Napoleon's Last Stand and the Netherlands

 So, here we are again, this time from beautiful Amsterdam (but more on that later),

I am told I have to start this blog with filler that I missed from the last one: our accommodations.  First, we had a little trouble finding it.  Booking.com called it "Originales Boutiques" which turned out to be the chain name (makes sense if you know it) and then Google maps had it on the wrong side of the street (alley/) that it was on, and then the entry into the courtyard/parking lot through the wall was one car wide.  Barely.  Initially, I pulled over on the wrong side of the road to figure it out, then backed up enough to get through the opening (on the second backup ):) and then there were no parking places.  RR went in and came out with a guy who said "sorry, but some people we weren't expecting to stayed another night and 🤷". We unloaded in the courtyard and I went and found a place two blocks away.  

It was commented that this was the most modern place we stayed.  Our rooms, though, were upstairs, but only "on the first floor" as the desk person told us.  Uh huh.  The stairs, carpeted in a modernesque pattern that I think was a take on leopard skin, were both narrow and twisty.  Lugging our heavy, too large bags up was a serious challenge.  We were all winded when we got to the top. 

Then the room.  New, nice, with some decorative touches, but it was in the attic, aka the roof slanted!!!  As in, there weren't a lot of places where I could stand straight up.  Sunday morning I hit my head 3 times BEFORE breakfast!!! 😡😡😡. We loved the place, it was convenient right in the middle of town, but it was brutal in several different ways.

[Funny side story: when we were trying to find a spot, RR said "look at that Mercedes, they can't get out"; we speculated that the car in front of it must be someone who wasn't staying or someone they knew.  At breakfast Sunday a guy came around showing a picture of the Volvo that was blocking in it -- he was the owner of the Mercedes! 😂😂😂. When we left, having pulled in and packed up, they were still standing in the parking lot trying to figure out what to do.  It's like RR's second bag from Rennes -- we don't know how this story ended but it didn't look good :))

We left Saint Quentin after breakfast and stopped at Waterloo battlefield.  This one I wanted to see. I had no idea there was this huge monument to the Dutch prince who was wounded there.  Here's my pic of it; RR went up, admirably -- he can't let a challenge get him down 😂

226 steps, it said. 

We walked a long way to a place called Hougomoun (sp?), which was the farm that set the western edge of the British line.  It was worth the walk, as there's a burnt out chapel from that day, the buildings, and the gates they fought so desperately for.  Wellington claimed it was the north gate at Hougomoun that assured their victory -- supposedly 10 Scots and English soldiers stopped 60 French who had broken through momentarily.  

20,000 men died at Waterloo (acc to the various pieces on the grounds), yet not a single gravesite!  Having come from the two previous days, we were amazed. 

And then we were off to Brussels, which isn't far away (Wellington was protecting the city by taking a stand at Waterloo, so they say).  

Now the adventure begins.  We got to the Warwick hotel, which is in the center of town, "not far from the train station" and I drop RR and K there with the luggage and I go to take the car back to the train station, where I'm supposed to return it by 2.  It's 1:45ish.  The concierge helps with the luggage and says it's a 15 minute drive but 3 minutes on the train back if you "uh...and...errr...and...uh". kind of like the parental blah blah blah in Charlie Brown cartoons :).  

Yes, Google maps says 15 minutes, with a mean read set of numbers.  I maneuver here, there, and, at one painful point, GM wants me to be in the right lane to make a left, which I can't get to, as three lanes of traffic merge into 3 lanes of traffic WITHOUT a TRAFFIC LIGHT!!!  Insanity.  And everyone is in the wrong lane!!!  Eventually I get through it and end up turning into the road to the train station and...no signs!  Nothing about car rental return.  GM wants me to go left right in front of the station, I can see the desks through the glass, but I don't understand and end up doing a five minute circle around.  The second time through I see that there is a sign for Hertz et al on the wall to the underground parking garage, on the wall going down. I am able to dive left, take a ticket I hope I don't have to use, and end up on -4, where the Hertz sign has directed me.  There are numbered slots with Hertz signs on them.  Not a soul in sight!  I pull into the Sixt area next to it, where a bunch of guys are standing around, seemingly waiting for returns and he tells me to park it and take the keys up to the desk.  I do.  But there's no one at the desk and I end up, reluctantly, leaving them in the off hours dropbox.  

