There seems to be some separation anxiety in the Cabe household. But apparently I am the one who has it, not Jacob.
Some of you might know that I am in a cooking group here in Clermont. I don't think I have ever posted a blog about it, not sure why. Anyway, it is a small group of international women who all love to cook. Once a month we meet at someone's house and are introduced to recipes from that woman's country (or husband's country). We start in the morning and cook together a three course meal, and then eat the food for lunch. I am the resident American cook, and have shared recipes for pulled pork barbeque, homemade macaroni and cheese, biscuits, fresh corn salad, peach cobbler... We have another American who is from New Orleans, so she shares a lot of creole cooking. And her husband is of Cuban descent, so we get some good Cuban food thrown in as well. I have also learned to cook Indian, Singaporean, Thai, Bolivian, Russian, and French cuisine. I can honestly say that this cooking group, and the access to so many international women and cuisines, is something I am going to miss the most about living here.
Back to the separation anxiety. When I hosted l'Atelier Culinaire at my house, it wasn't too hard with Jacob. He wasn't mobile at that point and was content to either be passed from person to person, play on his Baby Einstein mat, and he also helped me out by taking a really long nap that morning. Today's group was meeting at a French woman's home. I had never been there before, so didn't know how newly-crawling-baby-safe it was, and honestly, I just wanted to fully enjoy and participate in the cooking. Not worry about Jacob.
I called my good friend Jen and asked her to babysit. She had tennis, but could start at 10:30. My next call was to a friend whose daughter is back for the summer after her first year of college. Daniele agreed to cover from 9-10:30. No problem. Right? Yep. Until this morning when I started getting all flustered about the whole situation. What if he starts pitching a fit? He is normally happy-go-lucky, but when he gets upset, he gets UPSET. Even Matthew and I have a hard time calming him down if he really gets going. Would he nap? He is such a creature of habit, would this change in routine throw him for a loop? If he didn't nap, would he really be a terror for these two sweet women who are doing me this huge favor? He is used to being with me everyday, all day. Would he flip out when I walked out the door and didn't come back? These and a million other questions/concerns were running through my mind. As I left my sweet baby in the very capable hands of Daniele, I had to force myself to continue walking to the bus, and not turn around and run back to the apartment.
About 100 texts later, I was feeling calmer, since apparently Jacob barely noticed I was gone... I got back home around 2:30pm, and Jacob and Jen were happily playing on the floor. I know I was super happy to see him, and I was rewarded with smiles and some snuggles. Based on his 2 hr+ nap this afternoon, I need to find out what Daniele and Jen did to wear him out so much!
Bottom line. Mom survived. And, Mom had an amazing French meal thrown into the deal (that included boeuf bourguignon and tarte tatin, mmmmm!).
Monday, June 20, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Matthew's First Father's Day
For Matthew's very first Father's Day, Jacob and I have been scheming for weeks to make sure it was a special one for him.
The festivities started Saturday morning when I told Matthew we had to leave the apartment by 9am. I told him to pack a bag with a swimsuit and hiking boots (not that he would need either, but I needed to make sure he really had no idea where we were headed!). I plugged the address in the GPS and told him to just start driving. We drove about 40 minutes to town called Thiers. Thiers is famous for their knife making. We went there last year and bought a set of steak knifes with our initial engraved in them. Matthew took our friends (and Jacob's godparents) back there when they visited us last summer. But Saturday we had something special planned for Matthew. First, let me say that Matthew has an addiction to two things: watches and pocket knives. He also seems to have a curse when it comes to these two things. I can't tell you how many watches he has lost or had stolen. He also seems to really enjoy giving away his pocket knives- like at airport security checkpoints, courthouses, or even an Atlanta Braves game.
