So the latest chapter in our adventure has come to a close. After nearly 3 years overseas, lots of traveling, and a whole bunch of language issues, we have both made it back to California.
What a great time we had. Even through the difficulties we encountered (and there were many), it was such a fantastic learning experience for both of us.
Thanks to all our readers for hanging in there with us, even during the less-than-enthusiastic postings.
Happy travels to you!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Last day of work
Today is my last day of work here at Amadeus. It's hard to believe it's been just over two years! I don't know where the time has gone...
I am very sad to leave all of the nice people I've met here, and there have been many. However, I'm also NOT sad to leave some of the not-so-nice ones I've met. But it's the same everywhere you go. There are all kinds of people.
The overall experience here has been very good. I really liked working with and meeting people from all over the world. And I was lucky that my department was pretty well-managed, which I can say is a bit unusual here based on what I've heard from friends who work in other departments.
But really, the overall atmosphere is still corporate, and that seems to be international in my experience. And in general, the people are the same anywhere you go.
I feel really blessed to have had the opportunity to work here because it has given me so many interesting experiences and allowed me to meet such great people.
I am very sad to leave all of the nice people I've met here, and there have been many. However, I'm also NOT sad to leave some of the not-so-nice ones I've met. But it's the same everywhere you go. There are all kinds of people.
The overall experience here has been very good. I really liked working with and meeting people from all over the world. And I was lucky that my department was pretty well-managed, which I can say is a bit unusual here based on what I've heard from friends who work in other departments.
But really, the overall atmosphere is still corporate, and that seems to be international in my experience. And in general, the people are the same anywhere you go.
I feel really blessed to have had the opportunity to work here because it has given me so many interesting experiences and allowed me to meet such great people.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Thanksgiving 2009
So here in France, Thanksgiving is just another work day. So there was no day off or long weekend for us. But, for the expat community, there are enough Americans floating around that you can normally find someone who is having a dinner.
I was invited by my friend from New Zealand (actually) to go to a dinner at her friend's house. The hostess was an American from the Sacramento area, of all places, and her mom had flown out for the week.
So there were 16 of us treated to a true Thanksgiving dinner, turkey and all the trimmings. I met some really nice people there and had a great time.
Then I proceeded to go home and make phone calls to family. Finally got to bed around midnight. That 9-hour time difference is a killer sometimes!
I was invited by my friend from New Zealand (actually) to go to a dinner at her friend's house. The hostess was an American from the Sacramento area, of all places, and her mom had flown out for the week.
So there were 16 of us treated to a true Thanksgiving dinner, turkey and all the trimmings. I met some really nice people there and had a great time.
Then I proceeded to go home and make phone calls to family. Finally got to bed around midnight. That 9-hour time difference is a killer sometimes!
Monday, November 30, 2009
A bientot, Paris...
I took a quick, 3-day solo journey to Paris from 11/23 to 11/25. I had seen an advertisement in an English-lnaguage newspaper for a Gregorian chant concert at Notre Dame on 11/24. And I thought, "Wow, that would really be an experience." Not to mention the fact that Paris is my favorite city in the world...
I got the camera out just in time to catch the boat!
So I got the time off of work (11/24 was a Tuesday) and took the train up Monday morning. It's just over 5 hours on the TGV and you end up right in the middle of Paris.
A view out the window of the TGV between Antibes and Cannes.
I found a great deal on a hotel in the Latin Quarter, the 4th arrondisement, which is an area I really like. The hotel was in a pedestrian area and there were lots of cheap restaurants and shops. The 4th is the district that contains the Sorbonne, so there are tons of students around and the area has a really relaxed, funky vibe.
After I dropped my bags in my room, which smelled quite smokey (more on that below), I went out for a stroll. I happened to see a flyer posted on a wall for a piano concert that night at a church that was less than a 5-minute walk from my hotel. So I decided to go to that after dinner. I took myself out for a nice meal at a restaurant just across from my hotel where I felt like the mystery woman having dinner alone. It was really interesting to hear the conversations going on around me (the tables at restaurants in France are normally very close together, so it's almost impossible not to eavesdrop).
After the concert, I went back to my room and had a quick chat with Kev on the phone. I had to close the window to try and sleep because the room was just on the street and it was a bit noisy. However, once the window was closed, the smoke smell in the room became overwhelming. I guess the person in the room before me was an extremely heavy smoker, because it was overpowering. And they must not have cleaned the room properly or something. So at 12:30, I put a sweater over my pajamas and threw on my cargo pants and went down to ask if I could change rooms! So they gave me a room just across the hall which ended up being twice the size of my original room, minus the smoke smell. It was really nice. (And the best part is that when I left, they didn't charge me any extra!!)
My new and improved room!
Tuesday, I went out around 10am and just walked around for hours. That's the best part about Paris...there is so much going on all the time and so much to see that you can walk for hours and not realize it. I poked my head into a couple of shops, had a great falafel lunch and even went back for a quick nap.
The tomb of St. Genevieve, patron saint of Paris.
Saint-Etienne du Mont, the church where the tomb is located.
After I picked up my concert ticket at Notre Dame.
The concert at Notre Dame was amazing. There were about 20 singers in all, but they only all sang together for the very last piece in the performance. During the show, it was sometimes 1 or 2 singers, sometimes 6. And the cathedral is always amazing.