Whew!  

But it gets better (or worse).  I come out looking for a taxi, having been unable on GM to recreate the guy's "just get on a train and 3 minutes to here" 🤷. There are guys standing next to taxis, so I ask for one (shouldn't they be asking me?!?!?) and am told these are airport shuttles and I need to go "50 yards on that side of the road and there'll be some".   I really want to buy property, or time, from these clowns in Brussels. 😡  When I get to the taxi rank, I look back and say that it's a very long par 3, or maybe a short par 4, back to where I was (at least 250 yards)...but anyway.

Then there are no taxis standing there.  There are taxis standing in the two lanes outside the row, not moving in a horrific jam, but nothing where a bunch of people are waiting for cabs.  They didn't know how to queue because when the road cleared enough so that taxis filled the rank, it was the Old West, with one couple arguing over whether they were getting a taxi, and another acting like they didn't know what to do.  I went to get in the one I thought was my turn, to be told that the one ahead wasn't taking anyone and I had to go one back.  I did.  He was a shit show!!!! He first was texting, with both hands!!! and then he got on the phone talking.  We barely moved for 10 minutes, then finally broke out.  It was a 30 euro trip!!!! 😡😡

Meanwhile, I was told RR and K were in the bar, quaffing adult beverages, having stowed out luggage because they couldn't check in till 3 o'clock.  😡 

When we checked in, we were all in love with the room.  The largest on the trip, with no slanted ceiling, and K noted actual light that she could see by.  They also had NFL football on TV, since, for reasons I can't explain, they had London TV stations on the TV. 🤷

We were going to do the hop on/hop off bus, but it was too late by the time I fumbled the directions and we had an ice cream (not my suggestion, though I didn't refuse) and then ended up in the Grand Place, just so RR could see things.  If you've not seen it, it really is Grand.  

We went back to the hotel, cleaned up, and were off to dinner. 

We found an Italian place a block around the corner from the hotel, amongst a lot of other options.  We hadn't had italian yet, so...

RR's seafood risotto (he's discovered risotto on this trip and liked it -- note to his kids :))

K's saltimbucca.  If you like that sort of thing.  

I had this chocolate thing with a vanilla ice cream center (no, you can't get enough ice cream :)

Today. 

We had the buffet breakfast at the Warwick, which was the bomb.  They had pretty much everything.  We left sated. 

Then we drug our luggage (we have too much luggage for a bunch of olds to be doing this much lugging) to the train station that was actually nearby -- the concierge wouldn't let us get a taxi because he said "it is just over there, by the red sign".  I asked RR as we walked away if he saw the aforementioned red sign and he said "no." 😂

It really wasn't far, though the cobblestones made for poor wheeling, and we got there only to stand inside the front door and wonder where the lockers were.  I took us downstairs because I thought that was right, and, after much hunting and deciphering signs, we found it.  Then it turned out you needed to scan a QR and use an app to lock it.  Little did we know that it would tell you which one, not you tell it, and we had our stuff loaded in a XXL already and had to move it.  Finally, all was stowed.  We decided to hit the bathroom and it cost money and took apple pay, or a card.  We got in and...RR wondered at this advance. :)

To the hop on and off bus, which we had no plan on getting off, which was just around the corner, maybe 3 minutes away.  I bought tickets from the driver right after he arrived, and then we sat waiting to move for 10 minutes.  I was about to lose it.  I have travel fatigue, I guess, and my patience for shit is all gone.  I took some deep breaths, wondered how we were still sitting at 1010 on the 955 bus...and then we took off and it was ok.  

Brussels is a beautiful city.  K got this one pic that really captures it --

We got off the bus, went back to the train station, and got on the train to Rotterdam. 

Got off the train to Rotterdam and changed platforms and got on a "sprinter" (misnomer) train to Amsterdam Central.  

