Arcachon-Day 2

When we left that morning on the boat tour, it was cloudy and cold. And, of course, I forgot a sweatshirt, so I was a bit chilly on the boat. When we arrived in Cap Ferret, we walked along a touristy street to the Lighthouse. On the little path to the lighthouse there was a display dedicated to light. It talked about white light being comprised of other colors, and there was a station for each color, detailing the regional things you can find in those colors (houses, food, flowers, etc). We then walked to the beach, on the Atlantic side of the peninsula, and just watched the waves. By that point the sun was reappearing. We had dinner at a lovely restaurant recommended by Annie, where we had oysters on the half-shell, and fabulous wine, right on the ocean. This morning, we went to the beach for a bit before packing our stuff to go back to Mauze. We will stay there this evening, then take a plane to Glasgow on Saturday to begin the Scottish (and final) leg of our journey.

Arcachon- Day 1

We arrived in Arcachon about 2:30 and went to our hotel, Le Dauphin (the dolphin). That afternoon, we walked to Ville d'Hiver, the older part of the city. Still not sure if we made it entirely to the correct area, but the places we did walk were very nice. We visited the Notre Dame basilica, with gothic vaulted ceilings that are painted crimson, and a steeple that can be seen from quite a distance out to sea. The second day we took a boat tour of the basin, and later got off at Cap Ferret, a peninsula across the way.

Fine Food, Good Company

After our canoe trip, we continued on a windy path in the general direction of Bordeaux. Our hotel that evening was very nice, and we had dinner at the highly acclaimed restaurant there. It was a five course meal, and I was truly convinced they would have to roll me back to my room. Sadly, the next morning we had to take Helene and Maxim to the airport so they could return to England :( Dad and I then took a train from Bordeaux to the city of Arcachon, located on a tidal basin on the Atlantic.

Steer From the Back, My Friend

Lola has been canoeing since she was but a wee lass. She knows a thing or two about how to keep the damn boat straight. In the process of canoeing along the Dordogne river, she was asked to sit in the back of the 3 person canoe by one of her travelmates. Of course, Lola assumed that was because said other person wanted her to steer. But alas, she was terribly mistaken, as it became apparent that aforementioned Navigateur thought one steers a canoe from the front. This led to much drunken careening along the river, as Lola attempted to divine Navigateur's intentions, and counteract accordingly. Thankfully, there were no aquatic mishaps, although a severe beating with a canoe paddle did nearly ensue. The day was beautiful; sunny with a nice breeze, and there were several castles along the 15 km route. Of course, the blasted camera batteries died halfway through. Lola will need to be kind to Navigateur in order to get copies of his photos.

Onward and Southeast-ish

The afterparty was very nice. We basically sat around the garden and pool at Annie and Jean's place (Helene's parents). I might have whooped it up a bit too much, but I had a great time. The next day, Helene, Maxim, Dad and I were supposed to leave for the Dordogne region at 11, but didn't actually get on the road until 3-ish. We had a lovely drive through the countryside, until Helene paused on the road tu turn onto a virtually abandoned side road (for a quick wee), and someone behind hit us. Thankfully there was no damage (I hope the rental company agrees, as the car is in my name). Then I drove for a bit through tremendously windy roads, until we found the place we were staying for the evening. We had a lovely dinner, complete with foie gras and trout (two specialties of the region). Then, off to bed.

The Wedding

We arrived in Rochefoucauld (where teh wedding was) later that afternoon. In the evening, we met up at a little restauraunt called Chez Steph. This region of France is especially known for their beef, so it was a steakhouse (the only one I have ever seen in France). I ordered a filet so red it was mooing, and it was probably one of the best steaks I have ever had. The next day was the wedding, which was held in the chateau. The chapel was absolutely wonderful, and had fantastic accoustics. The ceremony was very nice; the daughter of Florence's family friend performed the service, and Flo read an excerpt from the film "Wings of Desire." After the ceremony we went into the courtyard for champagne and appetizers. Later we went downstairs in the castle to begin the multi-course eating extravaganza. In between courses, the Toastmaster called on different people to give little speeches and whatnot. It was all very nice! After dessert and dancing (yes, I actually danced) we finally went back to the B&B; I ended up going to bed at 5 A.M. qnd I am too old for that sort of thing! But it was a fabulous day!

