Slow Travelin'

Leaf-peeking

2012-01-29T08:24:00.000-08:00

Speaking of peeking when the leaves are peaking (don't get in a pique if you miss it!), here is a path to consider (from Cedar Rapids).

View Trees in a larger map

Conversations

2012-01-29T08:17:00.000-08:00

Topics of Conversation in Iowa:
- Corn! When it's ready, how to cook it, how upsetting it is that someone had the temerity to call something "sweet corn" when it *obviously* was not! On the News: dangers of methane build-up in corn silos, and how to avoid this.
- Hawkeyes! and any other college and semi-pro sport team.
- Snowblowers! Advantages and disadvantages of various models, the effect of snow-blown rocks hitting houses with fiberglass siding, how important it is to point the blower away from your neighbor's freshly-blown walkway. The best way to blow deep snow. Electric starters? Yes! Snow shovel? Only for exercise, and it gets old fast...
- RAGBRAI! Anticipation mounts only days after the recaps wane. This is a week-long party, interspersed with bike-riding across the state :-)
- Leaves! How to find out the very best day to go on a leaf-peeking drive, where to go, reminiscences of past trips. Anxiety about finding a hotel for *that* weekend. Can you do it all in one day? Yes! You'll never guess who I ran into while leaf-peeking!
- Tornadoes! What to do with all the strange items found in the fields after a tornado (answer - take them to the Fire station).
- Deer! Drive carefully at dusk and dawn, since deer like to eat in the corn fields, and sleep on the other side of the road (it's almost a law with them). In the News: 4 hunters shot in the first morning of deer hunting season.
- Caucuses! Iowa has caucuses, which are different than primary elections. Iowans still get inundated with political ads, just like everyone else. sigh.

Just for balance, California topics would be: wine, 49ers and Sharks, surfboards and skis, Bay-To-Breakers "race," movie premieres, earthquakes, mountain lions, and the initiative process (and more political ads).

Working in Iowa!

2011-12-28T14:07:00.000-08:00

I just got home from a 4-month contract - I was working in Iowa! I had never lived in the mid-west before, and only had two short work-related visits to Iowa before. While I am very happy to be home again, my time in Iowa was extremely interesting and pleasant. I know that a big part of that is that I had worked with and knew several people from California who had transferred to Iowa earlier. They had made the transition, and helped me do so as well. They recommended restaurants, car-repair shops, and entertainment. They talked about Iowa-specific concepts - or at least they were non-Californian concepts :-). More on those later - for the moment, I'll just say I am very grateful for their kindness.

My trip to Iowa started with a flight from Costa Rica to California - which I missed! I ended up going on a later flight to Miami, then to Los Angeles, where I stayed the night in the airport before collecting my luggage and catching an early morning flight to Sacramento. If at *all* possible, I heartily recommend *not* spending the night in the LA airport! It is specifically set up to discourage this occurrence! All the chairs have integrated arms, so no one can lie down, and the air conditioning is turned to frigid. And there is no food available. And they continually broadcast on the PA system. And if you leave the terminal, you can't get back in until it "opens" again in the morning.

Fortunately, the rest of my trip went fairly smoothly. My parents picked me up at the airport, and we went directly to the clinic where I had an appointment for my pre-employment drug test. If you aren't familiar with working in the USA, this is something nearly every employer requires. The procedures scream "We don't trust you! We know you will try to cheat! CERTAINLY you do drugs, and we're going to catch you!" But don't take it personally. It's the price of admission. :-S

I spent the next few days rearranging my packing, getting USA things out of storage, getting my car checked out for the trip, shopping, and visiting with friends and family.

Monday morning, I packed up the car, and headed nearly due East. Four days later, I was in Cedar Rapids, IOWA!

View California to Iowa in a larger map

Celts (etc) in France

2011-07-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

Part of the Festival of Saint John in Perpignan involved giant dancing puppets, morris dancers, and bagpipes! How eclectic can you get?

See more short videos of the giant dancing puppets and bagpipes by clicking here!

Feeling French

2011-07-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

Things that make you feel French:
- opening the bedroom window shutter in the morning
- watching swallows swirl in the twilight
- becoming even pickier about bread
- tasting cherries at the open air market
- realizing that field is not full of corn
- fields of wheat, sunflowers, poppies, grape vines
- listening for, and understanding, your train announcement
- spreading pâté on a crispy, springy slice of bread
- cheese on pear slices
- drinking wine all the time
- drinking café au lait with breakfast, but black coffee after lunch
- ordering a lunch with no clue what it is, and then discovering chicken on your plate
- holding 10 euros in your hand, all from different countries
- walking down Victor Hugo Avenue
- going into a bathroom, seeing a man washing his hands, and passing a woman coming out of a stall

French Pictures

2011-07-16T15:55:00.000-07:00

I uploaded a whole lotta pictures from our France trip! Check out the album here:
France 2011

Paris Airshow

2011-06-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

Although we missed the Paris Airshow, we did get to tour the Toulouse Airbus facility, *and* saw bits and pieces of the Airshow on French TV (can we get a little enthusiasm here?)

:-D

Here's a link to the Paris Airshow 2011 in Pictures.

Perpignan - Catalan Concert Video

2011-06-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

This video is from the concert in Perpignan, during the Festival of Saint John.

I definitely wish I had captured more than just this one song by this group - Jasmina has an amazing voice!

You can view all the videos from this concert by clicking here.

Nîmes - bullfight videos

2011-06-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

I uploaded the videos from the bullfight at the Féria de Nîmes

NOTE: despite what Rick Steves has to say about the bullfighting in France, these bullfights are Spanish-style, and the bull *is* killed.

To see them all, click here

Home!

2011-06-26T17:20:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 26

Ahhhhhh....

It is now almost 24 hours from the time we woke up this morning in France, and we're home!

And off to bed :-)

Toulouse - Airbus Tour

2011-06-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 25 ~~ Sunny and warm

This morning (*early* this morning), we took a tour of the Airbus A380 program - in French! While I didn't absorb everything, it was still pretty interesting.

It lasted an hour and a half, and consisted of three parts - an overview with telemetry during the test flights, a view of the factory floor where the planes are assembled, and a walk-through of a section of the passenger area. We also got to see a mock-up of the cockpit of the A320.

Interestingly, just the day before, Airbus was in the news - they had just won a *huge* contract to supply Air Asia with 200 planes. Earlier in the week, government officials were pressuring Air France to buy their planes only from Airbus, in the name of "economic patriotism."

Details:

We had to order our tour at least 2 weeks in advance, so we did that when we first got to Toulouse.
Our tour started at 9 am, but we were required to be there by 8:30 for check-in.
From our hotel, to get to the Airbus plant, we first walked to the train station (5 minutes), then took the Metro across town (10 minutes), then took the tramway (light rail) to the nearest stop (30 minutes), then walked (20 minutes). We gave ourselves and hour and a half, and we got there 10 minutes early :-)

Sète to Toulouse

2011-06-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 24 ~~ Sunny and Breezy

We kept thinking about a way to stop off in Carcassone for a half-day tour of the old city, but finally decided that we hadn't quite relaxed enough :-). So, we waved to Carcassonne as we rode the train past, eating our picnic lunch.

We spent the afternoon catching up on our internet (we had no connection at all in our hostel at Sète), and figuring out how to get to the Airbus tour tomorrow :-D.

Sète - Beach? or Museum?

2011-06-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 23 ~~ Early morning sun, mid-morning light rain...

The weather made up its mind, and a soft warm breeze blew us down to the beach :-)

Sète - Stormy Weather

2011-06-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 22 ~~ Morning Thunderstorm, rain, fog

Original plans called for a trip to the beach - hah! We woke to thunder, lightning, and rain falling through fog. So, we had a lazy morning and then a lazy afternoon :-).

Sète - Fête de la Musique

2011-06-21T21:59:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 21 ~~ Foggy and cool

Today was the world-wide Fête de la Musique, and Sète was not left out! Most events were in the evening, and included a parade and a flash mob. We caught faint strains of music from the town at the hostel into the wee hours.

Sète

2011-06-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 20 ~~ Sunny and warm

Our train pulled into Sète in the late afternoon, and we picked up a *very* sparse map at the train station information office. After comparing it to the more extensive wall map, we decided on a route, and headed out. Along the way, we picked up some groceries.

As we followed our route, we looked up at a hilltop - non non non! Please, not another mountain-top hostel! Yes... Fortunately, I remembered my backpacker climbing - step, breathe in, step, breathe out, repeat until you reach the top.

Note for future: remember to print out a map and hotel information for places that aren't spelled out in the guide book...

Perpignan - Palais des Rois de Majorque

2011-06-20T19:53:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 20 ~~ Sunny, warm (25 C), with a nice breeze

As we had yet to tour an old building in Perpignan, we spent our last morning here at the palace of the kings of Mallorca (link) - built in 1276, it definitely qualifies as "old."

So many of the roads and courtyards, including this Palace, are paved in these flat rocks set on edge, I just had to get a picture...

The hike up to the top of the tower was well worth it

I thought the Pyrenees made a great background for the rainbow-colored Gare (train station) :-)

Back down from the tower, we visited first the upper chapel (used by the king). The entrance is faced in marble

Then the lower chapel, used by the queen.

Perpignan - Collioure Day Trip

2011-06-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 19 ~~ Sunny, warm (25 C), with a nice breeze; cool morning

Today, we took a day trip via train to Collioure, a very pleasant town on the coast, known as "The City of Painters." There, they were also celebrating the festival of St. John! We got there mid-morning, and found a wine-tasting going on in the park. The tourism office was open, and provided us with a town map, a listing of the day's events, and a map of the Chemin du Fauvisme.

Since we had only had a coffee and some left-over snacks on the train, we stopped for another coffee and croissant, then walked around the town, looking out for the Fauviste paintings and "viewing frames."

We also stopped in at the Notre Dame des Anges

and this chapel

The Fauvist paintings (Matisse and Derain) are posted along the route (the Chemin du Fauvisme), where the artists had painted them - we could see both the painting and the inspiration for it :-).

The "viewing frames" are metal "picture frames" set up so the view through them corresponds to a painting (not shown, but referenced) - we found 3 of these around the village - so exciting each time :-D

We had lunch, then headed around to the other side of the bay.

We got back to the center of town in time to see some folk dancing to traditional music!

Ice cream called, so we got a cone each of *very* rich coffee and dark chocolate, then caught the 4pm train back to Perpignan to *rest!*

Perpignan - Catalan Festival of St. John

2011-06-18T22:54:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 18 ~~ Overcast, Cold (high of 18 C), and WINDY!

The festival continued today - Rick was smart, and wore his jacket; I somehow expected summer to continue, and left mine behind. Our events kicked off with troubadors and giant "puppets."

The festival continued with more Catalan music and traditional dancing - the Sardana.

In the middle of all this, we discovered an *amazing* restaurant! Morrocan food to die for - Restaurant La Suite at 8 Rue de la Fusterie.

You can see more about where this all happened on our trip map: Julie and Rick in France 2011.

Perpignan - Catalan Concert

2011-06-17T22:51:00.000-07:00

June 17 ~~ Sunny and warm, breezy

We considered taking a day trip to Villefranche-de-Conflent, and the Yellow Train (link) from there. This idea was doomed! When we walked to the bus station, we found there was no information center, so we continued on to the tourist center. We did find all sorts of bus schedules there, but no timetable that would work for us (much later, we found that there is also a train to the village). The good news is that we got a very nice schedule of events for the Festival of Saint John that had just started :-).

The rest of the day was given over to wandering the old town, getting our bearings, and finding a laverie to do laundry. Speaking of laundry... The automated (not staffed) one we found had the directions all spelled out, and it was fundamentally easy. But as with all things done the first time, a little show and tell from someone who knows the ropes always helps. A lovely woman did just that! Then she even showed us where the good grocery store was :-D.

