Watch this space. Another Moose and Mosquito Tours is in the offing.  Just checking that blogger still works!

Viva la France

Hello faithful followers.  What can I say? We are having a grand time in spite of the out come of the election.  It was tough news to hear on this side of the Atlantic.  And as an FYI, the French and British are horrified by the results -we've talked to many.  I am not so much in despair because Hillary lost. It is more profound sadness that my fellow Americans elected a man who's campaign was based on fear and loathing.  Just what does "Make America Great Again," really mean. I also find it ironic that the first Black president is being followed by the man who questioned his citizenship. He and others tried to de-legitimize Obama's presidency. Trump is out of his depth, a nasty man and Republicans own it.  Thank you for allowing me to vent and I am done with politics.

Sacre bleu, I need to segue?  How about this...

The Big Fella is doing a bang up job butchering the French Language. We are quite a pair. His ability to mutilate simple words coupled with my tentative  and not so great my language skills make us less than the dynamic duo.  Restaurant staff looks at us and  hand us the English language version of the menu.  Maybe it is the puzzled look on our faces?  I dunno but I am grateful for their patience. On with the details.

We finished our tour of Normandy, rented a car -in Caen- and headed for Mont Saint Michel. Getting out of Caen was interesting and -um- tense. I am not sure how we found our way out of Caen and onto the correct road. We arrived at our destination but of course there were a couple of hiccups.

The night before we were to arrive, I received an email from our accommodations near the Mont. Our B&B hostess cancelled the reservation due to the death of her husband.  He had a heart attack while visiting Thailand and she was leaving to bring back the remains.  Oy!oy!oy! First, how awful and second, we needed a place to stay. Not to be irreverent but thank God for the internet. In just a couple of clicks new accommodations were secured. One bonus  -it is the slow season...

Some hotels are on the causeway that accesses Mont Saint Michel  but a gate prevents cars from driving on the causeway unless -ahem- you have code that lifts the gate.  By golly, our hotel was beyond the gate and did we have a code?  Of course not and the comedy commenced.  First we tried to push buttons like that was really going to work. Then we asked someone who spoke no English how to find the code. No dice. Cruising the parking lot just outside the gate did not work nor was the parking lot attendant helpful. He told us to call the hotel to get the code. Silly me decided to forego buying a sim card for my travel cell phone and hence no phone. Finally, we parked and found an information center. The clerk-who was most kind- called our hotel and retrieved the code for us.  Yes! We were in business and ready to conquer Mont Saint Michel.  It is a fascinating place and a bit other worldly.  We trod the steep streets and steps up to the Abbey and tried to imagine the thousands of monks who walked the same paths. The views were amazing. The wind was wicked the day we were there and darn near blew me down. Caution weather digression ahead:

Rainy, cloudy, windy in fact very windy. It is very much like fall in the Pacific NW and we feel right at home. This concludes the weather report. Back to Moose and Mosquito Tours.

The next day with Mont Michel in the rear view mirror, we were off to our next stop at Saumur. This time rather than relying on paper maps, the Big Fella deployed the navigation system. We've named the voice Mabel. Anyway Mabel took us on Mr. Toad's adventure but she found our B&B and here we are in the Loire Valley. The main attractions are historic Chateaus, historic Chateaus with wineries, and wineries in caves.  Sounds like a place yours truly might enjoy to the fullest. Except this spot was picked by the Big Fella, so you must know that wine and Chateaus were not on his agenda. Can you say Tank Museum? 

The Musee des Blindes- perhaps the world's largest Tank Museum- is located in Saumur. In fact it is walkable from our B&B. The proximity to our accommodations was a surprise and could be seen as a happy accident or an unintended consequence. Feel free to come to your own conclusion. It should come as no surprise that being close to all those Tanks was hog heaven for the Big Fella. There were  hundreds maybe thousands of them from Panzers to Shermans from those built in the 1930's to some built in the 2000's. You name the tank; this place had it. There was a bone yard of rusted hulks and a work area for those being restored. All shapes and sizes -it was a veritable Tanks Are Us. If Tanks are your thang, head to Saumur, France and you will be blissfully rewarded.

