Final Days in France

It's official ... I no longer live in France. I've been back in the States for a week and a half now, and am still adjusting to the culture shock. When I drive, I constantly reach for the stick to shift gears (my car's an automatic here), and I have to be careful to remember that my car is muuuuuccchhh longer here, compared to my adorable Smart. I was shocked by the huge portions when we went out for dinner last night, having forgetten just how out of control American portions are. But there are some things that are nice, such as easy-to-control grocery carts, polite shoppers and courteous drivers.

There are things I miss about France ... especially the people. Most notably, Philipp! He needed some extra time to organize his things, sell our cars, etc., and will arrive next Thursday. I know this is a tough time for him, as it's always stressful to move, but this is extreme moving! I wish I could make it easier for him, but I remind him that soon he'll be here and can take some time to relax.

Anyway, this post is supposed to be about my final days in France. They weren't too exciting, as I spent my time packing. As I already wrote, that is stressful. I had to decide what to take immediately, what to pack for shipping in December, and what to get rid of. Philipp's family was a great help in moving furniture and boxes.

On Sunday, May 31st, there was a little event downtown entitled "The Country Comes to the City", and I convinced Philipp that it was a good way to take a break from packing. I packed a picnic, we went to our favorite bakery for a loaf of our favorite bread ("pain au mais"), and we had a picnic along the banks of the Maine River. Then we walked over to check out the fair. I was excited to see some beautiful cows and the most massive bull I've ever seen! Here are some pictures:

The next day, we emptied the castle. The entire family (except Philipp's sister and her family, who live in Normandy) came to Philipp's parents' house for dinner. I appreciated the opportunity to spend time with all of them, as that has been such an important part of life in France. Not surprisingly, the goodbyes were very difficult. But as Philipp's brothers and sisters have said, they see him more when he is in the States (on MSN Messenger) than when he is in France! And they all know that once we are settled and have a guest room, they are more than welcome to come visit.

Is this my last post on this blog? Maybe. I can't promise that I'll add anything else to it, but it can't hurt to check back once in a while. I think Philipp and I are going to begin a bilingual blog about our new life in Charleston, so I will be sure to post that address when it's up and running.

Thank you for checking in with me and for your interest in my French adventure!

Tour Cycliste de Loire Layon

Philipp's friend Bernard, with whom he is renovating the castle, has another interesting hobby ... he rides his motorcycle in bike races, either to ensure the security of the cyclists and the crowds, or with a cameraman on the back. His son is an accomplished cyclist, and attends a special school that allows him to pursue his studies while training for a career as a professional cyclist.

Several months ago, Bernard and the other members of an association that provides motorcycle safety teams for bike races started planning a bike race for Junior competitors (17-18 years old). We’ve witnessed the process of planning, seeing to all the details, and their excitement as the registrations started coming in. After months of planning and preparations, the race was held on April 5th.

Bernard had asked Philipp and me to lend a hand on the big day, and we were happy to help out. After two weeks of beautiful sunny weather, we were all disappointed to wake up to rain the day of the race. Luckily, it subsided before the afternoon race, and the cool conditions were perfect for cycling. We arrived early for our briefing and a light lunch with the other volunteers, and then Philipp and I took a little drive to explore the area (not too far from Angers, but little villages I hadn’t seen before).

We watched the beginning of the race, and then headed to our appointed area to help direct traffic when the cyclists arrived. Philipp looked so official in his reflective vest. We cheered on the group of leaders, then the peloton. Several minutes later, some stragglers passed, and finally the broom wagon came by and we knew we could go. So we jumped in the Smart and followed the race route to the finish. The race ended with three loops, se we were able to park and see the last two passages, including the finish.

Following the finish, it was my turn to do my job. I’d been asked to be “podium girl”. This is a very difficult job, which involves standing on the podium and presenting flowers to the winners. And – as this is France – kisses are de rigueur. (A tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.)

We were both really happy for Bernard that his race was such a success. They’re already looking forward to next year’s event.

