“Roughing It” in France

On September 11, 2019October 6, 2019 By CandeeIn Beer & Wine, Europe, FranceLeave a comment

Since the house is in such rough shape, we feel like we’re camping in it, rather than really living in it. We cleaned out two of the rooms and are using them as our bedrooms. We bought air mattresses, which are surprisingly comfortable, and Pierre also bought German blankets & pillows which are super soft and cozy.

The good news is that we have hot & cold running water and a functioning shower, toilet, and kitchen sink. These fixtures certainly won’t be featured in a Home & Garden Magazine highlighting their style and good taste, but at least we have them. We have two burners on the stove that work, so we can heat up a can of soup and the French version of ravioli. We also bought a little grill for the back yard, and Pierre has turned out to be quite the ‘Weenie Man.’ All-in-all, we’ve made it work!

We’ve started to meet people in the area and they’ve graciously invited us over to their homes for dinner. The first couple, named Wolfgang and Iris, are German and they’ve lived in the area for 18 years. They moved here to open a bed and breakfast, and they bought an old farm house. They can host up to 17 guests at one time! Pierre met them when he stayed with them in the spring when came over to meet with the lawyer (called a notary, in France), and to see our house and property for the first time. Wolfgang and Iris are fantastic hosts, and we’re looking forward to getting to know them better in the future.

Wolfgang and Iris had invited several other people to the dinner, and one of the guys asked us what brought us to France, and he also wanted to know about our house. We told him that France had essentially ‘found us’ and then we told him about how we were camping in the house.

He laughed and said, “First it’s camping…then in will turn into glamping, and before you know it, you’ll be living in France full time and hosting your own dinner parties!”

That sounds good to me!

We couldn’t resist…we brought this bottle of Pierre over.

Dinner was served in this lovely outdoor *room* in the backyard. Iris is an amazing cook and Wolfgang does equally as well on the grill.

Will the ‘REAL’ Grillmeister please stand up!

Later in the week, we were invited to Ian and Sue’s house for dinner. They are British and have lived in France for slightly over a year, after living and working in the Middle East for fifteen years. They also run a Bed & Breakfast, and Pierre stayed with them in the spring as well. They invited another couple (a Brit & an American) over that night. We talked about the joys and pitfalls of living in France as newbies. They also told us about a group they belong to (I don’t remember the name of it), that’s like The Welcome Wagon. The group is great for meeting new people, learning French, learning about French customs, etc.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures, but we had a great evening. Lots of laughing, talking, and drinking! We also brought Ian & Sue a bottle of Pierre—we just couldn’t resist the humor of it!

If any of you want to visit us in France and we’re still in the ‘camping phase,’ we know two great places where you can stay!

A Nightmare in the Middle of a Daydream!

On September 11, 2019October 5, 2019 By CandeeIn Europe, France15 Comments

Have you ever felt like your life was something straight out of a movie? That’s how Pierre and I have been feeling for the last couple of months. In March, we received notification that Pierre had inherited a house and property in southern France. To put it mildly…we were stunned! The property is located about an hour-and-a-half southeast of Toulouse, and about 1 1/2 miles away from a small village with less than one-hundred inhabitants.

The property is heavily wooded and is completely surrounded by farmland, giving the property a spectacular 360 degree view. I think the best way to describe the surrounding area is—-breathtaking!

The house, well, that’s another story. It’s in really (read that as REALLY) bad shape. Pierre estimates that it hasn’t been properly maintained for at least 10-15 years. It has structural problems and it was filthy and filled with junk. To horribly misquote Taylor Swift, “The house is a nightmare in the middle of a daydream.”

Initially, we kept the news to ourselves because the house needed to be transferred to Pierre’s name. However, the biggest reason that we kept quiet was because we were in shock, as you might imagine. We had already planned a big trip to Europe in August and September, so we decided to massively change our agenda to include southern France. Our temporary plan was to spend time at the house, so we could clean it and decide what to do. Our options, as we saw it, included keeping the house and renovating it, or selling it.

Pierre went over before I did, and he ended up spending four weeks there, and I was at the house for two weeks. We worked really hard to clean the house out, and basically disinfect it. Pierre also began to cut the trees down that were choking out the house. The trees were so numerous, that when driving down the road, you couldn’t even see that there was a house on the property. I love trees, but southern France is extremely windy and the tress were really big and old, so some of them had to be removed.

As we worked, and talked, and thought, and debated….a funny thing happened…we fell head-over-heels in love with the house and the surrounding countryside. We have decided to keep and renovate our little maison. Life is so interesting and it’s filled with so many unexpected twists turns. We’re excited!

Check out the views from our property—

Looking southeast (ish)—check out the Pyrenees in the distance!

Looking south—The trees in the foreground are the back edge of the property.

Looking northeast(ish)—-Don’t you LOVE this view? Can you see the heart?

The front of the house (after some trees were taken down).

The back of the house (after some trees were taken down).