We get to the taxi rank there, the airbnb person has said it's an 8 minute walk, and the driver won't take us because it is too close.  He says there's a base 30 euro charge if he moves with us.  We decide to walk.  It took us 10 minutes.  But GM took us the long way, we think, though I also think there are a lot of steps going the short way.  With our luggage 🤦

This place is a "ground floor" -- i.e. in this case, basement -- flat.  It is the weirdest setup ever.  There are two bedrooms and two baths.  You come into the living room off the street (there's an awkward step about two steps inside the door) and then down a corridor to the first bedroom.  On your left in the bedroom is a bath, and then the "kitchen", a kettle, Nespresso (the nth one on the trip), a small fridge (there be no cooking here, not that anybody has cooked on this trip) then the door to the second bedroom!!! Yes, the second bedroom is off the first!  and the second bathroom -- off the first bedroom on the back wall.  So, it has two baths that are "en suite."  I think we'll live for 3 nights, esp as we're now closer than relatives AND we're all tired at the end of the day, but it's seriously awkward. 

While K and I tried to buy a new refrigerator (ours seems to have quit in our absence), RR wondered off for scenery and beverages.  We found him on the nearby canal, loving all the boats.  He said all he needed was boats and beer. :)  

I was hungry so we had these for a snack:

It does seem to be a beautiful city, as we walked a little bit today. 

The downside: lots of bikers.  Lots and lots of bikers.  K is now worried again about the biker bounty on her head 😂 and I had a guy come so close as I went to cross the street for dinner that I smelt his cologne 🤯 

We had dinner.  We stumbled onto another good place, not two blocks from our flat.  It had a limited menu so we agreed to get the rib roast for 2 for dinner and split it 3 ways.  When we told the waitress, she said it was "only 600 grams" of meat.  We said we'd be okay.  You tell me what you think:

We 3 barely got it all down. 

But we had less trouble with dessert -- 

Chocolate mousee, with whipped cream. It was very chocolatey. 

And with that, I call it a day. 

My next one, sadly, will probably be the last of the trip.  🥲Full of Amsterdam stuff.  Hope you've enjoyed. 

Welterusten!

Cemeteries, very, very fragile cars and more food porn

 Hey, all,

It's been quite a last two days, with "3" stops each day and several good meals and some weird stuff (strangers in a strange land and all). 

This is the American Cemetery at Normandy.  If you watch the news regularly, you will have seen ceremonies from here.  It is quite the thing.  Very moving to see all those graves and think of all those young men who died. ):  

But before we went there, we had breakfast in Bayeux (read the last blog) at a place called Selma Alabama's.  It wasn't even a block from our conveniently situated hotel.  Here's the highlight --

Somewhere under there is RR's French toast.  He said he'd never had that much whipped cream in his life. 😂

Then I wanted to see the cathedral there, which used to house the tapestry.  It was built by Odo (that's right,  O-d-o), who was William the Conqueror's half-brother and the bishop of Bayeux.  He commissioned the tapestry.   His cathedral ain't half bad, either. 

It is an amazing example of Romanesque architecture, started in 1076, so it's kinda old.  We struggled to get in (it didn't open till...well, Google said 9, a sign on the door said 10, but people were coming out...🤷

And, then, off to the cemetery.  

It was the first time we dealt with crowds -- there were busses and lots of cars in the car park.  I guess it shows you what being the best known site on the coast will do for you.  And it has one great scenic lookout spot.

You think you know how far it is, then people appeared on the beach who looked more like ants.  It's a loooonnng way up there.  About two long par 5's :)

After some discussion, we decided to head for Giverny, where we were staying last night and the home of Monet's garden.  

On the way, I let RR drive.  Which became a thing. 

First, you should know for the second day in a row, the car showed a low tire in the morning.  We filled the offending tire (right rear) at a rest area and, as RR drove, I looked up the MG ZS to see what one would cost in the states and found out you can't get one there!  And the Reddit that showed up called the car a disgrace to the famous brand, Chinese shite (are they made in China?), and said we were lucky to not have them on our road as they have a reputation for being "very, very fragile."  😗

After I awoke from my nap, the car started making a noise.  A warning ding! and a yellow idiot light came on.  We were the idiots.  Is it oil? Is it low gas? Is it windshield fluid (not that we'd used any)?  Finally, RR says "it looks like a coffee cup" and I look it up and it is a warning of a tired driver!!!  RR said he felt fine.  It says it does it once someone has driven for 2 hours straight.  Which seems lame, but there it was.  We made it to Monet's house and it has not yet reappeared. 

As strangers in a strange land, we parked in what was clearly the parking lot for Monet's house and looked around.  No helpful signs.  I went to the shop "Boutique -- House and Gardens" and got no one's attention so asked a woman outside, who spoke as much English as I do French. :). She pointed "down to the right". 

