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Thursday, 19 July 2007

Day 21 Madrid

Many Spaniards begin their day with churros y chocolate, so we did too... at noon. We ate breakfast at noon and we didn't feel out of place.

The great thing about walking in Madrid is how the small, narrow streets explode onto something big, like the Palacio Real. The Spanish royal palace is now open to the public as a museum of sorts, but is still used for official functions from time to time. It sits on a bluff overlooking the rest of Madrid to the Southwest and it's fun to imagine all the royalty of generations past using the palace like we might use our home... Photo #2. Across the street from the palace...

We are tourists.

Puerta del Sol is a great place to take photos at night, though it's a huge tourist spot as well. Many street performers play music or act like statues for money, but the real interest lies in the "old" feeling of the area. The Tio Pepe sign, for example, has existed in the same spot since the 1930s. Photo #2.

Day 22 Madrid

Well... our last day. But instead of moping around the room packing and wishing for more time... we went to a park! And more specifically: a lake in a the Parque del Retiro where, for a mere 4.50 euros, you can rent a small boat and row around the lake with your date.

VIDEO: Check out Leslie row-row-rowing her boat!

The Reina Sofia, like all museums in Madrid, forbids photographs inside its doors. So instead of sharing with you photos of "Guernica," other Picasso works, Dali and more... we offer you a cool light-box room just outside the museum. It really was cool. After the museum, we did the usual tapas thing, this time "pulpo a la vinegreta". That's octopus. We closed our night with a cocktail at the Museo Chicote, a famous bar on the Gran Via frequented by stars and celebrities since the 1930s.
- John-Laurent

Posted by John-Laurent at 3:58 AM MEST
Updated: Friday, 20 July 2007 11:45 PM MEST
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Hors Série Some Facts

Total days on trip: 24
Total miles traveled: 11,532.28
Total cities seen: 10
Total photos taken: 750+
Longest meal time: about 5 hours
Most amount of courses at a meal: 6
- To be continued...


Posted by John-Laurent at 12:01 AM MEST
Updated: Thursday, 19 July 2007 4:21 AM MEST
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Monday, 16 July 2007

Day 20 Madrid

Madrid is awesome.

After setting our luggage down at the hotel, we got breakfast, showered, slept and finally left the hotel at about 4 p.m. We took a couple streets down to Plaza Puerta del Sol and had our first taste of tapas at Museo del Jamon. We ordered chiquitas con chorizo, a sort of salami on bread snack. Tapas seem to be the thing to do here; people get a tapas or two, usually about 1 euro each, and a glass of wine or a beer. We continued walking down to Plaza Santa Ana where we had albondigas (meatballs), tortilla española (potato omelette), and Sangria. We enjoyed the setting sun and explored side streets while searching for another tapas restaurant that looked good. We settled on a wine bar and ate three pieces of toast, each with something a little different. Salmon with pesto; anchovies with chives and cream cheese; and goat cheese on caramelized onions. Leslie was feeling full but I was just getting started, so we continued toward Plaza de Jesus. We passed a few eateries before being lured into Los Gatos cervecerias. I ordered baby eel on warm cheese and toast, snacked on black olive, anchovy and pickle and drank a beer while Leslie watched in horror. Mmm, mmm. Good. We paid and tried to leave but the owner insisted we stay, have a few free drinks and try a few more tapas, including manchego cheese, chopped chorizo and boudin (blood sausage) on toast, and anchovies and house-made potato chips.
- John-Laurent

 After our tapas extravaganza, we headed back to the hotel by way of the Plaza Cánovas del Castillo, near the Museo del Prado. We passed by this building that was far too beautiful to be the Palacio de Comunicaciones. Tonight, we enjoyed an authentic Spanish cuisine at La Paella de la Reina at the recommendation of our hotel concierge. We dined on clam and lobster paella with sangria. It was muy delicioso! Later, we enjoyed a drink at the hotel bar.
- Leslie

Posted by John-Laurent at 10:00 PM MEST
Updated: Wednesday, 18 July 2007 10:25 PM MEST
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Day 18 Toulouse

HAPPY BASTILLE DAY!

