Au revoir, France!

The farmer couldn't resist jumping out of the car to snoop around on some Frenchman's farm ground. There were a lot of rocks but maybe that's what you get when you farm in the foothills of the Alps!

 Stopping for some rose along the French Riviera.

 We relied on Abby and Matt's book of detailed maps and google maps which I could access from my iPhone to navigate around the country.  We determined our route largely based on weather forecasts to try and capitalize on the best weather possible.  Our itinerary evolved everyday.

Paris
Dijon, in the Burgundy region
Beaune, Burgundy region
Aix en Provence, Provence
Nice, along the French Riviera
Gap, in the French Alps
Tournus, in Burgundy region
Epernay, in the Champagne region
Paris, Charles de Galle airport

 Tom always seeks out a haircut when in a foreign country. Imagine his delight when this tall French beauty stepped up to cut his hair.

 The Alps

 An Abby dating from the 1100s in Tournus.

 We had dinner at a Michelin 1 star restaurant where they served 6 courses with 6 wine pairings.  They didn't count the fried fish from the river as a course, it was more like an "included appetizer."  Tom didn't want to eat the head and eyes, but I did.

 Here is Tom on course #4, beef and red wine.

The last course was dessert - a very decorative fruit which I didn't like. When I didn't eat it the server asked if something was wrong. Then she went and told on me to the chef who came out to ask if anything was wrong!  I politely explained that I didn't care for the sweetness, but he wasn't buying it. He said the fruit dessert is a very special plate that he prepares, and seemed annoyed that I wasn't eating it.  Of course, I was on wine pairing #6 and found it easy to let his comments slide.

We had this beef Burgundy in the Burgundy region one day and it was crazy tasty!

 I DO like sweets, but I'm particular about which ones.  When we were kids my mom would take us to the Walton bakery where I'd always get chocolate eclairs.  Eclairs are special, especially when you eat them in France!

 This picture was taken at the Copenhagen airport on our return to the US. The tall blonde Scandinavian server convinced Tom (without much fuss, really) to get pork cheek with cabbage.  Pork cheek may not sound appetizing but we ate every single bite.

If you haven't been to France, it is a beautiful country with great food and delicious wine. As with all travels, however, it is always wonderful to come home to the good ole USA!