Back in the USA

I thought I send this out to any of you that might still be following I have a new blog on my Fresh Off the Couch book website www.freshoffthecouch.com and here is a direct link http://freshoffthecouch.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=2cpn25aazrygr

It's not Frants but it should be fun!

Odds and Ends

Or everything ends well that ends oddly.

Due to internet restrictions (like in not existing in places) I never got to share many of the wonderful twists and turns of our vacation adventure so buckle your seat belts or get some caffeine I can't tell what you will need to get through this.

First of all when we went to pick up the rental car they didn't have the dinky model we had booked and instead we got a nice size Puegot that was automatic (not that common in Europe apparently) and it had a built in GPS. We had a our GPS with us although our confidence in it's abilities has been shaken thoroughly. Now we had dueling GPS. Yes, cue the banjo music. The car one had a nice English accent and ours apparently hails from Detroit constantly "Recalculating" in a some what miffed tone of voice. At any moment I expected it to break down and say, "No the OTHER right! Ding Bat!" Add to this that Billy and I are both oldest children and were armed with three maps, and two guide books. Oh did I mention that we both have iTouches with downloaded maps?

That's right, "Bring It GPS" and you better be right!! So where we might have been playing highway games like "Slug Bug" (if you don't know this one don't get started). We instead had a running dialog with the GPS units, albeit somewhat one sided since even though you can make them talk they definitely stick to their "talking points". Most of the time they agreed....with each other....not necessarily with us. It did add some interest at times and coming into to a large town and trying to get through it or around it they were definitely helpful. At one time our GPS went missing for a day (we found it hiding behind a box on a table how did it get there??) and we were down to the English lady pleasantly telling us to take a "Half Right" turns here and there. Not bothering to chide us when she had to "Recalculate" and I have to say I missed the uptight one just a little.

Up at the top is a picture I took on the Costa do Morte (Galician for Death Coast) hopefully you can see that it shows Leslie Howard (yes the star of Pygmalion, non singing version of My Fair Lady). It turns out that about a year before D-Day he went on a secret mission to Spain to get them to agreed to not enter WWII on Germany's side he was shot down on his return on the coast by a German war plane. Who knows maybe he accomplished his mission because Spain never entered the war.

Now last but well, OK probably least...you get my observations on bed pillows and bidets.

First the bidets we never saw one in France but in Spain every place we stayed including the Casa Ruals had bidets in the bathrooms. They are very useful and particularly handy if you are doing a bit of laundry!

Beds pillows are a separate topic and know some of you just sighed in relief....didn't you? Growing up in the ole US of A I thought I knew what a bed pillow should be, a nice puffy rectangle. In France they are square puffy bits, and in Spain they are long tube like affairs meant to go directly across the bed to be shared by all or in our case both. I am not sure what it means except that I noticed IKEA in all three places so one thing it means it that they have to make at least three different pillow shapes.

We are finishing up here, one more tasty French meal and we catch the night train to Paris hopefully getting back to Seattle by 10 pm Sat. It has been amazing trip and fun writing this blog thanks for reading! Cris

PS We only have about 3,000 pictures to show YOU. Just giving you a heads up ;-)

Got Storks?

We are back in Toulouse so I thought I'd update my Blog! While we were in Spain I did not have great internet access and in the the little town called Covarrubius we were high and dry web wise. Of course that was when we discovered that our bank had decided to protect our money ....from us! At one point desperate for web connection we went to the town library, very coolly located in the tower keep, where the lady running the place kicked the local boys off one of the computers so that we could activate family members to plead with the bank for us.

This picture was taken from our bedroom window that looked out on a little church built in the 11th century. Much to our surprise there was a family of storks looking down on us. Stork nests on top of churches seems to be pretty common in Spain we saw a couple of them.

We spent two nights in this little Medieval town, 40 Km outside of the big city of Burgos in Castle Spain. We came from A Coruna where you hear the constant cries of the seagulls and the pounding night life and it was really nice to have piece and quiet. The hotel we stayed in was family run although we only met one person of the family because the rest were on vacation! Each room was named for a historical figure and we stayed in the one called Atanagildo, who was the first Visigoth King of Spain to die of old age!

Every afternoon at about 5:30 pm all the residents of the town meet at one of the two local bars (including the one at our hotel) and drink and play cards for a couple of hours until dinner. The days are hot but it has relatively high elevation so the evenings cool off quickly.

Since the town really is old they don't have to go all "Ye Olde" to attract tourists and most of the tourists are Spanish. We went on a 14 Km walk that they have outlined in the tourist center and had a great time walking through cherry fields and to another town and back. At the end of our hike we put on our bathing suits and cooled off in the river. The people in the town have piled rocks in the river creating a small dam which in turns creates a lake for swimming and it was a perfect way to cool off.

So that we would be ready for lunch at 2 pm. Yes, you read that correctly. Even in the small towns the bars don't open until 6 pm and dinner before 10 pm is considered eating early. On the up side it does give you time to down a couple pitchers of Sangria and take a nap before dinner ;-) !

Ah.....A Coruna!

No one parties like the Spanish!! Even the Spanish seagulls keep late hours and you can see them and hear them wheeling through the sky lit by the city as late as 12 pm.

After that who knows what they are doing because that is when the night life really picks up. Of course we eat at the early bird special hour of 9:30 or 10 pm. ;-)

A Coruna is beautifully situated at the middle of an istmus that creates a harbor on one side and a beach on the other. At the end is the old city where every thing is cobbled there are no cars and some of the old walls for defence still exist.

Today we went to the Archiology museum which is housed in a old fort. They had exhibits of inhabitants from 1000 years before the Romans. These people were Celts and Galicia is still Celtic. (After all, given the weather who else would what to settle here!) Then we had an early lunch at 1:30pm and decided to enjoy another aspect of Spanish culture the Siesta! Eat then nap, it just seems like the right thing to do.

The eating here is all about the seafood, specially the octopus. Every restaurant has octopus and squid on the menu. I of course am pro octopus in the way that octopus would approve of....I don't eat them, but there is plenty of other food and the local beer is fantastic and very affordable.

The weather here has been fantastic! Warm but not HOT and we have been swimming at a local beach just two blocks away every day. The water is still on the cold side, 64 F, but it is clear and blue. We plan to spend one more day here on the coast then we are headed to the interior for 2 days then back to France!

Even though this city is off the beaten track it is a wonderful place to vacation. Museums, aquarium, and miles of great Tapas bars, just remember to bring ear plugs if you plan to sleep before 3 am!

Picos de Europa!

Here is a picture of the Parador at Fuente De(Spain's national hotel chain) you can see the Picos directly behind and those black lines in the sky go to a cable car that we took to the ridge that you see behind the Parador.

When we got here we arrived under cover of gray sky and fog it was impossible to see the ring of peaks that surrounded us. Cool and gray
it looked like polar fleece time.

However this morning dawned clear and cold with blue sky and sunshine and we jumped at the chance to ride the teleferico (box hung on a cable) to the top for a ramble at 2000 meters. We walked the 6 mile round trip and saw the high alpine region complete with cows (with bells), sheep, and horses. No unruly alpine meadows here! Every edible plant was closely clip to the ground making a very even cover for the hills and valleys.

The Parador is wonderful. Great room with a great view!

Foiled By Fiesta!!

San Vicente del la Barquera, Spain is a beautiful Atlantic coast town set along the rolling green foot hills of the Picos de Europa. Our hotel is situlated along the edge of the harbor with views looking out to the Castle on the hill across the estuary. Directly below the hotel.... was what looked like a small carnival,"Oh look", I said " we are so lucky we are here for the Fiestas de Ntra. Sra del Carman!"

