Saturday lunch

For months Eva has been saying she will take me to Chambery for lunch.  She bought a new electric car and wanted to try it out.  But it was always too hot or I was on vacation.  But finally a good day came.

The car is lovely.  We  cruised up my favorite valley.

I had been to Chambery as a tourist.  This time we went to the locals area, to a Japanese restaurant.

But it is still a classic French town.

And I was home in time for tennis.

Museum and lunch

For my last morning in Valence, I went to the museum of art and archeology.  The top floor is a terrace with a view over the Rhone.

Then there are two floors of the rich archeology, going from Paleolithic to Roman.

And two floors of art.

On the way to the train station, I stopped at a restaurant serving poke bowls.  She offered a free choice of bases, sauces, proteins, veggies, and toppings.  And she gave me a free sample of her new dessert.

Valence is a real foodie town.  And easy to go just for lunch.

Lunch

That is what drew me to Valence.  The Michelin restaurants.  I chose Epitheque.  It was better than I had imagined.

Amuse bouche

Butter with veggie chips

Tomato and eggplant

Fish with amazing puree & sauce

Peach with sorbet and cream

And the mignardises

Plus the lunch room had three tables, with me and two discreet couples.  And the pace was relaxed.  And the chef brought great wine pairings.  Totally succesful indulgence.

Pedestrian history

Valence is a crossroads between the mountains and the sea, on the banks of the Rhone, leading north.  The Old Town sits on a bluff over the river.  It is a small warren of medieval streets.  And of large squares and lots of cafes.

Fountain at entrance to town

Maison des tetes

Marketplace

There was also a museum telling the history of the large Armenian population who fled certain death in Turkey.

With a side exhibit of photographs of a wild tribe today in the Phillapines

It seems like not much is happening in Valence, but there is certainly a taste for art and food and relaxation.

Local trip

Wednesday I went to Valence, nearby in the Rhone valley.  I had lunch in the restaurant at the train station.

Then I took the local train for 90 minutes through walnut groves and cornfields.

I found my delightful Airbnb across the street from a parish church, tucked in a walled courtyard.

With a market around the corner, shade and air conditioning, I enjoyed the day session of the US Open on my laptop.

Breakfast at the Open

Afternoon at the park

Self-care

To help unwind the travel kinks, I visited a kinetherapist.  This is the walk from her office to the tram.

Then I went to my osteopath nearby.  There is a bakery across from the bus stop.

Now I have a more flexible body and pastries to keep it happy.

Summer lunch

Grenoble has been having changeble weather–one day hot, the next cold and rainy.  Saturday settled on perfect Indian summer–sunny and 72.  So I went for lunch on the terrace of the sushi restaurant in the park.

And sat in the shade afterwards to watch the fountains.

Return

Waiting for the flight

Dutch mother and daughter returning from vacation in San Francisco.

Transfer in Amsterdam’s Schiphol.

Dawn from my window.

End bits

I got to visit my hostess’s studio.  She does beautiful sculptures.

Then I dropped by the restaurant where Marie works.  We sat out front where there is a view of downtown Redwood Estates.

She really has a great location in the beautiful mountains.

Today I met Erich Keefe for lunch in Berkeley.

Now I am at the airport hotel, watching tennis on my laptop and eating leftovers.  Tomorrow I fly home with good memories.