Once a Lifeguard, Always a Lifeguard

Quiet week at Argenton-Chateau. Visited pool twice this week, and need to note a few differences: Town's outdoor pool was probably constructed in 1960's or '70's, and is built of brick - covered in many layers of waterproof paint. It is an "organic" design, free-formed, non-symmetrical rounded shape, gradual shallow to deep in a flowing design. Attached are three water slides (also of brick construction) that flow down a hillside adjacent to a wading pool. No ladders, just a gradual slope (like a beach) to enter the pool at any depth. Small diving platform about 3 feet above deep end. 2.50 Euros for adult admission. Building entrance opens into a community area with private dressing rooms, mens restroom on left, womens on right, but those entrance doors are always open, and certain, ahhh, umm... mens facilities are always within view. Two smaller rooms with benches along the walls - one for men, and one for women; also never saw those doors closed. To the point? Unusual to see a unisex pool house. Showers are within view of deck = shower in your suit. Rules? None posted, although I did break one rule on the first visit. Carried my items onto deck while swimming, and put on shoes prior to leaving deck ...NO shoes on deck! Never hear lifeguard raise his voice, and heck, not even wearing a whistle. Horseplay? OK. Carrying others on your shoulders? OK. Running on deck? OK. Food and drink on deck? OK. Public displays of affection lasting 20 minutes or more in or out of water? OK. Spitting water at each other? OK. Holding others under water? OK. Three or more off diving platform at a time? OK. Headfirst, tailfirst, or sideways down slides? OK. Want a pool chair? Gotta pay for it. Shade? No, not really. "Marco Polo" Games? No, does not seem to exist here... As a lifeguard from USA, just one question: Where do I sign up?

Sabbatical

Sabbatical...That is the term for this French adventure. Quiet time to reflect on careers and plans for the future. John will be entering additional thoughts in a bit, but I should start things rolling. I love my job, the location, my co-workers and those I work with on a daily basis. My work is in town where I live; a quick 10 minute drive, or a hilly 20 minute bike ride. Wonderful equipment and facilities, and the staff is my second family. Most assume my leave for a "French Adventure" is only to support my husband in his dream.





That is not entirely true. There are certain skills and specialties I enjoy, and have worked through several years of continuing education and additional training to supplement those skills .There is time here for studying and considering additional options to increase my satisfaction with "how" I help others. Have enjoyed communicating with old and new friends (through a wonder that is the internet), and appreciate how they have taken quiet time to prepare for what they now love to do every day.



I am hoping to be at that level soon. Always looking for advice. M

To Travel to France...

A friend emailed me to help plan a trip to France... Wow! Realized an excellent subject for my blog. Starting with geography: France is shaped like a Texas-sized hexagon:

No, Paris is not an island on the west coast, this map (from Wikipedia) shows an enlarged portrayal of Paris off the left side. We are in a small town bordering Poitou-Charentes and Pays de-la-Loire Valley, in west-central France. Two and 1/2 hours by TGV (high speed train) from Angers to Paris (CDG) Charles Degaulle Airport. Preparing for 110 days in France we read/brought several books: Good over-all description of southern France ? "A Year in Provence" by Peter Mayle. We love "Lonely Planet Phrasebooks - France" for simple, clear communication. Michelin (online), offers road maps of specific regions - but not necessary unless planning a lot of driving. (Got one for Poitou-Charentes, and the map is taller than I am...). Check out "Culture Shock - France" guide; good tips about traditions, customs and getting along in France; including tipping, proper etiquette, facial and hand gestures used (and not used), and minor things that can get confusing; like how to request "2 bottles of wine" by holding up proper fingers, to what to wear - or not, and how not to look like a tourist.


Some areas are more tourist-centered than others, and French fluency helps, but is not always necessary. The simple ability to initiate conversations in French will mellow recipients to be much more polite and helpful. Enroll in community language courses, converse with someone who speaks French, or find language tapes or CD's to practice French.

Fun things to do, where to stay, and what to eat: Had (brilliant) idea of checking past issues of larger newspaper travel sections for European restaurant and lodging reviews (so they are good, but not crazy-busy, as from recent reviews...), found our cozy boarding house in Florence from a 2004 online issue of a "New York Times" travel article.



Have had excellent luck with both www.kayak.com and www.orbitz.com for affordable plane tickets, and out-of-the ordinary lodging; found (monastary) hotel in Pisa through Orbitz, most sites list attractions within walking/close driving distances, and directions for train or bus stations. Train tickets: Those in USA should purchase train tickets while in USA, (much cheaper and easier), we utilized the site; www.raileurope.com, but found several good online sources. Purchased our "set-date" train tickets from Paris to this region for May, when first arriving, as well as some "open-date" rail passes for three days during our final two weeks off. France has an amazing rail service; rode super-fast TGV trains (100+ mph) back and forth to Paris, and every car is clean and comfortable.



