Jamie is always clicking and clacking away at this thing and that’s great…the man can’t get enough of the ‘puter. I decided that perhaps I should take a spin at the keys and finally speak on the bloggity-blog-blog too. So, here is my take on all things tripish.

Le Plane

The flight over was uneventful, scary, but somehow manageable. I did a much better job managing the flying fear than I’ve been able to muster in my adult past. I didn’t stomp my feet or talk fast or beg to get off; I calmly accepted my fate and fear as best I could. Jamie was most thankful; the last (and only other flight he’s ever been on with me) was a taste of my flying medicine that he didn’t want to ever take again. I think the saying goes: quite a handful. They now have these groovy things on the international planes where each seat has their own little screen where you can rent movies and play games. The games are free and quite entertaining. I’m sure that most of you are aware of this, but the last time I flew internationally no such thing existed. Enough about the plane already…

Le Tour

I must say that I enjoy watching the tour much better on T.V. There are far too many people milling about in the world of live tour coverage and all of the coverage is in French. It’s hard to figure out what is going on. And the French, they don’t know their junk food very well either. Missing in action at the finish line was any sight of cheese curd, mini-doughnut, or other fried creation. There were usually two or three food stands in total at each finish that serviced a huge multitude of folks. They sold weird hamburger and hot dog things, french fries and beverages (most of the French bring their own food to the tour stages). It was a far cry from the commercialism that I’m sure would have been present if Le Tour de France was Le Tour De America. So it goes. Tis both a blessing and a curse. The French seem very different to me as a people. They seem more content, more able and willing to experience life and not have to control it.

Being at the tour stages in person was not as big a thrill for me as it was for Jamie. I had imagined being able to stand right by the side of the road and watch the tour come through, but you have to arrive at least a day in advance and be willing to sit by the side of the road for all of the those hours to do that and I was not willing. So, for the most part, Jamie and I watched the tour come by 8 deep in a pack of tour-loving folks from all over the world who were excited just to be there and didn’t care that they were seeing the peloton through a crack in the crowd.

For me the great part about the tour part of our vacation was bicycling. I’ve never had a better time on a bike. The scenery was so beautiful I was ready to move to the French countryside. The whole experience was like something you would see in a movie and think I want to go there. The tiny towns dotted the landscape every couple of kilometers and they were quaint and peaceful and so pretty with flowers, flowers everywhere. The landscape rolled and the mountains were big and everything was grand and wonderful. The motorists make you feel secure on the bike; you know that they aren’t going to hit you. They love the bike. Riding on the tour routes was also a very special thing. That is where I felt the excitement of the tour and felt most at home at the tour.

Pizza

The French make some good pizza. If you are in France, give it a try. Mmmmm.

Art

We got an Art yesterday and I love it. It’s sooo perfect and lovely and divine. I think Jamie has put a picture of said Art up on this bloggie so that all can see how friendly and happy it is. It might be my favorite painting ever.

Ice Cream

The French eat a lot of it and so do I. I love menthe (peppermint bon-bon).

Paris

I dunno. I feel like I could take it or leave it. I loved the countryside and in comparison Paris was not a shining star. Our hotel was great, shiny and modern and comfortable with lots of rich woods and warm tones, a bathroom to die for and it was just the right size. The housekeeping people were amazing; we never saw them, but they were in our room all of the time cleaning things and giving us towels. The gallery where we got our art was also a highlight. The rest of the place was alright, but nothing to write home about. Okay, I know that’s a harsh thing to say about such a lovely city, but it’s kinda dirty and loud. I’m not really a big city sort of girl.

Switzerland

This is the part of the trip that I was most excited about initially. Hiking through the Swiss Alps and staying at nice inns along the way sounds like a good trip to me. We officially start hiking in two days, until then we are hitching rides on trains to get where we need to go.

The End

Guess that’s all I have to say. Jamie is much better at this writing stuff than I, which is why I leave it to him most of the time. Thanks for the ride, see you at school.