Nottingham

The weather hasn't been spectacular, but the visit has been great.  We weren't sure how it would work out; we were offered lodging with some family friends, a retired couple, and I was a bit worried about how we'd all fit in their home, or just how we'd mesh with folks we barely knew.

Turned out amazingly--they had enough space to give the kids their own bedrooms, and this couple are great fun--witty, smartass repartee is the norm, and we got to see all sorts of cool places.

Sitting in the (left side) passenger front seat I'm now sure I was right not to plan on driving on this side of the channel--not just the confusion with the other side of the road, but compounded by double-lane roundabouts and trying to shift with my left hand while steering with my right.

We saw my mom's sister and her cousin, but my aunt told us that my mom's brother wasn't really up to coming out with us for a visit.  Fact is, neither he nor my aunt live in areas or homes that would be places they want to host us.  Also, this is the brother who is painfully shy.  When mom's oldest brother was still alive, he'd be the one who did most of the talking, while Fred wouldn't have to say much.

This was a disappointment--I never met George, who passed away a few years ago, and here was a chance to meet another uncle for the first time that didn't seem like it was going to happen.  I called my dad that night and he urged me to take another shot at getting together with him.  Dad suggested we offer to get together in the one place Fred my be comfortable--the pub.

He knew what he was talking about.  My aunt was surprised to hear we "drank beer" (mom and dad never touched alcohol) and that changed things.  So while wife and daughter were off with our hosts seeing the last lace factory in Britain, my son (still 17 at this point) got to join us for a couple of pints and a nice visit with family he'd never met.

Here are a few pics from the week:

This is the view from Nottingham Castle.


The kids and I with Mom's cousin (in blue) and my Aunt Iris.  After this it was just us with Iris and we learned that we were no match for this lady's energy and stamina in walking all over Nottingham.


Nottingham was a trendier city than we expected.  Rather than being a rather grim industrial urban center, the downtown area was nice, and filled with the sort of shops my kids love.



James and I tried archery in Sherwood Forrest.  (I did pretty well.) 


The "Trip to Jerusalem"--the oldest Inn (pub) in England.  It's an old crusader pub dating back to the late 1100s.



Wollaton Hall, near where we were staying in Trowell.  Here we are with our hosts.  It's a lovely spot, and since part of it is a natural history museum, it was filled with school tours that day.  (Did I mention that even in the third week in July the poor kids are still in school?)


Next stop:  London.

More France

We left Paris on Saturday morning in our rental car, thinking ourselves smart as the heavy traffic would've left town on Friday afternoon, and our starting out around 7 a.m. would make things easier.  We were wrong.  Bumper to bumper dead slow for long sections of the first couple of hours.  Surprising how many of the cars clogging the roads had Dutch plates--maybe a long weekend there?  

Adventures along the way included stopping in a small community off the highway and ordering Mcdonalds somewhere that nobody spoke any English.  Our French was tested more in this phase of the vacation as we moved away from the touristy areas of Paris.

The countryside is beautiful, and the village of Eymet is small but has a definite charm.  The house we stayed in for the week was great; lots of room and a nice private courtyard to sit and enjoy a glass of wine and relax.  

Yes, lots of wine this week, and such good wine for relatively little cost.  Will be hard to get used to paying the prices back home.  Now off to Nottingham.  Here are a few photos from the Eymet and nearby:

The first photo is not so nearby--this is the beach at Arcachon--beautiful 33 (91) degree day on the Atlantic.  Daughter was mildly traumatized by the number of topless females around, though.

The courtyard at the house we called home for a week

Countryside.  'nuff said.

A view of the village square in Eymet at dusk.

Paris

It's been five lovely days in Paris for us--my second visit in as many years.  This time, with family, allowed for a bit better taste of local life.  For instance, we had a kitchen in the hotel, so we shopped at a nearby grocery store and also stopped each day at a bakery to get our supply of baguettes and pain au chocolat. 

We stayed in Charenton, or Porte de Charenton, I think, and I liked it much better then the area around our hotel last spring with my school group.  We felt comfortable coming and going even after midnight, arriving at a nearby Metro station and walking the few blocks to the hotel.

Culture shock.  Hmm, not so much, although the constantly having to try to communicate in French is at times a challenge.  Some things are different.  For instance, the rules about alcohol.  Even on the flight from Vancouver, things changed.  My son, still 17, is given an glass of wine with his meal.

He enjoyed wine several times in Paris, and no doubt he'll sample beer in England.  But when we're back home, we do need him to respect the fact that our laws are different. 

Another difference--public washrooms.  There are hardly any of them in Paris.  I don't know what people do exactly, but it's a far cry from home where public places all are required to have them, as are any places that serve food.

Still, it's an amazing city.  We had a lot of fun, and loved the Latin Quarter in particular.  Crepes.  They are something I'll miss the most when we get home.  

There are photos on my facebook, but I'll add a few here as well.  Next stop:  Eymet, in the southwest.