Upon reflection, we came to France concerned about what we were told about the French being a bit snobbish or standoffish....and hoping that we could move past this. We have found some interesting traits, and little snobbery or stand-offishness.
First, the French really DO believe in their motto..."Liberty, Equality and Fraternity." This is the motto that emerged during the French Revolution, and we see actions that reflect this every day. In the States, we believe that the INDIVIDUAL is inalienable...freedom of speech, and most actions can not be restrained. Here, there seems to be a bit more tempered approach to speech and actions. There is a very genuine sense of caring for others. It is reflected in very gentile language, for example, whenever you enter a store, or greet someone at a cashier's station, they look you in the eye, and say Bon Jour! And, when you leave, they always say Au Revoir...and often Bon Journee! They seem like just niceties, but they are truly indicative of the culture. If you do not respond, in kind, then you are perceived as a bit ignorant, or rude.
We have also noticed, that when we walk into a restaurant, while being seated by the hostess, we are often greeted by others sitting in the restaurant...people we have never seen before, and will never see again, and yet, they nod, or even say, Bon Jour! Sometimes, after we are seated, when they get up to leave, they will turn to us and say: Au Revoir, or Bon Journee. At first, we did not know what to think....but now, we just see that it is a way of acknowledging others.
French children are very well behaved...they learn, very early to always greet others with Bon Jour!...even 2 years olds....and to never be loud in a restaurant! Restaurants in France are always a buzz with light volume levels of conversation. We have never been in a restaurant in France where there is anyone who is loud or boisterous, and is French! Americans, Germans, yes!..but not the French. German children, and American children have been loud...but not the French....and if they begin to get loud, the French family will remove the child from the restaurant. That simple!
There are many other indicators of concern or caring...not to mention the big burly truck driver who stopped his 18 wheeler on the road (perpendicular to the street where I was laying) when I broke my rib....or the car full of 4 young teenage boys who also stopped to help....or the person who lived in the house nearby who called for an ambulance, immediately! The doctor who was in his office on a Saturday morning...
When our boulangerie closed for summer vacation for two weeks, they indicated when they would be back, and the next closest boulangerie that is still open for business!...Just so you shouldn't suffer the pains of the lack of fresh bread!
There is just a cultural attitude that says "we are all in this together, and we look out for each other!"
This is a demonstrably kind and civilized culture.
Monday, August 24, 2015
Saturday, August 22, 2015
The Furballs (Part 2)
This is Easy....I'll continue my tales of our trip in France....
The scariest thing that happened to us, was that one night, in San Quentin, brother Breezy decided to take a midnight walk! Dad took the garbage out about ten o'clock pm, when he and Mom were preparing for the big party. The best we can figure, Breezy must have been planning a break, and took his opportunity, when Dad came back in!
I enjoyed having Mom and Dad to myself all night, but when I got up the next day, I couldn't find my brother. Mom and Dad called and called him, ....we all looked all through the house, but NO...brother Breezy was missing! We continued to look for him, and Dad went out, and called for him through the village, to no avail! Mom was still hurt with her rib, so she couldn't go out.....and, of course, I didn't want to! It's too scary out there for me!
At dinner time, people began to arrive for the party...I hid under the bed. That's when I missed brother most...he usually comforts me when scary guests arrive.
People began to leave around eleven at night, and by midnight, Mom was in bed. One of the ladies from the party asked what Breezy looked like, just in case they saw him. Dad went out, one more time, looking for brother....but no...Then, at about one in the morning, someone rang our doorbell! Well....I ran under the bed again! No one ever rings our bell at that time! Next thing we know, heard Dad talking with someone at the door! Dad came up the steps with Breezy! Evidently, about six of the people from the party had walked up to their house through the narrow stone village street. They only live about a block away. When they got home, they sat in the garden and talked, and all of a sudden, a nice cat came strolling into the garden. He climbed the stairs to the house...but then, rejoined the party in the garden. One of Mom and Dad's friends said "I think that's Irene and Bruce's cat!"...much discussion ensued...no...couldn't be....well....he sure is friendly....let's give him some milk!...Nice cat.....if it's not their cat....let's keep him....NO....It can't be their cat....NO! I'm SURE it's their cat...they described him. Finally, Brian, a friend of Mom and Dad's from Ireland, picked him up and brought him to our house. Brian had some trepidation about knocking on our door at one o'clock in the morning...but he did! And, VOILA!!!! Breezy was home! Mom and Dad fussed over him. I smelled him and licked him on the head. Mom and Dad fed him. All was well! He never would tell me what all he did that night! His only reply was "what happens when I go out catting, is only for me to know!" He slept all night without moving! I think he was really exhausted from his 24 hour adventure!