Anyway, back to Saturday. Awhile ago, another American Michelin expat posted on facebook pictures of a day she spent in Thiers making her own knife. As soon as I heard about it, I just knew I had to take Matthew. The program has only been open since April, and basically you call and make a reservation, show up, and are given a guide who shows you how to make your own pocket knife (kids can make a butter knife). I made two reservations, but planned on Matthew making both knives- one for him and one he could give Jacob sometime in the (distant) future. There was a little bit of concern that the noise would bother Jacob, but since he fell asleep amidst the hammering and belt sanders, apparently it wasn't an issue for him!
The festivities started Saturday morning when I told Matthew we had to leave the apartment by 9am. I told him to pack a bag with a swimsuit and hiking boots (not that he would need either, but I needed to make sure he really had no idea where we were headed!). I plugged the address in the GPS and told him to just start driving. We drove about 40 minutes to town called Thiers. Thiers is famous for their knife making. We went there last year and bought a set of steak knifes with our initial engraved in them. Matthew took our friends (and Jacob's godparents) back there when they visited us last summer. But Saturday we had something special planned for Matthew. First, let me say that Matthew has an addiction to two things: watches and pocket knives. He also seems to have a curse when it comes to these two things. I can't tell you how many watches he has lost or had stolen. He also seems to really enjoy giving away his pocket knives- like at airport security checkpoints, courthouses, or even an Atlanta Braves game.
Anyway, back to Saturday. Awhile ago, another American Michelin expat posted on facebook pictures of a day she spent in Thiers making her own knife. As soon as I heard about it, I just knew I had to take Matthew. The program has only been open since April, and basically you call and make a reservation, show up, and are given a guide who shows you how to make your own pocket knife (kids can make a butter knife). I made two reservations, but planned on Matthew making both knives- one for him and one he could give Jacob sometime in the (distant) future. There was a little bit of concern that the noise would bother Jacob, but since he fell asleep amidst the hammering and belt sanders, apparently it wasn't an issue for him!
It was a really cool experience. I highly recommend it to anyone living in or visiting the Auvergne.
We ate a great lunch at the same little restaurant we ate at last year, and then headed home.
I really hate this photo of me, but Matthew thinks it is just hilarious. He loves how my facial expression and Jacob's are just alike. Like mother, like son, apparently.
Saturday night, after putting Jacob to bed, I made Matthew a special dinner. Grilled côte de bœuf (steak), homard entier (whole lobster, that I made Matthew stick in the pot because I just couldn't bear to do it!), haricots verts (green beans), and, um, homemade bacon lover's macaroni and cheese (sorry, no french translation for that!). I also attempted for the first time to make Matthew's favorite- Key Lime Pie. Although graham crackers for the crust don't exist in France, and neither do key limes. All in all, it turned out pretty good though.
This morning, I offered to let Matthew sleep in, but he couldn't go back to sleep. So our little family was up early. After nursing Jacob, I handed him off to make Matthew the Father's Day breakfast (do you see a theme developing for the weekend?) that I had planned on serving him in bed. Caramelized onion, bacon, and Gruyere Frittata with homemade biscuits were on the menu. Oh, and some of the most beautiful strawberries that we picked up at the Saturday market in Thiers. Jacob and I also gave Matthew a framed picture and a picture/poem I made for him.
Today has been a wonderfully lazy Sunday. I love my little family, and I love Jacob's most awesome daddy. Happy Father's Day Matthew!
Watching TV with Daddy.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
6 Years of Bliss
Six years ago I married my Prince Charming. But the title of this blog is actually misleading, because the six years we dated were pretty great too! That's right, twelve years together. Matthew and I are high school sweethearts. I knew from the moment I met Matthew that I was ruined for all other guys.