Bastille Day ("Fête nationale" in French) is kind of like the French 4th of July; on this date in 1789, some French people stormed a well-known prison, the Bastille, and liberated a whopping seven political prisoners. This day has come to represent the beginning of the French Revolution and the country's independence from the monarchy, which has not existed since.

We went to the Garonne River to watch a fireworks display from Pont Neuf, a bridge. The show lasted about 40 minutes and included music from famous movie scores.

Day 19 Toulouse

As 8:15 p.m. approached, we prepared to say our goodbyes before boarding the bus to head south to Madrid. 8:15 came and went with no bus. As did 8:45, 9:15 and even 9:45 p.m. Finally our bus, driven by Paco Pepe, pulled into Gare Routiere at 10:00 p.m. Some sort of time mix up with the company he would later say.

Believe me when I say Paco Pepe's lack of punctuality was the least of our concerns. While we waited for the bus to arrive, a family with three young children approached. And then another couple with two more kids. And then three more young children. All full of energy and snacks and Pepsi. But all the running around they did in the parking lot did nothing to quell their disdain for a boring bus ride.


But as with any uncomfortable situation, our bus ride finally came to an end at 9:30 a.m. in Madrid, Spain.

Day 20 Madrid

The weather is cool, the streets are bustling and the hotel is awesome. The rooms at Hotel De Las Letras are very modern and colorful. We have a great view down the Gran Vía, a wide avenue of shops, bars and other hotels.
- John-Laurent

Posted by John-Laurent at 12:15 PM MEST
Updated: Wednesday, 18 July 2007 10:24 PM MEST
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Saturday, 14 July 2007

Day 14 Libourne/Pomerol

Tonight we ate a gigantic meal. I know, that's not really news. But instead of eating at home, the five of us drove about 15 minutes to Geitres to eat at L'Auberge de L'Isle, a hotel restaurant owned by somebody my grandfather knows. I could take this entire post and explain every course we ate, but I'll just let the following game help.

See if you can spot the following in this picture:

1. Les Huitres

2. Filets de Rougets

3. Coq au Vin

4. Camembert

5. Crepes Chocolat Chaud

- John-Laurent

Day 15 Bordeaux

Happy 8-month anniversary Leslie & John-Laurent!

Today, we celebrated our big day at a very popular restaurant in Bordeaux, L'Entrecote. The restaurant is very simple: the only thing on the menu is salad, steak and fries. I was skeptical at first of a restaurant only serving one option for a meal, but after seeing the humongous line waiting to get in, I knew this had to be good. After waiting almost an hour, we were rushed to table and quickly asked how we want our steak. When it finally arrived, eating it was heavenly. Hands down, best meal we have had in France. The steak is served in a garlic and butter sauce with plenty extra on the side to dip your fries. The drink options were red wine and coke (we opted for the wine.) For dessert, we had the best chocolate cake I've ever tasted and a strawberry tart.

After gorging ourselves, we shopped around Bordeaux and visited an extensive and very tall wine store stuffed full of French wines.

- Leslie

Day 16 Toulouse

After stuffing the car from floor to ceiling, Leslie, Manou and I drove three hours to Toulouse, where my grandmother lives with her best friend of 50 years, Annie Arador. Annie and my grandmother get along perfectly, cooking together and hanging out with friends and playing scrabble. Photo #2

Toulouse is called nicknamed "la ville en rose" (The city in pink) because most of the buildings are made of a pink brick, though they're really more orange in color. The city is split in half by the Garonne River and a walk along the banks provides a nice view. Place de la Capitole is a great place to hang out at night. There are lots of cafes where you can eat dinner or just grab a dessert underneath a covered walkway, which features some incredible ceiling art.

- John-Laurent

Hors Série Toulouse

Here are a few photos I think are funny and/or interesting:

We bought a Breizh Cola, a French soda that tastes like Coca-Cola... only better!

Annie got a kick out of comparing Leslie's underwear to her own, which she noticed while doing laundry.

Annie was born in France to Spanish parents. Spaniards love taking a siesta.

Leslie was amazed by all the flowers in France, so she took some pictures:

Photo #1

Photo #2

Photo #3

Photo #4

Photo #5

Photo #6

Photo #7

Photo #8

Photo #9

This is the road from Libourne to Pomerol.