In the morning...he went into the bathtub for a drink!...HA! Here's a picture I took! He fell asleep in the TUB!
Breezy hasn't attempted another Cat's Night Out since!
The scariest thing that happened to us, was that one night, in San Quentin, brother Breezy decided to take a midnight walk! Dad took the garbage out about ten o'clock pm, when he and Mom were preparing for the big party. The best we can figure, Breezy must have been planning a break, and took his opportunity, when Dad came back in!
I enjoyed having Mom and Dad to myself all night, but when I got up the next day, I couldn't find my brother. Mom and Dad called and called him, ....we all looked all through the house, but NO...brother Breezy was missing! We continued to look for him, and Dad went out, and called for him through the village, to no avail! Mom was still hurt with her rib, so she couldn't go out.....and, of course, I didn't want to! It's too scary out there for me!
At dinner time, people began to arrive for the party...I hid under the bed. That's when I missed brother most...he usually comforts me when scary guests arrive.
People began to leave around eleven at night, and by midnight, Mom was in bed. One of the ladies from the party asked what Breezy looked like, just in case they saw him. Dad went out, one more time, looking for brother....but no...Then, at about one in the morning, someone rang our doorbell! Well....I ran under the bed again! No one ever rings our bell at that time! Next thing we know, heard Dad talking with someone at the door! Dad came up the steps with Breezy! Evidently, about six of the people from the party had walked up to their house through the narrow stone village street. They only live about a block away. When they got home, they sat in the garden and talked, and all of a sudden, a nice cat came strolling into the garden. He climbed the stairs to the house...but then, rejoined the party in the garden. One of Mom and Dad's friends said "I think that's Irene and Bruce's cat!"...much discussion ensued...no...couldn't be....well....he sure is friendly....let's give him some milk!...Nice cat.....if it's not their cat....let's keep him....NO....It can't be their cat....NO! I'm SURE it's their cat...they described him. Finally, Brian, a friend of Mom and Dad's from Ireland, picked him up and brought him to our house. Brian had some trepidation about knocking on our door at one o'clock in the morning...but he did! And, VOILA!!!! Breezy was home! Mom and Dad fussed over him. I smelled him and licked him on the head. Mom and Dad fed him. All was well! He never would tell me what all he did that night! His only reply was "what happens when I go out catting, is only for me to know!" He slept all night without moving! I think he was really exhausted from his 24 hour adventure!
In the morning...he went into the bathtub for a drink!...HA! Here's a picture I took! He fell asleep in the TUB!
Breezy hasn't attempted another Cat's Night Out since!
Kimmy comes to France! (Mid-August)
Well...it's a long way from California, but my friend Kimberly had never been to France....SO...I met her in Paris, and we stayed there over night. Then we traveled back to Alsace by train!
Her visit to Paris was short, so we decided to see the sights as opposed to doing the museums....And, we did!...We walked about 5 miles one day...(a big deal for me, in that I was still dealing with my rib problem, and pain in my leg)....but it was mostly to see some sights and go to the Batarama...Tour Boat.
We took the boat from the D'Orsay to Notre Dame, and up the river to the Eiffel Tower. Kimberly was very generous!...Lunches, Cabs,....and lots of gifts for her family! Here's my favorite picture from our trip...taken at the cafe at the Louve!....and an early morning picture of Sacre Cour, taken from our hotel room!
Our trip also included a tour of Note Dame, more shopping, and ice cream.
