Friday

Friday, a set on Flickr.

Our last day in Cogny we shopped, cooked, and feasted under the stars and moon

Snail Farm

The Tour
not your everyday, run of the mill tourist attraction

Beaujeu

After the oil tasting
Chilling and waiting for our drivers

Tea

Afternoon Tea
In the garden, in a grove of sycamores

The Castle at Bagnols

Tour the Castle

Quite the castle!  Even the garage was beautiful.

Tuesday Cooking Class

 

Cooking Session

Denise Longefay came to Ghislaine's and led us through a busy cooking session, preparing regional specialties.  For lunch she brought us a fabulous cheese platter of local cheeses that we enjoyed with Carolyn's great big salad.

Downtown St. Lager

Of course we had to try frogs legs!

Dinner at the local bistro

Perroud Brothers Cellar

Animated tasters enjoyed hearing all about the Perroud brothers estate

The vineyard, the cellar, the lesson

Bla Bla The and Fessy

The Cote de Brouilly in the distance above the vineyard at Henry Fessy

A great afternoon!
After our delightful lunch at Bla Bla The after the market, we headed to our appointment at Fessy where we toured and had a tasted every one of the 10 crus of the Beaujolais.

Monday-Villefranche Market

Even though it wasn't filled to capacity, there was plenty to see and lot of shopping to do.

Monday's Market

On the Church Steps

Saying au revoir

 

The Frenchies!

Longefay--Perroud--Fraisse
Our French family

Entertainment-s

Nice rig!

Lunch and More!

Lunch and More photos!

Sunday--Fete des Crus!

The festival held every spring to celebrate the release of the ten crus of Beaujolais, the creme de la creme. We tracked all of them down, one by one, in the charming village of Fleurie

Fete des Crus

Hammam Spa

Hammam Spa, a set on Flickr.

I hope someone has a photo of the woman who scrubbed us

Hotel Celestines

Everyone loved making a soft boiled egg and eating it from an egg cup!

Hotel Celestines, a set on Flickr.

Sunrise Lyon

Sunrise Lyon, a set on Flickr.

Great city!

Rolling In

John, Nathalie, Rose and I sit in dappled shade outside the train station where we failed to find Mary and Brooke--who made their own way into town on the "free" bus!

Brooke spoke French!

Rolling In, a set on Flickr.

Outdoor cafe in Belle Coeur, downtown Lyon near our hotel

Village Life

Madame ??, in her shop in Lacenas

Village Life, a set on Flickr.

Ordering the beef!

Catering Consultation

Remote!

Catering Consultation, a set on Flickr.

Ghislaine met with the caterer to plan her open house

Cogny, May 2011

Cogny, May 2011 - a set on Flickr:
It took a while--10 days!--but I finally am beginning to feel caught up.  I'll update a few photos at a time, starting with the first one the day I arrived and Nathalie and Amelie met me and graciously transported me to Ghislaine's.  The whole trip was in front of me!

Tour Complete!

A fabulous week, all agreed.  Just need to get some of the 4000 photos that Rose took posted on the blog.  But we are still having fun in France at Grenoble with Nathalie and Michel and the children.  Vive la France!!

Je suis arrivé!!

My flights today were uneventful, I'm happy to report, except for the presence of armed soldiers in the airports in Brussels and Lyon.  Heightened security; make no jokes.  The only delay was on the last jump from Brussels to Lyon, about half an hour.  I wish you all the same bonne chance!  Nathalie and Michel picked me up and we had coffee in the airport and I got 200 euros from the ATM at the airport since my debit card limit is $300 a day.  Michel flew off to Norway (he will be back on Friday evening) and Nathalie, Amelie and I drove to Cogny where Ghislaine had a lovely lunch prepared.  I took an hour nap afterwards, then a shower and now I a, ready to drive with Ghislaine to her moms house to pick up chickens. Oh la la!  Be strong, Travelers!  à bientot

PS--Ran into Mary and Brooke at the airport in Philly!  un petite rendezvous Happy girls, ready for their big adventure in Paris.

Boarding Pass

I'm leaving in a few hours but we had time for one last bottle of Cotes du Rhone last night with some fabulous morels that John found in the woods. Yes--morel season and we're leaving.  I'm forging ahead.  Lyon--allons-y!