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| The Independent Traveler's Newsletter PAGE THREE |
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| The Independent Traveler's Newsletter PAGE THREE |
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An Update from Sylvaine Lang from France: A week in March coping with the
pandemic Two years ago the Langs decided to
leave California life
behind and spend their retirement years in France.
It would be a return to the motherland for her, an expatriation for Rick, and new adventures for both of them. We carried an article last year as renovations began on her grandmother's house. Now, all is complete and they and their dear dachshund, Lily are settled in. The following, which we borrowed from Sylvaine's blog, was written as they returned to France from a brief trip to California as the pandemic was taking hold in the world. We thank Sylvaine for allowing us to offer this to our subscribers. Journal
d'une confinée - Week 1
 March 17, 2020Ah, to be a dog, immune to COVID-19 and blissfully unaware of what’s happening in the world. After our retour précipité from California, we picked up Lily at my sister’s house. We’re back home by noon to, well, stay home. The confinement is now in effect. I take inventory of what I have in the freezer and the pantry; I notice the empty fridge didn’t spontaneously replenish itself while we were away. Lily gets reacquainted with her surroundings after her two-week vacation with her canine cousins: there is a lot of sniffing around and some napping in her favorite armchair. She has no reason to worry: kibble magically appears in her bowl twice a day. The dog is all set. If things get too dire for her humans, they’ll have to crack open some homemade cans of foie gras. The horror! March 18. 2020 My confinement is better than yours. If the virus has a great equalizer, the stay-at-home experience is not. Some people have to spend their days in a tiny apartment; we are lucky to live in a spacious house à la campagne (in the country) surrounded by fields and wooded area. Rick is back in tractor mode: the weeds grow fast at this time of the year. I check up on Mom at least twice a day but refrain from entering her home. No hugs, no kisses. We stay six feet apart, and I wear disposable gloves when I bring her food. Nurses still come to her house morning and evening, but her aide à domicile (home care assistant) can no longer fulfill her schedule; she also watches over the children at the Gourdon medical personnel and is not supposed to work for elderly people. Meanwhile, Mother Nature pays no attention to the turmoil. Wildflowers are blooming all over the fields. March 19, 2020 I ask Mom to give me her grocery list. She says she really doesn’t need anything: she has three bottles of sparkling water, a camembert, one sous-vide dinner, and a box of frozen fish sticks. Let’s put this woman in charge of disaster preparedness, shall we? I fill out a permission slip and drive to town for supplies. At the roundabout, I’m stopped by a gendarme who asks why I am out of my house. To go to the supermarket. “I hope you’re not just picking up a baguette and sliced ham,” she says as she waves me through. Most of the shops are closed and the streets are empty. At Intermarché, I don a mask and a pair of gloves before pushing my cart into the store. The shelves are well-stocked; plenty of toilet paper. I check off everything on my list except for my favorite brand of butter. I should have enough supplies for a week. I tend to be an impulsive cook and usually pick up food every other day depending on my inspiration. The confinement is forcing me to be a methodical meal planner. It’s a new exercise and, at this point, I’m mildly amused by the novelty. I’m even making chicken stock from scratch!  March 20, 2020 This spring has been milder than usual and the trees seem to visibly change day by day: buds, blossoms, and tender green leaves appear as in a time-lapse video. The pear tree is gorgeous and covered with white flowers. I’m making a mental note that I’ll surely need to thin the fruits in a month or two. A memory rushes in: a vision of my grandmother’s poire prisonnière (captive pear). I’m thinking I should make my own. I’ll have to find a pretty carafe, attach it to the tree, slide the neck over a small pear, and let the fruit grow inside the glass. When the fruit is ripe, cut the stem, remove the bottle with the pear inside, and fill it with some alcool de fruit (clear fruit alcohol). Maybe I’ll call it my poire confinée, année 2020 (confined pear, year 2020). March 21, 2020 My cousins and I started a WhatsApp group a year and a half ago. We’re scattered along a Paris-Toulouse axis but usually manage to see each other throughout the year. Getting everybody together at the same time is a challenge, but I was lucky to have them at the house for last year’s Christmas dinner. The group has been active this week; we’re checking up on each other and posting humorous pictures and memes about Le Confinement. On Day 5, this thing is still fairly new and “manageable.” Some of us are retired, some are en télétravail (working remotely from home), some are raising toddlers while trying to work from home. I wonder: how long will it take before we feel like caged birds?March 22, 2020 I’m bringing Mom some of my homemade chicken soup. As I walk on her porch by the living room windows, I can hear her TV set blaring a religious hymn: if it’s Sunday, it must be Mass. I drop off her food on the outdoor table, and we spend ten minutes chatting, she inside, me outside. She plans to have lunch, take a nap, and watch Michel Drucker’s TV show. All in all, an ordinary Sunday for her. Back at home, I catch the last five minutes of “Le Jour du Seigneur” and notice that, today, Mass is not taking place inside a spectacular cathedral but is broadcast from a TV studio in the 13th arrondissement: four priests respecting la distanciation sociale, a simple wood table doubling for an improvised altar, a giant screen showing rows of empty pews. Not an ordinary Sunday for them. At noon sharp, I hear the bells of the church in Payrignac. They sound louder than usual today.  Sylvaine's Mom's hyacinths in bloom
[All photos copyrighted property of Sylvaine Lang. All rights reserved.] You may remember
Sylvaine Lang as the proprietor of Joie
de Vivre, a
wonderful catalog and web site that offered genuine products from
France.
