Berlin

John-The Meeting:

We were looking forward to our Berlin Sit because our hosts have two cats, Oskar and Lucy, and our host, Ellie, seemed very nice during the Skype interview and in all communications. We did spend a night in Berlin while traveling from Gdansk to Munich. While we only saw the train station and our hotel, it was all impressive and Ellie said their home was in the “cool” section.

Lucy

We flew into the Berlin Schonefeld Airport in the afternoon and walked out into a beautiful sunny day. The signage indicated the train we needed was close, just down a pathway. We passed the “Mama Burrito” food truck and stopped for a beer at a beer garden. The train took us to the tram that dropped us off just in front of our hotel Ellie had suggested. Barb told Ellie we arrived and the hotel was nice. Ellie said she and Ben would meet us in front of the hotel at 7 for a short walking tour of their neighborhood and back to their home for a review of our responsibilities and to meet Oskar and Lucy.

At about 10 minutes to seven we went down to the lobby. It was busy with guests checking in and out and waiting for the remaining members of their group to go out to see Berlin. After a few minutes I went outside to look for our hosts. I was entertaining myself by balancing on the curb looking for a car with two young people thinking they should recognize me because I was certain to look just like the person Barb would be married to. Across the street from the trams and further down our street toward Alexanderplatz I saw people, sitting, standing and walking through and around the chairs and tables in the lights from the businesses and street lamps. If I didn’t have plans I would have ventured to either street to see what the people were doing. Within minutes I noticed two people approaching slowly and felt they were looking at me. My first thought was, “Don’t make eye contact for fear of provoking an altercation!” so I avoided eye contact, it is a city of over 3.5 million. Luckily, they had more sense than me because the woman asked if I was John and then I realized it was Ellie and Ben. Not a good first impression on my part. I partially regrouped, greeted them both with only a handshake and said, “I will get Barb.”

Barb came out with her huge warm smile and outstretched arms providing each of our hosts with a comforting hug. Ben and Ellie must have been relieved Barb was accompanying me. They walked us across the street explaining their home was on the other side of the busy street divided by the Tram tracks. The street we were walking on was wide with trees and people enjoying the gorgeous night. Ben and Ellie explained they didn’t frequent this side because there are so many places to enjoy in the area around their home. The roads were not busy with cars as I’d expected in an area at the heart of a city of that size but we saw later that the trams, trains and buses were very popular. Berlin is also been ranked tenth most friendly bike city in the world, another reason for the noticeable absence of vehicles. Ellie had just explained the distinction of bike lane paths from the pedestrian walkways as we started walking toward the street. I looked at the sidewalk and saw the bike lanes were red pavers, a clear demarcation from the sidewalk. At that moment I felt a polite tug on my arm prompting me to move quickly in that direction. It was Ellie directing me out of the path of an oncoming cyclist. Slick second impression, oblivious.

Great neighborhood food!

After crossing the street, we walked up and down several blocks with Ellie and Ben pointing out places of interest. The streets were wide with tall trees toward the street and tall clean buildings with attractive architecture and some color differentiating one from the other. There were restaurants, bars, late night convenient stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, a cake decorating shop, “Cake Ville -- Bake, Rattle and Roll”, with ample people and good energy. At one point, Ben said he hoped we will enjoy our stay in Berlin. At that moment Ben motioned toward a wine shop. He talked to the clerk and they selected a bottle of wine.



We then thought it was a good time to meet Oskar and Lucy. They live in a two story home. Both cats were friendly and playful. We knew they were going to be good hosts while Ben and Ellie were on holiday. I say hosts because we knew if we abided by Oskar and Lucy’s rules everything would go smoothly. Ben and Ellie showed us their place pointing out the automatic cat food feeder and watering bowl, along with other items to make our stay more pleasant. Since none of us had eaten Ellie had a Nepalese restaurant deliver some food. We said they could order anything because we will eat any food. We talked over a glass of wine about Berlin, politics, cats and we coaxed Ben to show us the video he made of their year of house sitting in and around Australia. He said when they returned home many people asked them what they did for a year so they thought it would be easiest to describe it through a video. They paused the video when the food was delivered. There was antipasto, a calzone type food, and two small pizza like foods with a light airy crust with cheese, sauce and, one had whole olives. I enjoyed it all but loved the antipasto probably because I had seen that on menus all my life and never knew what it was. After watching the video, Barb and I were ready to look for Sit opportunities in Australia.

