What Anna will miss about France

Well, you certainly can't say we've rushed into finishing off this blog! We've been home since late July (it's now March 31st), and we're getting ready to leave for Lyon again in 17 days. Maybe we just didn't want to admit our year in France was over?

 So what will I (have I) missed most?  Here’s my list in no particular order.

AVF

This organization was truly a Godsend! We met wonderful people through it, we went to places we would not have seen, and we enjoyed social events we would never have been able to attend. And, we definitely gained a deeper appreciation for Lyon, France, the French language, culture, and history through this wonderful organization. I've included reminders of some of the AVF events below.

The proprietor of a winery in Beaujolais where we enjoyed tasting his wines and sampling his wife's fine cooking.

 

Scene from cruise on the Saone River.



End of the year lunch for our "Discover France Class" at Andrée-Anne's



David and me at the end of the year gala.

 



Our Friends

We met so many wonderful, friendly, generous people and made so many new friends that I know I’d be sure to leave some out if I tried to list them all.  These people really were the ones that made our year in France such a joy!  Here are just a few of them.

Phillipe & Angeline owners of our favorite boulangerie who were great hosts and went on to become friends.

Dominique and Roger, who started out as "just" our landlords became great friends.

The History

For someone who has spent her whole life in the US, and on the West Coast at that, being immersed in the history of Lyon and of France was almost overwhelming.  I remember when David and I decided to limit our weekend excursions to places dating back to around 12^th or 13^th century or earlier – not the “recent stuff.”   I’ve always enjoying studying history, and experiencing it “up close and personal” was incredible.  Here are just a very few of the places and things we saw.

The clocher at Cluny

The medieval village of Cremieu

Sitting in a Roman amphiteater in Lyon

The Food

It would be impossible to mention France without mentioning food!  First of all, there is the amazing variety of fresh fruits and vegetables available both in “supermarchés” and in Farmers’ Markets.  Then there’s the pastries…maybe there’s a difference in the flour and/or butter that makes the pastries so much better than anything we have at home?  And, we were continually pleased to find small “mom and pop” restaurants and cafes, both in Lyon or elsewhere that served absolutely delicious meals.  My very favorite being the lunch with had in the small village Solutré Pouilly; it was absolutely the best meal I’ve ever had.  Also, meals are NEVER rushed.  No waiter will ever bring you your bill unless you ask for it; you could literally sit there nursing your coffee for hours if you wanted to!  Then there are meals we ate as guests in peoples’ homes – there was always so much wonderfully food, and the meals typically lasted for hours.  One does NOT rush the enjoyment of a meal and the conversations that accompany it.    (I won’t mention the wine since I know David has covered it in detail.)

My lunch in Solutré-Pouilly - the only meal I took a picture of.

Estelle and Her Family

I really enjoyed lunches and shopping with Estelle, our French daughter!  It’s amazing how it seems no time has passed when we first see her, although there have been years between our visits.  She has become a part of our family, and we love her very much.  We also got to know her family better and enjoyed their company. Laurent, her husband, was always the perfect host and made us feel so welcome!  We had several, very enjoyable, meals with Estelle, Laurent and their boys.  And, then there was Christmas when Chantal, Estelle’s mother, included us in the family Christmas celebration and meal.  What warm, wonderful people!

A "simple French lunch" at Estelle and Laurent's.

Family Christmas at Chantal's.

I know I’m sure to think of something I should have included, but it’s come time to stop and get ready for our next trip.

What David Will Miss About France

The Weather – late summer, early spring, SUN a lot of the time.  All driven home by comparing with Kirkland’s weather.  We had many sunny days during the winter when it was great to be out and about.  Winter temperatures are about the same as Kirkland, with the exception of many sunny days in the 50s, making it easy to be outside.  This past spring, we’ve had many sunny days in the seventies, excellent for a leisurely lunch by the river or at a sidewalk café.  When one is working for a living, especially inside, it’s a bit easier to ignore the weather; when one is at leisure in terms of one’s daily activities, unless your preferred activity is indoors, poor weather begins to impact one’s quality of life.  As I write this, we have gone from a bit muggy 80 degrees to a thunderstorm with downpours.  Last night [6/23] was the 30^th annual Fête de Musique, with musical acts both local and international at outdoor venues all over the city - most were rained out by another thunderstorm.  My shoes are still wet; Anna’s umbrella is destroyed.   Nothing’s perfect.

The people – most are open, friendly, and helpful, even including highway toll-takers.  The bar owner down the street, where we have had drinks maybe three times, stopped me the other day and said to be sure to let him know if we need anything or needed help with anything.  The folks at the vienoisserie across the street – hard-working, pleasant, fun, friendly – embodying everything you would want in a neighborhood business.

