La Bretagne

We arrived Sunday afternoon along with white clouds in blue skies and sunshine peeping out from behind.

Such a nice bilingual greeting as we picked up our luggage and car. Saw this poster in the Airport...hope we can get there!

the car:

Here is where we are headed....

So nice actually to not have to wait for the bus! We passed this exit sign!

 We had to keep going however this time. Then in a roundabout this proposal! So sweet.

When we got to our studio this was waiting for me on the table!

JC asked the landlady to pick up roses for our anniversary! Très romantique n'est-ce pas? Merci cheri!

We have a tiny studio in Loctudy...here is a street near the harbor

And another to Ile Tudy across the bay.

We have to climb stairs somewhat similar to the Pre-Alpes to get to our tiny studio...if I lean out the window and JC holds onto my sweater this is the view of the water! Not quite as promised I'm afraid.

The weather so far has been fine...white clouds running across the sky and then sunshine...no rain yet so I am happy!

When we got to Pont l'Abbe we went right over to see JC's maman...it was a surprise for her but she was happy and so was he. Doesn't she look fantastique???!!!

Monday was the official anniversary so we went to lunch on the Ile Tudy  but before we left it was time for me to try on this coiffe from Pont l'Abbe...all hand embroidered on cotton organza.

Do you think I could be Bretonne???

Lunch began with appetizers

And I chose fricasse de St. Jacques aux langoustines for my main dish:

I seem to have a theme going here with langoustines!

The hotel restaurant was filled at noon and out the window I saw this couple and their dog having an aperitif...later they came inside to dine...see him under the table? He was good as gold!

We had profiteroles for dessert and I was served coffee in this cup with Estonian flag colors!

Soon enough it was time to walk off our dessert past colorful restaurants and crèperies and we saw some of these things:

JC, Simonne & Monique

Lace fish 

Lace sailboats

At the end of this street there was a PE class from the local school...it looked like Kayaks 101....the kids were running into each other and paddling into the bulkhead walls and the teacher was saying "attention, attention!".

In a nearby town, Sainte Marine, we went into this tiny church.

Quite different from those in Rome both outside and in.

The ceiling is like the hull of an upside down boat and the tapestry is all done in embroidery for which the Bretons are experts.

Our first day in Bretagne was really so nice and JC's maman is in top form! I cannot say that however, for our ability to connect to the internet...I am writing this from the cafe of the local Fred Meyer store E.Leclerc and in order to write we have to drive over here every day. I am going to try another post soon but maybe not tomorrow. We are going off to visit the museum in Quimper so I will have more to say then. The weather is still staying very nice just for us so I am content and it is nice to see so much Oregon style greenery for a change!! A bientôt!

Arrivederci Roma!!! Bonjour La France!

Our very last day in Rome we realized we had not been in the Palazzo Farnesina right down the block. We made it just in time to see some great frescos by Raphael and several rooms of trompe l'oeil painting. The ceiling of this room had stories from mythology and also the zodiac...an interesting approach after so many Bible stories and sacred subjects!

This room is entirely in trompe l'oeil so what looks like marble on the walls or recessed areas and windows is not but gives that impression...pretty remarkable and hard to capture in a photograph from an iphone!!!

The gardens as seen from the gallery of Galatée:

and the marble floor of the gallery....I did not realize that marble came in so many colors until I came to Rome!

Here is about how I feel after eating all this good food and pizza in Rome:

Notice those little ripples around the waistline??? Nevertheless, we DID go to meet friends at a popular pizza restaurant in Prati...we had to eat early Friday since departure was at sunrise on Saturday. Our waitress reminded us both in zip and voice of our Portland neighbor Gretta but her name is Isabella:

We caught our bus home #280 just ahead of a huge downpour...the most rain we saw in Rome!

Saturday morning we were up at dawn and a good thing too...our driver did not arrive and after some phone calls we got a taxi which arrived in two minutes and whisked us through the early morning streets of Rome to Fumicino airport.

 Up the stairs to the departure lounge we saw some interesting boutiques and cafes:

And as we headed to our gate this poster:

I do have to agree!

Our last aerial view of Rome and the Tiber as we took off:

We were in the air with Air France

and we were served this for breakfast on board:

it actually tasted pretty good especially since we did not have time to eat before leaving.

The flight to Marseille is about 1+ hours and soon we were passing the Alpes and then looking down at the bay:

Anton met us at the airport. We had an overnight lay over and we found a wonderful place in Cabries near the airport that costs the same as a place at the airport...you will not believe how great this place is IF you have a car to get there:

We were happy to unwind from Rome by just sitting in the sunshine by the pool or swimming in the (unheated) pool with Maya

At the chambres d'hotes there were these sweet Provençal burros

who would call out to the owner every time he passed by. We had time to have a picnic lunch

and for dinner went to a nearby restaurant...the style was "Lyonnais"(can you see Guignol in the picture?)

This was on a beam in the restaurant!!!! We felt right at home!

Maya was even given a visit to the kitchen by the owner.

Sunday morning breakfast was in the "grande salle" of our hotel with the two other guests:

Maya tried on her Muhu (Estonian) skirt for us...standing in the fireplace:

Then we had time for a game of Go Fish outside 

before we said goodbye to the fountain and headed for the airport once again.

to catch our flight for BREST....

with Air France....

Salut! See you in Bretagne!