La Bouille

Driving to La Bouille

Today, my mom and I drove to a quaint town "La Bouille" situated just south of Rouen, so about half an hour northwest of Gaillon. This small town, with only 820 inhabitants, is located on the river Seine and has a ferry service to cross the river to the town of Sahurs.



The town square



Merry Christmas

We celebrated Christmas this evening, it was very special as the four of us haven't been together for the occasion in almost 20 years! My brother Florian and his boyfriend David came to Gaillon (they live in Paris) by train and I drove home from work. Florian and David took care of the dinner, which was succulent. Toasted foie gras with caramilized apples, roasted farmed chicken with mushrooms and baked potatoes, cheeses, buche de Noel. Of course, accompanied with very good wines chosen by dad and champagne.

Rouen

My dad and I in front of the Gros Horloge

My parents and I went to Rouen this afternoon to finish our Christmas shopping. Rouen is the capital of the Upper Normandy region in the Seine Maritime department (76). The population in 2011 is 110276 people. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages. It was one of the capitals of the Anglo-Norman dynasties, which ruled both England and large parts of modern France from the 11th to the 15th centuries. It was here that Joan of Arc was burnt in 1431. The city is known for its Notre Dame cathedral, which was the subject of a series of paintings by Claude Monet. Also the Gros Horloge is an astronomical clock dating back to the 16th century, though the movement is considerably older (1389). The city was heavily damaged (approximately 45% was destroyed) during World War II: in June 1940, when the area between the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Seine river burned for 48 hours, because the Germans did not allow the firemen to come and extinguish the fire.

In the 2001 movie A Knight's Tale, the protagonist William Thatcher (played by Heath Ledger) poses as a noble and competes in his first jousting tournament at Rouen.

Frederique

Today, I met up with an old girlfriend Frederique. We were good friends in the early 80's, we were about 10 or 12 years old. We were at the same school and lived only a couple kilometers from one another so we hung out a lot and were always at each other's birthday's parties. One time even, several of us (her and her sister, me and my younger brother and a couple other friends) were on local TV, it was a show where kids could celebrate their birthday on TV. After a few years, we didn't go to the same school and we fell out of touch until this year. We had not seen each other in almost 25 years! She now has a cute 2 and half year old son named Matthew.

Thanksgiving in France

Since Tim wasn't in the US to have Thanksgiving with his family, we honored him by doing a celebration at my parent's home with their best friends. It was actually my parents and their friend's first Thanksgiving meal. We started with the typical french aperitif with champagne, then we had veggies & dip, deviled eggs. Of course, a (french) turkey with gravy, stuffing (from the US that Tim brought back), sweet potatoes and green beans with onions. Followed by cheese and a homemade cheesecake. It was a succulent dinner, Tim was the turkey chef basting it so it was very moist.

Tim is visiting!

Golf in the fog - Can you see where my ball went?

Tim and I are reunited again! He arrived Saturday at 8am in Charles de Gaulle, arrived earlier than scheduled and beat us to the door! Although a bit jet lagged, he wanted to play golf 9 holes to get ready for the Beaujolais competition the next day. And what a day it was, the next day, we never saw the sky nor the sun that was supposed to shine on us. Because of the constant fog, the men couldn't hit anything higher than a 9 iron and the women nothing higher than a 7 iron. What an interesting round.... On Monday, Tim and I drove to Fontainebleau (40 minutes south of Paris) and visited the famous castle where Napoleon once lived in. Today, I went back to work, so he hung out in the morning and went shopping in the afternoon. Tomorrow and Thursday, he will tour and sightsee Paris while I'll help mend the booth at the Paris Dental Convention center. Stay tuned for other adventures.

Welcome Lea to the world



Proud grandparents

My friend Carole had her baby girl two weeks ago, her name is Lea, she weighs 2.9 kilos (6 lb and 6 oz). She is a cute girl ! Friday was Carole's mom Ghislaine birthday so she and her husband Bernard invited us over today for lunch to celebrate. Carole and Lea were present, as well as Carole's younger sister Sabine (who is expecting a baby boy in February) and her boyfriend Davy, also Ghislaine's mom was there. I just loved holding little Lea, she is so adorable!

