I'm Baaaack!

My version of French bread is baking in the oven, sending Paris aromas all over the house. It may not rival the baker [right] in Tours, seen making croissants, but who cares? I even have some goat cheese (chevre) to put on it. One Paris salad added a tiny touch of honey on small rounds of toast with hot cheese on top surrounded by lettuce, nuts, olives. It was superb!

What does this mean, starting out my very first blog in five weeks with food? No big deal. It simply means that the food was stupendous. In spite of consuming all the creamy cheeses and patisserie I could, I was thrilled to weigh myself this morning and find I’d lost a half pound! It was all the walking every day, probably eight to ten hours a day. Not hard walking, but being up and about as opposed to home-based sitting at the computer for too many hours.

Speaking of computers, how delightful to be back on my own computer! There were NO internet cafes open. Most have gone over to providing video games for the young, since everyone (except me) has a laptop and WiFi is everywhere. I will never again go traveling without some means of connecting with the internet.

Even though I wasn’t able to post daily or weekly, I’m going to catch you up by writing several times a week. They won’t be travelogues or even in order, but you’ll be able to share in the adventure and see the photos (a select number of the almost 1000, which seemed like a lot to me, a former film user. In those days, we were super careful about what we shot since there would only be, say, 36 pictures per roll. One daughter has a friend who takes almost that many in only two days! Times have changed for the better. Among my thousand are a few really nice ones.)

The Bass shoes held and were comfy all the way. An inch-long opening came when some stitching tore out, but super glue fixed it up. My yellow windbreaker was superb in wind and cold. The Kelty backpack held everything I needed and more. That’s the quick, brief, equipment update.

All along the way, I was confronted with the question of why I was doing it. I wanted to know that wandering through France would be worthwhile for more than just me and Mary. Even in the triumph of discovery of some jewel of a view, or person, this question might arise.

A poem by one of my favorite writers, Carol Lynn Pearson, answers it better than I can. It’s called “On Nest Building.” Why should a person be curious and have adventures if all they will ever be doing is raising a family? Why should I slice five weeks out of my life to go hither-thither all over France with a friend? CLP answers that mud and sticks will do fine for building a nest, [and I apologize forthwith for making cuts in this beautiful poem]

“But –

If I may fly awhile – . . .

If I may search the centuries

For melody and meaning –

If I may try for the sun –

I shall come back

Bearing such beauties

Gleaned from God’s and man’s very best.

I shall come back filled.

And then –

Oh, the nest that I can build!”

Over the next weeks and months, I will share with you the treasures gleaned from this trip. I hope all our nests will be richer for them. It’s good to be back!