I love French dinners. They are such an EVENT, such an opportunity to observe the culture first hand and, of course, learn some new expressions. Last night we invited Bénédicte et Sébastien (sans enfants - ils sont chez les grands-parents), Sylvie et Philippe over for dinner so Leah could observe the process first hand. It rather brought me back to my first days in Meudon, when following a conversation among French speakers was immensely challenging. Raymonde Carroll, in her book "Cultural Misunderstandings: The French-American Experience" characterizes French conversation as trying to keep a ball in the air all the time; nobody really pauses to catch the ball as they do in American conversations. Even more challenging is trying to participate, knowing when to insert yourself in with a witty remark, a comment, or a question. I always feel the least French when I am asking a question, but am past the point of trying to BE French as on my previous visits here - now I just want to be myself, be involved, connect and learn. What a difference ten years makes. Anyway, Leah did a good job keeping up with the conversation, trying to get the gist of what was being discussed. I felt very comfortable with this group, participating, laughing and joking. What a joy good friends are; I want to take them all home with me when I leave in August.

Larry prepared, of course, a wonderful feast. Leeks in a yummy sauce with a few pieces of saumon fumé for a premier plat, then some white fish on a bed of risotto topped with tomato, triangulated with some broccoli, carrots, and pea pods. Of course salad, cheese (Camembert, Pont l'Eveque, Morbier, Saint Agur, et Chèvre), and dessert. Bénédicte had made a delicious apple almond cake which simply melted in your mouth. The guests joked that Larry's food was much better than McDonald's, and that perhaps some Americans can cook after all, for which Bénédicte chided them soundly, adding that eating chez Larry was better than chez Paul Bocuse. Not ever having eaten chez Paul Bocuse, I can't say, but the sentiment was touching. We had kirs royales for starters and white wine with the meal (Valencay, from Monsieur du Pommeau), then red with the cheese (a Bordeaux, then Côteaux du Loir, which has a nice, light, peppery flavor). It was a wonderful evening which, I think, meant a lot to Leah. I was pleased to have done it.

For the past couple of days we have done the mellow version of the tourist thing, visiting Saint Lô (a pretty ugly city, having been leveled by WWII, but with cool ramparts and a very interesting church), several châteaux, etc. I actually took Leah, Madeline, and Annika out exploring yesterday sans Larry and didn't get lost - I found le Château de Creully and Fontaine-Henry without any difficulty. In Creully there were some bumper cars set up and the two girls wanted to go on them, so we bought them a jeton and off they went. The excitement was short-lived, however - the seatbelt straps were clearly not designed for kids that young and cut into the girls' necks. Madeline stopped early, in tears. Annika continued slamming into the one other participant and had a good time, but left with pretty bad rope-burn type scarring on her neck. As Larry said, that would have spelled lawsuit in the United States. But Annika was a trooper and we moved on.

Today it is drizzling rain. Larry has gone to play golf with Martial, from school, who called last night to invite him. The two guests are up, as is Annika, but Caroline has yet to show her face. Soon we will have breakfast and go intown to explore Bayeux. It is time to see the cathedral up close, the tapestry museum, and perhaps eat a slice of tarte au chocolat. Leah is such an easy guest, and having only TWO guests seems like a piece of cake after the crowds (wonderful, but harder to manage due to sheer numbers) of last week. It feels good to just hang out with her and take things one day at a time.

Time to check the laundry (we had some troubles with the machine this week but the very nice neighbor came and helped us out, Monsieur being absent) and get breakfast ready. Gros bisous à tous!

MERCREDI
Larry drives with the others to Caen to drop off the rental car. The girls and I will catch a later train to Caen so we have a little over an hour to clean and wash some sheets. Amazingly, we manage to clean the house relatively well in record time. Caroline sweeps, Annika vaccuums. We head to the train and arrive fifteen minutes early. In Caen we meet Larry and hop on the train to Paris. Larry has bought sandwiches, fortunately - we are starving.

Arrival in Paris around 1 p.m. We head for the Hôtel du Collège de France in the Quartier Latin, heavily laden with suitcases. We negotiate the metro and make it to the hotel, which, thankfully, everyone approves of. We are all on the same floor, 1er étage so not many stairs. There is a statue of Jeanne d'Arc (I think) in full armor in the lobby - une bonne ambiance.