Halloween

My little cousin Lena and my aunt Josette

Yes, it's Halloween too in France! It's not as big of a deal as in the US, it is dying down a bit compared to a few years ago. But we still got a few kids coming to claim their "bonbons", they don't know the famous "trick or treat" but I taught a couple of kids. Happy Halloween to all the kiddos out there! Be careful tonight!

Championnat du Club de Golf de Gaillon

Aujourd'hui maman etait en finale pour defendre son titre du championnat, elle a joue contre Adelaide, une dame avec un handicap de 19.9. J'etais avec elle pour la soutenir et pousser son chariot. Apres s'etre bien defendue et fait de bons coups, Maman a malheureusement perdue la rencontre au 13eme trou. Mais la partie s'est bien deroulee et l'ambiance tres sympathique !
Today, I caddied my mom who played the final of the club's golf championship tournament, she played against Adelaide, a lady with a handicap of 19.9 on the rise. She had some good shots but unfortunately lost at the 13th hole. But it was a very friendly match and a beautiful day.

Dentsply France

I completed my first week at Dentsply France, not much to say as it was an initiation week, didn't work too much other than correcting an english document that my supervisor's boss had written. Most of the time, I sat with people from various departments and those in my department to learn about the business and how they work. I work 9am to 6pm. The traffic in the morning is a bit heavy. On Wednesdays however, since the kids don't have school, the traffic is lighter. At lunch, I eat with some co-workers at the local cafeteria, it's a self service with lots of choices. Because there are many companies, it's a very busy place. Yesterday, Friday, after work (I got released at 4.35pm because they didn't have anything for me to do) I drove back to Gaillon to my parents's house and I will head back tomorrow Sunday. Tonight, we are invited to our good friend's Bernard and Ghislaine for dinner, so it will be a good time!

Plaisir

Well, today was my last (unpaid) vacation and I drove to Plaisir where I'll be living during the week. Plaisir (yes, it does mean Pleasure in french) is 13 kms west of Versailles, therefore about 50 kms west of Paris. Thank goodness I didn't have to drive in Paris to get here! I made it (with my folk's GPS) in 1 hour. I'm renting a bedroom in a 1300sq ft house, 500 euros a month + utilities, which isn't bad at all. I checked into 1 bedroom appartment and furnished appartment, it was 600 to 800 euros. OK, it will feel like college, but it's alright. The owner (early 40's) and the other co-renter (21 year old girl, a waitress at the local Buffalo Grill) are very nice. So tomorrow, I'm getting up at 7.20am (vs 5.30am in the US) and get to work for 9am!

Cabourg

Today, my folks, I and a few hundreds Parisians drove up to the Normandie coast, the traffic was very heavy. The weather was so beautiful and it is said to be the last summerlike weekend of the year. My brother and his friend David went to Cabourg yesterday Friday, so we met them there today. Cabourg is in the Calvados region between Caen and Deauville. We had lunch at the restaurant of the Casino and enjoyed seafood dishes with a good bottle of white wine (Macon Fuisse). Then we walked along the busy beach, lots of people bathing and sun tanning. We had a fun and nice afternoon!

Happy 50th Birthday Tim

Today, September 29th, is my hubby's 50th birthday! He looks fantastic and has a young attitude. My folks and I were able to wish him a happy birthday on Skype right when he got up and ready for work. Schatz, we will celebrate when you get here Thanksgiving week! Yes, he'll come to visit me from November 19th to 27th, I'm SOOOOO excited!! I'll be working then, as I did get the inside sales job at Dentsply France, starting October 10th. Joyeux anniversaire mon Amour, je t'aime !!

Happy 40th anniversary mom and dad!

Lunch at the Canisses

Today was my parents's 40th anniversary, they are as happy and in love today as they were back then! I'm so proud of them, in today's time it's very rare to see this milestone. They invited their best friends (Bernard, Gyslaine and Carole) and I for lunch at a nice restaurant located on the Seine river; "Les Canisses" (http://www.canisses.com/). The weather was absolutely beautiful and we ate on their terrasse where a DJ was singing and playing old french songs and music. Joyeux anniversaire de mariage maman & papa, je vous aime beaucoup !!

