Kelly Holland

After several days of bad weather in Courmayeur we were never able to climb. But on the bright side, we had a lot of fun at Parco adventuro, the Roman spa, and conquering the professional eating tour…it was great! After Courmayeur, Rach and I finished off our little side trip with a day and a night in Chamonix. We hit up the Fete de Biere, and we had a wonderful dinner at the cute little restaurant in Argentiere that Aurelien’s girlfriend runs…it was magnifique.

Parco Adventuro…maybe not the best idea for someone with a fear of heights.

Team Parco Adventuro….Rach, Papa Burks, Jacapo, moi, and Fred Arne

A stop at the Italian butchers….for wine and sausage. Jacapo’s friend Geppo hooked us up…it pays to run the family business.

Some girls hope for diamonds on their birthday….but not Rachael. All it takes is a PBR to light up her face….a PBR smuggled all the way from the good US of A.

After five warm-up courses, the main plate of seafood finally arrived during Rachael’s b-day lunch. I thought the first one was our meal, but oh how I was wrong. It was a four hour feast. I thought our second course of shrimp was our dessert.

Italian toga party.

The Americans bringing sexy back with the Sprinkler…the Italians weren’t too receptive.

It’s not quite the same space as a fancy American SUV.

We left Chamonix, and after five more hours in the rental car, and few missed exits along the way, we made it back to Blancardy at one in the morning. It was nice to be back….our home away from home. It has been a good week of the usual….a little pool time, some wine bottling, some vineyard work, a glass of rose here and there, and a lot of really good food. To make it even better, yesterday was a full day of the moto through Cevenne, accomponied by a really cool swimming hole, the silk museum (the history in this region is really cool) and a surreal dinner….when I didn’t think it could get any better, it did.

Rachael and the Blancardy boys (Alain and David)…outside the Cevenne Musuem

Team Blancardy…sunning by the swimming hole

Our crystal clear pool….

Rachael and Kelly….American floaters…

pretty and bronzed…..

and graceful in the water…

The water at our swimming hole/picnic spot was ridiculously clear, and the temperature was such that even I’d swim. Nothing beats fresh french bread with a little pate for lunch….they even bought coke for me. Magical!!! The ride home was once again a beautiful tour that weaved through the mountains of Cevenne, one little village after another….the views were so mesmerizing that it almost hurt. I love the moto!

The summer in France only gets better and better by the day. Laure whips up a five-star gourmet meal every night in the time, and with the ease, that it takes me to nuke a frozen burrito, all while running her restaurant and caring for her two clueless Americans. A little work here and there, including that of the petite vineyard above, yields the wonders of Cevenne. I’ve been lazy on the updates, but some of the highlights from the past couple of weeks have included some impressive tractor driving by Rachael, a gorgeous tour of Cevenne via motorcycle, and a side trip to Paris/Radiohead concert….not too Shabby.

The wine cave….where magic happens…i.e. bottling wine.

The market in Ganges has a plethora of fresh French goodies….including olives. I look forward to fresh flowers every Friday.

The pool has been cleaned and is good to go…a little extra cool down during siest. Thank you Alain and David.

Alain made Rachael’s dreams come true by teaching her to drive the tractor. She drove, then hoisted me in the shovel to pick the prunes (plums) from the tree for the restaurant’s prune confiture and sorbet…it was pretty cool…we went pruning. The next day we sat cutting and pitting plums in the kitchen with Murielle….it was fun to see the fruit of our labor from tree to kitchen.

Rachael and Alain

Delphine and me…preparing to pick away at the plum tree.

 If that wasn’t cool enough, the boys at Blancardy took us for an afternoon cruise on their motos through the mountains of Cevenne. It was one cute village after another, winding through the mountains like a thread from an intricately woven tapestry….beautiful. Onion fields, farms, gorges, and rivers…it was breathtaking. At one point we stopped for an afternoon dip at the Cirque de Navacelle….a majestic swimming hole with waterfalls and crystal clear, blue-green water…could it get any better? A quick little pit stop on my dream ride….hum, okay. The Cirque de Navacelle, along the Vis River, is easily my new favorite swimming hole.

While David’s driving in the car scares the hell out of me…he was a great driver on the moto, and a great guide of Cevenne. I think I was only scared once…maybe twice.

 Rach and I stripped down to our skimmies for a quick dip at Navacelle before jumping back on the motos….I’ve learned very quickly that the french are not modest folk. No one thought twice when I was running around in white undies before taking a plunge…c’est natural.

A good view into one of several valleys within Cevenne…there’s a river somewhere down there, and some crazy narrow, European roads that brought us to the top…on motos.

 At one point our bums were in dire need of a break, the moto seat gets a little rough after a few hours, so we took another small break at an itty bitty little village and had a beer with Alain’s friend Tony and his wife….he’s a flamenco guitarist and she’s a flamenco dancer…how cool’s that?!

The last few days have been spent on a side trip to Arras for a Radiohead concert, and now Paris for two days. I hit the Louvre yesterday, and Notre Dame and the Eiffle Tower today. It’s been a short trip through Paris, but sweet. The people have been surprisingly wonderful and kind, and Rach and I have had two nights of amazing dining. So far, I’m impressed! Anyone who bitches about the attitude of the Parisians haven’t met the right ones.

Where are we?

Mcdonalds in Valance…just like home! America!

Oh, the Louvre…I feel so sophisticated. I even managed to sneak in a quick nap in the corner, amongst some of histories greatest masterpieces…somewhere between the Mona Lisa and some famous sculpture.

What a view of the Seine…on my way to Notre Dame.

Notre Dame….the line to go inside was too much for me. But the outside was magnifique! I love creepy, deeky gargoyles.

And the Eiffle Tower….what would Paris be without the Tour Eiffle? 

Tomorrow we head to Chamonix and Italy for Rachael’s birthday extravaganza on Mount Blanc.  I’m looking forward to the mountains and can’t wait to see everyone…the Alps are always amazing!

Mcdonald’s cheeseburger….count it.