The next month: smelling the roses (and other things) in Normandy

The boot of the fancy car didn’t turn out to be quite as small as Mum had feared. So I had a pretty comfortable drive on the back seat to Le Thuit, near the beautiful village, Les Andelys in Eure, in the northern part of Normandy.

You can see the ruins of Richard the Lionheart’s castle up on the hill.  (I don’t really know who this Richard fellow actually is and suspect my Mum doesn’t either. But she’s not saying, so I won’t either). They overlook  Les Andelys alongside the Seine River, which meanders on to the sea from here, leaving stark white limestone cliff faces in its wake. This part of Normandy has beautiful fields, meadows and amazing vistas at every turn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t know what to expect, although Mum and Dad kept saying I was REALLY going to like where we were going. They stayed at Le Thuit for their friends’ (Adrian and Lucy’s) wedding there 2 years ago. We saw them when we were in Paris just now; I especially like Adrian who plays tug-of-war with me when he’s back in Sydney and now here.

Lucy’s bridesmaid, Natalie, and her parents and siblings all have abodes here, which they visit from Paris, which is only 130 kms away, mostly on weekends. Natalie’s ancestors owned the original rural estate, which includes a big chateau and a number of houses in the surrounds that have been renovated over the years.  Some were horse stables. But I trust that my parents would know that I wouldn’t want to stay in one of those…

I quite liked being in Paris, so didn’t really see why we needed to move again. But wow, when we got to Le Thuit I understood exactly what they’d meant. The grassy garden just went on and on and on… and the smells. You just wouldn’t believe how MANY different wonderful scents were wafting past the minute I got out of the car. I couldn’t help myself. I just bounded straight for the first grassy patch I could see and rolled and rolled and rolled for a full ten minutes. It was heaven!

When I did this Dad started ordering me to “Roll over Sassy, roll over” in a deep manly sounding voice that he doesn’t normally use. But I really love my Dad so I went along with it, like I was obeying his command. He gives me big hugs every time.

The garden has lots of beautiful flowers, and especially roses right now. Natalie said we could pick them to arrange in vases for inside.  Roses of all sorts are in bloom throughout Normandy. So it will be easy for Mum and Dad to smell them here, which they say this European sojourn is all about. There are lots of fruit trees at Le Thuit it having been an orchard, including cherries (3 types and all ripe now), apples and walnuts, as well as raspberry (ripe now), strawberry and gooseberry bushes. There are also various modern sculptures scattered throughout the grounds surrounding the main chateau and other living abodes. You can look out to the Seine from the far end of the estate.

 

 

I have never seen such extensive grounds; it was a case of SPACE and plenty of it to run and smell, then smell and run. And it was all pretty much for me, although I did have to ward off an interloping cat at one stage. OK, so I look like I just wanted to play with the cat in the video; I really WAS very scary, knowing those cats don’t take a backward step!

Sassy and the cat

(sorry, if it’s sidewards on PCs – glitch I can’t correct!)

The badger was the most interesting looking new animal I came across. It had big stripes over its head and face and seemed to spend most of its time digging about near the perimeter fence it had burrowed under. Lucky Uncle David (Kobe’s human Dad) grew up in England and knew to warn that badgers can be nasty with dogs. So I wasn’t allowed to go and check it out after that. But I was happy enough to just chase those wonderful smells around and around the grounds endlessly until I collapsed, too exhausted to keep going. They called me ‘Mad Dog’ when I did this.  (I did find it a bit hard to stop)…

Sassy being ‘Mad Dog”!

So Mum and Dad didn’t really need to take me on more walks. But that they did. (Something about trying to offset their voracious eating habits – see later section!) We often walked to Les Andelys, usually down the hill through the forest, past where the women used to wash the clothes in olden times (I was allowed to dip my paws into the water once when I was very hot). Then we would walk along the road and then the river to the older part of the village known as Le Petit Andely. (The big Andely is where the supermarkets and other shops are).

We usually stopped at the ‘Tabac’ on the corner of the square where Dad sometimes gets the International New York Times (finding one of these being a daily task). But I think it was mostly for the glass of Amstel (in preparation for Holland!) that Dad would order for himself and a Pastis Ricard for Mum (with at least 3 cubes of ice and a small jug of chilled water on the side – yep, she IS fussy). Mum and Dad got to recognise some of the different people walking by over time. They like people watching and so do I from under the table, which is now my allocated spot.

