Going to the USA !!!!!!

After a lot of work draining, antifreezing, cleaning, shutting off, arranging, checking, closing, moving and on and on and on we were finally ready to leave our barge in Roanne on November 15th and drive to Paris to spend the night prior to our flight on November 16th to Dulles Airport in Washington DC. As usual we were amazed that everything went as planned. Tulah , although not raving about how fabulous the trip was, arrived in good form.

Our first stop in Charlottesville was - of course - Walmart for those things you don't bring with you like toothpaste, shampoo etc. The next day guess where we were again ?

This of course was followed by our first visit to the world famous "but not as good as the French coffee" Starbucks.

We are amazed at the shopping, traffic, number of good inexpensive restaurants, lack of good coffee and the number of people going no where to do nothing.

Then there was Thanksgiving with family which was a treat after all this time.

Not only did we have dinner with Eric's mother, sister, brother-in-law, nephew and his wife but we were lucky enough to meet Alice and Violet. Tulah was not as sure that they were so charming or possible great girlfriends.

We have been here - Charlottesville, Virginia - for almost a month. It has snowed twice! We have experienced Black Friday, spent enough to help the economy a bit, seen family, enjoyed American TV shows, eaten our share of hamburgers, read the newspaper Washington Post almost every day, found you can call family and friends who are on AT&T whenever you want and now we cannot wait to go West on Sunday the 13th of December.

The finish of this year's cruising!

As we head for the end of the Nivernais and onto the Loire Lateral Canal we leave behind all the low low bridges. We will miss the quaintness of this wonderful small canal.

Our last stop on the Nivernais Canal is at Cercy la Tour on a full moon evening. What a treat and wonderful place to spend our last night on the Nivernais Canal.

The Fall mornings are often very foggy as the cold air mxes with the still warm water in the canal. As it does on an ocean coast , the fog burns off by noon and we have these glorious warm sunny days and cool nights.

This is a photo of our last bit of canal. We finished this day in our home Port of Roanne. We are glad to be home after 5 months of cruising and yet will miss the constantly enjoyable exploration of France with our great barge.

5 months of cruising - May 20th to October 13th, 2009

842 Kilometers

435 Ecluses ( really hard to imagine)

6 Tunnels ( the Pouilly on the Bourgogne we did 3 times )

Roanne/Digoin Canal, Centre Canal, Saone River, Bourgogne Canal, Yonne River, Nivernais Canal, Loire Lateral Canal

The Port of Roanne. Although this photo is probably too small - you might be able to see at the end of the Port a humongeous Circus. This view is from the ecluse that lets us out into the world. We are moored on the left side of the Port.

This winter for the first time ,in the 4 years we have lived in France, we are going to the United States to spend Thanksgiving with Eric's mother, sister, brother in law and nephew and his wife. We then go onto Colorado for Christmas with our kids. The spring will be with more of our kids. Then back to France in April 2010.

The Nivernais

Well onto the Nivernais Canal. September brings with it cool nights and warm days and spiders.

It is just such a wonderful time to cruise. It was busy from Auxerre ,at the beginning of the Nivernais, but by the time we reached Mailly la Ville it was very quiet. Simply "impeccable"(spelled the same but imagine the French accent). Although we had cruised the Nivernais last summer we loved being there and this time we were doing it in reverse direction and in September rather than June, so an entirely different experience.

One day when we were staying in Mailly la Ville we went for a bike ride to a small town called Arcy sur Cure. We discovered next to the road an old Roman road that just went off into a farmer's field. It was a remarkable experience to be on top of a ridge riding on a road that the Romans had built many many years ago. Then as we neared Mailly la Ville on our return a block of stone caught our eye. We looked up the drive toward a building and discovered that there were many blocks of stone and sculptures. As we were gawking a gentleman appeared and invited us onto his property and into his "atellier". He was a sculpture and worked in stone, wood and clay. This was one of those experiences that just takes your breath away. We felt so lucky to have seen this place and then to be invited into look at what this man had created. His name was Yves Varanguin. He was just like all the French in that he had all the time in the world to spend with us and show us his work including a monument he was delivering the next day to the town of Cravant memoralizing the French from that town who died in WWI.