St. Emilion

GPS is not always a godsend. After we rented the car and left the airport, we drove for a few hours to get to the chateau near St. Emilion where we were staying. Unfortunately, the GPS decided the best route was to drive THROUGH some of the vineyards, which of course is not possible. So, we took a somewhat circuitous route but eventually found the place. We went in to the center of St. Emilion and found a nice restaurant. This being serious wine country, we each got a different glass of wine and shared them. They were fabulous!! After we took a short walking tour of the historical relics and story of St. Emilion. There is an enormous monolithic church there, and it's quite amazing to realize that everything was carved out of the existing stone, rather than constructed! The following morning we visited two vineyards and did a bit of wine tasting. I purchased 5 bottles of wine that I have no idea how I will get into my suitcase. It is gorgeous contryside! There are grape vines as far as the eye can see, and the owner of one of the vineyards explained that they will start to change their color in about a week or so. Too bad I won't see them when they are that nice, deep purple!

So Many Bottles, So Little Time!

We arrived safely in Bordeaux, and began the wine portion of our trip. The first evening we went out for a nice dinner that was on the river, then walked around the city. Our hotel was right in the center, so everything was in walking distance. The next day (our full day in the city) it rained. The first time it has really rained since we arrived! But it worked out well because the light drizzle kept the air cool so that we didn't die as we trekked around the city. At the Grand Théatre, there was a self-guided tour that showed the instruments, costumes, lighting and special effects for the operas and ballets they perform. St. Catherine street is the most commercial part of Bordeaux; its a pedestrian street with nothing but stores as far as the eye can see! We ended up taking a little nap before going out for dinner at a place called Fernands; very traditional bordelaise cuisine, and very tasty! The next day we met Hélène and Maxim at the airport to begin our trip through St. Emilion.

Mauzé sur le Mignon

Mauzé is the small town where Hélène's parents live; it is about 1/2 hr away from La Rochelle (on the Atlantic coast). We arrived on Wednesday afternoon, and have been enjoying several days of pure rest and relaxation, not to mention faaaabulous weather. Even when the weather here is crappy, its nice! Yesterday we visited the "city" of Niort. We walked around and saw some of the shops. And where did I go? You guessed it... the book store! I have added 2 more books to my Asterix and Obelisk collection (a French comic book that takes place in medeival France, during the time of the Crusades). I also purchased the first two books in the Harry Potter series; turns out they are a bit easier for me to read than the French "lire en français" book I actually brought with me. Today I brought Dad to the farmer's market, next to the church. I couldn't help it, I had to buy rabbit. Now I love to cook, but never in my life have I prepared rabbit. So I experienced what should have become, by all rights, a near culinary disaster. The stove is quite different from mine, so there is a learning curve there. Then there was the possibly questionable cooking wine I used, nearly burnt garlic, and instead of adding olive oil when the pan was a bit dry, I accidentally grabbed nut oil (whose nuts is yet to be determined). Anyhow, despite these things, Bugs actually came out quite tasty! Chalk one up for the winning team. Monday we leave for Bordeaux, the city of wine :)

Surprising Tidbits

After having described the main portions of my journey, i can comment on the lesser known things that I found just plain interesting.

• Driving on the left side of the road is a given point of confusion- I can't tell you how many times I stood at a crosswalk like a complete arsehole, looking in all directions because I had no idea where the cars would be coming from (easy to do- there are lots of 1-way streets in London and I always seemed to be on the wrong side of them).
• Courtesy- Everyone in England seems to be exceptionally courteous. Even down to the Underground announcements and signs. The signs tend to be exceptionally verbose, but seem to genuinely care that you "mind the gap" between the train and platform so that you do not get squashed into people jelly.
• Beer is cheaper than water- apparently a holdover from earlier times, Londoners have apparently decided that they prefer beer be available to everyone, as opposed to water. I can't say I argue with this
• Drunken Brits are hilarious- I don't even know what to say here; you sort of need to experience it. One guy started talking to me, and when he discovered I was frm the US, he laments how difficult it is to get into our country. "I mean, I only have one conviction," he said.
• British accents are contagious-while lovely sounding, this accent is insidious and began to make its way into my speech. I hope I come home and remember to say "bathroom" instead of "loo."