The Magic Number ... 3

As I started out on my long run yesterday, I suddenly (and inexplicably) thought of the expression "everything happens in threes". Because my mind has a tendency to wander as I run, I decided to let it. And here's what I came up with:

• Philipp and I were invited to a birthday party Saturday night. I was a lot of fun, with great food and wine, but we got home at three o'clock in the morning. Uugh ... I'm too old for this!
• While running through town, I saw George Clooney three times. You may have seen the Nespresso coffee maker commercials he's done? Well, this week, there have been large print ads of him all over Angers. They always make me smile as I go by ...
• Sunday was my last long training run. I ran to the Lac de Maine, around three times, and then back home. I'll be in Berlin on September 30, and it will be my third marathon. I'm definitely getting excited! (I'm also excited that yesterday's 18-miler was my last long distance before the big day!)
• As of yesterday afternoon, Philipp and I have three vehicles! I finally have my SMART car back! It had been sick for a while, but is all fixed now. Yeah! Also, Philipp bought a new (to him) truck last week, which will be very useful for his upcoming castle renovation. It's bright yellow ... very easy to spot as he drives through town!
• On Friday, I started my third job! I've been work for the Chamber of Commerce and Ecolangues since the end of May, but this week I started at one of the universities here in Angers. I'll have to write another post soon, to tell more about my jobs.

Hmm ... what else??? That's it for now, I guess. Sorry I have no photos this time. I'll try to do better next time. :)

Odds & Ends

It's Sunday afternoon, and I'm trying to catch up on my blogging. This weekend has seemed a bit more calm than last weekend, although it still seems to have gone by rather quickly. It's always nice to have a couple days to relax and get ready for the next week.

On Friday night, I went to the theatre with my sister-in-law, Mimi. It was the final night of the "Festival d'Anjou", an annual theatre festival that takes place in various sites around Angers. Antoine (Philipp's brother) had free tickets but wasn't able to go, so he gave the tickets to Mimi and me. (Merci, Antoine!) I picked up Mimi in the Smart ... we were very glad to have it, because we parked in in a tiny space that was perfect for my tiny car!

We saw a play entitled "La Folle et Veritable Vie de Luigi Prizotti". It's difficult to explain, but it was the story of the life -- the rise and fall -- of a television host. There were numerous characters who passed through, most very funny. Mimi and I agreed that it was a funny play, and the actors were incredibly talented. Just as amazing as the play itself was the locale ... in the courtyard of the Château of Plessis-Macé. It's a beautiful castle ...

I slept late on Saturday, but in the afternoon, I headed downtown for the "Braderie". We're in the middle of the "Soldes", the big sales that happen in all the shops twice a year. I already did a little shopping a week and a half ago, when the soldes began, but yesterday was the big sidewalk sale ... the braderie. There were tons of people throughout the downtown shopping district. I enjoyed walking around, looking at the clothes, household items, etc. I made it out without spending too much money, but am very happy of the two shirts and the jacket that I bought ... all 50-70% off! Clothes are very expensive in France, so you really have to take advantage of the sales when they happen.

The Prologue of the Tour de France was yesterday in London, so we were sure to watch. It was a "contre la montre", which means each cyclist rides individually on a short course, trying for the fastest time. The highlight was the ceremony to give the maillots (shirts) to the leaders, because our friend Mike (who handles marketing for Skoda, main sponsor of the Tour) was on the podium to shake hands with the riders. Yeah, Mike!

Today, Sunday, has been pretty calm. Our big excitement of the morning was taking a bunch of construction materials and garden waste to the dump. (yes ... very exciting) Now the rain is falling, so I guess I won't be hanging the laundry outside. I need to go put in in the dryer.

Before I go, take a look at the beautiful roses I cut from our garden yesterday. They don't smell as strong as the red ones, but I love the gorgeous pink color.

Round Round Get Around ...

Angers is great because there are so many ways to get around. For the past year, I've gotten to know the bus routes very well. I'd buy a monthly pass, and have unlimited access to all the bus lines. There's a stop just two minutes from our house, and I still take the bus often when I want to go downtown ( it takes about 12 minutes). Parking can be a hassle downtown, so the bus is better!


Angers also has a great program, called VéloCité. (vélo = bicycle) They let you borrow a bike for free for up to a year! This is what all the bikes look like:


Unlike many places in the States, there are bike lanes on most roads, and people are pretty tolerant of bikes, and sharing road space with them. I like to take my bike downtown, and one of the language schools where I work is only 10 minutes away. All I need is a basket on the front, or some bungees to strap my stuff the the rack in the back.

But more exciting than the bus and the bike is our SMART CAR!! Isn't it cute ?!?


Because I'm now working as an English teacher, I need a more independent way to get around town. I've always wanted a SMART, and it just worked out that Philipp's cousin had one, and wanted to sell it. We used it as our get-away car for the wedding ... thank goodness it's a convertible, or I might not have been able to fit my whole dress inside!

Now, I'm learning to drive all over again! I'm getting over my fear of roundabouts (there are so many here!) and learning to shift gears. The SMART is actually partly-automatic. I have to shift, but there is no clutch. Kind of like "baby steps" to learning to drive a standard. I'm getting the hang of it. And there's nothing better than opening the top on a nice sunny day. I love our SMART!!