After a little rest back at the hotel, we headed out to Place de la Republique - there was a *great* concert full of Catalan music - four groups took turns performing, and we loaded up on local sounds. I took some short videos, which may or may not be worth uploading - stay tuned ;-)

Avignon to Perpignan

2011-06-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 16

We caught a late afternoon train to Perpignan, and 3 1/2 hours later, we were confused for the first time in a French train station! This station had two major exits, and neither side mentioned the main street we were expecting :-(. We picked one, went outside, and asked for help - and promptly turned around as directed, went to the other side, and out...

Several blocks later, we collapsed at our hotel, and had a light dinner of cheese, bread, fruit, and veggies.

Avignon - Musée Calvet

2011-06-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

June 16 ~~ Sunny and Hot...

This morning, we packed up and went to the Musée Calvet - again, no camera. There were two statues that I added to my wish list - one of a faun, and one of a reclining woman with a snake...

As usual, we spent several hours ogling paintings and sculpture - we found one in particular that reminded us of the works of our friend Donna (Nu Bleu). And I was especially proud of myself when I correctly connected two works by the same painter, previously unknown to me :-).

Avignon - Pont Saint Bénezet

2011-06-15T22:07:00.000-07:00

June 15

On the ramparts near the Pope's Palace was the very nice Jardins des Doms, with a view of the old bridge partially spanning the Rhône river. The Pont Saint Bénezet (aka Pont d'Avignon) was built in 1185, and most of it was washed away for the last time in the 1600's

Avignon - Palais des Papes

2011-06-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 15 ~~ Sunny and Hot!

Today was dedicated to seeing the Palace of the Popes

and the oldest religious building in Avignon, the Cathedrale Notre Dame des Doms next to the palace

Avignon - Old City

2011-06-14T22:42:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 14 ~~ Sunny, very warm, breezy

The city of Avignon called, so we went out for a mid-day coffee and dessert, then onward!

We had heard that a synagogue dating from before 1221 was in the city, so we meandered through a good part of the pedestrian section

and found it - it was being repaired, so we couldn't see very much, but it was interesting to know about

Then we found a Cathedral

Then the clock tower(s)

A preview of the Pope's Palace

We ended up on the ramparts by the river

and came back to the hotel via the Musée Calvet, another preview :-)

Avignon - Playing in Traffic

2011-06-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

June 14

Some things just never occur to us until we see kids playing around. We just had to laugh when we saw these girls jumping on the traffic posts, making them retract into the street. I imagine it would be a lot of fun to ride one up and down when the light changed :-D

Vaison-La-Romaine to Avignon

2011-06-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

June 14 ~~ Sunny and Hot, with a breeze.

We had hoped to take the bus all the way back to Avignon, but circumstance conspired against us. We got all packed up and checked out, and headed to the bus station. We immediately ran smack into the regular Tuesday market, but couldn't spend any real time shopping. When we got to the bus station, it wasn't clear where we should wait, so we were surprised when a bus pulled out of the terminal gates (a prohibited area), and rushed right past us. We went in to ask where to wait - yes, we were at the right spot... When the *second* bus passed us by, we went back and asked the *right* question! We finally saw where the confusion was - the schedule that we (and the hotel clerk) had used to plan our trip relied on routes that were only available during school vacations - that is, not running now. :-(. Well... Luckily we had a fall-back plan - we would just to the reverse of our trip to Vaison-La-Romaine. Now we had a couple of hours to kill, so we left our bags at the station, walked back to the market, and got an early lunch (our breakfast had been awfully light, and we wouldn't have a chance for a real meal until Avignon). After our rocky start, we caught our bus to Orange, then the train to Avignon, followed by an easy walk to our hotel - no problem!

Vaison-La-Romaine; Roman Ruins

2011-06-13T14:37:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 13 - Rick's Walk

Roman ruin of Vilasse, taken through the surrounding iron bars.

The more modern country estate right next to it

From there, I could also see the Cathedral of Notre Dame of Nazareth, dating from the 11th century CE. When I entered, it was lit by nothing but a few candles - *extremely* dark! It gave a feeling of what church was like for medieval parishioners. Then, suddenly - Boom! they turned on the lights, and I could see everything much better. The sanctuary contained the coffin of the patron saint, St. Quenin, the local Bishop in about 500 CE (who, by the looks of it, was about three feet tall).

I saw another view of the medieval city just across the river

Right next to another ruin is the "Art Farm" (Ferme des Arts), which included this more modern sculpture, dedicated to the progress of technology (those "plates" are real PC boards...)

Vaison-La-Romaine

2011-06-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 13

Finally, a day to relax! But then we woke up early :-(. This is the day we found out that it is impossible to get even a continental breakfast before 8:30... We made up for it later by having a second (and then a third) coffee.

We found a nice shop or two where we bought picnic items - the shop owner even opened our wine bottle (and put the cork back in a bit). I couldn't resist taking a picture of this "portrait of a red-fruit tarte," as I called her display.

By early evening, Rick was restless, so he went out to look at some of the Roman ruins that Vaison-La-Romaine is famous for. I gained control of the computer ;-).

Vaison-La-Romaine; Le Château Comtal

2011-06-12T22:57:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 12

Today, I was looking for a nice hike in the country, and Rick was looking for some history. We both got what we wanted by hiking to the Château through the old medieval city.

This view made us think we heard a voice calling down: "Bring me a shrubbery!"

Nîmes to Vaision-La-Romaine

2011-06-11T22:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 11 ~~ Sunny and balmy (again!)

After the hectic last few days, we both wanted a place to relax! We had been heading further East than we expected, and so we looked for a small-ish town in Provence - and we found Vaison-La-Romaine.

There is no direct route to Vaison-La-Romaine, so we took the train from Nîmes to Avignon, then another train to Orange, then a bus to VLR. We had enough time in Avignon to buy a fast lunch (my first croque-monsieur, which was pretty good!). But then we had over 3 hours in Orange! We stowed our bags at the station (and the camera too, darn it!), and headed into town to see the sights. You can follow our route (look for Day 11) on our trip map: Julie and Rick in France 2011.

We got back to the station in plenty of time - we sat on a bench in the sun and chatted with a fellow traveler. He had been to the area several times, so he pointed out a few things on our way. When we got to VLR, he met his traveling companions, and they took us into the center of town in their car! What a treat! This was the first town we had been to where we didn't have even a basic map, and it was a smidgen daunting - much easier to start out in the center of town.

After realizing there were two plazas very near each other, we found our hotel on the second one.
The first plaza was completely filled with *more* festival booths! The Pentecost festival was in full swing here as well, but in a small-town way. There was a parade at about 9:30 pm, with about half a dozen bands separated by floats. All of the floats were filled with children in costume - very cute! It was such a short parade, it repeated the route three times :-).

Nîmes Centre-ville

2011-06-10T23:50:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 10 ~~ Sunny!

Today, the Féria was in full swing - crowds of people everywhere we walked. We went to several monuments and parks, found the covered markets, and discovered that Mall food in France is significantly *different* (*better* that is) than Mall food in either the USA or Costa Rica! This mall was connected to the market, so it is possible that that had some influence, but we had a Plat du Jour of curried fish (and wine, of course). Almost everywhere, the condiments are packaged like this, water comes in a re-used bottle, and you can get house wine by the glass, quarter bottle, or more:

We returned later for crêpes and coffee - deelish!

We made it back to the hostel in plenty of time to order our Paella for dinner, and enjoy some wine with our new room-mates, Nick and Julia (what a coincidence that was!)

We noticed that two items were on nearly every menu at the Féria: Paella, and Gardianne de Taureau, so we naturally had to make both of these dishes part of our trip :-).

Nîmes - Féria!

2011-06-09T23:25:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 9 ~~ Sunny!

We took it easy this morning and enjoyed the fresh mountain air of the hostel. We did some laundry, then walked into town for a late lunch. This was day 2 of the Féria, so centre-ville was packed with people, and the streets were dominated by stalls selling food, wine, beer, snacks, and souvenirs.

After our lunch, we found the place to buy our tickets, and got two "amphitheater" seats (e.g., the cheap seats) for the evening's bullfight. The show started at 6, but the arena opened at 4:30. We wanted to get there early enough to get a choice of seats, so we went in then. I asked the fellow at the gate which side was the best to aim for, and he said to get the sun at our backs. The amphitheater seats were large blocks of stone with enough room for one person to sit on the edge, with their feet behind the person at the next level down. Snack sellers could maneuver in that space as well (being careful). An hour and a half of that, and we were *definitely* ready for the show to start! Right on the dot, the bullfighters made a procession into the arena.

Then the bullfights!

We finished off the evening (and the bull) with a dinner of Gardianne de Taureau - the meat from the bulls, marinated in red wine for hours, then cooked for hours more.

Nîmes

2011-06-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 8

One of our days full of "comedy." When we booked our room at the youth hostel, we saw two different places - one on the outskirts of town, and one right in the center. Naturally, we chose the one in the center of town, and thought "how lucky we are! They have room!"

When we got to Nimes, we walked the few blocks to where the hostel was *supposed* to be... (you see where this is going). So, there is really only one hostel, and yes, it's the one outside of town.

We lugged our suitcases into town, wandered around looking for our hostel, and finally ask for help from a very nice woman working in a hotel (which should have been our hostel...). She gave us a map of the town, called our hostel to confirm that it was the one, and pointed us in the direction of the bus stop. We dragged our baggage back the way we had come, and waited for our bus. About ten minutes later, a gentleman came by and told us that because of the Feria, that bus stop was bypassed - and he told us where to go instead. As it happened, it was *right* across the street from the train station! We found our spot, and finally got on the bus. We were right behind two others who were also headed to the youth hostel, so we all stuck together :-). The bus dropped us off 1/2 a kilometer (all uphill) from the hostel - we finally arrived, and were promptly given a large glass of water :-).

And that was that for the day!

Montpellier - Musée Fabre

2011-06-08T15:08:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 8 ~~ overcast and cool morning, sunny and warm afternoon

We woke later than expected (I had forgotten to set the alarm, and we both had had a rough night), so we just had time to get cleaned up and pack before check-out time. We left our bags (and camera, so no pictures for today...) with the hotel, and had a light breakfast. We ran into some unexpected sprinklings of rain, so we went back and grabbed our coats from the hotel, and then headed to the Musée Fabre - the "must-see" museum in Montpellier. Our "luck" held - it was Wednesday, and the museum was closed until 1:00 :-(.
Fortunately, we planned for *flexibility!* We had 2 hours to kill, so we walked around centre-ville, ever so slightly aiming for the quiche place (Le Fournil St. Nicolas) for lunch. On the way, we tried to see a nearby church (Notre Dame des Tables), but it was closed. We banged our heads a bit, but then we ran across a church that had been closed the other day, and *it* was open! We enjoyed the sculptures and paintings in the Royal Chapel of the Blue Penitents - *definitely* check out the pictures of the very amazing crucifix.

After lunch, the sun was out, and we got back to the museum just before it opened. We spent the next 2+ hours absorbing the paintings and sculptures - I fairly ooze culture now :-). I do wish that I knew more about the mythology, especially about the different saints - I felt completely clueless when I saw paintings of saints with their different symbols. I know they impart an entire story to those who know the mythology, and so I know I missed out on a lot. Fortunately, I did remember enough about the Greek and Roman myths, including the Iliad and the Oddessy.

Greuze was **amazing!**

A couple of works really stayed with me - there was a painting of a fellow and a sculpture of another, and there was just "something" there that made me want to know them. The artists definitely captured something fundamental. Interestingly, another sculpture (of Moliere) was breathtaking, and showed him as an amazingly handsome man, but not necessarily someone I would care about. I suppose that tells you more about me than about the works :-S.