After getting settled it's off on our first adventure. We head for l'Ile Saint Louis and Berthillon. Rick and Peg are clearly excited; it's their first trip to Paris. Notre Dame is there in all her glory; the weather is drizzly but everyone is too excited to care.

Upon arriving chez Berthillon we notice there is a school group in front of us. Not wanting to wait in line in the rain, we settle for a nearby Crêperie and have galettes and crèpes with glaces Berthillon - close enough for government work.

We head back to the hotel via Notre Dame and decide to go inside. Suddenly Caroline complains of an earache. We start to walk around but it quickly becomes obvious she is in considerable discomfort. I have some asprin with me and some juice; Larry takes her outside to administer the medicine and says he'll meet us. In the meantime the rest of us get waylaid by a well-meaning but very talkative volunteer guide. We listen politely for a few minutes, and though we asked for the short version, it is clear that we will be there for an hour if we're not careful. She is a woman of many opinions, some of which are quite amusing: "France has been going downhill ever since the Revolution", "Notre Dame is named after a woman because of the great respect the Catholic Church has for women" - as opposed to Muslims, perhaps? Were those her thoughts? A bit of subtle (or perhaps not so subtle) religious propaganda? We promptly excuse ourselves and move on. We find Larry and Caroline near the exit. She is clearly still miserable so they go back to the hotel and the rest of us decide to go over to the Champs-Elysées before dinner.

We arrive at the Place de la Concorde at dusk. The rain has stopped. We walk around the Place and there is the Eiffel Tower in the distance, in the midst of an incredible sunset. As if on cue, it starts sparkling with a thousand tiny white lights as it does every evening hour on the hour. We stroll up the Seine. It is Valentines Day, we are in Paris - Rick and Peg walk arm in arm and share a kiss on the banks of the Seine with the Eiffel Tower bathed in a pink sunset and the gently lapping waters of the river below. It is a moment.

Because of the detour along the Seine we veer away from the Champs-Elysées but soon get back on track. After a bit we decide it is time to go back to the hotel and think about dinner. We catch a glimpse of the Tour Eiffel étincellante one more time before ducking into the metro and heading back.

Caroline est malheureuse. Larry has bought her some ear drops but she is still in pain. My gallant knight says, "Go have dinner with your family; I'll stay here with her and get something to eat afterwards." There appears to be little choice. We find a couscous place nearby, Lisa without Jim and me without Larry in Paris on Valentine's Day, but we share some wine and enjoy our food anyway. A travelling merchant approaches our table selling roses, four for ten euros. I buy one for Larry and the suffering Caroline, then of course Annika wants one. I give the last one to Peg. Annika, in a moment of love and generosity, gives her rose to Auntie Lisa. Another moment.

We return to the hotel. Caroline cries a bit but settles down once Mommy snuggles her. Larry goes out to get something to eat and we all go to sleep, exhausted.

THURSDAY

Miraculously, Caroline appears cured. We dress and head down to breakfast. Rick and Peg are already there, and there is a woman sitting back to us. Caroline taps her on the head, but, SURPRISE! It isn't Auntie Lisa. Caroline is embarrassed but the woman doesn't mind. A few minutes later we are joined by the real Auntie Lisa and Annika and enjoy croissants, yogurt, and cheese.

It is a beautiful sunny day and we head to Montmartre. However, Michelle remembers the closest metro stop incorrectly so we have to walk a bit. No matter; we find a grocery store and buy some clementines to snack on. We make it up the hill and do a bit of shopping and exploring around Sacré Coeur and la Place du Tertre. Rick buys a French hat, having left his on the train to Paris. On the way back to the metro the girls and Lisa go on the carousel. Another moment. It is fun to watch everyone's excitement and enchantment with Paris.

Next stop: le Jardin du Luxembourg. We find a place to buy sandwiches and picnic in the Jardin. The weather is glorious; our guests from Maine think it is early April, not February. Lisa thinks it is only partly sunny compared to California, but compared to typical weather in Normandy Larry, the girls and I think it is VERY sunny! We have a leisurely lunch, surrounded by green grass, right in front of the Palais du Luxembourg. The standard line for moments like this is fast becoming, thanks to a friend of Lisa's, "This doesn't suck." Pretty wonderful to be able to share this with my family. I am touched when Peg wants my picture in front of the Sorbonne later; she cares about seeing a piece of my past.

We decide to take advantage of the sun and visit la Sainte Chapelle. The guests are duly impressed, and I am glad to be there as I had only vague memories of visiting it many years ago. Sue had lent me her little binoculars, and Annika especially has fun looking at all the details.

