Last Tango in Gourdon

This is how we spent our last weekend in Gourdon.......

(26^th May 2012)

We made our final walk and visit to the weekly Market in Gourdon this morning.

We made a few small purchases of fresh produce for today’s “Company’s Coming” lunch menu.

I said to Honey that I felt sad that it was our last time.

We also visited a couple of the local shops, including our favorite Boulangerie for some fresh bread to serve our guests.

Company’s coming today …we invited the two wonderful young ladies who work so hard to serve their clients at the Café to join us for lunch.

Both Jennifer and Roxane have been very hospitable to us, above and beyond their duties as waitresses at the Café; they have become friends..

Roxane and her mother, Catherine provided us with a magic day earlier in May at the family restaurant Le Diabolo – Fraise in Nabirat (see post Strawberries and Walnut).

Jennifer invited us for lunch and a visit to her home in Masclat (see post Martine goes to Masclat).

Today was our turn to wait on them. We had a lovely afternoon, sharing a meal, getting to know them better and building on our friendship.

27^th May 2012

Last Sunday – our friends C & B came for a visit…we shared a glass of wine in the garden before venturing out to find some place to have a late lunch.

Our Café is not open on Sundays until June.

We walked the Boulevard, checking out the menu boards and a restaurant “La Notte” that only opens for the “season” had finally opened it’s doors and Terrace on Saturday, so we decided to give it a try…the 2^nd story Terrace overlooks the main Boulevard, the Post Office Lot or better known as the market Square.

The ambiance was perfect and quiet for a lazy Sunday afternoon, and the food delicious.

Midnight in Paris

John and Donna arrived in Paris by train from Gourdon, and knowing John he never saw "Paris at Midnight".

As you know we escorted our friends to the Gourdon train station and saw then off as they finished their French vacation with 3 nights in Paris.

I had asked Donna to write and share some highlights and photos.

Donna writes:

“We were tired by the time we got in on Friday night as we walked from the Austerlitz train  station  to our hotel, but the weather was great and John's toe wasn't kicking up (no pun intended)..”

Our Californian friend, Melody or better known as “ma petite Papillion” translated in English as “my little butterfly” (this is the nickname our friend, John appended to her) and her French boyfriend, Julien had suggested that our visitors try to go search out the Canadian bar, “Mooseheads” in Paris; but they didn’t make it there.  

Donna says...
“We didn't get to Mooseheads, but did get to a café 1/2 way between Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower on Saturday; where we had some Heinekens and I had a Parisienne Salad and John had Saucisson which was really good. 

We walked to the Eiffel Tower and back again stopping off at the Louvre.”

 This is a long walk …

 

“On the Sunday, we went on the Hop On, Hop Off bus and stopped in Montmartre.”

 

“John and I had lunch at the same cafe as Kathy, Rennie and I went to in 2004 and had that great English tradition “Fish and Chips” with another Heineken.”

“It was a wonderful time and the allure of Paris remained.” 

“John loved the city as well, but neither of us could wish for any better place than Gourdon with you two.” 

Thanks again!

Take care and I think you should have a "Cafe Gourmand!!"
Love Donna & John

Donna & John’s 3 nights in Paris (11^th -14^th May 2012)

Information and photos provided by Ms. Donna via email...photos not posted in any particular order.

Happy 42nd Anniversary...dear friends!!!!

Home Away from Home

“La Promenade Café” is a two star ** Hotel, Bar and Restaurant located at “48, Boulevard Gailot de Genouillac (tour de ville) -46300 Gourdon”.

They are located on the main boulevard, and registered as a “Logis de France”.

The hotel has 10 rooms, the bar area is very warm and comfortably furnished and also has a billiard table, and the dining room is full of ambiance. It even has a red British telephone box.

More importantly our local café has free “Wi-Fi” and as such they have been a godsend for communication across the time zones with our children, family and friends.

In addition, they have a large outdoor café, which we did enjoy for a couple weeks in late March and since May arrived we’ve been able to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine again.

On May 1^st (Labor Day – a holiday) …it was especially great…the owners had set up a French Fry booth, and also made crepes outside and there was an ice cream cooler with a great assortment of flavors to satisfy the young and old alike.

The managers, the hard-working husband and wife team, Jean-Jacques and Pascale, and sometimes assisted by their children, the wait staff, Roxane and Jenny, plus the chef, Franck are all very friendly and helpful and we are all practicing our French/English skills.

We’ve enjoyed many cups of delicious coffee, glasses of wine, pints of beer and meals here and this spot also was a favorite with our two sets of friends who shared some our time in Gourdon.

Here is our friend, Donna enjoying a Birthday Beer.

The location is central to the town and the old historic centre, and close to our temporary home in France.

We’ve been privileged to get to know the owners and their family, and the staff.

I celebrated my birthday here and it was a special evening. 

Our friend, John even enjoyed playing some billiards here with some new friends and nicknamed the “Promenade”….Palisades Park as in the May 1962 Freddy Cannon song….To a place called Palisades Park…..

Thank you Jean-Jacques, Pascales, Margaux, Julie,  Mathieu and the lovely waitresses, Jenny and Roxane and let's not forget chef Franck for making us feel so at home and providing a focus for our time in Gourdon.

Getting to know you has made our time here special.

http://www.lepromenadegourdon.com/

So, please do not hesitate to visit this establishment for either a coffee, drink, a meal, or an overnight stay ...you will not be disappointed. It is located next a small Memorial Park which has beautiful Magnolia trees and super tall Cypress trees.

The food is delicious and artfully presented by the chef, Franck.

Martine goes to Masclat

I’m trying to catch up on my posts due to my illness last week and therefore, some may not be in the order of the actual events.

Friday 18^th May 2012

Readers of this blog will have realized that the Promenade is our restaurant of choice in Gourdon.

Earlier in the week, we asked Jenny (one of the waitresses at our Café) if she would be able to come in to town to join us for drinks &/or a meal with her little girl, Joddy before we left for Canada. She at first said yes and then extended an invitation for us to come to her little house in the countryside.

We spent a wonderful afternoon in Masclat, a tiny hamlet about 10 kms northeast of from Gourdon at the home of Jennifer and Joddy.

Jenny served us appetizers of her homemade foie gras, sausages and cheeses and some delicious rose wine, followed by a tea punch (rum, lime slices and brown sugar).

For an entrée we were served a crab, cucumber & corn salad, followed by her delicious tortiere (eggs, potato and onion similar to a frittata but made in a frying pan) with meatballs and a salad.

Little Joddy who will be three this year was not feeling well this day, and now we realize this may be where I picked up this European flu.

As a gift for Joddy, we purchased some books at my favorite book store,

“Librairie de la Bouriane 56 Bd. Aristide Briand, Gourdon”, owned & operated by the helpful Brigitte and Thierry Marvier and assisted by their son, Michel.  

Madame Marvier suggested a series of books about a little girl named, Martine and as a bonus, beautiful pink head scarves in various shades and patterns were added to the package.

The books & scarves were packaged beautifully and were a big hit with little Miss Joddy.

I practiced my French, because Joddy insisted I read the books to her; but the head scarves were a huge success as were the bonbons.

We then took a taxi home after a wonderful afternoon with new friends....Merci, Jenny and Joddy for a lovely day!!!

PS. Thank you C & B for the drive there.