We left the museum, grabbed our bags, and went to the train station to get our tickets to Nimes - painless again - it was a half-hour ride, and we got to Nimes about 5pm.

Montpellier - more Monuments!

2011-06-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 7

It was such a nice day, we decided to go out again, this time North of the boulevard. We walked light, with no camera - a shame for this post, but we certainly absorbed a lot! The highlight was when we looked up and recognized the crenelations that we had seen from the giant park earlier - we turned a corner, and boom! there it was! We found out it was the Cathedral of St. Pierre - we walked through it, and goggled at the altar - it looked like hammered gold. This church was first built in the 1200's, then added to in the 1500's and then the 1800's - not the kind of history we're used to...

After the church, we checked on the local hostel, thinking we might extend our Montpellier stay, but they were closed for the next few hours. Since all the other hotels we had checked with were full, our future was decided - we were going to move on!

Nimes was on our list as a day-trip, so we said "why not just stay there?"

Montpellier - Monuments!

2011-06-07T18:25:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 7 ~~ Nice weather :-)

Today turned out to be a day full of monuments! Centre-ville is full of narrow streets and tall stone buildings, perfect for walking (and motorcycles).

This church was chock full of gold (pardon the blur)

The prefecture (mayor/police office) was right on the Place des Martyrs de la Resistance, where we rested a moment

Beautiful buildings were everywhere

Near the end of the boulevard was the courthouse

and the Arc de Triomphe

It ended at the Porte du Peyrou

The Place gave an amazing 360 degree view of the surrounding city

We turned back, walking the side roads, passing several more churches and small plazas
Eglise Ste Anne

an unusually colorful bistro

a belle maison

Cathedral St. Roch

Facing the Cathedral was a very interesting mural - it covers nearly the entire building

Another interesting building on a plaza

Time for LUNCH!

Toulouse to Montpellier

2011-06-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 6 ~~ Pleasant in Toulouse, Sunnier and warmer as we moved ~~West~~ East towards the Mediterranean. (what can I say, I've been conditioned all my life - go West to the beach!)

Today we took the train from Toulouse to Montpellier! We were both a little nerve-wracked about the process, but it turned out to be pretty painless after all :-).

Since the Gare (train station) was very close to our hotel, we walked over a few times - first for information, then for more information, then for tickets and boarding. We had looked into getting a Europass before our trip, but it didn't make sense for the amount and length of trips we were considering. And also, we were not absolutely sure we would take the train. Then we found out that ticket prices increase as the travel day approaches, and we thought about whether we should reconsider our lack-of-planning plan. Ultimately, we decided that being able to change our travel at the last minute was worth it. But we did spend some time looking at passes and tour packages, considered the bus (found out it doesn't do what we want for the longer distances), and found that fares also vary depending on the time of day and type of train (an express with reservations is more than a multi-stop 2nd class train).

So, our travel day arrived! We had an easy morning, but didn't dawdle much - breakfast, packing, walk to the train station. We arrived about and hour and a half before the train we wanted, bought our tickets, and waited. About 20 minutes before the scheduled departure time, the information board listed the track number for our train - we pulled our stuff together, got to our train, and found some seats. Makes sense of course, but no one can tell you how easy it is until you've actually done it. Or is that just me? It's just me.

On the train, we shared a table with a very nice woman who lived in Montpellier, and was returning from a visit with her son in Toulouse. We started off a bit shy of each other, but she soon found out that we spoke enough French to actually converse (YAY!!!), and we were all chatty by the time we got to Montpellier. She advised us to go to Carcassonne in the morning, because it gets very crowded later in the day. (We definitely have to remember that!) We all agreed that Narbonne was much warmer and sunnier than Toulouse (but she said that Narbonne has the Mistral, a very strong wind). We ate our lunch of bread, pate, raw veggies and fruit (pears!) - when I commented that it was difficult to have silverware on a trip, she said (something to the effect of) "well, you're voyaging! you don't have to worry about that!" And after all, it's not as though we made a big mess. And the pate (forestier and foie gras from the market) was *amazing!*

When we got off the train, Madame even pointed us in the right direction for our hotel. We fumbled around a little bit, but then pulled out our maps (such tourists!), and walked straight to it!

Toulouse - Musee des Augustins

2011-06-05T22:33:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 5 ~~ Partial Sun, pleasant.

Today, I was simply tired! Yesterday's TREK got to me, so we mostly relaxed. However, we did make it out to the Sunday morning market, where I saw my "pear guy" again - we kidded about the last time** then we got *more* super-juicy pears and told him that this was our last day in Toulouse :-(. We finished our shopping, had lunch upstairs at the Victor Hugo market again (but different restaurant this time), and then walked to Wilson Place.

That was about all I could do! So, with my bag full of groceries, I walked back to the hotel for a rest. Rick took advantage of the first-Sunday-is-free at the museums, and walked to Musee des Augustins. On his way, he found the Monument aux Morts and the Halle Aux Grains.

Rick had wonderful reports of the exhibits - the only thing that saved me from fatal jealousy was the fact that *the* statue I wanted to see, the virgin of Toulouse, was gone - on her own travels around various museums of the world.

** our first day in Toulouse, we found the street market and my pear guy. He had some regular-looking pineapples, and also some that were much darker - his sign on those was difficult to read, and my best guess was pineapples "fumé" - so, trying out my French (!!!), I asked if they were really smoked pineapples? How bizarre! Well, no, they were "sucre," or "sweet" (don't even ask me how those words looked alike, but they did!). We had quite a laugh then, mimicking smoking a pineapple...
Oh yes, I also had fun ordering 2 pears - I used the USA fingers first (index and middle), then switched to the French fingers (thumb and index). Then I just *had* to explain the Costa Rican "2" fingers (the ring and pinky fingers). Then *he* told me the word for "two" in arabic. I'm darned if I can remember it tho...

Toulouse - Basilica St. Sernin and Taur

2011-06-04T10:55:00.000-07:00

June 4 ~~ Overcast, partial sun, a little rain late afternoon

Today, we made it to the second floor of the Victor Hugo market for lunch! We had to do a little bit of shopping first, of course :-). The market closes at 1pm, and we rolled in a bit before then and got some fruit and *cheese!* After lunch, we went on the Basilica St. Sernin, which wasn't open in the afternoon until 2.

On our way back, we ran across another church, L'Eglise Notre Dame du Taur (Our Lady of the Bull). You can see the Bull on the lower left in the wall painting.

From there, we walked to the Place du Capitole - there was a wedding party there, so we didn't go inside any of the buildings. But! I *did* see the door to the Alliance Française! Unfortunately, it was closed :-(.

We went back to the hotel via Wilson Place, and relaxed inside through all the rain :-)

Toulouse - St. Etienne, Jardins, Pont Neuf

2011-06-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

June 3 - SUNNY! and Pleasant most of the day, with a little Rain in the late afternoon :-)

We got back very late last night from dinner - testing the waters of the "French dinner hour" meant we went out *looking* for dinner at 9pm, and got back to the hotel at 11pm. I couldn't sleep for hours afterwards...

This morning, we took it easy, then headed roughly in the direction of the church Saint Etienne. We meandered through the Place Occitane, which had planters full of different herbs, then we found our way to the St Etienne church.

We kept going, and found this Place

All along the way, we passed through narrow streets and by houses tucked behind high fences and private courtyards

Some of them fronted the Jardin Royale

which had a dedication to the Aerienne space program

One garden led to another, and my batteries died (eyeroll and huff). We had an *excellent* lunch in the plant garden, surrounded by sculptures and "paintings" done with different types of plants.
After lunch, we found a Tabac and bought some batteries :-) then found another church - Notre Dame de la Dalbade - that was quite different from St. Etienne

(well ok, so not completely different)

From there, we zig-zagged through the narrow streets and found the river Garonne. Just then, we saw a water-skier setting off (what envy!)

We were actually surprised to find that we had come out right at the Pont Neuf! Somehow, I thought we were a bit further south and would have to walk a lot to get there. So, we had a happy accident :-)

We crossed over - it's a bridge! you have to cross! - then we saw a sign for chocolate. Hmmm - sounds like a good place to take a break... But it was closed. By this time, we were getting a little tired, so we decided to skip some of the sites in the area, and head back towards the hotel. We walked along the edge of "old town"

And took a little rest at the Place du Capitole

Then back through Wilson Place to the hotel.

You can follow our route for "Day 3" on Google map (notice the roads named for intellectuals like Hugo and Fermat): Julie and Rick in France 2011

Toulouse - Wilson Place, Victor Hugo

2011-06-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

Our first full day in Toulouse, we were pretty tired, but decided to beat jet lag by getting some exercise in natural light (I won't say "sun" because it was *not* sunny, and was in fact raining). We piled on our clothes, grabbed the banged-up umbrella, and headed out to Wilson Place (named for "President Thomas Wilson"). It is an oval park, surrounding this fountain,

and has a fun carousel

From there, we walked through the Halles Victor Hugo, a covered market full of fresh seafood, meats, cheeses, produce, and beer, wine, and coffee bars - there are restaurants upstairs, but they looked closed (I'd guess we're a little reluctant to pull on closed doors when we're as tired as we were, but we'll go back).

On the way back to our hotel, we saw the park and statue of Jeanne d'Arc

And, finally, back to the hotel for a rest :-)

Come Rain or Come Shine...

2011-06-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

Well, we are *certainly* glad we changed what we packed! We arrived to rain in Toulouse - dead tired from a full day of flying, sitting up - we were some of the "lucky" few who didn't get an extra seat to spread out in (some actually had THREE!). We landed in Madrid first, to a beautiful sunny day, super fast lines through immigration and customs (seriously, *no* waiting), and then had a few hours to kill before continuing on to Toulouse.

Once in Toulouse, the airport bureaucracy was non-existent - no passport checks, no luggage checks, nothing! We followed the signs for the navette (airport shuttle), went a little bit too far, turned around and spotted the office for information and buying tickets - the gentleman at the counter was wonderful! He listened patiently to my French :-), answered in French until I ran out, then he switched to English (still smiling!). We found our shuttle, got on, watched the others slide their tickets into the machine, did the same, and then waited for our stop - it was the final one, so easy. It was also *right* across the street from our hotel, which we saw just before the stop - one less anxiety :-).

We decided that we needed to have a light dinner, so we took a short walk in the direction recommended by our hotelier, and found a likely place. Even though it was after 7pm, it wasn't quite open yet, but the owner (tending bar next door) opened it for us :-). We had a nice dinner - the waiter introduced us to "the gold of Bordeaux" - a type of course salt called "sel de la Garonne." Our long long day ended a short while later - we were asleep by 9:30. We both woke for a couple of hours in the night, but then we were up by 7 - a little sleep-drunk and groggy, but ready to start our day. In the rain...

At the Last Minute

2011-05-31T10:26:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, flying day...

We made some last-minute changes - I suspect that will become the norm :-). I double-checked the weather in Toulouse, and saw that it is rainy and cool! Hmmm - added an umbrella, warmer clothes, and coats. Ok, we're weather-wimps - when you are used to mid-seventies year-round, 50's and 60's require something more...

France - the Master "Plan" - 30 May 2011

2011-05-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

So, it's not so much a master plan as it is a sketch :-)

We fly into Toulouse, France this Wednesday, after an all-night flight direct from Costa Rica to Spain. In Toulouse, we have the first few days booked, but then, everything is open - we're flying by the seat of our pants. A recipe for anxiety for every anal planner there is...

What we do have though is a whole bunch of places where we *might* go, and a lot of ideas (and contact info) about places to stay - we're thinking mostly hostels or B&B's (the kind where you stay in an actual person's home, in their spare room).