And there was another place where you could sit in a lovely sunny garden and look out to the Seine, where there was usually at least one big long cruise boat from Paris moored. They also have fetes (‘festivals’ in French) with food and flower stalls here by the river on certain weekend days. And there are fresh food markets in many of the villages nearby on different days of the week. Sole (fish) and big white asparagus from the markets has become a favourite lunch dish made at home right now, especially after Mum realised that unlike the thin green ones at home, you actually have to peel those big asparagus first, before cooking them. (They were VERY chewy the first time!)

 

Their most favourite past time is to find a village with a farmer’s market or a pretty garden AND a good restaurant, and head there for lunch…quite long sometimes. They eat a LOT too, so lucky they both lost some weight BEFORE they came away. But watch this space!

They USUALLY take me with them on these day trips, but not when they go somewhere VERY fancy. And they seem to do that a LOT too. They say they have to make the most of the fact that Normandy considers itself the capital gastronomique of France. (We’ll see how they justify it in the many other places we will be visiting in coming times…)

But I was allowed to stay under the table (I am getting very good at this now) at this one in Acquigny, which was great until it became apparent that the owners had a cat, who seemed to think it could just sit there and glare at me. I eventually allowed it to stay. I know I am not supposed to like cats, but truth be told, I wouldn’t mind playing with them if they would just let me. Mum actually said that she wanted to adopt a cat soon after I arrived as a pup so we could be friends, but didn’t get onto it quickly enough; there seems to be some time limit on such things. Anyway, I’m VERY glad THAT didn’t happen; I have plenty of friends.

Dad likes to take photos of all the meal courses, which is not a bad idea since they can’t seem to remember them for long afterwards. But Mum read somewhere that this was very gauche so usually won’t let him do it… except for just now and then, when it’s extra special.

Fancy chocolate dessert, which dogs are not allowed to eat 🙁

 

Afterwards we visited the garden at the Chateau nearby. I liked its vegetable garden the best. The big rolls of hay were pretty amazing too. They make these up after mowing the lawns around our chateau at Le Thuit too. The only thing I DIDN’T like was the scary dog there, luckily in a cage. It was a BIG black Rottweiler, and barked and snarled ferociously, like it would definitely eat me if it escaped from that cage.

There seem to be quite a few big scary Rottweilers in these parts, often used as guard dogs and I DON’T like them one bit. Bring back the pugs of Paris I say. We have yet to meet any dogs like me here in France. I do miss playing with Kobe in Clovelly, but I’ll try not to go on about it.

 

Guests at Le Thuit

And then next thing: Kobe’s parents, Aunty Lisa and Uncle David, came to visit for a weekend. They came on the train all the way from London; Mum picked them up at Rouen train station on the Friday evening. Mum and Dad had driven to Rouen during the week before to check it all out. It’s apparently quite a big place with lots of very big churches and shops. But it didn’t start well with Mum having a traumatic experience in the car park at the train station; she had to reverse the new fancy car back at least 100 metres along a very narrow roadway with at least six cars, all wanting to exit along the same (one way) roadway,  impatiently bearing down on her.

The stress of this, along with extracting their train tickets for their upcoming trips to Paris and Nancy (more about this later) from the ticket machines at the station (and then needing to get them from the ticket office anyway) was enough for them to agree that there really was only one thing for it. So Mum pulled out the not so trusty French phone (WHOLE other story but not for here!) and keyed in ‘best restaurants Rouen’ and what do you know? There was a Michelin starred one just down the road.

So off they went, the google maps app showing the way. And before you know it, they were being ushered into the sublime surrounds of Origine Restaurant ordering the degustation lunch, that scrape on the car’s perfect pearly white duco, but a rapidly fading memory. They said this restaurant really WAS out of this world.

 

 

Lisa and David were very impressed at how well I have shaped up after my recent international travel. Lisa even said I looked the BEST she has ever seen me! I like Lisa a lot. I was soooo excited when I saw her here. But I must admit that I had assumed that Kobe must be with them too. But he wasn’t. It was something about it being too difficult to bring dogs on short overseas trips.  So I figure that must mean that we are here for a longer time. Maybe that’s what makes this a sojourn and not just a regular holiday.

