Walking...just walking

Thought I would do a post about the immediate surroundings.  We live in the Chevreuse valley, home of a natural park setting.  Courcelle-sur-yvette is a suburb of Gif-sur-Yvette and this is the walk I do about every two days...as I need something near Gif and I have to pass the Basin de Coupieres.

Let us begin:

In front of our apartment and bakery is the Yvette river.

All along the Yvette are washing stations or "lavoirs" because Gif-sur-Yvette was known for it's washing.

Continuing along the path following the Yvette

 This is the path I take to go to Intermarche, a mix of a very small Target and a very small Publix, 3 minutes from my home.

Passing Intermarche, and the MacDo, you continue on the path...

I like the fall leaves...

 You cross a street and then it is a nature path/cycling route.

There are usually five bikers that pass you with little bells to let you know they're behind you on any given day.

 Still walking on the path...it's so pretty!

If you look carefully, you'll see a little friend...I don't know what type of water fowl he is, but he is quite cute.

You cross a little bridge and head through the chestnut grove...minding the falling nuts is a challenge, especially when there is a breeze.  Gif is known for its chestnuts too...

Just incase you get lost, they post a sign to help you along.

This is the street you have to walk up a little bit...the only part of the walk where it can get dicey. Cars zoom around the bend here, but the French have excellent braking, I must say.

 Safely made it up and across the street, and now into the covered wooded path.

Long alley of trees and path...usually there will be someone walking a dog by here and a herd of bikers zooming by.

 More path

 Ah, almost to the Bassin! When you open up and are near the Yvette again, you know you are getting close.

 This part of the Yvette has a large family of Mallards...I counted one time 17 of them.

 

Here we are!  At the entrance to the Bassin!

 

 This is the public exercise area where you encounter joggers,dog walkers, speed walkers, kids on bikes, readers and the like.

Through those trees is Gif Centre.  I thought it was pretty.

Looking back on the Bassin.  Apparently it was built in 1950 after a huge flood had happened a few years before to prevent it from happening again.  Or so I was informed by a friendly elderly man out for his walk. What a nice man!

If you go around on the other side you see this:

Perfectly inviting, don't you think?

On to Gif!  This is the main square of the town.  It has a small pond.  I've named it Ile de canard. Fitting, no?

 After mailing my letters, I go back the same way.  Here is a bridge you cross to go back.  I am just enamored with the setting.

And, on we go...homeward bound!

 This is the hard life of living in the country...your eyes are always accosted with such horrid sights as these.

Really.  It's too beautiful to take in all the time...

:-)

An entry of firsts in France and in life!

So all is well here.  This post is about firsts in France.

To start off, this year is the first time I have picked apples.  Ever. I was so excited! And, what's more...I had to go to France to do it (not like I could have in college in Connecticut or on Long Island...that would have been too simple and easy to do). I went with a French friend and we had a wonderful time, plus it was beautiful weather!

Here are a few pictures from that momentous day:

Translation: APPLES

Name of the farm is La Ferme de Viltain

All the apples available for that day.  We had Boskoop.

To collect your apples you take a wheelbarrow and go to the aisle you like.

 

 

This is the price tag in front of the aisle.  It's cheaper to get a crate than by kilo.

 I had told my honey that I would just get a kilo of apples...but then I saw this:

And this:

 I just couldn't help myself.  So with the help of my French friend, Mme G...

She got two crates of apples.

Boskoop

Crimson Crisp

And I got one! It's a lot of apples, but they are a mix between Granny Smith and Gala.  They will conserve well in the cave or cellar of the appartement.

Voila the crate of Boskoop apples, plus a spaghetti squash (unknown in France, but divine in my opinion), a potimarron squash (orange and tastes like a pumpkin), and a patisson, or priest's bonnet squash (I DO NOT recommend that one...not a tasty squash, just saying)

 I thought this was cute.  The farm had a new variety of apples.  They're delicious, almost like a strawberry apple and a pink lady mixed together...but their name is...Crimson Crisp.  Try getting a French person to say that name 5 times fast.  I dare you!