One the the very striking things we did was to go into the Four Seasons Hotel. She knew of a famous floral designer who does the flowers there, and wanted to see his work! Jeff Latham is his name, and he was there! He was SO charming!,,,we could take his picture, only if we would be in the picture with him....he signed his fabulous book for Kimmy...just special. And, the flowers were over the top...OMG....gorgeous! Bruce and I will go back each month while we are in Paris to see his work!
When we got to Strasbourg, Bruce and our friend Louis took over as tour guides!
This is a picture of the Atrium at the Four Seasons...the purple are huge Vanda orchids! The curtain of orchids in the middle is about 40 feet high, and 20 feet wide at the top! The entrance is lined with orchids, as well! I can't wait till we get to Paris to see the next set of creations!
Kimmy was so kind as to take several pictures of us, since we have few pictures of Bruce and me .together!
Our friend Louis took over as tour guide when we got to Alsace! The rest of the days in Alsace were filled with a trip to Baden Baden, Germany (lovely town!) a visit to a castle ruins in Germany...a special and personal tour of a wonderful Alsacian winery, a trip to a reproduction of an historic Alsacian village, a trip to Obernai and an organ concert in Obernai (our favorite little Alsacian town nearby) a trip to an Eagle preserve, and a trip to the Strasbourg cathedral and light show, and an unbelievably great fish dinner! I was pooped...and so was Kimmy! Here is a picture of the three of us in little Venice, Colmar. A lovely town!
Her visit to Paris was short, so we decided to see the sights as opposed to doing the museums....And, we did!...We walked about 5 miles one day...(a big deal for me, in that I was still dealing with my rib problem, and pain in my leg)....but it was mostly to see some sights and go to the Batarama...Tour Boat.
We took the boat from the D'Orsay to Notre Dame, and up the river to the Eiffel Tower. Kimberly was very generous!...Lunches, Cabs,....and lots of gifts for her family! Here's my favorite picture from our trip...taken at the cafe at the Louve!....and an early morning picture of Sacre Cour, taken from our hotel room!
Our trip also included a tour of Note Dame, more shopping, and ice cream.
One the the very striking things we did was to go into the Four Seasons Hotel. She knew of a famous floral designer who does the flowers there, and wanted to see his work! Jeff Latham is his name, and he was there! He was SO charming!,,,we could take his picture, only if we would be in the picture with him....he signed his fabulous book for Kimmy...just special. And, the flowers were over the top...OMG....gorgeous! Bruce and I will go back each month while we are in Paris to see his work!
When we got to Strasbourg, Bruce and our friend Louis took over as tour guides!
This is a picture of the Atrium at the Four Seasons...the purple are huge Vanda orchids! The curtain of orchids in the middle is about 40 feet high, and 20 feet wide at the top! The entrance is lined with orchids, as well! I can't wait till we get to Paris to see the next set of creations!
Kimmy was so kind as to take several pictures of us, since we have few pictures of Bruce and me .together!Our friend Louis took over as tour guide when we got to Alsace! The rest of the days in Alsace were filled with a trip to Baden Baden, Germany (lovely town!) a visit to a castle ruins in Germany...a special and personal tour of a wonderful Alsacian winery, a trip to a reproduction of an historic Alsacian village, a trip to Obernai and an organ concert in Obernai (our favorite little Alsacian town nearby) a trip to an Eagle preserve, and a trip to the Strasbourg cathedral and light show, and an unbelievably great fish dinner! I was pooped...and so was Kimmy! Here is a picture of the three of us in little Venice, Colmar. A lovely town!
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Meet the Furballs! (Part One)
Most of you know our two fur balls! Easy and Breezy are amazing cats! They have been traveling with us since they were about 12 weeks old. The first time they traveled, I took them to the Cape, in a small travel size bag that was like a large purse. They never made a sound! We schooled them by taking them in the car...not their favorite thing, but they don't seem to mind traveling in our van, when we take them from Cape Cod to Philadelphia!
