot in the dark. The guards nodded and said they knew of a man with a Berkeley sweatshirt and a young girl with piles of luggage. They escorted (it seemed like miles) to where they had been waiting (for over an hour) and we were all relieved. So, we gathered ourselves, re booked the tickets and were on our way.

The fast train is incredible and we were thrilled to be reunited, on the train and heading for the Bordeaux station. 3 hours later we pulled into Bordeaux, where we were to get the rental car and drive the 1 1/2 hours to the house: Pey Au Bruc. Things went pretty smoothly getting off the train and to the Avis rental building, adjacent to the station where our newest addition was waiting. Screams of joy ensued as we met up with Idris, David's niece. She's a beautiful and brilliant young woman who is a Fulbright Scholar in Bordeaux. Joining us at this point in the trip was a great shot in the arm for our next adventures.

Idris, Jacqueline and the girls stayed outside with the luggage, while David and I waited in line (for almost 1 hour....as the two other customers, in front of us, went into deep negotiations with the counter agent for Avis)....we were tired, hot, and there was NO AIR CONDITIONING in the rental car building. Finally, success. Then we were handed a map to walk the three blocks to the garage where the actual van was located....leaving the group behind with the luggage - promising we'd be right back. After seeing our car ready and waiting, we had to negotiate, once again, with the garage agent, for a car that would actually seat 7 people WITH A LITTLE ROOM FOR LUGGAGE. We knew that it was going to be a tight squeeze, but the 1 1/2 hour drive, after loading everyone into the van with suitcases on laps and legs bent up and over to fit in, was something we will never forget. Thankfully, David suggested that we rent the optional "TomTom" GPS for the car....saved our life....and got us, directly to the house.

A run to the grocery store for provisions and we were home to make dinner (ravioli, ice cream and sorbet for dessert and, of course, great wine). The girls swam until it was time to eat. Finally, we are here - and loving it.

Pictures Posted:

1. Idris, our welcome new addition.
2. Pey Au Bruc, the house.....a little slice of heaven (pool's on the far right)
3. Girls in the pool before dinner

A NOTE ABOUT COMMENTING ON OUR POSTS

MY APOLOGIES.....to everyone who has been reading the blog and trying to comment on the posts....Jacqueline and myself have heard from a number of you that you can't do it - even after going through the hassles of registering and so forth. Sorry for the hassles with all that. Sorry to say that I have no idea what to do to make it easier OR EVEN POSSIBLE!!!! For now, how about just reading our posts and then popping us an email to our own accounts for comments and feedback???? I'm sure it has something to do with my blog settings...but going in and trying to make changes to that now concerns me - remember I'm not that tech savvy.....so wouldn't want to screw things up with the blog at this point....I'm just so amazed it's worked out as well as it has, this far. Thanks to all for reading and following. Please enjoy - because we sure are having a great, great time. Even though this post is far from interesting - can't miss a chance to add some pictures.

Margaux has this incredible talent for photography. Able to capture unique things along the way...and with great visuals....here's one from the Paris metro, last week.

David, of course, has been the ROCK on this trip...and not very well represented in our many pictures. Here he his, taking a rare break, in Pars. That's Morgan in the background, explaining to us all about the types of columns surround us in the square, where the picture was taken - she sure knows her dorics from her ionics....

And Now....some words from Jacqueline.....

Friday, May 22, 2009. This morning we had to change hotels, because we had originally booked the Hotel Muget for two nights, with plans to travel to Bordeaux today. The house in Bordeaux is typically rented from Sat – Sat, and the owner could not guarantee us occupancy from Fri – Fri until we got very close to our travel dates. With the uncertainty about being able to get into the Bordeaux house, we decided to spend an extra day/night in Paris. We were unable to extend our stay at the Hotel Muget, and ended up selecting a hotel nearer to the train station where we will catch the very fast train going to Bordeaux.
We took a taxi to our new hotel in the morning, and the Lepplas ventured out for a completely touristy but really nice boat ride up and down the Seine afterwards. Dan scoped out our new neighborhood and enjoyed some quiet time.
Madeline had come down with a nasty cold on Sunday before our trip, Morgan caught the bug by Tuesday, and David was bitten with it by Thursday night. Still, he powered through, and we took the Metro like pros to the Invalides stop (ironically named.) The view of the city was beautiful from the water, and it was a gorgeous day. We saw Notre Dame from the boat, and had walked by it the day before, and planned to visit it after the boat ride. David wasn’t feeling well enough to slog through Notre Dame, and we decided to stay together and return to the area of our hotel, rather than separate.
Once we got back to our hotel, Dan was ready to go shopping with Margaux and me. David, Morgan and Madeline got some rest. We walked to a huge department store that was about 10 minutes away from our hotel. Margaux had injured her ankle in Softball prior to our trip and needed some shoes that would better accommodate her ankle brace.
We found the women’s shoe department in the Galleries Lafayette. After some time, a saleswoman asked us in English if we would like to try on any shoes. Margaux had located a pair that were of interest and showed them to the saleswoman. She explained that she only helped customers with selected shoe brands, and that we would have to get help from the heavily pierced man who was standing 10 feet away. Had we been interested in more than one brand, it might have been necessary to get the assistance of several salespeople!
We asked the next salesperson for assistance, and after experimenting to identify the correct European shoe size, Margaux selected a pair of shoes. Dan then asked the man about the “system” for making a purchase. I thought that was a very odd question, but being unable to communicate in French, I waited helplessly for the salesperson’s reply. Dan translated:
First. The salesperson will create a hand-written “ticket” describing the shoes and listing their price.
Second. We are free to continue shopping throughout the various departments, and we should ask other salespeople to create additional tickets for anything else we want to purchase.
Third. When we have found everything we want to buy, we go to a central cashier and pay for all of our items.
Fourth. We return to every department where we were before, and show the salespeople that we have paid for our items, at which point, they will give us our purchases. So simple and straightforward!
This process significantly dampened our enthusiasm for much additional shopping, so after some half-hearted exploration, we paid for the shoes and left.
We stumbled through an outdoor market, sort of a very cool flea market, and Dan insisted that we avoid lingering because he was certain that he would not be able to resist all the temptations there.
Later that evening, with everyone feeling much better, we enjoyed yet another outstanding meal in Paris, at Nuxis. The chef/owner Thierry Curiale could not have been more accommodating! For starters, David asked whether or not they had gin and tonics available. After some searching, they found a bottle of gin. Tonic? Not initially available. David asked if it would be alright if he went out to buy some tonic. The chef insisted on going to get the tonic himself!
The meal began with an amuse bouche of carrot soup, served in tiny mason jars. It was so delicious that Morgan vowed that if she ever has children, she will name her first child after Nuxis.
Won’t bore with a play by play of each course, but we enjoyed every element of our meal. We enticed the chef to pose with us for a happy photo near the end.
Photos with this post:

1. Beautiful pillar with sculpture near the Seine.
2. Notre Dame from the water
3. Margaux on the Metro as we returned from the boat ride
4. All of us at Nuxis.

Musee D'Orsay....photos continued

4. We are all shown happily seated at our table, beginning our Champagne.
5. Our waiter, Vincent, was a native Parisian who was extremely gracious.
6. Margaux's special dessert from the staff at the Musee D'Orsay museum restaurant.....the French version of lemon meringue pie....