Why Retire in the Philippines/Marinduque Vacations: Taste of Southern France-March Travel Series Here at THD

Planning to Retire Soon!

If you are planning to retire in the Philippines soon, I suggest you visit several excellent websites on pro's and cons of retiring in the Philippines. However if you want to retire in the provinces, where life is simple, standard of living cheaper, less traffic congestion and pollution, availability of fresh seafood and vegetables compared to the big cities, my island province is the place for you! If this is your first time in my site, welcome. Some of the photos and videos on this site, I do not own. However, I have no intention on the infringement of your copyrights. The photo above is the front yard of Chateau Du Mer- Our Retirement Home in Boac, Marinduque, Philippines

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Taste of Southern France-March Travel Series Here at THD

The Taste of Southern France, Travel Series Here at THD started with a musical treat last Saturday night at our Cinema. I took some photos during the video presentation as well as the repertoire for the evening. The presentation started on time with introduction from host, Galen Carson, THD Activity Director.

I was a little bit disappointed of the one-hour musical tapes, since I heard better classical music before. The only one I really enjoyed was the violin quartet. Ravel's Pavane I heard before. Another performance of this sad piece of music I am reposting in the following video. It is a violin and piano duo rendition with pianist Carlos Avila( my late wife nephew) and Violinist Gonzales.

carlos avila pianist

Meanwhile, Here's a list of the best places to visit in Southern France
https://www.travelandleisure.com/best-places-to-visit-in-south-of-france-7488163

Bordeaux & Aquitaine – Great for: Vineyards, Foie Gras, Duck, Wine Tasting – Read our Aquitaine Travel Guide

Dordogne – Great for: Wine, Foie Gras, Truffles and Market Towns – Read our Dordogne Travel Guide

Midi-Pyrénées – Great for: Skiing, Wine and Festivals – Read our Midi-Pyrénées Travel Guide

French Riviera – Great for: Mediterranean-style beaches, Nice, St. Tropez, Cannes, Yachting and Festivals – Read our Côte d’Azur Travel Guide

Provence-Alpes – Great for: Mountains to the Mediterranean, Bouillabaisse, Provence and Avignon – Read our Provence Travel Guide

Personal Note: Looking forward to the Taste of France Special Dinner. I am wondering what would be the Entree? Will it be Pot-au-Feu?

The Oxford Companion to Food calls pot-au-feu "a dish symbolic of French cuisine and a meal in itself"; the chef Raymond Blanc has called it "the quintessence of French family cuisine ... the most celebrated dish in France, that honors the tables of the rich and poor alike"; and the American National Geographic magazine has termed it the national dish of France.

pot-au-feu means pot on fire.

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Fruit Trees in the Gardens of Chateau Du Mer

The Mango Tree-I have three varieties in my Garden-The Indian, Guimaras and Carabao Mangoes My caretaker/gardener informed me last month that due to the El Nino drought in Marinduque, two of my Durian trees died in spite of his vigilant watering. One of the tree was attacked by insects that looks like a big fly but yellowish in color that sucks the sap of the seedling. The roots of the other tree was attacked by ants residing in the soil. However, my other fruit trees, the rambutans( 2), the lanzones(2) and the jack fruits ( 2) trees are doing well. The above eight fruit trees were given to me by Retired General Recaredo Sarmiento of Boac and Lucena., about three years ago. General Sarmiento is the “atid” of my wife. “Atid” is the colloquial term for brother. Evidently, Macrine's father, the late Bernardo Jambalos was the Godfather of General Sarmiento during his baptism and comfirmation. Gen Sarmiento's hobby is orchard planting, reforestation and farming. The other fruit trees in my garden are guayabanos, cashew, avocados, starapples, duhats, ates, guavas, mangoes( 3 varieties) and papayas as well as several varieties of bananas . Of the above fruit trees, my favorite is the guayabanos, also known as soursop tree known for its anti-tumor and anti-cancer properties . The following are photos of the fruit trees. The Durian photo is from the web. Note that it almost look like a jack fruit tree, except that the leaves are bigger and shiny. My desire is to have a passion fruit tree in the near future. You are welcome to visit my orchard and flower gardens any time, if perchance you are in the vicinity of The Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort and Conference Center.

The Rambutan Tree and Fruits

The Lanzone Tree and Fruits

The Jack Fruit Tree

The Durian Fruit Tree