France (and London, Briefly)

[MattA]

And so, to the reason for my trip: dad’s birthday.

While my kids couldn’t be here, they’ve made cards. I think my youngest (4 1/2) has done a great job getting grandpa’s likeness down here:

 

[MattA]

Lunch is the main event today, but before that a quick café crème in the nearby town of Monségur.





Another casualty of Brexit? No more English books accepted at the free book exchange:



War memorial at the edge of town commemorates members of the resistance killed by the Germans in August 1944:

 

[MattA]

For the birthday lunch we’re at Michelin-starred Les Fresques — Les Fresques, Restaurant étoilé Dordogne, un macaron Michelin près de Bergerac

Beautiful location; part of a golf course/resort complex within this chateau:




We went for the 7 course tasting menu—a selection of which follows…

Amuse bouche:



John Dory:



Oyster/sorbet/caviar combo:



Beef:



One of the desserts…



There were a few other courses in there that I didn’t photograph, too (sweetbreads, langoustine, fromage, another dessert…)

It was wonderful. According to the menu they’ve held their Michelin star for 9 consecutive years (since 2014), and you can see why.

May not need to eat again for about a week, mind.

 

[RooFlyer]

Just fabulous - the experience & the report ...

 

[ellen10]

Such beautiful food presentation, my mouth is watering!

 

[Flyfrequently]

Now, to the reason for my trip.

It’s dad’s 80th next Friday. Mum and dad, who live in the UK where I grew up, are having a few weeks here in France to celebrate.

They don’t know I’m coming.

My sister, who is my co-conspirator and secret agent on the ground helping to engineer the surprise, is here too and has fabricated an excuse to pop out for a couple of hours to collect me at Bordeaux St Jean. On the ~ 1 hour drive back to the gite where they’re all staying, we strategise on how we’re going to do the reveal.

Should I FaceTime and then knock on the door? Just pull up in the car and jump out? Should she drop me down the road and I’ll walk up after she’s arrived?

We also discuss whether they have any inkling that I’m on my way. There have been some near misses—duplicate birthday lunch bookings that had to be quietly adjusted, some white lies having to be told to ensure that the extra bedroom at the gite has been made up… Even today mum had apparently announced (and had to be dissuaded from) a plan to FaceTime me at lunchtime. “Oh we could put the ipad on the table and it’ll be like he’s here” she said, unaware that at that moment I was not in Melbourne but rather sitting on the TGV waiting to depart Paris.

But in the end it all works out. They are sitting out at the pool as we arrive and had no idea. I head through for the surprise to much hugging and tears…

You just brought a (happy) tear to my eye @MattA

 

[MattA]

Onto the home stretch now—a few more days to go before I head back. Picked up some gifts for the children, including a little bit of Australian/Français crossover:

 

[MattA]

Just time for just a couple more fine French meals before I head home.

Sunday for lunch we were at La Cour d’Eymet: Home | Lacourdeymet



Totally different style to the modern fine dining platings we experienced at L’Ardoise and Les Fresques. This is much more traditional French cooking. Once again we are in €45 entree/plat/dessert territory.



I started with the prawns (crouistillant de gambas):



7 hour slow cooked beef (boeuf de 7 heures en cocotte):



Followed by the mille feuille, dessert of the day, which came highly recommended by Chef François Kartheiser, who is also front of house and is quite the character.



Not sure if the photos really do it justice, but everything is lovely.

 

[MattA]

Monday and before lunch we stopped off in a couple of tiny villages nearby for a look around.

Sainte-Colombe-de-Duras:

 

[MattA]

Pellegrue:






Please take a book:



But please do not take the flowerpots…

 

[MattA]

One final meal with my folks. We’re at En Toute Simplicité in Loubès-Bernac.



Unbelievable value here for the lunch menu (menu déjeuner) at €17,50 for 3 courses, cheese, wine and coffee.



Salad to start, chicken or beef for main (I went for chicken), and crème brûlée for dessert.

I didn’t take any photos of the food this time, but it was all lovely.

A little wander around the town before heading back to the gite to pack my bag.