We're using Google maps to see what's what: Julie and Rick in France 2011

We'll be changing it as we go, so here's a snapshot of it:

Some good news and some bad news:
- we did a test pack last week, and found that we had *plenty* of room in our two carry-ons. This of course means that we will over-pack tomorrow...
- today I was "targeted" by a bird (ick!). The last time that happened, Rick and I were on our honeymoon. We're still going strong, so I'm taking this whole thing as *good* (what else should I do, eh?)

Cooking Abroad

2011-04-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

We don't usually think much about cooking ingredients (or cooking, for that matter) when travelling abroad. But hunting for items we know how to use and finding substitutes - that may or may not work :-S - can be one of the most rewarding experiences!
I've experimented with changing several old favorites in Costa Rica, and *loved* the results! I've also had a few disasters...
Recently, someone sent this link on ingredient replacements in France - well, it's interesting reading for me, anyway :-).

Going to France: Nearly Plan-less?

2011-02-20T16:48:00.000-08:00

We're actually going to France! We have our tickets; we're committed! So... Now what?

I've learned a lot from our trips to Costa Rica and from vacations around the states. And even after 20 years together, we're still learning a lot about each other and how we like to (and need to) travel. I know that if it were just me, I would have nearly every second planned. And I would miss out on a lot! But what is a compulsive planner to do? This one is going to try to kick that habit! I foresee an awful lot of anxiety (already begun), but I keep telling myself that this is not a once-in-a-lifetime trip. We'll go again. We don't have to do everything this time. If we miss some festival, get stuck in some generic hotel for a night or two, can't get tickets to some sold-out event, etc. etc. etc., well - that's OK. We'll experience something else :-).

What do we want out of this trip? Ideally, everything! Flexibility is the number one criterion. We want a slice of life mixed with a bit of tourism. So it's all about research and ideas instead of reservations. *This* is where the planner gets full expression! Not so much "we'll stay at this hotel x days," but more "we'll shop in the farmer's markets" and "let's aim for festival x, but see how it goes."

With all that in mind, some investigation is on-going. We have decided to stay in the Southern areas - Paris and Bretagne (and so much else) will stay on the list for another time. We'll fly into Toulouse (aerospace and high-tech!), and spend some time based in Montpellier. These two cities have a reputation for excellent public transportation, and so are good areas to go car-less. We also want to try out village life, and so expect to rent a car for at least some of that time.

We know that neither of us like to eat out every meal (but we don't like to eat every meal at "home" either!), so we're aiming for places with kitchen privileges. These are apparently not that common, but that's what we'll look for.

We, like many, are watching the trip budget. Some of the things that are budget-friendly, and also fit with how we like to live-while-we-travel are:

most of the time, make lunch the big meal
have appetizers or a picnic for lunch or dinner
split a meal now and then
self-cater; shop at the local markets
some of the time, try youth hostels (but mix in some upscale places too)
do a lot of self-tours by walking, driving, and using public transportation
see what the area itself is like, not just the monuments it may be known for

Some of the things on our list (repeat after me "it won't matter if we miss these this time"):

canal boat ride
bullfight festival
aerospace tour

For some reason, I enjoy a trip so much more if I think about the possibility of living there - perhaps... eventually? maybe part-time?

Summer School in Europe

2010-09-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

This is definitely something to think about for a trip to Europe! It is a summer school class in Art - it lasts 2 1/2 months, perfectly do-able on a tourist visa. "Learn about painting, photography, art history in Florence, Paris and London..."
Institut d'Etudes Supérieures des Arts

Language and Culture: Bilingualism

2010-09-09T21:14:00.000-07:00

A 75 year old woman is forced by terrible circumstance to leave her home. She is a well-respected elder there, she knows her culture and her language, and is often consulted on what should be done. Now, she is in a foreign land, where revering age is not part of the culture, everyone speaks a language she doesn't know, and she needs help to accomplish the smallest task. Naturally, she will gravitate toward others from her home country. In large part, this is how our country was enriched by Little Italy, Chinatown, Solvang, and a host of other ethnic centers. This new immigrant doesn't need to learn much about the culture or language to survive in her new country. In fact, inhabitants of the new country have an amazing opportunity to experience a small taste of another country - it's culture, cuisine, and language - without ever leaving "home!"

Unfortunately, the enjoyment that so many of us gain from these cultural centers is offset by the many who resent these groups that "refuse" to integrate, assimilate, and blend in.

How do other countries deal with this? France, for example, has an official language (French, in case you wondered). It has created an entity, the so-called body of "immortals," to keep the language from "straying." In addition, it requires prospective new citizens to demonstrate integration into the french culture and working knowledge of french language. This is so important to France that they have classes for these future citizens, paid for by the French government (that is, via taxes).

Why does the United States not do this? One reason could be that in the United States, English is a defacto language. While it is true that most historical, official documents are in English, there is, in fact, *no* "official" language. Granted, if you want to communicate with the majority of the inhabitants, you must be able to speak (read, write, understand) English. But you *can* be truly "American," contribute to the melting pot, and still not know English. Another reason - probably *the* reason - could be that most Americans would balk at taxes paying for the sort of classes that are offered in France.

So what happens? Resentment grows. Every time they hear a voice mail system offering an alternative language, they get angry. "I live in AMERICA, damn it, why should *I* have to press one for *ENGLISH!*" That refrain is so common, it's reduced to a one-line joke, a toss-away line, "What? You don't understand me? Press one!" Every time voting material or a driver's license test is offered in multiple languages, American mono-linguists fume. "Why is my tax money paying for this?!? If you can't vote in English, you don't belong here!" Americans are bombarded with the chant "we speak English in America." The as-yet-un-chanted corollary is "you foreigners have no business being here." That is when the mono-linguist becomes a chauvinist, and the country becomes poorer.

So why should taxes pay for official documents in multiple languages? Consider the woman at the beginning of this post. Suppose she becomes a citizen. She wants to do her duty as a citizen, and so she obeys the traffic laws, she sits on a jury when called, and she votes. How does she do a proper job of it if she can't fully understand the subtleties of the language? I have read my share of propositions, and it certainly takes a fine comb to tease apart what they really mean. And English *is* my native language. Doesn't it make sense to give a voter all the information possible to make a valid, informed decision? Do you really want someone voting for a law they don't understand? That happens often enough when the voter is a 5th generation English-speaker. One way or the other, the citizenry will pay for the learning curve of its newest members.

So many Americans forget the fact that they *are* Americans because their ancestors immigrated. Many come from English-speaking backgrounds, and so don't even have family stories about learning a new language. Because of this, they simply don't realize just how hard it is to become fluent, or even to become independent in a new language. They don't understand the little joys that come with knowing even a little of another language. Without this, how can you enjoy that little moment when you are "sauteing" something, and you realize that yeah, it *is* jumping around in there! (to further your delight, "sauter" = "to jump" in French)

Think for a moment about the foreign-language education where I grew up, in rural California. There was never a possibility of learning another language in elementary school - it simply wasn't even considered, let alone available. By the time I got to high school, "prop 13" had become law, school budgets were cut, and the "choice" of a foreign language class was reduced to one. The only reason the entire "department" wasn't cut was because of the college entrance requirement of 2 years of a high school foreign language. So, for two years, I had a required class that was "the goof-off class." No one learned anything; no one took it seriously; it was a class to skate by on.

Since then, I have had to learn enough of another language to survive in a country where English is popular, but not common. I have the luxury of being able to fall back on English words when I get stuck, and often someone will understand me. I can tell you that using another language is *hard!* It is painful. It is lonely. It is beautiful and enriching. It is occasionally funny. There is no better way to learn about another culture than to understand its language.

Because learning another language has had such a powerful effect on me, I find it especially disappointing that the United States is becoming more and more "anti-bilingual." It is no longer sufficient to disdain those who don't know English. People (occasionally even in news broadcasts) now scorn the very idea of multilingualism, equating it with "not from here," which is also somehow *bad.* It is as though you are not 100% AMERICAN if you can speak another language besides English. Now, pop culture jokes include "bilingual" in the list of unsavory characteristics of a low-life. Somehow, being more ignorant has become better.

They say that travel and language study broaden the mind. Since when does staying home narrow it?

Language and Culture: Time Estimates

2010-06-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

When you order a pizza delivery in the United States, and you ask how long it will take, you get an answer. This answer is almost *always* "30 minutes." Is it really ever 30 minutes? Not in my experience. After a while, you don't believe that answer. So, you either figure it will take what it takes, or you get angry each time the pizza is late (and if it's also cold, well, look out!).

The pizza maker's pat answer is an estimate. You could say it is what it would take if all went well. It reflects a *desire* to provide your pizza in a reasonable amount of time.

We don't really have a way to quickly and easily express that concept in English. You can surround the "it will be ready in 30 minutes" with other phrases, but that would probably frustrate the United States customer even more.

The Spanish language, used where I live in Costa Rica, *does* have a mechanism to express this uncertainty. And, because the pace of life is so uncertain, it is used often. If the pizza is hoped to be there in 30 minutes, the speaker will use the subjunctive. You, the pizza consumer will (basically subconsciously) hear this uncertainty, and will not "count on" seeing that pizza in the near future. You will relax with a glass of Chianti. If, however, you are really hungry, and don't care for wine (whaaa?!?!?), you could then ask the pizza guy, using the indicative, "so, will the pizza be here in 30 minutes?" At this point, the pizza guy will probably answer in the indicative as well - what people from the United States would call "the truth." Pizza guy will think about all the other pizzas in the queue, the traffic situation, the state of the delivery guy's moto, and tell you that ahhh, well, the pizza "will be there in 45 minutes." He might also think about the fact that you seem *really* hungry, and tell you "3o minutes" - but he will also bump your pizza up the queue to make a little more certain you get it then.

If you are fairly new to the language, you aren't as likely to catch that nuance. You will probably be angry a lot.

Interestingly, if you are a native Spanish speaker, you also aren't likely to realize what is happening. You simply absorb what is conveyed via the subjunctive and the indicative. Both answers are "the truth," but mean quite different things - you have different expectations from each answer.

Language and Culture

2010-06-07T16:47:00.000-07:00

There is something about travelling and living abroad that opens your eyes. You "see" the world in general in a different way. Certainly, you learn more about the country you are visiting, but an interesting aspect to me is how much you learn about your *own* country.

My home country is the United States. I have been slow travelin' and living in Costa Rica for over 4 years. I am planning a long trip to France. A big part of my journey has been learning Spanish, and now French. The Spanish language has nuances that, when understood, can help you understand the Costa Rican culture better. I expect that as I learn more French, I will understand more about the French culture as well. When you first see the mental flash that a particular nuance provides in another language, you compare that aspect of the culture to your home culture (and to other cultures that you have learned about). You really think about a part of your culture that you never even noticed before.

Some of these discoveries are pleasing, some are disappointing, but all are interesting.

More Than a Toe...

2010-02-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been more than a *year* since I dipped my toe in the "French" water (now known by me as "l'eau"). In that time, I've been collecting books and movies set in France - I have even read a few of the books, and have seen some of the movies :-|

The biggest step however, is that I am taking French language classes at the Alliance Francaise! I just finished a Level One intensive class - it was 4 days per week, 4 hrs per day, for 4 weeks. Whew! The great news is that I passed!!!! I was worried about this - the classes are in Costa Rica, where I now live, and so any explanations that couldn't be done in French were done in Spanish. My Spanish is sufficient for living here, but not always up to snuff for understanding "concepts" - especially French concepts. Luckily, the professors also knew English, and when I got into jams, I could clarify (fortunately this only happened a couple of times). Perhaps the funniest situation (but frustrating) was when a fellow classmate noticed my confusion, and explained something in Spanish - I couldn't say "yes, I understand, but how do you say it in French?" (well, I could have, but I only understood what he was doing after the fact).