Yes, the Big Fella owed me big time.  Remember the Chateaus etc?  One full day of the Loire Valley was on the itinerary.  The Big Fella bore up well as we toured the Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud, Chateau De Breze and drank some delicious local wines. Sparkling wines are the specialty of this part of France. the local wines are magnifique!  Our dinner -restaurant located in a cave- featured local foods and wines and we both left with full stomachs.  What a great day pour moi.

Saumur is now a memory and we are on the road again.  All roads lead to Charles DeGaulle airport and our next stop -Lisbon.  But and this is a big but...The Musee Des 24 Heures is on the way to Paris.  Yes, it is located in Lemans and yes The Big Fella decided that he needed to stop.  So here I am in the cafe, blogging while he is taking in everything race car.  The staff allowed me to use their wifi and here I sit.  I will join the Big Fella at some point...

Normandy D-Day

June 6, 1944 also known as D-Day was the beginning of the end of World War II. It was a day when ordinary American, Canadian and British soldiers did the extraordinary.  On Monday and Tuesday Greg and I toured the beaches of Normandy and other significants sites of the battle to free Normandy from German occupation. Our tour guide Stuart Robertson helped us to understand all aspects of the allied invasion from the logistics and weather, to horror of Omaha Beach and the battles in the hedgerows, to the freeing of Ste. Mere Eglise.  He  spoke with emotion and reverence of veterans of this battle. 

Today, it is difficult to imagine the chaos of war on the beaches, in countryside, and villages. I do Having a tour guide  was essential for me to understand the events here. As well  cannot adquately describe my own emotions.  This was a deeply moving experience for me and I am grateful for the sacrifices made here for the freedoms that I take for granted. I have no more words - just a few pictures. 

Bon Jour!

Honfleur

J'arrive en France et je suis fatigue et ma Francais est tres mal. Mon Dieu! Perhaps it is because I last spoke French in 2003 but only to find a restaurant that served Mussels in the city of Lyon. Alas, the six years of French classes (high school + college) did not do the trick. Hmmm. 1973 marked the year of my last French class but hey I had four years of high school and two years of College French, What could go wrong? I will blame it on the lack of opportunity to speak the language not -ahem- the passage of time.

After an uneventful and long flight from Seattle, we landed in Paris, disembarked and followed the herd to buses that drove us to the terminal. No one asked why the plane was parked 10 minutes from the nearest terminal but off we went on Mr. Toad's wild ride.  As it turns out the bus deposited the flock of us at customs/immigration and after an hour in a rather long line, France was just out the door.  At long last we met B&B hosts/ Normandy tour guides Stuart and Jenny Robertson and the trek to Normandy commenced.  On the way we stopped at the village of Honfleur for a bit of sight seeing. It is a charming village. Most of the buildings date to the 13-14 century  and all the streets are cobble stones. The cobbles make for interesting walking--pay attention or serious injury may result. It is not clear if this village is simply an old village or if it qualifies as ancient.I am thinking it is ancient.

Did I mention that the B&B was built in 1652? No that is not a typo -1652.  It may be ancient too but it is quite cozy.   Wild life update!: the views from our cozy abode are mostly cows of various sizes and colors. To my knowledge they are not ancient.  Although come to think of it, I have not asked one to show ID proof of age.  Apparently, this region is the dairy farming capital of France  - cows and dairies all over the bloomin' place. Cows to this part of France are what sheep is to New Zealand.  Anyhoo you get the idea. lots of dairy cows.

Either the jet lag has kicked in or the Sandman is working overtime.  My eyelids are begging me to close up shop and head for dreamland.  There will be more tomorrow  -highlights include Utah and Omaha Beaches, a couple of museums, and Ste Mere Eglise.

Night folks and sleep well. Moose and Mosquito Tours is calling it a day.












I won't mention that our flight was over an hour late boarding and we'd arrived at the airport three hours in advance of the flight -as recommended. According to my fellow passengers it seems that Delta is never on-time -just sayin'. 