Yves in front of his Atelier - look carefully and you will see a stone sanglier

Some of Yves' work in clay

The fall gives us so many sights to see. The bridges on the Nivernais are very low and when we first did the canal we measured each bridge before we went through. Being the second year we now know that we fit through them all. Most of the bridges are old and made of stone.

At the summit of the Nivernais canal is a small and I mean small village called Baye(pronounced Baya). It is large water conservation area with a large body of water that feeds the canal. The water eventually goes to Paris. This canal was really built for that purpose to take water to Paris during the summer. It is beautiful as you can see from the photo below. It is tranquil and remote with the only Boulangerie (bread) 6 kilometers away. To get to Baye from Auxerre the last 9 kilometers is a stretch of 24 ecluses and three tunnels . We spent 3 nights here this year and loved every minute of it. There are many great bike rides.

Transmission fixes and friends

With some sadness we have reached the end of the Bourgogne Canal. We began on the canal on July 10th and are at the end on September 7th. It is probably one of the nicest canals we have crusied and was a real treat for us. Very few hotel boats, no rental boats and lots of wonderful people.

Well we finally made it to Migennes. For most bargers it is notable for the train track which is directly across the Port. Migennes is a major train "thoroughfare" and many of the trains going to or from Dijon and Paris are coming through here. At moments you can hardly hear yourself think. But then there is the quai which is nice and low so that painting our boat hull is quite simple. There are friends that happen to be here as well -Laurel and Tom, it is quite close to Chablis, Joigny, Auxerre and most of all it is where Joe Parfitt, who will - keep your fingers crossed - fix our transmission, has his boat yard.

A view of the church as we left Saint Florentin just before Migennes

Cruising on the canals of France is often a lovely cosmic experience - a meeting of the universe in a far away place. We just spent 2 fun filled days with Laurel and Tom going to vide greniers, enjoying Bavette lunches, dinners together and touring Chablis and Joigny. We met some time ago and have not had time together until this past weekend. We had no idea they would be here so it was an extra special experience.

Gourmet dining al fresco in Bassou France

Then yesterday I ran into an English/Irish woman who looked so familiar. As it turns out she and her husband had invited us aboard their ship - 4 years ago - when we were in search of a boat to buy. Amazing and this is such a bonus when you are living in a foreign country. We have been so lucky to meet so many wonderful people and have such wonderful friends. We have friends who often call us every few weeks just to be sure all is well. Cruising provides a common experience. While here in Migennes our friends Mary and Jim drove over to visit for the day with their friends Janet and David. It so happened that in Migennes that day was a vide grenier and a Boudin Fete. Boudin is blood sausage and really for the strong of heart and stomach. They had a Boudin eating contest which was really difficult to watch.

Jim's hand and Mary with Janet and David

Eric's elbow has healed enough that he is off to paint today. The weather is fabulous fall weather very warm warm days and quite cool nights. The painting is coming along wonderfully from my perspective and probably it is just good from Eric's perspective. Today was quite hot and the paint was becoming sticky in a short period of time.

Another cosmic experience today. Joe's assistant Jeff arrived around 3:00pm today and by 5:30pm the gear box and reverse were fixed and put back together. In addition he will order the part that is needed to stop the small leak in the generator. We feel so lucky and amazed - what a great experience to have the work done when promised and done well. Yipee!!!!!!! Now a few days later the parts arrived for the generator and it also is fixed. We are so pleased to have these two problems fixed and be on our way to the Nivernais Canal.

"Oldtimer" on an old aquaduct with her old owners!

Continuing on the Bourgogne Canal ...........

