Category: Summer 2017

Gesundheit?

No, I did not sneeze, silly. Sarphatipark is the name of the park I ran in (and around and around) this morning for 30 minutes. You can, and should, learn more on Wikipedia. Below is what the park looks like from the perspective of a satellite (I assume you can locate the expanse of green space). Oh, the shaded blue area to the right is where our apartment is located.

So, yes, it was easy to get there this morning. It was a fun place to run, too, in that the trail weaves in and around a pond and a beautiful fountain. There are multiple benches and, as you can see in the image above, lots of green space. There is a workout area that has permanent installations of equipment for doing exercises like pull-ups and push-ups, among others. I was in the company of a lot of other health-minded people, the kind of thing that keeps a person incentivized.

Speaking of images, if Google Translator is to be believed, the expression in the photo to the left says, “Our Sarphatipark is a public park.” My experience bears this out.

I liked the park so much I went back and ate a picnic lunch there while Melinda and Christine went shopping.

Melinda, Christine and I flew from Nantes to Amsterdam this afternoon and are getting settled in our apartment (another glorious AirBnB discovered by Melinda). More updates to come.

It’s our last night in Nantes (the post title may have tipped you off). We leave tomorrow morning for Amsterdam where we will be staying for three nights. Christine is accompanying us and then Bernard will join us on Friday night, meaning we are getting a little bonus time with our friends!

So you know how I said in today’s earlier post how I had no luck getting a souvenir from the construction work taking place along Line 2? Well, Bernard, being the good city host and ambassador that he is, took one look at that post and said, “Let’s go.” The following photos document what happened next.

I took another long walk in Nantes today, providing me the opportunity to document my day through a series of self-portraits. Put aside the obvious narcissism this entails and join me…

We’ve had a relaxing day here in Nantes, the Boudeaus having given us access to their pool while they’re away. I’m providing you some additional photos from our weekend in Normandy.

It’s just about 4:30pm as I write this, 30 minutes before the start of the big 60th anniversary party for Bernard’s parents. Before heading over, Melinda and I are relaxing for a few minutes at the incredible AirBnB home at which we’re staying. It’s on the outskirts of a tiny village called Bonnebosq, one of many such villages scattered throughout Normandy. They are all picturesque and quaint, and every person we encounter is very friendly. The pace of life here is slowed way down. When driving, you pass lovely farmhouses and apple orchards, as well as horses, cows and sheep grazing in the fields. It really does feel as if you’ve gone back in time.

Late this morning we took a short walk into the main part of town. I snapped a picture (above left) of the sign along the road indicating you’ve entered the town proper. We wandered around, me snapping this selfie to give you a further sense of the place. We spent the most time in a simple grocery store, buying some eggs that we hard-boiled back at our place that we had for lunch, along with some fruit. I also bought a tiny bottle of Calvados liqueur for me to have back in Seattle.

Of unique interest, actor Yul Brynner owned property here and made it possible for the town to have a soccer field. Learn more in the photo below (click to enlarge it) that I took outside the field.