Padrão dos Descobrimentos

On August 29, 2019September 27, 2019 By CandeeIn Europe, PortugalLeave a comment

Portugal 2019/Part 15–

On my last day in Lisbon, I only had the morning to explore so I arranged for a taxi to take me to the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, known in English as the Monument to the Discoveries. The weather was beautiful and I wanted to spend my time near the water. The monument, situated on the northern bank of the Tagus River, pays tribute to the Age of Discovery in Portugal during the 15th and 16th centuries. I assumed (incorrectly) that the person at the front of the monument was Vasco de Gama. Yesterday, I had seen that he was buried in the church across the street. However, Henry the Navigator was the lead character (I’ve never heard of him), so apparently I need to brush up on my Portuguese history! The monument was impressive, especially against the beautiful blue sky.

Vasco de Gama has the third spot behind Henry the Navigator and King Afonso V.

Scooter rentals can be found all over the city.

The Belé*m Tower* has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983 (the year that I graduated from high school!).

After looking at the monument, I walked along the river to the Belém Tower, which we had seen yesterday. It looked especially pretty in today’s lighting. The last thing I did was take a 40 minute water taxi ride back to the “Big Yellow Plaza.”

Once there, I caught a regular taxi back to my hotel. The driver waited for me to get my luggage, and then he took me to the airport. I loved my time in Portugal and it was a new country to add to my travel list, but I was getting excited to meet Pierre in France. This has been (and will be) quite an amazing summer. Germany, Portugal, France…and then back to Germany!

Castelo de São Jorge

On August 28, 2019September 27, 2019 By CandeeIn Europe, PortugalLeave a comment

Portugal 2019/Part 14–

After visiting the Tile Museum, Sussie, Christina, and I said our goodbyes at the Castelo de São Jorge. They flew home today, but they wanted to see the view from the castle before they left. Our time together flew by so quickly, and I had a lot of fun with them. Without much discussion, our travel vibe seemed to really mesh. Explore, relax, drink…repeat. I’m looking forward to the next Girl’s Vacation with them!

After they left for the airport, I strolled around the grounds of the castle for several hours. Built in the mid-11th, this hill top castle had a different role than other castles built at the time. Its purpose was to house military personal, rather than a residency for royalty. The views were magnificent and the castle itself was interesting.

Archeological ruins show evidence of three significant periods of human settlement in Lisbon.

Explore, relax, drink…repeat!
Before leaving the castle, I had a beer at a restaurant that had a nice view. In addition to recharging my batteries, I was also able to charge my phone as well.

After leaving the castle, I decided to walk “without a plan,” and I discovered a little shop that sold Portuguese Cod Cakes stuffed with cheese–delicious!

Does anyone need a rooster tchotchke? You may not need one, but they’re colorful!

I had a vague idea of where I was, and I knew that I was at a “high point,” so with that little bit of knowledge, I started walking “down.” I had read that if you don’t know where you are in Lisbon, follow the trolley lines downhill. Before long I started to recognize my surroundings from our jaunts on the previous days. After leaving the castle, I walked for about two more hours, just putting one foot in front of the other and having a great time!

Statue of Saint Vincent

Quinta da Aveleda – Vinho Verde (AKA Green Wine!)

On August 28, 2019September 27, 2019 By CandeeIn Beer & Wine, Europe, PortugalLeave a comment

Portugal/2019–Part 15

The National Tile Museum had a really nice outdoor seating area where we had lunch. They offered green wine, which I’ve never heard of before, so we split a bottle–it was nice!

Green Wine? It sounds like something out of the world of Dr. Seuss for adults!

I found an interesting blog explaining the colors of wine, the one I tried is about 1/2 way down the page.

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

On August 28, 2019September 27, 2019 By CandeeIn Art, Europe, PortugalLeave a comment

Portugal/2019–Part 14

The National Tile Museum was one of my favorite things that we saw when we were in Lisbon. Housed in the former Madre de Deus Convent, the museum showcases tiles (azulejo) from the second half of the 15th century to the present day. The museum holds the biggest tile collection in the world.

I absolutely loved it and I’m going to let the pictures speak for themselves–

A panorama of Lisbon prior to the 1755 earthquake

Wandering Around the Praça do Comércio

On August 27, 2019September 29, 2019 By CandeeIn Europe, PortugalLeave a comment

Portugal 2019/Part 13–

Alex dropped us off at the Time Out Market which is an eatery near the Praça do Comércio. The Time Out Market is a huge food hall featuring 35 kiosks offering regional specialties for food and drink. It was really crowded while we were there, so we opted for ice cream, which we could eat as we strolled around, instead of trying to find a table.

After we finished our ice cream, we walked over to the Praça do Comércio, a gigantic plaza, which was once the royal palace of Lisbon. The plaza is a busy place, but it gets even busier when you pass through to the shopping streets located right behind it. We wandered around for the rest of the afternoon. We walked in and out of stores, looked for the Hard Rock Cafe so Sussie could buy her husband a gift, and we had another round of Ginja.

Praça do Comércio, which I called, “The Big Yellow Plaza.”

A beautiful fruit stand…
What do you need?

In the ‘touristy’ places a shot of Ginja is served in a little chocolate cup for 1 Euro. We found a little place off the beaten path that serves a ‘healthy’ serving of Ginja for 2 Euros (minus the chocolate cup). A mouthful verses what felt like a mug full! LOL!