The Pouilly Tunnel

We have managed to go everywhere and no where within the last two weeks. We have gone through the Pouilly Tunnel 3 times, spent 4 days in Vandenesse, 4 days in Pouilly en Auxios, then 6 days in Vandenesse and now 1 day back in Pouilly en Auxios. We discovered after leaving Pont d'Ouche that our reverse was again not cooperating with us. A little nerve racking as there are so many ecluses on this canal. So when we arrived at Pouilly en Auxios for the first time we decided that it would be better to go back the way we came, with perhaps a stop in St Jean de Losne to look for resources to fix this issue, rather than continue on through the Bourgogne Canal and Nivernais Canal to the tune of 240 ecluses. So back through the Tunnel we went to Vandenesse to stay for a week or so. While there our friends Sally and Foster happened to call and suggested we call Joe Parfitt in Migennes. Well Joe knew exactly what the issue was and that he was available to come to us but if we could get to him that would be preferable. So Eric the magician fixed(too many details to explain all of the fix) the reverse again and we went back through the Pouilly Tunnel for our third time in 2 weeks . We luckily had 3 of the best eclusiers although we are sure they did wonder what we were doing. So now off to Migenne we go.

Les jolies eclusiers

This canal is just lovely with many many chateaux , churches and just beautiful bike rides. After leaving and saying a fond fairwell to the Jackie and Andy who own the lovely Tea Room in Vandenesse we were back in Pouilly en Auxois for a night. We then were off to Pont Royal. A nice and easy mooring. We had one huge day of 31 ecluses to make it to Pouillenay and the following day to Verenay les Laumes. Verney les Laumes is surrounded by some really interesting old and beautiful villages. There are archeological digs where they have discovered many Gallo - Roman ruins. There is the old village of Alise Ste. Reine and Flavigny sur Ozerain. Both of these villages have buildings, churches and other sites that date back to the 12th century and some ancient places dating back to the 8th century. Definitely worth spending the effort to go see. We had a delightful lunch in Falvigny. The restaurant is called The Grange and is food that is prepared with only local farm produce. Delicious.
Life along the canal meanders along. Eric recently fell in love with a hammock. So now there is a hammock on the boat. Our back deck contains 4 bikes, a barbeque grill, a satellite dish, Tulah's bike cart, a rowing machine, 3 containers of flowers, 3 chairs, a table and now a hammock. Oh yes and Tulah at times.
We are leaving Tanlay tomorrow for Tonnerre. Eric fell in love with a hammock but also fell on the boat and now has a significant infection in his elbow. He has to go back to the doctor in Auxerre to see how the elbow is doing. Slight complication . We are about 3 days from Migennes and need to be there by the 5th of September. So on we go!!!!

The elbow being examined and cleaned

On to the Saone River, St. Jean de Losne and the Bourgogne Canal

The Saone River

Our trip from Verdun sur Doubs was unremarkable. The biggest change being that on the River there is the wide open vista that you do not have on the canals. In addition we were going upstream so the current has an effect - slow. Barges are very slow as is but going against the current , with our boat anyway, is really similar to being an "escargot".

We made it in good time , though, to St. Jean de Losne. We arrived right in the middle of a Dragon Boat Race. We carefully picked our way through the boats and moored as a double with a wonderfully generous and welcoming English couple. It is always amusing when you need to moor onto someone else's boat because the Port is full - the occupants are often missing or suddenly find they need to do something down below in their boat. So it is with great relief and gratitude when someone makes the effort to welcome you to tie up to their boat. This is a rare moment in time on the Saone in St Jean de Losne.We were actually, for a few hours ,alone on the Port steps.

Our time in St Jean de Losne was spent fetching parts and pieces for the boat. St Jean is the nautical center for the inland waterways of France and one of the few places you can find all those bits and pieces. We also arranged to have our boat hauled out next summer, on June 1st, so that the bottom can be checked. It is a normally scheduled event with barges every 5 years or so. While the boat is out of the water they pressure wash the bottom, check the thickness of the bottom, if all is well they recoat the bottom with anti-fouling paint and replace the annodes. St. Jean de Losne is also known for its great butcher so we had a chance to visit him.