The conversation tripped and flowed from subject to subject while drinking a couple additional glasses of wine. Barb and I wanted to open the next bottle of wine but, begrudgingly, suggested we go because we expected they had to prepare for their trip. I have been told it is a good practice to leave the dinner table slightly hungry. I suppose that allows you to feel you’ve earned the right to your next meal. Well, we left that night wanting to spend more time with our hosts and maybe we will see them before we leave Berlin or during another adventure we may be on.
My response to Ben’s hope we enjoyed our stay should have been, “I don’t see how we couldn’t!”, because we loved it!

Barb – The Stay:

Ben and Ellie’s neighborhood was great! We found great restaurants, a nice pub, a grocery store nearby as well as the tram being very convenient.

We took a tour of the city one day by taking 2 different public buses that pretty much circled the city.

We went to the Berlin Wall. There are many areas of the Wall left and we choose the East Side Gallery area. Many artists have left their mark on the wall and this section spans about a mile.

You can see more of my photos of the Berlin Wall. Just CLICK HERE.

Ben and Ellie had an amazing Espresso machine and John took full advantage of it (with a little help from Lucy)

Ellie had told us about the Festival of Lights that would be happening during our stay. It sounded nice but we had no idea how amazing it would be! Every year, Berlin turns into a world full of light art. International artists present glowing light projections, 3D video mappings and light installations, transporting their messages, themes and contents. These artistic projections on landmarks, monuments, buildings, streets and neighborhoods. We had never seen anything like it! Live music accompanied some of the light shows and I captured part of one.

You can view the video of the light show. CLICK HERE.

You can see more photos from the light show. Just CLICK HERE.

Oskar

And of course there was Lucy and Oskar, our “hosts”. They were entertaining, adorable and loads of fun! It was a great Sit and we were so happy to be able to have lunch with Ben and Ellie when they returned home.








If you would like to see more of my photos of Berlin, just CLICK HERE.

Cheers!
Barb and John

Brasov Romania

"So we have 5 days before we have to be in Berlin. What do you wanna do?" This is how the conversations start when we have a gap between Sits. When the gap is more than a day or 2, we look for somewhere cool and cheap to visit. In Europe they have what is called the Schengen Area. There are 26 European countries that have abolished their internal borders so people can move about freely without going through customs. Sounds great doesn't it? Well for Americans, we get a whole 90 days (in a 180 day period) to stay in the Schengen Area. 90 days for 26 countries. When you are in Europe for an extended period of time like we are, it becomes tricky. We have to keep track of our days in the Schengen Area. Luckily, the UK, Ireland and several eastern European countries are not in the Schengen Area so we can break up our time by leaving the Schengen Area and going to these countries. The UK has provided us with the most Sits so its worked out well.

When we were looking at what to do before Berlin, we realized we are running low on Schengen days and wanted to save some for the end of November before we temporary leave Europe. Our first thought was to go to the UK. I started looking at flights and hotels and costs. Since we were in Amsterdam we thought why not look at some of the eastern European countries. Coincidentally I had been messaging a friend in Asheville who stated we should check out Brasov Romania. So we did. So we went.


Romania is a country known for Dracula.  I myself had no idea what Romania was all about and other than knowing they produce some pretty incredible gymnasts had never given Romania a thought. Well Romania is much more than Dracula and gymnasts. It is beautiful!  The people are friendly and a lot speak English. The mountains, the architecture, the countryside is breathtaking.

Brasov is in the Transylvania region of Romania. Bran Castle, commonly known as Dracula's Castle, is right outside Brasov. We did not encounter any vampires during our stay. 😊 I did get to sit with a lovely lady who saw me watching her as she fed the pigeons. She happily gave me bread to feed them and would "converse" with me through hand signals and hugs. It was the highlight of my day.

Above Brasov is a Hollywood type sign stating that you are indeed in Brasov.

We took a tram up the mountain one day to get a view of Brasov from above. The tram goes up right by the "Brasov" sign.

Mostly what John and I did in Brasov is what we do in most cities. Find local establishments and just hang out to get a feel for the city. We found a little bar down the street from our hotel with good beer and friendly staff. A great coffee shop that also served some amazing cocktails. Good restaurants with plenty of Romanian food.
By the way, Romania is also an inexpensive country by European standards. John and I ordered a dish our last night in Brasov that consisted of 3 types of sausages, potatoes and a salad. We also had soup and 2 draft beers. The total came to $16.00 and we took half of it "home" with us!