It is small fiesta, just a few rides for the children and a couple of
stalls. But the highlights are giant grills set up to cook thousands of freshly caught sardines and two stages with live music!
For a small town the line for sardines at 10:30 pm, was impressive.
7€ got you a baguette stuffed to the gills (literally) with grilled
sardines plus a generous supply of the local wine from wooden casts set out for self service.

The music was loud and and varied from folk to Tejano, so cool, so
colorful and did I mention loud? When we got back to the hotel we
asked a few questions and guess what the music lasts until 3 am!!

Back in the room I tried ear plugs and head phones but to no avail
while Billy dosed off like he was listening to lullabies!

Lucky me it is a two night fiesta! I wonder what the Spanish word for
"sleeping pills" is???

Leaving "TheBig Easy Bake" (Oven)

Here is an example of what Toulouse is made of. In fact it's historical nickname is "la Ville la Rose" because the city glows red from all the brick work.

My new nickname for it is, "The Big Easy Bake" because when it gets hot it stays hot which probably expalins why the town is beginning to empty out. The French are almost religious about taking their vacations. It is quite normal to find everyone gone for the month of August but in Toulouse I think folks like to get a head start. Already in the main market many of the stalls were shuttered for the next month or so.

These last 3 weeks have been great! Summer full on and if it is hot in Seattle when I get back then I will have had some nice heat training! However it wasn't particularly interesting. I mean how many stories can one endure were the heroine is blissfully stuffing French vocabulary into English sentence structure?

The upside is that I can now conduct myself with the barest minimum of words and people will blather on in French to me (some of which I understand) and I can pass with the appropriate facial expressions and a well place word or two. However it if gets to a word or three or four that is when the wheels come off the bus ;-) I will confess that it is weird "pour ma" to be "that quiet girl" who doesn't talk.

Oh, some of you out there, I know, are saying, "I hope it lasts! I hope it lasts!" All I can say is I wouldn't count on it.

Our next act will be to follow the exodus and act French and go on vacation! Well technically Billy is going on vacation and I guess I am just staying on vacation. We are going to Galicia, Spain. Vacation destination from Toulouse (at least for pilgrims) for almost 2,000 years and now the home of that famous coqillage wearing Saint James!

We are going to try something new this time. We are going to rent a car BUT not spend the whole time driving like pilgrims on crack! In fact we already have hotel reservations and are going to have a base in a couple places to explore from.

Then it is back to Toulouse for one night then the night train to Paris, metro to CDG airport, catch our flight and hopefully I'll be chatting up the checkout people at QFC by 10 pm July 31st!

In the meantime if I have an internet connection I will up date both the blog and FB. For now I'm off to practice mangling the Spanish language! I guess I will start with "Habla usted Ingles?" Or if desperate, "How about that World Cup?!?"

Evidence That Space Aliens really did visit the Earth or at Least France

Oops getting behind in my Blog! Ever since the weather the weather improved I have been out doors or at the "Sales". By sales I mean that all the stores in France have sales for the next two weeks. I don't know the reason but I am guessing it is to prepare for the upcoming vacation season. The lab that Billy is working at actually closes for the month of August!

Now back to the Blog!

This is the Cathedral in Abli, France and the picture is for real. This huge structure was started in the 1200 hundreds, I am guessing right after the Mother Ship left, and the inside was finished in the 18th century.

The residences of this city are called Albigensians which might sound familiar to those that know about the Cathars. Even though this town went with the Catholics on this one, the war was often referred to as the Albigensian War.

Inside the Cathedral the interior is nothing like the outside. The inside is completely painted in beautiful and colorful designs and frescoes. Plus it sports the most intrinsically carved Rood Screen I have seen and by now I have seen quite a few! It also houses an immense Organ that dates from the 16th century and has been carefully preserved and improved over the years. This one spans the entire with of the church and even if it didn't work would be impress.

I know what you are thinking and I guess it is true, size does count! ;-)

Putting Things In Perspective...

Here is a photo of a Christ figure represented in Stone in the crypt of St. Sernin. It is called "Christ In Majesty" (by Bernard Gilduin in the 12th century)

St. Sernin was the martyr Saturnin, first Bishop of Toulouse who lived in the 3rd Century and was said to be a second tier apostle. A sort of 2 degrees away from the main man, Jesus the Christ. Toulouse was still a Roman city when he showed up and in 250 he died after being dragged to death by a sacrificial bull. The spot where his remains were buried became the Norte Dame de Taur (Our Lady Of Bull and no I don't think it means that!) Eventually he was dug up and moved to the Big House were he remains or where his remains remain !

The reason there was such a big house built was two fold. First it was dedicated to St. Sernin but second it was a major stopping place on the way to St Jacques-de-Compstelle, Spain. That's right Saint James who was a first tier disciple sent to Spain to spread the good word. Via Toulouse is the most Southern Route for this Pilgrimage and in 1998 was added to UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.

However long before that, 1070 AD in fact, the local canons recognized that they had a good thing going and that as long as thousands of people were going to come through your town you should make worth everyone's time! This led to the church being built with a Crypt and an Ambulatory were pilgrims could also take a tour of the relics known as the "Tour of the Holy Bodies" which of course I took and leads me back to the title.

The stone figure of Christ is smooth from the touch of people for almost 900 years. The stone steps are worn from the feet of a millennium of pilgrims, the original altar from 1027 still stands and it just makes you think...

Sun In Toulouse!!!!!

Here is a shot of the Merry Go Round in Place Wilson. If you are thinking that that does not sound like a very French name you would be correct! It is a very nice "Place" that was built in the 18th century. It has a fountain and some grass and many benches, plus the carousel.

After WWI it was rename after President Wilson because he got the US into WWI and the French really appreciated that. Until I visited Toulouse I didn't even know that his first name was Thomas but there it is on the street sign.

I have noticed that every time the weather is halfway nice that the little parks and the park benches fill up with people and they are not tourists. Today I think I realized why. This is a city of bricks, literally most of the open space is even cobbled over. The green space is one thing I really miss about home. There are very few places with grass and trees. I guess back in the 10th century when space was being taken up having green spaces just weren't a priority!

My French continues to improve but I have entered a new phase. I now sound like a poorly dubbed movie. Something happens my lips start to move and after a lag the words eventually come out. I seem to spend a fair amount of time saying things to places where people were standing.

Can you say? Poubelle!

It is pronounced "Pooh Bell" and it means garbage. Toulouse has a very active street cleaning/garbage collection work force. (They even wash the streets and side walks!)


In fact I can remember when nothing was recycled and the garbage men use to come up to the side of your house to get the can.
Over the years the municipality of Seattle has trained me and now I am so use to recycling everything that it took me a while to get use the system in Toulouse.


The picture shows the "recycle bins" which you find on, what appears to me to be, random street corners. You can recycle most packaging and glass but not plastic bags or food waste.

This is OK for me because I have a fair amount of time I can devote to activities like collecting and strolling with my recyclables. The people we rent from aren't convinced that it isn't just being collected and dumped with the rest of the trash, but even if it is true they think it is a great way to start the process and get people thinking.

Several times a week a big truck with a crane comes by and lifts the container by that thing on top. Once it is over the truck bed the bottom opens and they shake the stuff out.

It still freaks me out to put melon rinds and coffee grounds in the trash. On the other hand I don't have to take them for walks either!

I Thought it was ,"Three Coins In the Fountain" !!!!