Five days later, with a quick stop at the bunker boat for fuel, we moved onto the Bourgogne Canal. The distance to Dijon requires an overnight stop and just as well as the weeds and algae in this canal are monumental. The Eclusier stated it was a "catastrophe." After each ecluse we had to put the boat in reverse in order to clear the propeller of all the stuff wrapped around it. Then on to Dijon where we waited for my brother Peter and his wife Michele to arrive from California by way of Switzerland. Dijon is a small big city. Lots of old and beautiful buildings, squares with cafes and lots of tourists just like us. The Port in Dijon is mostly reserved for hotel boats but there is a lot of mooring for others. We enjoyed our stay and stocked up the boat with provisions as we have been told there is little available on the Bourggne.
















The top picture is a Chapel on the inside of the Tourism Office Building in Dijon and the bottom picture is of the facade of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Dijon.


As we left Dijon we had one of those days on the canal. Another experience which is funnier now than then. Thank goodness Michele and Pete were with us to help see the humor in what was happening. The Eclusier , who was not very friendly to start with, decided after about 3 ecluses that a 20 meter boat needed to join us in the ecluses. The Eclusier was in a hurry to leave so as the 2 boats, which when stern to bow filled the entire Ecluse with no room to spare ,entered the ecluse he opened the sluices/paddles and the water was rushing into the ecluse, the back doors were not yet even closed and the 20 meter boat only had one line on a bollard and our lines were not yet in the proper place to handle this ecluse with this other boat. So the result was total chaos, the 20 meter boat hit us(our stern) at least 2 times. As we later discovered the owner of the 20 meter boat did not know how to handle the boat's ropes in an ecluse. The Eclusier who was equally the problem told us if we didn't like having our boat rammed we could "continue tomorrow". So after a very long discussion with Eclusier, calling on all our skills at speaking French, we put the other boat in front for the next several ecluses (12 to be exact). That was not to be the end of a strange day. As we rounded a corner after another few ecluses there on the left side was parked a large hotel boat ( they cannot moor directly on the bank because the canal is too shallow so they are out about 3 feet ) and directly across from him on the other side is another large peniche known as the Opera Peniche ( they go around giving comedic opera performances in the canal ports). We are about 4 meters wide and I can promise you there was not more than 6 inches between us and these two large barges. To add to the drama of this event they informed us that they hoped we were not too deep as they had strung an electric cable between the boats in the water. What were they thinking???? They suggested that we stop our engine as we passed them - now how do you pass without an engine providing forward momentum. So any way we passed safely thanks to Eric's fabulous captaining. At the end of these 12 ecluses with the 20 meter boat - the owner gave us a beautiful bottle of Mersault. Amazing how easy we are to please. As a caveat to all this ranting about the Ecluses and Eclusiers we have to say that with very few exceptions the Eclusiers are charming, helpful, polite and people we look forward to meeting during the summer.

We had a great three more days with Michele and Peter. Bike rides, vide greniers, castles, chateaux , good dinners and were able to keep up with The Tour de France on TV. Michele and Peter left us in Pont sur Ouche where we stayed for a few more days.

Pete and Michele taking shelter from the rain (bottom). Eric and Michel deciding which way to go ?(top) And then there is Tulah and her cart.

Chateau de Malain - near Pont de Pany

on the Bourgogne Canal .

This ancient chateau is being restored by

volunteers and archeologists.

Through the Vineyards

Sunset on the Centre Canal in St Leger.

The two trees in the fore ground are 400 years old . This photo was taken in the courtyard of the vineyard Chateau Santenay.

Lush green vineyards along the southern end of Bourgogne, Burgundy, Cote D'Or - so many names for one region and so many wines. We spent several weeks on the Centre Canal and riding our bikes through the vineyards of the area. Such beautiful places and we felt so comfortable there that we decided we must have been vineyard owners in a previous life. The land is such a patchwork of visual textures - colors and smells. The buildings in the area are ancient and of beautiful stone that has often been white washed. Something that you could not reproduce. Just as the bread and wine are a result of earth, wind, water and love of the people of this area so are the buildings. Even the most rundown of buildings immediately sparks your imagination about how you might renovate it into something that would show its beauty. Then there is the wine......what can we say - just delicious.

