Blogs from France, Europe - page 1257

I tried to copy the map of the journey but failed ... the map and a lot of other information is on www.parispekinavelo.com. There's even a photo of us at the October meeting. When the trip gets going I hope to have lots of photos to add.... read more

So I was walking home from a friend’s house the other night, and it was about 2:30 in the morning. (Don’t worry, Maman, Lille is a safe city and I pay attention.) It was a weekday, so the streets were deserted, especially my tiny road and the other small roads around it. It was a cold night - cold and dry, and I could see my breath. Then, when I came around the corner to my road, an oddly warm gust of wind suddenly hit me in the face…and it smelled fantastic! It was the smell of baking bread, and it was coming from the corner boulangerie. I could see the lights on in the teeny basement windows, and a man and a woman were kneading bread and talking about their day and laughing. I guess ... read more

confusion as we spun around the small streets of Ile-de-Re on bike on foot on auto. it is the land of Julien's family beach house. while it was my second trip to france, it was my first trip to an island there, though spookily familiar. there were other "french" islands i had surely visited... Ile-de-Re is overrun with terrible modern housing developments (pasty white structures hidden behind pasty white walls which are meerly backdrops for industrial art street lamps). there are older, grander fisherman houses left (as his is), and community buildings which offer full or partial remnants of francophone architecture. the very same buildings i've seen elsewhere. on a dusty road leading out of Dakar, and remnants on the large and acclaimed Ile-de-Goree in Senegal, and the somewhat smaller less acclaimed iles drifting in the ... read more

That’s the question I’ve been trying my best to answer all week long to various French people who are trying to get their heads around the concept. I usually give a little bit of the history (leaving out the whole Indian oppression, of course, because let’s face it….the French already have a low enough impression of us), and then go on to explain that it’s a time to celebrate with family and be thankful and eat a huge, carbohydrate-laden meal. I’m usually met with interested but vaguely confused stares and the response “oh, so it’s like Noel”. I guess maybe the difference does seem subtle if you’re not American, but none of this was going to deter me from bringing Thanksgiving in all it’s glory to Pau this year. I was aided in this quest ... read more

Today mainly walked around St Malo small old town but very nice! The view was amazing!! the sea, the tides, the islands, the fortress walls.....very beautiful even though it was cold and windy!!! Inside town there is a nice cathedral with some nice stained glass windows...esp liked the yellow set...haaa! it didnt take too long to see the town and other times...i got myself started on Greys Ananomy......so not good....haaa! Train strike over!!! so easier to get to Luxembourg! heeee... read more