At the end of the concert.
I was up early the next morning for my train at 10. After the cloudy skies the last 2 days, the sky was clear, so I decided to walk back to the train station rather than take the metro. (This was the first of the many times I've been in Paris where I *didn't* take the metro.) It only took about 1/2 an hour and the sunrise was incredible.
Wow!!!
A fantastic quick trip in all.
I got the camera out just in time to catch the boat!
So I got the time off of work (11/24 was a Tuesday) and took the train up Monday morning. It's just over 5 hours on the TGV and you end up right in the middle of Paris.
A view out the window of the TGV between Antibes and Cannes.
I found a great deal on a hotel in the Latin Quarter, the 4th arrondisement, which is an area I really like. The hotel was in a pedestrian area and there were lots of cheap restaurants and shops. The 4th is the district that contains the Sorbonne, so there are tons of students around and the area has a really relaxed, funky vibe.
After I dropped my bags in my room, which smelled quite smokey (more on that below), I went out for a stroll. I happened to see a flyer posted on a wall for a piano concert that night at a church that was less than a 5-minute walk from my hotel. So I decided to go to that after dinner. I took myself out for a nice meal at a restaurant just across from my hotel where I felt like the mystery woman having dinner alone. It was really interesting to hear the conversations going on around me (the tables at restaurants in France are normally very close together, so it's almost impossible not to eavesdrop).
After the concert, I went back to my room and had a quick chat with Kev on the phone. I had to close the window to try and sleep because the room was just on the street and it was a bit noisy. However, once the window was closed, the smoke smell in the room became overwhelming. I guess the person in the room before me was an extremely heavy smoker, because it was overpowering. And they must not have cleaned the room properly or something. So at 12:30, I put a sweater over my pajamas and threw on my cargo pants and went down to ask if I could change rooms! So they gave me a room just across the hall which ended up being twice the size of my original room, minus the smoke smell. It was really nice. (And the best part is that when I left, they didn't charge me any extra!!)
My new and improved room!
Tuesday, I went out around 10am and just walked around for hours. That's the best part about Paris...there is so much going on all the time and so much to see that you can walk for hours and not realize it. I poked my head into a couple of shops, had a great falafel lunch and even went back for a quick nap.
The tomb of St. Genevieve, patron saint of Paris.
Saint-Etienne du Mont, the church where the tomb is located.
After I picked up my concert ticket at Notre Dame.
The concert at Notre Dame was amazing. There were about 20 singers in all, but they only all sang together for the very last piece in the performance. During the show, it was sometimes 1 or 2 singers, sometimes 6. And the cathedral is always amazing.
At the end of the concert.
I was up early the next morning for my train at 10. After the cloudy skies the last 2 days, the sky was clear, so I decided to walk back to the train station rather than take the metro. (This was the first of the many times I've been in Paris where I *didn't* take the metro.) It only took about 1/2 an hour and the sunrise was incredible.
Wow!!!
A fantastic quick trip in all.
Friday, November 27, 2009
A day out on our day off...
November 11 here is a national holiday, Armistice Day (Veterans' Day in the US). We had the day off, so I made plans with my friend Sari to go out for a walk to the lighthouse on the Cap d'Antibes.
Le phare
We had gorgeous weather that day. Sunny with just a bit of a cool breeze blowing. It was really nice in the sun, but quite coolish in the shade.
She met me at my apartment in the old town and then we walked towards the Cap, stopping for a quick coffee on the way. The walk to the lighthouse is not too long, only 10 minutes or so from street level, but it's really nice. There is a church on the hill as well and the views are really nice.
A view towards Nice
A view towards Juan les Pins
Afterwards, we walked over to Juan les Pins and met one of Sari's friends for lunch on the beach. We had to wait about 35 minutes for a table, but it was worth it because the day was gorgeous and the food really good.
I was too lazy to take photos at lunch, so you'll have to take my word for it! :-)
Le phare
We had gorgeous weather that day. Sunny with just a bit of a cool breeze blowing. It was really nice in the sun, but quite coolish in the shade.
She met me at my apartment in the old town and then we walked towards the Cap, stopping for a quick coffee on the way. The walk to the lighthouse is not too long, only 10 minutes or so from street level, but it's really nice. There is a church on the hill as well and the views are really nice.
A view towards Nice
A view towards Juan les Pins
Afterwards, we walked over to Juan les Pins and met one of Sari's friends for lunch on the beach. We had to wait about 35 minutes for a table, but it was worth it because the day was gorgeous and the food really good.
I was too lazy to take photos at lunch, so you'll have to take my word for it! :-)
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Things I will NOT miss about France
More random thoughts:
- Dog poop. Everywhere.
- The coffee. It's too bitter and the cafe au lait is too watery.
- The way people drive. Absolutely insane. (although Italy is the worst...)
- Clothes shopping. The clothes are cut are for petite Gallic figures, not broad-shouldered Teutonic ones.
- Getting yelled at to "Just speak English!" when I'm trying really hard to speak French.
- The utter refusal of some people to cut you some slack when you are having difficulty speaking French.
- The unbelievable expense of going to a bar for a drink. At least down in the south here.