Leslie hard at work writing for this Web site.

- John-Laurent


Posted by John-Laurent at 6:06 PM MEST
Updated: Monday, 16 July 2007 11:45 AM MEST
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Wednesday, 11 July 2007

Hors Série Les Maisons

Voila les maisons de ma famille:




- John-Laurent

Posted by John-Laurent at 1:37 AM MEST
Updated: Monday, 16 July 2007 3:45 PM MEST
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Tuesday, 10 July 2007

Day 09 - 11 Hossegor

Post-Independence Day, we were so excited to finally see some sunlight! We laid at the beach Thursday afternoon and John-Laurent got red like a lobster. Speaking of crustaceans, Friday night we intended to go out for a nice seafood date dinner. We asked the neighbors for a recommendation and were directed to Pecherie Ducamp located in Capbreton, just 5 minutes up the road. What we got was a smorgasbord of grilled sea critters... from salmon to langoustines, shrimp to mussels. John-Laurent even got a little sardine. Saturday, we picked up Pizza Beny's and planned on a date we could count on.... pizza and wine on the beach. No, Leslie isn't losing fashion sense in France, it was FREEZING! The scenery was beautiful and we watched a couple surfers showing off.

VIDEO: Check out The Taco Shop in Capbreton, an excellent Mexican joint owned by a Californian and his French wife.

VIDEO: Check out our dinner date on the beach!
- Leslie

Day 13 Libourne/Bordeaux

Today we shopped till we dropped! We visited Bordeaux, a city of nearly a million people about 45 minutes away from Libourne and Pomerol. There are tons of stores and boutiques along two major pedestrian streets. Although we looked in about every store, we didn't buy much. Leslie was SO excited to get her first taste of good ole American food... McDonald's! She was ecstatic with her BigMac and fries. (Just as FYI Mom and Dad, I'm being very protective of our bags as you can see in this photo.)
- Leslie

Posted by John-Laurent at 12:12 AM MEST
Updated: Tuesday, 10 July 2007 12:18 AM MEST
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Thursday, 5 July 2007

Day 05 Libourne/Pomerol/St. Emilion

After a horrific experience on the train from Paris to the southwest of France, we arrived in Libourne and were greeted by John-Laurent's sweet crowd of grandparents. On Sunday, we finally got to sleep in and started the day with lunch at Chez Tronche. The "lunch" Leslie was expecting lasted 6 hours and included 6 servings of food. After such a huge meal, we decided to walk through the famous vineyards of Pomerol. We enjoyed the greenery after 4 days of the big city. Leslie got a first glimpse of the developing grapes that are oh so important to the region.
- Leslie

Day 06 St. Emilion

We started the day a little late and decided to spend the afternoon exploring St. Emilion. When we arrived to the city, we hopped on a little train which tours the vineyards surrounding the village. Chateau Rochebelle was one of the vineyards along the train route. We stopped there for a quick tour of the winery. The view from Rochebelle was very beautiful. We had a small taste of the wine, bought a bottle and boarded the train again to return to the city. We walked around St. Emilion for awhile and enjoyed the nice weather and local people. Before we left, we stopped at a cafe in the middle of the city for Leslie's first crepe. Of course, she went all out and ordered one with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. We drank a couple extremely strong espressos as well. Photo #2 John-Laurent was content with his strong coffee and plain crepe with sugar.
- Leslie

Day 07 Libourne

We got up earlier than usual to visit the Libourne market, which takes place every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. You can find a lot of things in the market, from jewelry to fruits and vegetables, fresh fish, and things only the French would eat. Leslie got some Fraises Mara des Bois, a type of strawberry known for its stronger taste. John-Laurent bought things Leslie wouldn't dare eat: whole chorizo, anchovies in oil and house-made merguez, a spicy North African lamb sausage. After visiting the market, we walked over to M. Lopez Patisserie and bought a chocolatine, a miniature gateau Basque, an eclair and a tarte aux fraises.

VIDEO: Check out Junior, the poodle who loves to be scratched!
- John-Laurent

Day 08 Hossegor

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! Unfortunately, this date doesn't mean anything to the French. Hot dogs, baked beans and Bud Light are nowhere to be seen. But that doesn't mean we can't wave the stars and bars at the beach. We cooked and ate some hot dogs before heading to a bar seat at the Hotel De La Plage. Que bonita!

