Asheville - Day Two

Spring is trying really hard to come to Asheville, but, honestly, it's just not quite here yet.

This morning I met with a really good relocation specialist.  Jerri drove us all over Asheville, just to get a feel for the town and surrounding areas.  It was very helpful...not that I'm planning to move anytime soon (unfortunately), but it did give me the big picture (something that is hard to get when you're trying to drive yourself around, not knowing much...including where you're going).  Asheville is really spread out, more so than I thought, and it's much bigger than Krista imagined.  Even with some intermittent rain, it was still a beautiful town.  After our tour, we went to the Green Sage for lunch.  It' just down the street from our apartment, but boy was that wind cold!  Krista had a chicken curry wrap and I tried the club sandwich.  Both were great!  Next, we got our car, and drove to the Grove Park Inn, a stately old hotel which will be one hundred years old this year. Undergoing a $25 million dollar renovation that scheduled to be completed next year, it's still gorgeous in the midst of all the changes. The view from the patio is spectacular, even on a gloomy day.

From there, we headed to the little town of Black Mountain.  Not too far from Asheville, several people had recommended it for a visit.  Unfortunately, it wasn't my cup of tea, but it was a good drive. We returned to Asheville without getting lost, and walked over to Malaprop's Bookstore.  It's really nice to see so many independent bookstores in this town!

We continued our walk around town.  The rain finally quit, and for a second or two, the sun tried to come out.  These Papillons reminded me of my friend Carol's pups.

We eventually made it over to the Battery Park Book Exchange, which has a comfortable bar with a huge selection of wines and champagne.  What a good combination!  We also met a friendly woman named Ann, a local artist who was there with her new puppy, Boone.

Asheville seems to be full of nice people...that's one of the reasons it appeals to me so much as a possible place to move in the future.  Anyway, Krista and I took our time at the bar, enjoying a bellini (or two) and a glass of sparkling white wine from Limoux, which is a town I visited when in France last year.  Good memories!  We sat until we got hungry, and then ordered some bread, cheese, and fruit, along with a bit of fig spread.  What a feast! We eventually managed to wander back down the streets toward our apartment, but first stopped for dessert at French Broad Chocolates, our home away from home.  This is what their pots de creme look like before, during and after.

And on that note, I think I'll sign off.  We're in the for night, snug as bugs in rugs...for some reason, dinner doesn't interest either one of us. Thanks for stopping by!