Golf of Etretat

The famous 10th hole

Today, I accompanied my folks to a senior golf competition and I caddied my mom. They played one of the most beautiful courses in France: Etretat Golf Course (http://www.golfetretat.com/ - also available in english). For golf lovers, it is a stunning and exceptional site which gives them the pleasure to play on the top of the splendid cliffs with the sea ("Manche" between France and England) as a permanent backdrop. The 10th hole is one of the most famous holes in France, which must be played, at least, once in a golf players career. From there, the walkers and tourists on the cliff promenade will often pass and admire the golfer's shots. The course may seem easy to play with good weather conditions, but if the wind is blowing, to get a good score becomes a challenge that every player must take up. But even if your score does not come up to your expectations, you forget it because of the beautiful views and the special light upon the sea and the town of Etretat.

Castle of Gaillon



View from the town center

 Before coming to the US, I lived for 17 years in Gaillon (Upper Normandy). During that time, I had never visited our beautiful castle. First of all, as many young people living here, I probably wasn't all that interested. But even if I had been, the fact was the castle was not open to the public, therefore one only had the opportunity to admire the city's inheritance from the outside. This weekend was "le weekend du patrimoine"; meaning that all national monuments, museums, castles, in France were free to the public. So my parents and I went to visit the Castle of Gaillon. Here is its history... Cardinal George of Amboise, archbishop of Rouen, Minister of Louis the XII, Papal legate, Viceroy of the Milanese in 1500, installed on the river bank of the Seine the Gaillon Castle; his own vision of Italy where he had been sent for various missions and hoped to become Pope. Architects, painters and sculptors came from Italy through the Loire valley or Rouen's big building sites to transform the medieval castle within just a few years and its estate into the real palace surrounded by gardens. George of Amboise's successors preserved most of his work, but also added a few modifications or extensions renewing the castles gardens and buildings. The castle was kept intact until the French Revolution (in 1789), but then an auction split the castle up into the several parts of which a few were saved, bought by Alexander Lenoir for his "French Monuments Museum" in 1801 and rebuilt at the "Ecole des Beaux Arts" in Paris. Between 1812 and 1827, the castle was enlarged and used as a prison. It then became a private castle in 1919 thus until 1975 after long judicial procedures, the government got it back in a terrible state of ruin. Since then, the renovation has been carried out.

Dentsply France

Haven't blogged in a while. Well, I've been in Gaillon (Normandie) now for 8 days. This week on Wednesday, I interviewed with the HR manager and the GM of Dentsply France in Montigny Le Bretonneux, not too far from Versailles. I might be working for Dentsply again! I'm actually excited!

St Pourçain

Chez Georgette

Aujourd'hui, lundi 30 aout, Robert, Josette, Lena et moi sommes allés à St Pourçain (Allier) rendre visite à Georgette Thomas. St Pourcain m'est très proche au coeur, déjà c'est là où ma mère est née, et aussi où mes grands parents habitaient. Jusqu'à mon départ aux Etats Unis en 1996, j'allais y passer 2 ou 3 semaines chaque été, aussi j'en ai d'excellents souvenirs. Georgette est la belle soeur de ma grand mère maternelle, elle est d'une grande gentillesse. Nous lui avons fait la surprise d'une visite, elle ne m'avait pas vue depuis plusieurs années, pareil pour Lena. En partant, nous avons fait un petit tour sur les quais de la Ronde (jardin, jeux pour les enfants, passage de la Sioule) où Lena et moi nous sommes bien amusées.

Motorcycle ride

Today, my cousin Renaud and his girlfriend Jessica stopped by for a visit. He has a motorcycle Yamaha FZ1 (1000 cm cubic) and since the weather was beautiful today, we drove around the area. Jessica also has a motorcycle, she got her permit 2 years ago and bought her first bike (Yamaha FZ6, 600 cm cubic) last summer, so she's still very carefull. Renaud, who has been riding for 6 years, is an excellent driver. As we were cruising from villages to villages and were nearing the highway, he asked me if I was afraid of speed. I told him to go for it as I loved speed. Also I have total confidence in him, so it wasn't a problem for me. So off we went and reached a speed of 215 km/hour (133 mile/hour), what a feeling! You do realize how fast it goes, but when you trust the driver, it's such a rush of adrenaline! The important thing is you shouldn't move an inch!