- Drunk yachties falling all over the place at said bars. (a particular phenomenon in this region)
- Those who still don't understand the concept of "deodorant" or "washing". Not as frequent as you'd think (considering the rep France has for this), but pretty bad when it does happen.
- Being looked up and down and sneered at by French women. Not all of them, mind, but enough where it gets annoying. I get it, I'm not a fashion plate, OK?
- Squat toilets.
- The way that people cannot seem to form a queue. It's a mad crush instead. Especially to get on a bus or train. You really have to stand your ground or you will be trampled.
- Not understanding enough of the language sometimes to know what the f*** is going on.
- The much-reduced sense of personal space. I'm getting more used to it, but it can be annoying when someone is RIGHT behind you.
- Most French pop music.
- The mountain of paperwork which is required to maintain your life here. Everything official has to be done by letter. And you have to keep copies of anything that you need to give someone else.
- Dog poop. Everywhere.
- The coffee. It's too bitter and the cafe au lait is too watery.
- The way people drive. Absolutely insane. (although Italy is the worst...)
- Clothes shopping. The clothes are cut are for petite Gallic figures, not broad-shouldered Teutonic ones.
- Getting yelled at to "Just speak English!" when I'm trying really hard to speak French.
- The utter refusal of some people to cut you some slack when you are having difficulty speaking French.
- The unbelievable expense of going to a bar for a drink. At least down in the south here.
- Drunk yachties falling all over the place at said bars. (a particular phenomenon in this region)
- Those who still don't understand the concept of "deodorant" or "washing". Not as frequent as you'd think (considering the rep France has for this), but pretty bad when it does happen.
- Being looked up and down and sneered at by French women. Not all of them, mind, but enough where it gets annoying. I get it, I'm not a fashion plate, OK?
- Squat toilets.
- The way that people cannot seem to form a queue. It's a mad crush instead. Especially to get on a bus or train. You really have to stand your ground or you will be trampled.
- Not understanding enough of the language sometimes to know what the f*** is going on.
- The much-reduced sense of personal space. I'm getting more used to it, but it can be annoying when someone is RIGHT behind you.
- Most French pop music.
- The mountain of paperwork which is required to maintain your life here. Everything official has to be done by letter. And you have to keep copies of anything that you need to give someone else.
Things I will miss about France
Just some random thoughts:
- My friends and all the nice people I've met.
- Fresh bread every day.
- French wine and cheese.
- The bisous. It seems weird, but it really is less intimate than a full-body hug. Plus, you get to kiss all the cute boys!
- The saying of "bonjour" and "au revoir" anytime you go into/out of a shop, get on the bus, etc. It makes you feel acknowledged and more civilized somehow.
- The amazing range of skin products available for sensitive skin like mine. And they are of excellent quality.
- The Marseille soap. It's so pure and awesome. And I can even use it on my sensitive skin.
- The way that two random strangers can get in a heated argument on the street and never come to blows.
- Really cool French fashion. Feminine without crossing the line into "working girl".
- The abundance of cute little, reliable, gas-sipping cars (if I wanted to buy one).
- Having the occasional glass of wine with lunch, on a proper one-hour-ish lunch break, and not being looked at like you're the devil.
- Leisurely meals where you can stay at the table as long as you want and no waiter rushing you out the door.
- Meals at the beach, picnic-style and restaurant.
- Hacking my way through the French language.
- French lingerie. Gorgeous.
- The little shops everywhere.
- Being able to stroll along the street and look at all the menus for restaurants before you choose one for your meal.
- The high-speed trains (TGV).
- The automated train lady's voice at the station that says, "Antibes. Ici, Antibes." whenever a train arrives.
- The healthcare system. At least based on my personal experiences, it works really well and is quite efficient.
- The old buildings, squares, etc. The building I'm living in now is probably at least 400 years old. Cool.
- Watching rugby with my friends.
- My friends and all the nice people I've met.
- Fresh bread every day.
- French wine and cheese.
- The bisous. It seems weird, but it really is less intimate than a full-body hug. Plus, you get to kiss all the cute boys!
- The saying of "bonjour" and "au revoir" anytime you go into/out of a shop, get on the bus, etc. It makes you feel acknowledged and more civilized somehow.
- The amazing range of skin products available for sensitive skin like mine. And they are of excellent quality.
- The Marseille soap. It's so pure and awesome. And I can even use it on my sensitive skin.
- The way that two random strangers can get in a heated argument on the street and never come to blows.
- Really cool French fashion. Feminine without crossing the line into "working girl".
- The abundance of cute little, reliable, gas-sipping cars (if I wanted to buy one).
- Having the occasional glass of wine with lunch, on a proper one-hour-ish lunch break, and not being looked at like you're the devil.
- Leisurely meals where you can stay at the table as long as you want and no waiter rushing you out the door.
- Meals at the beach, picnic-style and restaurant.
- Hacking my way through the French language.
- French lingerie. Gorgeous.
- The little shops everywhere.
- Being able to stroll along the street and look at all the menus for restaurants before you choose one for your meal.
- The high-speed trains (TGV).
- The automated train lady's voice at the station that says, "Antibes. Ici, Antibes." whenever a train arrives.
- The healthcare system. At least based on my personal experiences, it works really well and is quite efficient.
