Home Again…Home Again February 17, 2008 We fully intended to write a final blog summarizing our experience and re-entry home. As a family we discussed our experience in the living room of our house in Rognonas and I took notes. What we hadn’t counted on is returning to the rat race of life in the Bay Area and how over-whelming it can be. I also don’t think any of us expected the post trip blues…while only natural after such an adventure. Almost 8 weeks later, while mostly life has returned “to normal” (what-ever that means….it may never b [View Full Entry]

---

---

Justin’s Travel Journal I have been traveling in Europe the last six months. It was very interesting. I saw many things of historical interest as well as really cool stuff. The food in some countries was good, especially Italy and in other countries like Hungary it was not so great. The best part about my trip was gong to the water parks in different parts of Europe, like Aqua Blvd in Paris and Park Wodny in Krakow. The not so great part about my trips was the long car rides. They seemed like they were every other day and tota [View Full Entry]

---

---

Dreaming of a White Christmas December 17, 2007 We never dream of a white Christmas. Living my whole life in the San Francisco Bay Area….those words white Christmas never come out of my mouth or enter into my thoughts. Often, I just think about “getting ready” for Christmas and “getting through” Christmas, never about a white Christmas. When choosing to spend time in the South of France I firmly believed that once again no need thinking about a white Christmas here either. This weather is as close as you can get to the weather in Walnut Creek and sti [View Full Entry]

---

---

Boys Find Little Piece of Heaven in Sunny Spain December 12, 2007 We couldn’t be this close and not go to Spain. Scott has been waiting 20+ years to return to his much loved Espana. So we packed up a bag, loaded the car and set out for a four hour drive to Barcelona. After driving 9000 km this summer you would think a 4 hour car ride would be a piece of cake…well we have gotten soft the last few months settled in France and before we hit the auto route the complaining started. Luckily it didn’t last long as [View Full Entry]

---

---

Hiking Across Provence December 6, 2007 For most of November here in Provence it has been very cold. Even Paris was quite chilly in mid-November, enough to give us pause before going outside. Nothing however chills the bones like the icy Mistrals blowing down from the Alps. The wind is so strong and so cold that many days we just sat around the fire eating bread and cheese enjoying living in France without running around trying to see things. Well, suddenly December came and the winds just dies down , the sun came out and it actually warmed-up. I guess the [View Full Entry]

---

---

Imaging Life as an Ancient Roman November 30, 2007 Wednesday we had gorgeous weather. It was such a treat after weeks of mistrals and cold temperatures. It got over 6o degrees F and we took off for an afternoon in the ancient Roman city of Arles. Arles once part of Gaul began to have Roman influence around 200 BC. The amphitheater in town was built around this time. Is amazing to see something so old and well preserved. For the last 6 months we have been traipsing across the territory of ancient Rome and have seen many preserved Roman ruins as [View Full Entry]

---

---

Not What the Pilgrims Had in Mind Today the mistrals are blowing harder than they have in all the weeks we have been in France. As is my habit, I do Will’s lessons in my pajamas and then get ready for the day. Well, today the wind was blowing so hard, Scott had to go outside and collect blown laundry from all around the yard. The wind even managed to unsecure the shutters from the side of the house and they banged against the stone like you wouldn’t believe. Well in the midst of all this the power went out. [View Full Entry]

---

---

How Many Boobs Did You Count?? November 19, 2007 After a quiet week around the house in Rognonas, Justin and I left on the TGV for Paris Saturday November 10th. The ride up was so peaceful, forging through the French country side at 200 miles per hour. You never feel you are going that fast but Paris is 450 miles away and you are there in 2.5 hours. Sure beats the 8 hours drive we took back on October 1st. Justin really enjoyed being on the “bullet train” as we don’t have train travel in the US, really. It is a [View Full Entry]

---

---

French Immersion November 7, 2007 We have just spent the most meaningful weekend of the last five months. We traveled to a little village just northeast of Gap in the French Alps called Serre Richard. This is where my paternal great-grandfather Victor Audeoud was born. We spent the weekend with the Audeoud family that still lives in Serre Richard. Around 10 years ago, my Uncle Bill, traveled to Serre Richard and located the remaining descendants of his grandfather, Victor. This lovely, energetic woman is Andree Goez, the grandmother of my much loved Parisian cousin Dorothee. Bill a [View Full Entry]

---

---

Family Secrets November 1, 2007 We just wrapped up two weeks of visits from my mom and sandwiched in between a week with my dad and his wife, Mary. We had a great time. We did lots of shopping, eating and exploring the Provence region. The best part of the last two weeks was just hanging out with family. Justin and Will have missed my dad horribly since leaving in June. He was taking care of them after school the last few years so both him and the kids have been lonely for each other. During this great family time we [View Full Entry]

---

---