Grenier family



Titisee, Germany

 Yesterday, I spent a few hours with my cousin Sebastien, his wife Sandra and their adorable daughter Emma. Luise and I drove to Titisee (a lake in the southern Black Forest) to meet them all in the morning. After a quick walk by the lake and a coffee, I had to part with Luise and said goodbye. I enjoyed the hour drive to Mulhouse seated next to Emma who talked to me the whole time (she'll be 4 years old in November), she's very chatty! We had lunch in a restaurant in Mulhouse and went to their cozy house in Reiningue (in Alsace), I had never seen it. End afternoon, Sebastien drove me to Beaune (Emma and Sandra stayed home as Emma needed to take a nap) to meet with my uncle Robert (Sebastien's father) and aunt Josette. We visited for a while before hitting the road to Clermont Ferrand, we arrived at 10pm, starved!

Goodbye Germany, bonjour la France !

Well, today was my last day in Germany... I'll be going to central France to visit my uncle (my mom's brother) Robert and my aunt Josette. I'm so excited as I will first see my cousin Sebastien, his wife Sandra and their 3 and a half year old daughter Emma, I have not seen them in 3 years, Emma was just a baby! They live in Alsace, near Mulhouse and they're picking me up near Fribourg, Germany in the morning and will drive me to their house (which is also new to me). Then they'll drive me to Beaune in France where we'll meet with his dad (Robert) and Josette. Finally, end afternoon, I'll go home with them in central France: Clermont Ferrand (home of Michelin factory). I had such a great time in Germany with Eugen & Luise who are great hosts, I've seen so many things and did so much with them. I am so thankful to have such a wonderful family.

Hike in Switzerland

Yesterday, I went with a group of ladies to Toggenburg, a large mountain range in the Swiss canton of St Gallen. We took the bus which drove us to the city of Alt St Johann, located at an elevation of 895 meter (2936 ft). There, we took a chairlift and enjoyed a beautiful and smooth ride to the Sellamatt station, 1390 meter (4560 ft). We had an extraordinary view of the Säntis, famous mountain as it is the tallest mountain in the Alpstein massif of north-eastern Switzerland; at 2,500 meters (8200 ft) above sea level.  The panorama from the summit is known to be spectacular. Six countries can be seen if the weather allows: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, France and Italy. Of course, we didn’t go there, one must be in excellent fitness condition to hike to this giant peak! From Sellamatt, we followed a path called “Klangweg” for 4 hours till we reached a very small village called Oberdorf. Along the way were set several forms of sound instruments that one could try and play; for example bells, pipes, flipper, horns, etc… There were also so many cows, free to roam the mountain, we enjoyed the sound of their bells.  We stopped for lunch after a couple of hours, ready to eat our sandwiches or whatever we had prepared at home. One lady even had the great idea of bringing a small bottle of Schnapps, so we all could drink a small shot glass to bring new energy! Which we needed, because it was pretty hot in the afternoon, even in the mountain. We later came across 2 small tiny lakes “Schwendiseen”, one of them we saw several people swimming in. From Oberdorf, we started walking back down the mountain where the bus waited for us in the city of Wildhaus, 1090 meter (3576 ft). We were all pretty exhausted but certainly enjoyed this wonderful day.

Lindau island

Port entrance with the light house and Bavarian lion sculpture

Today, my grand aunt and I took the train to Lindau, a bavarian town and an island on the eastern side of Lake Constance, located near the meeting point of the Austrian, German and Swiss borders. There are many ways to discover Lindau; stroll through the charming old town center and admire the old city hall, pay a visit to the beautiful harbor entrance with its 33 meter light house and the Bavarian Lion sculpture (the heraldic animal of Bavaria), take a boat to Bregenz, Austria which is just across the bay or buy souvenirs from the main shopping street Maximilianstraße. By nightfall Lindau starts to glow and shows another, very romantic face. Around 6.000 lights illuminate the harbor and turn it into the backdrop of a fairy tale, but also the skillful restored architectural jewels of the town cast their magical spell on any visitor.

