Lyon and the French Alps

      After a lovely time in Aquitane we left with plenty of time to reach Lyon by noon. Driving was easy sailing due to Kates quick adjustment to a standard in Montepulciano. With less than an hour to go and open roads we never expected the  hours more of driving to come. With a faulty address, a big city, traffic, and language barriers our four hour journey horribly turned into eight.  It was an exhausting five hours on top of the three we drove just to get outside the city.  Kate was a true superhero, I for sure would have crashed with all the stress and tension flying about. I will spare you the details, the nerves, and the costs of the whole experience and just say that it was the lowest point in our trip.... Luckily that meant things could only get better!
     After a good nights sleep we felt ready to explore Lyon. Obviously first on the agenda was the market. The selection was indescribable. All the sellers allowed us to taste juicy pieces of fruit and slices of cheese as they did their best to describe their selection in broken English.  It was so great and after a number of cheese samplings we dug in to wheels of St. Marcelin and Brilliant Savarin. Let me just say, W-O-W. Talk about luscious milky goodness! With it's creamy flavor and almost whipped consistency Brilliant Savarin is undoubtably the chocolate mousse of cheese. And then there is St.  Marcelin which melts on the tongue like the first lick of ice cream on a hot day. Ah, just pure satisfaction. Along with a number of other scrumptious meals and snacks we explored the beautiful city and fell in love with it's views, parks, and the old quarter where we spent most of our time. Small apartments, unique shops, crepe stands, and a tandoori kebab shop worth bowing to where just some of what made the preserved quarter so special.

    After sadly saying goodbye we hopped the train for Grenoble and then  Aix les Bains, a town that reminded me more of a Floridian retirement community than a French town in the Alps. Although different than expected it quickly became a place to call home as we decided to extend to our two night stay in to four. The lively older community were a blast to watch and lunch in the park,  2:00 coffee,  and bread and pastries from a bustling bakeshop became part of our daily routine. In addition to hiking a beautiful trail that provided one of the best views of my entire life we also  relaxed, planned for Paris, and per usual attended the weekly market. ( I swear if i didn't know any better I would say Kate planned our entire  trip around farmers markets!) Like always it was wonderful and provided new taste and flavors like rotisserie sausage and  Tome de Bauge cheese.

    The morning of our departure we were fortunate enough to find a laundry mat and spent the day getting our clothes spick and span...obviously we needed to make a good impression on our next stop, Paris!

France: Aquitane

       After an unexpected delay in Turin due to a train strike we finally made it to France. Upon arrival we picked up a car and drove four hours to the region of Aquitane. We stayed in the most picturesque b&b that offered a few quaint rooms, allowing us to meet friendly families over morning breakfasts of local specialities and pressed coffee. It was the ideal French countryside getaway.

     Most of our mornings were spent visiting neighboring towns. Whether built out of mountain sides, perched on a lake or nestled in what looked like a medieval storybook, all were beautiful. The weather may not have been on our side, but the one morning we battled the darkened sky and set out on a 6 hour canoe trip we ended victorious with a day of sunshine. Along with two farmers markets the time spent paddling on the river was one of the most memorable times staying in the town of Grolejac. One of the markets was in the evening and I entered intimidated by the small town ambiance, it didn't feel like a place outsiders went to. Kate seemed to jump right in to the vibe and after some time i followed her lead. We purchased a bottle of wine, bread, and goat cheese all made in the town. Best of all was the local butcher selling raw pieces of meat that we cooked on the markets giant communal grill. We got sausages and fired them up as we chatted with the people grilling beside us. Even with the rain and crammed tables the joy of eating among friends, family, and even strangers lightened the air.

      Before the long drive to Brive we grabbed food at the market in Sarlat, a medieval town we explored during our stay. The streets transformed in to a food utopia and eager consumers happily floated  from food stand to food stand. Kate, the worlds #1 cheese fan, was in heaven as I watched her eyes glaze over the numerous varieties. The raw milk Brie has been on her "To Eat" list for months and when found it was well worth celebrating. Unlike any brie I have tasted before, the unpasterized milk provided a strong smell that was mimicked in the deep complexity of its flavor. It's like when you are star gazing and KABOOM a shooting star goes by! It stops you in your tracks and for a brief moment life becomes a little more magical.

     That evening we arrived in Brive and pulled up to our hotel located just off the highway. Checking in through the attached pub was one of many signs that this was not going to be our nicest stay, to say the least. The city center was a ways away and after a long day we were tired and not up to exploring. The seedy feel of the hotel and our lazy mood provided the perfect opportunity for fulfilling a goal of mine....eating in a French McDonalds. Would the worlds leading food country have a better tasting McDonalds? Would the meat be fresher? The French fries crispier? Would it be as cheap? As fast? Could it....taste good?! I had to know the answers and let's face it there was only one way to find out. We walked the highway and arrived at the golden arches ready for action.  To our amazement  we could order through a touch screen and hand the cashier a receipt for pick up. Not one word had to be exchanged.  Fourteen euros later we had ourselves a big Mac,  fries, soda, 6 piece chicken nuggets, and a Mcflurry. The verdict? The burger patty was too small to even taste and I mainly tasted bun and condiments. The fries were salty but nothing special, the nuggets were small and better than the burger but not enjoyable, and the Mcflurry....I can't lie, that was pretty damn good. The meal was entertaining and a unique experience for both of us. When we returned back to our hotel we cracked open some cheap wine and laughed at the days events. Just that morning we were sipping coffee in the countryside and eating farm fresh Brie. Now we were digesting McDonalds and choking down crappy wine in an even crappier hotel. It indeed was different, but it was our life and I was loving every second of it.