- The old buildings, squares, etc. The building I'm living in now is probably at least 400 years old. Cool.
- Watching rugby with my friends.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Catching up!
O, we have not forsaken you, loyal readers!
The last few weeks have been really crazy. We did our last trip before Kevin departed for the US to Italy (see previous post) and then had to get him out the door 4 days after we got back. There were lots of people to see and lots of things to get sorted out.
A final farewell with some friends at the Absinthe Bar
At the airport
Kevin got back fine. He's in the process of getting our household set back up while I finish my last few weeks of work here. I had to give a 3 months' notice period, so my last day is December 11. I will fly back to SFO on December 15.
So not only did we just get Kev out the door than I came down with a headcold that put a bit of a damper on my Hallowe'en weekend. Which was followed quickly by a bout of food poisoning that took me out of work for 3 days. Not good. But as of today, I feel in the 90th percentile. Yay.
The only really exciting event this weekend was going out for a bit this morning to watch the Nice to Cannes marathon. I managed to get outside in time to see the elite men's pack go by. (Damn, those guys were haulin'!) And then, despite the chilly temp, decided to stay out and cheer on a few thousand more. I was a one-woman clappin' machine, I tell ya. But it was worth the numb hands later because so many people looked me straight in the eye and said, "Merci" as they ran past. That was pretty cool. And I even saw the one woman I know who ran today.
The last few weeks have been really crazy. We did our last trip before Kevin departed for the US to Italy (see previous post) and then had to get him out the door 4 days after we got back. There were lots of people to see and lots of things to get sorted out.
A final farewell with some friends at the Absinthe Bar
At the airport
Kevin got back fine. He's in the process of getting our household set back up while I finish my last few weeks of work here. I had to give a 3 months' notice period, so my last day is December 11. I will fly back to SFO on December 15.
So not only did we just get Kev out the door than I came down with a headcold that put a bit of a damper on my Hallowe'en weekend. Which was followed quickly by a bout of food poisoning that took me out of work for 3 days. Not good. But as of today, I feel in the 90th percentile. Yay.
The only really exciting event this weekend was going out for a bit this morning to watch the Nice to Cannes marathon. I managed to get outside in time to see the elite men's pack go by. (Damn, those guys were haulin'!) And then, despite the chilly temp, decided to stay out and cheer on a few thousand more. I was a one-woman clappin' machine, I tell ya. But it was worth the numb hands later because so many people looked me straight in the eye and said, "Merci" as they ran past. That was pretty cool. And I even saw the one woman I know who ran today.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Last Dance - Italy
We went to Italy for a week and stayed in a town called Lucca (as in Little Lucca?), which is in the Tuscany region. It is a 4.5 hour drive from Antibes, about a half hour from Pisa. The old city center still has its walls, which have been turned into walking and bike paths and parks. It is a nice place. Really enjoyed it. It has a couple of pretty good museums, several good restaurants, and lots of shopping.
Outside the Lucca city walls
Nearby Roman aqueduct
Tuscan countryside
Villa Torrigiani - we did the tour, very cool
We did a few day trips using Lucca as our base. One day we took the train to Florence (Firenza in Italian). We were not ecstatic about Florence. Had heard quite a few good things about it, but maybe we just hit it on a bad day. It seemed drab a bit expensive to us. The cathedral is pretty spectacular, as are all the cathedrals that we have seen on our journeys. We went to a couple of museums which were pretty good. But Florence was just okay to us. Have a visit and decide for yourself though, don't let our review put you off.
The duomo in Florence
Brunelleschi's dome
Florence
One day we drove to Siena. Siena wasn't bad, liked it a bit more than Florence. Walked through the town, checked out the cathedral and its museums (there is a combined ticket for the cathedral, the two related museums , baptistry, and crypt for 10Euros, which we thought was a very good bargain). They do a horse race in the town, the Palio, twice a year, around the Piazza del Campo. They throw down some dirt, the riders race around, trying to knock the other riders off (there are apparently minimal rules). Looking at the plaza (it is not that big), trying to imagine 10+ horses going around it, it must be a mad race.
Il Campo at Siena
The duomo at Siena
Inside the duomo
We also drove around Lucca and checked out some Roman ruins. One of the things about Italy that we find a wee bit frustrating, other than the mad drivers, is that there are a lot of Roman ruins that have no information at the site. I guess the Italians are so used to them, it is like the Golden Gate Bridge or Golden Gate Park to us.
Our 10th wedding anniversary at the Roman ruins
Outside the Lucca city walls
Nearby Roman aqueduct
Tuscan countryside
Villa Torrigiani - we did the tour, very cool
We did a few day trips using Lucca as our base. One day we took the train to Florence (Firenza in Italian). We were not ecstatic about Florence. Had heard quite a few good things about it, but maybe we just hit it on a bad day. It seemed drab a bit expensive to us. The cathedral is pretty spectacular, as are all the cathedrals that we have seen on our journeys. We went to a couple of museums which were pretty good. But Florence was just okay to us. Have a visit and decide for yourself though, don't let our review put you off.
