How to say goodbye

Remembering our friend René Sollberger

In 2013 we moved into a beautiful loft in the heart of Boston, where Phil met our new neighbors as they were moving in. Pilar and her husband, René, quickly became dear friends, sharing holidays and dinners during our time in the Boston area and staying in touch through several moves, meetups in various cities, and plenty of emails and Facebook posts. 

René and Pilar in their loft, next door to us

René took this picture of a Thanksgiving together at our beach home in Plymouth, MA, with my high school bestie Patricia.

 

When we moved to France, René and Pilar were among our first house guests, where they fell in love with Montpellier and the south of France.

Enjoying cocktails at our favorite hangout, SmashBar (now closed, unfortunately)

We had only a few days together, but we packed in plenty of fun, walking our legs off, playing pétanque, and enjoying pleasant May weather. And food. We have shared so many wonderful meals together–including a memorable evening when René made authentic Swiss fondue for us, served on special plates that had been in his family for years.

Dinner in the garden of our first Montpellier apartment

René and Pilar were both journalists, and when we met in Boston René was hard at work on a book about Swiss diplomat Jakob Kellenberger. A man of many talents and interests, in addition to being a journalist and author, René also was a travel professional. It cracked me up that as a Swiss person, he led tours of the American Southwest–for Americans! You can learn more about René on his website. 

One of the delightful holiday cards René and Pilar sent each year–this one features their dog, Jet.

René and Pilar eventually left America for northwest Switzerland, where they bought and customized a gorgeous new apartment which would be their dream home. We planned to visit them as soon as they were fully settled. Tragically, on May 9, only six weeks after moving in, René succumbed to a massive cardiac event that ended his life at only 66 years of age. He died in his sleep, leaving a heartbroken widow and hundreds of bereaved family and friends, including Phil and me.

The beautiful invitation to the party to celebrate René’s life

Pilar is a remarkable woman: she was embedded with the military in Iraq, she is an accomplished pilot and flight instructor, professional speaker, journalist, world traveler, and much more. And astonishingly, in the depths of grief, she created a party to celebrate René’s life. Not a funeral, which he would have hated, but a true celebration, at a beautiful, rustic horse trekking ranch in the Jura mountains of Switzerland–for 60 people! 

Because we had never visited Switzerland (and because we are, after all, Roamers), Phil and I decided to make a short vacation of our trip. We drove to Annecy, which is a gorgeous alpine town nestled beside a lake. We spent two nights there, enjoying the scenery, the fresh air (so nice after the heat and humidity at home), and the delicious cuisine.

A lake and chateau view during our drive around Lake Annecy

Our friends Dave and Sue had recently visited Annecy and highly recommended “the best, most authentic Mexican food we’ve found in France” at La Taqueria by Los Primos. Of course we had to go, and it did not disappoint. One of the things we most miss from our U.S. life is Mexican food, so this was truly a treat.

 

Happy Mexican food Phil

Annecy has been described as the Venice of France, with good reason. We loved walking along the canals, people-watching, and finding special culinary treats from the area.

I took this photo while strolling along the canal.

On our second evening in Annecy we had dinner at the Paul Bocuse restaurant honoring his mother, who was a native of Annecy. We had dined at the original Michelin-starred Bocuse in Lyon and were eager to try Brasserie Irma. We dined on the spacious terrace, and I may or may not have slipped a bit of my fish to the  resident cat.

Brasserie Irma

We left very early the next morning to get to Zurich in time for a lovely lunch at the home of my high school friend and Wild Woman Susan and her Swiss husband Kurt. Our visit to their beautiful apartment was short but very sweet, and they made a fabulous luncheon feast. We hope to return for a longer visit.

And then it was time to drive to the Miramont Horse Trekking Hostel, the site of René’s celebration. Pilar, who lives in the next town, had partnered with David, a former commercial pilot and now the Miramont proprietor, to plan a uniquely beautiful event. We had a tearful reunion with Pilar, who got us into our charming room, before joining the al fresco apéro, where we met guests from all over Europe. We re-met René’s cousins, with whom we’d enjoyed lunch in Austin (where René and Pilar had to translate the entire conversation because his cousins had no English and we had no useable French or German), and all four of us were delighted to be able this time to have some rudimentary French conversations.

