Thomas journals

  My impression, after our six weeks:   Prices in France, compared to US, from much cheaper to more expensive than US: Notably less expensive:  wine quality bread & pastries public transport Slightly less: groceries restaurants (sales tax + tip are included!) lodging More expensive: imports from US gasoline price is double! Travel details: Our time in France, from 21feb-09mar, 20mar-08apr: We were gone 48 days (just shy of 7 weeks); 4 travel days + 9 days in Doha = 35 days mostly in France = 5 weeks in France. 11 beds/Nights: 1 Toulouse; 10 Beauville; 5 Pompertuzat; 1 Doha Holiday Inn; 10 Doha; 1 Heathrow; 4 Montpellier; 2 Hasparren; 5 Bordeaux;  4 Limoges; 3 Versailles Costs?  Total spent 22feb-09april = $6000 Doha: we spent total $500 while there CovidTests for: $90Doha + $40US France: Plane tickets between US & France were points, plus about $300 for taxes. Lodging: HolidayInns on points; + $1200airbnb + $450Versailles Transport: $500trains + $15...

  Freezing outside, literally.   We bundle up at noon and walk to La Cuisine de la Croître ,  the gourmet restaurant next to the old Bishop's castle... They offer a tasting menu today, 48euros each for three (official) courses.  Actually received 6 sets, all photographed by Barb: beginning chips, amuse-bouche of hummous, entrée of very-soft-slow-boiled (64degrees for 1 hour!) egg in special sauce, main plate of lamb confit surrounded by seasonal vegetables+polenta, then dessert: galette of mango-rhubarb plus pineapple sorbet with dried pear slice, then financier + mango jelly cube.  Two full glasses of 3 types of great wine (I appreciated that the sommelier selected them for us, appropriate for each dish, and gave us the last two halves as credit for one:  white Languedoc Pays de l'Or, then spicy red  CotesDuRhone with the lamb, then sweet Gros Manseng (my favorite, an unusual white) for the dessert. Walk around the corner to Le Musée de la Résist...

  A 11heures, je vois sur la chaine FranceInfo, le meeting de Marine LePen <<La France Qu'on M!>>  Je comprends un moitié des phrases, surtout les phrases typiques des politiques.  <<Nous sommes prets! Notre projet est ambitieux. Il est moderne, il est nationale, pour la France.  Avec un état protecteur.   Des prédateurs en bas, comme les prédateur en haut! Nos filieres en peril.  C'est vous que payer la fraude!  Une immigration anarchique. A l'étranger que vient de nous, respecter nos lois!  Le peuple francais est un peuple généreux et amicale, mais  c'est en eux de décide qui peut rester, que peut etre francais.  ...  Nous voulons un France en paix.  Nous en avons le courage, la volonté.  Notre économie sera protégé, enfin.  Des choix philosophiques. Avec nous, léconomie restera au service des gens.  Les couts de confinements, la politique sanitaire, cette pénurie appliqué sur nos société....

  Bordeaux: [31mar22] lazy start, to Tourist Office at 11:30 to buy a Bordeaux CityPass (31euros each), intending to visit both the Cité du Vin and the nearby Bassins des Lumières, as advised by earlier tourist info person.  Catch tramB and arrive at Cité du Vin just before the 12noon deadline.  The museum is a museologist's dream, with beautiful architecture and varied interesting exhibits and props, most of which actually work, and excellent visuals and a well-designed audioguide.  Particularly impressive were the aroma samplers, large belljars with rubber bulbs that would blow the aroma through an eartrumpet so you could sample it!  The belljar contents must get refreshed every day or two!  A wide variety of educational exhibits, even including about drunkenness and negative effects of alcohol; however mostly positive wonderful descriptions, even a lounging couch with inset loudspeakers to enjoy music & imagery associated with wine!  I learned ...