The Last Few Days

So, where have we been the last few days. Oh, out and about as they like to say in Canada.
Abe returned on Thursday and worked his tail off. I had a down day on Thursday and wondered why I was here....maybe a month is too long, blah blah blah. However, had my best day ever on Friday at yoga and all was well again.

We have relatively new friends in Strassburg that we acquired through my sister. She hosted Margaux Lleu in her home over a year ago as a young French exchange student. Abe and I were in Canada at the time and took a real liking to Margaux. When we were in France last fall we drove down to Strassburg, stopping at medieval towns along the way, and ended up at Margaux's home where we spent several fab days with her and also with her mum. When we came back to France this time we notified them we were in town and they bought TGV tickets and at tres grande vitesse took the train up to see us and spend the weekend. We met them at La Grande Arche for dinner and had a fab spaghetti dinner. The next day we met them again for supper and just had a super time. Margaux takes audio visaul as an elective at her school and as a reward the class is going to Cannes for the film festival -- and they get to walk the red carpet. Margaux was in town with her dress looking for the perfect shoes -- quite exciting and fun to be part of for sure.

On Saturday, Abe and I decided we needed to tour a medieval museum in honour of Jonathan's Ph.D. work at the University of Toronto. We went to Musee de Cluny and it was perfect. I'm not a good museum goer -- I get bored quickly mainly because I have no mental retention of any historical facts. This museum was the perfect size for someone like me and in an hour and a half we were done and on our way.I had absorbed a few things. Say for instance you were looking at a tapestry that depicted a woman with a unicorn constantly and by the end she was holidng on to his horn....you might have a slight sexual interpretation of what was going on. I did! However, most of the descriptions we read talked about the tableaux showing taste, hearing, sight, smell and touch or some such thing -- until I read an article in the gift store talking about the tapestries being seen as sacred or very profane -- I'm sticking to my interpretation. I think those guys hid lots of stuff in their tapestries and paintings and with my brilliant tapestry reading skills -- I got it!

Today we had great fun. We took a train to Vernon, about 5 or 6 miles from Giverney where Claude Monet painted his water lillies. When you leave the train in Vernon you can instantly catch a shuttle to take you to the museum. My good friend, Peg, in Phoenix (who lived in France for many years) told us to skip the bus and rent bicycles from the local coffee shop. As soon as we left the station -- voila! bikes for rent. We stopped and had a coffee etc. chatted up the owner and left in about 20 minutes on our bikes to ride through town. Best decision of the day.
Although it was supposed to rain, it did not. It got warm. There was a fabulous bike trail that we picked up about 2 km. into the bike ride and it took us straight ot Giverny. How French do you feel stopping at the local patisserie and picking up your breakfast -- croissants aux amandes....should be against the law. Next as we biked along all the local familes were out riding with their children and everyone was "bonjour" "bonjour" "bonjour". Delightful! We could stop whenever we wanted to take photos of homes done in the medieval style, the painted shutters, the gardens....it was fantastic.

The gardens themselves at Giverney -- not to be missed. I don't garden. I don't like dirt. I hate bugs crawling up at me. I don't even notice flowers much unless someone has a nice bunch in a vase -- and even then I can miss them! These gardens were spectacular or "ravissante" as the French would say. He must have been super rich to have grounds like this and we have to look up how he got to be a painter. This was no guy starving in a garret in Paris. His house was beautiful and completely renovated to look like it did when he lived there. It had been badly destroyed during the war. Since it is spring there were tulips everywhere. We took a ton of photos and if I can figure out how to get them on this blog I will. I'm posting them on Facebook too but our facebook connection is struggling here in France.

As we entered the gardens there was a small chicken coop with chickens and a large turkey or something wandering around. A nice sign was posted -- please do not disturb the fowl. We cracked up and had to take a picture which actually seemed to f#$% up the fowl....which made us laugh even harder. We felt so original taking our photo but I don't think one single English person walked by without taking a photo of the sign. Abe loved another sign near the entrance to the musem.....it was to warn you of electrical danger but it said ....Claude Monet, Danger Mort
which means Claude Monet, Danger -- DEAD!. Like we didn't know he was dead!

Women who stand behind their husbands telling them where to aim their camera, what to high light, move a little to the left, get the pink bush in front of the white tulips....really irritate the shit out of Abe. Unfortunately the woman who was doing this was in our path for a good half of the walk around the water lily pond and I think he was thinking of shoving her in to the water. The woman's husband never made a peep. ha ha.

One of the best things to happen this week was a reconnection with a friend I have missed for over two years. My friend, Michael, disappeared on me and I could not find him no matter how hard I tried. Our connection involved Michael trusting me to care for one of his dogs Casey -- now the love of my life! I wrote to his fire department where he volunteered, called his girlfriend, and on and on -- he was just gone. By Christmas of this year I just gave up..he was gone like a puff of smoke and that was that. I just had to accept it. Yesterday like magic a message appeared on Facebook and we found each other again. I pretty much like everybody but Michael just has a aura of "goodness" about him that makes me feel good. Life hasn't always been the easiest for him but he gets on with it and I so respect him for that. It appears he's raising some young girls with his girlfriend now and he will impart great values to them. They are lucky girls.

Benj comes in this week from Czech Republic or some such place. I'm not sure these study abroad programmes actually involve anything close to study, however I'm sure he'd disagree.
David has been really sick in China but with some good doctoring, antibiotics, and allergy pills he sounded a ton better when Abe talked to him the other day. Jon -- still searching for work but hopefully all is well.

Swine flu on the horizon everyone. You don't know whether to panic or scoff......the news can so set us on edge, can it not? My friend, Keiko, in Mexico City -- I am thinking of you and praying you are safe. Take care, friend. We shall see how this all plays out. SARS was terrible and many people died but eventually it was brought under control. Luckily Mexico seems to have reported this to WHO almost instantaneously which bodes well I hope.

Two more weeks in France and then home to Texas we go for two weeks. I guess I can fit in ten more Mysore classes......maybe my shoulders can hit the floor by then in one of the forward bends. That would be nice but I'm not expecting it...the head is there though! Yahoo!

Onwards and upwards....only so many more opportunities to eat some fabulous pastries, drink some wonderful wine, and walk our feet off.