We loved Romania and it's people. In deciding on what we wanted to do on the second half of this adventure, we decided to return to Europe. I LOVE EUROPE! The cultures, the people, the places.  It is just so exciting. We have rented an apartment in Oradea Romania for 3 months starting in mid December. We are excited about being able to "nest" in a new city and really be able to take in the local culture. After that we haven't decided but we are looking at some of the other eastern European countries as Romania has been so impressive. We'll have approximately 45 days left before we head back home so all of Europe is open to us!

To see more of my pictures of Brasov, you can just CLICK HERE.

Cheers!
Barb

New Friends

John: The idea of this trip was very appealing to us but as Barb and I discussed the required tasks before we would be able to get on the plane to anywhere, there was some work and research to do. But, as usual, whenever I discuss things with Barb things seem manageable and I know they will get done. While trip logistics consumed its fair share of our effort and conversations, I enjoyed discussing the positive things we each hoped the adventure would provide us, positive attitude and behavior changes, new and exciting places to experience, hanging out in English pubs, drinking German beer, tasting different foods and meeting people with different perspectives. I especially enjoyed Barb’s hope, “I want to meet people and develop a bond of friendship so that they visit us in our home town.” While I liked the idea I had my doubts of its probability of happening.

I enjoyed thinking of the idea of visiting Europe, talking with people and seeing their city through their filters. We would meet their friends, learn some of their customs, create an international web of friendship. In turn, when appropriate, we would tell them about our home. After we learned about some of their preferences we could match those up with comparable activities or things our home town offers, enticing them to visit Weaverville. We would take them to music shows, breweries, have an international party and invite our neighbors and friends to show them how wonderful our town is and the people are.

Barb: I loved the idea of meeting new friends abroad but loving the idea of it and actually going out and meeting new people? Well, for introverts that is not always an easy thing to do.

John: But how and where would we meet our new foreign friends?

Back home in Asheville we met almost all of our friends, since moving there, as a direct result of our time spent at the Root Bar. So, why not meet new international friends at a local pub? Maybe, since we would be staying in someone’s house or apartment we could meet the neighbors, while I was mowing the yard. We could meet them in the produce section of the grocery store, we wouldn’t be dining out for every meal.

Maybe I would take a glass of lemonade out to my neighbor when I heard him mowing his lawn. After I said something clumsy in French he and I would laugh and I would work up the courage to invite him and “la monque”, the misses, for dinner sometime. We would either attempt escargot with chard, a local dish, or, if they preferred, an American staple, 22 ounces of prime cut USDA steak and a pounder-pound baked potato with all the toppings. After they thoroughly enjoyed their meal they would make us promise to let them give us a tour of their city to see the sites and visit their favorite pubs and meeting places. Then, after the tour and several fun outings together we would befriend each other on Facebook. When the time arrives and we have to move to our next Sit our new friends would have a mini-party where we all promised to stay in touch through social media. As time passed and we were following them, not to be misconstrued as creeping, we notice they are planning a trip to the States and it corresponds with our return! They accept our invitation and then you are all invited to meet Pierre and Amandine Macron from Banniers-Charente France at our house party. It could happen!

What about the village square? You know, the center of those European towns. The ones with the 500 year old functioning fountain, with granite steps on four sides where all the people of the area go every night to drink wine, eat local tapas and talk about current events. I would love doing that and the prospect of meeting a future transatlantic friend would be possible. The only problem is we haven’t seen such a place.

Barb: Yep, I had some of those ideas too. I wasn’t sure how we would make new friends, I just knew I wanted to. I wanted to introduce my new European friends to my Asheville friends. I wanted to stay in touch. I wanted to meet new people and then see them again down the road.

John: While almost every friend Barb and I have met since moving to Asheville could be directly linked to the Root Bar we also realize it didn’t happen in the first month from when we started going there. So, going to a local version of the Root Bar in Munich Germany meeting a couple with similar dispositions and attitudes was a low probability option. We did, however, meet a couple at a beer garden in Munich.