Our French daughter Estelle and family – husband Laurent and two boys, Paul and Victor.  We had such fun with them – dinners, family celebrations, barbeques, lunches with Estelle.  They welcomed us into their home and busy lives, providing a familiar touchstone around which we experienced the best that France and Lyon had to offer.

The public transportation system – clean, quiet, efficient.  By US standards, expensive for short trips, but no zone charges.   An interconnecting very frequent system of subways, buses, and tramways make it easy to get around the city, and to go to and from the city and the surrounding towns

French women – it’s not that all are gorgeous; it’s that if 5-10% of American women look good and dress fashionably on an every-day basis, then 15-20% of French women do.  You never see French men or women in public in sweats.    The French government has had a public education program in place regarding nutrition and balanced diets since about the 1920s. Recently, in response to a thickening of French waistlines, an exercise component has been added to the message. See mangerbouger.fr 

French wines – they are not better than American wines, but very often they are better values.  No doubt this is partly because of the tax structures.  Alcoholic beverages are heavily taxed in the US.  French wines typically have been lighter and lower in alcohol than corresponding American wines.  This is changing since world tastes in wine appear to be evolving towards the American and Australian models.  This is a shame in some ways because lower-alcohol wines allow one to have a bottle at dinner and still be able to navigate.  It’s also interesting to note which regions are evolving rapidly towards this international style, and which are still making much of their wines in the old style.  Bourgogne [Burgundy] appears to be the slowest to change, especially in the reds.  It is more difficult to get an interesting red wine from Bourgogne for a reasonable or even low, price than in the other prominent regions.  Bordeaux, the Rhone, and Provence are all producing excellent reds for 5-10 Euros or less.  I have paid 25 Euros for an ordinary red from Bourgogne, but we consistently buy really excellent Bordeaux for less than 5 Euros.

The number of people walking, biking, skating, or riding scooters about the city.  American cities would kill for this kind of energy and activity on city streets.  Why the difference – custom largely, reinforced by the fact most French live in relatively small apartments, gasoline costs about $8 per gallon, and public transportation is easy.

French food – cooking and presentation.  We’ve mentioned in many blog posts how amazing meals can be had at small cafes in small towns for reasonable prices.

The vibrant life still present in so many small French towns and villages.  They are having the same problems with migration to the cities with the negative impact on the small shops, but not to the extent where small towns have no retail businesses, as in the US.

Typical Weather

What I will not miss –less effort to efface graffiti; more trash on the streets, lack of a yard to work in; lack of a car [occasionally]; family and friends at home; no Rotary meetings.

Our Appartment is to the Left of Le Crayon [The Pencil]

Another Beautiful Day

Adventures on the High Seas

The last leg of our Great Adventure was about to begin – the trip home.  David wanted somehow for it to be memorable and hit upon the idea of coming home by ship.  He also has always wanted to cross the Atlantic by ‘Ocean Liner’ and thought it would be the perfect way to end our magical year in France.  He was concerned that the cost would be prohibitive, but, lo and behold, Cunard was having a special deal for West Coast residents.  Through a travel agent as opposed to going through Cunard, we got a suite on the Queen Mary II with sliding glass doors and a private deck for about 45% less.  For the two of us, including meals and six nights on board, the cost was about $3100.  Admittedly, we still had to fly home from New York, but we thought it was a reasonable deal.

What we found on board was even better than we had hoped – we were assigned a table for dinner with a congenial group – all Americans as it turned out, the sea was as smooth as glass the whole time, the food and service were excellent, and there were numerous activities of various types that we could avail ourselves of if we wished.  Plus, contrary to David’s fears, the ship was not a floating old-folk’s home.  And as an added attraction, also on board was Dame Judy Dench, the British actress.  [We did not sight her, but some of our table-mates did.]

So what did we do with our time?

We watched a couple of performances by RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.  We saw condensed versions of both Hamlet and Canterbury Tales – both very well done and very entertaining.

We attended a series of talks by Lord Howe of Aberavon, QC, who had been Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, and Chancellor of the Exchequer under Margaret Thatcher.  The talks were extremely informative and entertaining as Lord Howe offered information and insights into the Thatcher Government, the structure and reform of the House of Lords, British and European politics of the period, and the breakup of the Soviet Union.  Included in Lord Howe’s accomplishments were taking a leading role in the drafting of a new constitution for the Ukraine, and the structuring of laws for the European Community that attempted to create a level playing field for the member states whose laws were derived from very different sets of traditions.

In between cultural pursuits we explored this enormous ship, watched dolphins, saw an occasional ship, and met and talked with people from many different places.

Anna on deck in breeze

Anna Getting the Kind of Service She Expects

There are Dolphins There Somewhere!

The Band that Welcomed Us All Aboard

Our Dinner Table Mates

Upon Arrival in New York

The toughest part of the trip was getting up at about 5:30 the last morning so we could see the Statue of Liberty upon our arrival.  Luckily it was on our side of the ship and we could go back to bed for an hour or two.