Personal Update:
About an 8-minute read
My France trip exceeded expectations! The French people were courteous and helpful, making the trip more enjoyable. And we discovered invaluable nuggets about the cultural and geographical landscape that enhanced my book research.
(If you’re new to this newsletter, I’m working on a contemporary romance series called Mayo Love. In Book 3, my protagonist travels to France to visit her grand-mère.)
We spent most of our time in the beautiful Pyrénées mountain bordering Spain. We rented an Airbnb in Gavarnie Gèdre, a village near the Gavarnie Cirque. I wanted Celine’s grand-mère to live in the mountains near the Cirque, but I was uncertain if locals lived in the tourist town. The residential area of Gavarnie Gèdre was the ideal location.
“Downtown Gedre” and view of a hotel and restaurant where we ate on our first night.
Former grain mill near our Airbnb
I wanted Grand-mère to have sheep or goats. Wouldn’t you know it, our neighbor had a pen of goats with the famous Pyrénées bells around their necks. Hearing these bells provided that quaint mountain vibe I imagined her home to have. It was like living a Pyrénées version of Heidi. Check!
One highlight was our food tour in Lourdes. Our guide not only introduced us to the regional gastronomy, but provided rich detail of the people and the culture. Check!
The Gastronomy of the Hautes-Pyrénées:
- Noir de Bigorre (black pig of Bigorre). This pig hails from this region and by 1980s, they were nearly extinct. But agricultural techs and breeders came together to save the black pig. Now, the black pig is considered a popular delicacy with sought-after products such as cured sausage, rolled bacon, salami, and prosciutto. We tried all four. While I’m not a meat eater, I enjoyed trying them. They were all full of flavor.
- Gâteau à la broche (or spit cake). They cook this cake on a long stick that rotates continuously over a fire. It was like eating a slightly moist but less sweet scone.
- Gave trout: We tried smoked trout at the Spanish tapas restaurant, and it reminded me of the smoked trout we had in Munising in Michigan’s UP.
- Garbure: a regional soup that always has green cabbage and duck meat as its base, but you can add other ingredients. It’s a rustic soup you’d eat in the winter. The garbure we tried had a whole duck thigh, green cabbage, carrots, and chunks of pork. If you’re a local, you add red wine when you’re almost done eating the soup and slurp it from the bowl. (And is what Robert did.)
- Tarte aux Myrtilles cake with chantilly. Blueberries are grown in this region, so this is a popular regional dessert. It was delicious but not as sweet as I expected. I was surprised how the Europeans don’t add as much sugar to their desserts as Americans. I got used to this though.
Hiking:
The bulk of our research consisted of exploring hiking trails, and the Pyrénées didn’t disappoint. We couldn’t hit all them (that would’ve taken weeks), but we explored some scenic ones including the Cirque. A cirque is a circular cut out in the mountains caused by glacier erosion, so it looks like you’re standing in a huge mountainous bowl. It’s a visual treat. After we hiked about an hour and a half, we came upon Hôtel du Cirque, a four-star hotel! We stopped here for a break to drink hot tea and coffee.
Then we walked to Le Cascade de Gavarnie (it’s overall drop is 422 meters or 1,385.51 feet). The trail to the tiered waterfall was slightly treacherous with the sharp rocky ascent, but worth it as we could witness the fall’s magnificent power. The water sprayed us vigorously, but fortunately I brought my rain jacket. This was definitely a highlight of my hiking excursions.
After we concluded in Gavarnie, we drove to St. Hippolyte du Fort, to visit my fellow Lady Lit, Janet Weiner. It was about 5-1/2 hour drive and when I saw a certain mountain, I knew we were in the right place. The cover for her debut novel, Though Darkness Descend, features this mountain.
(If you enjoy historical fiction, I highly recommend her book. She highlights the Huguenot Resistance in France in the 17th century, when King Louis XIV tried to convert them to Catholicism. If Huguenots refused to denounce their Protestant faith, they were persecuted severally.)
Janet is the first Lady Lit I’ve met in person, so at first, it felt surreal! And we hit it off immediately as if we’ve known each other for more than a few years.
We also met her husband and the international ministry team who all live in a charming chateau. We enjoyed the uplifting fellowship with them all.
(To learn more about this area of France, check out Janet’s blog Fig and Vine. It’s fun to read about the culture and experiences this region provides.)
Prague: Last leg of our trip:
We concluded our European trip by flying to Prague to visit our friends, the Lillard’s. (Jerry was our former pastor in the US.)
We stayed with them for four nights, and during that time, the Lillards served as our “tour guides.” We explored the popular sights in the city, ate delicious Czech cuisine (and even Turkish one night), visited a farmer’s market, and attended a church service where Jerry’s father is the pastor.
We even stopped at Franz Kafka’s humble home now converted into a tiny bookshop. Have you read The Metamorphosis?
Visiting the Czech Republic was sentimental because my paternal great-grandparents emigrated from this country when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. I grew up hearing stories about how they left their homeland to explore the opportunities in the US and listened to them speak in their native tongue.
My grandma grew up eating rohlik, kolache, rye bread, rohlicky, and tomato dumplings. Her father brewed his own beer.
So, in Prague, I tried rohlik, rohlicky, kolache, and gingerbread dumplings. Robert liked their beer, and we really liked their new wine. We enjoyed our Czech culinary experience, but appreciated reconnecting with our good friends, even more! 
Writing Corner:
Speaking of Good Tidings, we’re releasing this Christmas anthology on November 1st! This book is a collection of six short fiction stories and one touching true story. It’s entertaining, inspiring, and festive. We also include family recipes just in time for Christmas baking. I share my grandma’s rohlicky recipe that’s a family’s favorite.
All the profits for the book go toward our individual charities. My charity of choice is ICO (International Community Outreach). They minister to international students in Tulsa and in Prague. And Jerry Lillard happens to head up the ministry.
To learn more about the anthology, here’s a podcast that we Lady Lits participated in. I’ll provide the purchase link for Good Tidings in November’s newsletter.
Christmas at Sonshine Barn update:
My debut novel is in the graphic designer’s hands for typesetting. I’m anticipating a November 7th release. What’s zany is I have two releases within a week of each other. Yikes! But at least, you’ll have two books to read during the Christmas season.
Christmas at Sonshine Barn highlights Garrett Bettencourt, a wedding photographer who gets engaged on Thanksgiving night. But as Garrett and Presleigh plan their wedding, they discover their picture-perfect relationship isn’t as ideal as they thought. Struggles such as Presleigh losing a valuable Bettencourt heirloom and the presence of a rival threaten to sabotage their engagement. Will Garrett and Presleigh endure through the challenges or find their differences insurmountable?
Read in November to find out!
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Photo Credit of the snowy pic of the Cirque in the slider: at Wikipedia Commons