The duomo in Florence
Brunelleschi's dome
Florence
One day we drove to Siena. Siena wasn't bad, liked it a bit more than Florence. Walked through the town, checked out the cathedral and its museums (there is a combined ticket for the cathedral, the two related museums , baptistry, and crypt for 10Euros, which we thought was a very good bargain). They do a horse race in the town, the Palio, twice a year, around the Piazza del Campo. They throw down some dirt, the riders race around, trying to knock the other riders off (there are apparently minimal rules). Looking at the plaza (it is not that big), trying to imagine 10+ horses going around it, it must be a mad race.
Il Campo at Siena
The duomo at Siena
Inside the duomo
We also drove around Lucca and checked out some Roman ruins. One of the things about Italy that we find a wee bit frustrating, other than the mad drivers, is that there are a lot of Roman ruins that have no information at the site. I guess the Italians are so used to them, it is like the Golden Gate Bridge or Golden Gate Park to us.
Our 10th wedding anniversary at the Roman ruins
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Famous person sighting!!!
On the way back to the apartment after dinner just now...passed Pete Townshend from the Who on the street!!! Did a double-take and made eye contact with him...he knew that I knew "who" he was. Kevin discreetly followed him for a block and a half to confirm my observation...and it was definitely confirmed by Wikipedia and a photo from 2007 when we got home.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Good beer in the Loire Valley
Our last day in the Loire Valley, we were going to go wine tasting after visiting Chateau Cheverny. We headed back to Mosnes, because we had noticed several wineries in the area. Chaumont is a town next to Mosnes, on the same road (think Millbrae and San Bruno). And there, on that road in the Loire Valley, in Chaumont sur Loire, is the Brasserie du val de Loire, la fabrication d'une biere artisanale. A brew pub. A new brew pub that has only been open for a year.
We tasted a couple and bottle several bottle for consumption later (they are finished as of this posting) and they were very tasty. Finally, I found some good beer in France, but alas, it was a bit distant.
The place was run by two women (what?, what do women know about beer?) One of them had been making beer in her kitchen as a hobby for about 15 years. She had three small batches, each tank was only the size of a 50-gallon drum. This was a very new brewery. But the beer is good and cheap (well, compared to what we have become used to in Antibes, where a pint runs 5.50E to 6.50E).
So, if you find yourself in the Loire Valley, go to Chaumont sur Loire and visit the Brasserie du Val de Loire, right on the main street at 23 rue du marechal de Lattre de Tassigny, across from the church. Email at brasserieduValdeloire@hotmail.fr.
We tasted a couple and bottle several bottle for consumption later (they are finished as of this posting) and they were very tasty. Finally, I found some good beer in France, but alas, it was a bit distant.
The place was run by two women (what?, what do women know about beer?) One of them had been making beer in her kitchen as a hobby for about 15 years. She had three small batches, each tank was only the size of a 50-gallon drum. This was a very new brewery. But the beer is good and cheap (well, compared to what we have become used to in Antibes, where a pint runs 5.50E to 6.50E).
So, if you find yourself in the Loire Valley, go to Chaumont sur Loire and visit the Brasserie du Val de Loire, right on the main street at 23 rue du marechal de Lattre de Tassigny, across from the church. Email at brasserieduValdeloire@hotmail.fr.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
North of France
Our penultimate trip (for this go-round, at least!) was a week in the north of France. We flew to Paris Orly, picked up a rental car, and headed out.
We spent the first two days in Bayeux, where we saw the famous tapestry and several D-Day cemeteries. We paid a visit to Omaha Beach and the American cemetery there, although we both agreed that we liked the British cemetery in Bayeux the best. It was more personal since each headstone had a message from relatives on it. We even visited a German cemetery, just to cover everyone. We also drank lots of cider, since that region is known for it.
A street in Bayeux
The cathedral in Bayeux (see the US flag?)
The US cemetery at Omaha Beach
From there, we drove east to see the sight that is Mont St. Michel. It's quite spectacular, but the walkway up to the abbey is nothing but touristy junk shops and restaurants. Although the crowds thinned out a bit by the time we got into the tour of the abbey itself. We enjoyed a nice picnic lunch about 1/2 way up the mount in a park that overlooked the bay and the causeway from the mainland.
On the walkway leading down from the abbey
We had booked into a hotel just down the road and expected to stay in a grand manor home. But, turns out they put us in this hut thing. We were not happy. Maybe if we had expected to stay in it... But oh well.
The hut
Then it was a long drive to the Loire Valley. We stopped first at Fontevraud Abbey, the final resting place of King Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Richard I (Lionheart). It was a beautiful abbey and well kept.
The Plantagenets and their final resting place
The all-stone kitchen at the abbey
From there, we headed to our B&B in a town called Mosnes, just off the Loire river. It was a gorgeous B&B. The owners were super-nice, and our room was impeccable. Not too much going on in the town itself, but there was a hotel up the road that had a great restaurant where we ate twice.
We visted 3 of the main chateaux over the next couple of days: Chenonceau, Cheverny, and Chambord. Spectacular. I like Cheverny the best because it had fully-furnished interiors. :)
Chenonceau
Cheverny
Chambord
We even rented bikes for an hour at Chambord and had a quick ride around the grounds. Fun!
You really don't ever forget how!
My chateau is THIS BIG!
We also paid a brief visit to the city of Blois.