After the lovely apéro, which featured some of the best appetizers I’ve had at an event, everyone headed upstairs to the event room. Pilar welcomed everyone in German, the predominant language of the group, and she had thoughtfully printed out an English translation of her comments for the non-German speakers. Pilar was eloquent and graceful a she welcomed her guests, accompanied by slides of René over the years, and spoke of her love. No dry eyes. Then it was time for the delicious buffet dinner, followed by a speech by René’s childhood friend. 

When the time came for Pilar to give her speech, complete with slides of the couple’s wedding, travels, and life together, we were amazed by her composure. Yes, there were tears, but she made it through, ending with “I will always be your Sweetie.” Remembering her speech brings tears but also joy.

Pilar sharing her memories of René

And then she directed us to open the gifts on the tables, one for each person or couple. Pilar had framed a photo of each of us with René, to keep as a remembrance. Ours was taken in our garden in Montpellier during their 2022 visit. At this point there was not a dry eye in the house, but it was time for the band to play. We all danced to wonderful music, with René’s cousin the lead singer. 

Celebration of Life

(Thanks to Wendy Lubetkin for the video!)

It was a bittersweet, wonderful evening that we will always remember. We miss René and are grateful to have the memories of this very special friend.

The next day, at our new friend Wendy’s recommendation, we ventured into the charming medieval town of Estavayer-le-Lac, where frog images abound. Our destination was bizarre: a museum featuring taxidermy frogs in various settings. Creepy, but very interesting!

Frog fète

That evening we, along with another couple, were guests for dinner at Pilar’s beautiful apartment. It was a lovely evening, with wonderful food and more stories of René. We are hoping that Pilar and her dog Jet will visit us in Montpellier soon, but for now it was time to say goodbye.

The next morning we drove to Lausanne for a quick lunch with friends Leslie and Arnaud, who were fresh off a redeye flight and train ride; we were honored that they delayed a much-needed rest to lunch with us. Leslie has a wonderful website and blog that I highly recommend. 

Then it was off to Geneva for our last night in Switzerland. We stayed at a Marriott which turned out to have an excellent restaurant and bar.

My dessert: beautiful AND delicious!

And the next day we returned home. It was a bittersweet, wonderful trip, and we were honored to be part of the party for René. And we will treasure his photo, which rests on my desk next to the coaster René and Pilar gave us several years ago.

We will never forget our friend René.

You say tomato, i say tomate

A Tomato Festival in Clapiers

Aaand, it’s September! Fall weather hasn’t yet arrived here, although the mornings are often pleasant enough to sip coffee on the terrace. On Sunday, we were planning to go to the farmers’ market in our neighborhood, but then I saw a Facebook post about something far more interesting: a tomato festival in nearby Clapiers! When we lived in Boston, we were regular attendees at the annual tomato festival, where visitors could sample hundreds of varieties, learn how to make mozzarella, and participate in a food foraging hike (all of which we loved!). So when we realized Clapiers was just a 20-minute drive from home, we hopped in the car.

The fates were with us, as we found a parking spot near the crowded park. As we entered the festival, we were greeted by a men’s chorus singing lustily, if not entirely together, songs from the Occitane, the region of France where we live. This group is hilarious and fun; if you want to translate, you can read about them here. 

 

The festival was packed with food stands, activity centers, and information booths touting everything from recycling to growing herbs. After running into friends (!) and chatting a bit, we decided to follow their example and do our shopping first, as the festival featured a bountiful famers’ market.

One of several cheese vendors

But when we came upon the huge booth display of tomatologist Eric Pédebas, which featured over 250 varieties of tomatoes, we had to stop for a while. We chatted with M Pédebas about the varieties–at least as much as I could manage in my toddler-level French–and bought as much as we thought we could use, before buying a tasting plate to share.