Breezy is a REAL character! For those of you, who know my wonderful, BOLD, brother, Roger who is a character, we think he has Roger's spirit! My friend, Regina calls him, Mr. Mustache! He is such a character! Breezy is very independent, but pretty obedient! In California, when we let him out on a leash, I taught him to come in when I clap my hands....MOST time it works! Breezy is a COOL Kat!
Easy is very much the little lady princess! She is NO WHERE near as Bold as her brother, and seems to prefer staying inside, except for an occasional visit to the garden to eat salad (Grass). Easy charms us, however, with her graceful style! Here is picture of her, practicing her Hula, on a hot afternoon!
AND NOW, A WORD FROM LA CHATS, Easy and Breezy !!!
Our trip to France was a bit odd! First, Mom and Dad took us to the house at the Cape. It was not the SAME! Whenever we go to Cape Cod, it is weather kind of like California! Sometimes it rains more, and sometimes it is cool, but we have NEVER been SO COLD! My fur coat needed a fur coat! And, our yard, usually filled with grass for me to eat, well.....it was coved with white stuff....it was the coldest thing I've ever stepped on! Breezy went outside once, but not me! Mama pushed me out the door, but I went out onto that white stuff, and ZIP, back into the house! Not ten seconds! in the cold for these paws!
Breezy is quite vain! At the Cape, I caught him looking at himself in the mirror, upstairs, and snapped this picture! Remember the Carol King song...."He walked into the party, like he was walking onto a YACHT!"...that kind of vain! My brother: Mr. Mustach! He knows he is handsome!
Breezy & I are pretty famous for our exploits! Like the time that we broke out of the bag, moving TWO zippers apart, to get out on the Airplane! I worked and worked at it, and finally, I pushed the zippers apart so far, that I could get my head out! I was FREE! You should have seen Mom and Dad's face when the nasty flight attendant, gave us up and announced:"Will the person with two cats, please come to the back of the plane!" Were they surprised! And, I had just found a nice lap of the man across the aisle to curl up in! He was a very nice man! Breezy didn't make it as far as I did! Papa pinned him to the floor, after the flight attendant ratted on us!
Breezy is a REAL character! For those of you, who know my wonderful, BOLD, brother, Roger who is a character, we think he has Roger's spirit! My friend, Regina calls him, Mr. Mustache! He is such a character! Breezy is very independent, but pretty obedient! In California, when we let him out on a leash, I taught him to come in when I clap my hands....MOST time it works! Breezy is a COOL Kat!
AND NOW, A WORD FROM LA CHATS, Easy and Breezy !!!
Our trip to France was a bit odd! First, Mom and Dad took us to the house at the Cape. It was not the SAME! Whenever we go to Cape Cod, it is weather kind of like California! Sometimes it rains more, and sometimes it is cool, but we have NEVER been SO COLD! My fur coat needed a fur coat! And, our yard, usually filled with grass for me to eat, well.....it was coved with white stuff....it was the coldest thing I've ever stepped on! Breezy went outside once, but not me! Mama pushed me out the door, but I went out onto that white stuff, and ZIP, back into the house! Not ten seconds! in the cold for these paws!
Breezy is quite vain! At the Cape, I caught him looking at himself in the mirror, upstairs, and snapped this picture! Remember the Carol King song...."He walked into the party, like he was walking onto a YACHT!"...that kind of vain! My brother: Mr. Mustach! He knows he is handsome!
Breezy & I are pretty famous for our exploits! Like the time that we broke out of the bag, moving TWO zippers apart, to get out on the Airplane! I worked and worked at it, and finally, I pushed the zippers apart so far, that I could get my head out! I was FREE! You should have seen Mom and Dad's face when the nasty flight attendant, gave us up and announced:"Will the person with two cats, please come to the back of the plane!" Were they surprised! And, I had just found a nice lap of the man across the aisle to curl up in! He was a very nice man! Breezy didn't make it as far as I did! Papa pinned him to the floor, after the flight attendant ratted on us!