Alas lest you think that all is alway easy with this canal cruising - the day we left St Leger sur Dheune we realized that the wind was a bit stronger than we thought. Wind and these relatively flat bottom barges do not go together. So we approached the first ecluse(lock) carefully - well we bumped and bounced into the ecluse only to discover that we also did not have reverse - an essential part of stopping. As we were shreiking ( me) and yelling (him) at each other the eclusier (lock keeper) stayed just long enough to be sure we were secure - these locks are semi automatic - then he scurried away - far away from this ranting couple. We decided to press on to a place we could stop for the night - the eclusier put in a guest appearance at the 4th ecluse - just to be sure we were still alive, I am sure. In my less than perfect French I explained to him how sorry we were for the commotion but we had discovered we did not have reverse, we cannot hear each other over the sound of the motor, we are both over 65 yo so hearing is an issue anyway and we have been married for 29 years - so who is listening anymore. He laughed and we moved on without further incident to moor for the night and fix our stopping problem.

The last ecluse on the Centre Canal as you enter the Saone River - 10.76 meters deep.

After the Centre Canal there is the Saone River on which we went for just a short stretch - 70 k or so -to St Jean de Losne. St Jean de Losne is where we started this adventure in 2005 as we were looking for a barge. Rather than do all 70 K upriver in one day we stopped in Verdun sur le Doubs on the way. Small old village with charming waterways throughout including the petite Doubs(river).

The sign literally reads - Light (meaning traffic light) - Bridge - Bad - last word on top line unreadable) - Bikers - see you in a bit - (last word unreadable). This gentleman explained to me - I think I understood - that he rides into town (Verdun sur le Doubs) each day for his coffee at the local bar and his sign cautions car drivers to pay attention .

Drinking coffee in France

Coffee in France is delicious. The French , the Dutch and the Italians have mastered the art of coffee beyond anything in the USA, anything. But once again we ( Eric and I ) had a lot to learn. Our first clue should have been when we realized the 10 year old car we purchased - don't laugh it is a Ford Mondeo station wagon with duct tape on all but one corner of our bumpers- had no cup holders. By the time we bought the car , just last year, we were thoroughly indoctrinated into "coffee" French style.

You really have to search and search to find something such as coffee to go. Unless you are in Paris where there are Starbucks. The coffee to go phenomena of America just does not exist in France. The French go to the local bar, bistro, brasserie to have their coffee when not at home. It is a quick cup of coffee. Lingering does not often happen with coffee in France but in the bars there will be locals starting on their wine or Pernod in the morning. The coffee is a one shot expresso in a "petite" cup. If you want cream you ask for a "noisette." Adorable but not what American's who drink "big gulps" and "Ventes" expect. So you adjust and once you have made the mistake of drinking more than one of petite cafe at a sitting you start to slow down and enjoy this little slice of life. See there is that "slow down" thingy again.

The hardest thing for us to manage was to find a place where you could have a coffee and a pastry. There are a lot of tea rooms in the bigger cities and they are great, lucious pastry and great coffee. But in the country side it is impossible. So we started to do as the French do - you go to the Boulangerie ,buy your pastry and take it into the local bar to have your coffee. We have to admit one other vice that is going to make you laugh at us. We now have found that McDonalds has McCafes- you can get a great capuccino and a pain au raisin for very little money. But we have to admit that McDonalds, which is unfortunately everywhere in Europe, does not add to the French experience.

Coffee also is priced according to location. If you drink it at the bar standing up it is the lowest price. If you have it at a table it costs a bit more and if you have it outside at a table it maybe a bit more.

