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You just never know what you will encounter here |
We've been able to visit a few more local landmarks, though work still keeps us occupied the vast majority of the time. Above, Emily finds a friend in the Nantes Museum of Natural History. We had a fun time there dodging the security and sneaking quick pictures here and there (NO flash photography or anything damaging, just digital camera snaps using existing lighting). |
One seriously intimidating building
We got ourselves an air conditioner for the bedroom last year, to avoid the sort of heatwave hell that we suffered through in 2002. Strange to say that I had been in France for only two years at that time, and had already endured the hottest summer ever on record here without AC, AND the coldest winter days on record here without heat! Now we can relax and sleep in the cool, even on warmer days. We also got ourselves a satellite dish so we could receive British TV, so we finally have television in English again. That has been another huge transformation for us. I know folks in the US like to complain about TV and boast about how little they watch, but the fact is that they can always click it on if they want to or need to, whereas we've been cut off from all current events for nearly three years. It's a strange limbo existence, undoubtedly very zen but not much fun when you want to hear what's going on in world news, or catch the Olympics. It's quite bizarre to suddenly be plunged back into popular culture after years removed, and to actually know things like:
- What movies are out
- What's happening in the world
- What shows are on TV
- What 'Crazy Frog' is...
Christmas of 2004 was excellent - good food, good company, and we even had a little bit of money to buy gifts with, which was new and pleasant. In the pic above, one can see the huge Christmas tree erected each year by the tower gates of the medieval city in Guérande. Christmas here is marvelous, and we're hoping my parents can come over to visit this year. In some ways, it's a little TOO marvelous, and I've finally had to break down and go on a diet. Three years of eating American-size portions of rich French food has produced a fat Trever - I was under 190 lbs before we moved and by January 2005 I'd plumped out to 217 and could no longer fit into my old jeans. We've swapped our menus around now and cut out the chips and sugar drinks, and I'm happily on my way back down to 190 again. I'm enjoying our new, healthier eating style very much also, though I still occasionally have to have my buttered popcorn binges.
Here's a pic for those who wonder what these "crépes" and "galettes" are that I keep mentioning. Above is a galette - tasty wheat-bread pancake filled with various sauces and fillings, in this case mushrooms, ham, and cheese. Below is a crépe, the dessert version of same, this time with a sugar sweet pancake base smeared with caramel, caramel ice cream, and whipped cream.
On to PAGE THREE
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Life in France