From Bordeaux to Bedridden and Beyond

It sure is nice to be home, but it won’t be for long. My suitcase stays out and the clothing goes in and out with loads of laundry in between. One morning last week before I went to London from Nice, then to Paris, then to Bordeaux, I booked 12 trains to and from Nice between April and September…all in the interest of getting good fares and good trains. SNCF makes it easy and inexpensive enough and I prefer the train over flying for a long list of reasons.

For four solid days, we filmed a House Hunters International episode in Bordeaux. Our “contributors” are our clients who we are assisting in finding an apartment and purchasing it. They are young, accomplished and anxious to move over from New York to make Bordeaux their permanent home. That will happen all in due time, but making the move at this time in their lives is such a smart thing to do.

Julie, Adrian, and Bob in Bordeaux

They love Bordeaux and I can certainly see why they do, even if it’s not my personal cup of tea. I did enjoy the exceptional seafood from the region, particularly the oysters. I ate them at almost every meal. One morning, we filmed a segment on the river at an open-air market where a vendor had an assortment of some of the region’s finest. It was about 9 a.m. and not the usual hour for a taste of the mollusks, but that didn’t deter any of us from downing several in the interest of good video.

One afternoon I was given time off while they filmed special segments. I took a long walk to visit the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux. There was a temporary exhibition there of two masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Impressionism, on till June 10th. The anniversary dated April 15th, 1874 was when 31 artists—including such renowned figures as Monet, Renoir, Degas, Morisot, Sisley and Pissarro—decided to “shake off academic conventions by holding their own exhibition outside of the official Salon, in photographer Nadar’s studio on Boulevard des Capucines in Paris.” This initial exhibition, which was followed by seven others up to 1886, announced the emergence of the 20th century’s avant-garde artists.

The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux is presenting only two of the masterpieces, both on loan from the Musée d’Orsay: Le Balcon by Edouard Manet (1832-1883) and La Cabane des Douaniers by Claude Monet (1840-1926). I was expecting more than this, and this is where expectations lead to disappointments…as two paintings didn’t seem to live up to their big promotion. They are beautiful, none the less, even though I have seen them many times before…at the Musée d’Orsay.

Le Balcon, by Edouard Manet

Rolla, by Henri Gervex

With the non-stop eating I was doing, I was also complaining to the crew about needing to restart a diet, as my clothing was getting tighter by the moment. I got my wish when I woke up in the middle of the night—after having gotten home from Bordeaux Friday evening—I picked up some quick and trashy thing to eat at the market for dinner. By morning I was sick as a dog from having upchucked all night long, leaving me too weak to do anything but lie in bed. That was not in the plan considering a very busy schedule. But, when does getting sick fit into anyone’s schedule?

Everything on the plan got cancelled and I stayed in bed drinking liquids and moaning. It seemed like food poisoning, but wasn’t sure and decided to call SOS Médecins. If you don’t know about this amazing service, you need to. I contacted them using my phone and scheduled an online appointment…a new feature where you consult with a doctor on a video call, rather than in person. The cost was 69€ and was able to pay it using Apple Pay or a credit card. It couldn’t have been easier.

At a scheduled time about one hour later, I was connected with a doctor who confirmed my theories about the food poisoning and gave me advice to speed up the process to wellness. Just knowing the symptoms might only last another 24 hours worked on my psyche to speed up the recovery. This became just yet another reason to live in France—the quality of the healthcare system never ceases to amaze me.

What got me laughing while experiencing France’s fabulous healthcare was a cartoon from the New Yorker that sums it all up and has gone viral ever since. It’s titled “They Moved to France” by David Sipress. Thanks to Conde Nast, you can order it as Canvas Print Wall Art, a Throw Pillow, Greeting Card Stationery, iPhone Case, Beach Towel, Coffee Mug and a T-Shirt Apparel! I might have to have them all!

More news came in while recuperating that the House Hunters International episode we filmed last November in Paris is scheduled to premiere this week on HGTV Thursday, April 10th at 10:00 p.m. EST and again at 1 a.m. EST the next morning.

Season 193, Episode 3
New Job, Two Dogs, Second Baby, Forever Paris

“A microbiologist lands the job of a lifetime and looks to relocate to Paris. She’s eight months pregnant and has a husband, a toddler and two giant dogs, so finding a home to suit everyone before baby number two arrives may be a challenge.”

The details are on our website, or on HGTV.

Stay tuned for lots more news coming up…tomorrow is Après-Midi in Paris with Jake Lamar. Then, in Wednesday’s Nouvellettre® you’ll learn all about Meet the Authors coming up June 1st. Wednesday, Patty Sadauskas and I head to Portugal for International Living’s Fast Track Europe 2024 Conference. There will be plenty of news about that. And if you visit our website, you’ll see all the other free events on the horizon!

A la prochaine…