We met because my grandparents owned a lake house on Lake Burton in Rabun County, Georgia- where Matthew lived. My sister, a friend, and I were hanging out on the dock one day when a small Boston Whaler zipped past our dock. We thought it was a guy we had met at the local marina the weekend before, so we waved him down. The boat made a u-turn and pulled up. We were a little surprised to find that the two guys were complete strangers. I became fast friends with the owner of the boat, David. Labor Day weekend 1998, David invited me to go to his church's 'Boat Church'. I was completely smitten with a certain friend of David's, whom they all called 'Cabe'. As the last official weekend of the summer, and the last weekend of Boat Church for the year, the tradition was to throw the youth choir, and eventually the preacher, off the pontoon boat at the end of the service. 'Cabe' successfully tossed several others off the boat before turning to me. He scooped me up in his arms (swoon...) and leaped off the boat.
(quick side note- Matthew actually had a girlfriend during that fateful Labor Day weekend, so it wasn't until the following summer that we started dating...)
(another not-so-quick side note- When I was little, my family lived in Rabun County too. My mom and Matthew's mom were both members of the Junior Women's Club. They swear we must have played together. We keep waiting/hoping for a picture to turn up of us together as babies...)
We actually got married on our 6 year 'dating anniversary'. We decided on June 11 as our official anniversary because we went on our very first date (with the now Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Funk) on June 10 (we played putt-putt in Helen, GA and then went to a restaurant where I ordered the grilled cheese and a water because it was the cheapest thing on the menu. $3, if I remember correctly. But I digress...) and on June 12 decided to officially be a couple. We split the difference and chose June 11 as our anniversary. When we got engaged in 2004, I knew I wanted a June wedding the following year. June 11 just happened to fall on a Saturday, and we knew it was meant to be!
I have truly been blessed with an amazing husband and an amazing marriage. Matthew gets all of the credit for keeping things running as smoothly as they do. I will fully admit that I have a {slight} tendency to pout. Matthew has a wonderful way of diffusing a situation, and is {normally} the first to concede/apologize/compromise after a disagreement. I love Matthew for his heart. I love him for his intelligence. I love him for his sense of adventure. I even love him for his stubbornness, and his need to be way above average at whatever he is doing. I love the way he loves his family. I love the way he loves me. I love the way he loves Jacob. I have always been amazed at the person that he is. But seeing Matthew as a father is simply beautiful.
Matthew is my favorite.
Happy Anniversary Matthew! I love you!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Normandy Weekend: Day 4
(Don't worry, this is the last one!)
After such a busy schedule the last 3 days, we had a lazy Sunday morning in our hotel room. We ate breakfast in the restaurant at the hotel and then came back upstairs and put Jacob down for a nap. While Jacob napped, we packed up and then relaxed in the room.
We had to be back in Clermont for a Matthew to go to a work dinner, so our only stop on Sunday was to the Château du Clos Lucé. This is where Leondardo da Vinci spent the last 3 years of his life. The chateau itself is beautiful, but simple (actually one of my favorites that we have visited- beautiful brick walls and exposed wood beams is much more my style then some of the over-the-top fancy smancy chateaus). Matthew is completely intrigued by Leondardo da Vinci, and so this was perfect for him. The best thing about our visit started once we finished touring the house and headed out to the gardens. It was like Disneyland for geeks, er, I mean, engineers. In the basement of the house they had a ton of da Vinci's sketches, along with models that had been created based on his drawings. In the park, they really brought da Vinci's visions to life! There were life size replications of da Vinci's flying machine, a spinning tank, Archimedes screw, a bridge that swung on hinges, a multi-barreled cannon (that kids could crank and a recording of shots would ring out while smoke billowed out the ends!). There was also a double decker bridge that da Vinci designed after the plague. His idea was that better traffic circulation would improve the health of the cities. By offering two different levels, pedestrians could use the upper level, while carts driven by animals and often carrying waste would be below on the bottom level. The guy was just brilliant. Can you imagine what he would have been able to accomplish if he was alive today?