The beer garden was set up in a way that was conducive to meeting people. It was outside under a huge chestnut tree surrounded by outdoor vendors selling cheese, charcuterie, beer and prepared food. There were picnic tables lined up in 25 rows of 20 tables with the benches touching each other, to maximize the seating per square foot. We had been there mid-week and on the weekend and it was always busy with people and seats were at a premium. We walked around and saw a table that definitely wasn’t full and asked if we could squeeze in to sit. I would venture out to decide on the food and get a couple of pints of beer. The picnic tables were full of people eating from plastic containers, enjoying a pretzel or had trays of food from one of the vendors and most of the people had a pint or liter of beer. It had great energy and people were talking and laughing. The beer garden in Munich we frequented was in the Marienplatz and called Viktualienmarkt, One night we met a couple,a little older than us, sitting next to us. Barb struck up a conversation with them and before you know it the four of us were chatting away. After a couple of hours they invited us to visit a wine party across the Marienplatz. We made our way there but there wasn’t much energy so they suggested we all take a bus to another drinking place on a river. There was a local band playing mostly German songs. We opted for the first table with four seats and it was just in front of the stage next to group of young people thoroughly enjoying the music, food and beer. They were having a fun time singing raucously to all the tunes they knew. We stayed there until about 11p and the couple rode with us on the bus and walked us to our train to be sure we make it back safely. They were a nice couple and we enjoyed ourselves. But I don’t anticipate we will every hear from them again, mainly because we didn’t exchange digits and they did not give any indication they were social media types.

When I considered what our interaction with our hosts would involve, I didn’t think it presented much opportunity to bond into a friendship. Since we were strangers and would only be together for a few hours it didn’t seem like we could bond to the level of friendship that takes months or years to cultivate. Before our first Sit I assumed it would be a business type meeting. We would meet our hosts, discuss their expectations of us for the animals and the house and we would learn whatever we needed to know that was not included in the welcome kit provided during the hiring process. They would go off on their trip and we may or may not meet them when they returned. But the actual process was a little different for some of our hosts. They usually picked us up from a bus, train or airport terminal. After arriving at their home we and they did discuss responsibilities and ask questions and we got a quick tour of the house and property. The level of detail was different for each set of hosts. After that it was different for some of our Sits. Some hosts asked us to arrive the day before their departure and stay overnight. At first, I felt a little uncomfortable at the thought of staying in a house with strangers and accepting their undeserved hospitality. But, I wanted to challenge some of my unnecessary hang-ups and it did save us a hotel expense, so we stayed.

Barb: That was an uneasy feeling for me too. So we go to a stranger’s house and we have to spend a whole evening with them. What do we talk about? What do we do? Should we go to bed early? Stay out of their way? What if it gets awkward because we just don’t hit it off with them? To say I was nervous about that part of the Sits is an understatement.

John: More than half our sits asked us to arrive the day before they departed. In each situation, our hosts either took us out to dinner or prepared a meal for us, each picked us up when we arrived in town. Each of the dinners included liberal drinking and the conversation flowed effortlessly, talking about the weather, American and English politics, and almost any other topic. Each of the dinner celebrations lasted for a couple of hours and carried on into late night drinks at their homes and in each case Barb and I felt a connection with them. We were intrigued by some of our conversations about our country and they told us they found Americans to be friendly, which we were pleasantly surprised to hear.

Barb: We made friends! All our hosts have been so welcoming and accommodating. Whether it was leaving us train cards, flowers, wine, coffee and jams, we always felt appreciated. But the hosts that we got to spend time with, whether it was staying overnight or meeting beforehand and seeing them after they got back from their trip, have kept in touch with us. With them we shared drinks and conversations, had dinners and breakfasts and walks together. Memories we will treasure. We have met new friends, friends of our hosts, that were so friendly and sweet to the American pet sitters who like sparkling wine or wanted to see an English garden. And of course there is Mou, the one who fed us and introduced us to the best Bangladesh cuisine.

Of all the experiences we have had here in Europe, meeting our new friends are the best.

John: While I wasn’t confident we would make transatlantic friends on this adventure and believed the limited time with our hosts precluded that possibility, I admit I was wrong. Considering the people we’ve met I would not be surprised if we maintain a distant relationship or, possibly, another face to face visit. Of course, we will invite all of you to meet them.


Cheers!
John and Barb

Amsterdam

We arrived in Amsterdam in the afternoon. Our train from Paris took us right into the heart of Amsterdam. From there we hopped a tram to our host's place, the number 2 tram which National Geographic described as a "once in a lifetime experience" as it passes some of Amsterdam's great attractions and you get to see so much of this amazing city. The neighborhood we were staying in was in the city and it was it's own little place with a great variety of shops, bars and restaurants. We could have spent our week in that neighborhood alone.