Our tasting plate, complete with gazpacho, several varieties of tomatoes, olive oil, and salt: delicious!

I was tempted to eat all these tomatoes before Phil got back from buying a potato pancake topped with sautéed onions and cheese to share. My favorite was the yellow tomato, the name of which I’ve forgotten. But everything was delicious, including the gallette de pommes de terre. Here is a recipe that’s similar to what we ate.

After eating, we returned to the tomato display for a while, just to see all the different varieties. Seeds were on sale, but since our terrace faces north, I haven’t had good luck growing tomatoes, so we settled for as many tomatoes as we could use up in a few days.

Gorgeous tomato display

We finished our shopping and dropped it at the car before continuing our wander through the festival. We saw goats, dogs for adoption, artwork, crafts, and so. much. food. We were tempted by everything, but in the end we simply bought a beautiful tourtière (savory hand pie) to take home. Filled with lardons, onions, two kinds of cheese, and herbs, it made a wonderful late lunch with a crisp white wine. Followed by a nap.

Al fresco munching at the festival

We wandered back to the car, stopping once more to listen to the chorus, and decided to drive aimlessly through the town and surrounding countryside before finding our way home (without using GPS!!!). With the basil we bought, I made pesto to keep in the freezer for a taste of summer in winter. The olive oil is delicious, and we’ll use the apricot nectar for cocktails. We bought several fabulous confits–sun-dried tomato and morels!–along with a beautiful loaf of crusty bread and a golden pattypan squash. And the tomatoes? Well, they will be gone tomorrow.

Our haul from the market

Foggy london town? Nope.

Hot, crowded, expensive, and lots of fun.

August. Not my favorite month. Crowds, heat, and administrative tasks marked the beginning of the month for us. I had lots of tasks, mostly un-fun ones, to accomplish: starting the renewal of our residence permits (and making more than my share of mistakes!), trying (so far unsuccessfully) to get someone to repair/replace our almost-new wine fridge, trying (again, so far unsuccessfully) to get the recall issue on our car fixed, getting an injection and physical therapy for my knee, etc. See? Our life in France is wonderful, but it’s still real life.

An unrelated photo of flowers in the Cotswolds

By the first weekend of August, I was ready for some fun, so I handed Phil a tourist map and asked him to choose a day trip. It was too late for his first choice (a cave with prehistoric paintings), so off we went to Agde, a lovely little town about an hour away. After a stroll and a quick sandwich near the train station, we headed to our destination, the Chateau Laurens. Built as a party palace rather than a home, and now owned by the city, this chateau is an amazing example of Belle Epoch architecture, reflecting the idiosyncrasies of Emmanuel Laurens, a world traveler who used his massive inheritance to create this strange and beautiful mansion.

Just one of the Chateau Laurens rooms; check the link for much better photos!

But August’s main event was our week-long trip to London. We had a British Airways credit from a cancelled trip, which was fortunate, since London is the most expensive city we’ve visited! I had splurged (or at least it seemed like a splurge) on a room at the Royal Horseguards Hotel in Westminster, a wonderful location for a lovely old hotel with lots of art. Our room was nice–until, several days into our stay, sewage backed up into the bathtub. We were moved to another room with a view of the Thames but a leaky shower. That was quickly repaired, but the problems caused our hotel stay to seem not quite so special.

Afternoon tea at our hotel upon arrival

We arrived in London, checked into the hotel, and proceeded to: enjoy afternoon tea with a glass of Champagne; visit the National Gallery; walk to the Savoy Hotel for cocktails; and enjoy (well, Phil enjoyed his; me not so much) our first pub meal.

Klimt portrait at the National Gallery

By the way, one of our favorite things to do in large cities is have a cocktail at places we could never afford to stay or shop at. On this trip we lifted a glass at the Savoy, Raffles at the OWO, the Baccarat Bar at Harrod’s, and the Ritz. Try it!

