Sunday Morning in Ludington

After a bright and beautiful Saturday spent mostly in the car, I was looking forward to a similarly pleasant day Sunday. Alas, overcast skies and distant rumbling thunder greeted me when I ventured out after breakfast. 

Ludington House was built in 1878 by Canadian lumber baron, Antoine Cartier (pronounced here as car-TEER). The current owners, Bob and Ellen, were friendly and hospitable, and served up a tasty breakfast of apple pecan French toast and yogurt with fresh blueberries and homemade granola. The house is lovely and the guest rooms are well-appointed. I stayed in one of the smallest rooms, #8, on the third floor. I highly recommended it! 

        

        

   

        

 

A walk on the pier to the lighthouse was top of my list for Sunday and the experience didn't disappoint.  The wind kicked up the further out I went, and provided just enough wave action to be exciting without being scary. The seagulls checked me out for a while and stayed a polite distance away. Since I continued to hear thunder and saw the western sky steadily grow darker as a storm came in over the lake, I didn't stay out very long!

Thanks, flock of birds! Couldn't have planned this better if I tried. 

Ludington - Lake Michigan Sunset

It's just so darn pretty. A word to the wise: go well before sunset if you want a parking spot at the Ludington city park. The unwise, but very lucky, can go toward the state park and find a parking spot along the road, climb the dunes, and have a lovely beach nearly to themselves. :) 

Weekend Getaway to Ludington, Michigan

Sometimes, I get itchy feet and need to GO somewhere. Just hit the road and go someplace new. I settled on Ludington for its proximity to sand dunes and Lake Michigan, and for this really cute B&B, Ludington House (pictures later). My parents are up here, too, but camping a few miles away. We met up for dinner at Jamesport Brewing Company then drove into the state park. We walked around and up and over the dunes to reach the lake. It may not be an ocean, but it's the closest thing to one we have near Indiana! I love hearing the waves crash and watching the seagulls. There's just something magical about the water, right? 

Yes, this picture is off-kilter. You're not drunk.

Heading back out to see the sunset! 

A Breath of Paris Preserves the Soul

On our last day in Paris, I ventured out on my own and spent most of the day blissfully wandering around my favorite city. I had a few objectives: find the cool Arts & Metiers metro station (fail); find the rooftop 360 degree view on top of Printemps (success!); cross off the last of my souvenir gifts list (done!); and meet Eric at the Louvre at 4PM (check!). The day started with beautiful blue skies but gradually became overcast before the rain set in. 

But first, one more brunch at Cafe Hugo.

Rooftop view of Paris from the terrace at the top of the Printemps Home store. Gorgeous even on an overcast day.

All the department stores have amazing Christmas displays. The was Prada's at Printemps.

I walked from Place de la Concorde through the Tuileries Gardens to the Louvre.

Oh, hey there. 

Our last dinner in Paris was at a fabulous Provençal restaurant just down the block from our apartment. Wonderful atmosphere, delicious food, and delightful company. I highly recommend a meal at Chez Janou!

Day Trip to Brugges

Because I'd been to Paris a couple of times before and because Eric likes crossing off countries visited as much as I do, we decided to take another day trip out of Paris. This time, to Bruges, Belgium.  We caught an early morning train to Brussels, then transferred to a local train to Bruges. We spent the entire day there, and our chant for the day was "Beer beer chocolates chocolates beer beer chocolates chocolates - WAFFLES!" (jazz hands). 

We started the day with a breakfast of champions, which we ate on the train.

Bruges is The Venice of the North, you know. We had relatively mild weather, considering it was early January. I personally had been hoping for snow at some point during our trip. Unfortunately, my wish was granted in the form of a blizzard in the Midwest on the day we flew back to the States. Anyhoo, Bruges was nice but a bit too touristy for me.

The menues were solely for the beer! 

We chose to split a flight. Tasty!

Belgian Waffle! Soooooooo gooooood.

We had a long layover in Brussels on the return trip, which gave us time to see a bit of the Grand Place, still all decorated for Christmas.  Also to go to the Hard Rock Cafe for me to add to my pilsner collection. 

Day Trip to Champagne

"Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right." - Mark Twain 

January 2nd saw us braving the Parisian streets in a rental car and heading into Champagne. We had two appointments to keep, the first at the venerable G.H. Mumm. It's a large and well-organized machine, with an informative tour culminating in a tasting. Unfortunately, we couldn't keep the glasses. 

Mumm's global popularity means a lot of people want to visit, so the experience isn't very personal. The wine is lovely, to be sure, and the operation is impressive, but I recommend spending time at the smaller houses. 

One such is Champagne Gaston Chiquet, in Dizy. It's family-run and if you're lucky, one of the brothers will be available to show you around. We had the most incredible experience with Antoine, who walked us through every step in the process. Our enthusiasm for drinking Champagne was equal to his passion for making Champagne, so we spent a wonderful three hours with him. It was here that I fell in love with rose Champagne. So delicate and delicious! 

By the end, Antoine declared Eric and me his new ambassadors in America and he sent us off with a wave and a Bonne Annee.  Truly - a wonderful experience.