Our host Patricia lives in an older building in Amsterdam. The buildings are all beautiful and her apartment was perfect, with tall ceilings and windows . To get to her apartment, you climb very steep, narrow, winding stairs. Holy cow! Once you arrive at her apartment, there is another set of stairs to arrive on the main floor. The bedrooms are yet on another floor. My knees were screaming! But a week in this fabulous city was worth it!

We found a great little restaurant in the neighborhood to have dinner that first evening. The next day, we hopped on the number 2 tram for a ride back into the heart of the city.

Amsterdam is known for many things, the canals, bikes, the red light district and coffeeshops (not for drinking coffee. If you aren't sure what I mean, I encourage you to look it up) As curious, informative travelers who want to experience all a city offers, John and I immersed ourselves into the Amsterdam vibe. Hello! Amsterdam rocks!

Each day we ventured out whether it was to the heart of Amsterdam or just within the neighborhood. John could get a good IPA in Amsterdam (beers in Europe are not what we Ashevillians expect beer to be, I think we are spoiled). We found a great little bar that served cheap beer while we people watched. We walked through the red light district during the day, I think it made me more sad for the women than anything else.

The food was great in the city, 2 places in particular. One day we went to an open market with vendors that sold everything from baked goods to Nike's along with a singing Elvis to entertain the shoppers. At the end of the market was a little stand that sold Doner kebabs and wraps. We had one of the best wraps that we have ever eaten - lamb and veggies. I would have taken a photo but we downed it in record time!

Down the street from our apartment, there was a take away Indonesian place. Never having Indonesian food we were curious. There was always a line out the door and we ended up going there twice. We aren't sure exactly what we ate but it was delicious! Oh! And in Amsterdam we discovered Stroop Waffles. Not sure what they are made of, possibly a cookie cracker with a caramel filling but they are to die for. We pack them now in our backpacks and pick them up whenever we see them.

 One day we visited the famous De Pozenboot - the cat boat. This is a boat on a canal that is a refuge for stray and abandoned cats. They have adoptable cats on board but the real stars are the permanent residents who for one reason or another are unadoptable.


Some afternoons I'm not quite sure I remember what we did.

We really enjoyed Amsterdam and all it has to offer. I have to say it is probably the most beautiful city I have seen. It is clean, the buildings are beautiful as are the canals. The people are friendly but man watch our for those bikers, they have the right of way and some are very aggressive! Visit Amsterdam if you ever get the chance, it is amazing!

If you would like to see more photos from our time in Amsterdam, you can just CLICK HERE

Cheers!
Barb

A Night in Paris with Grouins

We had our final bottle of sparkling wine on our last night in Bannier-Charente France, staying up later than we had planned. We set the alarm for 6:30a allowing us enough time to put the home back in order, pack and be cleaned up for our ride from a friend of our host that morning. We both woke long before the alarm so we started our short trip for our single night in Paris with less energy than planned. The three hour train ride to Paris was easy but when we exited the largest terminal in the city we were unwittingly on the opposite side of the huge building. So, what could have been a five minute walk to the hotel took about 25.

Our hotel room was perfect with purple bed cushions and transparent red plastic light covers over the bed. We had intended to see several recommended places but did not have enough energy so we opted to find a restaurant bar close to the hotel.

Barb found several on trip advisor but settled on La Pointe du Grouin, pronounced Grow-au and the French translation is snout, as the one found on a pig. It is a wine bar serving small plates. The restaurant owner/chef chose a grinning pig as the emblem for his wine bar. The reviews were all very good and it was only a block away. Barb said we needed cash because the restaurant used a token system for payment.

We walked a couple of minutes, passing several places that looked nice to eat and drink, then saw some people sitting outside. Above a partially rolled up tagged corrugated metal door was painted the word Grouin and knew we were at the right place. We went inside and realized there was no table service so we grabbed a couple of menus and headed for a picnic table for eight with only two women seated at one end. I literally squeezed into the back corner blocked in by a heavy artificial tree and the table. The menu listed different types of wine priced by the glass, 2 Grouin, .5 liter 10 Grouin, and 1 liter for 20. At the top of the menu a note indicated 1 Groin equals 1 Euro.

