Another Week Down

It's been another long week of work so far, and will continue over the Bank Holiday 3 day weekend for me.  I'm getting there with my report I think.  I ran into a few snags from my supervisor that I've been working through this week, when I thought I could put all the time into writing.  So that's led to some unexpected stress.  Last weekend I went for a nice 15 mile bike ride around the local area - my route can be seen if you click here.  I'll probably plan something similar this weekend for whichever day the weather turns out the best.  Speaking of weather, it's been really up and down recently, but overall pretty pleasant, if a bit chillier than people are apparently used to.

I hope everyone stays safe and out of the path of Irene, it was just one of the lead stories on BBC Breakfast actually.  They're also talking about taxing soda and fatty food, and calorie counts in restaurants, not too unsimilar from debates back in the US!

Alright, well I should probably go make some breakfast for myself, maybe I'll have an exciting enough weekend to write another post soon!  :)

Hello 40 Degrees in August

I woke up this morning to 40 degree weather!  Really crazy.

I've Got A Few Minutes

So I'll write a little bit here.  I've been putting in long hours on campus recently, 10-12 a day, then coming back home and working a little more before passing out.  It all kinda caught up with me last night, when I got really really tired at like 9:30.  At least I have been making good progress learning the software I'm using.  I *hope* to be done with it today or tomorrow so I don't have to worry about getting to campus this weekend and can just focus on working on my poster from here.  We'll see if that happens.  This morning I got up a little early and went out for a run and workout, which I'd been missing recently.  The plan was that it would help me wake up, but I'm not sure it's worked.  Might need an extra cuppa (tea or coffee) on campus this morning!

The weather has been colder recently, definitely not feeling like summer.  It has been dry for the most part though, seems like there has been much more rain in Raleigh!  That's about it for now, I'll try to write when I can, I've just been so caught up in getting my project done that blogging isn't as refreshing or relaxing as it used to be.

Miscellaneous Stuff

To those wondering - no the riots didn't get close to me.  Though we are about halfway between London and Birmingham, two of the places where the riots were worst.  It's just an awful situation that is really hard to explain or comprehend why it got so bad.

I'm still having some computer issues - software issues actually, not my laptop.  I'm getting closer every day, but not by much.  I do finally have an updated license file so that I can try the program I wanted to use from the start, so I'm hopeful that a long day on campus today can net me a lot of progress.

We did have a test day at Donington with the Caterham yesterday which was good despite it being kinda chilly, very windy, and a little wet in the afternoon.  It was productive, we figured out that the setup Jamie likes results in overheated front tires, which is ok for qualifying, but makes a 30 minute race pretty hard.  I think the day reminded me how much I enjoy this stuff, and why I'm over here.  It had been very hard recently when all my problems with my project had been piling up.  We did put the passenger seat in and get ride alongs for a few laps too, which was really fun.  I did actually drive it for a few minutes too, not on track, just up and down the paddock after we changed brake pads.  So yea, I need a job so I can buy a car ;)  Speaking of jobs, no real news there, just gotta keep plugging away sending resumes out.  It is annoying how long cover letters take to write.  At least there seem to be a good number of jobs being posted, just gotta find the right place at the right time that understands my broken 'English' I suppose.  

I have realized that I can use soccer goals or swingsets on the playgrounds around here for pullups.  This makes my workouts much more complete and gives me some more variety of things I can do. 

Well it's about time finally to walk to the bus stop, been up since 6:30 but can't get to campus until a little before 9:30, so much fun.

Update: Apparently there were some small rioting/looting etc. in Milton Keynes and Bletchley which is just south.  I hadn't seen it reported anywhere, but it was apparently on the local police webpages.

Les Grandes Vacances - Part 1

We've posted four new entries on Charles' blog about the first half of our time together in July.

Here are the links below...

# 1 - A quick day in London
         http://charlesintheuk.blogspot.com/2011/08/day-1-les-grandes-vacances-en.html
# 2 - Cross Keys Beer Festival & we head to Bordeaux France
         http://charlesintheuk.blogspot.com/2011/08/day-2-france-nous-sommes-arrives.html
# 3 - Exploring Le Bouscat and Bordeaux
         http://charlesintheuk.blogspot.com/2011/08/day-3-je-peux-comprendre-un-peu-de.html
# 4 - Off to the countryside.  Visit to a brewery (Brasserie) and St. Emilion!
         http://charlesintheuk.blogspot.com/2011/08/day-4-brasserie-artisanale-de-lentre.html

Next up I'm going to tackle the F1 Race at Silverstone...

Jessica

Day 4: Brasserie artisanale de l'Entre-deux-Bières & St. Emilion

Our Independence Day was spent a bit differently than in years past...although it still involved plenty of good food, beer, and wine!

Itinerary for the day . . . 

We'll head out from Le Bouscat where the Bonnaires live - technically a suburb of Bordeaux but it's only 3 miles from the city center.

Claude was kind enough to make a tasting and tour appointment at Brasserie de l'Entre-deux-bières (B on the map) http://www.entre-deux-bieres.com/ which is in the area of Entre-Deux-Mers.  Entre-Deux-Mers is a Bordeaux AOC (wine appellation).  Direct translation is "between two seas" but there are no seas, just rivers. The Garonne and the Dordogne.   I thought it was a cute play on words for the Brewery to be "Between Two Beers"

After our tasting, we went on to Saint-Émilion (C on the map), one of the principal red wine areas of Bordeaux.  The primary grape varieties used are the Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with relatively small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon.  On the agenda, a bit of walking, a bite to eat for lunch, exploring a (wine) cave, and a bit of wine tasting.

