Our Castle, Our Home

Friday, May 20
We take the Eurostar under the Channel to Paris.  And from there we take the high speed train to Saint Pierre des Corps, France, which is in the Loire Valley.  Since our Eurostar trip was running a tad late, we missed our Loire Valley connection, but thankfully we were able to catch the next train there and only lost two hours.  In Saint Pierre, we get a rental car and off we go towards Veigne, our home for the next three days.
This accommodation is a beautiful chateau.  It has served as the hotel for such famous people as Audrey Hepburn and George Pompidou, but for now…it is ours! Our rooms are in the cottage beside the main chateau.  The cottage is delightful and only has two rooms, so it is our personal haven for the four of us.

Our personal cottage

Domaine de la Tortiniere...our castle, our home

Our hotel is in the Relais du Silence group, which I think means that it is a place of peace, solitude, and relaxation.  And it is definitely so.  But then we hear a roar!  What's this?  What's interrupting our silence?!  As it turns out, a car club has taken over our sleepy lair!  About twenty luxury sports cars have arrived including many red Ferraris, a Lamborghini, and an Aston Martin.  I know this group was jealous of our rented Peugeot!  And they are all parked in and around our personal cottage driveway...such arrogance!  (But does it ever feel amazing to walk out our front door and walk among such luxury!)

just a few of the many amazing car in our driveway

Domaine de la Tortiniere is situated on a 37 acre woodland.  Larry and I went for a walk one morning and the beauty was stunning.  It actually took my breath away and caused me to tear up.  So many shades of greenery and so lush.  Although we will see many gorgeous gardens on this trip, those in the English, French, and Italian manner, I must say I love God's version the best.  This is unstructured loveliness.

such a gorgeous, peaceful woodland...awww!

I had hoped we would arrive in time to make it to Chateau Villandry today, but we arrive later than anticipated because of our train delay.  This is probably a good thing as the constant running is wearing on me.  So we slow down a bit, go to a local Super Marche (market) and pick up some wine and cheese.  Then we relax in our lovely cottage awaiting our reserved dinner time.
We go to La Roche le Roy for dinner.  I had made this reservation weeks ago as I was looking for a Michelin starred restaurant that would be near one of our destinations.  When we arrive, I am again taken aback by the loveliness.  The building is a small chateau (as it seems everything is here in this neck of the woods) on grounds with a small pond.  When it is lit up, it is heavenly.
We are given many choices for our dinner, and one of them is the chef's surprise menu.  But this menu is only served if the whole table desires it.  Larry, John, and I are game for the surprises but I'm not sure this is a good choice for Jacque.  She says she's "game" and it is ordered for the table.
Before dinner is served, we are presented with mini hors d'ouvres of finger sandwiches with prosciutto and crackers topped with salmon mousse and caviar.
The first course is a puréed green bean soup that our waiter calls a green bean cappuccino.  We all enjoy the course.  The next course is scallops served with peppers, ginger, and fennel.  Jacque is not fond of shellfish so she eats the vegetables and tries to hide the scallops.  Now things get interesting!
Jeremy, our waiter, is alarmed that she did not eat the scallops.  He asks if there is anything else that Jacque does not like because the chef will accommodate.  Jacque, being sweet Jacque, just replies, "I'll try anything."  So Jeremy leaves to quickly return with a second version of this course thinking it will be more to Jacque's liking.  When he brandishly removes the cover...voila...it is asparagus with poached egg in some kind of sauce.  I can tell by Jacque's face...this is not going to be her favorite course.  After Jeremy departs, she worriedly asks us to eat this course for her as she can't stand asparagus or eggs that aren't cooked hard.  So John and Larry pick at her course to help her out.  But Jeremy returns to find asparagus going into Larry's mouth.  "What's this?" he inquires.  "Does she not like asparagus?"  We all go into fits of hysteria while Jacque blushes.
Again, Jeremy asks what kinds of foods Jacque does not like.  After quite a bit of restrained laughter (we are in a nice French restaurant after all) we try to explain that Jacque is not what we would call an adventurous eater.  "Then why order the surprise menu?" he asks.  We try to explain that Jacque is going along with the surprises because the rest of us wanted to eat surprises.  Now Jeremy is getting to know us, and he relaxes a bit.  "Please tell me what else you do not like so the chef will not fire me," he implores with a sly grin.  "I'll try anything!" Jacque again replies.
We grow to love Jeremy! He spent a year and a half living in the U.S. so his English is quite good.  We prod him for more personal information.  He worked at a French restaurant at Epcot in Orlando, Florida.  He also had the opportunity to visit San Francisco during this stint. He seems to have enjoyed the American culture, where people are less reserved and more friendly.  He said that basically the French are "shy" comparatively.
Jacque tells him that she should have given one scallop to each of the rest of us and then a crisis could have been averted.  Jeremy says, "No!  I am a clean boy.  We are not playing that game!"
The sommelier and other waiters that serve us all seem to be entertained by us.  They smile and smirk as they attend to us.  Either they're enjoying themselves, or we may be causing an international crisis.
Fortunately the next courses we are served Jacque loves, as do the rest of us.  First comes the White Sea Bass in a champagne sauce.  It is superb!  When I am finished, I decide the best word that I can use to describe the dish is "soft", delicate and yet so flavorful.  I love this course!  John replies, "I can make this."  To which, I too quickly reply, "No, you can't!"  I should think before speaking but this is a Michelin starred restaurant, after all!  I think John is pouting.
Then we are served a green salad with creamy goat cheese to cleanse our palates.  After which was served duckling in a dark rich sauce and creamed celery (which had the consistency of mashed potatoes prepared with a ricer).  Yum!!
Lastly, dessert.  A tart is served in an almond crust, with white chocolate mousse and topped with fresh berries alongside a rhubarb glacé .  "Local strawberries.  A special variety.  Very sweet!", Jeremy pronounces.  And after that, we are served mini sweets because one dessert is never quite enough.
By the time dinner is concluded, Jeremy and we have become good buds.  We pose for pics (luckily most other patrons have left by this time so we feel it is permissible to do so).  We even meet the owner and the chef.  Everyone is so friendly.
We have eaten the finest gourmet dinner.  We have laughed until we cried.  We have made new friends.  Wow!  What a wonderful evening!