King Ludwig II castles

During my short stay in the Bavaria region, I visited one of King Ludwig II castles: the world famous Neuschwanstein. It was commenced by Ludwig II in 1868 high above his father's Hohenschwangau Castle (which I also visited) in the area he knew so well, and was never actually completed as he died while it was still only a construction site. It was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886. Since then over 60 million people have visited Neuschwanstein Castle. More than 1.3 million people visit annually, with up to 6,000 per day in the summer. I heard so many Americans, Japanese, Chinese, Italian! The palace has appeared prominently in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle. Due to the great number of visitors, the tours through the castle are relatively short (30 minutes) and only a few rooms are being shown. I greatly recommend the visit of both castles (Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau), the walk between the two is about 20 minutes. You may stand in line to get your ticket for more than an hour (I was in line for 1.15hr) if you didn't purchase online, but it's truly worth it. The wealth, the paintings directly on the walls (they saved money on frames) and the heritage of these castles are breathtaking. http://www.neuschwanstein.de/englisch/palace/index.htm

Another day in paradise

We have been blessed this week with the weather and today was particularely wonderful, a sunny 28C/83F day with little white clouds, and a little warm breeze. So this afternoon, as my grand aunt was preparing our pizza for dinner, I grabbed my Zune MP3 player and went for an hour walk around the area. I've often been on this stroll, the area around here is just absolutely georgious; fields and forests, hills with beautiful view of the Hohentwiel. Today I passed many people; walking, jogging, biking, walking their dogs. All were very friendly and relaxed, everytime I passed someone, we exchanged the typical southern Germany greeting "Grüss Gott" (salute from God). As I returned home, I was welcomed back with a delicious salami pizza!

Trüsche dinner



 Another great and unique meal this evening. Eugen had gone to the fisherman's shop in Switzerland a couple weeks ago, which is located right on the border between the rhine river and the lake Constance. Eugen was ecstatic when he saw two beautiful big Trüschen. He told me they are very hard to get and seldom available at the fisherman's, therefore bought the both of them right away. The Trüschen, aka Quappe, is a freshwater fish that is only found in Lake Constance. These two were big enough for the 3 of us. We enjoyed them with a french sparkling wine (Vendome Blanc de Blanc). Prima !

Reichenau island

Vegetable farming

Today Monday, August 8th, Luise and I went to the Reichenau island, which lies in Lake Constance. From the main land, one drives on a beautiful tree-lined road to reach the island. We parked the car by the famous St George church and took a stroll on the island. They are a huge amount of vegetable farms there.

Escargots

My first post about food, call me Deven! If you know my friend Deven and follow his Facebook page, you'll understand my comment. Anyway, today Eugen & Luise served escargots for dinner, they were delicious!! With that, we enjoyed a good bottle of the local wine Hohentweil; a tasty white wine from the hills of Olgaberg. Mahlzeit!

Hop yard

Hop field

Today, we drove to Ittingen in Switzerland and visited a small village near a small hop field. Germany is the number one producer of hops in the world, the US come second! For those of you who are not familiar with hops (I wasn't until today), they are the female flower clusters of a hop species. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine.

Black Forest

Yesterday, Monday August 1st, we drove through a small part of the Black Forest, a wooded mountain range in Baden-Wurttember. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The name Schwarzwald (Black Forest) goes back to the Romans who referred to the thickly forested mountains there as Silva Nigra , i.e. "Black Forest," because the dense growth of conifers in the forest blocked out most of the light inside the forest. Wood-carving is a traditional cottage industry in the region and carved ornaments now are produced in substantial numbers as souvenirs for tourists. The cuckoo clocks are a popular example; they have been made in the region since the early eighteenth century and much of their development occurred there. The Black Forest ham and the Black Forest cake both originated from this region. We stopped in Baden Baden where we enjoyed a cup of coffee and piece of cake.

Marie & Hans Schuster

Avec les Schuster & Hofer

Pour la famille. Dimanche 31 juillet, nous sommes alles voir Marie & Hans. Marie est la soeur de Eugen et de Josephine. Ils habitent toujours Engelsbrand en Foret Noire, encore dans l'appartement derriere la petite boucherie. Ils etaient tres contents de nous revoir. Moi, cela faisait au moins 20 ans que je les avais vus ! Ils m'ont montre des photos et un vieux film de nos vacances ensemble avec les parents en Autriche. On a tous bien change ! Je les ai trouve remarquablement bien. Ils font toujours de nombreuses randonnees, et Hans joue toujours au ping pong et continue a prendre des cours de piano. Nous avons passe un bon apres midi.

