Monday, June 29

We began our day on the Ile de la Cite, which is an island in the Seine River where the city of Paris began. We took a historic walk through Paris beginning at the center of Paris at Notre Dame Cathedral. The people of Paris built this church beginning in 1163 and taking almost 200 years to complete. We continued on to the Flower Market, Saint Chappele Church with its breathtaking stained glass, and the Conciergerie where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned. We crossed back over the river and strolled through the Latin Quarter making our way to The Cluny Museum which includes old Roman baths, the famous Lady and the Unicorn tapestries, and other medieval treasures. We then travelled up the famous Champs-Elysées Avenue to the Arc de Triomphe that houses France's tomb of the unknown soldier and was built to celebrate Napoleon's victory. The views from the top of this monument are spectacular! We ended our day with an informative boat ride on the Seine River and then watching the twinkling lights on the Eiffel Tower.

Saturday, June 27

This was another travel day as we journeyed back to Paris by train. This was our fifth train ride and we have become pros at hauling our luggage up and down staircases, onto the trains, and into storage areas. As soon as we checked into our quaint hotel in the Marais district of Paris, we headed by subway across town for our Eiffel Tower tour. We zipped up the elevators to the top and we were rewarded with awesome views! Just breathtaking! We worked our way back down to the second and first platforms where we continued to be awed by the views as we searched for famous sites. Our day ended with supper at a street market in the Trocadero section of Paris where we viewed street musicians, acrobats, performers, and even a ballroom dancing class!

Sunday

Wow! What a day!  VERSAILLES ! We traveled by train to the very famous Chateau de Versailles! We started the day with a tour of the chateau gardens where King Louis XIV grew his vegetables and fruits for his elaborate feasts. In the late 17th century, he had his gardener develop a microclimate so that over 300 varieties could grow out of season. We continued our tour through the streets of the city of Versailes learning about the history of the Kings as well as the revolution. We also admired the excellent produce that can be found on star eet corners throughout France. After lunch at a buffet that consisted of foods served in tiny containers (so different from our massive buffets from home) we journeyed on to the magnificent Chateau de Versailles! It was worth the journey across the ocean, and quite fun to see!  The famous and beautiful gardens go on for miles, literally miles!  The hall of mirrors is unbelievably beautiful!  Just in case you need a refresher on a bit of French history, it was built in 1661 by King Louis XIV and is where Marie Antionette lived  with her husband, King Louis the XVI. We finished the day at the hamlet area of the chateau grounds. This is where Marie Antionette developed a little farm where she could retreat from the Court of Versailes. It was very quaint and a major contrast to the grandeur of the castle.

 

Friday, June 26

We started the day off having quiche lorraine for the first time and it was great!  Next, we explored the shops at the local market. We then rode a little train around the city of Amboise to see some of the local attractions. While on the train, we saw the place where Leonardo de Vinci lived and died! Very interesting!
We then toured two of the over 300 Chateaus in the Loire Valley! Chambord and Chenonceau. They were amazing!  In a definite contrast to the Chateaus we visited, we walked through some side streets of Amboise to see another type of housing. In these half-timbered buildings you can spot surviving bits of medieval oak. There is also another very unusual type of home easily seen in Amboise, the troglodyte homes.  These are homes built into the side of the cliffs with only the front exposed to the outside. They are very unique and very private!
After a rather extensive day, we had a nice evening meal at a restaurant overlooking the Loire River and the Chateau Amboise.

Thursday, June 25

We are sad to leave the friends we have made during our cookery course but are excited to continue our journey. Today was mainly a travel day as we made our way by train to Amboise, France. Amboise is on the Loire River and is home to Chateau d'Amboise, a 15th century royal residence. Much of the old town center is clustered around the chateau and is filled with bistros, sidewalk cafes, chocolatiers, and quaint little shops. We tasted our first crepes, visited Church of St. Dennis, and explored the streets of this quaint little town.

Wednesday
Today we started out learning several napkin folding techniques and finished by folding white fans for our dinner.
Meal planning is a primary element in a successful meal, every element must be well thought out prior to beginning the actual preparation. We then started designing our own course for the evening meal, now known as "the last supper"! Our last evening here.
We were in charge of a starter and the main coarse. Designing and preparing these dishes was a culmination of skills learned throughout the week.
Walnut Grove Cookery school exceeded our expectations.  Maynard, Benedict, and Freya were exceptional hosts!  We felt welcome and right at home from the moment we arrived!  The information and skills we will take home is invaluable for us as teachers and for our students!

Thank you so much for an amazing journey!
Cathy and Lori

Tuesday
We started off the morning in the kitchen learning chocolate and sugar work!  Then we worked in groups to do the preparation for our evening meal. Our group was responsible for a starter and the main course. We had lots of practice on our knife skills and exercised our palates by learning more about seasoning! We also prepared a banana and coffee ice cream that would be served following lunch! The learning is endless and outstanding!  We couldn't have imagined learning so much in such a small amount of time!  This experience is invaluable!

We could not complete our writing about this adventure without mentioning the wonderful people that have been here with us for the week. We have had such a great time working and playing with them! Thank you so much, Jackie, Robert, Leslie, Teelou, and Jo!  God Bless!

Rolling croissants!

Sugar and decorative work!

Knife skills!

Our 

amazing lunch! Cold meats, cheese, salad and bread! Yum!

Banana and coffee ice cream with chocolate drizzles! 

Making macaroons with an amazing French Patisserie, Anthony!

Croissants ready for proofing! 

Dessert! Amazing!

The main coarse, monkfish with a cream sauce, vegetables and scallops. Oh my !

An apple sorbet to cleanse the pallet. 

Chicken Liver Parfait

Crispy bread!

Smoked salmon with guacamole 

Sugar work! What fun! 

Practicing chocolate work!