Sunday August 7
I woke up this morning when I heard Camille moving around. I went downstairs to say goodbye and to wish her a happy holiday camping with her family on an island just off the Atlantic. Didier and Anne were still sleeping, and Camille was having breakfast. She is going to a private campground originally owned by her family and they go every year. Her parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins. After saying goodbye I went back up to my bedroom and am trying to catch up with the daily posts I haven't kept up with. We stay up so late every night so that I don't have the energy to write.
When we were all awake and had breakfast, Anne suggested that she and I go to a small village nearby so we headed out in the car to St. Hilaire la Croix, and historic church in a small village. It has a small lake in the village next to the church with a statue of a woman (we don't know who but it looks cool.) It is a 12th century church and had many wonderful details. There was one alcove inside with motion sensitive lighting and so a saint/statue appear when you pass. There was a really cool tall skinny rustic Jesus above the confessional and a horse drawn hearse. Oddly enough, right now when I looked at the pictures on my phone, only the Jesus is blurry. Do you think that is a sign from the heavens. Uh Oh, I'm in trouble.
We went into the garden and saw beautiful flowers and some headstones from the late 1800s. It was a beautiful sunny day. Anne decided to return to La Viellenueve via a small road she didn't know instead of returning the way we came. We went through charming farm lands and small residential areas and then saw a cool sort of yard with something we wanted so see, so we stopped in the middle of the road and got out to look closer. It was some sort of sculpture program in progress, in the farmlands. Unfortunately it was not open, so we could not go inside. A man who lives nearby waved at us and smiled as he maneuvered his car around our car. I think it is not the first time someone has stopped this way.
For dinner tonite we go to a traditional restaurant in Lisseuil near La Villenueve. We had stopped a day or so before to get the menu so they can see if I like the menu. I am up for anything so we made a reservation. In this restaurant the portions are huge and the prices are small. For the starter Didier selected the Tete de veau sauce gribiche which is the head of a calf in sauce. He likes this and wanted me to taste it. I am not clear exactly what part of the head it was, but it reminded me visuallty of brains I had tasted many years ago in Sydney, except this was two pieces and much larger. It was obviously brined then cooked, and the taste and texture reminded me of a corned beef I have had. I ordered the Darne de saumon- fume maison, sur lit de lentilles du Puy. This was a piece of house smoked salmon with a dish of puy lentils. It was really lovely. Anne ordered the Salade de gesiers au vinaigre de miel. This was a salad with duck gizzards and I also tasted and it was great. Tasted of duck instead of gizzards.
Our main course- I ordered Daube de Salers au vin d-Auvergne. This is a beef stew made with wine from the Auvergne region. It is like Boeuf Borguignon. Excellent, hearty, already full and we haven't had cheese course or dessert..... Didier ordered the Cuisses de Grenouilles (Frogs Legs). He was a little disappointed, it was breaded and fried, and he did not think they were as fresh as the ones I had last week in Nantua which were served in a wonderful herby vinaigrette. Anne ordered the Magret de canard aux airelles- the duck the duck with red currants. I love duck, but had planned to order it at a restaurant in Bordeaux which is known for duck. I tasted both dishes and of course loved the duck. I had three pieces. These were served with another plate with grilled tomatoes, diced fried potatoes and green beans.
OK by the time we finished this. We were all very full. The cheese course at this restaurant includes at least a quarter wheel of several cheeses - since we have been eating really good cheese / comte for the last week or so, we only tried small pieces. The goat cheese that is made by their unfriendly neighbors at La Viellevueve for one. This course took very little time and I did not take a picture.
Anne had been worried, when we walked in, that they would run out of her favorite dessert which was a hot crème brulee with raspberries. Little did we know that when she asked the owner if there were enough left for us, he went into the kitchen and saved them for our dessert. It was heavenly.
We went back to the country house and I think we went right to bed but again, I am not sure. Without the pictures on my phone I wouldn't even know what day it was. LOL
When we were all awake and had breakfast, Anne suggested that she and I go to a small village nearby so we headed out in the car to St. Hilaire la Croix, and historic church in a small village. It has a small lake in the village next to the church with a statue of a woman (we don't know who but it looks cool.) It is a 12th century church and had many wonderful details. There was one alcove inside with motion sensitive lighting and so a saint/statue appear when you pass. There was a really cool tall skinny rustic Jesus above the confessional and a horse drawn hearse. Oddly enough, right now when I looked at the pictures on my phone, only the Jesus is blurry. Do you think that is a sign from the heavens. Uh Oh, I'm in trouble.
We went into the garden and saw beautiful flowers and some headstones from the late 1800s. It was a beautiful sunny day. Anne decided to return to La Viellenueve via a small road she didn't know instead of returning the way we came. We went through charming farm lands and small residential areas and then saw a cool sort of yard with something we wanted so see, so we stopped in the middle of the road and got out to look closer. It was some sort of sculpture program in progress, in the farmlands. Unfortunately it was not open, so we could not go inside. A man who lives nearby waved at us and smiled as he maneuvered his car around our car. I think it is not the first time someone has stopped this way.
For dinner tonite we go to a traditional restaurant in Lisseuil near La Villenueve. We had stopped a day or so before to get the menu so they can see if I like the menu. I am up for anything so we made a reservation. In this restaurant the portions are huge and the prices are small. For the starter Didier selected the Tete de veau sauce gribiche which is the head of a calf in sauce. He likes this and wanted me to taste it. I am not clear exactly what part of the head it was, but it reminded me visuallty of brains I had tasted many years ago in Sydney, except this was two pieces and much larger. It was obviously brined then cooked, and the taste and texture reminded me of a corned beef I have had. I ordered the Darne de saumon- fume maison, sur lit de lentilles du Puy. This was a piece of house smoked salmon with a dish of puy lentils. It was really lovely. Anne ordered the Salade de gesiers au vinaigre de miel. This was a salad with duck gizzards and I also tasted and it was great. Tasted of duck instead of gizzards.
Our main course- I ordered Daube de Salers au vin d-Auvergne. This is a beef stew made with wine from the Auvergne region. It is like Boeuf Borguignon. Excellent, hearty, already full and we haven't had cheese course or dessert..... Didier ordered the Cuisses de Grenouilles (Frogs Legs). He was a little disappointed, it was breaded and fried, and he did not think they were as fresh as the ones I had last week in Nantua which were served in a wonderful herby vinaigrette. Anne ordered the Magret de canard aux airelles- the duck the duck with red currants. I love duck, but had planned to order it at a restaurant in Bordeaux which is known for duck. I tasted both dishes and of course loved the duck. I had three pieces. These were served with another plate with grilled tomatoes, diced fried potatoes and green beans.
OK by the time we finished this. We were all very full. The cheese course at this restaurant includes at least a quarter wheel of several cheeses - since we have been eating really good cheese / comte for the last week or so, we only tried small pieces. The goat cheese that is made by their unfriendly neighbors at La Viellevueve for one. This course took very little time and I did not take a picture.
Anne had been worried, when we walked in, that they would run out of her favorite dessert which was a hot crème brulee with raspberries. Little did we know that when she asked the owner if there were enough left for us, he went into the kitchen and saved them for our dessert. It was heavenly.
We went back to the country house and I think we went right to bed but again, I am not sure. Without the pictures on my phone I wouldn't even know what day it was. LOL
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