For dinner: I was seized with a desire for something fresh and spring-like. After much slicing and dicing we had a very colourful dinner of red cabbage, carrot, parsley, apple and green onion in a mustard/honey/vinegar dressing.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
May 05, 2011: Grenoble - French, Bata
French coffee chat in the morning. Then successful sandal shopping at last! In, of all places, Bata. The sales person knew about the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto and asked about it (in French). It was a nice conversation, and even nicer to finally have sandals that can handle the rough cobblestones.
For dinner: I was seized with a desire for something fresh and spring-like. After much slicing and dicing we had a very colourful dinner of red cabbage, carrot, parsley, apple and green onion in a mustard/honey/vinegar dressing.
For dinner: I was seized with a desire for something fresh and spring-like. After much slicing and dicing we had a very colourful dinner of red cabbage, carrot, parsley, apple and green onion in a mustard/honey/vinegar dressing.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
May 04, 2011: Vizille - Revolution, Picnic, Pierre Percée, Lacs
Yay - another day trip today!
Viv, Linda and I met up in the nearby town of Vizille. Like all French towns it has an historic château, but this one is bigger than usual (the grandest in the Dauphiné region), and houses a museum of the French Revolution, which makes it rather special. It was chosen for this role because the Revolution was kicked off there in 1788, after the Assemblée des notables (the factions who revolted against the monarchy) met to forge their alliance. They would have met in Grenoble, but were forbidden, so decamped to nearby Vizille - this is a proud boasting point for the Grenoblois. Memories of studying the French Revolution came back as we strolled through, looking at Revolutionary-era art, porcelain and other historic artifacts.
After our museum tour we had a picnic in the surrounding grounds, which are gorgeous. It was fun to see Canada geese floating about with the black and white swans in the river.
Then we headed down the road to the Lacs de Laffrey region of four scenic lakes. They are an amazing colour of turquoise blue, and looked especially pretty on such a sunny day.
We also took an unplanned detour to the Pierre Percée. We didn't know what it was, but lots of signs pointed to it, so we drove up and parked the car. When we got out a hiking group was coming down the hill, and they said it was a 40-minute walk up a decent road, with great photo opportunities at the end. So we went for a spontaneous hike and discovered a large rock with a large hole in the middle perched on top of a hill - it is described as having the shape of a crouching monster. You can imagine that people living in the area must have been making the journey to visit it for thousands of years since it is such an unusual landmark. It is one of the Seven Wonders of Dauphiné (I've now seen three; this, and the Tour Sans Venin and the Cuves de Sassenage).
Viv, Linda and I met up in the nearby town of Vizille. Like all French towns it has an historic château, but this one is bigger than usual (the grandest in the Dauphiné region), and houses a museum of the French Revolution, which makes it rather special. It was chosen for this role because the Revolution was kicked off there in 1788, after the Assemblée des notables (the factions who revolted against the monarchy) met to forge their alliance. They would have met in Grenoble, but were forbidden, so decamped to nearby Vizille - this is a proud boasting point for the Grenoblois. Memories of studying the French Revolution came back as we strolled through, looking at Revolutionary-era art, porcelain and other historic artifacts.
After our museum tour we had a picnic in the surrounding grounds, which are gorgeous. It was fun to see Canada geese floating about with the black and white swans in the river.
Then we headed down the road to the Lacs de Laffrey region of four scenic lakes. They are an amazing colour of turquoise blue, and looked especially pretty on such a sunny day.
We also took an unplanned detour to the Pierre Percée. We didn't know what it was, but lots of signs pointed to it, so we drove up and parked the car. When we got out a hiking group was coming down the hill, and they said it was a 40-minute walk up a decent road, with great photo opportunities at the end. So we went for a spontaneous hike and discovered a large rock with a large hole in the middle perched on top of a hill - it is described as having the shape of a crouching monster. You can imagine that people living in the area must have been making the journey to visit it for thousands of years since it is such an unusual landmark. It is one of the Seven Wonders of Dauphiné (I've now seen three; this, and the Tour Sans Venin and the Cuves de Sassenage).
A tunnel through a rock outcrop that the Château backs onto - if only the château wasn't there they could have avoided making the tunnel at all
Reflection of the château in the river in the surrounding grounds
Black and white swans together!
