Life in Cordes

Today was my third day of work.  Lisa and I work with one chef in a kitchen behind the Musee de Sucre.  Today I made pound cake and fruit cake and shaped olive bread.  So far I have done something different everyday.  The town is very quiet right now.  It should get more crowded in the summer.  There is a museum of sugar art right above the kitchen I work in.  People come and take tours to see sugar and pastillage sculptures.  It's pretty cool.  On Tuesday a group of school children came and watched a sugar demonstration in our kitchen.   The chef made a swan, apple, pear and a rose.  Lisa and I rolled and shaped pastillage.  It's pretty difficult communicating, hopefully I will pick up more French.  I only have internet access at work.  Everyday at about 5pm here, I am able to go online.  There is no internet in my room right now.  I am staying with Lisa in a two bedroom suite in the Hotel de la Cite.  It is right up the street from where we work.  The hotel is closed right now, so we are the only people there.  I'm not sure if we will get internet access when the hotel opens.  The connection I am using right now is wireless, but the walls are so thick here, the signal doesn't make it to my room.  I am getting used to using the internet here.  So hopefully I will be able to update this more.  Everyday I go to work at 7 am.  At 12:30 Lisa and I go to the Hotel Le Grand Ecuyer to eat lunch with the people who work in the hotel there.  We come back to work at 1:30 and then work until about 5pm.  There are only three of us in a pretty big space.  At 6:30pm we eat dinner at Le Grand Ecuyer with the people who work at the restaurant there.  I told the chef that I am a vegetarian and I get meatless food now.  After dinner Lisa and I usually watch a movie or tv show on DVD.  There isn't really anyone outside after we leave the Restaurant.  I'm sure things will change when the town fills up with tourists.  I am hoping to travel on my days off.  Monday Chef Manu, Lisa and I are going to Albi to a supermarket.  It should be pretty exciting.  

Paris to Toulouse

Yesterday afternoon I walked down the Champs Elysees to the Louvre.  The Louvre is open until 10 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays which was really convenient for me.  The walk is truly spectacular.  I got to the Louvre at 6:45pm and entered through the pyramid.  There are many different places to purchase tickets once inside.  I got in a short line for ticket machines and had a ticket in less than 5 minutes.  Then I chose to see the Denon wing first.  This wing included 13th to 18th century Italian paintings as well as Italian sculptures and Large Format French paintings.  It felt like walking into an art history textbook.  I always knew the Louvre has a wealth of priceless art, but until seeing only a portion of it, it was hard to grasp the extent of the wealth.  I viewed the Mona Lisa and countless other famous works.  I then went to the Sully wing and saw Greek art, Egyptian artifacts and 18th and 19th century French paintings.  I saw so many amazing things and only really saw a portion of the museum.  I have to go back again to see the rest.  I spotted many people having twilight picnics on my walk back through the Tuileries Gardens.  It was such a perfect sight.  

On my walk back to my hotel I stopped inside a McDonald's. I was to curious to pass it a second time.  They serve Macarons and tarts at a McCafe counter inside.  Once back at my hotel I was completely worn out and went to bed.  This morning I took the TGV to Toulouse.  It took 5 and a half hours.  Then I walked to my hotel and have since been relaxing.  My day in Paris really wore me out and the weather her is cool and overcast.  I will explore the city tomorrow.  I am meeting Lisa at 5pm so i have all day to enjoy the sights.  

Paris

Today has been beautiful so far.  I flew into Paris this morning and got to my hotel around noon. My hotel is right by the Arc de Triomphe.  I walked from the Arc to the Eiffel Tower.  The weather is absolutely beautiful and so is the city.  The parks are amazing.  I am going to the Louvre in about an hour.  Tomorrow I am on my way to Toulouse.

Dublin

I just got back from wandering around Dublin in the rain.  There has been a constant misty rain.  I stopped inside The National Gallery of Ireland.  Admission is free.  I went in the back door which is much less interesting than the front door.  I walked through Grafton Street, by Trinity College and St. Stephen's Green.  I didn't take any  photos due to the rain.  I bought dinner at a local grocer and spotted Brennan's Bread.  Very exciting!  I will go back out and get some photos after I eat.  Then I will probably go to bed early.  My  flight to Paris tomorrow morning is at 7 am so I have to catch a bus at 4:45am.  

The Beginning

I'm off to Dublin tomorrow night. This is the beginning of my European summer. On my way to Cordes Sur Ciel I am stopping in Dublin, Paris and then Toulouse.