Monday, July 25, 2011

On My Own Again


Hiking in Switzerland
Yeah as Christina said our month was very busy. Two of my best friends were getting married. That meant seeing all of my friends and partying till the sun came up. I already miss it, but I know that if I went back it would not be like that. Everyone has grown up and moved on to bigger but not better things because what could be better than when all of us get together. They would say that I am being uncharacteristically emotional. Either way congrats to all of their spouses because they are now part of our friend group.


I am back on the road by myself. It had been a great two weeks with the family, especially Natalie. Then a week in Granville with Christina. With the family it was an eating marathon with small breaks for churches and picturesque views. I have to say that I loved France with the exception of Paris which I found hot and crowded. I did have the best duck at Le Petit Canard there. Maybe if I was going back I would fly into Paris have a lovely duck dinner and then catch the train out to the country. There life is slow and our days in Granville where filled with bike rides, walks, and finding out which bakery had the best bread. I am sorry that my family missed out on this, but St. Malo and the neighboring towns are not so bad either. I mean Cancale is the oyster capitol of France, St. Malo is a beautiful city that was destroyed in WWll and rebuilt exactly like it was before, and Mont Saint Michelle is a famous pilgrimage site. I think that is nothing to scoff at. Though maybe Mont saint Michelle should be visited earlier in the season or at night to better appreciate the place. When we were there it was crowded and a bit like a religious Disneyland.
St. Monte Michelle

Disneyland size mob to get into St. Monte Michelle

Natalie checking out the view of the salt flats from the top of St. Monte Michelle

The place was haunted

Granville coastline

Granville

Riding bikes through the countryside around Granville

Chaucey Island

Me and our friend's new baby, Juliette
In Granville we stayed with a friend we met in Ecuador. She hiked with us for four days and she promised us great cheese if we came to see her in France. How can you pass on that. She was a great host even though she had just had a baby and was exhausted. She is a great cook and her mother is even better. I want to go back just for the Sunday lunches at her parents house. Her brother took us fishing for shrimp and crabs right outside their front door. We had a great time netting shrimp and grabbing crabs along the rocky coast. Even better was the fact that right when we got back his mom cooked up the catch. Fresh seafood with real mayonnaise can not be topped. Or maybe it can, I had the best macaroons in a little bakery in Granville called salon d'the, I think that was the name. I could not tear my eyes off of the macaroon display. Then for another outing we went to Cusey island just of the coast. It was really beautiful although I found it a bit strange that the path around the island went through peoples backyards. We were walking ten feet away from a family having lunch in their garden and five feet away from two girls sunbathing on their patio. Everyone seemed to think it was perfectly normal and when talking to our friends about it they said that is just part of vacationing on the island.
Yeah no comment...

Our feast of Crabs!

Our Intrepid Guide

Yummm

Now I am in Geneva with a couchsurfer, Ali. She is funny and really helpful. Yet, It is by far not my favorite city. I went to the united nations building yesterday and tried to go to the red cross museum but it was closed till 2013. Instead I went to the botanical gardens. They had a poisonous plant exhibition. All of the signs telling the names of the plants had a little skull and crossbones. I think it may be more expensive than Ireland which is very expensive. Another couchsurfer told me that it is just Geneva. I am hoping that the mountains will be better. Her roommate has the fattest cat I have ever seen. She loves to lay on my chest and stare at me until I pet her. She beats Tico (my cat) by miles in size and laziness. I will be heading to the German part of Switzerland in a couple of days. Switzerland is divided up into three parts the French, German, and Italian. Geneva is in the French part.
Fat Cat

Lula


P.S. I have to say that I was surprised at how many people read the blog. Thank you Mrs Diane. I really appreciate the time you take to read about our silly stories. That goes for everyone reading this. I heard several times while at home that maybe I should decrease my drinking or at least decrease the amount I talk about it. Just so people do not think that I have a problem I feel I should explain. While I was a nanny I felt it best not to talk about what happened with the family since that is their personal business. So I did not have much to talk about other than the occasional outing to the local pub or concert.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Family Time

Our big sis Jeannette and the cuttest little girl ever, Natalie
Ok, I know it has been an unusually long time since either Laura or I post. I think there are tumble weeds rolling around the blog by this point. Well, the last month has been a relaxing yet busy time. Laura and I have been spending it together at home with the rest of the family, even our little niece Natalie was there! It was a quick pit stop at home for a rest and mostly to appease our parents. They refused to take no for an answer. Granted I was in New Zealand at the time and it took me 4 days and 7 flights to get back home. It was well worth it…even if my legs swelled up like giant sausages from sitting on a plane for four days straight! I can’t believe it has been a year already since we set out! We have been so many places yet there are still so many we want to see. Who knows when are travels will end….hopefully never. (Not what my parents want to hear…sorry Mom and Dad)

Laura and our two puppies, Hank and Dolly
(Hank is the giant puppy)

How cute is that!?  How can you stay mad at her for peeing on the carpet

Hank lounging in the pool

Me consoling Dolly after her first swim

Our month at home was great. Our other sister Jeannette came with our niece Natalie so it really was the whole family together again. Most of our time was spent babysitting Natalie and my parent’s new puppy. When we weren’t babysitting and cleaning up dog pee, we were cooking for the family, riding our bikes, and doing yoga. It was fun to try out some of the new recipes we learned throughout our travels. I am really starting to get the Indian cooking down.
Just woke up

Laura and Natalie lighting a prayer candle in Notre Dame

We also got to catch up with some good friends. One of my best friends came all the way from Miami to see me, which meant a lot. I also went up to Chicago to visit another one of my best friends. She is the best when it comes to showing me the best places to shop and eat in the city. Hopefully it won’t be another year before I get to see them and the rest of my friends again. Laura was even busier visiting her friends. She had two weddings to attend and lots of her best friends in town to spend time with. One of the weddings was down near the coast so she road tripped down and got to see another of her best friends in the process. Between the babysitting, cooking, yoga, traveling, visiting with friends, and trying to sort through our belongings to see what we would take with us this time around, we both felt like we were always doing something. Still it seemed like we accomplished nothing!
The Happy Couple

Enjoying the wine and the company at our table during the wedding
It's funny, a year into traveling and Laura and I have switched hair styles. 
Now I have long hair and hers is short.
Now I am sitting in a hotel room next to Laura in the northern French city of St. Malo. I am always surprised at the circumstances of my life. One day New Zealand milking goats, the next wearing an evening dress attending a fancy wedding on a boat while cruising along the Seine river in Paris. It’s a charmed life we lead. Well, that is just a quick update for now. We will be traveling with our family in France for the next few days. We will fill you in with more detail soon…I promise. It was great coming back home for a while and catching up with everyone. It was a bit surreal though when people would talk to us about something we had done saying they read about it on the blog… I guess people actually do read this thing …
Paris

Eiffel Tower from a distance

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Modern city in a historic setting

Christina
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