We check l'Officiel des Spectacles and decide to try for the five o'clock Bâteaux Mouches from the Pont de l'Alma. Again, our timing is perfect and we board just before departure. The sun is still out and the light is perfect for pictures. It is a little cold but we don't mind. During the ride the sun gets low in the sky and the Eiffel Tower lights up; at six the sparkly lights come on and Annika is ecstatic: "I LOOOOOVVVE Paris!" she says, hugging her Auntie Lisa with glee.

Since we are in the neighborhood we walk over to the Tour Eiffel and Larry talks me into going all the way to the top despite my fear of heights. (Rick and Peg opt for the 2e étage.) Somehow I lose my fear once the glass elevator starts up from the 2e étage and just enjoy the experience. Even at the top I am not afraid. Perhaps it is the company, or the magic of Paris, or my attempt to see fear for what it is - an illusion.

We go back down and find Rick and Peg easily. I buy a tacky Eiffel Tower souvenir that is also a music box that plays "la Marseillaise". Earl, I hope you'll still respect me.

For dinner we find a crêperie in the Quartier Latin. It is Lisa's last night and we are all tired but we've had a good time. How nice that Linka feels better.

FRIDAY

We awake a bit later than intended and say goodbye to Lisa (Peg walks her to the RER station). Then we go to the nearby Musée de Cluny, which I have never visited. It is a nice museum, with the famous Dame à la Licorne tapestry. Particularly interesting are some objets d'art found in the Seine when they were trying to make it more navigable. There are also statues and sculptures and paintings. The bookstore has a wide selection of medieval things which I find intriguing; I buy myself a couple of books and a few gifts for others.

After the Cluny we decide to go to the Centre Pompidou. Unfortunately, there are no performers, but Rick rises to the occasion and juggles three of my clementines. Wonderful! We wander around a bit looking for lunch when my cell phone rings. It is Sue, announcing the news that my grandmother has died (not unexpectedly). We find a brasserie and share a meal, trying not to be too somber. I am in great need of chocolate cake and thankfully, there is a moelleux au chocolat with crème anglaise on the menu.

We walk down to the Louvre and the guests admire la Pyramide and the enormity of the museum. We are all museumed out and do not go in. Then we walk down the Seine, noting the wares chez les bouquinistes, and make the obligatory trip to Berthillon. I had promised the girls trois boules for all their help cleaning on Wednesday and they are delighted. We walk to the park behind Notre Dame as is our want to finish eating, then head back to the hotel to pack and rest a bit before dinner.

We find a restaurant with a nice looking 12 euro menu and eat mussels and soup, salmon and paella, mousse au chocolat and fruit. We share a bottle of Sauvignon blanc and raise a glass in turn to the wonderful trip, to togetherness, and to my grandmother. Another moment.

On the way back we stop at a shop that is still open. I admire the scarves and, to my surprise, Peg buys me one. What a wonderful memento of a wonderful visit. I also find a bell which I will not describe because it is a surprise, but I am up to ten.

SATURDAY

We awake in good stead and share breakfast in the hotel. Larry and Annika have a ten o'clock train and head out early. The rest of us finish packing, then Caroline and Peg beat Rick and me at cribbage before we walk down to the RER. The trip to Charles de Gaulle is smooth. Caroline and I drop Rick and Peg off at the check in for Air France and head to Terminal 1 to meet our next round of guests.

It has been really special to have my family here, to share what is an important part of my life with them. And as Sue said, it is the most time we have all spent together in a long time. I was very moved to have them here; it is something I will never forget and will always treasure.

Now my friend Leah and her daughter Maddie are here. We almost missed our connection to Bayeux in Saint Lazare, but fortunately did not. The trains were packed today; everyone is either leaving for or returning from vacation. It was a good thing we had reserved seats. It was so crowded they did not roll the sandwich cart through the aisles. Caroline and I braved the crowds and walked through three train cars to get something substantial to eat, stepping on feet and luggage all the way. I was very glad I had bought some snacks with me as well.

On the train from Caen to Bayeux one of the SNCF workers came into our car and made a couple of announcements over the intercom; he had a special key that opened a box near the doors and spoke right from there. I had never seen that before and had assumed it was the driver/conductor who made such announcements. It was cool. When he finished I said, "Bon travail, Monsieur" and got a "merci" and a smile from him.