A church in Blois
Our final night we spent in Chartres. We had a fantastic room that was just a stone's throw away from the amazing cathedral. Chartres is a really nice town also.
At Chartres cathedral
This is how close the hotel was to the cathedral...
It was a really great trip. We decided that we are definitely more north of France type people than south of France. It's just too bloody hot in the south!
We spent the first two days in Bayeux, where we saw the famous tapestry and several D-Day cemeteries. We paid a visit to Omaha Beach and the American cemetery there, although we both agreed that we liked the British cemetery in Bayeux the best. It was more personal since each headstone had a message from relatives on it. We even visited a German cemetery, just to cover everyone. We also drank lots of cider, since that region is known for it.
A street in Bayeux
The cathedral in Bayeux (see the US flag?)
The US cemetery at Omaha Beach
From there, we drove east to see the sight that is Mont St. Michel. It's quite spectacular, but the walkway up to the abbey is nothing but touristy junk shops and restaurants. Although the crowds thinned out a bit by the time we got into the tour of the abbey itself. We enjoyed a nice picnic lunch about 1/2 way up the mount in a park that overlooked the bay and the causeway from the mainland.
On the walkway leading down from the abbey
We had booked into a hotel just down the road and expected to stay in a grand manor home. But, turns out they put us in this hut thing. We were not happy. Maybe if we had expected to stay in it... But oh well.
The hut
Then it was a long drive to the Loire Valley. We stopped first at Fontevraud Abbey, the final resting place of King Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Richard I (Lionheart). It was a beautiful abbey and well kept.
The Plantagenets and their final resting place
The all-stone kitchen at the abbey
From there, we headed to our B&B in a town called Mosnes, just off the Loire river. It was a gorgeous B&B. The owners were super-nice, and our room was impeccable. Not too much going on in the town itself, but there was a hotel up the road that had a great restaurant where we ate twice.
We visted 3 of the main chateaux over the next couple of days: Chenonceau, Cheverny, and Chambord. Spectacular. I like Cheverny the best because it had fully-furnished interiors. :)
Chenonceau
Cheverny
Chambord
We even rented bikes for an hour at Chambord and had a quick ride around the grounds. Fun!
You really don't ever forget how!
My chateau is THIS BIG!
We also paid a brief visit to the city of Blois.
A church in Blois
Our final night we spent in Chartres. We had a fantastic room that was just a stone's throw away from the amazing cathedral. Chartres is a really nice town also.
At Chartres cathedral
This is how close the hotel was to the cathedral...
It was a really great trip. We decided that we are definitely more north of France type people than south of France. It's just too bloody hot in the south!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The joys of moving
So we all know how moving can be such a pain in the posterior. Well, it's no different in any other country.
For example, here in France, it was recommended to us to send a registered letter to each of our utilities to let them know we were moving out of our flat. And the reason we were supposed to send them registered was so they couldn't come back later and say that we never notified them. So we did that for each of our 4 providers the first week of September: EDF (electricity), GDF (gas), France Telecom (land line), and Orange (Internet and phone).
On Tue, 9/22, I noticed on our router that the phone service light was not blinking, which means our internet phone (how we made all our phone calls) was not working. Now, at first, I didn't think anything of it because from time to time it would go down for a few hours and then come back. No biggie. But, by the next day, it didn't come back, and I thought, "Huh."
So then, Kevin got up on Thu morning to check something online and says to me, "We have no Internet." Instead of keeping our service on until 10/10, they cut it off on 9/21. Without telling us. This is the week before we were leaving for a week-long trip to the north of France (more on that to come...) and while we're trying to get the move sorted out.
So on Thursday, I called the bank and told them to put a block on any further automatic withdrawals for both Orange and FT. No service = no money.
And it gets better...
So after this whole episode, I had some of my very nice, French-speaking co-workers call EDF and GDF to ask how we're supposed to proceed with the move out. EDF says that we just take the reading on the meter on the final day and call them. They'll process the amount and 2 weeks later take it out of the account. Done.
But GDF says that we have to make an appointment for the guy to actually come and read the meter AND we actually have to be there:
KOD: OK, no problem, we're moving out on Sat the 10th.
GDF: We can't come on a Saturday. We can come the following Monday?
KOD: We won't be living there on the Monday, won't have the keys, and aren't coming back to the flat.
GDF: Well, we can come on the Thursday between 10 and 12.
KOD: Fine.
GDF: OK. Then we'll process the final bill and take the money out of the account in 2 weeks.
KOD: Great.
So fast forward to today, the day they show up. Kevin arranged to be at the flat and met the guy. Apparently, the guy wasn't just there to read the meter. He was there to shut it off completely. So Kev said, "Um, we're not leaving until Saturday and my wife steadfastly refuses to take cold showers." (Ok, so I'm summarizing.) So the guy says then we should call and get them to come back on Monday.
Kev then phones me to tell me what's going on and is supremely annoyed (aka: p'ed off as hell) that all of this is so silly and complicated.
Now, when we moved in, I'm 99.44% sure that we didn't have anyone come out to turn the gas on. It was just on, and when we moved in we took a reading from the meter. So, that's what we're going to do this time too. We'll take the reading from the meter when we move out on Saturday, call them with it, and voila. That's all she wrote.
Because they get a block at the bank at the end of the month anyway.
