An amazing beautiful day today...that started out very rainy...our first stop...just as the sun was breaking through the clouds...was into the Caves of Chartreuse...an over 900 year old institution dedicated to pray, silence and the making of a green liqueur made of 130 herbs, known for its curative and medicinal capabilities...Chartreuse...there were three key items on this welcome sign....and the last was one of the highlights...Gratuite (free:)
Waiting for the 3pm start time, nothing but excitement and joy exhibited by the team..the anticipation was palpable.
After our visit and gift purchasing...in which Peg and I bought enough to receive a 12% discount in the form of a free bottle of our choosing :))) we drove back via the mountains just north of Grenoble, called the Chartreuse Mountains...fancy that, and the views were spectacular...includng this field of red poppies...
While selecting our free gift, we convinced Dan that Ben got one also, and that only he didn't receive such an offer...this is his face when confronted with the truth that Ben didn't receive a gift either..it was just a ruse...
The cliffs behind Grenoble have a majestic beauty...
and the drive can get pretty treacherous...thankfully, I obeyed this traffic warning since a large vehicle came storming through this 1 way tunnel, soon after this photo was taken.
The Monastery of the monks was not directly accessible, but this is their first location, now a museum...they knew how to select beautiful sites...
One of mountain peaks around Grenoble, Cham Chaude, climbed by Dan one day when he wasn't in class...hmmm...
And as Ben was reminiscing, in the rain, Dan tried to throw him off the mountain...so I didn't quite have time to do any focusing...Thankfully, Dan was even more unsuccessful than me:)
Arriving at the Hotel de Skiers in Le Sappey, the first table one sees in the dining room, is the dessert table. Iles de Flottantes, or floating islands, is a massive display of meringue covered with creme anglais and caramel. This particular plate was the size of a basketball...just under 72,500 calories...Dan made a small dent in this...
A few other options were available to Dan and Peggy since they both ordered the full menu...and Ben and I shared a large piece of boeuf....and tasted from their plates of cheeses and dessert...
Not heeding my years of experience, suggesting that they are no more than 60% full by the time the cheese course arrives, before the dessert and then following chocolate course...these folks were in the high 90s...and then proceeded to indulge in the cheese and dessert courses with abandon...resulting in these joyful expressions...
Chartreuse, mountains, rain, fresh air, cold breezes down to 7.5 degrees C, snow covered peaks and a great meal in the mountains, and you can say it was a blessed day....tomorrow, Father's Day, a local French speaking Evangelical Church and a day of relaxation awaits...au revoir...
Wow--my mouth is watering at those desserts
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