We really could have spent all day wandering around the park and playing with the models, but we still had a three hour drive ahead of us, so it was back in the car! If you are planning a trip to the Loire Valley, or like us, just passing through, I highly, highly, highly recommend making this one of your stops. There were a ton of kids running around, and they all had some sort of scavenger hunt/activity booklet thing given to them by the chateau. Or even without kids, if you or your husband is a geek, shoot!... I mean, engineer... it is well worth the stop. My brain doesn't work like Matthew's, but I still found it fascinating. Although, I didn't take time to analyze each drawing and the mechanics of each model (like Matthew did), or even take time to fully grasp the information on the signs. Such as this on the double-decker bridge sign: "In the rule of harmonious proportion...the height of the rectangle is equal to the diagonal of the square of the base..."
Ok, so that concludes our Normandy weekend! It was a really great road trip. I loved spending so much quality time as a family and soaking up some history while we were at it! Sadly, this was our last trip in France. We leave in July, and except for our cruise the first week of July, we have no more trips planned. There are so many more places we have left on our "to-do" list. (sigh) Maybe one day we will get to come back.
After such a busy schedule the last 3 days, we had a lazy Sunday morning in our hotel room. We ate breakfast in the restaurant at the hotel and then came back upstairs and put Jacob down for a nap. While Jacob napped, we packed up and then relaxed in the room.
We had to be back in Clermont for a Matthew to go to a work dinner, so our only stop on Sunday was to the Château du Clos Lucé. This is where Leondardo da Vinci spent the last 3 years of his life. The chateau itself is beautiful, but simple (actually one of my favorites that we have visited- beautiful brick walls and exposed wood beams is much more my style then some of the over-the-top fancy smancy chateaus). Matthew is completely intrigued by Leondardo da Vinci, and so this was perfect for him. The best thing about our visit started once we finished touring the house and headed out to the gardens. It was like Disneyland for geeks, er, I mean, engineers. In the basement of the house they had a ton of da Vinci's sketches, along with models that had been created based on his drawings. In the park, they really brought da Vinci's visions to life! There were life size replications of da Vinci's flying machine, a spinning tank, Archimedes screw, a bridge that swung on hinges, a multi-barreled cannon (that kids could crank and a recording of shots would ring out while smoke billowed out the ends!). There was also a double decker bridge that da Vinci designed after the plague. His idea was that better traffic circulation would improve the health of the cities. By offering two different levels, pedestrians could use the upper level, while carts driven by animals and often carrying waste would be below on the bottom level. The guy was just brilliant. Can you imagine what he would have been able to accomplish if he was alive today?
We really could have spent all day wandering around the park and playing with the models, but we still had a three hour drive ahead of us, so it was back in the car! If you are planning a trip to the Loire Valley, or like us, just passing through, I highly, highly, highly recommend making this one of your stops. There were a ton of kids running around, and they all had some sort of scavenger hunt/activity booklet thing given to them by the chateau. Or even without kids, if you or your husband is a geek, shoot!... I mean, engineer... it is well worth the stop. My brain doesn't work like Matthew's, but I still found it fascinating. Although, I didn't take time to analyze each drawing and the mechanics of each model (like Matthew did), or even take time to fully grasp the information on the signs. Such as this on the double-decker bridge sign: "In the rule of harmonious proportion...the height of the rectangle is equal to the diagonal of the square of the base..."
Ok, so that concludes our Normandy weekend! It was a really great road trip. I loved spending so much quality time as a family and soaking up some history while we were at it! Sadly, this was our last trip in France. We leave in July, and except for our cruise the first week of July, we have no more trips planned. There are so many more places we have left on our "to-do" list. (sigh) Maybe one day we will get to come back.
Normandy Weekend: Day 3
Saturday morning we woke up to gray skies. We just prayed the rain would hold off long enough for us to visit Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery. The plan was to head to the Loire Valley after those two stops, so after breakfast we packed up. Poor Jacob was so tired after two days of no naps, he fell asleep on the bed while we packed.
