Tag: France 2013

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.

In this case, the expression “Mind the Gap” is referring to the store “The Gap.” I’m sure Chloe and Ella will know why I’m using this expression, at least once they see this picture. Right, girls?

You see, Melinda was laboring over what to bring Celeste & Claire from the U.S. as gifts. In desperation, she “allowed” Chloe and Ella to make the decisions, sending them out late last week with the task. They went to The Gap and came back with four items. Now the question was, which two items went to each girl?

Last night this was settled as Melinda explained that one girl got to pick first and the other girl got to pick second and third, meaning the girl who picked first also got the fourth item. Initially, Celeste, age 13, was going to pick first, but ultimately Claire, age 11. did so. I’m sure some sisterly strategy was involved.

For those of you scoring at home, Claire picked the sweater, whereupon Celeste selected the scarf and bag, leaving Claire with the bracelet.

I don’t think draft picks, future considerations, or cash was involved.

(Remember, you can click on the photos to enlarge them. FYI, all were taken today.)

I thought another way to kick jet lag would be to do what I normally do on Sunday mornings back home, that is to go for a run. It was 8am or so when I started out today (or 11pm Saturday night in Seattle) and a bit chilly. But within seconds, I felt great.

I started at the Boudeaus and ran down to the river. I crossed the bridge and then made my way over to a trail I regularly ran when we lived in Nantes 2+ years ago. It was quiet and cool, so reminiscent of my morning runs after taking Ella to school that I wanted to pinch myself, so content was I. I continued in the direction of our old neighborhood, then on to another trail there I ran regularly before hooking up to a city street that took me straight to the Hippodrome.

As I’ve needed to do lately at the 30 minute mark of any run, I stopped at the Hippodrome to stretch and rub out my achilles and calf. I took a couple of photos and started up again, running on the racetrack, the same place that I began running 2 1/2 years ago! My heart was beating fast and it wasn’t from the running.

I crossed the street in front of the main entrance to the Hippodrome and found the tiny entrance to a trail I discovered on one of my many Nantes explorations. I felt like a resident, especially as I passed other runners. Me, in my shirt and watch from Décathlon, running on tiny trails that a visitor would never know of.

On I went, down the tiny trail, before connecting with a larger trail along the camping site at Petit Port. I ran it to the Ligne 2 tram stop, then over to Ella’s school, Le Loquidy, stopping to take pictures. I reversed my trail back toward the tram stop and ran along a road next to the Université de Nantes, then over to another trail that took me to our favorite restaurant, La Belle Equipe.

Having hit the hour point of running and experiencing some tightness in my left calf (a new injury?), I decided to walk back to the Boudeaus. I climbed the stairs to the bridge and crossed back over, stopping to snap a picture of me on the bridge overlooking the Erdre.

Man, if I could do this every day…