 On to another first!  We've decided that every time we try a new cheese in France, we will take a picture and post it. We're a couple of weeks behind so here are two pics.
 

 They were very good!  Out of the four of them...I think we like the Rouy, then the Caprice des Dieux, then the Pave d'Affinois, then the Fromage Fouette de Madame Loik. Rouy is a delicious creamy orange soft cheese.  Caprice is a very palatable tangy brie, pave is a smelly but very mild and creamy soft cheese and the last from Loik, it's like an herbed cheese spread. I happened to buy it because of a commercial I saw.  Yup.  Fell for it.  But they had Irish music and happy people on the commercial! And the cheese is very good on toasted bread. Gotta be careful about commercials here.  They work!

Another first was actually finding a purple vegetable other than eggplant.  How about a Violet, or in other words, a purple cauliflower? I love it!  It is soo cool.

I decided to steam it to try to maintain some color and taste.

Turns the water blue after steaming, too!

After cooking 14 minutes on medium-high vapor it still has it's color and texture! Yay!

This is merely a serving suggestion.  However, I do recommend a sauce blanche to go with the chou fleur.

Bon appétit!

A little glimpse into our village life...

We live in Essonne.  A very beautiful natural park area in France, outside of Paris.  We love the open air. I love the smells of the countryside: fresh bread, animals, grass, trees, rain.  You name it, it's here. 

People like walking and hiking here.  A short walk is to the local Chateau. 

We are 8km away from medieval history!

This is the story of how one gets to the Chateau de la Madeleine...Shall we begin?

You get to the train station and then start walking along the bicycle route.  The chateau is in the distance, above a field of goats. Ah, you can almost breathe the country air!

Views along the Bicycle route and pedestrian walk

Chateau de Coubertin

The path

Beautiful countryside

Cows in the distance along the Yvette river

Bonjour M. Cheval!

Pretty little vista, no?

Mr K strolling in the fields on our way

You keep walking and the bicycle route turns into a little dirt path through fields. Keep going.

 You then pass by a small street to go towards the chateau...

Hello, sunflowers!  You make this trek even more lovely!

 Walk through Chevreuse until you see the tea shop.  Turn right. You hike up the Rue Jean Racine (very famous here).  Notice the old lanterns, the cobblestones and the "meuliere" in the walls.  

This is a very old road.

 

 Smile! Mr K loves walking uphill for long periods of time.  They are his passion.  In fact, if you happen to see him next, suggest a walk that is nothing but uphills.  He'd like that.  Really.

We're good now, right?

Nope...still have to find the path to the chateau. Continue going along the road  until you see a signpost.  Follow what the sign post says.

At least we're going in the right direction.  Let's take the short cut...

Always take the road on your left after you see the sign post. That is the shortcut.  Everyone else will take the road to the right, even the old ladies and women with strollers.  You don't want to be where everyone else is do you?  Besides, you'll want time to look at the red squirrels and the "chataigniers" that surround you.

To the shortcut!

Okay....but we'll get there faster...right?

 Mr K is laughing at me now.  We can see it, but our shortcut just turned into a longcut...around the chateau.

No more stairs now! *grin*

 I can see it...but how do we get to it?

Keep walking around the chateau a few times following the path.  You're bound to get there by sunset. Just be patient.

 

Voila!  The Chateau de la Madeleine! We made it!

It's so cool.  A medieval fort with a tower and archer's windows:

These are a few photos of the courtyard and the grange where they housed everyone and the horses:

I can be an archer!

 Mr K is ready to head back now, before the sun sets, but he loves the medieval chateau.  Plus the view from the top was superb!

Our view from the top of the chateau over looking Chevreuse valley.  If you look off to the far left, the next village you see is Gif, where we live. :-)

Thus, our expedition to Chateau de la Madeleine draws to a close...good thing we can go visit it anytime we want (only 8km away!) for free.  I love this area! Until next time!