Other transportation issues: You can rent a car, (USA or while here, once again, cheaper if renting in USA), do not need an International Driver's License, but can pick one up at most AAA offices, is good for another excellent photo ID in several different languages... Bus stations seem to be centrally located in every town and city of France, so bus tickets can wait. Other fun things to do: Complete a Google search for "house rentals" or "lodging at working farms" for true regional taste. And if you fly in or out of Paris, we highly recommend a few days to visit some major museums. Tickets to major museums, in any city can sometimes be pre-purchased at home, or through a central ticket-sales office or French internet cafe when you arrive.




The dollar is weak when compared to Euro (1 Euro = .75 US), but getting simple cafe food or stopping at grocery stores will lessen sticker shock at restaurants. When purchasing plane tickets, check each specific airline's baggage restrictions; may not be able to carry as much luggage as in USA. Finally, and MOST IMPORTANT: Have passports! In USA passports are taking longer to process than usual (more than 8 weeks), so if traveling soon; get passport first, plan second.

Good luck - and have a great trip. M

Final Florence

City of Florence is divided into four districts; Santa Maria Novella, Santo Spirito, San Giovanni, and Santa Croce. Our lodging at Pensione de Luisa Maria Medici, is the division between Santa Croce and San Giovanni. Duomo is a spectacular central focus point in the San Giovanni region, and was less than 2 blocks from our room. Currently the Duomo is being cleaned, tower portion is finished, but this side of the cathedral had yet to be cleaned.

At the Pensione, our hosts have spent more than 40 years collecting fine works of art, including wooden and marble life-sized sculptures, framed oil paintings, antique furniture, and added to their unusual collection with 1950's and 60's slick, shiny furniture, which works in an odd, quirky, artistic manner... Just outside our doorway, a gilt robe and bare feet of a wooden angel sculpture dangle to within a few inches of your head when entering.

Murals were added to each room, and were completed by the owner of the Pensione.

Across Orno River between San Giovanni and Santo Spirito, is Ponte Vecchio, known to some as "The Bridge of Gold". Oldest bridge in Florence; has been destroyed by floods several times, and rebuilt stronger each time. Originally, bridge buildings were used as a meat markets, but in late 1500's following a flood which left waste all over the river, butchers were removed and replaced with vendors of gold and silver, still remaining today. This bridge is filled with gold and silver shops of up to four stories tall, all vying for thousands of tourists passing by each day.

Galleries and museums visited in four days included the 1560 Uffizi Gallery, 13th Century Basillica Santa Croce, 1800's Bargello Museum; (built to hold overflow of artworks from Uffizi Museum), 1418 (Medici) Church of San Lorenzo, 1458 Palazzo Pitti, and 16th Century Galleria dell'Accademia , (Academy of the Art of Design); where Michelangelo's 19 foot-tall marble "David" looks over daily crowds. Below, from an open-air portion of Bargello Museum, where photography is allowed, and crowds are less obvious...

Back in France; found at the Chateau in Angers.

Pisa Notes (and Hollywood Stars!)

Pisa, Italy airport has simpler access than a direct flight from Paris to Florence. Spent a leisurely day at Pisa before coming back home to France, and located their main tourist area; "The Miracle Square", or Piazza del Duomo; with three cathedrals, a museum, and the Tower of Pisa; which recently re-opened after engineering magic reduced the steady tilt, (which had begun to occur on almost a daily basis). Did not have time to tour the tower, but instead enjoyed exploring the cool interior of the cathedral in the foreground, marveling at the sculptures, architecture, and paintings - ignored by many who came only to see the leaning tower.
When first arriving in Pisa, we were excited with our lodgings at a 13th Century convent; St. Croce in Fossabanda, lovingly refurbished with grants from the city of Pisa a few years ago. Our goals of staying at non-chain hotels were realized with this little gem of a structure, and once again we were thankful for the limitless choices offered through the internet for travelers.



The murals within the convent have also been restored, and although none of the rooms were very large (existing single cell-sized dimensions), were very comfortable - except for some voracious mosquitoes... Through our doorway; overlooking the central plaza, the tower's working bell (discovered at 8 a.m. the following morning...), summoned us to a wonderful free Italian buffet breakfast of fresh yogurt, fruit, pastries, omelets, cereal, coffee and juices. Prior to leaving our relaxing lodgings, we enjoyed some thoughtful solitude to relax and create.
Will provide more of "The story of a week in Florence" in my next blog. The weather was amazing during our stay; warm, not too humid, and sunny - and we can understand how so many from other countries plan to "just visit', and end up moving to this sunny, welcoming country. Pale skin and hair tend to betray obvious "foreigner" status to the real residents of this land, but I enjoyed being "a minority" in their paradise. And the excitement? Saw movie stars! In the Florence train station, prior to returning to Pisa, I saw a man in his 40's, wearing a rumpled suit jacket and jeans standing in a ticket line, who I swore was Matthew Broderick. John walked by for a second view and was unsure, and with no body guards, and no Jessica, we assumed he just looked like Matthew. Found a shady bench at track 10 while we waited for our track location to be posted, and just prior to train #10 leaving, were happily surprised when a large baggage cart FILLED with Louis Vuitton luggage, two burly body guards in dark suits, and Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick dashed by to enter their privately booked first-class car! My first star sighting in Europe - and I was thrilled for the rest of the day! M