Well Breezy, I did succeed in getting away from Dad, in the Cleveland airport! You were tucked away in Mom's arms! I called for you, but you didn't come! Dad had me in his arms, so I just crawled up his chest, and jumped off his shoulder! I ran under the Xray scanner, but, doggone it! Dad had put my leash on me, and JUST as I made a break for it, the Security Lady stepped on my leash! I could've been gone! I could have flown to Guadaloup to see friends! I could've gone to Florida to see Uncle Roger, but NO! Thwarted again! But that's not my BEST escapade! First, me show you the house in the village of Saint Quentin la Poterie in Provence, and tell you of our journey!
The journey was long...from our house in Cape Cod to the Marsailles airport, and then to Saint Quentin, by car! UUUFFFFFFF! We are good travelers, but Mom and Dad knew we have our limits, and this was it!
The journey was long...from our house in Cape Cod to the Marsailles airport, and then to Saint Quentin, by car! UUUFFFFFFF! We are good travelers, but Mom and Dad knew we have our limits, and this was it!
We got there, investigated every corner!...and now I can tell you about our new home......We liked our house in Saint Quentin! There were two terraces with gardens!..we went out every day!....and we had a four story jungle-jim that was circular, and allowed us to move from floor to floor!
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| Our Jungle-Jim! |
When we first got here, we stuck pretty close together!...a bit unusual for us!....I like to keep my distance from my bother!
Mom and I need to nap, so, let me tell you more of my story later!...until then, keep your computer on!
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Our lovely friends in Saint Quentin and Uzes (2)
They all made our trip wonderful! They are, each and every one, interesting people, going places, and doing things, and making their way in a new world that each has created! You, who are reading this at home in California, would like each and every one of them! We hope you all get to meet each one! They are invited to visit, and swap houses, and just stay in touch in every way possible! Here are some pictures from the party that we threw at the end of our visit in the house in Saint Quentin la Poterie.
Sorry! I don't have pictures of all the couples. I still wanted to share these pictures with you....there is Martin and Angela are retired British couple who had worked at a University. Martin hand makes jewelry and sculpture, and Angela hand makes books.... Diaries, and beautifully crafted books!
Ernie and Kate from Scotland.... Kate, sweet and lovely, and Ernie kept the French class laughing and light!!! Brian, pictured with Bruce, is Irish, as is his wife, Astrid...he plays the bag pipes....Collin and Claire...British friends, of whom, I am afraid to say, I don't have a picture...We had a wonderful dinner at their home, and I learned how to make summer pudding!...Mâire and Roger, a Scottish couple who go back and forth between the home in Scotland, and Uzes...and their lovely daughter, Ellen. They entertained us for drinks one night...we are hoping to exchange houses with them in the near future!...Not from our French class, but still wonderful and interesting are: Pam and Dan and Bill and Giselle. We enjoyed every minute of every experience with each of them! Thank YOU!
Sorry! I don't have pictures of all the couples. I still wanted to share these pictures with you....there is Martin and Angela are retired British couple who had worked at a University. Martin hand makes jewelry and sculpture, and Angela hand makes books.... Diaries, and beautifully crafted books!
Ernie and Kate from Scotland.... Kate, sweet and lovely, and Ernie kept the French class laughing and light!!! Brian, pictured with Bruce, is Irish, as is his wife, Astrid...he plays the bag pipes....Collin and Claire...British friends, of whom, I am afraid to say, I don't have a picture...We had a wonderful dinner at their home, and I learned how to make summer pudding!...Mâire and Roger, a Scottish couple who go back and forth between the home in Scotland, and Uzes...and their lovely daughter, Ellen. They entertained us for drinks one night...we are hoping to exchange houses with them in the near future!...Not from our French class, but still wonderful and interesting are: Pam and Dan and Bill and Giselle. We enjoyed every minute of every experience with each of them! Thank YOU!
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| Kate Bell |
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| Anglea Stanton |
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| Bruce and Brian French |
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| Roger Rist, at just the right moment, with a mouth full! |
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| Ellen Rist, Mâire and Roger's charming daughter |
Our lovely friends in Saint Quentin and Uzes (1)
Before I strictly write about Alsace, and our time up North, I would like to pay tribute to our friends, and the lovely way they added to our experience in Provence!