Learning my second "foreign" language is opening my eyes about how I learn. All my training and schooling up until now has been focused more on knowing how to figure out something, and knowing where to find the information needed to do that. Memorization has been *very* low on the "importance" scale. Well, guess what! Now I need to memorize - a *lot!* I've also come to realize that a lot of my personal enjoyment of books and movies comes from seeing nuances - I like to (almost need to) know every word that was said in a movie, and often re-read passages in books. I like to think about alternate meanings for sentences, and look for subtleties. That can be a *huge* drawback for learning a new language! At least in the beginning stages - it may be that it will help later, but for now, I need to consciously stop that hamster on its wheel in my brain.

One thing I am curious about, and expect to see - how much Spanish will I temporarily lose as I learn French? There were so many funny things that I couldn't remember in English when I was intensively studying Spanish - like my brain couldn't think of "baking something" - it was suddenly "ovening something." Well, I start my level 2 French class this week - but only 2 days per week, for 2 hrs per day. So, vamos a ver...

France - a Toe in the Water

2008-10-17T16:04:00.000-07:00

I've dipped my toe in the water - no more than that as yet. I'm investigating slow travel in France! As Rolf Potts so wisely states in his book "Vagabonding," the experience really starts long before your actual trip. All the research into a new place gets you primed and ready to really get to know it once you actually go. So, even though France is more than a year away for us, I'm finding out about it!

What does a toe in the water get you?

Books:
- Le Divorce, by Diane Johnson - a novel set in current-day France (Paris), centered on two American sisters. One is visiting her sister who is married to a Frenchman, but going through a divorce. It is a bit irritating as a novel, but interesting in what it reveals about the differences between American and French cultures, outlooks, and daily living.
- A Year in Provence, by Peter Mayle - a journal that reads like a novel, about Peter and his wife moving into and renovating a country house in Provence. Very enjoyable, even if you don't want to know all about how to get things done in France. It illustrates how the couple adapts to their surroundings.
- A Year in the Merde, by Stephen Clarke - a novel that reads like a journal, about a young British man living in Paris. It covers all sorts of useful items - to find an apartment, first get a girlfriend, then move in... It also incorporates a healthy amount of corruption, how to get around said corruption, strikes by *every* group (seemingly one each month), and (of course) some interesting cultural differences.
- Cultural Misunderstandings, the French-American Experience, by Raymonde Carroll - an anthropological study of some of the cultural differences between French and Americans. Explains topics such as telephone use, family, parenting, dating, and friendships. Very readable *and* interesting.

Websites:
- French embassy for visa (up to 90 days) and residency (longer stays) information
- Forums for advice from people who have visited or live there
- Residency groups for advice and concrete help from those who have made a life there (most of these also have forums): The Languedoc Page, Americans in Toulouse, Americans in France,
- French language immersion schools
- CIA world fact book for statistics on population, religions, etc.
- Transitions Abroad for expatriate resources

Computer programs:
- Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary, an excellent resource! You install it on your computer, then look up translations, verb conjugations, and standard letters / communiques. You can hear a word or phrase, in French, by clicking on it - slick!
- Google Translate - not something you install, but you can enter a URL from a French-language website, and Google will translate it into English. It isn't perfect, but you can definitely figure out the information.

Half Moon Bay - a Day at the Beach

2008-10-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

October is *the* month to visit the beaches in Northern California! We spent a great couple of hours strolling along the low-tide sand, sitting and watching the waves, listening to the birds...

The weather was great - not a cloud in sight, crisp breezes, not even any evening fog (the beaches here usually get only a couple of fog-free hours in the summers)!

We saw a couple of surfers, a few beachcombers, and some campers; all in all, not much of a crowd.

To get here: from Hwy 101 or 280, take Hwy 92 West till it dead-ends at Hwy 1 in Half Moon Bay (the town). Turn left, then right on Kelly till you get to the beach. It is a state beach, so there is a charge of $7 for day use. If you drive up and down the coast on the same day, you can visit numerous other beaches on the same "ticket." Day-use ends at sunset.

California Culture - A Personal Evaluation

2008-09-01T00:07:00.000-07:00

During one of my language classes in another country, we had a day dedicated to talking about their culture. To illustrate how difficult it is to succinctly describe a culture, the teacher asked us to try to describe our own. Yikes! I ran out of time, and only got to one small part of what I grew up knowing about California. Forget about all the hype, there is so much about life here that most people don't even put into their mental picture of the state. So, I've been thinking about this off and on, and thought I'd take a stab at it here. I'll probably miss a lot even now, but it will be the beginnings of a picture.

General:

California, with almost 156,000 square miles, is the third largest state in the USA, and is about 8 times Costa Rica's nearly 20,000 square miles. It is the southernmost state on the West coast of the continent - the Northern section is usually considered part of the Pacific Northwest region, and the Southern section is usually part of the Southwest region.

On September 9, 1850, California became the 31st state in the union.

By population, California is more Democratic than Republican; however, political maps (http://nationalatlas.gov/natlas/Natlasstart.asp) and voter registration by county (http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ror/60day_stwddirprim_08/hist_reg_stats.pdf) will show that it is sharply divided - urban areas are more Democratic, and rural areas are more Republican.

Very few states have such a high non-religious population. California's Religions are as follows:
- Protestant ~ 40%
- Roman Catholic ~ 35%
- non-Religious ~ 19%
- Muslim < href="http://www.answers.com/topic/climate-of-california">http://www.answers.com/topic/climate-of-california)

California experiences several types of natural disasters, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, multi-year droughts, summer fires, and winter floods. Freezing temperatures are so rare in the Bay Area that the news broadcasts a "frost warning," including advice on how to keep your plants and pets alive. Even inland, I've seen lowland snow 5 times in 40 years - from "melts when it hits the ground" to "enough for a 1-day snowman." Tornadoes are even rarer, and hurricanes are unheard of.

California has an extensive public university system, with 10 University of California campuses, 23 California State University campuses, and over 100 community colleges. These campuses are highly regarded, and are on the "recruit from here" list of many major companies. There are also many private universities - well-known rivalries are between Stanford and UC Berkeley, and between UCLA and University of Southern California.

Symbols:

The name "California" comes from Califia, the mythical queen of an island of Amazon women. When the Spanish explorers found the land, it seemed so much like the golden island described by mythology, that the name stuck. There are other theories of the origin, but this is the one I grew up hearing (in the California school system).

The "49er" is a cherished ideal of California. It refers to the folks who flooded into California when gold was discovered in 1849, and evokes the rough-living, hard-working, and - ultimately - lucky loner. You can still see people panning for gold in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains (this is Spanish for "always snowy"). And, in fall, you can see the San Francisco 49ers playing football :)

There is an inter-state rivalry joke (told in Oregon, of course): The Oregon trail led West. At the point where it branched, one sign said "Oregon trail this way," and another simply had a picture of gold and an arrow pointing South. Those who could read, kept going West into Oregon...

Of course, gold comes in many forms. The state flower is the Golden Poppy, and grows wild all over the state.

State flag symbols
- the grizzly bear on a patch of grassy land represents great strength in a rich land.
- the single red star is modeled on the Texas lone star, and can be seen to represent individualism, and self-reliance.

State seal description (http://www.library.ca.gov/history/symbols.html)
- The Roman goddess of wisdom, Minerva, has at her feet a grizzly bear and clusters of grapes representing wildlife and agricultural richness.
- A miner works near the busy Sacramento River, below the Sierra Nevada peaks. The Greek word "Eureka" meaning "I have found it", probably refers to the miner's discovery of gold.
- Near the upper edge of the seal are 31 stars representing the number of states with California's anticipated admission.

Cultural areas:

California has many wildly varying cultures, and residents usually exhibit elements of several.

One stereotype of life in California is of the hippie in a commune, eating sprouts, tofu, and avocado, doing yoga and meditating in a tree. Certainly, each of these things can be easily found. In fact, I regularly lunch with people who routinely order avocado turkey burgers, and veggy tofu quesadillas, and who meditate and do yoga. And I used to work with someone who did live in a commune - not anymore though; now she is married - with grandkids!

You will also find a lot of outdoor enthusiasts, running, biking, skiing, or hiking through the various mountain ranges, enjoying the parks, beaches, and deserts. And they will stop for a coffee at Starbuck's or Peet's on the way :). Take a look at some of my other California posts, and you will see a nice set of examples.

Many (if not most) visitors expect to see the Hollywood scene. It definitely exists - the movie premieres around Westwood (Los Angeles) are huge parties, "People" magazine seems to be read avidly by everyone in L.A., Oscar night is an event not to be missed - whether it is a party at someone's home, or the ultimate experience of attending. You regularly see movies and TV shows being shot - I once got my hair cut in a mall while a show was shooting across the aisle. Everyone noticed, commented, then got back to work - just another day in SoCal. But even in California, we laugh to see movies portraying "normal American households" so caught up in red-carpet drama. Like everywhere else, some are fascinated by stardom, and some just aren't.

Southern California has another side - the aerospace/defense industry. It has its own type of glamour - elegant 2-story satellites assembled for lift-off, high-rise buildings full of people figuring out how to make some exotic function work - often from a distance of 22,300 miles (geosynchronous altitude).

All this, and right on the beach! Southern California beaches are known for sunbathers, white sand, surfers, lifeguards (have you ever seen Baywatch?) - and crowds. Live there for just a few months, and you learn just where to park to avoid the "rent" for your car space.

The beaches of Northern California are quite different (with the possible exception of Santa Cruz)! If you come to Half Moon Bay in a bikini, you will freeze. These beaches are for strolling along in jeans and a sweatshirt. They are for watching the ocean crash against the rocks while sipping hot coffee. There are surfers (Half Moon Bay is home to Mavericks, a famous surfer beach), but they all wear wetsuits. The beaches only really get crowded when the inland areas get too hot - the beaches are usually in the 60s (Fahrenheit), and *that* is the best place to get your dose of cold in the summer.

While SoCal and NorCal are different in a lot of ways, probably the greatest difference between cultures within California is between the rural areas and the urban areas.

Rural areas have their roots in agriculture - California is the sole U.S. producer of many fruits and vegetables. Its production accounts for more than half the value of all fresh fruits, and almost 90 percent of U.S. tree nut production is harvested from California orchards. Agriculture is the largest contributor to California's product, accounting for two-thirds of the State's total value of production. Growing up in rural California, children are heavily involved in 4-H and the Future Farmers of America (FFA). Selling an animal at the fair is often the first "real" money earned. Experiences include chores, horseback riding, fishing, and pick-up football. Rural life usually means you learn to drive early (In my family, our first driving lesson - with a stick shift - was our most important 9th birthday present). The "ranch truck" is ubiquitous - this is usually an old, beat-up, fix-it-every-month, working truck. There is a certain amount of pride in just how beat-up it looks - it implies "real work." Rural teens, like teenagers everywhere, are always looking for excitement on a weekend. Often, this translates into "cruising" - driving into the nearest town, and circling the 10-odd blocks of downtown (in that ranch truck), hollering at friends, and usually looking for a party. Gate-crashers are just friends you don't know yet!

Urban areas see a greater influx of people, and a lot more turnover. Cities (especially port cities) are where most immigrants first settle, and so the cities are enormously cosmopolitan. On a day-trip into San Francisco, I once heard SIX (6)! different languages! Being surrounded by all these "different" people can have varying effects: a society can become fearful and generate a backlash against the "invading" group (for example, the US immigration code changes of 1882 - the Chinese Exclusion Act - that heavily restricted Chinese immigrants); or a society can embrace the influx and grow in new ways. San Francisco is an excellent example of a society that has grown up absorbing and reflecting diverse cultures - you see neighborhoods trying to retain their ethnic and social identity, and succeeding! Walk a few blocks, and you will see a variety of restaurants, shops, and peoples. San Francisco's Chinatown is now the second largest community of Chinese-Americans in the United States. Different cultures highlight different viewpoints, and open up possibilities - the status quo is no mo' (well, that is the recognized goal, anyway).