Itahhhhhhhhly

Although Florence is a city in a flat valley, took a leisurely stroll uphill across the river enjoying a sunset over the Arno River; Ponte Veccio Bridge leading into the heart of the city, tower of the Plaza Vecchio, and the dome of the "Duomo", (or Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral) still visible at the end of the day.


View from our "third floor" pensione (privately-owned boarding house), within a block of the Duomo, less than a block from a large art supply store ("heaven"), a block from Plaza della Repubblica (a large open pedestrian square), and within a block in any direction of probably 5-6 gellato locations. (In Europe, when something is advertised as "third floor", it usually means fourth floor in reality...in this case our room was up 69 steps for a "third floor" location...)
A few observed differences between French and Italians: The French residents we have observed seem very aware of dressing formally when in public, but in a sensible/frugal way, they are quiet and polite, and it is expected to acknowledge shopkeepers when coming or going from their establishment. The Italians we observed are also hyper-aware of being formally attired - but in this large city, the styles were flashier, more skin was exposed, and the conversations were more animated; definite hand and body gestures. Florence has also been struggling with pollution from a huge population and huge tourist numbers, so the majority of Florence residents ride motorcycles, scooters, and bicycles (in that order), and there are specific parking lots for only two-wheeled vehicles throughout the city. What was enjoyable was watching formally dressed Italian women in sheer flowery dresses and high heels on motorcycles and scooters, flying around cars and pedestrians. (Please note; the shoes in the photo below are not the most extreme length observed - she was just one of the few stopped at a stop light long enough for a photo-op!)

John met a young man from Ohio who is an art student at a Florence academy. In Florence, artists are encouraged to apply for daily permits to create "one-day works of art" - in this case, utilizing pastel chalk in the street, in areas specifically designed for short term works of art. The artists use existing famous paintings for their creations, and usually start on the piece in the morning, after taping the edges of the "frame", and in some cases, blocking out a grid to establish a template. Creations can take 8 hours or more to finish, and tip baskets are near the work during the process, for support from the pedestrians. They are allowed to work on these masterpieces until midnight, when final piece must then be erased/washed from the pavement, for the new artist on the next day. At this area, three artists were preparing different works of art of about 6'x4', and one mentioned that some artists can be employed in this manner full time, making between 200-300 Euros/day ($270-$400 US). The subject here, is by Sir John Everett Millais, La Demoiselle d'honneur
(The Bridesmaid), 1851.

Italy has a whole different "feel" to the people, and yes, the gellato, (ice cream) was probably slightly better in Italy than any glace I have had in France. We checked daily....
Final photo was from Pitti (pronounced "pete-e"), Palace, in the open plaza within the palace. A friendly little gray and white cat was encouraged over from the cafe there, and agreed to a gentle massage - I think his name was Pitti.
<><><> Well, enough for now - more Italy photos will be forthcoming within the next few days.
Buonasera! (Good night!) M

Italy...

Found a close-by internet cafe and have been in Italy since Saturday. Photos may follow later this week. So if France is all about "the bread and pastry", Italy is all about "the heat, the gelatto (ice cream), and the arts"; architecture, music in the streets, sculpture, and of course, paintings. Wandered yesterday without the camera - just feeling free to watch and observe the city, its inhabitants, and the large number of tourists. Florence will charm you with her heat, the scents of the food and perfumes, as well as the vibrancy of the Italian Spirit - which is seen in everything from a father interacting with his young daughter in public - to an Italian beauty on her bicycle arguing with an angry driver about who rules an intersection - to large numbers of elderly Italian women lining the benches along a pedestrian mall in Pisa; watching and talking about all they observe and know. The heat is everywhere - the people, the artworks, the sun shining on the facades of the ancient buildings, in the eyes of angry drivers - but the heat is easily cooled and mellowed with gelatto, which is where we are heading next. Chao!

