Hi, everybody, and
welcome back to Cépage et Cuisine, Mary’s and
Brian’s blog about wine, food, and culture.
We returned home today, back in the USA.
We left Bernkastel at 6:15 a.m. to give ourselves plenty of time to get
lost on the two hour drive to Frankfurt.
I'm happy to say we had only one short wrong turn diversion and made the
drive in good shape. Here’s a friendly auf wiedersehen on the way out of
town. I think it means “see you soon” in
Bernkastel-Kues.
Here’s Brian at the
Frankfurt airport. We went to the food platz for breakfast and saw this
place. They had a sign that said Europa-frühstück, a European breakfast,
so in we went. It turned out to be this
giant plate of sausages, bacon, eggs, potato pancakes, and greens. The photo looks like I’m on the phone seeking
help on how to attack this plate of food, but I’m actually calling Delta about
travel.
Big Dee got us over here …
… and Big Dee will take
us home.
A couple of movies, a
little snoozing and here we are, back in Plymouth, Michigan, home sweet home.
By about 5:00 or so in
the afternoon, 11:00 p.m. in France and Germany, we were ready for dinner. As we have done the past couple of years, we
went to a sports bar in Plymouth called the Box Bar and ordered up good old
nachos deluxe. And once again, that pitcher of
Diet Pepsi is for drinking, not pouring.
It’s the American way.
We had dinner outdoors on
the patio. Here’s a big difference
between the U.S. and Europe. Here in
Plymouth, the smoking ban at restaurants extends to outdoor patios. In France and Germany, cigarette smoking is
much more common than here and is allowed on the terrace at restaurants. Mary and I commonly chose to dine indoors in
France and Germany because of all the smoking on the terrace.
Here’s Kellogg Park in
downtown Plymouth. Yes, that Kellogg,
from Battle Creek.
Sonoma was glad to be
back home, but annoyed that we left her at the vet for so long. I’m not really choking her in this
picture. She’s just a little anxious
about the whole ordeal.
So, what are some observations
and lessons learned?
Magny-les-Villers is a
little slice of heaven in Burgundy. We
love it and always want to return. Life
is easy, the joie de vivre, the love
of life, our friendship with Marie and Yves, it is unmatched in any of our
travels.
The Beaune market on
Saturdays is the most incredible spectacle of a farmers market we have ever seen
and can imagine. The energy and
excitement are electric. Don't miss it! Go there!
Seven years in a row,
Isabelle takes care of us at La Ciboulette. Like a community.
The beauty and serenity
of the Burgundy countryside …
… simple food, expertly
prepared …
… friendly, everyday
folks, who speak not a word of English but who want nothing more than to share their craft and their
history with American strangers.
Wine produced by the same
family, from the same ground, for centuries, expressing a profound harmony of
people and place, enjoyed over hours with exquisite cuisine.
Ancient vineyards, farmed
in the old ways to produce the highest form of a noble wine.
The struggles of each new
generation to carry on the family domaine in the face of weather disasters,
war, and economic stresses largely beyond their control.
Good friends, good food,
good wine … isn’t life all about relationships?
The unexpected discovery
of ancient sites in small towns and villages, visited in quiet solitude, the visitors humbled by history and art.
Always being the first to
arrive, even at 7:30 p.m.
Places that inspire
spiritual reflection on the very site where slaughter and tragedy were visited.
To old dogs learning new
tricks!
Boys and men, buried
where they fell in battle 100 years ago.
Finding virtual
perfection in a wine and food that leaves me speechless … which is quite hard to do!
Coming over a forested
mountaintop and being awestruck by the beauty of the Mosel Valley below.
Again, in Germany, like
in France, the same family farming the same soil, year on year, generation on
generation, century on century. It’s
hard for Americans to grasp.
Villages along the Mosel,
one after another, so beautiful that each looks like it was plucked from a
fairy tale book.
Hillside vineyards that seem impossibly steep.
Understanding the very
different cultural behaviors and cuisine in two countries that are next door
neighbors. Whereas we might describe the
culture and cuisine of France as somewhat laid back and elegant, Germany might
be described as stoic, focused, and hearty.
And the Mosel, it’s
always there, defining the place, giving it life.
Family homes at water’s
edge.
And most of all, this
sweet, sweet partner in life.
That’s our post for
today, the final post of our 2016 wine, food, and cultural adventure. Thanks for reading Cépage et
Cuisine. Thank you for
your comments and likes. Now that it’s
over, let us know what you think and what you’d like to hear more about in
future posts. We hope we can keep it
going from time to time with posts about wine, food, and culture right here at
home. In the meantime,
Cheers!
Mary♥Brian
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