Napoleon museum

Today, we drove to Salenstein in Switzerland to visit the Napoleon III museum, which is right on the Lake Constance. We were able to visit the estate and walk through the beautiful garden while enjoying beautiful views of the lake. More info available in french, english and of course german at http://www.napoleonmuseum.tg.ch/xml_19/internet/de/intro.cfm

Flying patrols

Swiss border

As I went to Stein am Rhein yesterday with my family, I quickly remembered and was amazed to see the borders between Germany and Switzerland. Since Switzerland is not a member of the E.U, it is not in a Customs Union with its neighbours and the Frontier Guards may ask if travellers have anything to declare. These "flying patrols" have the right to stop any car coming to the border to see if there is undeclared merchandise in your car. Because things are sometimes cheaper in France and Germany, there is a lot of cross-border shopping. Most of the time however, there is no staff at the border, and when there are staff, expect to be waved through!

Mercedes museum

Yesterday, Wednesday July 27, we took the train to Stuttgart (2 hour ride) to visit the Mercedes museum. Very large and interesting. From the very first automobile to some odd prototypes, and everything in the middle (trucks, buses, ambulances, police cars, race cars, etc...).
http://www.mercedes-benz-classic.com/content/classic/mpc/mpc_classic_website/en/mpc_home/mbc/home/museum/overview_museum.html

Constance

Yesterday, my aunt Sylviane (my dad's sister) and uncle Patrick arrived to Germany to visit us. Today, Monday July 26th was a beautiful day without rain, the first in 8 days! Hey I'm certainly not complaining as the whole continental US is suffering from extreme heat (105F in Oklahoma...). So we took the train this morning and headed to Constance, where we visited a nice old church. We decided to go check out the view from the top and climbed the 250 stairs! The views at 60 meter (200 ft) were astonishing, truly amazing. The way down was a bit easier to say the least!! Then we took a boat to Meersburg, we walked up top to the old part of the city (more stairs). Later on, another boat to Uberlingen. This trip sounds familiar, no? We immediately stopped at a cafe to eat a piece of delicious cake and had a cup of coffee, my uncle enjoyed a german beer. This time, we were informed of the time of the train at the correct train station, so no taxi rush!

A nice long hike

A view of the Hohentwiel from Hohenkrähen 

Yesterday Saturday, July 23rd, between light rain showers, Luise, Victoria and I went on a 7 mile hike. Eugen dropped us at the bottom of the Hohenkrähen valley, which belongs to a large chain of volcanoes in the Hegau region, about 7–8 million years ago, when a layer of volcanic ash and stone was laid down. At the top remain some ruins. We had a backpack with rain gears and bottles of water & juice. We first hiked to the very top of the Hohenkrähen, height of 650 meters (about 2130 ft) which took us a good half an hour, it was a bit strenuous. But our effort was well rewarded as we had fantastic views all the way around us. We could see cities like Singen, Aach, Radolfzell and even the beautiful island of Reichenau on the Zeller See of the Lake Constance. We also had a clear view of other hills like Magdeberg, Hohenstoffeln and of course the Hohentwiel. Then we headed south and walked 6 kms (3.7 miles) to the famous Hohentwiel (where I was last Sunday at the -rainy- festival). The Hohentwiel, also an extinct volcanoe, has a beautiful fortress constructed in 914, whose ruins lie at 686 meters (2250 ft). It was a 1.5 hour stroll, with only one rain shower, until we got to the bottom of the hill and then again we had to work our way up. Only this time we didn't go quite all the way to the top as we still had to make it back to Singen on time. So we descended and walked another 3 kms (1.8 miles) to the city of Singen. We were a bit hungry, so Luise treated us to a sausage sandwitch in a yummy brötchen (german round bread) and also a nice cup of Latte.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohentwiel

Zapa

Friday, July 22nd, we had the visit of Luise's son Roman and his family. His wife's name is Monika and they have 3 very nice children (all in their 20s) Norman, Victoria and Maximilian. The kids travel the world a bit with their studies. Victoria just spend some times in China, and also studied in the US, she speaks very well english. Norman can speak good french as he also spent some times in southern France during his studies. Maximilian will go 3 months to China next year and 3 months in the US (Long Island) also for school, and he is a golf instructor. So, Roman treated us all to a nice restaurant in Bohlingen, not to far from Worblingen where I stay. Also Monika's sister and her husband joined us. The dinner was excellent, a beautiful atmostphere and great company. If you find yourself around the area sometimes, I definitively recommend Zapa restaurant.
http://www.restaurant-zapa.de/restaurant.html

Can't escape Oklahoma...