The other phenomena in France is coffee is the very last item at the very end of your meal. You may not have it with dessert. We have tried and tried and failed each time. Even if you are not having dessert and there is someone in your group having dessert - you may not have your coffee until they are done. This usually becomes a game at each meal that we eat in a restaurant and to our delight the French have never failed to do what we now expect - coffee after dessert. It is worth the wait.

Just try giving an Eclusier(lock keeper) and his wife a gift!

We have made some ( read a "little ") progress on the canals. When we left Beaulon on the Loire Lateral Canal our next stop was Digoin on the Centre Canal. Digoin is notable for the spectacular aquaduct entry to town and for the Stork family that has nested on top of the Church each year.

We then went on to Paray le Monial which is quite a religious village with a Basilica and several churches and when we arrived a kinetic vehicle race and a wedding. The next village on our way was Genelard. Genelard is quite small but has some lovely bike rides. We rode to the Chateau Digoine 2 times because it is such a beautiful chateau.

We then moved on to the town of Motchanin which is at the top (301 meters altitude) of the Centre Canal. The water from Montchanin west to Digoin flows to the Loire River and into the Atlantic Ocean. The water east of Montchanin flows to the Saone River and then to the Mediteranean. We only stayed for the night before doing 19 kilometers with 19 ecluses in one day to get to St Leger sur Dhuene. While we were doing this distance we did not have to wait once for an ecluse to open. The Eclusier(lock keeper) made sure we had an easy trip and each ecluse was open when we arrived. It makes such a difference and we did the entire distance in about 5 hours when it could have been an 8 hour ordeal! So at the last ecluse (#19), the eclusier who we started with on Ecluse #1 at Montchanin, we discovered lived in the charming lock house. He and his wife were working outside in their yard as he was now onto his weekend. We gave him a small gift - a bottle of wine. And as is the norm with the French you cannot just give them a gift. They have to give you something back. Madame gave us some of her homemade Cherry Jam - delicious. Right now in France there are cherry trees everywhere along the canals loaded with ripe cherries. The French are more than just charming they are genuinely kind and very generous.

We are now in French heaven. St Leger sur Dheune is the southern portion of the Bourgogne/Cote D'Or/Burgandy region. Mercurey, Beaune, Givry, Santenay, Pommard, Merseault and on and on and on. Biking heaven!

Off we go..... Cruising 2009!!!!

Well we finally left the Port of Roanne. Not easy - Eric needed to renew his passport and we had to wait for its return. Of course it was more complicated than that but the passport arrived Wednesday the 19th and we left on Thursday the 20th of May. So good to be out of Port. The noise. We stopped in Melay, on the Roanne/Digoin Canal, for 2 nights then on to Coulanges, on the Loire Lateral Canal, for one night and then Beaulon where we have been since the 23rd of May. Beaulon is a small village with a post office , great bakery, a fabulous Traiteur with the best moules we (Simon, May, a great couple from Roanne on the boat Joie de Vivre, Eric and I) have had - yes without a doubt!





The day we arrived in Beaulon there were 7 other boats - all but 2 were from Roanne. Of course there was a "happy hour" at 5:00pm each evening. After about 3 days some of the boats left and we were left to paint along with Simon and May. Work , work , work.......





During our last 2 days in Beaulon a family arrived - Dad, Mom, 3 young children, a dozen or so chickens, a goat, a pony, five dogs as well as one who was only 14 days old, a cage with 2 birds - and a Roulotte ( a customized wooden home/trailer usually drawn, in the old days, by a horse and now by a truck) with a whimsical sign on the side saying this was the Fortuna Major Circus. At first we thought it was gypsies but not so. They were a wonderful family who are living a very simple life. No electricity, the goat provides milk and cheese, the parents juggle and play music, the kids are charming and delightful.