We did that and eventually got in.  We found the house, which has lots and lots of wonderful paintings -- Cezannes, Pisarros, and Degases, along with some of his own in his studio.  

Oh. I fogot: Renoirs. 

The highlight was the gardens.  We'd never seen such a full garden!  With so many colors.  This picture gives you some sense of it:

RR said he could see how it could be inspiring. 

Then we went through a tunnel (also unmarked) to the lily pond.  It was across the road (probably not as big a deal in his time).  The lily pond was much bigger than we expected, and full of lilies in bloom in several different colors. 

We made it to the shop, where I shopped and K said "It's hot in here, I'm going to wait outside" and made a vague gesture toward the exit door.  Or so I thought. 

I got out of the exit door and there was no K!  🤦 I knew immediately that this was trouble.  RR came out and asked where she was and I said I didn't know.  We waited.  I speculated that she had gone back out the in door and was waiting there.  (that turned out to be true). I thought she'd figure it out and have to come out our way.  I texted, but got no indication that she had gotten on their wifi. ):  RR seemed worried. In the end, I sent him in (though the tickets said explicitly no readmittance), he had the tickets on his phone, to see if she was where I said she'd be and, lo! and behold!  she was!!!  i was told it was my fault. :)

We then went to our hotel, which was only a few hundred yards away.  It was a converted 13th century stable.  Here's the courtyard --

We had trouble finding someone to check us in.  We decided to eat dinner there, which turned out to be a good idea for the food, but they took 2 1/2 hours to serve us.  In the end, they had 7 tables going at once and one wait person. ):

I had the mushroom risotto.

RR had the sea bass, which he said was perfectly grilled.

K had the duck.   

We were all amazed at another great meal. 

Pear with ice cream dessert. 

And then today: we started at 8 o'clock, not finding anyone in the hotel common spaces.  🤷  The place around the corner was supposed to be highly rated, so we tried it.  No one appeared.  We heard people in the kitchen but our calls of "bonjour". got no response. ):  

Then back to our hotel, where finally someone appeared and told us to sit and they'd get to us in a few.  We ended up having a delightful Continental breakfast and it turned out to be with the room -- gratis!!!! joy joy.

Then off to another cemetery. 

But along the way we decided we needed gas.  RR said it was his turn, so he got out and started.  I went looking for bottled water.  It turned out to be a good looking pastry shop, so I was stuck in a line a few minutes and came out expecting RR to drive.  He said "I can't get it to work."  We both tried.  It kept rejecting his card.  Finally, we gave up and went looking for another station.  To get there, I had to do two, yes, two roundabout switchbacks (u-turns) and get on the highway for just a moment.  

This time the machine would take his card but they had  no 95 or 98 octane gasoline.  ):  RR said "let's put 5 gallons of 85 in it till later".  We did.  (shhhhsshhh). This turned out to be almost half a tank!!! (it's a hybrid)  Later, the check engine light came on.  Very, very fragile, remember? :) 

Our destination was the cemetery at Somme, also run by the Americans.  We were literally the only ones there!!!  RR commented on the discrepancy and disparity.  

About 1,800 Americans are buried there, killed in our first action of WW1.  

From there we crossed pretty French farm countryside, and wondered at the piles of root vegetables in the fields and even saw picker with it's wagon full of them.   We speculate that they are turnips, though they may be sugar beets.  K is still not sure they aren't potatoes.  Anyway, an interesting nuance of the local culture. 

Then to the Somme 1916 museum, which purportedly had a trench, which RR wanted to see.  It didn't really; it has a tunnel built later with the museum bits within.  They have lots and lots of artifacts and made the most of the setting in terms of trenches.  We exited into a beautiful garden and found our way back to the car. 

During the museum visit we saw a film on the war in the area and they noted all the cemeteries and memorials within a 5 mile radius of where we were: Albert.  I wanted to see the one.  You'll see why from this pic --

It commemorates the thousands of men from the British Empire who disappeared during the war. It was built by a famous architect, who said it was shaped to point to heaven, as these men would be going that way.  It has a tremendous view north? across the farm landscape.  

It was now after 5 and we were not near Saint Quentin, named after some 3rd century local, where we are staying the night.  