Today, my aunt took me to the Hohentwiel Festival, even though it was raining and a bit cold, we put on our rain gear and carried an umbrella. We stopped and listened to a few bands and we came across a country band. The singer, Kim Carson, introduced her band (in english, she didn't know much german) they were from New Mexico, Texas and one guy from Oklahoma!!! I couldn't believe it. Even when I want to escape Oklahoma, it chases me all the way to Singen, Germany!

A beautiful day by the Constance Lake

A nice dinner before the rush

Lake Constance (in german Bodensee) is a lake on the Rhine, situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps. Yesterday after breakfast, we took a train from Singen to Konstanz, which is located on the lake. It is served by major railway lines with connection to all parts of the country. There, in Konstanz, we took a large Catamaran, it was very nice and very comfortable (not cheap though), it was a 45 minute ride to Friedrichshafen. This city is the district capital of the Bodensee district in the federal state of Baden-Wurttember. There, we strolled the streets and along the port, the weather was beautiful, in the 80s. Then, we took a small boat to Meersburg where we had to change boat as we wanted to go to Uberlingen. It is where my father was born in January 1948. After the city of Friedrichshafen, it is the second largest city in the Bodensee district, and a central point for the outlying communities. My parents treated us to a delicious dinner outdoor at a terrasse of a very good restaurant (www.bad-hotel-ueberlingen.de/restaurant.php). We were just about to order dessert, when we were told the train was leaving at 8.10pm from the nearby train station, it was 7.55pm. So my uncle immediately ordered a cab which arrived within minutes. However, we quickly realized that all 5 of us wouldn't fit in the cab (with the driver, we were 6! No van taxi here). My dad said he would run to the train station, about a 10 minute walk. Conveniently, I had injured my ankle earlier in the day and, even though the youngest of us all, couldn't run... ;-). It took us literally less than 5 minutes to get to the train station and we quickly asked the taxi driver to get my dad as he was running down the street. The taxi dropped my dad at the station at exactly 8.07pm, that's when we found out we were at the lower train station and the train would depart from here at 8.24pm. The 8.10pm was departing from the upper train station! What's even funnier is that my dad's uncle, after my dad was dropped, asked him "Warst du nicht in dem Taxi mit uns??" Everything happened so quickly that my uncle didn't realize that my dad wasn't in the taxi with us. We had a good laugh. Back home, we shared after dinner drinks and kept on laughing about our adventure. It was the perfect ending of a perfect day.

Meersburg

Today, my parents and I drove on the northern part of the Lake Constance and stopped in a charming medieval city: Meersburg. The name of the town means "Burg on the Lake", the former referring to the castle which, according to a tradition from 1548, it was built here in 630 by the Merovingian king Dagobert I. The town is home of 2 castles; the Old Castle and the New Castle. The Old Castle, according to the Swiss chronicles, was built by King Dagobert I in the 7th Century. The New Castle was built in the 18th Century as a home for the Bishop of Constance. Following the Secularization of 1803, the New Castle was used for a variety of purposes before becoming a museum. Also two medieval town-gates can be seen, which are the remainders of the fortification.

Mahlzeit

Eugen and his nephew (my dad) Jean Paul enjoying a glass of a very good italian wine Brunello di Montalcino 2004.

Salem, Germany

We are now in beautiful Germany, Konstanz lake, at my dad's uncle & aunt's house. They live in Rielasingen Worblingen, a small town. It is conveniently located, lots to see and to do around here. So today, my parents, aunt Luise and I went to Salem, not far from Friedrichshafen. We visited a monastery with nice garden, minster, a fire-brigade museum, farm buildings, stables, a small vineyard, etc... The weather is wonderful, about 30C (90F) with a little breeze.

