Lome Visit

High above Grenoble, there is fortress.  On exiting the city we finally get a picture of it.  On a future visit we will take the cable car to it.

It has been nearly two years since we visited Christian and Dominique at Christmas. We depart from Grenoble in the late morning for a meandering drive to Chateaurenard, a small village just outside of Avignon. Carol insists we stay off the toll roads.  Next time she insists, she drives even if she has a broken foot. This time the drive is more picturesque with the mountains close by on the left but it is still a drive of too many round-about and too many villages and their 30mph speed limits.

Once again we randomly pick a restaurant along the road and it turns out to be marvelous.

Shortly before arriving in Avignon we stop in a small village along the Rhone River.  There is a fortress high above an ancient village.  Can you see the fortress?

The reunion includes the entire family with Antoine and Sara joining with Vincent and his new girlfriend, Leah. Good wines and good conversation dominate the evening of friendship. Christian brings four bottles for CJ to select one.  It's relatively easy to eliminate two of them since we've had them previously.  The final two are difficult.  The choice is between a good local wine we've never had and a 1990 St. Estephe.  Any 1990 Bordeaux cannot be passed.

 

The evening adjourns at a good time for everyone.  Dominique must work early in the morning, the children must drive to their homes, and we need to get up early and get on the road.