We arrived in the little village where the code-named 'Omaha Beach' is located. The place was packed! Being the anniversary weekend of the D-Day landings, WWII history enthusiasts were out in all of their costumed glory. There were TONS of US Army Jeeps (all owned and driven by French people), people in full combat gear, and a little bit of everything in between... Since we were expecting rain any minute, we bypassed the mock military camp that was set up in a field and the military paraphernalia flea market, and walked straight down to the beach. The wind was just insane! Jacob was snug inside the Moby wrap, and with the hood covering his face and the roar of the ocean (just like on his white noise 'Sleep Sheep'), he was asleep in no time. While he snoozed, we walked along the beach, and read on our Kindle the story of the Americans landing on the beach (Kindle + Rick Steves is a great combo when sightseeing!). About 100 pictures later, we were walking back up the hill to where all of the festivities were going on. We stopped in the flea market and found a guy that was custom stamping US dog tags. We decided it would be neat for Jacob to have one as a little souvenir from our trip. I have to admit though, with each stamp into the metal, I wanted to tell the guy to stop. I know this is probably horrible, but as a mom, I hope Jacob never has real dog tags. If he chooses a military life, of course I will be supportive, and definitely proud of him. But, the thought of my baby fighting in a war.... Especially after three days of reliving the sacrifices of so many Americans (most of them just boys), the thought of Jacob being in harms way makes my heart start pounding.
Once back in the car, we headed to the American Cemetery. The cemetery is located on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach. The land was given to the US by France and contains the remains of over 9,000 Americans, most of whom were killed during the Normandy invasions. There were some soldiers whose family wanted to bury them back in the US. It is quite emotional to stare out at the thousands of gleaming white crosses.
Raindrops started falling while we were walking around the cemetery, so we headed back to the car. This was the last stop in our tour of Normandy. We drove the 3 1/2 hours south, back to the Loire Valley. By the time we got to our hotel, the temperature had changed more than 20 degrees! I think the lady at the hotel thought we were crazy to be dressed in jeans and long sleeves. We quickly changed into our bathing suits and headed to the little hotel pool. The water was too cold for swimming, but we let Jacob stand on the first step and get get his toes wet. Except for some grunting noises, he didn't seem to mind the cold water.
The hotel was really tiny, only 6 rooms, but it was a perfect set-up for us. The room was huge, with a king size bed (well, two twins put together) and a sitting area complete with couch, table, and chairs. There was also a large entryway, and the room had a door that closed it off from the entryway. We were able to put Jacob's crib in the entryway, and after we put him to bed we could close the door to our room. We had stopped and bought some of Normandy's famous Camembert cheese and fresh bread before leaving Normandy. Matthew found a store close by and bought some wine and dessert. We put Jacob to bed and were able to open the balcony door which gave us a view of the village and a little of the countryside. As much as we love French restaurants, our little make-shift room picnic was just perfect.
We arrived in the little village where the code-named 'Omaha Beach' is located. The place was packed! Being the anniversary weekend of the D-Day landings, WWII history enthusiasts were out in all of their costumed glory. There were TONS of US Army Jeeps (all owned and driven by French people), people in full combat gear, and a little bit of everything in between... Since we were expecting rain any minute, we bypassed the mock military camp that was set up in a field and the military paraphernalia flea market, and walked straight down to the beach. The wind was just insane! Jacob was snug inside the Moby wrap, and with the hood covering his face and the roar of the ocean (just like on his white noise 'Sleep Sheep'), he was asleep in no time. While he snoozed, we walked along the beach, and read on our Kindle the story of the Americans landing on the beach (Kindle + Rick Steves is a great combo when sightseeing!). About 100 pictures later, we were walking back up the hill to where all of the festivities were going on. We stopped in the flea market and found a guy that was custom stamping US dog tags. We decided it would be neat for Jacob to have one as a little souvenir from our trip. I have to admit though, with each stamp into the metal, I wanted to tell the guy to stop. I know this is probably horrible, but as a mom, I hope Jacob never has real dog tags. If he chooses a military life, of course I will be supportive, and definitely proud of him. But, the thought of my baby fighting in a war.... Especially after three days of reliving the sacrifices of so many Americans (most of them just boys), the thought of Jacob being in harms way makes my heart start pounding.