I guess one "cone" will have to do and I bet you can guess what I am wishing for when you see that the background is NOT sunny and bright!

Although the weather has been way off par we had some nice adventures this weekend.

We did our usual market shopping where we try to single handily raise the French GNP. It is hard not to spend when everything looks so good and is fresh or at least looks that way!

Then we went to visit the Tintin store which they pronounce "Tonton" it was amazing, the details of things that they had there. Life size statues, shirts, coffee cups, everything you can imagine. Then since it was raining we decided to see one of Toulouse's many museums.
On our way we ran smack into the Toulouse Gay Pride parade! Which went a long way to explaining the 7 foot Drag Queens we had seen walking the streets earlier. They were loud, they were Proud and they had the use of the Petit Train that normally carts tourists around town!

Naturally we had to follow the parade around for an hour or so. Then it was off to the Paul Dupry Museum. This museum houses many artifacts, clocks, dishes, and an entire apothecary from the 13th to 17th centuries. The most amazing thing for me was an incredible Astrolabe from Morocco. The intricate metal work and delicate curves predicted the movements of the planets and stars and gave time related to these movements. It is hard to imagine the decisions and destinations that were made using this instrument that now sits in a protected glass box.

So home to feast on Lamb "Sweetbreads" (has nothing to do with bread) and by that I mean pick out the mushrooms. Really if I wasn't such a whus I'd just eat it, the sauce was delicious, wine, garlic, cream...I bet you could eat just about anything that way. Anyway rain forced me to seek indoor fun and it was off to see the "A-Team". Ridiculous? Cartoony? Yes to all off the above but also entertaining so I give it three Raindrops. If it is not raining GO OUTSIDE ;-)

Today the sun did appear occasionally but it was COLD. My Parisian scarves are becoming way too useful. We took a ride out to the airport to see if we could locate the Airbus Tourist offices. Locating Airbus is a little like locating Boeing or Microsoft. We never did find the right place but we have a couple weeks so we are not worried.

Tomorrow we are hoping for sun and warm-not blistering heat but warmth no scarf required warmth!

Three Guesses....

What do you think?

1. Evolution of the Armadillo now disguising itself as an Easter bonnet?

2. Sturdy all weather outdoor party cake?

3. Ceramic cemetery flower arrangement?

Well the crosses in the background give it away but this is a picture I took in the Cemetery in Toulouse. I don't know why but they bury people above ground.The structures run from what looks like a set of marble Ikea drawers with a family name on the outside to huge elaborate structures. Some of the mausoleums (especially those made of concrete) have weathered away to the point that you can not read the names and they are falling apart.

One of the take aways for me from this trip to France is; if your intention is to be remembered for eons get someone to carve your likeness in marble and if you are going for the outdoors mausoleum opt for something in the rock family. Avoid accessorizing with metals (unless you can afford gold, which goes with anything) especially iron.

Another thing I learned is make sure you have a map of the cemetery if you plan to visit a giant above ground cemetery because it is a lot like a maze. Fortunately I did have a map (all that orienteering finally paid off in something other than donuts ;-) but many of the exits were locked and I was forced to consider how I would explain climbing over the fence! Luckily I found the main entrance and they hadn't locked it yet.

Fancy Pants! Fashion Alert!!!

"Can't Touch This" MC Hammer Watch Out!

Take a look at these pants or whatever they are called.

I have seen this style in many different kinds of materials and it combines the awkwardness of sagging with the niceness of having a waistband at your waist!

I'm not even tempted to get some even though it is clear that there is enough fabric in this one item of clothing to allow you to "McGiver" a pup tent if you needed one. They are also worn by men and today I saw a couple with matching pants stride arm and arm across a bridge. You can probably tell by my snide remarks that I think this is a ridiculous fashion statement but here's the thing. My ability to "pick 'em" is notoriously poor. Once I saw a couple in Italy wearing what to me looked exactly like they had forgotten to turn in their bowling shoes, the next thing I knew the style was all over the place.

Consider this your fashion "Heads Up" and you tell me! Next craze or NOT?

Meanwhile Don't Want to Touch This!

OK, Who Did the Rain Dance????

Here is a picture of Billy all suited up and ready for a bike commute in Toulouse on June 14, 2010! You can see how the bike folds up and can be carried with one hand and this includes fenders and a rack. He is really happy that he got fenders because they have been so useful!

My plan were to go help my friend in her garden but rain cancels that. Toulousians aren't use to just going out and doing whatever it was you had planned come rain or shine. They are a more "lets wait until it stops" kind of mentality.

So I decided to join them and go out to see a cheap movie at Noon. Today the local version of the "Crest" was showing the old Clarke Gable & Claudette Cobert movie directed by Frank Capra originally titled, "Anything Can Happen" but titled for the French as Miami/New York. Not sure why but I do know that some titles just do not translate. For instance the new movie "Date Night" is titled "Crazy Night" here.
They showed the movie in English with French subtitles so I got to study French too. It was charming and entertaining, they were both very good actors. If you haven't seen this movie I recommend it and much to my surprise it had a remote Toulouse connection! The entire song, "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze"is sung as part of one scene, all three verses! I'm sure Jules Leotard was pleased ;-)

Just looked out the window, still raining, which makes me think that if the climate scientists really want to frighten people they should emphasis just how dreary day after day of light rain can be.

The cataclysmic changes are too exciting! But the steady gray sky? That really ought to get people thinking!

Storm's a Brewing in Toulouse

As you can see the weather has been quite variable. This photo shows the top of the tower next to the Capitole and the incoming rain clouds.

Toulouse has a very interesting history that has been recorded since just before the Romans showed up. In this spot along the Garonne River people have lived and worked for at least 2600 years and there is a historical record. For people who grow up here the past is not some cherished "old country" it is in the streets and squares that surround them each day of their lives. This is a hard concept for some one like myself to really grasp being a child of the "West Coast" were old is less than 200 years.

Today we visited the Musee du Vieux-Toulouse ( Museum of OLD Toulouse) and a "Pharmacie" (Pharmacy :-).

I have been working on keeping my head cold from migrating to my chest so I wanted some guaifenesin to keep things moving and we stopped in the local "pharmacie" to get some. They didn't have it but the guy at the counter had the "right thing" for me. So for about $4 US I waltzed off with what turns out to be the "non addicting" form of codeine! I think I know why they think it is not addicting. In order to be addicting you would have to be conscious!!! I took a dose then took a little 3 hour nap! When I was in my early twenties I was out of the country for 7 months and I don't remember missing the OTC section of QFC quite this much. It must be an age thing to see Claritin NON-Drowsy as a essential travel buddy!

The museum was interesting, it focused on the history of Toulouse and it's development as a French city. Housed in the hotel Dumay which was built in the 16th century it has many paintings and artifacts. Here is a surprising one.

Toulouse is the home of the inventor of the leotard! Jules Leotard, who was made famous by the song the "Daring Young man on the Flying Trapeze", invented the one piece garment to keep the legs free and the rest of the body covered. In the museum they have a model of his gymnasium which shows how he developed and practiced his many feats of daring do! And now I'm sure that having read this you will be happily reviewing your memories of just how that song goes possibly for the next 24 hours! I have a solution. See if you can get your hands on some of this cough syrup. ;-)

Je suis malade!

I got sick, it was only a little sinus flare up. Which normally I just take a mild decongestant for and battle it out for a few days. But this time I decided I'm going to use Billy's time honored "rest cure" and just to be safe a decongestant which here means Actifed. (Turns out that the non-drowsy kind of Claritin that I use in the States is only by prescription here.)