The menu was all in French so we picked words we thought we recognized for the first two tapas, Grouin pane and Tapenade and Panache de Jambonde pays, we translated bread, olive paste and ham. The total was 28 Grouin, 10 for the wine and 18 for the two tapas. Since I was penned in Barb took responsibility for ordering the food and deciphering the token system and navigating a French menu with bartenders with adequate or no English. Luckily the bartender was cute and she flashed her smile so she didn’t have a problem. Here’s how the system works. On the wall, next to the bar is a “Grouin”, currency, dispenser that accepts paper Euros in any combination equaling 10 Euros. After inserting enough Euros the machine dispenses coins in denominations of 10 Grouin the equivalent of 10 Euros or 2 Grouin. Barb fed in 30 Euros and the machine dispensed 2-10 denomination Grouin and 5-2 denomination Grouin. She showed the bartender the menu and ordered our wine and two tapas returning to the table with a 2 Grouin coin. So, our two small plates and 16 ounces of wine cost 28 Grouin or €28 or $32. I will let that sink in while I describe the food, restaurant and atmosphere.

The Tapenade came with discs of hard puffed crackers and the Jambon plate was dried charcuterie, mozzarella balls soaked in olive oil and herbs on a small bed of arugula. I have only recently incorporated olives into my diet and am proud to say I have not shied away from one in 4 years. The tapenade was scrumptious even though the crackers used to get it to my mouth were flavorless and too crunchy the flavor of the tapenade was fantastic. The second dish was deliciously seasoned mozzarella and cured ham. The wine was dry and pleasant. The restaurant has a good wine selection for people that are knowledgeable.


There were about six tables, all occupied on the front walk. The inside of the restaurant was divided into two dining sections similar in size to the patio area separated by a bathroom area, and the bar with food prep and cooking space. The bar was in the corner of the restaurant immediately in front as you enter the restaurant. One worker takes most of the orders and completes the Grouin transaction, there is the dishwasher and food runner behind him and a third worker with his small work area behind the dishwasher.

After we finished a third appetizer, Andouille de l' argoat & patates which was just incredible, we went to the bar and bought another half liter of wine.

By that time most of the tables were occupied inside and there were still people outside although it felt chilly to us. The bar had a steady flow of customers there placing orders for tapas and wine. One woman ordered some take-away food and a magnum of champagne. While she waited I saw her give the bottle a slight kiss. There was a constant low roar of sounds coming from the two dining rooms with much laughter and talking. Behind the bar the three guys worked continuously and efficiently.
The cashier guided new people through the currency explanation, in French or English, gave tips on the menu items and different wines and completed the transaction by dropping the Grouin coins in a basket and giving the customer a rock with a number painted on it. Our barstools were directly in front of the dishwasher. He completed his primary job easily and had time to slice bread for the cook and pick up dishes and briefly converse with guests.

The bar was busy with a friendly energy and the workers completed their work and serviced customers promptly and politely. The walls were filled with odd decorations and the bar had just enough room for the customers with the remaining space taken up with menus, baskets, glasses, bottles of wine and other supplies. We contemplated more wine but were about out of steam so we left, satisfied and satiated.

I was curious why the restaurant would create a system of currency unique to a single relatively small business. There are several advantages I thought of immediately, employees don’t have to touch any currency for each transaction, less chance the place would be robbed and bookkeeping would be simplified and cash only.

This system would never be accepted in the US and only works for basic reasons, in France tipping is rare so the question of the effect of the token system being advantageous to customers or the workers is not relevant. The main reason this token system could be considered is the menu price is the exact amount owed by the customer. There are no additional taxes or other charges are added to prices. So, if the menu indicates €3.50 you pay only that exact amount. The owner has priced everything on the menu in €2 or Grouin increments so it is plausible to combine combinations of tapas and foods to equal €10, which is the only amount the Grouin machine will dispense. For instance, our initial order left us with 2 Grouins remaining. We wanted more to eat so we selected a tapa for 8 Grouin and two glasses of wine for 4 Grouins. Barb used a €10 bill in the machine and combined with the 2 remaining Grouins we had zero Grouins remaining.

We thoroughly enjoyed the food and the experience and from the reviews it seems we had many others that agree. I may never see a token system at another restaurant so we will remember that uniqueness as well.

If you would like to watch a short video from our night at La Pointe du Grouin, just CLICK HERE

Cheers!
John

A Month in France

John and his convertible

We communicated with Veronica and Frank for months before our housesit. We worked through an issue with needing a car during our stay (Frank ended up buying a very cute Fiat convertible which they graciously let us use). Throughout our conversations via email, John and I felt very good about our impending stay in the rural countryside of France.