Moose and Mosquito Tours is back!  Admit it you missed reading about the hair raising adventures of yours truly and my faithful side kick.  Well, lady luck has changed and another geezer adventure is about to begin. 

This trip takes your intrepid travelers to France and the biggest TANK museum in the world.  No that's not a typo. It would not be a Moose and Mosquito Tour without a visit to a TANK museum. Lots of other stuff on the itinerary including a river cruise that features tons of wine which I will need after the TANK museum.

When the plane land in France on November 6, the fun stuff begins, So hop along for the ride if for no other reason than to distract yourself from the election.  And for cryin' out loud don't forget to vote.

See you on the road!

Mary

Placid Lake Boulder and Beyond

Fall color

Dateline near Republic Washington:

This Moose and Mosquito adventure is winding down. ETA for home is sometime tomorrow. And once again its been a great and strange trip with all sorts of wonderful adventures along the way and did I mention the beautiful fall color?

Boulder Valley, Montana

The last internet was I don't know when - somewhere back in Canada. Since then we've been quite busy with assorted museums (yours truly sometimes refers to them as nauseaums. But hey I count myself lucky NOTHING completely devoted to cars or trucks on this trip. Yes, an entire post might be devoted to that topic but maybe another day.)


But the scenery is a living museum.

Placid Lake

Sometimes -while on the road- this curious traveler occupies the time collecting interesting -erm in my opinion- names of businesses and place names. I ask myself, why or how did that name get attached to that particular place or thing.  For example,  Trout Creek is the Huckleberry capital of the state of Montana. So then why is it  named Trout Creek? Seems to me it should be Huckleberry Town or Huckleberryberg.  Starvation Lake, Idaho does not sound like an inviting place to visit but there are resorts on it?!? The brilliant marketing award goes to: The Beyond Hope Resort...sounds like ten tons of fun.  The Darwin winner is, The Stray Bullet Cafe  and just so ya know it was granted a liquor license and now serves beer and wine. A can't miss combo booze and bullets. Street and road names are fun...Old Person Road was one the Big Fella spotted. Old Person Road -really, is he trying to tell me something?  In the descriptive department, Ant Flat Road hmmm call the exterminator, Migration Road  was in the middle of nowhere- Ok -I give- migrating animals or humans?  Ha Ha Creek is not too far from Laughing Walter Road -I am serious- these two should get together and form a comedy duo.  But the best is left for last: La Moose Lane -a nice French touch- and Mosquito Creek...ahhhh.

Not sure if I mentioned this...

Placid Lake white caps!

With the exception of the wind -at Placid Lake State Park  and a bit in Boulder- the weather has been exceptional. The wind did howl at Placid Lake. It shook the camper and yours truly will admit to being a bit nervous -please don't let the camper blow over. Placid Lake was/is a beautiful Montana State Park located a few miles from the highway and It is indeed a quiet place.  So what about that fall color? Boulder Montana was awash in yellows, golds, and bronzes. And what could be better than a Big Sky Montana sunrise or a visit to the Lockhart and headwaters of the Boulder River or a sun-downer on a fall evening?

Smith Ranch sun rise

Boulder River head waters

Fixins for a Sun-downer

Maybe the herd of elk that crossed the road just in front of the car.

Elk herd

The herd bull

Fall in Montana

One of the good things about traveling at this time of year is the lack of crowds and of course the bad thing is many places of historical interest are closed for the season. In fact most public campgrounds closed in late September and many private places are done for the season. Finding a spot to park our home away from home has been a challenge.  Last night we were the only campers at Thompson Falls State Park (MT) and it was somewhat eerie. The Big Fella thought he saw three wolves or more likely coyotes near the restroom (washroom in Canada eh?). They were gone by the time I got there but I did take my camera just in case.


Today's adventure was the Bonner County historical museum in Sandpoint and a fishery near Clark Fork Idaho. Both were worth the time although I nearly fainted when the Big Fella found the second floor of the museum. Aack!

