Category: Summer 2013

These two pictures require your captions. They scare me too much to explain.

Maybe this is what Chloe had in mind??

Chloe told me that she wanted more photos of people and I’m only too eager to oblige. I just wonder if these are the people she wants pictures of…

Chloe & Ella, I promised you some challenges. Here they are. In each photo, identify the location. If it requires context, provide it. FYI, all the photos were taken by me today.

Ready?

Begin.

I took this picture this afternoon while walking from the Boudeau’s to the InterMarché, the large grocery store/department store near their house (think Fred Meyer in terms of variety). It shows the construction taking place for a bike lane.

But this is not just an ordinary bike lane.

“This is not just an ordinary bike lane?”

This is a laser bike lane.

“This is a laser bike lane?”

At least Scott is laughing… I hope.

Nantes is redesigning many of its roads to accommodate bicycles and is doing it in a way that is quite smart. I mean, I give credit to Seattle for the work it’s doing but it’s nothing like Nantes, what with its raised bike lanes and pavement.

Learn more here.

(First, let me say that this is a test post, the first one I’ve tried from my iPad Mini. I’m curious to see if I can do this easily from the Mini so next week, when we are in Paris, I can leave my laptop at the Boudeaus. Fascinating for all of you, I know.)

So yesterday we went shopping, like I said. One of the stores Melinda wanted to go to was Habitat (big surprise, eh Brenda?). You may recall that this time of the year is one of the big sale seasons in France, too, so finding bargains at Habitat is like “winning” something on eBay.

So anyway, while Melinda was busy trying to win something at Habitat, I discovered that Poppie was on sale. 50% off!!

I kid you not and have the photo to prove it.

I understand that each girl got 4 of 5 correct in my last test (they each missed a different one). So here are 7 photos for them to puzzle over, each one taken today.

Note, for photos taken from inside of a tram, to get full credit you need to identify both the tram line and the location outside the tram.

Ready? Have your sharpened #2 pencils? Remember, to enlarge the photo, click on it.

Begin.

That’s right! Today was Derby Day at the racetrack in Nantes!! And guess who was there?

Me, that’s who!

Melinda and I started the day by taking the tram (Ligne 1) into town for some shopping. Well, Melinda shopped and I tagged along. After a delicious lunch that for me involved Ricard, Poire William, and tartare de boeuf, we went our separate ways. Melinda went to workout with Christine. And I rode Ligne 2 to the Hippodrome.

The first race went at just past 4pm and I stayed for 7 of the 8 races. I handicapped them all (looking for recent form near today’s purse level) and was doing quite well, so well in fact that I bet, and won, the 7th race (I made 3 Euros – but it cost me 2,30 for a beer and 5 to get in).

I picked the winner of the Derby, too, not that it was too hard. He was undefeated in 3 starts coming in so is now 4 for 4. That’s him crossing the finish line in the photo above.

Later I tried my hand at a self-portrait as the horses in the 6th race came down the stretch. Not bad, eh?

These two photos sum up our Sunday afternoon and evening.

First, it was a lovely day weather-wise, the best of the year, we understand. That meant that we all went for a dip in the Boudeau’s pool. And by everyone I mean me (as you can see in the photo), Laurent, Romain, Manon (who was tossed in by Romain), Clémence (Romain’s girlfriend – is she ever nice), Fréderique, and, drum roll please, Melinda.

Yes, Melinda went in the pool. Maybe it was the jet lag.

The second photo is from last night’s dinner. It involved sausage on the grill. It involved cheese. It involved wine. It involved our French family.

So to sum up this photo, I harken back to an expression I used a lot during the sabbatical — If this isn’t Nantes, I don’t know what is.