I once again went with the google and found a place for dinner -- most of the other nearby places were fast food types.  RR was ensconsed in the bar with a pint and wondered about eating there, but they specialized in pizza -- lame for our last night in France. 

K and I found the place in mind, which turned out to be Lebanese.  The guy who greeted us asked if we had a reservation and seemed concerned we didn't. There was literally no one in the place!!!! 😂😂😂 We sat and waited.  I had to ask for menus.  RR didn't show up.  I ordered a half bottle of Lebanese red and he brought it fairly quickly.  I still didn't have water.  RR walked by, ignoring our store front.  I had to chase him down. 🤦

In the end, we all had the Lebanese plate, with variations.  RR's was the biggest, so here it is:

From the bottom (as best I can): gherkin, hummus, garlic cream sauce, tabbuleh, green salad, haloumi, that ricey stuff, a fig leaf stuffed with rice, and a salad with peppers and cucumbers. 

And I am caught up. 

I hope we have no more car adventures tomorrow, as we give it up at 2 o'clock.  Until later...bon soir. 

RR's mystery bag and two days in Normandy

 Bonjour, mon amis,

We are in France.  I'm sure there's something clever someone once said about arriving here, but someone else will have to come up with it. :)

I'm told I have to be sure to blog as often as possible because some of the audience is living vicariously through this blog.  That's sad.  But they probably have to work, so that's the beginning of sadness. 😀

Yesterday's journey to France began with me bolting to Avobar, which you may remember was 50 feet from our flat's door, and maybe, just maybe, grabbing a pastry while I waited for coffee.  Just maybe.  

If I did, it would explain how I made it to France without food.  Or real food. 

We got downstairs around 9:05 and I called an Uber.  He came in 4 minutes, but on the other side of the closed road a half block down from us.  He actually circled around and ended up coming right past where we were initially standing. 

Our driver, Osman, was loquacious.  In the hour forty minute trip to Gatwick, he talked cars, bikes (he hates them too), politics and how everything we'd ever heard about Asia was a lie. 

If you are doing the math, it is 1055 for a 1235 flight.  Okay, right?  Even K with her trip anxiety seemed to reassure us that all was well.

We got in the easyjet check bag line and I sent mine off; RR sent his off on a separate line and K tried to do hers and it said she didn't have a checked bag and needed to pay for it.  We got an attendant and she was no help and went and got another attendant.  It was loud and she had an accent, so understanding was tricky.  In the end, she came back with numbers on a slip of paper and said we had already sent 3 bags forward.  She said RR had sent 2!!!!  The one weighed 20k and the other 19k.  We said we didn't have a second bag.  RR hadn't gotten a receipt (I had), and there were no names on the luggage tags. 😡. Finally, now at least 15 minutes into the process, K said "just charge us and we'll file a complaint" and the woman took us to another kiosk and whisked her bag through -- without the extra charge!  😀 She told us to look in Rennes for the other bag and let them know.  I realized as she did the kiosk what happened -- it asks you for another bag and you have to say no and if you don't, the next person up can use your account!  That must be what happened.  Given there are no names on tags, how can one know?  But that person's bag went to Rennes; how they ever were going to identify it and get it back to them, I don't know.  I'm betting it didn't happen.  I also speculated about what was in it -- my companions said they couldn't care less. :)

So that was that adventure. 

We were given an MG ?Z to drive: the desk person called it their "large SUV."  It ain't large.  It holds (barely) our three large suitcases and a small bag, and all of us (and a fourth, if we had it) comfortably, but in the States it would maybe be a medium SUV, leaning to the small side.  It runs nicely though.  It is in "vert" (on the tag)...if you want to work on your French. 

From the airport we shot as quickly as possible (with an almost embarrassing stop at Burger King [it was easy on and off the highway] for K's first food of the day.  I had to join her.  RR was living on his pent up anxiety) to Mont. St. Michel.  K and I had been here in 2002 (pre-blog), but RR had never been close.  If you aren't familiar, it is absolutely spectacular, sticking up on an island for hundreds of feet. 

We parked and got on the shuttle, that takes 20 minutes to the foot of the hill, and RR bolted ahead, hoping to climb to the top before it closed.  He didn't make it. ):  They were just closing the one gate as he got there.  He said he looked for "a secret passage around, but there wasn't one."  He only got up to the level of the first chapel, but still said it was unbelievable, which it is.  The village below is cute, too. 