Several of our friends have asked us what we were looking forward to when we came to France, and what we enjoyed most while in Provence. Bruce always felt he would enjoy the people that we met, but I had no idea that we would meet such wonderful folks! Our dear friends and neighbors from Newport Beach, Regina and Larry, graciously guided us, every step of the way in planning and executing our journey. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude for helping us to make our dream come true! They also introduced us to many of their friends, and to an organization called AVF. AVF is an association in France, for newcomers. We joined, and took the French class at their behest. How fun!
We met more wonderful people in our French class!
It seems when people are overseas, they are very open to meeting new people, and making friends with them! We were the beneficiaries of this attitude! After each French class, we would go for coffee, and just talk about who we are, where we are in our lives, our children, our latest experiences, and our dreams. Nice! Everyone shares!
Here is a great picture of Regina at her birthday party...and one of Larry at our friend Jacque's home!
Regina and Larry had introduced us to their lovely friends Jacque and Annie several years ago, and, as I have already written in a blog, Jacque is a retired French chef. Jacque and Annie had them over to their home...and here are lovely pictures of them. They just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary!
Several of our friends have asked us what we were looking forward to when we came to France, and what we enjoyed most while in Provence. Bruce always felt he would enjoy the people that we met, but I had no idea that we would meet such wonderful folks! Our dear friends and neighbors from Newport Beach, Regina and Larry, graciously guided us, every step of the way in planning and executing our journey. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude for helping us to make our dream come true! They also introduced us to many of their friends, and to an organization called AVF. AVF is an association in France, for newcomers. We joined, and took the French class at their behest. How fun!
We met more wonderful people in our French class!
It seems when people are overseas, they are very open to meeting new people, and making friends with them! We were the beneficiaries of this attitude! After each French class, we would go for coffee, and just talk about who we are, where we are in our lives, our children, our latest experiences, and our dreams. Nice! Everyone shares!
Here is a great picture of Regina at her birthday party...and one of Larry at our friend Jacque's home!
Regina and Larry had introduced us to their lovely friends Jacque and Annie several years ago, and, as I have already written in a blog, Jacque is a retired French chef. Jacque and Annie had them over to their home...and here are lovely pictures of them. They just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary!
Louis, Bruce's Alsacian business friend for 20 years
We attended Louis' 75th birthday party, 3 years ago while we were here in France. I am still embarrassed to say that we considered not attending, because we were in the south of France, and Louis lives in Alsace, in a little town called Boofzheim. We had a ball! It was a 7 hour lunch, with people from all over Europe. We also met his lovely wife, Lillian, his lovely daughter and son-in-law, Clarise and Gilbert, and two friends of his from Denmark, Elsabeth and Martin.
Louis helped us to locate our nice apartment where we are staying in Schaffersheim. And, we have been fortunate enough to meet up with Louis again! Louis invited us to his home for dinner last week. His home is about 15 to 20 minutes from our town.
It was lovely! Their home is a newer home, and has all the amenities! There is a lovely home in a garden with a massive Blue weeping cedar tree, a beautiful pool, and a boules court. Elsabeth and Martin were there, as well, and Louis and Lillian's daughter, son-in-law, and Louis and Lillian's 16 year old grandson, came a bit later. When we arrived, we had a coffee, and began a boules tournament. (Like Bocci ball.) Bruce and Martin played against Louis, Elsabeth and me. What fun! The game is played with metal balls, about the size of your hand. Everyone gets to see how close they can get their ball to a smaller ball, about the size of a Jax ball. The game turns on a dime, and everyone can play! It is called Patanque in France, and is basically played by almost everyone in France, from what we can determine! Bruce and Martin won the tournament!
After our boules tournament, we had sparkling Alsatian wine with Creme de Cassis, and hors devours, outside next to the pool. From there, we moved over, under cover of a separate building where there was a huge fire place. And, amazingly, their 16 years old grandson, Benjamin, made us dinner in the outdoor, wood-fired oven!
