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. ;-)