Je suis arrive

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I’ve arrived in France. The trip over was uneventful other than a little delay taking off for Nice. I wasn’t able to sleep much on the plane even with a Tylenol PM. The plane was an airbus 300 which had its own private entertainment center. That was nice. I got to watch a nice Hindi bollywood movie.

We arrived early in Amsterdam and the layover was long so I decided to take the train into Amsterdam Centraal. I got through customs, caught the train and made it Centraal Stations by 8:30. The Dutch are so efficient. I walked up Damrak to the Dam and then over to the canals. It was rush hour and the bikes were flying by. It was also garbage day so there was a lot of activity. Nothing much was open but it was peaceful to walk. I spent about 1 hour meandering through the streets before returning to the airport.

It is a beautiful 75 degrees here in Nice. I found my hotel, Les Cigales, very easily. I took the 98 bus from the airport and got off at Congress stop. It was about a 4 block walk. I tried my Costco phone card but the French number isn’t working.

So I headed off to get a card to charge my cell phone. They are everywhere. I also walked along the pedestrian area and into the old town. The flower market was just breaking up.

They are still working on the tram system. One part is finished near the old town but otherwise it is still working on it.

Well I’m off to eat dinner.

Bags are packed

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My bags are packed and I’m ready to go. I know… it sounds like a song.

I’ve done well. I’ve didn’t have any problems getting all the clothes I chose into my 22″ bag. It wasn’t too bad at first but it is a bit more heavy now that I’ve put a couple of guide books and a French grammar book.

I’m taking more than I normally do. I’m a bit surprised that I’m able to get as much as I have. I have 2 capri, 1 pair of slacks, 1 skirt, 1 dress, 1 pair of shorts, 1 pair of privos, 1 sandal, 4 t-shirts, 3 sleeveless tops, 1 long sleeve top, 1 rain jacket, swimsuit, underwear, 1 sweater. Plus what I will wear on the plane (jeans). G is bringing the hiking boots. For electronics, cell phone, small camera, i-pod, speakers, photo portable disk. 2 guide books. Toiletries.

G has to work until 7:30 so I’m going to cook a nice fillet of salmon for dinner. I made up 8 frozen dinners for him and left him a list of possible dishes that he can cook.

Now to relax. Tomorrow France!

Planning Marathon

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France_plan

We finally had a chance to sit down and do a little bit of planning for our two weeks together in October. We pulled out all the books and started outlining some ideas of what to do. I had a lot of ideas for the Cote d’Azur week. The week is packed. The week in Provence was much more open. As one of the books mentioned “It will be a vacation from your vacation”.

Here are some of the plans for Cote d’Azur
– Gardens in Menton
– Jardin Exotique in Monaco
– Villa Ephrussi and Walk around Cap Ferrat
– Nicoise Hill town drive
– Hanbury Garden, Apricale
– Nice Museums

Here are some of the plans for Luberon
– Market in Isle sur La Sorgue
– Cote De Rhone, Orange
– Hike in Lioux area
– Mount Ventoux drive
– Another day hike
– Roussillon/Luberon drive
– Roman ruins drive along with one of the above

We are going to drive between Nice and Luberon through the Haute Provence. We will probably come back along the Autoroute. Our last night will be in St Laurent du Var near the airport.

G was pretty excited. Unfortunately, he won’t be leaving for 4 weeks.

Fall is coming

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Something happened this weekend and I can now tell that Fall is coming. That is the beauty of living in Seattle. You definitely can tell the changing of the seasons. Growing up in California, it seemed to mainly be two seasons – hot summer and foggy cold damp winter. But living farther north, the changes are a bit more obvious.

The first change comes when you notice it is getting darker earlier in the evening. The long twilight and light until 9pm are gone. The gloaming starts around 7:30 now.

Next you notice the lengthening shadows and the golden tones in the evening. I love the golden glow that baths the garden after 6pm. The shadows stretch across the yard creating mysterious contrasts.

The days are not yet crisp which confuses the senses. It is still warm. The crispness and earthy smells do not arrive until September. Temperature wise, it is still the dog days.

But it is the trees that are true indicator of the coming change. Driving home today, I noticed the big leaf maple trees were yellowing and other maples were turning red. I took a closer look at the garden and could see the change coming in the linden and the parrotia. The locust tree is brilliant yellow.

Fall makes me sad. I shouldn’t be. It is always the start of something new but I hate to see the end of summer. But I am going to extend my summer. Southern France here I come!

Two weeks to France

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I can barely endure the butterflies in my stomach. It is less than two weeks before I leave. I’m a bundle of excitement and anxiousness. I have been researching and research but I’m finally to the point of release and the trip will be what it will be. I have a good idea of what I will be doing on the Côte d’Azur but Provence seems almost an after thought. I’m certain it will be fine. And as for any new area, a lot will be spent just familiarizing ourselves with the area.

I spent the weekend trying to wrap up some of the tasks I had left. I had to reserve a room in Nice for G’s arrival, get a car, do a bit more of shopping for clothes and shoes. I wanted something else to wear with capri pants besides my sandals. I ended up getting a pair of Privos that everyone on Slow Travel raves about. I got the Sofritos. They are comfortable but I can already tell there isn’t enough arch support for my high arches. I think they will be fine but I’m still going to bring along an insole just in case.

I also pickup a bunch of miscellaneous items like the IDL, another plug adapter, and some items for my new camera. I’m so excited about it. I got the Canon SD800is Elph. I wanted something small and lightweight to carry in my purse. It is perfect. The shots that were posted on Slow Talk convinced me. G will bring over my big camera but I think I’m going to have a lot of fun with this little camera.