Ever since I have known Billy he has always just climbed in bed and stayed there for 24 hours whenever he feels something coming on and it has a 99% track record for leaving him good to go the next day. My problem is that there is always something I just HAVE to do so unless I am REALLY sick I can't take the time off. Not this time and the weather was perfect for sleeping, rainy, gray and on the cool side.

And guess what it works!!! In fact until I realized that the Actifed was making me drowsy I almost spent two days prone! However I noticed at some point this morning that my throat didn't hurt anymore and so I got up and went to Tai Chi! I love Tai Chi even though it is all in French. I understand most of what is being said and I know this because a very nice woman, named Nancy, occasionally translates for me and most of the time I'm not surprised. I understand a lot more than I can say and I guess that is better than the reverse.

The weather here is doing the best impression of Seattle that it can muster. Occasionally it will get overwhelmed by the natural season and the sky will be blue and it gets warm, 80 degrees or so. When that happens all the streets sprout tables and awnings and the whole city seems to go out for coffee at the same time. It's like the mushrooms in the fall one day there are none the next day they are everywhere. I feel sorry for the cafe owners this variation in weather has got to be cutting into their business.

I hope to have more to report soon but between the weather and the Actifed......it could take a few days.

Coquelle St. Jacque Anyone?

Yesterday we went to see the Musee d'Histoire de la Medecine de Toulouse and this is a picture of the giant scallop shell that sits smack in front in the garden.

Again, old building a 16th century hospital run by the Sisters of Charity for the poor. These gals were very much inspired by St. Vincent de Paul although it does not explain their choice of wimples (nun hat). They wore an elaborate "Flying Nun" affair which had to be quite the cloth starching/craft job. The hospital was de-churched by the French Revolution and only taken back briefly before being taken over and run by non-Church people until the late 20th century . Currently it is a museum and administrative offices related to health care.

The exhibits were very interesting. They have preserved the original Pharmacy which is wall to ceiling of small wooden drawers that have names like "Belladonna" on them. Giant mortar and pestals sit on the old marble lab tables for the mixing and preparing of medicines. The also had a real human skeleton (a young woman no name) and many fascinating collections of doctoring equipment.

Back to the carved representation of shellfish, why does that mollusk keep showing up? Here is what I found out. Somewhere along the line St. Jame's symbol became the scallop. I don't know why. Since medieval times Christians have been making a pilgrimage (currently a fabled 500 mile stroll) in his honor to Spain to see his shrine at Santiago de Compostela and back in the day along they way they wore a scallop shell to show that they were on a pilgrimage. Before the St. James business the scallop shell was seen by pagans as a symbol of fertility. Look closely and it is often in pictures of Venus ie "The Birth of Venus".

I don't know what this means (Maybe the guy St. James, you know before he was a Saint, wasn't much of a saint wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more ;-) but it does go to show that people love a good symbol and if one reason gets stomped out well give it a new reason. No need to get rid of all your great shells.

It still doesn't explain why there is a giant scallop shell in front of a hospital......run by Nuns!

Les Mouchoirs!

Here is a picture of one of the bedrooms with the newly washed handkerchiefs (aka mouchoirs) just hanging out. No dryer in Chez Kessler so on wash day things always look a little festive. That is if there was a Festival of Drying Laundry which I haven't checked yet but may actually be a French National Holiday ;-)

Some of you are wondering, "How did she do it? How did she of the 'I only speak small french' (literal translation), ilk find the rare and fabled Mouchoir?"
It was an accident of course. No, not a "got hit by a rental Velo" type accident but a "I was just looking in shop windows as I walked by" kind of accident. I happen to find a shop that was a mother load of mouchoirs. I even had a choice so I chose the ones made of Bamboo! I am also proud to report that I completed the entire transaction in French without hardly a pantomime AND (this is the import part) understood the price she quoted!

Yes Bamboo, tres ecologic! Nice and soft and in the colors of light brown with dark brown edges. Very serviceable and maybe can even be McGivered into some survival mechanism....well all I can think of is using them to distract a hungry Panda Bear on the rampage.

But who knows!

An American Cuisine in Toulouse!

Here is a picture of the:

Famous Cuisine American

Last time I posted a picture of the apartment you were looking the other way out the windows.

Since today was "the first day of the rest of my life" ;-) I decided to go take a Tai Chi class. I loved it!

I thought that I would be a total dork and get lost and not know what to do but it was fun. The instructor was really nice and fortunately there was another woman in the class who was an ingenue (beginner) so I did not wind up practicing alone. It is very calming and takes a fair amount of concentration. Next I am going to try Qi Gong I am curious about the difference.

No mishaps in French today at least none that I am aware of. However, if you are staying for more than a week and you're American they assume that you must be working for Airbus. Sometimes I think it would be easier to just agree that "yes, I am working for Airbus" and move on to the next topic. Like how many children I have. What does surprise me is that most French I talk to know where Washington State is. I found out the reason is because before they graduate from High School they are required to learn all the states in the US (and their genders and capitols)! Amazing.

I realized today that outside of our weekend trip I have only ridden in a car twice since I left Seattle. Living in the center of an old city makes cars a real hassle so walking, riding a bike, or using public transport makes sense. Of course it doesn't mean there are no cars. In fact when you ride your bike past the cars at Rush Hour it is just like the States most cars only have one occupant.

Speaking French just not making sense...

Well that is not totally true. I did successfully complete a transaction at La Poste all in French. Everything in the present, correct gender with the noun, and a voila stamp on postcard. I was so pleased with myself that I thought that I would tackle getting Billy some new handkerchiefs, allergy season has hit him HARD!

In the center of Toulouse there are several large department stores and many stores that specialize in men's clothing stores. Well after confusing many and pantomiming sneezing more that once here are the results.

I was offered tissue twice and I was sent from one store to another with no success. I told my French friend what I was up to she explained two important pieces of information.

First, The French think that reusing a handkerchief is kind of unsanitary so they really don't have anyone to sell them to.
Second, apparently I got the pronunciation quite wrong and I was saying,
"I want the Fly for men." Fly being the buzzing annoying type, thankfully the double meaning we have here in the US does not exist in French! Now that would have been embarrassing.

I will keep trying, so far people have been pretty tolerant of my attempts or at least I think they have been. ;-)

La Famillle Kessler a cheval

By Raoul Dufy (1877-1953)

Today was a busy day. First I rode out to help a friend in her garden and over shot the garden some how. My map only went so far and the directions were vague so eventually I had to come back to phone her and say I was fine, just directionally challenged.

Billy had to work on a talk he is giving at the University of Pierre et Marie Curie and the weather is very unspring like (much like the weather in Seattle only warmer) so I took myself off to a movie with my student card!

Quick movie review: KickAss has possibly more stabbing and chopping than the Lord of the Rings!

Didn't know that going in. I thought it would be some comic book like film and what I did know was that it was VO (no not like the brandy) but as in "Version Original" which meant it would be in English with French subtitles. This is a great way to study French!

After that we went out for a little museum/historic site visit and went to see the Foundation Bremberg in the Hotel d'Assezat and Les Jacobians.
The Foundation Bremburg is where we found the above painting with it's catchy title! It is a small museum but it had an amazing collection. It is housed in what was a palace built in the French Renaissance. The collection includes many impressionist paintings and the largest collection of Bonnard's works. As a small clarification the word "hotel" in this case does not mean a place that rents rooms. It was just the perfect size museum for a Sunday afternoon.