Sun light on the larches of Sherman Pass

Tomorrow's tour will probably include a local museum and some sight seeing then home sweet home. I may or may not do a wrap up of the trip, so au revoir until the next Moose and Mosquito Tour! It's been fun.

This cow wanted the last word. Geesh.

Museums Embalming Fluid and Beer

I am back! Did you miss me? Well here goes...

Yours truly is still fascinated by the names RV manufacturers dub the big road beasts. Some of this year's examples: Trail Rider-seriously, the only trail that puppy will ride is an interstate,Titaneum-OK but next time please use spell check, Citation-as in cite your sources a real favorite for the genealogists, Solitude -looks like a rolling city and will never fit in any campground that is really-you know- in some out of the way place that may provide a bit of solitude, Land Yacht- okie dokie this one needs no snarky commentary. And for those retirees channeling their inner Hells Angel cue Easy Rider music: OUTLAW and THUNDERBOLT. Hey kids here comes granny and gramps around the bend with the OUTLAW.


More musings...

The nice thing about Good Sam Campgrounds is their convenience to the highway. The bad thing is the noise of the highway as some are located just off an exit ramp or next to railroad tracks with trains going by all night, or on a major road through a small town -which was the case in Cranbrook BC. It is not camping. After the quiet of our Kootenay Lake spot, this location assaulted the senses. But tonight's site is down right delux for a Good Sam Camp Ground, although it is at the Fairmont Hotsprings Resort and as I always say why stay in an actual resort hotel -next door- when you can camp at the 9 star rated RV Park.

Back to the trip...

What it tarnation have we been up to?  A walking tour of Nelson and a trip to the historical museum- finally a decent small town museum- nearly filled one day. The breweries did not offer tours or tastes. Ah nuts!  But there was one more item - a lovely drive to Kaslo where the old paddle wheeler Moyie is on exhibit. The Moyie plied the waters of Kootenay Lake with passengers and cargo from 1898 to 1957. Restoration is an ongoing and expensive process and done with love and care.

Moyie

We bid a fond farewell to Kootenay Lake and crossed it via the ferry Osprey.  The lake is long and narrow -fjord like- and reminded me of Desolation Sound.

Channel Marker Kootenay Lake-a bit blurry

There were stops along the way -of course- another whimsical what-not conglomeration of stuff. This one in Creston. Any museum that has a tire recap machine is a must see for Moose and Mosquito Tours. How often does one get such an opportunity.

Tire Recap Machine

 And a hand made suit of armor is a real draw for your two intrepid travelers. Truly a highlight of the tour. The Big Fella has a nose for these things.

YES!

But the Columbia Brewery- Kokanee- which is now owned by Anhauser Busch was in close proximity to the above museum and seemed the right antidote. Of course we took the tour and at the end enjoyed a free taste. Actually, we were both offered a pint but chose to split it.  One of the oddest road side attractions is the Glass House. The castle like home is made of empty 16 ounce embalming fluid bottles and was built by a funeral director. Uh huh, we skipped the tour but stopped long enough to snap a couple of photos.

Glass House

This brings me to Cranbrook and the noisy Good Sam C.G.-in fact there was a reason to be there. It would not be a Moose and Mosquito adventure without a railroad museum and it was found in Cranbrook -The Canadian Museum of Rail Travel. It is a collection of vintage, authentic restored Canadian Pacific R.R. passenger trains. The interiors were elegant mahogany walls with inlaid designs. After the rail museum was Fort Steele- an outpost of the NW Mounted Police in fact it was the first one West of the Rockies. I kept busy snapping a few interesting shots.

Remains of the Blacksmith building in Fort Steele

Three hours later we were on the road in search of some hot springs. Fairmont Hotsprings would be the place and shortly after doing the laundry we indulged. The Canadian leg of the journey is about to end. We head for Montana tomorrow.

Except for issues with the refrigerator which are complicated and boring, the trip is going well. The Selkirk loop is but a memory but beautiful and now the Rocky Mountains tower near the camp ground. The Fall colors are outstanding and the Miller Times always refreshing!