They all visited the village, La Bouille during the day. But the Peugeot is too small for 4 people AND me, so I had to stay at home. I decided to spend the day keeping an eye out for that cat from the other end of le Thuit, having a bird’s eye view through the front door’s window.

It was Uncle David’s birthday on the Sunday, so they took Mum and Dad out for dinner at a restaurant not too far away. It looks out onto the Seine, further along its course to the sea. This is the SECOND time Mum and Dad have visited this restaurant, called Moulin de Connelles, apparently needing to ‘test’ it against another fancy restaurant in another nearby village called Lyons-la-Foret (didn’t make the grade)… This village also known for its flower displays, having won an award for this. It also has a well-known historic covered market (where Mum bought the sole) right in the centre.

 

That weekend we all walked all the way to the ruins of Lionheart’s castle called Chateau Gaillard. That’s down a big hill and up another one. Mum and Lisa teased me by putting me behind these bars then took the photo below. So I just went along with that.

I especially like the photo of me walking down those stairs. Everyone said I must be very brave unlike Dad who is not exactly great with heights. (Don’t mention the Samaria Gorge.)  I happily agreed. But I must admit that I was a bit anxious, so I just kept walking down quite quickly until I was at the bottom…That’s Dad’s approach too. He calls it the “roadrunner technique”!

It became a beautiful sunny day in time to hang out in the chairs and tables our favourite bar had set up in the street at Petit Andely. It’s the Fete de Musique, so there are musical gigs happening all over France today, especially in Paris, which apparently turns into one big street party on this weekend.

 

 

…and then we all walked back, along the river, the road and then up the hill through the forest, to Le Thuit.

As you’ll have gathered, Mum’s friend, Aunty Linette, who is in some of the photos above, had also arrived at Le Thuit. She came by train on the Saturday evening and was staying a bit longer. This was just as well because with almost no notice my parents were informed that they had to present themselves to complete the final ‘formalities’ for their French visas. This involved three different appointments that had already been made in Nancy, which is some 500 kms east of here – and on a day right in the middle of when Aunty Linette was visiting.

There was no changing it, and I couldn’t go with them. Something about chiens not being allowed on the Paris Metro (which will connect their train trips) unless able to be carried in a bag. At my current weight this would be more than the full Qantas business class baggage allowance! So maybe not that practical. While I also lost some weight before arriving here, ALL three of us are trying to avoid carbs. But Mum and Dad say it’s extra hard with all the yummy baguettes and pastries here. So they agree to walk more and more …fine with me!

Fortunately Linette said she’d hang out with me in what turned out to be the first rubbish weather here at Le Thuit, while Mum and Dad traversed the north of France on very fast trains that were very late. But their visas are all finalised now, and upon stamping their passports the immigration lady said: “Europe is now yours!” They also enjoyed visiting Nancy. It has this amazing square called Place Stanislas, apparently among the most impressive in all of Europe.

Nancy

 

Speaking of passports, I am now the proud holder of an EU [pet] Passport, which documents all of my vaccines, test results and things. When we got to Normandy, Mum found a vet – or make that une veterinaire – in Les Andelys, who could test that my Rabies vaccine had been effective. This test needs to be done at least 6 months before I return to Australia, so a case of the earlier the better. I also needed to start my vaccination course against Leptospirosis. I don’t know what that is, but it sounds pretty bad. There might be fewer poisonous spiders and snakes here in Europe compared to Australia, but there are a lot more diseases that can affect chiens like me.

My new vet’s name is Benoit, which is a bit harder to say than ‘Julia’ (my vet in Sydney). But I like him too; he seems very thorough and caring. He seemed to know that Australia has very strict quarantine regulations, joking about some Johnny Depp guy having brought 2 dogs into Australia without having had the proper tests and so on. I think little yappy dogs with silly names like Pistol and Boo should be banned for those reasons alone.

I must admit to being pretty scared. I had never had a blood test before. First Dr Benoit told me to jump up on the examination table, which he had lowered. But I knew this was only to raise it back up again. I did as I was told, Mum having said that I have to trust what they tell me to do when I am at the vet’s. I leant back against her as he raised the table hoping they wouldn’t notice my legs shaking. But I think they did.

