Like a bee in a jar...

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"So you're heading to Amsterdam, are ya?" I asked. And of course, you can guess what I did next.

I was already going to be in Paris for Delphine's big exam anyway, I realized, so what's a three-hour train ride to the canal-opolis? So off I went, meeting my two good Canadian friends for a great visit. This time we spent more time off the beaten track, renting bicycles to check out the outskirts of the city being a good example. We had a great time, especially since - for the first time ever - Amsterdam welcomed me with great weather.

Next, Brussels for a night - just for a taste. I pint of Chimay Blue for 2 euros ? YES PLEASE. It was a good night. The city didn't grab me immediately, but I hesitate to give a review after such a short, rushed visit.

Next I was off to Brittany to meet my friend Oscar at his girlfriend's place in Rennes, a first time in salty-crepe land for me, but likely not the last. Rennes has a very nice vibe, distinctly Not-Entirely-French, reflecting its history as a distinct region. I spent the weekend there with the two of them, going to a very large market to get some "galettes saucisses" (salty crepe, made while you salivate, with a nice sausage rolled up in the centre). On the saturday we took a drive to the touristy but picturesque town of Saint-Malo, spending some time on the beach and wandering the city, hunting for ice cream.

Saying my "Au Revoir!"s to Oscar and Camille, I headed to Nantes for a couple days (the former capital of Brittany) for a rendez-vous with a giant mechanical elephant (yep, you heard me right). In Nantes there is a workshop for hydraulic/mechanical "creatures" that move, spit water and steam, and are just plain cool. I took a ride through the town on a 20-meter-tall elephant, complete with a working trunk and strutting-feet. Very cool.

And then a trip of to Lille for a few days for THE last of Delphine's exams. Lille is a wonderful place full of energy and students. We even made a day trip to Bruges which was, to be honest, a let-down. Calling Bruges touristy would be like calling water wet: it is its essence. But Lille more than made up for it, despite being the setting for the Netherlands losing the world cup final, a let-down almost as big as Bruges.

And so, after darting around France, the Netherlands, and Belgium like a bee in a jar Delphine and I came back to Lyon for a little pause before spending a weekend camping on lake Annecy with a group of French friends, a beautiful lake tucked into some alps. Life is tough. And, to top it all off, DELPHINE PASSED HER EXAMS ! The hell-year is over (thank god) and she is poised to become a professor after a PhD - great news any way you cut it.

Spirits high, we reset our sights on our next trip... First stop, Munich.

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