Then on the walk home we went by Les Jacobins, a church and Abbey, built in the 13th and 14th centurys. It is a marvelous example of Gothic architecture. You can still see how the walls were originally painted. They did a really cool thing of placing a large mirrored surface around one of the pillars that allowed you to see the ceiling arches through out the church. The grounds include the cloisters and Abbey though I don't think they are used much now. What they do have are the relics of St. Thomas Aquinas who only lived 47 years but was a force that shaped the Catholic church-naturally he was condemned before he died. Why his remains are in Toulouse is not entirely clear to me.

A great day and I even managed to get a few "femme de foyer" tasks out of the way to too!

I'm not a very aggressive street walker...

OK that came out wrong! (the picture will be explained later ;-)

What I meant was that the overly polite style of community action (possibly also known as inaction) popular in Seattle is a problem and the clearest evidence of this is squashed pigeons! Yes squashed! You know that when the pigeons are having a hard time staying out of the way that you have a serious problem for the overly polite.

Lucky for me Billy grew up in Manhattan so he has that big city style of walking down. You just pretend, no not pretend, actually see yourself as "Moses" and KNOW that the sea will part if you walk into it. If I'm right behind him it's fine but I have found myself waiting patiently on a corner and he is all ready several blocks away . It would not surprise me if he stepped on a pigeon sometime.

Today we rode out with the GPS attached on the bike and a map. It is starting to be over kill with the direction finding equipment. We took it one step farther on our trip to the coast. We had GPS, two maps, and directions cached on the iTouch if we had had nothing the signs were very good and it would have been fine.

This time we explored part of what the map said was a bike trail on one of the lessor little rivers, the Le Touch. ( no joke ;-D) I did not bring my road bike and this is one of the reasons, a bike trail can be a nicely paved trail, dirt path, or some old cobble stone thing. It was fun and we connected with one of the main drags and got back in time for "Les Voix du Midi".

It was very cool. Five hundred, or cinqante cent, singers in groups big and small started out at 2 pm from squares and intersections on the periphery of the city. Toulouse is a very old city that is roughly shaped like a wheel. For three hours the groups worked their way toward the center of the town stopping to sing along the way. Some had costumes some did not all sang beautifully.

My favorite group was a group that did not sing. They came down the street like a Mardi Gras parade lead by a guy on stilts (see picture above) that looked like he was walking on two "pogo" sticks. Behind him dancing and drumming were about thirty people of varying abilities. Some in wheel chairs, some walking, and some just digging the vibe. They were all dressed in the most outrageous colors it was truly Awesome! Meanwhile the guy on the "pogo" sticks was leaping and jumping in the air it was spectacular!

When we got to the center of the town, Place du Capitole, 500 hundred people plus the crowd, sang two songs. One was in Catalan the other in French they were both old songs about the love of the Mid-Pyrenees! Then we beat it back to the apartment at warp speed and this time I stayed with Billy the whole time!

School's Out For Summer........

It happened I passed my class!!! Now my head is stuffed full of French. So full that it is coming out my ears...but unfortunately not my mouth. I now can understand much more and if I repeat numbers over and over to myself I can puzzle them out. But this is not a good strategy for taking the bus because once I have it figured out ....it is gone! ;-)

I have a plan though, one of my fellow students who is continuing on to the next class can be hired to tutor me and it is the pronunciation I need to work on. He is Spanish so my French accent might wind up with a slightly Spanish sound but it will just have to do.

Now I am free to be a "femme de foyer" French for "Haus Frau" and "House Wife" As you can see by the photo above it is a very cute place.

The layout is a little weird. In the photo you see one of the stairways to one of the bedrooms, what you don't see is the other stairway to the other bedroom. Our kitchen is called "American Cusine" and I was told that it comes from Westerns where people stand at a bar. The kitchen has an eating bar but I thought the name came from standing and eating in the kitchen!

The other thing is the bathroom or "salle de bain", it is huge by French standards which consider a bathroom huge if you are NOT able to stretch your arms out and touch the walls. However instead of a shower this one has a huge soaking tub with a nice ledge that you can sit on and a hose spray shower faucet. Not sure what to call it, "Shoub" or "Tuwer", any way one of the best things about or visiting a hotel is being able to take a real, okay I'll say it, "American" shower-God we are getting old! I'll spare you any, "European Tales From the Digestion System". ;-D

But while we are on the subject, there is this myth that French can eat whatever they want (like duck gizzards and livers in their salads) and not get fat. So not true! In fact the American diet industry has gained a few foot holds here with both diet drugs and businesses like Weight Watchers. On my way to school their are two very chic shops that specialize in clothing for the larger femme which is not considered "grande" that means tall, but "grosse"

Plus they really are concerned with cellulite and you see lots of advertisements in the windows of pharmacies for the treatments using the firmest pair of legs I have ever seen any where. I'm thinking of trying it......

....of course, it will have to be scheduled between stints of cleaning the foyer.

A Room With a View

This last weekend was another holiday. No school on Monday due to the Feast of the Pentecost or Whitsun an ancient holiday celebrated for centuries BC to celebrate the return of the dead to their after life. Now we celebrate it by renting a car and taking off!

The picture to the left is from our two star hotel room! In a little town called Banyuls sur Mer. You can visit it web wise at http://www.banyuls-sur-mer.com/. It use to be a sleepy little fishing village and compared to neighboring towns it still is. We happened to come to it because the place we were headed for was so crowded and busy that there was no way we could stay there. Luck found us a beach parking spot, then when we asked at a hotel that was full for a recommendation the person at the desk very kindly called a friend at another hotel and reserved us a room.

True it was on the 3rd floor but I climb stairs for fun. ;-) The hotel was right across the street from the beach. It was clean, with a view, and wifi! I wanted to stay for a week. But alas that was not to be we left at 11 am the next day to resume our one family effort to restore the European economy. We are like the "Johnny Appleseed" of euros emitting them in small towns across France.

The day before we had climbed to the last of the Castle stronghold of the Cathar's to fall to The Roman Church. Montsegur

Here is a quick Youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXYyfCdiKaU&feature=related.

At this spot on 16th March 1244, 220 people were put to the stake for being Cathars and on Pentecost Sunday 2010 there were flowers on the marker remembering them, something to ponder as you catch your breathe climbing up to the 1200 meter top!

After the first 30 castle ruins you see you can start to get a little blase about them but way up in the hills we came across a little church that looked very old and we stopped to take pictures. It was small but was obviously still in use had a very interesting door and while we were looking at a woman came by to show it off. It had been established in 980 AD over a thousand years ago! Even Paris was a burg at that time yet way up in the hills a little village has made time stop and stand still.

But time does not stand still for a rental car on a holiday so we hopped in the car and started up the GPS and buckled up because the hill roads make surviving the weekend sort of chancy!

French School Field Trip

We were also assigned the irregular verbs but I have admit that this assignment was easier to do!

Today Billy and I join up with other students from Alliance Francias to spend the day at a local French vineyard. We started out on a bus at 9:30 and returned at 18:00 and it was a fabulous day!

The name of the place is Chateau De Cointes and it is owned and run by Anne and Francois Gorostis who are now in their fifties (possibly, I don't know for sure but now everyone I meet seems like they must be in their fifties ;-) The Chateau has been in their family since the 1920's they live there with their teenage and young adult children plus a nice assortment of animals; horses, dogs and a really cute 8 week old kitten.