By coming to Beaulon we have gone the opposite direction of where we want to go but only by about 30km. As we left Roanne we noticed that the Roanne/Digoin Canal which is about 55km long was quite low on water. We had been noticing that the Loire River is also quite low. We also found that there was a bit of debris that we were encountering as we went along. So we decided that perhaps going to the Centre, Bourgogne, Nivernais and then Loire Lateral might be a better choice than the other way around. We are aware that the Bourgogne and the Centre struggle during low water years. So with that said we have come to Beaulon to paint because it is quiet and a comfortable place to be. We found out this past Friday the 29th that the Canal Roanne/Digoin has closed due to a break in the canal wall. So an explanation for the low water in the canal as we left the week before. The sad and infuriating part is that there are still boats now stuck in Roanne for the summer as it is likely to take several months to repair the Canal - and this is the 2nd time in 3 years this has happened.



The Canal system was mostly built in the 1800s. This particular canal was built between 1830 and 1838. The canals are old but they also have problems with burrowing animals, tree roots and just saturated soil. So understandable that there will be problems. We sometimes encounter problems with the old locks ( "ecluse" in French) as they mechanically fail and occasionally we have awakened on a canal to find that a significant amount of water has drained out of that particular pound between 2 locks. But a complete break in the wall of a Canal is unusual and difficult to repair because of the remoteness of the location as well as the remainder of the Canal wall that must be refitted as well.



So we are now, after leaving Beaulon, going in the direction of the Centre Canal which is the southern Bourgogne region of France - lots of great wine.

Shopping in France

Shopping in France is both a delight and puzzlement. There is a wide variety of shopping from Bricorama(Home Depot), to Carrefour (similar to a huge Safeway), to open air markets, to vide greniers(community garage sales), to Emaus ( a catholic charity)to all the other things you might need or want. The puzzlement though is often when and where do you go for what?

The usual decision you make about milk or socks or a nail or Ibiprofen or a tool in the USA is not the usual decision you make in France. Not all stores are created equal and not all stores carry the same thing from one day to the next.

The French are very adaptable to this style of shopping and shopping for the French is really a social process and community experience. They have used the markets as a social gathering places for centuries. Americans are much more goal oriented and often we have such a specific goal in mind that we (read "I") become easily frustrated. The idea in France is to see what is there then make a decision - do not go with a list!

As an example, when you go to the supermarket in France you need to know to bring a 1 Euro piece and shopping bags. I have been in Europe for 4 years and I can still only remember this maybe 2 out of 3 times. The 1 Euro piece is to get a shopping cart - the store wants to be sure you are going to bring it back and the bags are so that you can pack your own groceries and recyle the shopping bag , all really brilliant ideas. I have to tell you about my first week in France when we went to the market. We put in our 1 Euro piece and got a cart. The French shopping cart navigates sideways and this is without your help. It has taken several years for me to learn how to drive one of the French shopping carts. Anyway we entered the store and the first thing I did was go sideways into a shelf of red wine at the end of one of the aisles. So much for fitting in - several gallons of red wine were all over the floor. Eric now often goes a different way than I do in the store.

At any rate once you enter a market - Carrefour, Geant, Auchun, Lidyl,Simply- you are in for a life changing experience. Slow down your heart rate and your pace because you are going to come unglued otherwise. The French "meander" to do their shopping. It is a process, they meet friends, they want to look at the labels, the shopping cart is just an old friend hanging out with them often in the middle of the aisle, not unusual to find 6 friends chatting in the middle of somewhere and totally unaware that no one can go around them, the French have no radar so they are often unaware of your presence behind them, the space you are occupying is free space - they have a very different sense of personal space , if you are looking at the kiwis you will suddenly realize that you have a crowd of French looking with you. Children do not run amok in the stores nor do they yell and scream, Saturday afternoon ( after 3:00pm) is really the wrong time to try to shop as it is family shopping time and very crowded . Stores are mostly closed on Sunday.