We were not wrong. Veronica and Frank were wonderful hosts. Our first night there, we shared wine in the garden and met their family and of course Henry and Etta, They then took us to a local restaurant, L'Auberge du Noyer, where we met many of their friends. Good food, good drink, good music, great company. We headed back to the house with their friend Stephen joining us. I mentioned to Veronica and Stephen how John and I are sparkling wine drinkers. The next day Stephen and his partner John dropped off a very nice bottle of sparkling wine.

The next morning Veronica and Frank headed out. There we were, staying in a beautiful 17th century French farmhouse with two adorable cats named Henry and Etta and a very cute convertible! The house is magnificent! Built around 1650, the house sat on the road used to travel from Paris to Spain. Travelers would stop there to rest before continuing on their journey. The garden is beautiful and the setting is something out of a storybook.

Test taste of roqueforts

For the next 4 weeks we would drive into the nearest town for groceries, visit some of the smaller towns around the area and just relax. It was a nice break from all the traveling we had been doing. We "nested". The kitchen was big and well stocked with anything we needed for cooking so we took advantage of that. We made a lot of meals. The local grocery store, E.Leclerc, was amazing! Foods we do not have in the states and honestly, the quality of food was better than what we are used to. In particular was the roquefort cheese, it was out of this world! One of the best foods I have ever tasted.  Every week, John and I would try different varieties.

Fresh peaches from a neighbor

We loved having a kitchen to cook in! One of the neighbors brought us fresh peaches from her yard. John made jam which was delicious! We also made bruschetta with peaches and goat cheese.

Stephen and John invited us to join them and their friends visiting from the UK at L'Auberge du Noyer. It was country western night and they would be having a bbq menu and live music. Couldn't pass up the opportunity to experience a little of home in the french countryside! We had a great time! The food was good and the duo played some great country hits. The place was packed!



One day, we had a visitor at the house. I was in the living room when John announced, "There's a chicken in the house". I said "There's a chicken in the house?". John says that's exactly what I said. There in the dining room was a chicken! She walked right in through the open door and was making herself at home. We opened up the door in the dining room and she walked right out.

Henry

Etta

Henry and Etta were great company. Etta warmed up to us right away and spent her nights (and most of her days) on our bed. Henry on the other hand was elusive at first. At the beginning of our stay we went almost 4 days without seeing him. We did figure out that he was coming home to eat and leaving afterwards. By the second week, he was hanging out with us daily and eventually even would nap with us while we watched TV. One night Etta did not show up for bedtime. She did come running in in the middle of night, checking the closet, bathroom and every corner of the room. She abruptly left and we did not see much of her the following day. That night she showed up in the bedroom with a present. Seems she had been stalking a mouse and finally caught the poor thing. John deposited Mickey outside and Etta returned to her routine of sleeping on our bed.

Unfortunately, we left for Paris and Amsterdam before Frank and Veronica arrived home. We're hoping we stay in touch and that one day we can host them in the mountains of North Carolina.

To see more of my photos from France, just CLICK HERE

Cheers!
Barb

Bilbao Spain

In between our Sits in Hereford, England and Poitou-Charentes, France, we had a couple of days open so we chose to visit Bilbao on the northern coast of Spain. Barb had read about Leon Spain and bars that served complimentary pinxtos, pronounced pink-saws, served free at bars when buying a glass of wine. Pinxtos are similar to tapas and popular in northern Spain. Various toppings are usually served on top of a piece of bread with a toothpick to keep it all together. Our dear friend Bob G. taught us how to have “app and go’s” (going from place to place and sharing appetizers) when snacking and drinking in Asheville so we knew it was a fun style of eating allowing us to try different foods. Also, neither of us ever thought we would be able to travel to Spain so we found a cheap flight and off we went to Bilbao for two and a half days.


We took a night flight into Bilbao and enjoyed a cab to our hotel down curvy mountainous highway roads to the flatland of Bilbao. The lights of the city looked very appealing. Our hotel was in the heart of Old Town but it was late so we unpacked our stuff and thought about what we might see in the morning.

As we exited our hotel in the morning we walked into beautiful old town! There was a nice energy from the many people walking on the pedestrian cobblestone walkway. To the left was a road with several buses and I saw train tracks I later learned were for the tram taking people around the city. We opted to walk toward the courtyard admiring the tall buildings on both sides of the walkway. We passed a couple of side streets with gorgeous old buildings with seating and canopies in front of some of them. We saw an opening a short distance from us and in a few minutes reached an open courtyard with many seats around small tables with huge umbrellas advertising the name of a restaurant directly in front of the seating areas.