Benedicte before we head out for the day

Our drive started off well.  However we could not find the Brasserie in the GPS.  

We made it to the town of Mauriac, we knew it had to be nearby, but we weren't sure where!

Benedicte called the Brasserie, and the apprentice met us at town hall and led us to their brewery.  

This was a very good thing, as I don't think we could've navigated all of the turns on our own.

And so we began our tour of a small French brewery in the middle of wine country!  

They brew mainly Belgian style beers

Adding the hops

Price List - approx $3 / 12 oz bottle

At this point we're approximately 20 minutes away from Saint-Émilion.  Ready for food & wine!

On the way we stopped at the Abbaye de Blasimon.  The use of this location dates to well before the Middle Ages, and the foundation dates to the tenth century.

We were so close, and yet so far from Saint-Émilion when the railroad crossing arms went down across the road.

Saint-Émilion!  The town is built on a hill which lends itself to very steep and narrow streets.  There have been vineyards in this area since as early as the 2nd century.  It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.


The town was named after the monk Émilion, a travelling confessor, who settled in a hermitage carved into the rock there in the 8th century. It was the monks who followed him that started up the commercial wine production in the area.

I may have had a bit of a head cold, or allergies while explore Saint Emilion.  Guillaume was kind enough to take a photo of this sign.  It provides advice on what to do to cure anything that ails you.

The answer for allergies? Drink more wine!

Views from around Saint-Émilion

After a bit of walking - we were ready to enjoy some food.

Charles was enticed by the Duck Confit.  An actual leg of Duck.  Not just a few pieces.  

And what are fries if they are not fried in Duck Fat!?!?!  Yummmmm.  (If you need to try Duck Fat fries in the Triangle - go find the KoKyu BBQ Truck around town >> http://www.kokyubbq.com/)

Benedicte & Claude enjoyed a platter of sliced cured meats made from both Duck and Pork.

I was enticed by the Duck Breast.  Perfectly cooked with an sumptuous red wine sauce, and requisite duck fat fries.

What can I say - we love some Duck.

 

 

We weren't planning to get dessert.  We were ready to taste some more wine.  But ... this gentleman was an excellent salesman!

And suddenly we had coffee and some delicious sweets including a few canelles

 

We had to make our way back up to the top of Saint Emilion to go visit the Clos De Menuts Cave.

Oldest building in Saint Emilion.

Clos de Menuts Cave.  It's huge!!!

Bottles from 1982!! Our Birthyear.  Not in our price range.  : )

On to the tasting!!

Yes - They do start young.   : ) 

 

  

Charles had his first opportunity to drive in continental Europe!  He drove us back to Bordeaux.  We may have taken a few wrong turns, not his fault.  It did mean he was driving through one of the very narrow streets!

We returned home to continue our day of indulgence (and celebration of Independence Day??).  Starting with the beer we purchased earlier in the day.

Blonde: "We chose a blond Organic barley malt and hops with floral aromas to create a light and refreshing lager. Was added to this a dash of white grape juice and sugar to make a typical perfume. Fermentation is controlled at low temperature (12-14 ° C) and the resulting beer is matured in oak barrels to 5 ° C for 3 weeks minimum. So it keeps a beer characterized by a slight bitterness and a dominant aromas of malt."

La Baine, Biere Rousse: (Bath-Red Beer aka Amber) A blend of pale malt and "caramel" gives the drink an amber color, a hint of black grape juice, hops aromas balanced, high fermentation (temperature controlled at 19-22 ° C) allow the fruit flavors approaching Belgian beers.Maturation takes place in oak barrels at low temperature (5 ° C) for 3 weeks minimum. This beer has a robust character keeps appreciating the amateurs! 

La tchanquees, Biere Brune Artisanale: (Brown Beer) Dark beer is not just for amateurs and this is a beer that can be enjoyed by all! Hopped with restraint (some bitterness), brewed with roasted barley (light aroma of roasting), this low alcohol beer goes very well with seafood, especially oysters. According to a traditional Scottish, an infusion of oysters has been added to our wort iodine to give a taste beyond compare.

My favorite by far was La Baine, we wondered if there was a bit of unintentional wild yeast.  It provided excellent complexity.  Refreshing!

Then on to wine with a beautiful steak!

 

And lastly with some after dinner liquors.  Specifically Claude's favorite - Armagnac.  It's in the BIG bottle on the table, left hand side.



So what's the difference between Cognac and Armagnac?  (Both are a Brandy)


Cognac is produced only in the town of Cognac in France. Armagnac is a light brandy which is produced in the Armagnac region of France.


Cognac is distilled twice whereas Armagnac is distilled only once.


Armagnac was one of the first areas in France to begin distilling spirits, but the brandies produced have a lower profile than those from Cognac and the overall volume of production is far smaller. In addition they are for the most part made and sold by small producers, whereas in Cognac production is dominated by big-name brands.

Enough of that.  Bottom line - Charles liked it.  I enjoyed some Cointreau.

We made it to bed around 2 AM and were off to the airport the next day.  I'll be counting the days until we next return to France.  Benedicte & Claude have already enticed me with promises of a week long Bordeaux extravaganza.  Appointments for tasting at a variety of Chateaux.

I'm optimistic it will be MUCH sooner than later after learning how easy it is to fly from London to Bordeaux....and how cheap!

Back in Luton...waiting for....the bus.