Still WAY behind but here is the next chapter of our journey (following Paris)…
We arrived in Cognac (two days after New Years) a little after 11 and were greeted by the lovely (and feisty) Lauren. She even brought a friend with her that was willing to loan his car services so we didn’t have to lug our suitcases all the way to Lauren’s. We settled in, chatted for a few, and then laid down for an extended nap time.
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| The view from Lauren's kitchen |
I feel the need to mention here the goal of our trip to Cognac. Yes, the top priority was to see Lauren and explore the charming French town she’s run away to. But the other was to rest. We accomplished our mission. I’d say, even a little too well. Our first day in Cognac consisted of N.O.T.H.I.N.G. We didn’t get up until 10am and laid around Lauren’s apartment until lunch time when she came home so we could eat. She DID manage to drag us out for food. But of course, right after lunch, we headed back to Lauren’s to be productive…lies. We did just the opposite: we napped…until she got home from work. Again, the only thing that dragged our sorry tails off the couch was to make food. It’s a running theme throughout our stay in Cognac…
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| Comatose Jonathan |
The next day we got up with intentions to do the exact same thing we did the day before. Naturally, I have to add a bit of a monkey wrench right about here. Jonathan woke up sick. So we played “sick day from school” and I made him sleep while I read and napped and…that’s it. Lauren did manage to join us for lunch again, although I’m sure the thought of leftovers is what brought her home this day, instead of seeing her lazy houseguests. Later that evening, however, Jonathan mustered up the courage to go to dinner. The only thing getting him out of bed was pizza.
Wednesday morning was much like the other days. I picked up sandwiches for us while Jonathan prepared himself to venture out for the afternoon. We had a date with Lauren at the Remy Martin house! Ohhhh Cognac, here we come. So we walked to Remy Martin and met our (once again) little French tour guide. We sampled a variety of what Remy Martin has to offer, along with food choices that matched each one. We also got to play the guessing game of, “what can you smell in this one?” I guessed cinnamon pretty much every time. I was right the last one.
Thursday, again, resembled much of what I’ve already described. Don’t forget, the goal of Cognac was 1) to see Lauren and 2) to rest. (I think we actually rested more than we saw Lauren…) Thursday evening, Lauren took us out to her local hangout where we met a few of her friends. Several. drinks. later. we finally got the native French speakers to speak English because, unfortunately, we don’t speak any French. By the end of the night we had one of them telling us “you’re not so bad for Americans”. Mission accomplished.
Friday was Lauren’s day off. She finally put her foot down and said we had to see Cognac before we left to head to Geneva, which was scheduled for later that evening. So we did. I saw more Cognac symbols that day than I ever have in my life. Remy Martin. Hennessy. Otard. Martell. So many! Not to mention Cognac is a charming town. We finally got to see where Lauren’s been for so long! Again, mission accomplished!
The rest of the afternoon was spent packing and getting ready to go to Geneva. We eventually made our way back to the bus stop to catch the bus that would take us to our train. We said our goodbyes to Lauren with the promise of her visiting us soon. Adios Cognac. It’s been lovely.
- Brandy
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