Their vineyard is in the area of the south of France that gets the weather from the Mediterranean and the weather from the Pyrenees Mountains. The area is referred to as the Malepere which is around the famous castles of Carcasonne. Here is a quote no doubt translated literally from the French:

"Mala Pera, a Land with Character....Mala pera (bad stone) cracked by the sun, dried up by the wind, people bent, clinging to the slopes wanting to make it sing."

And yet the wine is really Good! First we got a tour of the vineyards then we got explanations of how the wine is made. (I'd say I get about 50% of the information which means that Billy and others translate for me or I wind up with odd ideas. Like thinking that we are going to "shop" through the vineyards, REALLY? When it turns out that we were "walking" through them!) Then the real work began! The wine tasting!

It starts with the white wines, the the rose, then the reds. There was the opportunity to spit them out after you tasted them but well waste not...... This is one activity that did not require much translation ;-)

After the wine tasting we all sat down for a meal on tables set up outside overlooking their vineyards. They prepared a great meal with two fabulous salads, bread, sausages, a cheese plate and apples plus coffee. Oh, and wine to go with of course!

The next part of the trip was an opportunity to visit a black truffle orchard. I chose to go with the walkers, it was a beautiful warm day and off we went.
The walk lasted about an hour was lead by the owner at a nice clip through hill and dale. I had only one awkward conversation with him that used up my French repetorie, a sort of" name, rank and serial number" conversation with a lot of smiling. Then after our little 5K up the hill (props to the girls in the group wearing the strappy sandals, who not only kept up but never complained) we got a lecture under some old oak trees in French that was so heavily accented the French speakers needed a translator! The gist of the lecture was "Truffles are worth 1000 Euros a kilo we work pretty hard to make sure we get good truffles and we have been doing it a long time." There that just saved you a long walk in the hot summer sun!

After that, hot tired, and well lets call it "well fed" we hopped on the bus to get back to Toulouse. Another homework assignment successfully completed!

Chocolate! ou Chocolat!

Here is something that I haven't mentioned yet. They have wonderful chocolate here. I think I mentioned that they have an entire street dedicated to little chocolate shops!

Lucky for me I haven't learned enough French to confidently stride into a store and come out successfully with the object I was trying to purchase. In fact there is another place I go to where I boldly order only to find out that I got something different and I just can't risk that when it comes to chocolate. ;-)

However, despite my inability to successfully negotiate small shops I am a pro at the Super Marche and there is where the problem starts. they also have rows of chocolate and it is inexpensive by our standards and that is for the good stuff! So now I have a chocolate "Monkey" on my back that I am trying to wean myself off of......at least until I can successfully order stuff at those shops.

In the mean time the wine is pretty inexpensive too.......

Medieval France Predicts Invention of Cell Phone!

Yes, it is true. Here is the proof from the Bridge of Alexander III. The medieval french knew it was coming and managed to represent it in the statue, a minor one at that.

My third week of French started yesterday but to be fair last week was only three days. Unfortunately it has caused me to develop a delayed onset of a form of Tourettes or as I like to call it: Tourettes Francais. I know what I want to say and as I start to say it, it comes out as,

"Je suiss f**k (I know that word), Non J'ai didn't mean sh*t-, no, no Je didn't mean tu or is that vous? Cr*p ou Merde, etc......"

Finally I am reduced to pantomime and the frenetic waving of hands and arms with lots of eye brow action.

There are a couple of other people in the class who are struggling but they are already using a second language (English) to understand French!

Ooh La, La ! (Yes, they really say that.) .

Last Day In Paris

Our last Day in Paris we would have been sad to leave but: a.) we were tired and needed a rest and b.) we were cold and tired of wearing all our clothes all the time :-) our big purchase in Paris, 3 scarves one for Billy two for me!

This is a picture of me on the Eiffel Tower! We got up and out early, the Tower opens at 9:30 am and we got there by 9am. The lines were long already. We got in the "stairs only" line and waited an hour. Our strategy to wait for better weather worked perfectly but it wasn't warm. We waited for an hour then hit the stairs. They won't let you walk up to the third level any more so you have to take the elevator. It is 704 steps to the second level but they do a nice job with lots of landings. Then it was a nice 40 min wait for the elevator to the top. There is a cute display of the apt. that Eiffel build at the top now that is a view property!!! The whole trip (including coffee on the first floor) took us 4 hours but it was worth it. We had 4 hours left before we had to get back to the airport.

We enjoyed a nice lunch at a Cafe on the Left Bank. Then strolled over to the Musee de Moyenagy it had the famous tapestries of the Lady with the unicorn. It was built on the sight of a medieval church that had once been a roman building. After that we went to see the Ille de l'cite to soak up the history (that is where the Place of Justice and Notre Dame are). Then it was a couple of Metro rides, bus ride and airplane ride and we found ourselves back in Toulouse.

You know I have never been to London I would really like to see London........

Next Day In Paris

Next morning we hunted down these "Paris Passes" which pays for entrances at most museums but most important lets you stand in a shorter line. The we saw Notre Dame, yes it is incredible, made a quick stop for coffee and hit the Louve.

The Louve is immense! It has two metro stops of it's own. It has HUGE lines but we got to go through the short 20 min line to get in. Then it is just "Wow", "OMG", Wow" for 4 hours straight. A one point I thought I should be wearing my fuel belt and have water and Gu's for this. Well the gigantic purse came in handy as a sub.

Here is a picture of a mirror with pictures in it which is pretty much what happens to your mind after a while. After 4 hours we just had to stop. It turns out that "stair practice" comes in handy in Paris but "stare practice" would have been useful too!

After a quick bite to eat it was off to the Arc de Triophe by walking through the Tulleries (a couple of side trips to check out some interesting things) up the Champs Elysee where we saw our first Starbucks. In fact the Champs Elysee is where you can drop big bucks should that be a goal you have. Then we climbed the Arc (no line standing for us we already had our tickets, OK short line standing before we figured out where to go). The weather did not make for great pics, cold rain, but it was amazing 284 stairs to the top and quite the display of history.

Then it was a Metro ride to Montmartre to visit Sacre Coeur Church of the Scared Heart. It was 225 steps up to the church then another 20 or so to get inside. An amazing Church outfitted with Nun's singing away, while tourists made a circuit. I wanted to stay for Mass just to sit down but it was 6:30 pm and we need to get back to the apt. and find some food-which we did!

Paris C'est Magnifique!

We had a fantastically....active weekend in Paris! You know Rick Steves, the famous NW travel writer? Now try to imagine him on Crack now you have an idea of our trip!

We left Toulouse early Thursday morning (Thursday was a National Holiday the Feast of the Ascension) we flew into Paris at about 9 am and caught the bus into town. We were headed to the apartment of the sister of a friend to stay for the two nights we would be in Paris. We asked directions and the first person we met in Paris turned out to be a super nice Parisian who offered to use his GPS and then gave us a ride to the apartment! The apt was about 1.5 k away from the Eiffel Tower so we walked to the Eiffel Tower looked at and stood in line briefly then decided we'd have a better chance on a another day.

That's when the frenetic walking started. The problem with Paris is that there is an intense amount of historic sites and museums all in a relatively small area. So we went up and across a bridge to look a giant museum across from the Eiffel Tower then back over the brige and along the famous river Seine , then over a very decorated bridge, Pont Alexander III. We would have taken the Metro but there was so much to see and we didn't want to go underground it wasn't raining...yet! then back over to Musee D'Orsay where we stood in line 50 mins. The Museum was fantastic even with a floor closed off but many stairs and many floors of stone. After thatwe finally climbed onto the Metro for the way back to the apt. Fortunately for us we had left chalk marks (no not really) but we had turned around at intersections for land marks to find our way back. That night we took the sister's room mate out to dinner (sister was out of town so we had her room) and had a great Parisian meal. It was delightful.