Once back in the car, we headed to the American Cemetery. The cemetery is located on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach. The land was given to the US by France and contains the remains of over 9,000 Americans, most of whom were killed during the Normandy invasions. There were some soldiers whose family wanted to bury them back in the US. It is quite emotional to stare out at the thousands of gleaming white crosses.
Raindrops started falling while we were walking around the cemetery, so we headed back to the car. This was the last stop in our tour of Normandy. We drove the 3 1/2 hours south, back to the Loire Valley. By the time we got to our hotel, the temperature had changed more than 20 degrees! I think the lady at the hotel thought we were crazy to be dressed in jeans and long sleeves. We quickly changed into our bathing suits and headed to the little hotel pool. The water was too cold for swimming, but we let Jacob stand on the first step and get get his toes wet. Except for some grunting noises, he didn't seem to mind the cold water.
The hotel was really tiny, only 6 rooms, but it was a perfect set-up for us. The room was huge, with a king size bed (well, two twins put together) and a sitting area complete with couch, table, and chairs. There was also a large entryway, and the room had a door that closed it off from the entryway. We were able to put Jacob's crib in the entryway, and after we put him to bed we could close the door to our room. We had stopped and bought some of Normandy's famous Camembert cheese and fresh bread before leaving Normandy. Matthew found a store close by and bought some wine and dessert. We put Jacob to bed and were able to open the balcony door which gave us a view of the village and a little of the countryside. As much as we love French restaurants, our little make-shift room picnic was just perfect.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Normandy Weekend: Day 2
Friday morning we woke up, and we were all pretty tired! Jacob woke up several times throughout the night, and since there wasn't any insulation between our rooms, we heard every grunt, every coo, every time he rolled over... Luckily, he put himself back to sleep each time, but it still left us all with dark circles under our eyes. We had to shake it off though, because we had a big day planned!
After a simple, but yummy breakfast downstairs (with some of THE BEST strawberry yogurt EVER), we got back in the car (much to Jacob's dismay) and headed to Caen. Our first stop of the day was the large Memorial Museum in Caen. The museum is really well done, and isn't just limited to WWII. It starts after WWI, and they even have a wing dedicated to the Cold War. Beware though, strollers are not allowed. They did have a daycare center for children under 11, but since we were there right in the middle of Jacob's first nap time, I was worried he would be a terror for the adults in charge. Instead, we decided to put him in the Baby Bjorn. Like everything in Normandy, there were a ton of people, and the museum got very crowded at places. It is a must-see though if you are in the area.
Our next stop was Arromanches-les-Bains. Here, you can see "Port Winston", a temporary harbor built by the English to unload cargo onto the beaches. We first stopped for some "feesh and cheeps" at a little restaurant recommended in the Rick Steve's guidebook. The restaurant was packed and while we waited for a table, I snuck off to the bathroom leaving Matthew by himself. Unfortunately, while I was waiting in line, Matthew was seated and left to deal with the stroller by himself (French restaurants are notorious for putting tables so close together that even the waiters can barely squeeze through). He got some dirty looks by the people who had to move out of the way for him to get to our table. After a quick lunch, it was time for some sightseeing. It was extremely windy, but we braved the weather to walk down to the waterfront.
Next stop on the itinerary was Pointe du Hoc. If you are a fan of the movie The Longest Day, then this would be a must see sight. It was at these 100 ft tall cliffs that 300 handpicked US Army Rangers attempted to scale the vertical cliffs (using grappling hooks shot by rockets, and ladders from the London fire departments). The Rangers only had 30 minutes to make it to the top (while being shot at!) before the tide would come in and wash them away. Only about a third of the Rangers survived the assault.
For dinner, we headed into a nearby fishing village and found a little crêpe restaurant. Then it was back to the b&b and bedtime for all of us!