I Am My Own Tom Tom

For those of you familiar with the ways of Lola, you understand that she has a bizzare and completely irrational fear of driving in Boston. She even prefers not to take the T without proper supervision, for fear of ending up in the nether parts of the world, such as Mattapan. However, this same Lola has turned a new geographical leaf and learned to navigate a large city. She managed, via train, to get herself into London, and once there navigate the streets and the Tube without getting lost once! She is a master of all things geographical and directional! Boston, and its fair inhabitants beware! Lola is coming!

London, Baby!

On July 13, Dad and I took a train into London, and a hop on/hop off tour of London, which also included a few walking tours (not possible to do all in one day, though). For you Harry Potter fans, there is indeed a "Platform 9 3/4" at King's Cross Station! A cute little brick wall with a luggage trolley stuck halfway through. And yes, I did do the touristy thing and had my picture taken with it, but I digress. We just barely arrived at the Visitor Center in time to begin the tour that goes to Buckingham Palace and sees the Changing of the Guard. Unfortunately our tour guide was a bit of a speed-demon. He walked at such a rapid pace I couldn't have kept up with him if I wanted to! And, of course, when we arrived at the castle, everyone and their brother was there, and we ended up losing the walking tour entirely. So we said screw them, and went off in search of the bus. We then travelled toe Westminster Abbey and saw Big Ben (which I always thought was the name of the tower, but turns out it is the name of the 13 ton bell inside!). After some lunch with a psychotic waitress (she was running around like a womqn on fire), we got back on the bus. It was one of the open-air buses, so we sat on the top. The tour was actually very nice, and we even got to see Fleet St. (for all you Sweeney Todd fans). We thought about taking the Jack the Ripper walking tour; but it was a bit long and we would have missed our boat cruise, which was very nice. It was similar to the one we did for Flo's Hen Do, but this one went to Greenwich. After the cruise we had dinner at the Sherlock Holmes Pub, where we both had traditional "Bangers & Mash" which was actually quite tasty; I could have done without the gravy on my Yorkshire pudding, though.

London Town

The day after the Hen Do party (yesterday), we went to the section of London called Camden, where there is an open air market with lots of little vendors and shops. It was extremely crowded, but somehow we managed to get through without losing anyone. Somehow I have managed to not yet buy a single thing! We then went to a sushi restaurant where it's all you can eat for £15. Quitterie, Boris and the baby then returned to France, while the rest of us walked around the city, visited St. Paul's cathedral, and walked along the river. We took a brief trip to the Tate Modern Museum, where I was able to see some Dali, Picasso and Warhol. We ended up in Chinatown, where we had a fabulous dinner at a restaurant called the Four Seasons. They are quite famous for their Crispy Duck and Special Fried Rice. We realized that it was 10:40, we still had to go back to the hostel to get our luggage, then take the Tube to King's Cross station to get a train back to Cambridge! Of course, not only was it a Sunday night, when trains generally stop earlier, but it was the final night of the World Cup (which Spain won), so the city was a madhouse, especially Picadilly Circus, which is very similar to Times Square. Thankfully we made it in time, and arrived back to Hélène's around 2 a.m. Needless to s ay, after our whirlwind weekend I slept until noon-thirty. Today is a nice lazy day, to be spent reading, updating this blog and doing laundry. Tomorrow Dad and I will go in to London to see all the things we haven't yet seen (which, given the amount of walking we have done, I can't imagine is much!)

