The unpacking and resettling continue. And by unpacking I now mean finding spots in our house for the things we brought back from France. Case in point, the map featured in today’s photo. That’s the Nantes public transportation map, the Tan. Melinda and I used it just about every day while in Nantes. In fact, so important was it to us that we asked to be given a large poster size version of the map, as opposed to having just the fold-out pocket map sizes. We were pleased when one was given to us, and put it up in our house. This is that very map.

So while Melinda busied herself pressure-washing everything from our patio to the backyard furniture to the neighbor’s cat, I put up the Nantes public transportation map in our upstairs sitting room. Now I’ll know which bus to take to get from Commerce to Orvault, mighty important while in Seattle.

Some other highlights of the day include taking Romain to Value Village, a Seattle thrift store. That didn’t turn out to be as exciting as it could have been, but on the ride home I pointed out a gun shop. With whispers of Charleton Heston in my head, I took Romain inside, my first time inside a gun shop myself. I won’t bore you with the rest of the details, the enthusiasm of the clerk to show guns to a Frenchman, the ease with which one could buy an assault rifle, that sort of thing.

At last, some serious culture shock. Or was it just plain old everyday shock…