VIDEO: Check out our makeshift Fourth of July!
- John-Laurent

Posted by John-Laurent at 1:46 PM MEST
Updated: Thursday, 5 July 2007 1:54 PM MEST
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Tuesday, 3 July 2007

Day 01 Paris

Our trip to France begins with a little delay at DFW. We boarded the plane at about 6:30 p.m., and so our adventure began. John-Laurent was already heavily drinking before we took off, and on the plane, the drinking continued. Of course, he slept perfectly on Leslie's lap while she tossed and turned on the plane all night. Finally, we arrived in Paris at about 10:30 a.m. and did what everyone should do upon arriving at Charles de Gaulle airport: sit back down and have a cup of coffee. John-Laurent was ecstatic just to be off the plane. After our first French croissants, we arrived at Nicolas' office at the Ministry of Health to drop off our luggage. We walked around the Montparnasse/Ecole Militaire area, where Leslie got her first view of the Eiffel Tower. 
- Leslie

Day 02 Paris

Wednesday morning, we took the metro into Paris from Nicholas and Didier's flat in Alfortville, just outside of Paris. We began sight-seeing with the magnificent Arc de Triomphe. We thought it was good to see one of Paris' main attractions first. Like any tourist, we took many pictures of the arc. Afterward, we walked ALL THE WAY down the famous Champs-Élysées, a very long and very famous street filled with fabulous Paris shopping featuring shops like Louis Vuitton, Dior, Cartier and so on. Before arriving at the Louvre, we ate lunch in the Tuileries Gardens. There was a huge line to go inside the Louve (that you can see behind John-Laurent), so we just enjoyed the architecture and moved on. We continued our long walk across the river Seine toward Notre Dame, located on the Ile de la Cite. There was a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower from the river. There was also a big line to see Notre Dame but Leslie thought it was important to check it out. The chapel was beautiful, but with so many people inside, it was hard to enjoy. Finally, we took the metro to Saint Sulpice to visit a very famous and delicious patisserie called Pierre Herme. It sold desserts almost too beautiful to eat, however, Leslie enjoyed every bite of her cheesecake.
- Leslie

Day 03 Paris

We visited the Musée d'Orsay at Megan's request. The museum was at one point a regional train station, but has since been reconstructed into a home for many of the premier impressionist artists, who, it should be noted, were mostly French. Voila #1 Voila #2 John-Laurent thought this painting reminded him of his dear brother. After drinking our now thrice-daily cup of coffee, we roamed the streets of Paris in search of an Internet cafe. Leslie wasn't wild about walking to find a computer, but John-Laurent insisted on checking his bank balance, which is currently hovering around the 28 cent mark. The Eiffel Tower is huge, but Leslie doesn't think it's that big. Still, we decided to pay the 11 euros and ride the elevator all the way to the top! Ground floor. Second floor. Third floor. The Eiffel Tower is very picturesque at night. We sat on our blanket (free courtesy of American Airlines) and enjoyed the setting sun and flickering lights of Paris' most well-known attraction at night.

VIDEO: Check out Leslie's fantastic camera video of our trip to the Eiffel Tower. A
- John-Laurent

Day 04 Paris

The Montmartre area of Paris is ugly as sin. Supposedly there's a beautiful area, where the French movie Amelia was filmed, but we didn't see it. Instead we hiked up a big hill to see the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, a relatively new church on the outskirts of Paris proper. The church is less popular with the French than it is with tourists, but the inside is much nicer than Notre Dame. The view across Paris is incredible from the steps of Sacré-Cœur. The sea of buildings and homes seems to extend as far as the eye can see.

We visited Place de la Madeleine for lunch. It's a very posh area, much like the Champs-Élysées but you don't have to walk as much. Leslie picked out the engagement ring she wants John-Laurent to buy her. Just kidding! But she would like to own the bracelet in the back, maybe. She'll talk to Keith about Christmas gifts this year.
- John-Laurent

Posted by John-Laurent at 6:24 PM MEST
Updated: Tuesday, 17 July 2007 2:02 AM MEST
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