Joie de Vivre was established in 1989 as the first mail-order catalog completely devoted to providing authentic French Specialties in the United States. They offered a wide selection of French foods, sweet and savory; fresh meat, pates and sausages produced in the US by French charcutiers who followed original recipes from France; Marseille soaps and toiletries from Provence; and a vast array of French and French-inspired items such as towels, dishes, glassware, candles, stationery and books to help you bring the heart and soul of France in to your home. Now francophiles can continue to find authentic French products by visiting Sylvaine's web site: https://www.frenchselections.com/. Sylvaine has a blog, Moments Parfaits, which you might enjoy. A recent past edition is dedicated to Cathédrale de Notre Dame de Paris, and we highly recommend you read it - her photos are superb. https://www.momentsparfaits.com/blog/2019/4/16/our-lady  POSTPONING OUR PHOTO
CONTEST
We received an insufficient number of entries for our Photo Contest, so we will put it off for another time. It is unfortunate because we had a lovely gift in mind for the winner: a 48-hour Batobus Pass for one worth €19 (today's price). When we again hold our contest the requirements will be:
 We always enjoy our time in the Savoie département of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France ~ mountain views, crisp air, charming unique villages, and very friendly people. It is located south of Lake Geneva and borders Italy on the east. This département is home to the largest number of ski resorts in France including Val d'Isère, Albertville, Courchevel, Tignes, Les Arcs and many more. It is also the place to go for hydrotherapy treatments at such well-known spa towns as Aix-les-Bains. The capital of the Savoie, Chambéry, has held that distinction since the 13th century. In 2005, Chambéry was chosen Alpine Town of the Year, and is less than a 20-minute drive to  Saint
Pierre
d'Albigny.Above the village is the Fortress Château de Miolans, perched on a rocky outcrop against the Massif des Bauges overlooking the Combe de la Savoie, the territory connecting all the towns and cities of Savoie. It begins in Chambéry, former capital of the Dukes of Savoy, and stretches through breathtaking scenery to the Olympic city of Albertville. This is also home to Lac de Carouge, a vacation campsite and vineyards whose wine is just being discovered outside of France. From the Château ramparts one can see from the snow-covered peaks of Mont Blanc to the distant Vercours foothills. The château within high walls was once the most feared prison in the Savoie, and its most famous prisoner was the Marquis de Sade. Today it is open to the public with a Medieval-inspired garden for visitors to enjoy. Blason of Saint Pierre d'Albigny 
Photos above: Château
de
Miolans above the village and the village square
  
Photos above: Eglise de
Saint Pierre d'Albigny, view of the village on the road from
Château des Allues, monument to villagers lost in
World War I
 WHERE TO STAY IN THE SAVOIE
  Château des Allues ~ This elegant château bed and breakfast, with beautifully appointed guest rooms and fine dining, is the ideal destination for a refreshing and relaxing stay in France. The owner has just completed the addition of a wellness room with a sauna, steam room, and Jacuzzi/spa, and massages are offered as well. A spacious and elegant gîte and apartment are available for longer-term stays. See the amazing potager (kitchen garden) that has won awards for many years and has been featured on French TV while magazines have covered the exceptional cuisine served at the château. Guests not only appreciate the luxurious en suite guest rooms and suites, but they write rave reviews about the copious breakfasts and the delicious dinners prepared by the château's caring and attentive owner and chef, Stéphane. Allues dates from the 17th century and is only a few minutes from the autoroute between Albertville and Chambéry ~ yet it is extremely peaceful and quiet so that guests enjoy the full benefit of a country holiday ~ making it the ideal location for alpine skiing. Of course, this is a great location for a getaway at any time of year! For more information or to make a reservation, click here.   Château Saint-Philippe ~ This eleventh century château, that began its life as a priory for Benedictine monks, makes a great first impression when guests arrive and lasting happy memories when they depart. Convenient to Chambéry and Aix-les Bains, the château with ten lovely en suite double guest rooms is set on seventeen acres of park and woodlands. It maximum capacity is twenty people, and a sparkling swimming pool is available. Saint-Philippe is self-catering, and guests will appreciate the fully-equipped, modern kitchen with its dramatic Medieval structure. A warm and elegant dining room is perfect for the evening meals you will prepare. The spacious guest rooms are tastefully decorated, comfortable and all en suite. The château and its breathtaking location make a stay in the Savoie exceptional and truly memorable. For more information or to make a reservation, click here.
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