Meat cuts are very different than the USA and the meat is very lean. The French love meat, variety meats, horse meat, body part meats(brains, stomach,head). They also love grenouille (frog's legs), eel, rabbit and ofcourse escargot. Butter (which the French do not eat with their bread) and baquettes are plentiful and delicious (hence the extra 10 lbs). There is a Boulanger/Patisserie on almost every corner and you can be overwhelemed by the variety of baguettes. I sometimes just ask the owner to tell me what baquette to buy. Almost all the markets have wonderful fish and the cheese department is to die for - there must be at least 100 different varieties of cheese just to start with (hence the other 10 pounds).

The fruits and vegetables that are available in the markets and open air markets are fabulous!!!!!!! Buying wine is extraordinary - a good bottle of wine can be bought for 4 Euro ($5.25) a great bottle of wine for 8 Euro ($10.50)and a truly fabulous bottle for 15 Euro($20.00).

So there you are in the supermarche - you have finally found that American peanut butter you have been craving , the baguette, toilet paper and all the other things you just cannot live without - now it is time to go to the check out stand. Patience! Sense of humor! Deep breathing! You can see a short line - don't get fooled as this is often the place where trouble lies. Sometimes there is someone at the front of the line who is buying for 3 different people so there are really 3 transactions that are going to take place. You will also find out that the French do not make a final decision about anything until it is packed and paid for or they will have just remembered something and believe me when I tell you everyone waits patiently while they go in search of the missing item.

At the check out stand the clerk greets the person " Bonjour Madame" and starts to scan the items. But you will have noticed prior to this that the customer has spent a great deal of time arranging the items on the conveyer belt often changing them around several times so that they are color matched or .......The customer then walks around to the other end of the conveyer belt to collect their items. There is protocol to all this. The next customer does not cross the line that takes them past a vertical scanner. You need to stay a descrete distance back from the person doing the current transaction -I know it flies in the face of their usual crowding of personal space. They have brought their own bags ( they didn't forget) and start to pack the items away - very carefully - one thing at a time - answering the cell phone - talking to the clerk - just having a nice time. Then when all is packed away often long minutes after everything has been scanned they then start looking for their payment method of choice; cash, debit card, check. In America you would not be caught dead without your choice of payment ready to go as the people behind you would be sighing and tapping their feet. In France you take your time, look through the whole purse, rearrange the furniture in the purse then you find it and start carefully writing the check. Finally the transaction is done - but now they must say goodbye and wish the clerk a nice day and she them and then finally pick up their bags. Only now the clerk is able to turn her attention to the next customer and will do so only when the other customer has completely left the check out stand with all bags in hand. So the process begins again - " Bonjour".

One day while I was standing in line a small older ( this is completely relative and a little like the pot calling the kettle black) woman was behind me with 2 items. I asked her if she would like to go ahead in my best French "Allez y , Madame"- I am a guest in this country and feel I should behave myself - at any rate on she went ahead of me. Then a nun (this is not a joke) came up with 2 bananas in her hand - well what would you do? so the nun went ahead. Then a young man came up with 2 beers and of all the people so far he was the only one that actually asked if he could go ahead - I couldn't say no, I am a guest in this country - so he went ahead. I then turned around wondering what or who was next and realized that the line behind me was becoming really really long by this time. I had totally failed to engratiate myself with this long line of French people.

Yes you can buy Foie Gras , crunchy baguettes, creme fraiche, petite haricot verte, fresh baby artichokes, luscious lettuce, fabulous chocolate and other assorted delights in the supermarkets. As you can see from the pictures above the outdoor markets are a visual delight and something the French do so very well. They are filled , year around, with wonderful produce and our personal favorite roast chicken. In our town there are 2 outdoor markets a week on Tuesday and Friday morning. In the surrounding area - no more that 15 minutes drive/bike ride - there are more outdoor markets than you can count. As we go along during the summer we are always checking to see when the outdoor markets are in each of the towns/villages were we moor.

As a practical matter if you come to France you will find - Ibiprofen at the Pharmacist, Lense cleaner at the Eye Glass store, vitamins at the Pharmacist, dog food at the nursery/garden store. There are no Targets and Walmarts. Just enjoy the way of life; no hurry, polite, traditional, warm, helpful !