The rounded forested mountains in the background oddly reminded me of Hawaii
Imposing staircases leading up into the château
Linda and Viv (I should have zoomed in, but it's so hard to resist including the turret)
A view over the grounds where we picnicked
Inside the museum - a room entirely decorated in black and white
A carved dolphin over the fireplace (the dolphin is the symbol of the Dauphiné region)
The famous painting of Marat's death by Jacques-Louis-David
One of the lovely turquoise lakes
The Pierre Percée from a distance
I like how the lone black and white cow is paralleled by the lone stone on the hill
The crouching demon rock
The view through the rock
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
May 03, 2011: Grenoble - The Passage (End), English, Cabbage
Phew - I'm done reading "The Passage", after an epic last go at it, from 8:30 to 1:30. I was starving by the time I reached the end, but didn't want to break for lunch. Only at the end do you find out there's going to be a second book released in 2012. Curses! But it was a good read, and I'll look forward to the sequel.
Then off to play cards with Naola for a couple of hours to help her practice her English.
And finally supper. We'd bought a red cabbage at the market, but I wanted to make something more summery with it rather than my usual braised cabbage in red wine. So I made a coleslaw of cabbage, carrots, apples, parsley, spring onions, mustard, lemon and honey. It would be nice if we had a mandolin to make thinner slices for a more delicate texture, but it still tasted fresh and tangy.
Then off to play cards with Naola for a couple of hours to help her practice her English.
And finally supper. We'd bought a red cabbage at the market, but I wanted to make something more summery with it rather than my usual braised cabbage in red wine. So I made a coleslaw of cabbage, carrots, apples, parsley, spring onions, mustard, lemon and honey. It would be nice if we had a mandolin to make thinner slices for a more delicate texture, but it still tasted fresh and tangy.
Monday, May 2, 2011
May 02, 2011: Grenoble - French, Lunch, Reading
A day of relaxation, catching up after the exertions of yesterday's hike. French conversation practice in the morning. Then a nice lunch with Viv sitting outside in the plaza - I had a salad with a "cheesecake" of Reblochon (melted cheese in a pastry shell, but the waiter attempted to describe it in English as "cheesecake").
Then home to indulge in reading "The Passage". I think I'll only need one more day to finish it off.
Then home to indulge in reading "The Passage". I think I'll only need one more day to finish it off.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
May 01, 2011: Grenoble - Labour Day, Vercors Hike
Today is Labour Day, or May Day, in France and much of the rest of Europe. We weren't anticipating doing much, since it is one of two days in the year during which pretty much everything is closed (the other day is Christmas). We weren't even sure if the market would be on.
So it was fantastic that the phone rang after breakfast with an offer from Sheree to go hiking in the Vercors plateau. Mark too much work to do, so he stayed home, but I headed out with Sheree, her husband Bob, their friend Bernard and their dog Einzel.
As we left town we passed the market - which was just as lively as ever (there's something a bit odd about capitalism in full swing on a holiday for worker's solidarity). Many people were carrying small bouquets of lilies of the valley, which are traditionally sold on Labour Day.
Our hike started up in the hills at the village of Engins and continued up (and up and up) on a small road through the trees until we broke through to a rolling alpine meadow landscape and great views looking down on Grenoble. Not much further up was the top of the plateau, so we continued along. The changes in the landscape were fascinating; the first part of our hike was similar to a Southern Ontario woodland, with lots of deciduous trees; then we came to the rolling Alpine meadow, which reminds me of the hills near San Francisco; then on top of the plateau we came to an area of limestone rocks, moss and evergreens, very much like the Bruce Peninsula.
We had a map that noted the location of the Gouffre Berger, a French cave discovered in 1953, which held the record for the deepest cave in the world until 1963 (1,122 metres!). It has since fallen to the 28th deepest, but it's still the 4th deepest in France, so it seemed like a worthy goal. Along our way Bernard ran into a friend who told him that it's difficult to find, even with a map. So we were scanning intently for the side trail that would lead off to it. Although most French hiking trails are very well marked and maintained, this one isn't - probably because the cave was closed to exploration in recent years because of the deaths of some explorers (if it rains the almost vertical cave fills up rapidly with water, so it can be easy to be trapped and drowned). But we were fortunate to meet a few fellow hikers who were coming back from the cave who could tell us how far it was and what markers to watch out for.