Largely because of this multicultural influence, activism thrives. Berkeley is known for its student demonstrations and its counter-culture. Los Angeles actors are becoming known for their involvement in AIDS awareness, Animal rights, and the Environment. Most cities celebrate Gay Pride day, glorying in their outrageous parades. These are communities that question. Some of the big questions: "Isn't this other way just as valid as my way?" "Should a society be allowed to restrict the rights of some people just because their way of life is different than mine?"

Diversity and activism also engender a compromise of cultures. For example, many cultures around the world enjoy eating horse meat. This meat was also sold in California. A few years ago, animal rights activists introduced a statute that banned the sale of horse meat for human consumption, and it passed. So, animal rights were preserved, but European cuisine was curtailed.

Urban areas also attract Universities and Technology. Once a center like Silicon Valley starts, it snowballs. More diverse thinkers come, sparking new fields of study at the Universities, and new inventions. More and more museums spring up, dedicated to technology (Exploratorium, Tech Museum of Innovation, Children's Discovery Museum). Soon, grade-school education - actual learning - is important. Children take French or Japanese language courses on Saturdays; they join junior engineering clubs and go to space camp. But this snowball can have a melt-down. Silicon Valley is known for its grinding workweeks as well as its exciting discoveries. It is not uncommon to see futons in the employee lounge, sleeping bags under desks, and small refrigerators in offices. There are jokes about "keyboard face" - the imprint you wake up with after falling asleep at the computer. The concept of the French 35-hour workweek is not even grasp-able by the people who regularly work 80+ hours. And these are *very* often households where both partners work outside the home. Don't ask me how anything gets done in "regular" life.

Lifestyle:

Most of the lifestyle in California is casual - you can generally walk into a restaurant, bank, or museum in shorts and sandals and never merit a second glance. But there are exceptions - there are locations and events that call for formal-wear (and of course, attendees of proms all over get dressed up). People use first names immediately (often not even sharing last names until they know you better). Table manners are a bit different too - you don't wait until everyone is served before starting your meal; you will rarely see knives and forks change hands; left hands are not often kept in your lap. There are just too many cultures with different "rules" to expect that any one will "win." So, the various rules, habits, and expectations are melded.

That is just one aspect of California's celebration of its diversity - California has no ethnic majority. It has become a way of life to listen for an accent or foreign phrase, try a different cuisine, mix (fusion) foods and seasonings, or attend an event sponsored by a different culture (the Chinese New Year parade in San Francisco is huge!).

Partly because of the diversity and the often attendant bigotry, people are sometimes judged by how tolerant they are (or how tolerant they appear to be). I knew a gay man who purposely "flamed" to ferret out latent homophobics - we watched as studly jaws dropped in astonishment. Flame-recovery - how long it takes, and the form that it takes, says a lot. Regardless of what you think of the approach (was it rude? was it necessary?), you have to wonder how many places in this world someone would even feel *safe* doing this. In everyday situations, many people in the Bay Area either just don't notice gay couples, or at least consider it bad manners to react to seeing a gay couple holding hands or picnicing in the park (well, this is probably true for straights, anyway).

You can't talk about California culture without mentioning the CAR. If the rural status symbol is a ranch truck, urban status is measured by flash - horsepower, luxury, sporty. But also - more and more - the "green" car - hybrids, electric, hydrogen... California does *not* have a good public transportation system. Many of the cities grew by leaps and bounds during the era of Suburban growth, and now the car is an essential part of life. To many, it is no longer just a transportation tool. It is a part of your personality (some would say it *defines* your personality). On my commute (yes, driving - one hour to get 17 miles), I regularly see what would be exotic cars anywhere else. It often seems as though every person of driving age has his own car. And heaven forfend it doesn't match what you think of as "you" (as in, "it's horrible! It's just not me!).

The car is not the only aspect of conspicuous consumerism in California. Flashy houses, boats, vacations, clothes, even faces - all seem to be required.

Patriotism:

Some people think Californians - especially urban Californians - are unpatriotic. They see the demonstrations and the critiques; they hear those dare-to-be-asked questions, and say "Love it or leave it!" But I think Californians are some of the most patriotic of all. It is not a blind patriotism, where you are required to support whatever your elected representative does. Instead it is living, breathing, and *alive* with possibilities. It demands that we look at how to make our state and our country better. It asks the questions and looks for the answers. It makes you uncomfortable.

Current Issue and Soapbox:

While sexual orientation does not make up the largest California subculture, it does grab headlines once in a while. One of the issues in the recent news is gay marriage. A few years ago, the San Francisco mayor set up a court battle by approving gay marriages by city officials. This went to the California Supreme Court, which found that restricting marriage to only heterosexual couples was unconstitutional - gay marriage is OK! Now (of course) there is an initiative on the November ballot to change the California constitution to specifically ban gay marriage. What can I say? I'm a product of my society - I think this is simply hateful; to say to someone "I am going to change *our* constitution just so you can't get married, but I can." It's just so embarrassing that this even got enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. But it did, and that is another aspect of our "living, breathing" political process.

On the marriage and gay themes, here are two websites I highly recommend.
(1) A summary of various marriage definitions around the world (http://molly.kalafut.org/marriage/marriage-types.html) - very eye-opening, especially if were taught (as many of us were) that marriage is an ancient Christian concept. In light of the different types of marriages celebrated throughout history and around the world, should the legal device of marriage in any society be defined by the creed of a subset of that society?
(2) Stranger in Your Own Home Town (http://www.bidstrup.com/homo.htm), an autobiographical essay on the experience of growing up gay in America, and how it is different from the heterosexual experience in some really surprising ways. Scott offers a well-thought-out, reasoned explanation of some basic cultural differences that gays experience. His other essays make interesting reading as well.

Resources:

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06000.html
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108187.html
http://www.50states.com/statehood.htm
http://nationalatlas.gov/natlas/Natlasstart.asp
http://www.library.ca.gov/history/symbols.html
http://www.californiacolleges.edu/default.asp
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ror/60day_stwddirprim_08/hist_reg_stats.pdf
http://www.usgs.gov
http://www.maps.com
http://www.grownincalifornia.com
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/FruitandTreeNuts/Background.htm
http://www.sfgov.org
http://www.thetech.org
http://www.cdm.org
http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stuscacalpencode598d.htm
http://molly.kalafut.org/marriage/marriage-types.html
http://www.bidstrup.com
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/us.html
http://www.answers.com/topic/california-english
http://www.answers.com/topic/culture-of-california

One caution on resources. All material is subject to the author's experience and background. So, when the "Culture Shock" series was recommended for another country, I avidly read it. I began to notice problems here and there - statements about the country that I knew were wrong. So, I thought "who wrote this?" and "who fact-checks this series?" Further, I read "Culture Shock California" - wow! Errors all over the place. Basic things like geography - it stated that California's highest point was Mt. McKinley (which is in fact in Alaska. California's is Mt. Whitney.) So, CAUTION should be exercised - including whatever I have written here. It is, after all, based only on my experiences, which have an as-yet-incomplete reference point :).

Fremont Farmer's Market & Biking

2008-08-24T15:58:00.001-07:00

We went to the local Farmer's Market this weekend. There are a lot of these around the Bay Area - usually on Saturday mornings - and they are pretty easy to find by looking online. The produce (and bread!) are wonderfully fresh, tasty, and inexpensive (especially if you hit the last hour, when they start reducing prices).

The Fremont Farmer's Market is right at the Amtrak train depot - plenty of free parking, fairly small, but friendly!

Sunday called for bike riding!

Fremont has a nice greenbelt - it goes along either side of a canal that leads to the bay. It is a part of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Program. You can download a nice PDF map from here, or you can pick up one along the path.

Saw some nice flowers along the way. This is similar to a shrub w/ cream colored flowers (fabulous scent) in Palo Alto (by the Lucy Stern theatre), and to one with rose-tinted flowers (in other parts of the Bay Area as well as in Costa Rica) - but no scent to speak of.

Also saw some interesting birds and fish - Snowy Egrets, carp, trout, even dogs :). Here is a Great Blue Heron.

Stats - just over 10 miles, just over 1 hour.
Kept seeing "reduce speed" signs, so, knowing they were talking about me, I kept sloooowwwwiiiinngg dooooowwwwn.

Note to self - always *start* your bike ride *into* the wind...

Another interesting bike route for Sundays is the Cañada road in San Mateo County - each Sunday, about 4 miles of Cañada road is closed to cars, and open to bikes and walks.

Water Skiing California Foothills

2008-08-19T23:13:00.000-07:00

We went water skiing today! We spent yesterday afternoon making sure the boat was ready to take out, then got everybody together for a day-trip. We were talking about how long it has been (waaay too long), and I realized that I had not been water skiing in over TWENTY (yes, 20) YEARS! That is just stupid. Well, so I finally did it again :).

We started off the day by getting groceries (how mundane - but necessary), and then gas (now we *need* the shock of cold water), and left town with a full load by 10:30.

We headed out Highway 20 East (towards Grass Valley); about 20 miles outside of Marysville is Englebright Lake - aka "The Narrows." It is a narrow, deep, cold lake-from-dam on the Yuba River. Upriver is Bullards Bar, and all is fed by snow-melt. Now days, the route is pretty well marked (with actual signs!). The downside is that now there is a fee - a whole $4 per day (day use and boat launch - self-registered). We especially like Englebright because the campsites (and picnic sites) are all boat-access-only. No cars can get near you. Hikers don't even come by.

We had a very easy time of it - it was not crowded at *all* - and it is still the middle of summer (although some of the schools started this week), but it is also a weekday. But usually, the lake is crowded, and all the normal picnic sites are taken by the weekend.

You can see just how amazing the water is - pure glass!

We went all the way up to the "no wake" area, farthest from the dam. We pulled in and checked out several campsites along the way, but had an opportunity to be picky ;D. Ended up at "Missouri Bar."

We got settled in, had some lunch, then went out to SKI!

It still works! Had to start over again with 2 skis - no slalom for me just yet...

And the glory didn't last all that long either. Here is the splash before the fall :)

Here's Karl's turn:

And Rachel getting ready to hit that *cold* water:

We all had to rest up after this:

Then we went exploring farther upriver.

We left the marina by 7:30, and caught a nice sunset on the way home. All in all, a *very* nice day!

San Francisco Bay Area - Amtrak to central valley

2008-08-18T11:11:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I took Amtrak from Fremont to Marysville (in the central valley of California). I did everything as last-minute as I think is possible :D. I looked up the schedule and fare for the Capitol Corridor (You can buy your ticket for the train and bus online - to get AAA discount, buy 3 days in advance. Javascript is required - turn it on first, or it dumps you to "failed script" page). I ended up going to the Fremont station without buying a ticket first. Usually, you can buy a ticket there, but on Sundays the building is locked up - and the machine is inside.
So, I just bought the ticket (including the bus transfer) from the conductor on the train. I thought I would need cash, but it turns out they will do a credit card right there.
The train came right on time. All the conductors were very friendly, and answered all my questions. If you buy a ticket in advance, then miss your train or bus, you can just take another one - no problem. There is no extra charge for buying on the train vs buying in advance (unless you qualify for a discount and buy several days in advance); there is no charge for using a ticket on a later train. For the Capitol Corridor, there is no extra charge for bringing a bicycle on (and it doesn't need to be boxed). You don't need a reservation for either yourself or the bike on either the train or the bus. Note that other lines have different rules.

I went upstairs and watched the countryside. Here is a small reservoir we passed when leaving Fremont.

You can also take the train (or BART) to the Oakland Coliseum - it looks like there was a game getting ready to start - plenty of people standing in line waiting to enter...

The train goes right along the Bay, past Jack London Square.
Then it heads into the central valley, through farmland and along the hills.