Pintxos

We went into the closest restaurant, Bizuet. It was a narrow store with a row of tables and a counter filled with plates of pintxos, tapas, on two tiers with a section of small plates stacked with a spoon and a packet of sugar. There were a half dozen people seated at the counter and a few others scattered in the remaining seats. The man behind the counter was very busy working the cash register and setting fresh pinxtos in front of the customers and removing empty plates and coffee cups.


I perused the selection, cold fish omelette on French bread, fried octopus ball on top of salmon and French bread, ham and cheese on French bread and many others some with creams, cheeses, meats, fruit, you name it, both sweet and savory. I requested “Dos cafes y un con leche.”, perhaps a grammatical nightmare but understood and probably appreciated. The second worker behind the bar looked at me briefly then quickly turned to the coffee machine and began the process. After getting the café started he briefly explained he would bring them to me.


I went outside where Barb was seated at one of the small tables with an empty chair waiting for me. I explained the food situation and suggested we, I, select a couple and be ready for any type of food because it was difficult to discern what made up all the choices. She said she would trust my choices and anything would be ok to try.

We saw the many tiny terraces off the apartments above the stores and thought how nice it would be to get an AirBnB there and have coffee looking onto the scene we were in. Barb said she felt she was on a movie set. The town took her breath away. It was during that first encounter Barb declared she was in love with Bilbao. Oh, I almost forgot. Directly behind the seating area is the Santiago Cathedral, from the 14^th-15^th century.


Within moments our coffee arrived and we both sat talking, drinking delicious coffee and watching the many people flowing by between us and the store fronts. There were young people arm in arm, old couples, families, people being helped in wheel chairs, and dogs all to the backdrop of constant chatter, mostly non-intelligible words. An old man added to the entertainment of people watching by playing an accordion of pop tunes singing in Spanish. All of the tables eventually filled and the people ate pinxtos, drank beer or wine and, sometimes, non-alcoholic beverages, usually the children. It was a great people watching venue.


I eventually went back into the Bizuet and selected a couple of pinxtos, octopus and cheese, ham sandwich and the cold fish omelette. Our waiter brought them out with another round of cafes and we thoroughly enjoyed them.

Old town appeared to be built around the court we sat in with streets radiating to a main road. There were side streets down as you walked out toward the main road surrounding the center of Old Town some with smaller courtyards set up similarly to where we were. We walked around feeling safe with the many people out and about.

We stopped back at our lunch stop for some wine and more food when closing time, 10p, sneaking up on us. We paid our bill and headed happily to our hotel.

Guggenheim Museum

On our second day in Bilbao we decided to walk the mile to see the Guggenheim museum of modern and contemporary art. It was commissioned by the king of Spain to be built on the decrepit area of the port of Bilbao to bring the area back to its prior stature. The pre-opening of the museum was attended by over 5,000 people and the museum architecture being praised as one of the premier buildings of our time. We wanted a destination to see more of the city.

As we walked, we noticed the buildings were a seemingly well thought out combination of old and new all blending into a picturesque city. We ventured out during the heat of the day so we tried to navigate by traveling, as much as possible, in the shade between the buildings. I noticed the temperatures ranged from 75 to 92 degrees along our route with the difference being the shade. There was light traffic and some people on the streets but we both felt safe and enjoyed the beauty of the city. The restaurants and bars were all inviting and we stopped a few times to relax and enjoy a drink and all were welcoming. There were green spaces with benches and shade and the terrain was level.

It was a stark comparison between a “decrepit port area” and its appearance today, clean, vibrant with buses and a tram stopping frequently by the museum. The museum is fantastic and like nothing I have ever seen and striking difference from any of the architecture, modern and old, in the rest of the city. The bridge that spans the Nervion river appeared to have a modern and whimsical feel complimenting the museum.

We admired the museum from the outside before making our way back to Old Town. We didn’t take the same route home because Barb’s internal compass knows where we have to go so we make decisions on a street by street basis. Our return trip was as enjoyable and impressive as the first half.







Bilbao is a city of 350K with a heavy flow of tourists. We would love to go back and enjoy more of the city or perhaps find a smaller city in Spain offering a smaller, more local flavor. Spain is definitely on our radar to visit again!

Cheers!
John

If you would like to see more of Barb's photos of Bilbao, just CLICK HERE