Thank you Nantes for welcoming us to France. As we pack up our lives once again and hit the road to Lille, we bid a warm adieu to the City of Nantes. Nantes is a lively and boisterous town, full of families on bikes and people who actually celebrate life. We finally made it to…

Our friend Miyoko texted over WhatsApp, “Hey, you should meet my friends who just moved to France.” So we took the train to a lovely coastal town named Vannes and spent a day meeting new friends. Vannes is a walled city, with a population of just under 56,000. It was founded by Celts around 150BCE.…

We took the train to Le Mans, city of the famed 24 hour car race. We went to continue our trail of Norman kings and queens of England, in an area named Citê Plantagenêt. This part of the city was built within a Roman wall which was constructed between the 3rd and 4th centuries CE.…

I’ve been on a fun quest today while it’s raining chats et chiens. While reading ever more on the Plantagenet kings and queens of England, I ran across a reference that said Henry the Third decreed that he would be buried at his beloved Westminster Cathedral, but his heart was to be interred with his…

We ventured off to find the effigy of Eleanor of Aquitaine. And we encountered many, many surprises along the way. I had no interest in Saumur, But dang, as I walked across the bridge over the Loire, it came into view and was a stunning sight! We left the apartment in Nantes early to catch…

Rouen and Lille When we came to France, we landed in Nantes. It’s a great city, vibrant with cyclists and art, culture and fantasy. But it doesn’t feel like home. So we have been researching other towns, and eventually packed up the kitties and headed out to explore Rouen and Lille. I had picked Rouen…

Not much, just everything Victoria, this is for you! And please note throughout this post that THESE ARE NOT COMPLAINTS. This is not an American bemoaning, “why oh why arent things like America?” Nope. These are simply cultural observations, joyfully celebrated. Even the suck ass showers. 🚿 🚫  😂 💕 So much is different, and…

This is what we hear from a lot of bloggers. I beg to differ. Coming from a community that was at times, out and out aggressively anti-vegan, we have felt like kids in a candy shop. Sure, most restaurants don’t have vegan options, but we are used to that. There are many vegan products in…

We arrived just ahead of the coming cyclone and spent a sleepless night, with 60mph winds howling outside, mirroring the tragedy filled unrest in our hearts. We packed up the cats in our rental car and drove 4 hours to Normandy, Rouen, the medieval jewel where Joan of Arc was imprisoned, tortured and burned at…

The last time it snowed in Nantes was 5 years ago, and the last time it snowed this much was 13 years ago. Everyone is out and about, enjoying the snow before it all melts.

Last night it snowed in Nantes. The river has been frozen for 2 days. We watched as families big and small come to the river to marvel at the ice, toss rocks, listen to the sounds. Even the birds are walking on the ice delighting in the wonder. I found out why…  this river hasn’t…

We hopped on a train and ventured 35 minutes out of Nantes to Angers   What a magical city! We fell in love with the old… well, everything! Turns out, it’s the “gardening capital of northern France” And the cathedral.. wow. We had no idea but when we stepped in… we were rendered speechless. In a…

Are there any other friends out there who love cemeteries?  As a preacher’s kid I have lived near and played in cemeteries my whole life. I find them peaceful, sometimes sad, always historical  and beautiful. In a former post I wrote about our neighborhood cathedral. This time I wandered about the cemetery. It was beautiful…

This post is for Penny (our human friend) who asked about our cats! The cats were really traumatized by the 20 hour journey to our rental in Nantes, and so were we!  We did the best we could, but especially for Penny, who has never been confined to a room, much less than a carrier……

On Christmas Eve we explored the Basilica of the Holy Martyrs Donatian and Rogatian, and the surrounding neighborhoods. Christmas Day was filled with cooking and enjoying a relaxed stroll around the Japanese gardens on the Iles of Versailles. It was a cold, crisp day after a slight dusting of snow overnight. Not quite a White…

I haven’t written much lately. I have to admit that a deep sadness overtook me as things haven’t quite turned out the way we had envisioned and most of that was due to mistakes on our part. So we to recalibrate,  took the train out to see the Atlantic Ocean the horizon, on a cloudy…

It was so fun to be out with hundreds of people, families, old and young, following these giants puppets from the cathedral and around the castle. At the end they did a dance together. A truly magical night! Without fear, enjoying art together, in community.

In which we visit the Christmas Markets of Nantes, have a cup of Vin Chaud (hot mulled wine) and find the mighty mountain goat!

Foggy winter mornings don’t stop people from getting out and about.The scene from our window.Today we are expecting 2 out of 7 boxes to arrive at our friends apartment. This delivery has turned out to be a major pain, but she graciously lets us take showers and hang out until they arrive. Then we will…

Even as an atheist, there is something mystical about being in Europe (or Central America too) for Christmas. I was getting ready for bed when this procession passed down the road, so I ran out to see what was happening. In a place where it gets dark at 4:30pm, it’s so cozy and special to…

Tonight we travelled to the Ille de Nantes to visit these wonderful enchanting machines. I was awestruck and amazed. The whole town is lit up with festive lights, people are out having holiday fun and the town is lively and bright. I just love the juxtaposition and harmony between the natural world and machinery. This…

We took a walk on the beautiful Ille de Versailles, across from our Airbnb.

Moving to France sounds exciting. In reality, I am truly just exhausted. Can’t sleep, can’t stay awake, overwhelmed with details, tasks and requirements, to the point of paralyzing anxiety. But who’s complaining? For now we have no hot water, but thankfully our landlord is quick to address the problem with a blocked flue from the…

Today we returned our rental car and then walked back home. Along the way we strolled through the botanical gardens, found some CBD drops, a sweet consignment store and an organic food shop. We met the woman who lives in the boat across from us, and then cleaned our messy place, unpacked our suitcases, built…

Welcome to our journey. We decided to leave after the last election and began actively working on it in February of this year. I’ve long felt that there is no place for me in the United States, for many reasons. The death of our democracy, and more specifically the number of people who support, promote…