It is wonderful to be back in Bayeux. Leah and Madeline are snoozing and we are perhaps halfway through our considerable pile of laundry. On Thursday we will head back to Paris for a couple of days, but for now, it is just nice to be home.

Yesterday we got a slightly later start than we wanted and headed to Lisieux. We made it there without significant incident and found parking slots close to the basilica. On the way up the hill I ran into a souvenir shop and found TWO bells - one of the basilica and one of Normandy (two people in traditional attire). Score! Now I have exceeded my goal of eight bells for the year; I have nine. I was so excited! Should I set a new goal? Twelve?

The basilica in honor of Saint Theresa and housing a big chunk of her arm was quite impressive. It is a pretty recent structure, built in the early 20th century. The mosaics in the crypt were absolutely beautiful, and the basilica itself richly decorated. Behind the building were the tombs of Saint Theresa's parents. As we headed out it started to rain, so we set off in search of lunch. We found a small bar/brasserie where we had salads and omelettes. After lunch we visited the cathedral (nice, but nothing compared to the one in Bayeux), drove by Saint Theresa's convent, and then visited the house where she grew up. It was an interesting visit and Sue was clearly very moved to be able to make this pilgrimage; it was nice that we were able to help make it possible.

Given the rain and the late hour we decided to head back home and relax for a bit before our night out. We played some Uno and then headed out to the restaurant La Rançonnière in Crépon (sans filles - Camille est venue les garder).

The setting of the restaurant was very nice; it was in a very old stone building out in the countryside. There was quite a crowd for a Monday night. We each had a very nice meal and shared some good wine (Bourgogne). Larry had wild boar (sanglier), which I tasted. I had a nice pavé d'Isigny appetizer followed by some lotte and saumon in a yummy sauce. The accompanying vegetables/potatoes were nicely done. In between the entrée and the plat principal they served us some sorbet in Calvados. For dessert I had a baked apple dish with caramel ice cream on the side - not my usual fare but good for a change. They served some chocolates with the coffee/tea to round things off.

It was very nice to have this fancy dinner out with my sibs. We also experienced some comic relief when Sue discovered in the parking lot that she had walked out with a coat hanger hanging out of her coat pocket. She rather sheepishly brought it back inside.

Today we had a low key day; shopping in Bayeux in the morning, lunch at home (mostly leftovers), and a few touristy things (one of the British cemeteries, castles at Creully and Fontaine-Henry, and the Prieuré de Saint Gabriel-Brécy). Back home for some kirs royales, a supper of omelettes, and packing. Tomorrow we are off to Paris until Saturday, when I will come back here with my friend Leah and her daughter Madeline. No time to really clean the house, but hopefully they won't be too grossed out! I am looking forward to sharing Paris with my sibs (except Sue, who had to go home today). The girls are back to their usual selves as well, so that's great.

Not sure when I'll write next, but probably not before Sunday at least! Bisous à tous.

Well, my family arrived tired but without significant incident on Friday as planned (after only two or three hundred e-mails). What a joy to arrive in Saint Vigor after school and have them here! It is so special, so wonderful to be able to share a part of our year with them. And, as my sister said, it's the longest stretch of time we have spent together in memory. Such a luxury, so much fun ... making memories together.

On Saturday we of course went to the market. The weather was mercifully good - SUN for most of the morning with only one tiny rain shower (five minutes max). The "ambiance" at the marché was almost festive; when it is sunny here, it's like people come out of the woodwork. The streets were filled, the merchants were cheerful ... unfortunately, Caroline wasn't feeling well so she stayed home with Larry. After the market we stopped at a salon de thé and had coffee. Then we went home for lunch and some down time (the guests were still significantly jet lagged) before going to our wine tasting with Monsieur du Pommeau. We decided to walk, which was a good idea as the sun was out again and everyone enjoyed the river walk. The wine tasting was very nice; four wines, three of which we bought to take home. Monsieur did a very good job explaining how to taste wine and a bit about the wine-making process. Women of April; we'll schedule this in for you, too!

Today we got up in good stead and headed to the Tapestry museum. There is a special exhibit now on the Viking influence, so the displays and film were someone different (the tapestry, of course, was the same!); I enjoyed seeing it again from a different perspective. Then we met Sue (who had gone to mass) at the Cathedral and walked around there before returning home for lunch.