Then it got a whole lot worse…he told Mum to hold my head to the side while he put a needle into my neck. Yes, you heard that right. My NECK and not my arm like when my parents have such tests. Apparently this is the best place to take blood from in dogs. Thankfully my legs had stopped shaking by then, and I bravely stayed still without uttering a whimper when the needle went in. Everyone including Benoit was impressed. The needle being inserted between my shoulder blades for the Leptospirosis vaccine was a snack after this.  And yep, I got some treats for being brave too.

Anyway, the good news is that the test showed my Rabies vaccine given in Sydney before I left was effective so I won’t need a booster or to be retested for this. I now just need a booster vaccine for Leptospirosis in 4 weeks’ time, and to have some more blood tests within a few weeks of flying back home on the plane. But I first have to spend 10 days in what Mum says must be the Hilton Hotel at the National Quarantine station in Melbourne before going home; something about the daily boarding rates.

And then that’s it. So probably not as hard as people think. But better touch wood, as I am not back yet!

Come what may, my parents keep saying that having me here with them for this sojourn is a great thing, and well worth any hassle involved and I agree. We are a family and should be together at all times!

More visitors to Le Thuit

Lynn and Alan came to visit for a few days in the last week we were in Normandy. They drove all the way from Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. I had never met them before, but quickly worked out that Alan was a very good ball thrower, so I particularly targeted him with my affections.

Mum has now put a bit of a stop to me chasing endlessly after those many sumptuous smells around here. (Alright, I didn’t obey when her I heard her calling out for me, so she WAS a bit concerned by that. And OK, she thought I might have been lost forever, maybe having chased after the badger beyond the perimeter fence…as though!) So I am back, wanting to retrieve balls.

Lynn was very nice too. Her clothes and other things are a lot like my Mum’s. Apparently they have the same taste. In fact they wore the exact same sandals one day, which they got when they met up in Amsterdam 2 years ago, except Mum’s are orange (she’s a bit predictable sometimes) and Lynn’s are purple. Lynn wishes she got the orange ones now, and Mum regrets not going for the purple.

It was forecast to get REALLY hot this week so Mum and Dad decided to visit the Monet gardens in Giverny on the first day Lynn and Alan were staying, before it became a ‘heat wave’ – as it was referred to in all of the European newspapers and on the TV. But it was still pretty steamy, however, amazingly the flowers seemed unperturbed.  Mum especially enjoyed seeing the water lilies, which weren’t out the last time they visited in late May when it was also wet. Lunch beforehand at the small laneway restaurant in the neighbouring town called Vernon, was also very special, serving just the BEST chilled rose according to all.

The Monet gardens, Giverny

 

Apparently Paris was even hotter, but it got to 38 C here at Le Thuit the very next day. Thankfully Natalie’s sister and husband had said we could swim in their great pool on these hot days. We weren’t entirely sure they were including me in that. But hey, they didn’t say I couldn’t, non? So thankfully all walks were called off on this VERY VERY hot day; we just hung out near the pool. My new friend, Alan, threw a lot of balls into the water, and they all laughed every time I launched myself from the side of the pool to retrieve them, which I did a lot.  I had a great time. Like my parents, I love it when friends come to visit us in these foreign lands.

 

 

Honfleur

We also visited the seaside. First we went to Honfleur just south of the mouth of the Seine. There are many seafood restaurants and boutiques along the marina there, as well as a 2 storey carousel with wooden horses that go around and around. I wish ALL horses were wooden.

 

 

 

 

Mum and Dad had oysters and fish for lunch. I like both (without lemon), but they have instituted a very strict policy of not feeding me under the table, in case I start becoming a pest. Me? But they do sneak left over meat into serviettes and then stash it in Mum’s bag, which comes out when we get home. Yum. Apparently they don’t provide ‘doggy bags’ here, apparently to do with French people believing that over-sized portions should be avoided. Don’t agree myself.

 

 

We went BACK to Honfleur the very next week when Mum realised the restaurant had added a ‘1’ to the credit card charge such that she was overcharged by 1,000 euros. I gather that’s a lot. It was all a bit of a fuss about (nothing ever seems simple in France) and then the restaurant owner needed to wait until her bank opened again (lots of things close up in the middle of the day, and also on Sundays and Mondays, and sometimes on Wednesdays; you should hear what Mum and Dad have to say about THIS!)… So what could they do in the meantime? Yep, they found another fancy restaurant and had the degustation lunch. Apparently it was not quite as good as at Origine in Rouen, but still very very good. And the payment reversal worked out in the end too.