We pulled into Davis - that was nice. I hadn't been back to Davis in *years!* There were all kinds of new buildings, and these were only the ones I could see from the train! The station has a nice mosaic bench.

Then we got to the Sacramento station - end of the line for now. They are talking about extending the train to Reno, or at least Lake Tahoe. The Sacramento station is right off I-5, just South of Richards Blvd. We pulled in right on time. According to the schedule, I had a whole 5 minutes to get from the train to the bus - yikes! So I was waiting at the door, had used the bathroom, and quickly found the bus. Well, we sat there until 1:15 (schedule said we would leave at 1:00). So I didn't have to worry. It was also a good thing that I had purchased the bus transfer on the train, because a couple of people had to go to the building to buy their bus tickets - you couldn't buy them from the bus driver.

So, even though we left "late," we got to Marysville exactly on time - 2:00. Nice!
I took a couple of minutes to ask the bus driver some more questions :). He has never had a problem fitting bikes in the bus - no reservation required for bikes or people (nice to hear this from the bus driver, since he's who really matters). But, I didn't find out how to buy a ticket *from* Marysville.

Karl was waiting for me - he had actually followed the bus for a couple of blocks, so no waiting!

Had a nice get-together that night - captured 3 of the 4 siblings :)

San Francisco Bay Area - Santa Cruz & Big Basin

2008-08-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we took a nice little drive. We left the East Bay before 10:00 (missed the car pool advantage, but also missed most of the traffic), and headed South on 880, curved around the bottom of the bay, and headed up Hwy 17 to Santa Cruz.

We spent about an hour in Santa Cruz - parked near the boardwalk (all-day parking is $5, meters are 25c/10 minutes), and walked around for 20 minutes - 2 quarters :). It was a typical foggy, marine-layer August day on the coast. Many people were in shorts and coats. Didn't see anyone swimming or surfing, but it was a weekday, and perhaps the surfers would come out with the sun later.

We drove back to downtown and got sandwiches for later, then headed down Hwy 9 towards Big Basin Redwoods State Park. We got stuck in a bind when the road signs and traffic didn't cooperate - some nice fellow honked and nearly side-swiped us. We figured he was flirting with Mom. Isn't that what honking means?

We followed the winding way through Felton and Boulder Creek, then through more curves till we got to the park. The air got warmer, the sky got clearer, and the trees got bigger! It was a bit after 1:00 when we got there, so we had our lunch on a picnic table while we people-watched. A man and his 3-year old son shared their table with an Asian tourist couple - the son explained a lot about the park, his plans, and life in general. After lunch, Mom read and napped in the car, and Dad and I went on a hike - about an hour and a half. It wasn't too crowded; we passed maybe 4 other families on the way.

We had a number of choices for our return trip - we decided to drive back through Boulder Creek, then go past Skyline to Saratoga, Hwy 85 North to 101, then the Dumbarton Bridge back to the East Bay. We were back by 5:00 - a nice relaxing day!

We could have left the park the other direction, and skipped Boulder Creek. We could also have taken Skyline North along the ridge of the Santa Cruz mountains, then taken Page Mill Road and Oregon Expressway through Palo Alto to 101. But by this time we were pretty tired, and more curves and narrow roads didn't seem worth it. The drive and views are fabulous though - especially in a convertible :).

If you want another nice drive, take 280 North to Hwy 84 West, then Skyline Blvd North to 92. Then take 92 East back to 280. If you go this direction, you can stop at most of the best vista points on Skyline (difficult or illegal to turn left into a vista point on this road).

San Francisco Bay Area

2008-08-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

We now live in the San Francisco Bay Area. We will be moving away in a few months, so it makes sense to treat this remaining time as "slow travel," even though we've been here for a long time.

There are a lot of interesting things to do here - nearby mountains, beaches, and parks. The drives can be an activity of themselves, with beautiful scenery all around.

The larger cities in the area are San Jose and San Francisco. Both have museums, theatre, and music.

The Rest of the Road Trip

2008-08-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

My folks continued on The Road Trip Around The Country. They continued to take pictures, and so I swiped a few to show here.

They continued from Tennessee to Massachusetts, up-state New York, Niagara Falls, Great Lakes, Michigan, Montana, Washington, and back South to California.

They got a fabulous shot of the Great Smoky Mountains:

Niagara Falls from the Canadian side:

Hiked a bit in the still-snowy Rockies:

They included a visit to Grandma and Grandpa Cyr's grave:

Aunt Mabel views Kalispell, Montana

On to Glacier National Park:

Stopped in Montana - sky, mountain lakes, and family:

They came home to a bounty of grapes (not the wrathful kind, either)!

Lotsa Quilts

2008-08-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad continued on their quest to re-supply the country with quilts :)
These are all made by my cousin Goldie.

This was for Aunt Prilla, in Massachusetts:

For cousin Vickie and Dave, in Montana:

For Aunt Pat in Sacramento, California:

For Aunt Cly in Sacramento:

Road Trip 2008 Wrap Up

2008-06-30T01:12:00.000-07:00

My road trip is over - time to wrap things up - sort of like a post-mortem from my engineering days :).

Overall: I got a *lot* of quality time with my parents! We got to visit with more relatives, and even met some new ones. I saw parts of the country I had never seen before, and noted quite a few that I want to spend more time in (*really* slow travel, and *with* Rick). I learned (and re-learned) a *lot* about how to do a road trip, and about what I want from a road trip.

Statistics (I may have to update these later with actuals from Dad):

Miles: 2400 +/-
Gas mileage: 55 mpg +/- (it really pays to drive 62 mph, in a Prius!)
Days on the road: 10 days (+ 9 days in Tennessee)
Cost per person: $385 (+ $200 for flight back)
Cost per mile: gas for car = 10 cents/mile, plane ticket = 10 cents/mile
Cheapest gas: $3.75 (but we kept missing this!)

Pack list:

First aid kit
Food box and cooler (sharp knife, utensils, bowl, ziplocks, paper towels, ice pack, cereal, snacks, water)
Notebook and pen
Flashlight
Air mattress, sheet, pillow (optional: blanket and towels)
Emergency contact and medical information
Itinerary with contact info - remember to keep it rough...
The usual suitcase contents - clothes, toiletries, etc.
Day pack or sling bag
Pictures and books
Address book, address stickers, and stamps (for all those postcards)
Maps
Laptop
Camera
Cell phone w/ hands-free system (many states have hands-free laws now). A good option is pay-as-you-go with no roaming or long-distance charges.
Car emergency box (jumper cables, flares/triangles)
Guitar, CDs, favorite DVDs, or other shareable entertainment
Something from your home area that you want to share with others (wine, fruit, arts/crafts...)
See this advice also: What to Pack on Your Next Road Trip

Things to keep in mind for future road trips:

Know why you are on the trip. Is it to get from here to there? or to explore? or tour all the theme parks? or visit friends and family? or see all the National Parks? or to be awed by the majesty and expanse of the open road? Be true to you.
Look for Mom and Pop places. These are harder to find than chains, but they provide a better flavor of a place.
Plan on eating at least one meal per day from your food box and the grocery store. This will save $$, and keep you from getting bored with eating out. You get to see the sorts of things that are stocked (and eaten) in different parts of the country. It also saves your sanity if you are nowhere near a restaurant when you need to eat...
Spend time in places along the way. 500-mile days are doable, but just not very fun. Make your schedule loose enough that you can take that side trip that looks interesting. Spend time in local libraries and bookstores reading up on the locale. Pick up a local weekly paper and go to a listed event.
Don't be afraid to just whiz through a point-of-interest. It's all about keeping things interesting. If you just want a quick look at Graceland, spend 10 minutes walking along the fence. However, if you are a die-hard fan, go on the tours and spend the whole day (or more)!
Keep an eye out for visitor centers. Stop in and pick up all kinds of local information. Scan materials for events happening right now, and *go!* The maps you get here will have a lot more points-of-interest shown than your road maps. This is also a good place to talk to the staffers about what to do, where to park, how to see something without getting caught up in the crowd.
Take a tour or two. Sure, it's touristy, but you get a good overview of the area, and usually some interesting facts as well. For that matter, take a tour in your own area - I'll bet you'll find out something you didn't know!
Drink plenty of water. Stock up on bottled water. You can try filling up a refillable bottle, but if it tastes "off" you won't drink enough.
Talk to folks; strike up a conversation wherever possible. Find out where they like to go in their area.
Walk through galleries - and some museums, but galleries are free...
Pick up a couple of hotel directories (super 8, days inn, etc). These usually have maps and details about the individual motel. Or try using an Inn or Bed & Breakfast listing - these usually need reservations and more $$, but may be worth a phone call (and you can use the chain motels as a back-up).
Take and wear compression socks. The kind that you get in the hospital for post-surgery anti-thrombosis are great! Or see if you can get the kind for treating varicose veins. These are especially good if your legs swell from sitting a long time in the car. They are also good to wear on an airplane for the same reason.
Take a sheet to use at the homes of family and friends. If you are only staying a day or two, this saves them from unnecessary laundry. Most are surprised by this gesture, but I know I appreciated it when my folks did it when they visited me.
Find some way to exercise. Stop at rest stops and walk around a bit; hike in a national park; take a walking tour of a town; consider taking small weights or an exercise ball.

Miscellaneous:

Tennessee had a lot of decorated cemeteries. The locals we spoke to said this was probably an aspect of Southern Pride, and said there is a day specifically set aside for going to the cemetery to clean up and decorate the graves. Compare this to Latin and Asian cultures that have a similar holiday. Contrast this to my immediate family (California and Pacific Northwest) - we looked for my uncle's memorial and couldn't find it. I can't name where *any* of my relatives are buried.
A typical house in Tennessee is brick, and in the center of a large well-maintained lawn. Fences are very unusual. Contrast this to Santa Fe, where houses are adobe, flat-roofed, and usually fully fenced, with glimpses of plants. Contrast to California, where houses are usually wooden, with plenty of earthquake safety features, and usually fully fenced. Both California and Santa Fe houses are much closer together than in Tennessee. Houses in a Costa Rican town often share a wall (now *that's* close!)
Rest stops are different! California rest stops usually have minimal information about the area, posted on signboards. They always have rest rooms, usually have picnic tables, and sometimes have snack vending machines. In Texas, you see picnic areas - tables and parking, but no snacks or rest rooms. In Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, rest stops can be like mini-theme-parks - there are staffed visitor centers, snacks, rest rooms, and tables - all housed in air-conditioned castles (well, not really, but compared...). I felt sorry for us when we first saw the picnic areas that had no rest rooms; then I felt sorry for Texans who expect so much more from a rest stop than is provided on a California road.

Tennessee - Family and Opryland

2008-06-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

We finally got to Centerville, Tennessee, and saw my sister and her family - it has been *years* and her family has *grown!*

I had a real shock the first time I said this out loud: "my baby sister's granddaughter..." =:-O

Mom and Dad brought quilts that cousin Goldie had made - what a hit!

A few days later, Aunt Mabel flew in. She is taking my place in the Prius Express...
That's a little joke - we usually drive 62 mph in a 75 mph zone (when possible without getting run down).

Today we went to Opyrland in Nashville. It is a huge glass-enclosed garden/convention center/hotel...

Annie was very taken with "Ivy" diVine - a performance artist.

This little guy is hidden away...

Mom, Dad, and Mabel leave tomorrow morning for the rest of the tour. I get more visitin' time in Tennessee, and fly home later.

People to visit with:

Natchez Trace

2008-06-15T20:59:00.001-07:00

From Memphis, we turned South and East, heading for the Natchez Trace.
We drove through the upper part of Mississippi, and Alabama, then picked up the trace and took it back into Tennessee.

Crossing the Tennessee River...

I don't know that I've ever seen so many different colors of green all at once!

