worth a thousand words
Nope, it's not Disneyland!
food, glorious food
July 2020
Lunch at Lauza was a treat. A limited menu means the chef is dedicated to making something seasonal, fresh, and perfectly “accessorized” and balanced. My entrée was a frothy, room temperature zucchini soup topped with a langoustine…it worked as anticipation for my plat! Tender filets of sashimi tuna covered with a tomato/greens salsa and served over taboule paired very well with the Provence rosé in my glass. The dessert was full of flavor…three tiny creampuffs (choux) with vanilla bean crême and raspberries. I LOVE the restaurant scene here, particularly for lunch. TripAdvisor lists 1,493 restos in Bordeaux – there’s no end to choice, style, price, ambiance, and location!
June 2020
Le Regallion is the perfect place to go for a “gourmet” 3 course lunch priced at 19€ (about $22). The portions are perfect for enjoying every last small bite and the food is created rather than processed. My entrée was four spring rolls, filled delicately with foie gras and duck, and served with a soy/sesame dipping sauce. My plat was artistic with four grilled and juicy morsels of veal accompanied by grilled lettuce topped with parmesan shingles. Déssert of baked cherries and pineapple topped with vanilla chantilly cream was the finale. Combined with a nice wine list and a cozy ambiance, this restaurant deserves repeat visits! And the best part of all is it’s only a 10 minute walk from my home.
Bon appetit!the wine cellar
July 2020
The summer of rosé continues and not only am I liking them more, I find I am longing them with light lunches and afternoon conversations. My palate is a little more discerning now. I favor more expensive bottles, in lighter shades of salmon, with noses of stone fruits, little minerality, and so far, the terroir hasn’t mattered. But my main test is whether, on the very first sip, I experience joy, or a certain distaste that I get used to from the second sip on. For while I get used to the latter and end up liking the bottle, the formers are my favorites.
June 2020
Rosés are meant for lazy hot summer afternoons. I have a plethora of choice… sourced from Provence and Languedoc and Bordeaux… but I’m not a huge fan – yet! This summer, if it ever gets truly hot, I’m going to sample some recommended names and first up is Mirabeau. They have three in their lineup: Azure, Etoile, and La Folie (sparkling) and I aim to find and taste all of them. Three lazy afternoons coming up soon! Care to join me?
turning pages
July 2020
My problem with owning a Kindle is the ease of buying more and more books. Yes, they are titles I’d like to read, but without the visual stimulation of the book on a shelf, I forget I even have them in my electronic library. Reading more might be an answer but then I’d have to forego ironing my sheets :)
June 2020
George RR Martin has greatly influenced my reading habits. His character studies in the Fire and Ice series are incredible, and up until now, no other author in my present reading realm can compare. Until I recently read the first book in the First Law Trilogy written by Joe Abercrombie titled The Blade Itself. I dare you to put this book down. The character, Inquisitor Glokta, will come alive in your imagination – no movie version needed. The narrative flows even though each chapter takes you to a different part of the fantasy world. Human emotions are both overstated and understated in the dialogues and the use of italics to let us know what minds are thinking during the conversations is brilliant. I’m actually disappointed I can’t dive into book 2 – but a book club selection needs to be read by June 30. Thankfully, the Abercrombie characters are unforgettable.
Monthly Archives: October 2014
Merry Christmas to Me
Being in the right place at the right time allowed me to buy this Korg 5000 electric piano from a BWC friend who is downsizing. It is a full 88 key board with two pedals and five “voices”, headphone plug-in … Continue reading
Fudge
The English word fudge translates into the French word caramel. Therefore, R and T’s puppy, Fudge, is appropriately named. He’s a nine month old basset/dachshund mix and I think he and his human already have a matched look! Fudge knows … Continue reading
Storytime
I checked out library books for the first time! I chose an Ian Rankin for book club, Breakfast at Tiffany’s for fun, and eight books from the preschool section, mostly from the Ernest and Celestine series. Now what I need … Continue reading
Photography 101
According to Francois at le photo club de Bordeaux, my level of photography is at the bottom of beginner. It was not said in an unkind way and I’m not sure whether this club is the appropriate place for me … Continue reading
JSL
My complete monogram is JSL or just S for short. A recent monogram etiquette conversation offered several opinions about monogrammed silverware so I googled the topic and found differing and interesting views. First, if you believe that Europeans were the first … Continue reading
The Dinner Party
Seven guests all speaking mostly French except me. Family heirloom dishes and goblets with hand-embroidered linens from Madagascar. Le menu began with the apéro in le salon. Pretzels, nuts, dates and peppers stuffed with cheese, cocktail breads with cream and … Continue reading
Is That So
Probably all people who love words have THE word that they hate. It might be slang or swear, overused or unspecific, filler or fabricated. I think my dad dislikes the word actually, thinking it superfluous, which it usually is. I remember … Continue reading
Lumosity
I know it’s supposed to train brains, increase mental abilities, and improve the odds of being an alert senior citizen. I know the goal is to increase speed, accuracy, and score. I’m skeptical about the process because adjusting scores, times, speeds, difficulty levels, comparisons, … Continue reading
Experiment
I watched a short video the other day that I found amazing in many different ways. So, I’m going to see if I can share video in my blog. If not, here’s the site: http://marcbrecy.perso.neuf.fr/history.html (u) x(o)x Amazing Video
Ta-da!
I am officially titre de séjoured until October 2, 2015. Finally. (u) x(o)x
julijoyeux 