The Hen Do Party

In England it is quite traditional to throw a bachelorette, or "Hen Do" party for a bride to be. It is also customary for said bride to be made to wear some sort of kitschy costume, in the case of Florence, Hélène's sister, a fake bridal gown purchased on Ebay, a princess tiara and silly lace gloves. A group of 14 of us first went to London, to a little club, where we had tapas and cocktails. Our next event was a booze-cruise on the Thames River. Unfortunately, when leaving the club we were not entirely sure where we needed to be to get the boat, so there was much running around trying to find the proper pier and not be left behind. Thankfully; we safely made it onto the boat, and the 4 hr cruise was wonderful: perfect weather, good music and even better company. We finished the evening at a club called The Borderline, which played mostly rock music. I spoke quite a bit with a lovely girl from Ireland named Ailbhe (pronounced Elva). We finally made it back to the hostel at 4:30 a.m. Meanwhile, Dad and Boris went to the park with the baby, out for dinner, then in to bed at a reasonable hour (unlike the rest of us). But I had such a nice time, I nearly forgot that I am too old to be staying up that late several nights in a row!

Drinking: It's Not for Everyone

Ah yes, back to the awkward moment. After returning to Hélène's from our walking around Cambridge, there was a big BBQ at her house. She has a quaint little gated garden behind the house. There, she set up disposable BBQ's, which I had no idea even existed! There were probably about 25 people there from all over, and we had a wonderful time. When it was late enough that we were probably annoying the neighbors, we left and went to a club. Now by this point Lola had been speaking with a rather cute French guy, and what vacation is without a French man? The club was nice, although rather loud so we left and went to another bar. Things were going quite nicely, and Lola was quite enjoying herself with this French guy, when all of a sudden she was caught unawares by a run-by puking. Some arsehole, most likely on his way to the bathroom, essentially puked down the front of Lola's shirt. Making a mad dash to the loo, rather afraid that she might follow suit and yark all over the place, she stood topless in the ladies' room, trying desperately not to be ill while Hélène washed her shirt in the sink. Not the highlight of the day, I'm afraid. To put a rancid icing on this fanfuckintastic cake, things went less than smoothly when, later in the evening, Lola tried to kiss aforementioned Frenchman. Less than stellar, with his explanation that he was sorry, he was just too drunk. By that point, Lola quite wished she herself was also drunk.

Cambridge by Day

The night in question I may have had one of the most awkward moments of my life, but I am getting ahead of myself. Our second day in Cambridge, Quitterie, Boris (friends of Hélène), their son Aeol, Dad and I took an organized walking tour of the town, where we were able to visit the King's College chapel. We were very lucky in that the King's College boys choir was rehearsing for a concert that evening. They are a very famous and wonderful choir, and the acoustics in the chapel are awe inspiring. It is wonderful to see all the old architecture of the city. For all of you Harry Potter fans, portions of the first film (particularly the broom fight with Malfoy) were filmed at King's College. And thus far the weather has been phenomenal. Roughly 75 degrees and sunny. And apparently all of England is beside themselves with their luck with the weather! I might actually end up leaving England with a sunburn!

Ostrich...its what's for dinner

Lola has safely traversed the Atlantic without issue. After arriving in Cambridge we visited with some friends of Hélène and Maxim. The next day we walked all over Cambridge. We also visited some of the colleges, such as Trinity, St. John's, Cambridge University and King's College. We stopped at the Eagle Pub, a historical place because that was where Watson and Crick first announced they had discovered the structure of DNA. What better place to share information than the pub? There I had traditional fish and chips and mushy peas (and yes it says "mushy" on the menu). We then took a punting tour of the Cam River, similar to a gondola. That evening we went to the Kingston Arms pub for dinner. Dad and I shared an ostrich steak. Absolutely fabulous! The pub has boardgames you can play, so Maxim and I played Connect Four. Very old-school.

On the Road Again!

Ah, yet again Lola will be bidding the US adieu while she travels Europe... again. I have planned quite the trek for my month abroad. I will be visiting London (for the first time), France (for the umpteenth time) and Scotland (also a first). As updating my blog has, regrettably, fallen by the wayside (yet again), I am hoping to use this trip as a means to regularly update it. So, I wake up at the ass crack of dawn, to leave my house by O'dark thirty, and be on a plane that LEAVES at 8:15 AM. For those of you who know me, you can start laughing now... I find it amusing myself. With any luck, my father and I will be able to leave the country without incident, and begin a sorely needed, month-long vacation. Bon voyage!