Jerry and Sandy

With Christmas over, it is Bonne Annee to all of you from St Chinian. Part of our desire to live for a time in one place, was to experience life as a citizen and not a tourist. The quiet winter months in Southern France provide the opportunity to find our what our French neighbors do while preparing for the influx of summer tourists. First big news -- We had snow yesterday!! it's the first time ever that I haven't had to figure out how to get to work and get staff in. All that we had to do was enjoy the scenery. We got about 4" but that was enough to close all the village shops for the afternoon. In Britain, the salt machines are called "gritters". I don't think they have a name here because ... read more

I am changing my approach with this blog. There has been so darn much to see and do, I am currently about 12 cities behind and a month late in my blog. This doesn't give the reader much of an idea of what we are doing now. So on the advice of a seasoned blogger, I am going to jump to the present and catch up later with cities we visited in the Poitou Charentes region. So we are now in St Chinian which is in the south of France, West of Provence. We will be here until at least April, or about 6 months. We chose to live here because of the climate, the history and the wine. We read that this area was a well kept secret. Since it borders the Meditteranean, the climate ... read more

We decided to expand our horizons and take a road trip to Castle De Rogeac or the Castle in the Rock. It was built in the 12th century but there have been folks living here since prehistoric times. It was a natural cliff with a cave that the builders expanded until it became a multistory castle. It is well protected with a great view of all the land around, so good for defensive action. There are two approaches labeled Steep and easy. In my opinion, both require a bit of sweat. Of course, how else would you get into a castle on a cliff? On the lowest level, the kitchen is a great picture of cooking in those times. Lots of antique utensils and a beautiful 16th century sideboard. On this same level there is a ... read more

Finally, after months of planning, we have arrived to begin our adventure in France. We are starting in a less visited but very beautiful area of France called Poitou-Charentes. It includes Bordeaux, St Emilion and the areas south and east. The Maritime portion of this area has lovely seaports on the Atlantic. But we will be living for a month in the Charentes, which is far different. Farmlands abound and at this time of year it is all about the last harvest and turning the dirt for the winter. Cognac is within this region but the local farmers make an apertif called Pineau de Charentes that is a less alcoholic tasting combination of wine and cognac in red and white varieties. Our small village of Chalais is about an hour south of Angouleme. It is typical ... read more

Our home base is Seattle Washington. As we started our journey, we packed our things in storage and rented our home. After saying goodbye to our great friends in Seattle, we took off for our first stop in the adventure. We are beginning our journeys with a short stint in Los Angeles, specifically Marina del Rey. Sandy will be working at the Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance. While Jerry will be enjoying the life 2 blocks from Venice Beach. Our apartment is located only a few blocks away from the canals of Venice patterned, on a small scale, after those in Italy. The boardwalk in Venice is it's own entertainment. Folks feel very comfortable in displaying their own unique personalities. It's surprising to see folks selling marijuana at legal clinics for a $79 visit ... read more