After a simple, but yummy breakfast downstairs (with some of THE BEST strawberry yogurt EVER), we got back in the car (much to Jacob's dismay) and headed to Caen. Our first stop of the day was the large Memorial Museum in Caen. The museum is really well done, and isn't just limited to WWII. It starts after WWI, and they even have a wing dedicated to the Cold War. Beware though, strollers are not allowed. They did have a daycare center for children under 11, but since we were there right in the middle of Jacob's first nap time, I was worried he would be a terror for the adults in charge. Instead, we decided to put him in the Baby Bjorn. Like everything in Normandy, there were a ton of people, and the museum got very crowded at places. It is a must-see though if you are in the area.
Our next stop was Arromanches-les-Bains. Here, you can see "Port Winston", a temporary harbor built by the English to unload cargo onto the beaches. We first stopped for some "feesh and cheeps" at a little restaurant recommended in the Rick Steve's guidebook. The restaurant was packed and while we waited for a table, I snuck off to the bathroom leaving Matthew by himself. Unfortunately, while I was waiting in line, Matthew was seated and left to deal with the stroller by himself (French restaurants are notorious for putting tables so close together that even the waiters can barely squeeze through). He got some dirty looks by the people who had to move out of the way for him to get to our table. After a quick lunch, it was time for some sightseeing. It was extremely windy, but we braved the weather to walk down to the waterfront.
Next stop on the itinerary was Pointe du Hoc. If you are a fan of the movie The Longest Day, then this would be a must see sight. It was at these 100 ft tall cliffs that 300 handpicked US Army Rangers attempted to scale the vertical cliffs (using grappling hooks shot by rockets, and ladders from the London fire departments). The Rangers only had 30 minutes to make it to the top (while being shot at!) before the tide would come in and wash them away. Only about a third of the Rangers survived the assault.
For dinner, we headed into a nearby fishing village and found a little crêpe restaurant. Then it was back to the b&b and bedtime for all of us!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Normandy Weekend: Day 1
We just got back from a wonderful long weekend (gotta love those French holidays that fall on Thursdays, and the 'faire le pont' day on Friday!). We decided for the long weekend to make the trip back to Normandy. We spent a long weekend there last year with friends, but didn't get to visit any of the D-Day beaches or museums. We felt we would be unpatriotic if we let our time in France go by without taking time to visit the beaches.
It is about a 7 hour drive from Clermont to the area of Normandy where I found a b&b. We decided to break the trip up and stop at a chateau in the Loire Valley. We chose the Château de Chenonceau because, well, because I saw a really pretty picture of it in my Frommer's France book! It is said to be a lot of visitors' favorite chateau in all of France, so I figured if we were only going to visit one, then it would be a good one. We arrived in the little village right at lunch time and since most restaurants stop serving lunch at 2:00pm, we decided to go ahead and eat. Again, trusty Frommer's directed us to a little restaurant that was a short walk from the chateau's parking lot. This was the first time we had attempted to take Jacob with us to a French restaurant. The French love their food, and a meal is never something to be rushed. I was a little anxious about how Jacob would do- especially after just having spent 3 hours strapped in his car seat. He was awesome! Whew! He was completely fascinated by everything going on around him. It also helps that he is now eating a lunch meal, so I could feed him a bite, eat a little myself, feed him, etc. We had an amazing 4 course meal, and Jacob was completely content the entire time. After all of that food, thank goodness we didn't plan to get right back in the car. The day was beautiful, and walking through a chateau and its impressive gardens was just the ticket. The chateau was really pretty, but super crowded!
