Poire William

Pear tart and William pear. Tried to stuff too many pears into  this

Poire William is a liquor made from Williams pears. I was offered a choice between it or cognac on my way to Italy the first time. Of course I opted for the Poire. I have been puzzled by its name. ' w' is not even used in French. Why didn't they rename it Poire Guillaume? And what are Williams pears anyway?

Bartlett pears.

My pears, Bartletts, ripened to a golden yellow while I was gone. I made a pear frangipane tart for the Moms tonight. This time  I ground the almonds in small batches so no more almond butter. I even bought apricot jelly to make the glaze.

The Tunnel of Trees is Michigan's answer to Big Sur (where I shall be in a month). I first travelled in it by bike during my longest ride ever (115 miles). It is very narrow, twisty and hilly but stunningly beautiful. Most of its 20 miles, one is on a cliff overlooking Lake Michigan. While we drove on it yesterday, my favorite Brahm's violin quintet was playing. It was a wonderful experience. Alas, due to its microclimate, the leaves hadn't peaked yet though they had inland.

We had stayed about 15 miles away from the start in a beautiful log lodge overlooking a river. We could take a kayak out or paddleboats. Alas, it was cold and rainy though we managed to hike a little between downpours. We sipped (or I did) champagne while sitting on our balcony keeping warm under a towel overlooking a beautiful scene. Early the next day, I watched the sun rise and the deer feeding beneath me. Although we could have used the hot tub, we had a whirlpool bath for two in our room. Steve isn't too fond of these things but he joined me anyway. We ate at a great restaurant  in Harbor Springs over looking the bay. It was a beautiful drive just to get to Harbor Springs, Lakes, hills covered with bright orange and red trees. On the way back, a sunset over one of the many inland lakes. We sat outside by the firepit watching the deer move in the darkness.

In the morning I went for a run on a nearby undeveloped rails-to-trails path that Naomi and I had biked on 8 years ago between Mackinaw and Petoskey. Not much improvements have been made since then. I remember being mired in sand pits. But the paved road, very busy, had icy patches. Sand does not freeze. I was running in a valley surrounded by hills of maples of various hues. Stunning. The only fly in the ointment was I forgot to pack a running bra. I ended up wearing my bathing suit underneath. My regular bra would have turned into a razor under all that bouncing plus I didn't want it sweaty.

After our tunnel of trees experience, we had lunch at the Leg's Inn where I had gone with Rasta Man a few months earlier. It is always good. Then we continued along the water up to Mackinaw and down the upper part of Michigan, the Sunrise Coast as they call it stopping from time to time at scenic overlooks. We were on the road forever and after a while, you could only appreciate so much fall foliage and pretty beaches. We hadn't gone anywhere together with just us for a very long time. It was a good experience.

More photos:

balcony and view

Mama turkeys and babies

Dinner

cool lobby

The Tunnel of Trees

Inside of funky lunch place

Steve and Mackinaw Bridge

Steve and some strange woman

Near Bliss Michigan. Yep, that's its name