There was an Arctic front moving through Europe while we were there. As we left Prague to drive back to Paris and our flight home, we saw scenery like this:

We stopped in Germany to get gas and decided to have some lunch. We found the most amazing place, all glassed in and full of plants.

The service was a little slow, but the food and the atmosphere were delightful. That's the good part about the way we travel, with no real plans and no reservations -- we can take whatever presents itself and enjoy it.

We stopped that night in Verdun France, site of some very bloody battles in both World Wars. This was Friday night, but there were no restaurants open! We finally found one on the edge of town called Buffalo Grill, where I had a hamburger, French fries (pommes frites) and a mini bottle of Burgundy, which was the local wine. This was not at all what I expected to be eating in France, but this restaurant seems to be a big hit with the locals. Or maybe that's just because everyone else closes on Friday night, so they get all the business.

Verdun is a lovely very old city with the original city gates still standing. We walked around a bit, checked out the memorials, and spotted a woman walking both her dog and her cat on leashes. I wanted to take a picture but by the time we got close enough, the cat was , um, busy in the bushes, and I didn't want to startle it with the flash.

We ended up that night in Chantilly -- and, no, I couldn't find any lace. But what they had, in addition to a huge castle,

were lots of small shops. In fact, as we strolled down the street, we passed, in order, a butcher and a baker (but we never did see a candlestick maker.) Chantilly is a small town, but they had three chocolatiers. I chose the right one, because the owner spoke excellent English and was obviously enjoying his conversation with Texans. He even followed us out into the street to wish us a happy new year. This is so different from the reception we have gotten in the past. Europeans seem to like Americans again.

My favorite shop in Chantilly was the fruit and vegetable one. I couldn't even buy anything, as I was leaving the next day and couldn't take it on the plane, but I had a serious case of Shop Envy. Damn, that fruit looked good!


I had to content myself with profiteroles instead:


And finally, just for Guppy, I give you ... potato chips!


Okay, this whole post has turned into an ode to food. I think I must be hungry.