Benjamin made us about 8 to 10 Wood-fired, Alsacian Tarts (similar to Pizza, but NOT pizza!). They are made with a very thin (almost crepe thin) crust, on which is spread a thin, very creamy white cheese, with thinly sliced onions, and lardon (little chunks of what we call Canadian Bacon.) They were delicious, and a real treat!!! Ahh...and I mustn't forget the beautiful Alsacian wine! Tres bon! For dessert, we had another tart....a tart with sliced apples, a hint of cinnamon, baked in the outdoor wood-fired oven, and a flambé of rum! Just fantastic!
Clarise had prepared everything, in advance, for Benjamin. Everyone helped!
Louis, Lillian, Clarise and Benjamin were fabulous hosts! We enjoyed every minute of their hospitality, friendship and camaraderie! We look forward to spending more time with them, and our friends Elsabeth and Martin, as well! PS...the farm tools on the wall, are Louis' grandfather's tools!
My Friend Lynn, and the Carrier Luminaires
My friend Lynn and I have been friends for over 35 years! We met at work at the company that is now, CIGNA. We have seen each other thru marriages, divorces, and children! And, as in long term friendships we know and love each others children and friends.....Still friends, after all these years! We are family! Lynn lives in the Hartford area, and she and I have always made an effort to keep up with each other, even though I moved to Phila., California, and at the Cape. We have done many things together, and made several trips together including Bermuda. And, Lynn has traveled all over the world on her own, and with other friends! So when I told her that we were going to be in France for a year, ...well, she's not the sort of girl to miss a good time, and fun, anywhere in the world, so her response was, I'll be there!
She arrived here in France, the day that Bruce flew home to the States for Todd's graduation. We had a week to get out and have fun, and we DID! We put over a thousand kilometers on the car! We went to many places across the south of France, that tourists often don't see (like our ancient path) and many places they do! The day after she arrived, we went to the big Marche in Uzes. We visited the lavender fields north of Aix, Ile sur la Sorgue - the town known for antiques, Chateauneuf-du-Pape for wine tasting, St. Remy for the Marche, Montpellier, and the (quarry) Carriere du Luminere.
In that the quarry was Lynn's favorite, I would like to share it with all of you! The carrier du Luminere is an old quarry, that now the backdrop for a fabulous multi-media art display.The theme is the (artist) Giants of the Renaissance" including DaVinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. To try to explain it to you is almost futile, in that it is so different! The quarry is dug into the large side of a mountain. It is about 3 stories high, inside, with large, 25 x 25 foot square, supporting blocks of bauxite. The show displays paintings and murals from the Renaissance on the walls, floors and ceiling with many cameras, and have set the display to fabulous classical music. The quarry goes back, into the mountain, and out to the sides, taking up at least 6 football fields, inside.
Here is a link to a video that Lynn's took. Be sure to turn up your sound. Click on this link, and the subsequent link that shows up. Enjoy!
Carriers du Limineres 2015
She arrived here in France, the day that Bruce flew home to the States for Todd's graduation. We had a week to get out and have fun, and we DID! We put over a thousand kilometers on the car! We went to many places across the south of France, that tourists often don't see (like our ancient path) and many places they do! The day after she arrived, we went to the big Marche in Uzes. We visited the lavender fields north of Aix, Ile sur la Sorgue - the town known for antiques, Chateauneuf-du-Pape for wine tasting, St. Remy for the Marche, Montpellier, and the (quarry) Carriere du Luminere.
In that the quarry was Lynn's favorite, I would like to share it with all of you! The carrier du Luminere is an old quarry, that now the backdrop for a fabulous multi-media art display.The theme is the (artist) Giants of the Renaissance" including DaVinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. To try to explain it to you is almost futile, in that it is so different! The quarry is dug into the large side of a mountain. It is about 3 stories high, inside, with large, 25 x 25 foot square, supporting blocks of bauxite. The show displays paintings and murals from the Renaissance on the walls, floors and ceiling with many cameras, and have set the display to fabulous classical music. The quarry goes back, into the mountain, and out to the sides, taking up at least 6 football fields, inside.
Here is a link to a video that Lynn's took. Be sure to turn up your sound. Click on this link, and the subsequent link that shows up. Enjoy!
Carriers du Limineres 2015
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