Day 3

Compared to yesterday, today’s been very calm.

I slept until 8 which is a rare event for me; obviously it's jet lag.

For breakfast, we tried to eat at a few places that Joni had researched, but they were both closed despite what their websites suggested.  We had a good walk nevertheless, and saw some beautiful spots in this large city.

Fortunately, our third choice, Chardon Bleu, was open and we ended up with a fixed price petit dejeuner of orange juice, café au lait, and tartines with butter.  Tough to beat.

After breakfast we picked up our car and headed to a Decathalon store, a sporting goods chain, and purchase two foldable chairs and a foldable table for our tour watching. Each year we get a little better at figuring out how to watch the race in comfort.  Our first year we sat on the ground!

From here we headed for a lunch spot and again struck out twice before finding third choice to be open, Le Café Marais.  Sitting outside we both enjoyed salads. Joni’s include a brochette of chicken and mine, slices of pork.  Both included roasted potatoes.  For dessert Joni enjoyed crème brulee and I had a chocolate mousse.  A glass of rose and expresso completed this meal.  We could easily go back there again.

We spent the afternoon visiting the WWII Resistance Museum.  It was fascinating; and very different from the one in Fontaines de Vaucluse in Provence which focuses on the daily of occupied France.  This one emphasized the development and organization of the Resistance.  Due to the challenging geography of this area, the Resistance was much more developed around Grenoble than in other parts of France.  From the beginning of the occupation, in 1940, the Germans put their Italian allies in charge of the government, but the Italians really avoided enforcing most of the German restrictions and left that up to the French collaborators of the Vichy government.  In 1943, the Germans took over from the Italians as more and more French Jews and were being sent to both concentration camps.  During the occupation all French men in their twenties were first voluntarily asked to work in factories in Germany, but as the war progressed, this became mandatory.

When the war started in 1939, this area became a haven for Jews from all of the occupied countries.  We learned of countless examples of French citizens and members of the clergy that sheltered these refugees.  Sympathetic priests baptized many Jews, and nuns operated boarding schools for Jewish children.   

A very moving afternoon.

Leaving the museum we drove to several restaurants, checking to see if they were open for dinner, but again we struck out.  Monday’s is a common day to be closed for French restaurants, and many owners are also on vacation.    

Still feeling the effects of jet lag, we returned to our hotel and took a nap before dinner. For  dinner we ultimately chose Le Table Ronde; we had a great meal there three years ago and it was close enough to our hotel so we could walk.  

This restaurant has been in operation since 1739.  It’s located in Place St. Andre and abuts the Palais de Justice and a Roman wall that once encircled all of Grenoble.  

The place was packed when we arrived, so we were not initially surprised that we had a long wait for our meal.  We enjoying our wine and people watching.  After an hour our waitress asked us if we wanted dessert, we said yes, but we’d like our meal first!   Yes, she forgot to place our order.  She was very apologetic, and offered dessert, coffee, and an aperitif on the house.

So eventually we got our dinner and it was delicious.  Both of our dishes were native to the Alps.  Joni had sausage on top of ravioli stuffed with mushrooms in a cream sauce and I had sausage, au gratin potatoes, and grilled vegetables.  For dessert, Joni enjoyed profiteroles, and I had a chocolate fondant.