Too quickly the vacations fade in our memory! Pictures taken, journal entries written, but, alas, 'reality' returns with ferocity.
In an attempt to stymie that return, we will recap for you a few moments of inspiration.
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| One of the public footpaths we took walks on |
For the first week, we stayed just a mile from Lathus-St. Rémy, in the French region of Poitou-Charentes. It was a beautiful area of countryside, chock full of serenity. Nights were particularly striking in the still, pitch-blackness of it all. It was actually a bit unnerving the first couple nights, which I think is a sign of how much we've grown to "deal" with life in a city.
We took long walks, slept and ate like kings and queens, and marvelled at the buildings which have stood for a thousand years.
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| Le Dorat, France |
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| Yes, even royalty loves Nutella. |
We headed into Paris then, to catch up with our friends Brad and Brenna who are also working with MMN. While I had been to Paris during university, this was Justin's first voyage in the city of light. Being the frugal (tight?) service workers we are, we hit up the free bits and left the expensive things behind. It's funny -- in London, you have to pay to get into our big cathedrals (Westminster, St. Paul's) and all the museums are free. In Paris, churches are free and the museums you pay for. I'm sure there's some social commentary to be had on that. Justin got REALLY into the parks -- Parc de Sceaux, Jardin des Tuileries, Jardin du Luxembourg, an arboretum, and the grounds of Versailles. I got into the crepes.
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| That's wisteria behind us. Huge. |
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| Enjoying time with Dave&Rebekah Stutzman and Brad&Brenna Steury Graber |
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| OCD is probably welcomed heartily at Versailles...with impressive results! |
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| Justin stands amazed. |