After lunch we drove to Trouville, a sister town of Deauville located a bit further south on the Atlantic coast. While a bit touristy, I really liked the original wooden board walk. The grandeur of the casino was also impressive; I have never seen anything like this. Mum says the one I will get to see in Biarritz in late August is even more impressive, so I am looking forward to that. There was also a fish market with a café (but they’d already had lunch) and of course the beach. But even though Mum thought she had correctly translated the sign using her French phone, no sooner had we reached the water line than an ‘attendant’ turned up to tell us that I wasn’t allowed to be on the beach. Even on a leash. So I didn’t get the chance to have a swim. But at least I got some sand between my toes, reminding me of Bundeena. (I do miss Bundeena at home.)

 

Varengeville-sur-Mer

Just when I thought there was surely not going to be enough time left to get back to the coast for a swim my parents announced that we would drive to Varengeville-sur-Mer, just south of Dieppe where the ferries land from England. The idea was to visit famous gardens there and then have lunch. But alas, the drive took longer than expected so we skipped the gardens and went straight to lunch. It was raining (luckily very rare on our trip so far) so I was glad to be allowed to sit under the table inside at the restaurant, even though it was a pretty fancy one. (And yeah, you’d be getting the picture by now about my parents’ prolific dining habits? No wonder they joke that they single-handedly keep Australia’s economy afloat by stimulating the hospitality industry … they really DO).

Afterwards, despite a few wrong turns, we found the beach (L’Ailly plage) that Mum had read allowed dogs. Well, they call it a beach, but where is the sand I asked? It was all stony. Luckily they brought my pink towel (thanks Oma!) along for me to lie on.

While the weather had fined up a bit by now, the water was still pretty nippy. But they’d made such a big effort to let me swim in the sea, so I paddled around for a bit while Dad actually dunked himself right into the water. He didn’t hang around in it for long though. Mum completely wimped out, staying on the shore, minding the bags. Later on she said she wished she had gotten wet just to be able to say she’d also swum in the Atlantic on this special day for me.

 

 

The rose season was coming to an end, like our stay at Le Thuit. All too soon. We really enjoyed our time here, me especially. But new adventures lie ahead. Mum and Dad cleaned the house and packed everything up into the small (but not too tiny) boot of the car. And off to the Netherlands we went. But not before Mum was caught by a speeding camera. Even Dad – who WAS tempted to be just a bit ‘I told you so’ – thought she’d been unlucky to be pinged, this being the fastest Mum had driven for the whole time we’ve been away. Kharma Mum explained, for having boasted to everyone that she must have been pinged at the LOWEST speed of the whole time, when she was last drove in France 2 years ago. Maybe. Dad was very glad that she drove a bit slower for the rest of the trip to our houseboat on the Vecht River just south of Amsterdam, very close to Utrecht where the Tour de France was starting that very day.

 

Restaurant Recommendations (from the best)

High end

1. Origine, Rouen (deserves its Michelin star for being original; also great value especially at this level)
2. Moulin de Connelles, Connelles (magnificent setting, atmosphere and service)
3. L’Hostellerie d’Aquigny, Acquigny (lovely outside garden setting, and scrumptious food)
4. Terre et Mer, Honfleur (great range of formula and degustation menus)
5. La Terasse, Varengeville-sur-Mer (great outlook on the sea and friendly service)
6. La Licorne Royale, Lyons-la-Foret (one Michelin star, so food special, but probably why it was considerably more expensive)
7. La Chain Dor, Les Andelys (Petit) (good food, although scoops of rock melon as an amuse bouche not exactly inspiring! Also quite expensive)

Low – medium end

1. Bistrot des Fleurs, Vernon (great simple food and laneway setting, exceptional value)
2. Les Saveurs du Liban et de Orient, Les Andelys (Petit) (deserves its top listing for Les Andelys on tripadvisor for its tasty Lebanese food, which makes a nice change too)
3. Le Retro, Les Andelys (Grand) (great value and friendly service)
4. Le Bar de l’Hotel de Ville, Les Andelys (Grand) (food OK, but inattentive service)

 Special mention: D’Hôtes La Villa Aliénor, for its lovely garden cafe looking out onto the Seine in Petit Andely (great location and service; B&B accom well rated too)