People are weird

So the strangest thing happened on Sunday night. Mom and Dad were over for supper and cards and we were a hand or two into our game of canasta, when all of a sudden Dad says "What's that guy doing?".

There was some random guy standing on our lawn, examining our tree (which is completely covered in lovely pink flowers). Then he reached up and took the tag off the branch, which I had specifically left on, because I knew I wouldn't remember what kind of tree it was. Then he walked away, our tree tag in hand.

Dad was all for jumping out the door and calling him on it, but I wasn't overly offended, just perplexed. Our curtains were wide open and I'm sure he could see us all sitting there and he still proceeded to steal our tree tag.

Speculations abound. Did he like the tree so much he wanted one and so, needed to know what kind it was? Does he have one and have no idea what it is? Was he just trolling the neighbourhood for tree tags? There are lots of our kind of tree on our street, but I guess we were the only ones to leave the tag on. You'd think that alone would have given him cause to pause before stealing our tag. If we're the only ones with the tag on the tree, surely it must be there for a reason.

People are very strange. Anyway, I remember the kind of tree: Makamik flowering Crabapple.

France

Well, here's my promised post about France. Only a week or so late...

The trip was sensational. This is what I say whenever anyone asks me. It was sensational. Not good, not great, SENSATIONAL! I mean we had our rainy days and day where my stomach rebelled, and near the end I was getting a bit tired of living out of a suitcase and doing my laundry in a bathroom, but for the most part (the part that counts, anyway) it was a perfect trip.

I have to admit I was especially enthralled by all the architecture in France. It's quite overwhelming. Everywhere you look there are fantastic old buildings, all with their own unique personalities and quirks. Churches galore, mostly similar if you don't look hard, but they are vastly different if you take the time to walk, stand and admire. I did a lot of this. We'd be walking somewhere and I would just stop and stare for a while. I was on sensory overload for the first few days!

My particular favourites from the trip were Mont Saint Michel, Normandy, Nogent-sur-Seine and Parc Asterix.

Mont Saint Michel was the most organic structure I have ever seen. It was incredibly moving and peaceful. I could have quite happily spent days there and I probably still wouldn't have seen it all. I'm glad they're working on a project to eliminate the causeway and parking lots that are blocking the bay from encircling the mont at high tide. They will have parking on the mainland, and a bridge for tour buses and foot traffic across the bay.

I really enjoyed Normandy as well (Mont Saint Michel is on the border between Normandy and Brittany). I especially liked our tour of Juno beach. We went with a tour company called Battlebus that does tours in minibuses (like a minivan but boxier). They specialize in English-speaking tours and our guide was a Brit. He had a marvelous little flip book with pictures of the towns and of different soldiers that he would show us when he was telling a particular story. The tour was really well done, I highly recommend it. I always find history much more engaging when there's a personal aspect to it and this tour certainly had that.

Nogent was a pretty, sleepy little town with a contrasting nuclear power plant. I think that for a vacation it's much better to be more often out of Paris than not. Paris is such a huge city that moves very fast (except from 12-2pm), that I could definitely feel myself gearing down when we were outside of it. Don't get me wrong, Paris was great and full of things to see and do, but I really enjoyed our time in little towns.


And then... oh and then! Parc Asterix! I could wax poetic about this goofy amusement park for hours! It was like living in a cartoon. Goofy soundtrack, goofy actors, goofy buildings and puns and jokes everywhere! It was completely awesome. If you plan on going to France, read one Asterix book before you leave and then go to this park. It's really great. I was grinning like an idiot and giggling for pretty much a whole day. The perfect thing to do on our last day in France.

So those are some highlights for all of you. Whenever you happen to see Nathan and I, we'll be sure to show you the full range of photos and tell you all the stories.

And Nathan's right about the La Vie En Rose music box. It may be cheesy and totally aimed at the tourists, but whenever I hear it played I can transport myself back to Paris, walking by the Seine, hand in hand with my love.

New Look

Hi all,

Nathan and I have just gotten back from France, and somehow this led to me deciding that the blog needed a new title and look. As you all know my poor SBV ipod died recently, so I thought a change was in order. Stay tuned for a France post and some pics. Now it's off to get a pedicure!

I figured it out!

I think I've figured out the secret as to why the French people are not plagued with obesity like the North American populace.

It's the stairs.

Stairs up and down and up and down to get to the metro, stairs in the churches, stairs in the hotels and apartement buildings, stairs in the double decker trains and buses. Stairs everywhere! And not only do they all take the stairs, if there happens to be an escalator, they walk up those too. Or run.

My right knee is protesting a bit at all the stairs, but I think it's getting used to it. At least that's what I tell myself. It also helps that I get rewarded with panoramic views of Paris from Notre Dame or Monmarte, or creepy views of ossuaries in the catacombs of Paris. I think the stairs are worth it. I also think my butt is getting skinnier....