Sarah's Song

Sarah is the model for the first half of the session here, and a going away party was held this evening in her honor. She is also first of hopefully all, of those related to Studio Escalier who will have their portraits on this blog. Found a scarf for her at the second-hand store, and she wore it proudly for an impromptu session of fortune-telling, with Timothy keeping harmony on his acoustical guitar. Good food and friends before we leave for a week-long trip to Italy.
M

A French Monster

Since the Clock Contest is about a monster, and "Time" terrorizes everyone...
My entry for the "Monster Contest" is from French legend:
I checked French Monsters in History and came up with a description of La Bête du Gévaudan, ("The Beast of Gevaudan") a "terror which reigned between 1764 and 1767", a wolf-like monster who lay claim to 100 killings in a small area of France.

OK, so the description is a little depressing, but some history is good to know.




I am enjoying the current roster of votes - hoping for about 20 to choose from, so keep 'em coming. Another beautiful sunset from the 20th of June - Ahhhhhh...
M

Update on the Monster Clock Contest...

Deadline and prize for person who determines winning name chosen for my computer clock: Deadline 3 pm (USA time), on August 10th. Entries to be judged on originality, beauty, humor, and possibly a talent portion, yet to be determined. <> <> <> Grand Prize: three 5x7 photos of winner's choice, from those published throughout this blog - to be awarded first week of September, 2007. Judges votes are final - and any bribes are greatly appreciated.
Good luck, and vote often! M

The Kindness of Strangers...

"I have always depended on the kindness of strangers"... Yeah, Blanche and I can now both use that quote... Checked bike this morning; front valve was stuck and the tire was flat, so visited the bike/motorcycle shop for free valve adjustment and some free air. Rode the bike to Thouars, and was hopeful - when I started; slight breeze against me (to be at my back on the way home), but the wind shifted before I entered that town, which meant the wind was definitely against me when I returned home. Spent most of the day wandering around town - sorry, Cafe Paix (Peace Cafe) was closed, so I could not join my new friend for another "Coca" (term for Coca-Cola). Picked up a few small items from Goodwill, flea market, and at a nice shop, took some photos of a cow wading in the river, and of a healthy riverside garden, and headed home.


The town of Thouars is about 21 km from Argenton-Chateau, and there are only three very large hills, one as you first leave my town, and another at the halfway point; a small village called Massais, and the third just prior to Thouars. The shoulder along the road through Massais is rather rough, and I noted a slight increase in vibration as I coasted down into the valley before climbing their monster hill - The vibrations became much heavier, and louder, and then much worse as I struggled to reach hill top. Let us just say - the front tire was still fine, the back was not. I had just learned proper terms for ("my tire is flat"), "mon pneu est a plat", so I tried the phrase at the only tiny grocery store in town...The lady spoke "un peu" ("a little") English, asked me where I was from (-in French - which I understood), and offered to have her husband drive me home. He refused payment of any kind, as well as one of my handi-wipes for his dirty hands after crawling around under his sedan to find a place to attach a bungee cord. The driver dropped me and my wounded bike off at the same bike shop in town, and 20 Euros later, there is a lovely brand new tire and tube, fixed in less than 10 minutes. Ah, the kindness of strangers.


Please note: The photo of the bike was taken at Thouars prior to any tire related incidents. M

Double Bise

First, a quick funny story: We were eating lunch at the Tabac, (pub), and J was enjoying a wonderful cut of steak - the bartender introduced us to a gentleman who had just come in - "...he supplies the beef for our kitchen..." The farmer explained that each of his cows is named after a French politician, and I asked, "what was the cow's name for this steak?" Jacques Chirac.
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So what do you want us to find out next? Hope to have a some photograps of a few residents by the end of this week. And J indicates he will try to "do a blog page", too.
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To answer a question about clothing/style differences: Teenagers appear to be just as nervous about "wearing the right stuff" here as in the USA; slightly less baggy/hip hop-styles, more fitted jackets, lot of layers/scarves, and vests for the girls, and and no teenagers around town or shopping in sweats, PJ bottoms, or flip flops. I have noticed logos and patches with "American" messages appear to be popular - concert shirts and the peace sign/Smiley Face are universal. All ages seem more "aware" of dressing up to "go out". Although the weather has not been very warm yet, it is very unusual to see anyone wearing shorts. A few students here cause a bit of a shock every time they go running in shorts. Other differences in style are more subtle; women greet close friends, (men and women), with a "double bise", or air kiss to each cheek, and even teenage boys will greet young men formally with a handshake, or exchange a double bise with teenage girls who are friends. Overall, many of the women seem to favor wearing some type of scarf to keep their necks covered, and enjoy the same types of jewelry popular in the states.
Early July will find us in Florence, Italy -and not sure if frequent updates to the blog will be possible while there, so I will try to write more frequently this week.

Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice celebration last night - with a band, dancing, potluck with J's class, and a bonfire. View of the town and the cathedral from a hill across the river, and a few blurred shots of the gentlemen playing French horns, and the dancers circling the bonfire, singing what could have been ancient folk songs.