 

[craven morehead]

I’m heading for Europe this evening. After last year’s family Euro adventure, unfortunately it wasn’t feasible to take everyone this time. Instead, I’m flying solo to meet my UK-based parents in France for some family events (more of that later) while Mrs MattA holds down the fort in Melbourne with our little ones (don’t worry—she is banking this one and already planning a future girls trip…)

Rather unconventionally, we’re kicking things off here in the Melbourne VA domestic lounge…

View attachment 328224

Let me explain.

Dialling in for another TR

 

[MattA]

Dialling in for another TR

Welcome on board. Sadly (for me) this one’s nearly over…

 

[FlyingFiona]

View attachment 329436

"too important deposit" - gotta love Google Translate fails. I recently saw a Google review of a monastery stay in France with a translated response from one of the nuns. It said they spank advantageously (Thing is, the translation of that sentence had nothing to do with the original, which was rather baffling.)

 

[MattA]

And so time to start the journey back to MEL. The family gave me a lift to Bordeaux and we said our goodbyes as I boarded my TGV back to Paris.





The heavens open as we roll out of Bordeaux:



But it brightens up once we are away:

 

[MattA]

I’m staying overnight in Paris, at the Mercure Notre Dame Saint Germain des Prés. But there is no time to enjoy the delights of the left bank/Sorbonne area this time. It’s late when I arrive, and this hotel was selected mainly for its proximity to the RER B station at St Michel Notre Dame for my early morning journey on to CDG.

I’m ALL platinum, but status recognition extended only as far as a drink voucher (unused).

Room is compact:



As was the bed. I had to sleep diagonally!

This room also is apparently too small for separate products for cleaning your body and your hair. Shampoo? Luxury…



Bathmat came pre-soiled… nice!



And no carpark view, but instead a void. I’m not sure if that’s better or worse.



Also annoyingly they’ve taken a €50 security deposit despite the room being prepaid. I’m not entirely sure what for—there’s no minibar. And why €50 specifically? Why do hotels need to do this when they could just take the card details and charge whatever they like to it later anyway?

It remains to be seen whether it’s merely a pre-auth that will drop off or a charge that will be refunded (leading to a small exchange rate loss).

So anyway as a place to sleep it was fine. Would I stay here again? Probably not.

 

[MattA]

I’m up before the rest of Paris and walked the 5/10 mins or so to St Michel Notre Dame to catch the RER B to CDG.






Unfortunately you can’t load airport tickets onto a Navigo (unless you buy a zones 1-5 travelcard, which is more expensive than one way) so I had to use the machine to buy an old school paper ticket.



That was easy enough, but then had some trouble finding the platform—the signs to the RER took me to the platforms for line C. Another sign suggested you could access B from there but those signs only led to a staircase that was blocked off. Walked to both ends of the platform before finding an unmarked staircase down that luckily took me to the underpass and on to the B platforms.

From there it’s ~ an hour to CDG. RER B drops you at T3, and from there, there is a shuttle train on to T1, where I’m departing from.

 

[MattA]

I’m flying back with EY: CDG-AUH / AUH-MEL.

This was the best option available at the time of booking (back in October). 139k VFF plus ~ $800 in taxes and carrier charges (again, yikes!)

Originally I had an overnight in AUH, but kept checking the route and a month or so out a shorter (4hr) connection popped up with reward space, so I switched to that. Didn’t even have to pay the change fee as there had been a time change to one of the flights (only 5-10 mins, so not sure if I just got lucky there).

Originally I would have been on the 787 for the AUH-MEL leg, but instead I’m on the 777 for both, which I understand is EY’s most dated J product. It wasn’t worth 17hrs in AUH, though.

Check in at CDG is swift. No line at the J counter (long line at Y). I’m told I can use the express emmigration/security lines, and once I find them (not entirely obvious), it’s very quick. Almost no wait to exit France and clear security and onwards to the lounge.



EY (and others) use the Extime lounge here at CDG.



It’s a pleasant enough space to wait out the next couple of hours.

There’s a selection of hot breakfast items on:



Plus cold ones:



Basic spirits:



Drinks:



And (grey) runway views…

 

[MattA]

Time to board EY32. I’m in 5A for the first leg. This is EY’s three class 777 (there’s a small 1st cabin just in front of me). It’s certainly got a dated/chunky feel to the fit out, but the seat is comfy enough.





Menu:

 

[MattA]

Amenity kit (featuring appropriate inspirational message, given the reason for my trip…)