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| Bordeaux, France |
I was looking over my recent trip’s photos -visiting Chateau Laniote -St. Emilion Grand Cru Classe, Chateau Kirwan, and others while cruising on the wonderfully sexy-sleek Azamara Journey,
and suddenly got the urge to go to McDonald's!
You see, last month I was in Bordeaux, France, and rented a minivan for the day along with my new found friends- California vintners Len and Jan Gelfand; adventurers Philip and Diana: Mike and Merilee; sommelier/ restauranteur Paola Embry, and traveler Marilyn, to taste ripe grapes on the vine,
sample wines at an elegant St Emilion wine shop, and
at several chateaux around the picture-perfect historic UNESCO town of St. Emilion.
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| St. Emilion Monolithic Cathedral Tower, via HDR Effects |
Our local driver, Emmanuel,
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| Emmanuel and Mike |
accompanied us to a superb wine tasting of Bordeax-area wines; to Chateau Laniote
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| Arnaud de La Filolie, Friendly Owner of Chateaux Laniote, Grand Cru Classé |
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| Chateau Laniote, 12 acres of vines on the Right Bank |
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| Chateau Laniote |
another lovely Chateaux, thence to the hidden nook of a bistro in St Emilion- Le Giron Dines,
where I had one of the best prepared fresh fish dishes of my life!
When I asked this French gentleman, gifted with such a fine palate and intimate knowledge of the best of Bordeaux, what was a favorite lunch spot of his, he cheerily replied “Mac Do nald's” with his beautiful French accent. Huh? “Do you mean McDonald’s, the American restaurant?," I asked in disbelief.
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| McDonald's in Bordeaux, France |
“Oui, monsieur, Mac Do nald's. It is fast, inexpensive, and I enjoy its taste.” There you have it, I kid you not. The proof of the pudding is that there are over 30,000 McDonald's around the globe, strategically placing their golden arches by city halls, cathedrals and in choice locations for foot traffic!
So inspired, I went this very evening to the nearest Mc D’s where they were proudly serving, Ta Da, the Mc Rib! For $2.99, this sloppy, BBQ sauce-slathered porcine delight, topped with crisp onions and pickles, hit the spot.
Glancing down, my Mc Rib place mat urged me to
“Turn it and learn it!"
However I turned it over and realized McDonald's told a Big McFib- they do not deign to list any wimpy nutritional info for the regal Mc Rib! I’m fine with that. Places like California and Chicago's Charlie Trotter have dictated to their areas' docile inhabitants what politically correct foods one should and shouldn’t eat by banning 'em on their whim. Meh!
For me, I’ll continue to enjoy fine French Bordeaux wines, fresh fish, foie gras, escargots, Two-Buck Chuck, McD’s crisp fries, and the tangy sauce and proud pork of the label-less McRib. So swallow that, Comrade Charlie!
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| Len and Jan, Diana and Philip |
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| St. Emilion Vineyards |
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| New Friends Savoring Azamara Journey's Fine Cuisine and Wines |
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| Chateau Kirwan, Margaux Appellation |
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| Chateau Kirwan Cellar |
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| Ch. Palmer, Margaux Appellation, Bordeaux Region |
2 comments:
I see you are getting into some artistic stuff. If you have a Cannon camera check out chdk (extensive wiki upon google). It is open source software that turns your camera into an uber camera. It is amazing and you will have fun with it.
cheers...
Hi!
Yes, I've been playing with HDR, to make it look "hyper-artsy" at first, then to figure how to use it just enough to perk up a photo without shouting "This has been over HDR'd!"
chdk is amazing!
I looked at some high speed work with it:
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/Samples:_High-Speed_Shutter_%26_Flash-Sync
I'll look into it further, too. I use a Canon PnShoot often, so I'll hve to laern how to load and use it.
Thank you for the heads up!
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