Be True To Your School!

Here is a picture of my school

Alliance Francais

Look at the second floor, first window on the guache (left ;-) and that is one of my classroom windows. The class goes from 9am to 12:45 pm with one break at around 11:15 am.

The teacher's name is Quinne Roosenberg and she is quite the actress. I swear it is never boring and she keeps 14 very diverse students actively interested the whole time.

The last time I mentioned the "cool kids". The rest of the students include; a 71 year old retired woman school teacher from New Zealand; a mother of two from Shanghai; two beautiful young women from Germany; the other woman from Seattle (yes, the only other American is from Seattle too!); a man from Thailand; an 18 year Persian boy whole lives in Montreal; a guy from Hong Kong; and another guy from Venezuela who is a computer programmer on vacation.

The teacher starts immediately at 9 am, no waiting for late students. She speaks only French and is funny and engaging. Over time we have learned a little about her.
She loves Rugby (which is HUGE in Toulouse); her boy friend is Italian; she has a cat named Meesh Meesh; and she has a Masters in Television and Film.

The class moves very quickly and I find myself sputtering like some caricature of a hot teapot on top of the stove!
Although it is really challenging it is also a lot of fun and with the weather kickin' Seattle style it has been the perfect activity to get to know a new city and culture with.

Plus they have field trips, next up is the Wine and Truffle tasting trip.

I really love this school!!

The More Things Change....The More Things stay the Same!

I know you were just waiting to see how long it would take before I got in trouble in school!!!


OK it wasn't that big a deal but I got in trouble because I was hanging out with the Smokers.

France like many other countries (civilized or other wise) now requires all smoking to be outdoors and some undetermined distance from the door or perhaps the Cafe that is right outside the door. So I went over to socialize and figured that everyone would go in when the break was over but....nicotine is stronger than the desire to learn a second or in most cases third language. We all trooped in late and received a short lecture in French that went over our collective heads!

Because, "When your a "Jet" your a "Jet" all the way...." ;-D

It is an interesting idea to see how the tobacco plant from the America's has come to dominate and place into submission the people of the world! In our little group we have a guy from Turkey, a woman from South Africa (French is like her fourth language), a Palestinian from Saudi Arabia, two guys from Spain and me the non-smoker!

I'm just a hanger on, clearly I haven't paid my dues but they are a pretty social and friendly and I know where to find them!!!

Here is a photo of the "play ground" and the building right across from my school, Place du Capitole

One , Two, Three, It's easy as A, B, C......

OK honestly coming from English or anglaise, as we say here in Frants. The ABCs aren't that big of a leap. However the counting is another thing altogether.

The first ten numbers or eleven if you count zero (which they do) are straight forward. Then the teens are reminiscent of Spanish and then it is back to the familiar system of counting until the magic number of 70. That is where the "wheels come off the bus". There is no word for 70 so you say 60 + 11 for 71 etc until you get to 80 where it goes to 4x20 which is 80 then 4x20+1, etc. It doesn't stop there. At 90 you say 4x20+11 which is 91 and use that until you get to 100.

However in other Francophone countries they have succumbed to numbering that resembles anglaise so if you go to Montreal or Belgium or Switzerland you have to learn the other numbers for 70 through 99!

Even though I am learning the numbers it is still really hard for me to hear them. People say them fast just like in the US then look at me and my attempt to count in my head (and, I will admit, sometimes on my fingers) and say the numbers in English.

It has been two days and a week of French lessons and I was starting to despair but this weekend on our bike ride we stopped for directions and afterwords I realized that I basically understood what he had said ! None of the subtleties but I got that the road was close ahead because they were doing work on it. Whether he was able to slip in, you, "DoDo Head" I will never know ;-)

The Downside of Childrens Literature....

It is shopping day in Toulouse and we are lucky to live within easy walking distance of several outdoor markets and one large reknown indoor one. It is call Marche Victor Hugo. Inside it there is every imaginable kind of meat as well as cheese, fresh pasta, bread, fish and my personal favorite crepes.

Today we walked the stalls selecting our food for the next couple of days and here is where childrens literature causes me problems. There is a stall for veal which shows a picture of a calf nursing; one specific for lamb (how those hours at the Petting Zoo come back to bite you in the butt); horse (you can get freshly ground horse burger if you like); pork (damn that ""Charlotte's Web); duck (Make Way for Dinner? I think Not!); Goat; and of course rabbit.

The fish comes unmolested so you get to see just what they really look like. Although as far as fish go I am unsentimental as there did not appear to be any, "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" available. ;-)

Yes, I will admit it, I am an unconscious Omnivore and was hoping to remain so, but now "Old McDonald's Farm" has another meaning altogether. Will my sojourn in Frants cause me to develop a taste for legumes?

Unfortunately, for our dining pleasure, Billy's reaction to the market is, "Yum!" He longs for the opportunity to "mix it up" cuisine wise. I am encouraging him to go ahead! There are always adventures in salad for me!

Returning to School Makes You Bright!

You will notice my new mascot (actually a graphic from Fresh Off the Couch!). Okay maybe you can't see it. Having a bit of a tussle understanding how to use Blogger!

Today the promised rain did not appear!! So after we had a nice lunch of pizza and coke light ;-) we jumped on our bikes and head North on the Canal du Midi.

This canal was built some time in the 1600's and you can go all the way to the Mediterranean on it. The canal made trade easy throughout France and really caused a boom in commerce. It was 200 years old before it was made "Old School" by the railroad which was faster and didn't require barges to be towed everywhere. Now the old tow paths have been turned into bike paths and it is pretty cool to ride along.

We rode to the town of Fenouillt which is about 11 miles from our place in Toulouse. Everyone rides bikes here but apparently only for short distances.
This is despite the fact that it is "Burke Gilman Trail" FLAT here. Maybe flatter, water even in canals, does not do hills well at all ;-).

Despite this flatness not many people take to riding very far so when we started asking directions (yes we should have brought the GPS with us, we forgot to charge it from last time) people would look at us like, "You rode ALL the way from Toulouse??? And Now you want to ride back???"

Well it was a lovely ride and we had a fabulous time. However all this flat riding got us to thinking.....How are we going to be able to ride in Seattle after no hills for three months??? I guess we could head for the Pyrenees.

We will definitely need the GPS for that!

Sunshine

Yeah! For the first time in a week it is sunny! However it is suppose to rain tomorrow, Oh Well at some point it is going to dry out and I will miss these cool, misty days.

What I won't miss is wearing the same clothes day in and out! My packing strategy did not anticipate an extended cold snap!

After an entire week of French class I can now confuse people in two languages! Someone pointed out that I am now bi-confusing and I guess it is true I always wanted to be Bi something but I was looking for lingual!

I did, however, get a student ID which is great because now I get the student price at the movie theater while over here Billy gets the Senior price! Don't laugh, we saw Ironman II in English with French subtitles because enough French people speak English and hate the translations. Fantastic!

This weekend is a holiday. It is the celebration of the liberation of France from Germany. Stores close and the military parades!

We are hoping to see some of the museums in town this weekend.

Caio!!!

Records Are being Set!

By the weather!

It hasn't been this cold here, at this time of the year, since 1946! It is OK, it gives me a chance to catch up on my French homework and believe me I need the extra time.