This afternoon we tackled the D-Day beaches. Larry took us on the grand tour (about three hours) culminating in la Pointe du Hoc, where Allied forces actually scaled the cliffs. On the top of the cliffs were huge craters in the earth presumably from the repeated bombings there. Lisa and I agreed that the place seemed almost haunted. It seemed to be seeping with hatred; it gave us a very bad vibe. With the strong wind and cloudy skies, the ominous history and the holes where the bombs had fallen, the best word to describe it would be creepy. I am glad I saw it but it made my skin crawl.

We also visited the American Cemetery, which I had visited with Smith many years ago. Rows upon rows of plain white crosses; most of us got a little teary. War is so horrible, so ridiculous, so unnecessary. The setup of the cemetery inspires conflicting feelings; situated right on the ocean, it is undeniably a beautiful place, well presented with trees and flowers, the sound and sight of the waves below ... but of course, all those people, most of them so very very young ... from all over the United States ...

Tomorrow we're off to Lisieux; Sue is making a bit of a pilgrimage there to see the relics of Saint Theresa. We may also go to Falaise and Pont l'Eveque and explore a bit of the countryside. In the evening, we will try a very nice looking restaurant Larry found in Crépon. It will be a full day but a nice one, I think. I hope the girls will feel better and be able to enjoy it; they have both been up and down for the past few days.

I may or may not write between now and Wednesday, when we're off to Paris. Alors, à bientôt!

Sorry I haven't been writing much; I have been busy trying to prepare for our guests who arrive TOMORROW! I am so excited.

Annika had a bit of a bug this week - headache, no zip. Today Caroline's got it. Annika was fine after two days; let's hope Caroline is, too!

Larry came in to one of my classes of premières today to talk about racism in the U.S. He did a very good job and I think the students followed him okay. However, it is interesting how differently a language teacher and a history teacher approach the same subject. I would have been asking comprehension questions throughout and writing vocabulary on the board. I was also very aware of the idioms he used which I would have either not used or explained. Still, it's good for the students to be exposed to non-language teacher filtered English, and this was a good group with whom to attempt such an endeavor. Many students thanked him on the way out.

Today the girls had no school - the whole school was closed because of a strike. Bénédicte's kids were in the same boat, so she had asked Larry to take care of them. Caroline's illness made things a bit complicated; the six of us were supposed to go out for galettes at lunchtime. Naturally I invited Bénédicte to come along. However, as we started to walk into town, Caroline started crying because she didn't feel well, so Larry took her home and left us with the other kids. Neither Bénédicte nor I had really wanted to go out for lunch, but tant pis. By 1:10 the kids were not done eating, but fortunately, she didn't have a 1:30 class so she brought them back to school so I was not late (the first bell rang as I approached the door to my classroom). But I didn't have time to finish my lunch and it was very rushed. On top of it Monsieur le Proviseur was clearly not pleased that all these kids were in the building; Bénédicte's kids had sat in on her first class since Larry was being the guest speaker in mine, and he came around to check to see if any teachers were striking. She got a bit of a talking to afterwards; n'importe quoi. It made much more sense for her to come to school and teach even if it meant having her kids here for one class ... the concept of personal days doesn't exist here; I find that even though I almost never use mine at home, I appreciate the idea of them.

I had a very good class with my orange group today. They were actually engaged on the topic of whether Martin Luther King's dream has been realized, made some apt comments and asked some good questions. AND all in English - we made it the whole class without any French! Impressive! Particularly interesting to me was that they were actually willing to discuss the racism against Arabs in France a bit. I have thrown the line out a few times in some of my classes and with colleagues, but nobody till today has really bit. It's a very touchy subject, I think, but I was encouraged by these students' willingness to confront it.
I was so proud of the students and how well they did today. They have been my most difficult class, but I think in the end it may be that group that I will miss most.

Also in class today we went around and everyone shared what his/her dream was. They seemed interested when I told them that I am living my dream this year. Then one of the students told me his dream was to "be with you for all of my life". I told him I was married, and he then asked permission to kill my husband. Euh ... non. Finally he said, "Maybe we can share you." I promptly moved on to the next student! It was cute, though.

Tonight unless Caroline has a major fit Larry and I are going out for an early Valentine's Day dinner since we will have guests next week. The place with the crème brûlée au pommeau is not open so we are going to try Le Bistrot de Paris intown.

Tomorrow my siblings arrive, so I'm not sure how often I will blog. I am soooo ready for vacation. Alors, à bientôt!