Mwah-hah-hah-hah!
For example, here in France, it was recommended to us to send a registered letter to each of our utilities to let them know we were moving out of our flat. And the reason we were supposed to send them registered was so they couldn't come back later and say that we never notified them. So we did that for each of our 4 providers the first week of September: EDF (electricity), GDF (gas), France Telecom (land line), and Orange (Internet and phone).
On Tue, 9/22, I noticed on our router that the phone service light was not blinking, which means our internet phone (how we made all our phone calls) was not working. Now, at first, I didn't think anything of it because from time to time it would go down for a few hours and then come back. No biggie. But, by the next day, it didn't come back, and I thought, "Huh."
So then, Kevin got up on Thu morning to check something online and says to me, "We have no Internet." Instead of keeping our service on until 10/10, they cut it off on 9/21. Without telling us. This is the week before we were leaving for a week-long trip to the north of France (more on that to come...) and while we're trying to get the move sorted out.
So on Thursday, I called the bank and told them to put a block on any further automatic withdrawals for both Orange and FT. No service = no money.
And it gets better...
So after this whole episode, I had some of my very nice, French-speaking co-workers call EDF and GDF to ask how we're supposed to proceed with the move out. EDF says that we just take the reading on the meter on the final day and call them. They'll process the amount and 2 weeks later take it out of the account. Done.
But GDF says that we have to make an appointment for the guy to actually come and read the meter AND we actually have to be there:
KOD: OK, no problem, we're moving out on Sat the 10th.
GDF: We can't come on a Saturday. We can come the following Monday?
KOD: We won't be living there on the Monday, won't have the keys, and aren't coming back to the flat.
GDF: Well, we can come on the Thursday between 10 and 12.
KOD: Fine.
GDF: OK. Then we'll process the final bill and take the money out of the account in 2 weeks.
KOD: Great.
So fast forward to today, the day they show up. Kevin arranged to be at the flat and met the guy. Apparently, the guy wasn't just there to read the meter. He was there to shut it off completely. So Kev said, "Um, we're not leaving until Saturday and my wife steadfastly refuses to take cold showers." (Ok, so I'm summarizing.) So the guy says then we should call and get them to come back on Monday.
Kev then phones me to tell me what's going on and is supremely annoyed (aka: p'ed off as hell) that all of this is so silly and complicated.
Now, when we moved in, I'm 99.44% sure that we didn't have anyone come out to turn the gas on. It was just on, and when we moved in we took a reading from the meter. So, that's what we're going to do this time too. We'll take the reading from the meter when we move out on Saturday, call them with it, and voila. That's all she wrote.
Because they get a block at the bank at the end of the month anyway.
Mwah-hah-hah-hah!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Some familiar faces pay a visit...
In the middle of September, we were lucky to have a visit from Dave and Dominique, our neighbors from around the corner in Pacifica. Dominique has family in the north of France, and they had come over to celebrate her mom's 80th birthday.
They were staying in Nice for a few days and took the train down to Antibes one afternoon. We had lunch and walked around Antibes for a couple of hours. A great visit and nice to see some folks from the homestead!
At the Antibes marina
They were staying in Nice for a few days and took the train down to Antibes one afternoon. We had lunch and walked around Antibes for a couple of hours. A great visit and nice to see some folks from the homestead!
At the Antibes marina
Kevin's meter of beer
This was Kev's birthday present (from way back at the beginning of June...yes, we're catching up...):
It was literally a crate 1 meter long with something like 18 different beers. We got it from a Belgian beer shop a couple of towns down the road.
This is one happy man!
(And he was nice enough to share a taste of each beer with me.)
It was literally a crate 1 meter long with something like 18 different beers. We got it from a Belgian beer shop a couple of towns down the road.
This is one happy man!
(And he was nice enough to share a taste of each beer with me.)
Update on the relocation
Yes, we're still here. It's been a crazy month trying to get ourselves sorted out with all the planning and details. We're finishing up this week the sorting and packing of our stuff from our current flat as we're moving out this Saturday, 10/10.
Our new place is a studio flat in the center of Old Antibes in a really old, cool building (pictures to follow once we move in). It's a holiday flat, meaning we pay one price that includes all utilities, TV, internet, linens, and full furnishings.
It's quite small, but we will only be there together for a couple of weeks. Kevin leaves for the US on 28 Oct. And the Saturday after we move in (17 Oct) we leave for Italy for a week. So it should be OK. Then I'll be there by myself until I leave in the middle of December.
We have been sending a few boxes to Kevin's parents via the post. We got a quote from a moving company to see how much it would be to have them ship our stuff, but the quote was much higher than we expected. Even though it's not cheap to send stuff through the post, it's cheaper than the moving company. Plus, they told us it would take up to 2.5 months for our stuff to get there. The boxes we've sent so far are averaging 5-6 days. Um, yeah.
So we'll keep you posted as we have more details. And we will be keeping up the blog for a while, at least until the end of the year. So stay tuned!
Our new place is a studio flat in the center of Old Antibes in a really old, cool building (pictures to follow once we move in). It's a holiday flat, meaning we pay one price that includes all utilities, TV, internet, linens, and full furnishings.