Today when my French teacher asked me, as part of a class exercise, how old I was I proudly stated that I was 508 years old. She was appreciative of how well I have aged!!!!

Things are suppose to warm up soon but we have our reputation of bringing the "rain" to maintain so I have my doubts.

The "Whine" Report

Whoever said, "When it rains it pours" must have lived in Toulouse! Because it is raining and it is "Froid" (cold), and to think that it was only last week I was asking for water with that very word.

Today I used my French homework and Google translate to keep me warm. I was able to spend 2 hours doing homework that was probably intended to take all of 15 minutes!

The class is very interesting and is a good example of "It's a small world". On the first day a woman came in and her accent sounded American so I asked her where she was from and it turns out that she's from Seattle, specifically Beacon Hill. She is much younger as is everyone else, except the 70 year old from New Zealand who is quite the world traveler! The rest are people from Germany, Turkey, Iran, Venezuela, Palestine, Thailand, South Africa, Spain, and China !

When it stops raining I am going to take a picture of my school. It is quite impressive situated right on the Palce du Capitole, if it doesn't stop raining I will use Billy's underwater camera!

A Picture of Our Apartment!

Made you look! You history buffs might recognize this as the Castle at Carassone.
It was built on a site originally settle by the Romans and an old Roman floor lies below the floors of the old castle.
It's past is heavily associated with the Cathars a religious sect that was wiped out by the Catholic Church in the 1200's as being heretical which I guess they were since Cathar comes from the Greek meaning "good men" and even then the Church's representatives were often the bad men. It was completely restored in the mid 1800's and is quite beautiful!

They are every where.....

The French love McDonalds and why not? You can get a beer with your hamburger and really make it a "Happy Meal"

The other thing you can get is coffee to go! You see French people walking the streets eating sandwiches, ice cream, pizza, etc but unlike in America where everyone seems to be caring coffee no one here does ! Mostly because Cafes are in the business of having you sit down and drink your coffee not wander around!

Oh and the McDonalds here have free WiFi (pronounced Wee Fee) I'm "Just Lovin It" ;-)

I Was Wrong About the Rain, Again.....

When I was packing for the trip I said to myself, "I don't need this raincoat. By the time I get there it will be hot and sunny and this will just take up room and sit in the closet." Very reasonable however I forgot the history of our family travels.

There was the time we went to Death Valley and it rained for three days, the time we went to the Outback in Australia and the temperature dropped 30 degrees, and again in New Caledonia where it rained steadily for three weeks. It can also work the opposite too. Once we went to a rain forest, rain ponchos at the ready, only to find it dry as a bone and uncharacteristically sunny (I felt sorry for the poor Spanish moss drying on the trees). Yes despite all of that I forgot!

Fortunately I am from the land of mist and rain and know that I will dry out ;-) Next time I'm going to bring the rain coat even if the weather forecast is warm and sunny!

Rain, Rain, Gone Away

It started raining last night with thunder and lighting. The forecast calls for more gray skies, but I am optimistically putting on sun screen any way ;-)

We started the morning with a walk to the bakery for fresh croissant. One nice thing about the rain is that it clears the air of all the pollen that the plane trees are putting out! It also washes down the sidewalk which is the favorite place for people to have their dogs poop!

This morning I am off to the market Victor Hugo for some eggs and cheese. This town loves both Woodrow Wilson and Victor Hugo many streets and fountains dedicated to both. Wilson because he brought the US into WWI and Hugo because of his writing.

It is a busily metropolis so different than the states in that all the old buildings are very much a part of present day Toulouse they are not the past they are the present history. So a 700 year old house is just a house and for us a 100 year house is a historic sight!

Back in the "Saddle" Again!

And by "Saddle" I mean Classroom and this time as a Student! I have just registered as a student with Alliance Francaise where the placement test consisted of them saying, 'Do you speak French?" and me saying back to them in my version of French, "No I don't speak French!" Apparently no further testing was required!

I am very excited because for the next four weeks I will get to go off to class from 9 am to 12:45 pm Monday through Friday in a group with 7 other beginners. I hope they truly are beginners, and not people who took 4 years of French in High school and are just feeling a little insecure. ;-)

My next task is to find a gym with indoor cycling and weights and maybe a yoga class. I know what about outdoor cycling? Well there is that but it is more of the commuter variety where it is all about stopping for lights and dodging pedestrians. Plus I would love to teach if possible.

Of course I have my housewifery activities (cleaned the salle de bain today and did the wash) then apt is now jauntily decorated with Billy's under ware and socks.

None of my things could be washed because my bag got here yesterday and I retrieved it this morning from our Toulousen friends.
To be more exact I started out this morning but tea led to chatting, chatting led to lunch and lunch led to the most exquisite dessert! A moist dark chocolate cake that was made with figs and nuts. It was so good. Usually those deserts are so intense with chocolate that it is over whelming but the fig jam (the chef made it on site!) made the chocolate so accessible! It was heaven!

I think I'm really going to like France!!

In Toulouse!!

Yeah I made it!!! It is quite beautiful here! Totally worth the 28 hours it took to get here. The weather is beautiful clear skies sunny and warm, with no hint on it turning on you the way the weather does in Seattle.

Everyone rides bikes here which is great. However one our first purchases was to go out and buy humongous bike locks because Toulouse is apparently a prime target for bike thieves which steal them and ship them out to Eastern Europe!

The place we are staying is right in the city. The actual apartment is deep within the inner court yard so it is very quiet even though the gate to it is right off a busy street.

I rode to work with Billy today along the Canal du Midi which is suppose to go all the way to the Mediterranean. It was very nice and all the leaves have come out in the last two weeks so it is shady and currently highly pollinated-looked like a "snow storm" of pollen!

In DC!

First leg of the trip "check"! bought some wireless! But hearing a disturbing second hand conversation of some woman relating the entire content of some war movie in detail!!!! Enough!

"Wait Just One Moment..Where Do YOU Think You're Going?"

OK Here I am at Seatac giving it one more try! Yesterday I got on the plane for Chicago and first we were delayed because of Chicago weather, a stuck fuel valve,then they had to replace the valve. I missed my connection before the airplane left the gate!

They offered me overnight in Stormy Chi Town but I opted to return home. The weather was gorgeous so got in some more home tarting and went for a run!

Well wish me luck!

Ready to Roll

OK literally I have a rolling bag. The house is cleaner then it has been for a while. We have been just straightening things on top of the dirt, yikes! Some friends gave me a stuffed Monkey to take pictures with so I am tempted to rename the Blog Monkey Bidness but that takes me pass, way pass my blogging abilities so here we go!

Now we are going...At least I think we are!

As of today a solution has been reached, the renters from Chile have been reassured, the bikes have been packed and we have even closed up our fireplaces as a safety gesture to the one year old that will be visiting this summer.
Now all I have to do is teach an 8 hour class for Heart Zones this Saturday, clean the house, get packed myself and then travel!!
Now I really wish I'd made time to study French ;-D

"How can we miss you if you won't leave?"

First we are going, then oops the two governments can't find a way to pay Billy, then we are NOT going! But wait after many outraged emails from French scientists and after we emailed our potential renters from Chile MAYBE we are going? This is giving me a headache!

Bike To Go!

I got a great bike to take to Frants. It is a Diamondback Insight and it came with a rack and fenders. We went to the Bike Expo this weekend and got panniers and water bottle cages.
Then I had to exchange the bike! Yup tried to get the water bottle cages on and discovered that they no longer weld the fasteners they rivet them on and my original bike had rivet failure! They exchanged it-got to have water bottle cages!