Then to our hotel, where we stayed in 2002, which is in Ducey, set on a stream in an old mill. We had a view of the falls from our room:

We were running late, we ate dinner at 730, so we ate at the hotel. It turned out to be excellent.  

Pollock in muscat sauce.

Apple, bacon and goat cheese salad (K tried to get chicken on it, which Andrea, the staff person who both checked us in and served dinner, could not understand -- notwithstanding there being no chicken on the menu :))

This was supposedly their butcher cut.  Seems a lot like a burger to me, but I'm not French. :)

This morning we had the hotel breakfast, which was a modified Continental.  It had eggs and pancakes along with the usual Continental stuff. No pics necessary.

And then off the hour and half to the Normandy beaches. 

Oh, but, no!  The MG decided one tire was low!!!  So we pulled into a rest area (I figured out what the sign meant to indicate one -- my French being tres mal) filled up -- it took two persons (don't ask me how a single person does it) and found out that the MG self corrects rather than having a reset button.  Ten minutes down the road, the light went off!!!

Finally we arrived at Utah Beach.  There was only a couple pieces of equipment there, so we moved on to the WW2 museum (you'll find there are a lot of museums around here) . We paid the 9 euros and were done is less than half an hour. 

From there, I took them to St. Marie Eglise, the first town to be liberatored on June 6/7.  It is famous for having a dummy hanging from the church spire from his parachute, as an American did on June 6 and survived that and the war! 

It was a very cute little town and we ended up having a half sandwich there (or, as Sheldon Cooper would call it, "A sandwich.") as RR again checked out every nook and cranny.  There were statues of Eisenhower, memorials to the airborne divisions, another museum (we didn't go in), the whole shebang.  

Then we shebanged off towards Omaha Beach.  If you aren't a WW2 history buff, Utah and Omaha Beaches are the two where the Americans came ashore on June 6.  They cover many miles of Normandy coastland.  

It should be noted that RR, who was assigned as second driver on the MG, drove this leg.  As I slept most of the way, I suspect I missed a lot that would make entertaining blog, but what I did see and hear was fun.  There was a lot of confusion about which spur to take out of roundabout on Google maps (this has been a theme of the trip) and other turns.  That he had to lean toward the console to read the map I found concerning.  I was told I had no right to say anything.  I don't know what that's about....🤷

The museum at Arromanche, part of Omaha beach and where a lot of American equipment was brought to shore, was remarkable.  Called the D-Day Museum (to separate from all the others), it had a building dedicated in 2023 and lots of displays and several films.  

The most amazing thing at Arromanche was this --

 

They decided in 1944 that they weren't going to easily win either of the natural harbors on this coast, Cherbourg or Le Havre, but that they needed to develop the technology to create an artificial harbor.  What you see is the remains of that harbor -- still there 80+ years later.  None of us knew of this, which was a part of the post-D-Day operation.   They moved 3m tons of stuff into France as part of the invasion.  Which included 150,000 men the first day and many times that thereafter. 

I admit to not taking my time in the museum -- I was WW2 saturated.  I sat down and sent RR a message as to where I was.  I got bored at that spot and sent a second message.  I walked around, looking to see if there was another exit they might have come out of.  I was about to go to see if they were standing at the car, parked a blcok away, when RR appeared.  I guess I gave him some body language bc he mocked me. ):  They had stayed and both conceded they listened to EVERY track on the audio guide. 🤷🤷🤷

We had a drink across the street and I drove them to the Engineers Memorial on the hill east of Arromanches --

And then in the other direction to the top of the cliffs and these bunkers. 

It still had the German gun in it!!!

And then we went into Bayeaux -- no, the tapestry is NOT here -- and found that our hotel was in the very center of another cute little town.  

And now for the food porn.  

During one of my several sits, I looked for "best restaurant near the Churchill Hotel Bayeaux" and got all kinds of places within walking distance.  The one was across the street, got 4.9 out of 5 on Google (who the dopes are that didn't give it a five, I don't want to know) and was only 20-30.  They required reservations but I walked up (couldn't get the French phone number to work 😡) and he said they would have a table in half an hour.  We went and had a drink and came back.  

FYI the desk person at the hotel told us it was a couple running the place and the man was the chef and specialized in sauces.  He wasn't wrong. 

