Paris France

Today was our last day in France. We are visiting friends in Dreux, and Buckinghamshire England and are all together here. We have seven in our party and needed to drive in two cars. The day had something for every one - shopping, walking, eating, drinking, sightseeing. Since my phone is no longer charged half my photos are on another device. We passed by the Eiffel Tower, the tunnel Diana died, a George Clooney headline, plumbing service, a bride and groom. I am simply exhausted from the day but needed to get out the daily blog. More another time - good night!

Chateau de Maintenon

Today was very cold and rainy. We took a drive to the Chateau de Maintenon. We were not allowed to take any photos inside. This drives me crazy! So we went through a few rooms and wandered about the garden. Because of the time of year and weather, it was astounding to see a completely empty place - perfect for taking photos and short films. To imagine the Sun King wandering with his mistress about the place is interesting at best. When I ask what is considered an antique in the US it sounds almost funny when you think of it here. Even in the rain the gardens were spectacular, but that is the case any time of the year. Every day is a surprise, because I don't speak French or Farsi, which is the predominant language of choice among 7 people. Tomorrow may be Paris. Let's hope it stops raining. 

St Germaine en Lye and Amal Alamuddin

Today was a wonderful day. We drove to St. Germaine to see the son of the friends we are visiting in Dreux. We haven't seen him in 14 years. He spent six weeks or so with us when we lived in Milwaukee. We dragged him to Texas and Louisiana. He attended NYU and is now married and has two young sons. The family prepared a wonderful dinner and then we all took a walk near the castle and grounds of King Francis nearby. From there, we could see Paris in the distance. It reminded me of Capitol Hill with all the young couples and children walking about. The most interesting piece of information: our young friend was a classmate and friends with George Clooney's new bride at NYU - another six degrees of separation story. 

Dreux France

We were here about fourteen years ago for the first time. We came again this week to visit with friends in England and France. Today we walked about the city of Dreux. It is really picturesque, the weather is lovely, and it is quite different from Capitol Hill and Milwaukee. There was a medieval festival in the city center today, and we had coffee and lunch in the town square. When I think about where I might like to retire I think about serene and quiet places like this while my husband prefers the city scene. I'm not sure how it will ever get resolved. For now we won't be making any decisions about anything because we don't have to. So I will take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy the time away from work and the city. 

Chunnel, English Fog, and France

You know you are in England when you see the typical English taxi, the beautiful gardens, and of course the fog. We are fortunate to have friends who live in Buckinghamshire and this is our third trip to visit. We landed at Heathrow at the brand new Queen's Terminal 2. To make it doubly interesting is that we have friends who live in Dreux, France. After spending one day in England, the first day took us to the Chunnel... A car ride in the train that goes under the English Chanel to France. It sounds more impressive than the actual ride. In England I feel more at home because there is no language barrier. But when we go to France it is another story. The only language five out of six people know is Farsi, so I am out of luck. My high school French helps very little, and it all feels more strange to me. Since we have been on the move since Thursday it is time to finally stay in one place for a few days. Since we are infrequent travelers I need to sleep in tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to figure out how to use the blasted phone.