The ground underfoot became very bizarre as we got closer - the limestone had regular deep, narrow fissures in it - it was like walking on a large, loosely assembled jigsaw puzzle - the pieces almost fit together but not quite. We put Einzel on her leash to keep her safe (the fissures were just the right size for a small dog to drop down into) and made our way carefully. The vegetation was starting to resemble BC coastal rainforest - very green and deeply mossy. When we reached the cave it was definitely worth the trip - although you can't see very far into it (maybe 40 feet) it drops down vertically almost immediately, and knowing how deep it is amplifies the sense of vertigo as you peer over the edge.
So it was fantastic that the phone rang after breakfast with an offer from Sheree to go hiking in the Vercors plateau. Mark too much work to do, so he stayed home, but I headed out with Sheree, her husband Bob, their friend Bernard and their dog Einzel.
As we left town we passed the market - which was just as lively as ever (there's something a bit odd about capitalism in full swing on a holiday for worker's solidarity). Many people were carrying small bouquets of lilies of the valley, which are traditionally sold on Labour Day.
Our hike started up in the hills at the village of Engins and continued up (and up and up) on a small road through the trees until we broke through to a rolling alpine meadow landscape and great views looking down on Grenoble. Not much further up was the top of the plateau, so we continued along. The changes in the landscape were fascinating; the first part of our hike was similar to a Southern Ontario woodland, with lots of deciduous trees; then we came to the rolling Alpine meadow, which reminds me of the hills near San Francisco; then on top of the plateau we came to an area of limestone rocks, moss and evergreens, very much like the Bruce Peninsula.
We had a map that noted the location of the Gouffre Berger, a French cave discovered in 1953, which held the record for the deepest cave in the world until 1963 (1,122 metres!). It has since fallen to the 28th deepest, but it's still the 4th deepest in France, so it seemed like a worthy goal. Along our way Bernard ran into a friend who told him that it's difficult to find, even with a map. So we were scanning intently for the side trail that would lead off to it. Although most French hiking trails are very well marked and maintained, this one isn't - probably because the cave was closed to exploration in recent years because of the deaths of some explorers (if it rains the almost vertical cave fills up rapidly with water, so it can be easy to be trapped and drowned). But we were fortunate to meet a few fellow hikers who were coming back from the cave who could tell us how far it was and what markers to watch out for.
The ground underfoot became very bizarre as we got closer - the limestone had regular deep, narrow fissures in it - it was like walking on a large, loosely assembled jigsaw puzzle - the pieces almost fit together but not quite. We put Einzel on her leash to keep her safe (the fissures were just the right size for a small dog to drop down into) and made our way carefully. The vegetation was starting to resemble BC coastal rainforest - very green and deeply mossy. When we reached the cave it was definitely worth the trip - although you can't see very far into it (maybe 40 feet) it drops down vertically almost immediately, and knowing how deep it is amplifies the sense of vertigo as you peer over the edge.
The view over Grenoble
This little tree isolated on the hill with the big blue sky makes me think of the illustrations in "The Little Prince"
This is listed as one of the most beautiful water sources in the area, with its basin in the shape of an olive. I'm sure it is normally, but it was under repair - you wouldn't want to drink the water now.
The gliders overhead made a distant screaming sound, like a group of children gone wild
Interesting green flowers with burgundy edges - I haven't seen them elsewhere
Fissures in the ground as we near the Gouffre
Looking over the abyss of the Gouffre Berger - note the snow preserved in the depths
Bob carefully looks over the edge as Sheree stands back
Bernard descends into the entryway to the Gouffre
The view while standing about 10 feet deep in the entryway
The view from another angle - it's like the hole comes out of nowhere
Memorials to those who have died in the Gouffre
Many trees in the area of the Gouffre have toppled - peeled right off of the underlying limestone
Leaves on the trees have just started to come out at this high elevation
Saturday, April 30, 2011
April 30, 2011: Grenoble - Happy Birthday Sara, Market, Taxes, Haircut, Hike, Pizza
Happy Birthday to Mark's sister, Sara! Sending birthday greetings from France is a bit odd, since we've got a 9-hour time difference - if you start too early it's still the wrong day in Victoria, BC!