We finished the day by dining alfresco. Perfect weather, good food and wine, and friends–who could ask for anything more?

Another Tuk-Tuk Ride: Destination–Belém

On August 27, 2019September 29, 2019 By CandeeIn Europe, PortugalLeave a comment

Portugal 2019/Part 12-

As we finished our wine, we decided that we would take another Tuk-Tuk ride to see the sites. Just as we decided what to do, a Tuk-Tuk shot down the road in front of us. Recognizing the driver, Christina called out to him. The timing was perfect, we had seen him about an hour earlier and asked him about pricing, but told him we weren’t quite ready for a ride yet.

The driver, who we later found out was named Alex, was a talkative guy from Brazil who was now living in Lisbon. Although, I knew where he had said that he was from, I was sure that I heard the distinct sound of a New York accent mixed in. I asked him about it, and he confirmed that he had lived New York for years! First as an exchange student in upstate New York and then university and work.

Aside from the Belém Tower, one of the other places that we wanted to visit was the Pastéis de Belém, which is said to have the best custard tarts in the Lisbon area. The only problem with going there, however, are the hoards of people who line up every day for the opportunity to try the best-of-the-best. Alex, like all of the other Tuk-Tuk drivers, has a special “jump to the front of the line tag” which allowed us to buy our treats without standing for hours in a long line. Yeah! (And the tarts were really good!)

Located near the pastry shop, the Santa Maria de Belém Church is a site that shouldn’t be missed. The exterior is spectacular, but make sure to see the inside as well. There isn’t a fee for entry, but we did need to wait about 10 minutes in line, because they control how many people are in the building at one time. The church and the adjoining monastery and Belém Tower (pictured below) are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Feira da Ladra

On August 27, 2019September 29, 2019 By CandeeIn Art, Europe, PortugalLeave a comment

Portugal 2019/Part 11–

We decided to start the day by checking out Lisbon’s well-known flea market, Feira da Ladra, which is located in the Campo de Santa Clara, a public square near the National Pantheon. It’s open every Tuesday and Saturday and has been in operation since the 12th Century. In the market you can find anything from old dolls and broken tiles to cork products and crafts (and everything in between). We also found an incredible tile store as we were walking around. Tile is heavy to carry…but that didn’t stop us from buying! I also found a pair of earrings that are made from espresso capsule pods. How do people think of things like this ? I must have the creativity of a slug!

One person’s trash is another person’s treasure! I love my “new” earrings!

After wandering around the flea market we continued to explore the area, and we found a little shop with a sign that said, ” Old Secret Pass to Pantheon.” I stopped and looked at the sign, and the store keeper asked, “Aren’t you going to ask about it?”

I took the bait, “Okay, tell me about the secret passage.”

He told us that the street that we were standing on didn’t exist de real hundred years ago, and that there was a “cut through” to get to the Pantheon which was now their shop.

He invited us in and showed us the cobblestone flooring which was part of the passageway, and he showed us an old wall, which has been left exposed to better see the old construction. He also told us about the earthquake of 1755, a brutal event that in combination with subsequent fires and a tsunami, almost completely destroyed Lisbon and the surrounding areas.

The sign caught our attention–Old Secret Pass to Pantheon”

We looked around the store and we noticed a little ceramic dish that was made to look like a man. The shop keeper asked if we knew the story behind the odd man, and we told him that we didn’t

The character was named Zé Povinho and was created by Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, a Portuguese artist known for his illustration, caricatures, sculpture, and ceramics designs. He created the popular cartoon character in 1875 as a representation of the working-class people of Portugal. Ze’ is a kind and friendly man to his peers, but he mocks and ridicules the elite class and government who rule by tyranny and injustice.

Zé Povinho is a popular character in Portugal and the ceramic dish depicts him giving a version of the “F@#k you hand motion on the front. When you turn the dish over, it’s clear to see what he thinks of those who try to control the working-class. We enjoyed the story, and the salesman sold three, as we each wanted one.

We followed the passage way through the store and ended up in a little restaurant that had outdoor seating and a great view of the Pantheon.

Yes please–wine with a view!

The National Pantheon was originally a church, but now houses the tombs of Portugal’s famous historical figures.

Lunch & Dinner

On August 26, 2019September 27, 2019 By CandeeIn Europe, Food, PortugalLeave a comment

Portugal 2019/Part 10–

We’ve been eating well in Portugal. When we were in Sintra I had traditional Portuguese Cod cakes for lunch, and when we got back to Lisbon that evening, we opted for Italian. We went to a place near Christina and Sussie’s hotel called, Mercantina. We all ordered one of their specialty pizzas. I’ve eaten a lot of good pizza in my life, but this pizza was amazing!

In addition to cheese, ham, and arugula, the surprise topping was pistachios, if you can believe it! Pistachio is my favorite flavor of ice cream…but pistachios on a pizza? I just had to try it, and I’m glad that I did. After giving it a big of thought, it actually does make sense because nuts and cheese go well together. (And with wine—of course!)

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Category: Europe