At Collinwood, we pulled off the trace to get a map and info, and met the *lovely* people of Wayne County, Tennessee. Maps, cookies, and a few local stories later, we get back on the Natchez Trace - happy people!

There was a small side road - one way, closed to RVs and trucks - that followed the old trace for about a mile.

We found an outlook, and pulled off the old trace for a look.

We crossed a stream...

At Duck River, we turned off and headed for Centerville to see more family :)

An interesting side note - we listened to an Alabama radio station for a while, and Rick Steves was interviewing Christopher Baker, who writes the Moon travel guide to Costa Rica - now *that* was strange!

Zoom to Tennessee

2008-06-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

Zoom!

We left Pecos behind, and drove and drove. From New Mexico, through Texas horse and cattle country.

Texas and Oklahoma are *windy!*

"Oklahoma City looks mighty pretty"
OK, this just doesn't do it justice. I got my camera up just a bit too late to snap the downtown - and we *are* zooming after all!

Arkansas is definitely green!

We stopped EAST of the Mississippi River, and looked back :)

then we looked forward

We just *had* to stop at Graceland - but very quickly...

Through the Southwest - New Mexico's Pecos Ruins

2008-06-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

The Pecos Ruins are about an hour outside of Santa Fe. "Pecos" is neither English nor Spanish - it is from a Native American word for "the place of water."

Pecos is a brilliant illustration of how New Mexico embraces and celebrates its heritage from Native American, Spanish, and Anglo roots. The Pueblos of Pecos were a powerful trading conglomeration - they traded with the plains Indians and those from further West. When the Spanish came, they traded as well. Then the Anglo pioneers traveled through Pecos on the way to Santa Fe.

The ruins at Pecos are part of a national park (www.wnpa.org) - the trail winds past the expanse of open field where trading took place, past the North and South pueblo ruins, and to the church ruins.

Adobe bricks were used in the construction

The church is near the South Pueblo.

Reconstructed kivas are along the trail - you can climb down the ladder and see what they are like.

Through the Southwest - New Mexico

2008-06-11T18:28:00.000-07:00

New Mexico - many apologies to the rest of New Mexico (truly the Land of Enchantment) - we only got to spend the one short night in Albuquerque, then most of the day in Santa Fe before moving on.

But what a day! up by 6am (mountain time now), in Santa Fe old town by 9.

Santa Fe has an actual central park! With benches! And a bandstand! This park marked the end of the Santa Fe trail.

Right across the street is the hotel La Fonda (in Spanish, this means "the end" - as in the end of the trail).

We walked around goggle-eyed at galleries, museums, and architecture, and had a lunch of French crepes.

Sculptures galore!

Even "practical sculpture" :)

The Basilica

with stained glass windows

The courthouse

Even luxury condos...

Then we took the Loretto bus tour (this was excellent, and very informative!).

The Loretto church, with "the miraculous stairway" - the circular stairway has two 360 degree turns, with no center support.

Life-size sculpture of a Santa Fe trail mule wagon and trail boss:

We saw the state capitol building - its shape mimics the state flag - round, with lines raying out from four sides. It is a Zia symbol, and captures ideas like eternity, the four ages (infancy, youth, adulthood, and maturity), and the four directions.

We also saw the memorial for the Bataan Death march. New Mexico sent 1800 soldiers - 900 returned at the end of World War II. 300 of those died within a couple of years due to the ill effects of being prisoners of war.

After the tour, we walked around some more.

San Miguel is the oldest church in the USA.

As we walked around old town, we saw a lot of "chili-chains"

The altitude was getting to Mom, so we skipped some stuff (a *lot* of stuff). Leaves more for us later :) We found our hotel (no where near old town, and still pretty expensive) by 4:30. We pretty much decided to have dinner near our hotel instead of going back to old town. I definitely want to keep Santa Fe on our list for living for a month or two - something clicked for me (already).

We ended up not walking through the capitol building the next morning (lots of art and descriptions of the state and town history) - I'll save that for my future (long) visit. Instead, we hit the road - still a long way to go.

We *did* stop long enough to prove that I know how to sit on a post - can't make up my mind - should be go East or West of the Continental Divide?

To add to my list:
The Flying Tortilla in Santa Fe is a candidate for best food ever! I couldn't decide whether to have the Green Chile Stew or the Posole, so the waiter (Gabriel) brought a sample of both - oooh. The Posole was pork marinated in spicy red chili sauce, then slow-cooked with boiled corn (hominy). The Green Chili Stew was pork and potatoes slow-cooked in a spicy green chili sauce. Both tasted sweet at first, then left my mouth tingling all over! It was a tough decision, but I got a cup of the Green Chili Stew - oh soooo goooood!

Through the Southwest - Arizona

2008-06-11T18:26:00.000-07:00

Arizona - cliffs, petrified forest, painted desert, gems embedded in huge rocks.

Skyline in the Western end of Arizona

Lonesome rock.

Cross-sections of petrified wood - neither of these species exist today.

Petrified tree trunk, in the park off Hwy 40 - minerals infused and replaced the wood fibers

Bathtub *full* of gems - better than bubbles!

I have *got* to come back and spend time in the high country soon - horse-back riding, hiking...

Through the Southwest - Nevada

2008-06-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

Nevada - desert, snow, lakes, mountains, wild horses (too bad, they were too far away to see properly) ...

Walker Lake - beautiful blue water, contrasted against the red, white, black, and grey mountains.

Snow-covered mountains, in the desert, in summer!

Striated mountains, surrounded by sage.

Through the Southwest - California

2008-06-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

As we left California, I realized that we usually take pictures of new places, and hardly ever take pictures of the landscape around our home. So, I started snapping away. The foothills of Northern California are full of Oak groves and single Oaks in grassy meadows.

Nevada City (in California - no kidding) is a nice small town. Like many gathering places in small towns, the cafe where we stopped for breakfast has upcoming events posted in the window - concerts, fairs, comedy...

Nearing the peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, there are vista points with fabulous views!

Near Donner Pass, there is a memorial to the Donner party - 90 pioneers were trapped by 22 feet of snow in the mountains in October. By Spring, 42 had died. The foot of the statues of the monument shows the height of the snow that winter. Yikes!

Family Visits

2008-06-09T23:01:00.000-07:00

"Julie, it's 6:00..."

Huh? Shades of childhood. Dad is waking me up, so there must be a reason. Oh yeah! We're leaving for Nevada today - at 8:00. In the morning.

I've spent the last day and a half catching up with Mom and Dad, brother, sister, nieces, and nephews. I even got to meet my new grand-niece! OK, not so new - she's over a year old *already!*

My niece just got back from a week of photographing Santa Fe - so we got out the map and marked it up. Now if we'd just remembered to bring the darned thing...

The family road trip (to visit more family) is The Quintessential American Vacation. At times you drive like fiends, other times you meander through some park or tourist trap. But your destinations are *always* determined by who is on the way.

We went to Walker Lake, Nevada to see Aunt Bev and JR. They taught us a new card game, called "21" (not the same as Black Jack). They were perfect - they let us win :D. We got there early enough that we could drive down to see the herd of wild mustangs that hang out by the lake. Unfortunately, we couldn't get very close - but we had field glasses.

The next day, we left for Bullhead City, Arizona, via Las Vegas. In LV, we met my cousins Doug and Michelle (and I mean *met* them - we had traded some emails, but I had never met them before...). We had a short but nice visit over drinks, then headed on to Arizona.

We got to Bullhead City (cousin Tommy and Edie) by late afternoon, and got a wonderful surprise! Cousin Joy was there! She deals Poker tournaments, and was in Las Vegas for one - they convinced her to come down for the weekend - yay!

Mom and Dad played pinochle with Tommy and Edie - they were a bit more cut-throat than Bev and JR - they only let Mom and Dad win 2 out of the 3 games...

Cousin Tommy with "Unc" - can you tell they're related?

Next - drive like crazy through the Southwest and onwards; gotta get to Tennessee to see my sister and her family!

Things that appear to be habits on family road trips:

Cards: playing "21" and pinochle
Maps: we break these out nearly every night; relatives tell us about interesting side trips nearby, we plan the next leg of the trip, figure out about when we will land.
Journals: Dad tracks our mileage (pretty darned good with the Prius), miles traveled, time we leave and arrive, expenses, etc. I blog here when I can.
Waking earlier (8:00) and earlier (5:45)
Taking a *ton* of pictures - digital cameras sure have changed how we think about taking pictures.

Leaving the Nest?

2008-06-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

Dad's here! I'm up and packed, so we load up some things destined for Yuba City, and pile on the suitcase and other travel junk. We say good-bye to Rick :( and hit the road. All in my first morning...

Twenty-five years ago, I left the nest for the first time. Now I will have 3 weeks of move-able nest! It's kinda strange traveling as an adult, with parents. Every once in a while, everyone reverts - you're the kid, and you're just along for the ride; no responsibilities. Then you suddenly realize - hey! I'm an adult now! Then the swing goes the other way - everyone adjusts - "do you need to stop? would you navigate? can you drive for a while? who wants to use the camera?" After a few days, it seems to be equalizing :D.

USA Road Trip 2008

2008-06-09T16:57:00.000-07:00

Hmmm a road trip with my parents...

Well, why not? They had planned another of their round-the-states, visit-friends-and-family road trips, and had room for another. I hadn't seen those friends and family members for waaaay too many years. And this was an excellent opportunity to witness the experts first-hand. Since I am planning to do a similar trip solo (ish) next year, I'll get to work out at least some of the kinks beforehand.

So, after some hard thinking, and some agonizing over being separated from my husband for so long, we set the schedule. Then Dad set the weight limits... Dad is a former backpacker, so ounces count! A few days before take-off, I get an email asking for a total weight guestimate - included: me, suitcase, air mattress, bedding, medications, medical equipment, laptop, food box... After all, cars do have a limit on the amount of cargo they can carry, and it isn't just based on the space available. Well, three people in a Prius can pack a lot of stuff along - we just made our weight limit. *Then* we added gas.

Our schedule is based on visiting friends, family, and any sites-of-interest in between. We are looping from California through the Southwest to Tennessee. Then I will fly back to California. My aunt will fly in from Washington state and continue the trip with my parents to Boston, then along the North edge of the states back to Washington. My aunt will stop there, and my brother may fly in to join them for the drive South back to California. That's a *lot* of visiting!

Maps courtesy of www.theodora.com/maps used with permission.

Slow Travelin'

2008-06-09T16:56:00.001-07:00

What's it all about?

When you work in the states, you typically get 2 or 3 weeks of vacation per year, and those vacations are usually whirlwind trips "somewhere else." You only see the broad stroke of the tourist industry in whichever country you visit.

But Slow Travel is just the opposite - slowing down, taking your time to experience a place. The general idea is to live as much as possible like the locals of the place you are visiting. Naturally, a longer visit allows more - you can rent an apartment, shop at the farmer's market, and go to county fairs. If the language is different, you can learn some. You can take a class in art, talk to your new neighbors about their culture, and learn something about local cuisine.

Planning for slow travel is almost as fun! Finding out about the politics, history, folk tales, songs, and art tells you a lot about your new "temporary country." Even learning some of the phrases necessary for politeness gives you a head start!

Slow travel doesn't even have to be in another country. Just consider how very different the culture is in various states in the USA - while the language is still English, people use it so differently. In much of the South, for example, children refer to adults as "Sir" or "Ma'am." In the much of the Midwest, everyone at a table waits to start eating until everyone else has food in front of them. The West is more casual in both eating habits and address - eat when you get your plate, and call people by first names. In Boston, "casual Friday" may mean men wear dockers and a polo shirt. In Los Angeles, you wear shorts if you go into the office on a weekend.

Those are the sorts of things you know just from talking to people, watching television, and reading novels. Think about how much more there is just waiting to be noticed!