After about an hour, we decided to go ahead and hit the road again. The bed and breakfast I found in Normandy is part of a working dairy farm. It is in the middle of nowhere, which just happens to be very close to Omaha Beach. When we drove up the tree lined drive, our jaws dropped. The main house was enclosed by a stone wall that surrounded it and several other buildings. The Ferme Manoir de l'Hermerel cows provide milk that is used to make Normandy's famous Camembert cheese. Yum! We had to wait about 30 minutes when we arrived because we couldn't find the owner! Finally she arrived and showed us to our room(s). I booked a room with a small adjoining children's room for Jacob, thinking he (and we) would sleep better if he wasn't in the same room as us. It was almost 8:00 (an hour after his normal bedtime) by the time we got settled in the room. We did bath and fed him his bottle, but since the sun doesn't set until about 10:00pm, his room was really bright. He had a really hard time falling asleep. Matthew left to go find something to bring back for us to eat for dinner. Jacob finally fell asleep a little after 9, just as Matthew got back. We ate sitting on the bed, and went to bed early ourselves, ready for a big day in Normandy the next day!
(Blogger has told me that I have exceeded my uploaded picture space... boo! So, I put all of the pictures from Day 1 in a slideshow and uploaded it to YouTube.)
It is about a 7 hour drive from Clermont to the area of Normandy where I found a b&b. We decided to break the trip up and stop at a chateau in the Loire Valley. We chose the Château de Chenonceau because, well, because I saw a really pretty picture of it in my Frommer's France book! It is said to be a lot of visitors' favorite chateau in all of France, so I figured if we were only going to visit one, then it would be a good one. We arrived in the little village right at lunch time and since most restaurants stop serving lunch at 2:00pm, we decided to go ahead and eat. Again, trusty Frommer's directed us to a little restaurant that was a short walk from the chateau's parking lot. This was the first time we had attempted to take Jacob with us to a French restaurant. The French love their food, and a meal is never something to be rushed. I was a little anxious about how Jacob would do- especially after just having spent 3 hours strapped in his car seat. He was awesome! Whew! He was completely fascinated by everything going on around him. It also helps that he is now eating a lunch meal, so I could feed him a bite, eat a little myself, feed him, etc. We had an amazing 4 course meal, and Jacob was completely content the entire time. After all of that food, thank goodness we didn't plan to get right back in the car. The day was beautiful, and walking through a chateau and its impressive gardens was just the ticket. The chateau was really pretty, but super crowded!
After about an hour, we decided to go ahead and hit the road again. The bed and breakfast I found in Normandy is part of a working dairy farm. It is in the middle of nowhere, which just happens to be very close to Omaha Beach. When we drove up the tree lined drive, our jaws dropped. The main house was enclosed by a stone wall that surrounded it and several other buildings. The Ferme Manoir de l'Hermerel cows provide milk that is used to make Normandy's famous Camembert cheese. Yum! We had to wait about 30 minutes when we arrived because we couldn't find the owner! Finally she arrived and showed us to our room(s). I booked a room with a small adjoining children's room for Jacob, thinking he (and we) would sleep better if he wasn't in the same room as us. It was almost 8:00 (an hour after his normal bedtime) by the time we got settled in the room. We did bath and fed him his bottle, but since the sun doesn't set until about 10:00pm, his room was really bright. He had a really hard time falling asleep. Matthew left to go find something to bring back for us to eat for dinner. Jacob finally fell asleep a little after 9, just as Matthew got back. We ate sitting on the bed, and went to bed early ourselves, ready for a big day in Normandy the next day!
(Blogger has told me that I have exceeded my uploaded picture space... boo! So, I put all of the pictures from Day 1 in a slideshow and uploaded it to YouTube.)
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Wordless (well, almost...) Wednesday
We leave tomorrow for Normandy, so I don't have time for a full post. I wanted to share this though. This afternoon, Jacob and I were walking home from downtown and he was cracking up! He was a total giggle box for no apparent reason. I tried to capture it with my camera phone, but of course as soon as the camera came out, the giggling calmed down. Still pretty cute though.
(oh, and it was cold, so I was walking really quickly. Sorry for the shaky camera.)
(oh, and it was cold, so I was walking really quickly. Sorry for the shaky camera.)
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