Going back in time a little bit (as I am now back in London briefly before heading off to Kenya tomorrow), I spent a few days last week in Rennes with a college friend and his family. He is teaching at a School Year Abroad program this year, and he dragged his family along with him.
The weather was actually lovely when I was there (they swore it was usually rainy, but I think that is only in England), so we walked about the city a bit. Jim showed me some of the gardens (think park crossed with botanical gardens), which were fantastic. I have to say that they spoiled me for when I went to Paris. I was not terribly impressed with the gardens I saw in Paris, but I've been told that they were designed not for looking at plants, but for looking at other people. In that case, they work quite well.
On election day, since there was nothing to see yet (six hours ahead of EST), we drove up to the coast to Mont St. Michel, which is a big old abbey on an island. It was pretty cool, I have to admit. Jim kept asking what I would do if I had one month to plan a siege on it; how would I storm it? Answer: I wouldn't; I just don't care enough to want to take over a church (although I did have flashes of John Cleese bashing the wall of a castle with a sword). Jim would use guile... or bile. Not sure which he said.
That evening, before we settled in to watch CNN (but nothing really started happening until 1 am, so we all went to bed), Jim and I went out to order a fancy french pizza, and go to his favorite bar while we waited for it. We actually had to go to the bar first, because when we got to the little restaurant, all of the staff were sitting outside having a smoke, and told us to come back in five minutes. So into the bar we went. It's Jim's favorite bar, having once been given a free shot there simply because he was American (the alcohol kind of shot, not the other kind of shot that Americans abroad might get). He went up to the bartender and said something in French, and the guy got down two beer glasses. I asked Jim what he had ordered for me, and he said a Carlsberg. This would be first beer that I have ever been given. I managed about three sips before passing it over to him. (I really can't stand beer.) I am thinking that that may have been his intention all along...
It was a quicky trip there, but it was fun to see them, and to be with them when the election results came out. (Kind of excited to go to Kenya right now!)
The weather was actually lovely when I was there (they swore it was usually rainy, but I think that is only in England), so we walked about the city a bit. Jim showed me some of the gardens (think park crossed with botanical gardens), which were fantastic. I have to say that they spoiled me for when I went to Paris. I was not terribly impressed with the gardens I saw in Paris, but I've been told that they were designed not for looking at plants, but for looking at other people. In that case, they work quite well.
On election day, since there was nothing to see yet (six hours ahead of EST), we drove up to the coast to Mont St. Michel, which is a big old abbey on an island. It was pretty cool, I have to admit. Jim kept asking what I would do if I had one month to plan a siege on it; how would I storm it? Answer: I wouldn't; I just don't care enough to want to take over a church (although I did have flashes of John Cleese bashing the wall of a castle with a sword). Jim would use guile... or bile. Not sure which he said.
That evening, before we settled in to watch CNN (but nothing really started happening until 1 am, so we all went to bed), Jim and I went out to order a fancy french pizza, and go to his favorite bar while we waited for it. We actually had to go to the bar first, because when we got to the little restaurant, all of the staff were sitting outside having a smoke, and told us to come back in five minutes. So into the bar we went. It's Jim's favorite bar, having once been given a free shot there simply because he was American (the alcohol kind of shot, not the other kind of shot that Americans abroad might get). He went up to the bartender and said something in French, and the guy got down two beer glasses. I asked Jim what he had ordered for me, and he said a Carlsberg. This would be first beer that I have ever been given. I managed about three sips before passing it over to him. (I really can't stand beer.) I am thinking that that may have been his intention all along...
It was a quicky trip there, but it was fun to see them, and to be with them when the election results came out. (Kind of excited to go to Kenya right now!)
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