Getting ready for Germany

Packed my suitcase again, well actually 2 suitcases (1 large & 1 small), 2 bags, 1 small box of miscellanous stuffs and my computer. Good thing I'm not flying!! Good thing my folk's trunk is big enough! Well, I'm going to Germany for 7 or 8 weeks, so I'm taking just about everything. Checked the weather forecast, it's going to rain all week and temperature to be in the 70s F (about 18C) there, while in Tulsa the temp is a minimum of 104F. So glad to be in Europe, even if it's raining! I do miss Tim, being able to chat via Skype does help. However, I might not have frequent internet access in Germany as my family doesn't have internet. I hope my dad will help me figure something out. Tschuss !!

C'est bon le foie gras !!

Nous sommes passees aujourd'hui dans une ferme pour acheter du foie gras pour la famille en Allemagne. Tres belle ferme !
Today, we visited a farm where I bought some foie gras (expensive liver duck pate) to bring as a gift for my family in Germany where I'll stay for the summer. The farm was very typical and quaint.

Anniversaire de maman

Bon anniversaire Mamounette !!!! Elle a encore 30 ans !!  Jolie comme une fleur ! Nous allons bien le célébrer avec Bernard, Ghislaine, Carole (qui va être maman d'une petite fille en novembre) et Toscane. Le champagne va couler dans les verres et on va bien manger et

rigoler. Maman a eu un beau bouquet de roses de son mari et un nouveau parapluie de golf de ma part. Cela me fait super plaisir d'être la, car je n'avais pas participé à la célébration depuis 16 ans ! Happy Birthday Maman, je t'aime beaucoup !!!!!

Golf day

I accompagnied my parents and two of their friends today for a round of golf today. I didn't play, but I hit a couple of drives, hadn't hit a shot in a few years ! The weather was so so, few light rain drops and sun. Team Jean Paul/Bernard won, but team Jacqueline/Jean were very close. They all got a lot of sun spending time on the beach, sand was a bit hard. Nobody got wet though. We made sure to visit and stay a while at the 19th hole.

In France

There I am, on french soil again. Just for the week. I am staying at my mom & dad's in Normandie. Not the one on the coast, as most Americans know. We're less than an hour drive from Paris, but I will not go there. It's very nice here, I love it at my mom & dad, it's like being a kid again and I remember when I grew up as I stay in my room. Sure, a lot of things have changed, but so have I.  It will be a short stay here as my parents are kindly driving me to Germany (7 hour drive) on Sunday, July 10th where I will reside for a couple month at my dad's uncle & aunt. I'm very excited, I always wanted to live in this part of Germany, it is absolutely beautiful. However, I will stumble with the german language, but I hope to regain some sort of fluency by the end of the summer (and still remember speaking english!!).  I do miss Tim, my understanding husband and my four legged furry kids. After 15 years in the States, I have created a life. But I do miss my past, life and family here in Europe.

Dentsply

So today, it was made public at work that I had given my 2 week notice and resigned from my position as an inside sales representative at Dentsply. In September I would have been there 10 years!! I received so many e-mails and visits from people telling me they'll miss me and wish me their best. They were saying how lucky I was. I, in turn, am so lucky to have so many understanding friends and co-workers. In ten years, I have made so many friends there. I will truly miss a lot of them!

J -2 semaines

Je me prepare pour mon depart en Europe, moins de 2 semaines. Tellement a faire et le temps passe vite. Je suis un peu nerveuse mais aussi excitee de mon retour en Europe. Je voulais remercier ma famille, surtout mes parents, de me soutenir dans ma decision et de me raccueillir chez eux, alors qu'ils ne savent pas pour combien de temps. Je commence une nouvelle aventure, d'abord en Allemagne, chez l'oncle et la tante de mon pere, pres du Bodensee. Puis apres, on verra ! Suivez mon blog.

Getting ready

Less than 2 weeks before my departure. I'm a bit nervous and excited at the same time!! So much to do before such a trip. I first would like to thank my husband for letting me do this. He is so understanding and supporting. This is going to be harder for him than me. We've been married for 14 years and he's going to have to live without me for a year. This is the reason why I wanted to create a blog, so he could follow me and see what I'm doing. For the rest of you, my friends & family, follow my adventures by reading my blog! Posts will be in english and french.