This is piquillos -- chilis stuffed with cheese.  The waitperson poured the sauce on in front of us -- too quick for me to get a video. It was very, very good but he told us the entrees would better.

Truffle linguine with pig jowl -- the biggest piece I'd ever seen, it was like a pork chop!

Their beef on flatbread. With a sauce (see small pitcher)

Apple patin with ice cream.

Everything was to die for.  We made MS sounds over and over, and we tasted each other's and wondered if we'd chosen wisely.  The apple dessert was a bit of a disappointment, but everything else more than made up for it. 

And it was only 108 euros, including tip!!!!

That is our first two days in France.  It's been great and we are all tired but having a good time. 

Tomorrow we are hitting the cathedral here, the American WW2 cemetary, then heading inland...

And K made it a point that we had to stay in the hotel where we are staying tomorrow night, so it should be something...

Till then...

London, Day 4: Chasing/Waiting on RR and some other stuff rather than food porn, maybe :)

 Hi Thinning Readers,

Today, somewhat to our chagrin,  was our last day in London. ):  We all were bummed about that. 

Also a bit of a bummer is that last night's blog has yielded quite a few readers short of recent numbers. ): Wonder why.  

Anyway, it's always good when someone tells you what to put in your blog. :)

I was told I had to put this picture --

If you can't tell, it is a house made of biscuits (English for a cookie),  which was displayed at Fortnum & Masons.   Which is where we visited after high tea.  

Here's one of the confectionary cases there:

Yes, those are ghosts!!!

Okay, about our day.  It started with breakfast at the place we ate Sunday, so I won't bother repeat the pictures.  

Then we walked down to Bond Street station, about 10 minutes, going to the British Museum.

We had tickets and got right in.  And at this point we sent RR with a map off on his own, as we had been there both in '22 and '24.  We took our time, went to see the Sutton Hoo collection again, and K decided she wanted to see the Thorn Reliquary, which it took awhile to find.

One of the amazing things about this trip to the museum was the Bayeaux Tapestry stuff.  The tapestry (I'll skip the lecture about it) is on display at the museum for the first time ever.  It was made in ~1080 and they think this is the first time it's been back since around 1200.  A big deal.  I really, really wanted to see it, having studied it since I was an undergrad.  But there were no tickets till January (another long story).

So, being there, here is all this stuff.  I don't know how to explain what "all" is: jigsaw puzzles, shopping bags, shirts, decks of cards, kids shields and helmets and swords, all kinds of sewing kits.  And about anything else you could imagine.  There was an eraser like a stone with a soldier from the tapestry on it. 

We dilly dallied while RR sped through every room -- he said.  :) 

Here's the amazing purse cover from Sutton Hoo -- I love the cloisanne:

Around 2 o'clock, we headed for St. Paul's.  K was melting (it was, she reported, 14 degrees above normal today).   RR paid to go in and disappeared.  He seemed to be gone for a long time and when he reappeared, he acted pooped.  Turned out that he went all the way to the top!!!  He said it said something like 700 steps but he had to go (I'm told his kids will find this "so dad", but it was a bit crazy).  

We were running late for high tea, so made our way back to the flat and got ready.  We got to tea in time. 

I had made reservations at the Wolseley, which is across the street from the Ritz.  We've been there several times.  

Here's the pic of the carousel:

And then we made our way back for an early night of blogging and packing. 

We fly to Rennes, France, tomorrow at 1235.  We have a bunch of days coming that are one and out, so I'll have to catch you up on here.

We're all sad to be leaving here, but looking forward to the next legs of the adventure.  At least tomorrow i get to drive on the right side of the road. :)

And with that I bid you cheerio!

PS there was another episode of "bike almost hits K" ):  It missed, but it's been crazy here.  Hopefully that ends tomorrow. 

RR does London (mostly food pics)

 Hi all,

Back today with the first back-to-back blogs of the trip.  This is somewhat in response to yesterday's comment about that many words. 😂 That comment is both ironic and hilarious for all who know the writer: he has been known, especially with a pint or two in him, to let the words flow like Guinness. 😂

We did a bunch today.  It started with an attempt to pickup laundry, which was supposed to be ready when they opened at 9.  We dropped it off shortly after 9 Saturday and, supposedly, could have had it back Saturday evening (they were closed yesterday).  RR and I went down right after 9 to get it; Esra couldn't find it!!! She came back and said "come back in 40 minutes."  Why 40 minutes? We don't know.  And, FYI, I had a double load -- one might question how my life partner, who had been away from home only a day had 6 items to wash, but why would we go there??? -- so it was a bit much carrying it back.  She had it ready for us at 940, we carried it back and got on the road. 