It's quite small, but we will only be there together for a couple of weeks. Kevin leaves for the US on 28 Oct. And the Saturday after we move in (17 Oct) we leave for Italy for a week. So it should be OK. Then I'll be there by myself until I leave in the middle of December.
We have been sending a few boxes to Kevin's parents via the post. We got a quote from a moving company to see how much it would be to have them ship our stuff, but the quote was much higher than we expected. Even though it's not cheap to send stuff through the post, it's cheaper than the moving company. Plus, they told us it would take up to 2.5 months for our stuff to get there. The boxes we've sent so far are averaging 5-6 days. Um, yeah.
So we'll keep you posted as we have more details. And we will be keeping up the blog for a while, at least until the end of the year. So stay tuned!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Repatriation
Yes, it's true, we're on our way back...
We received notice from our property manager in California that the renters in our house left without warning due to a family tragedy in their home country. Unfortunately, this was in the middle of their lease.
Because of the difficult rental market in the Bay Area, and the fact that it was quite an effort to find these renters, we decided not to rent the house out again. In addition, Kevin has been unable to find a good electrician's job since we moved to France nearly 2 years ago.
So we have decided to return to the US to sort everything out. Kevin will be returning on October 28 and I will follow on December 15. This will allow us to take the week's holiday to the north of France that we had already booked at the end of September and spend our 10-year (!) wedding anniversary together at the end of October.
It was a very difficult decision for us. We have enjoyed very much the time we've spent here. But given the circumstances and the significant distance, we feel that this is a situation we must manage from the US.
We'll keep updating the blog as we navigate the twisted maze of paperwork that is the 'leaving France' experience and so we can share these last few travels we'll be able to take before we return.
A bientot!
p.s. You'll have to forgive us this new vocabulary we've acquired: a mixture of American English, British English, and French.
We received notice from our property manager in California that the renters in our house left without warning due to a family tragedy in their home country. Unfortunately, this was in the middle of their lease.
Because of the difficult rental market in the Bay Area, and the fact that it was quite an effort to find these renters, we decided not to rent the house out again. In addition, Kevin has been unable to find a good electrician's job since we moved to France nearly 2 years ago.
So we have decided to return to the US to sort everything out. Kevin will be returning on October 28 and I will follow on December 15. This will allow us to take the week's holiday to the north of France that we had already booked at the end of September and spend our 10-year (!) wedding anniversary together at the end of October.
It was a very difficult decision for us. We have enjoyed very much the time we've spent here. But given the circumstances and the significant distance, we feel that this is a situation we must manage from the US.
We'll keep updating the blog as we navigate the twisted maze of paperwork that is the 'leaving France' experience and so we can share these last few travels we'll be able to take before we return.
A bientot!
p.s. You'll have to forgive us this new vocabulary we've acquired: a mixture of American English, British English, and French.
Santa Margherita and Portofino, Italy
My friend Osi had her thirty-faux birthday on 2 September. This being a Wednesday, we all took the day off and went to Italy. We hadn't told Osi where we were going and somehow managed to keep it a secret during the 3-hour car trip.
Our destination was a town called Santa Margherita, on the 'Italian Riviera'. It's a cute, colorful old town that is popular for fishing and diving. We parked the car and walked around the town for a while, browsing in some of the shops and taking lots of photos of the marina.
The girls
Santa Margherita
We ended up having lunch in a little pizza place that was right on the square. Our waiter was this really sweet man called Alberto. Of course, he turned on the Italian charm for a table of 5 very silly women. It was such a fun lunch and the food was great.
Lunching
Avec Alberto
After lunch, we took a ferry to Portofino, a very small town about 10 minutes away. It's extremely picturesque, but there's not too much there except a few cafes and a whole bunch of extremely overpriced shops.
The birthday girl on the ferry
Portofino
As we were having a gelato and waiting for the ferry to take us back to Santa Margherita, this huge yacht pulled into the marina. We were hoping that someone in our group had secretly arranged this for our transport back to Antibes, but sadly, no.
Not our ride...darn!
We ended the day in a perfume/makeup shop in Santa Margherita on our way back to the car, where we tried on various lip glosses and other cosmetic items. Very girly.
A very fun day.
Our destination was a town called Santa Margherita, on the 'Italian Riviera'. It's a cute, colorful old town that is popular for fishing and diving. We parked the car and walked around the town for a while, browsing in some of the shops and taking lots of photos of the marina.
The girls
Santa Margherita
We ended up having lunch in a little pizza place that was right on the square. Our waiter was this really sweet man called Alberto. Of course, he turned on the Italian charm for a table of 5 very silly women. It was such a fun lunch and the food was great.
Lunching
Avec Alberto
After lunch, we took a ferry to Portofino, a very small town about 10 minutes away. It's extremely picturesque, but there's not too much there except a few cafes and a whole bunch of extremely overpriced shops.
The birthday girl on the ferry
Portofino
As we were having a gelato and waiting for the ferry to take us back to Santa Margherita, this huge yacht pulled into the marina. We were hoping that someone in our group had secretly arranged this for our transport back to Antibes, but sadly, no.
Not our ride...darn!
We ended the day in a perfume/makeup shop in Santa Margherita on our way back to the car, where we tried on various lip glosses and other cosmetic items. Very girly.
A very fun day.
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