We seemed to fit a lot in today: market first thing, then Mark finished and paid his taxes online. Then for the main event: a haircut. Mark has needed one for a few weeks now, so we finally bit the bullet and went. I'd been told by my language exchange French friends that Grenoble has one of the highest proportions of hairdressers in all of France, and once we started paying attention it seemed to be true. So - no shortage of places to go, we just had to pick one that was open, not too busy, and seemed to do a good job. We ended up at a Franco-Italian place near our apartment, where they were able to take Mark right away. No English spoken, but we managed to get through it just fine (although I did get rather distracted by my success in having a French conversation with another of the salon's patrons, rather than paying attention to Mark's efforts to get me to translate his hair instructions).
And we still had time after this to head out on an outdoor adventure! We took the bus to the south of the city, to Eybens, and headed from there up into the wooded hills. It was a beautiful day of sunshine and we walked around for a couple of happy hours.
Then back into the city and out for pizza. I've been wanting to go out for pizza for a while, since Grenoble has a large Italian population and there are tons of pizzerias. We went to La Chandelle, which had good recommendations and pizza combinations we wouldn't commonly see in Canada (mine had arugula, ham, cheese, tomato - not so unusual, but also had artichoke - unusual). We had a bottle of Lambrusco with it, a popular pizza accompaniment of sparkling sweet red wine. Very tasty!
We seemed to fit a lot in today: market first thing, then Mark finished and paid his taxes online. Then for the main event: a haircut. Mark has needed one for a few weeks now, so we finally bit the bullet and went. I'd been told by my language exchange French friends that Grenoble has one of the highest proportions of hairdressers in all of France, and once we started paying attention it seemed to be true. So - no shortage of places to go, we just had to pick one that was open, not too busy, and seemed to do a good job. We ended up at a Franco-Italian place near our apartment, where they were able to take Mark right away. No English spoken, but we managed to get through it just fine (although I did get rather distracted by my success in having a French conversation with another of the salon's patrons, rather than paying attention to Mark's efforts to get me to translate his hair instructions).
And we still had time after this to head out on an outdoor adventure! We took the bus to the south of the city, to Eybens, and headed from there up into the wooded hills. It was a beautiful day of sunshine and we walked around for a couple of happy hours.
Then back into the city and out for pizza. I've been wanting to go out for pizza for a while, since Grenoble has a large Italian population and there are tons of pizzerias. We went to La Chandelle, which had good recommendations and pizza combinations we wouldn't commonly see in Canada (mine had arugula, ham, cheese, tomato - not so unusual, but also had artichoke - unusual). We had a bottle of Lambrusco with it, a popular pizza accompaniment of sparkling sweet red wine. Very tasty!
A château in the distance, with dramatic clouds
Hillside with sunny sky and clouds
Hikers heading out across a field
A beetle making his way along the path
Friday, April 29, 2011
April 29, 2011: Grenoble - English Reading, English Wedding, Passage
I had a freelance proofreading job that kept me at home today, which was the perfect secret excuse to stay in not miss watching the Royal Wedding coverage live on television.
So, proofreading morning and afternoon, with an hour-long break at lunch to watch the ceremony itself (since we're an hour behind England here in France, the ceremony took place conveniently just after noon). Then at the end of the day I caught up on re-broadcasting of the surrounding pomp and circumstance. Elegant dress, beautiful effect in the cathedral with all the trees, love that they chose plants and flowers sourced from Great Britain with as many to be replanted as possible. It seemed very modest and admirable in aspiration for a couple destined to lead a life that is far above what is normal for so many.
And at the end of the day I started reading Justin Cronin's "Passage". I might regret this - it's a long book and the reviews all say that it's hard to put down. But surely it will be better than Jean M. Auel's "Land of Painted Caves"...
So, proofreading morning and afternoon, with an hour-long break at lunch to watch the ceremony itself (since we're an hour behind England here in France, the ceremony took place conveniently just after noon). Then at the end of the day I caught up on re-broadcasting of the surrounding pomp and circumstance. Elegant dress, beautiful effect in the cathedral with all the trees, love that they chose plants and flowers sourced from Great Britain with as many to be replanted as possible. It seemed very modest and admirable in aspiration for a couple destined to lead a life that is far above what is normal for so many.
And at the end of the day I started reading Justin Cronin's "Passage". I might regret this - it's a long book and the reviews all say that it's hard to put down. But surely it will be better than Jean M. Auel's "Land of Painted Caves"...
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