Today's breakfast was at Bill's, the same chain as RR and I ate in two weeks ago Saturday.  There is one on Baker Street, between us and the Tube staton.  In 2023, here with students and staying just down the street from where we are this time, I frequented it enough to be both a fan and on their mailing list.  The lure today was advertised all-you-can-eat £5 pancakes.  And the special was toffee apple pancakes.  They are pictured:

RR, who those on the trip will admit can eat prodigious amounts, ordered seconds on the berry pancakes.  We are all fans of their pancakes. 

Then we set off for Hampton Court Palace.  Obviously, RR has never been and K didn't remember going. Though since there are extant pictures of our daughter standing outside there in 1996, she must have been along.  🤷 We got onto a quick train and walked across.  The gate was closed.  Turned out they were closed on Monday. 😢 someone forgot to double-check that.  That person will remain nameless and blameless.  

We then returned to London.  It was now 2 o'clock.  I tried to get tickets online, but it didn't like my card so we waited till we got there.  There was no line!!! No crowd.  We walked straight in and waited for the yeoman for 15 minutes.  I searched for a snack (I was having a lack of sugar episode), but came up empty. 

I have heard the yeoman in '22 and '24.  You can go back and read the blogs.  This guy used pretty much the same ones (I knew the one about the rope and the 2 1/2 ton porticullis was coming), but RR hadn't heard it before, so it was all good.  

He loved the place.  He was like a little kid after the tour finished, moving quickly from place-to-place: the armory, the torture chamber, the crown jewels, then the towers and the rampart.  Meanwhile, the tired parents sat on the bench and waited.  I got this shot of him, looking like the Frenchman at the beginning of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. 

The Tower was closing, almost to 530, and we headed for dinner. 

We left Tower Hill station on the Circle Line, we had to wait 9 minutes 😡, got off at Liverpool Street, and it was very, very crowded.  I saw the sign to the Central Line, which I had told K we were taking, and flowed with the crowd.  Up two sets up steps and then down a flight and there was enough scatter I could stop and look back.  No RR or K!!!  I waited.  I knew they kind of had to come this way.  Finally I decided to text RR (remember K doesn't have service; he does) and as I wrote the text he called.  They got caught getting off the train and lost me immediately, so stood there on the platform not knowing which way to go.  K said "I thought it was Central Line, but I wasn't sure."  Okay.  We were back together :)

I found Dishoom easily.  Those of you who have been in London with us (and it's not an inconsiderable number at this point :)) know this is our favorite restaurant.  It is now RR's.  He said he'd never had Indian food like that.  K asked the staff person for more heat because he was worried it wouldn't be hot enough (I later offered that I had pepto bismal, which Vlad had to borrow in Ulster :)).  Here's what I had.  A friend said leave a blurry shot or two -- it made it feel like we were having fun.😂

Their chicken ruby -- their take on the Indian classic butter chicken (if you know Indian cuisine)

Cheese naan.

The chef's special of the night, lamb curry, which was the bomb.  

We brought home leftovers which RR said he'd pregame for breakfast tomorrow.  He wasn't leaving that good of food at the restaurant. :) He raved about the restaurant and claimed it was the best meal of the trip (so far) and he said that bar was really high. 

We stopped for gelato at our favorite place from two years ago -- I got the dark chocolate, but not the darkest chocolate (which was like 75% cocoa)😀

Then we went to find a bus.  We did to save walking.  That ended up not working out. 

As we stood on Regent Street waiting, RR and I saw the LaCoste store open across the street. So we went to the nearest crosswalk and got halfway across.  RR and I got across but K...well, a bike ran a red light and brushed her flashing by.  Yes, the third near miss in two days.  Hopefully the rest of the trip won't have so many bikes, though I understand Amsterdam is full of them. 😒

We made it back to the flat and I'm writng this.

Tomorrow is our last day in London.  We have tickets at 1110 to the British Museum -- we know it's open :).  Then ???  We have dinner plans and then are probably coming back and crashing and packing.  

Till whenever, toot sweet