I think I’m ready. I’ll pack next weekend and see what I can get into my 22″ rolling suitcase. I don’t want to take anything else. I think I can do it.

Fini

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I finished my semi-intensive beginning French course today. I am so glad that I took it before my classes in France because I didn’t realize how much I had forgot. I hope I can get into a semi-beginner class in when I get to France – fingers are crossed.

The class started with 10 students and at then end there were only three left. We started going faster near the end and ended up covering a little bit of passé composé (past tense).

I also dropped of G at the airport today. He flew down to Cali to visit his parents. They are going to the cabin for the weekend. A&B hope to join them. I’m a bit jealous. I love it up at the cabin but I would be too stressed this close to my trip. Two weeks to go!

France 2007

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I thought I would give an update on my plans for the France trip. I’ve detailed some of it under the France category but I haven’t pulled it all together in a single post. Kim and Pauline have both asked about it.

Aug 30 – Fly to Nice
I’m flying via Amsterdam to Nice France. I’ll be spending two nights in Nice before I start my French classes. I will be staying at Hotel Les Cigales . It looks nice and had good reviews on Trip Advisor.Sept 2 – 27 – Institut de Francais – Villefranche sur Mer
I will be taking French lessons at Institut de Francais in Villefranche sur Mer. I’ve have an apartment through the school and I will check in Sunday before classes start. It will be a studio apartment. I won’t be able to see it before so I hope it is nice.

Sept 28 – Nice or Villefranche sur Mer
G will arrive and we will be in a hotel before we move to Menton. I haven’t decided if I will stay in Nice or Villefranche sur Mer.

Sept 29 – Oct 5 – Menton
I found this apartment right on the harbor in Menton.. The owner has been so helpful. She sent me a lot of information on the apartment and what to do in the area. We plan to visit the gardens of the Riviera and Menton is the garden city of the Riviera. There are several gardens right in the city and nearby is Hanbury Gardens just across the border in Italy.

Oct 6 – Oct 12 – Lioux Luberon
We have not been to the Luberon area of Provence. We will be staying in the country at La Madeleine rental in a small hamlet near Lioux. We hope to do a little bit of hiking in addition to visiting the hill towns.

Oct 13 – Nice
One last night before our early flight back. We’ll probably stay at the airport after dropping off the car.

A month more and I’m off.

Team Building

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We had a team building event today. I usually don’t like this type of event but this wasn’t too bad. We are all problem solvers so it was a good event for us.

It was an orienteering game. We were given a map which had spots numbered on it. The goal was to as many spots as possible with your team within 30 minutes. We broke into teams of 6-8 people and then further broke into small groups of 2. You got points for each spot. Some spots could only be visited by one group; others could be visited by everyone.

It ended up being a more physical than I expected. There was a lot of running involved. Our team got second place. We were just one point short.

But the weather was sunny, warm and it was located along the water which helped cool us off. It might be fun to do again. The company who organized it also has public events. I might get G to one some time. If you are looking for a fun team building event – I recommend them.

Meridian Geographics

Pink Martini

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Summer in Seattle and it is time again for Pink Martini. We saw them last year at Chateau St. Michelle and it was great. It was the first time we had been to St. Michelle for a concert and we had the perfect day. It was warm but we took a couple of umbrellas. We ‘manger sur l’erbe’ and a nice bottle of sauvignon blanc. The sun went day, the hot-air balloons floated in the distance and Mt Rainier turned pink in the setting sun.

This year they played at the Zoo. There is a series of concerts to raise money for the zoo every summer. The artists tend to be an eclectic group. It is not as good of venue as St. Michelle. The field is flat, no alcohol is allowed and children are admitted free. But it is a great place to spend a warm mid-week summer night.

I went up to Pasta & Company and got a selection of salads. The shrimp celeriac remoulade was excellent. I want to try to make it. The faro salad was also very nice – faro, chopped tomatoes and sweet onions in a light vinaigrette. A spicy ginger cookie and a nectarine for dessert.

We went early so we could find a parking place. It was very easy at the south side of the zoo. We got in line around 4:45pm at the south entrance. The doors open at 5pm although they didn’t let us in until about 5:10pm. By time we got across the zoo and to the concert area, the field had pretty much filled in. I think next time we’ll go to the North entrance which is closer to the concert area.

At 6PM, the opening act came on. It was a pretty forgettable duo of a base guitar and mandolin players. They played covers of songs you would not expect such as Paint it Black or Money.

Pink Martini came on just before 7pm and played for over an hour. It was a fun mix of hits from their three albums. Of course, the encore was Brasil. Here’s a clip of one of my favorites of the night – “Sympathique” – title cut from their first album.

Dreaming of Luberon

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I’ve been sitting here this evening listening to the warm raindrops on the leaves. We are having an unseasonable rainstorm. They say it is remnants of the Man-Yi that hit Japan earlier this week. On the warm evening breeze, I can smell the faint aroma of the Tilleul (Linden) tree just outside the door. It is one of my favorite scents and it reminds me of Southern France.

We watched the file “A Good Year” last night. It was not as bad as I thought it would be. The scenery was the star. I wanted to see the scenes of Luberon where we will be staying in October. There were a couple of great shots of Gordes and the other small villages.

Kaydee also posted about Lioux which is close to our rental. They hiked to the top of the falaise at Lioux. Previously they hiked a loop trip during their stay last winter. This approach looks a little harder but lovely views. It was a terribly hot day. I was reading today how some of the forests are closed due to fire danger. She mentioned it in her post.

After reading her post, I have been web researching the Luberon. There will be so much to do. For now, I will dream.