Near our hotel

The next morning after coffee, we boarded a double decker hop-on-hop-off tour bus. The recorded patter was silly, but we got a good overview of the city, which we hadn’t really visited in over 20 years. We hopped off near the Tower of London to board a boat for a cruise back up the Thames. Soon I heard a familiar refrain from Phil: “Let’s go have a cocktail!” We headed to Raffles at the OWO, just across from our hotel, where we enjoyed a cocktail, great atmosphere, and delightful conversation with our server.

Inspiring resale shop spied on one of our many walks

Then it was time for dinner. We couldn’t visit London without having Indian food, so I searched online and found Maharaja of India, a lovely but hot and crowded restaurant where we enjoyed our first Indian restaurant meal since moving to France.

I marveled at the beautiful napkin rings at the restaurant.

We were excited about the next day, when at our daughter Amelia’s recommendation we had booked a walking gourmet tour of the Camden Town markets.

Pick up your order here! Camden Market

Our guide, Tom King, was fun and knowledgeable, and the other guests were good company. We sampled birria tacos, Yorkshire burritos, an apple crumble to die for, and artisinal gin, among other things. The tour was excellent, highly recommended!

Happy food tour guests

Camden Town owners paint their row houses in pastels; apparently it increases their value!

Camden Town has a well-earned reputation for its music scene, and we were shown many venues where now-world-famous performers got their start. Chief among them was Amy Winehouse. There is a lot of street art dedicated to her, and while tagging is also common, Tom told us the local rule: “You don’t tag Amy!!!”

My favorite Amy Winehouse street art

We walked off our feast, visiting the Victoria and Albert Museum, which has among its many wonders an astonishing, huge ceramics collection. Then we strolled down the street to Harrod’s, where we fought the crowds to buy a few food gifts. Exhausted, hot, tired, and sick of crowds, we stumbled upon the Baccarat Bar, in Harrods’ basement. A quiet, soothing oasis, this bar serves each beverage in a stunning Baccarat crystal glass. We toasted our success in finding a wonderful bar while judging the two couples at the next table, where one woman was bragging about “only paying 4500 pounds for TWO purses and a pair of shoes!” 

 

A gorgeous Cassigneul painting at the Stern Pissaro Gallery in St. James’s

After our cocktail, en route to the Tube, we stumbled upon a lovely Italian restaurant where we dined alfresco. Our two entrees and four glasses of wine set us back almost $200, although Giovanni’s is billed as modestly priced.

Big breakfasts are not really a thing in France, so we had to make sure we enjoyed them in London. We had a delicious breakfast at The Breakfast Club, where I indulged in the chicken & waffles–with bacon!!! Later in the week, Phil had a traditional full English breakfast, complete with beans. 

Phil’s full English

We were super hot and tired, so we had a bit of a rest in the hotel before heading to the theatre to see “Kathy & Stella Solve a Murder,” the most riotous, happy, moving, delightful musical I’ve ever seen. Here’s a link to the trailer. Seriously, if you ever get a chance to see it, don’t miss it!

It’s a small theatre, so there’s not a bad seat in the house–but our seats were great!

After laughing ourselves silly (and shedding a tiny tear), we headed out to the Ritz for a cocktail. The doorman told Phil he might not be admitted wearing trainers, but we were lucky and scored seats at the bar, where we could watch the amazing bartenders create cocktails that were works of art (They even brand their giant ice cubes with the logo!). At our bartender’s recommendation, we then enjoyed a fabulous tasting menu dinner (with wine pairings, of course) at the Sexy Fish, a beautiful restaurant where even the staff uniforms are gorgeous.

We averaged 15-20,000 steps each day of our London trip, so the next morning we were eager to have a break: a driving tour to Oxford and the Cotswolds. This full-day tour for 16 guests (in an air-conditioned mini-bus!) involved a lot of driving, with lovely scenery. We visited two Cotswold villages, both quaint and beautiful, but also hot and full of tourists. 

Beautiful Cotswolds village home

Our tour guide told us that residents had complained about non-English speaking tourists who would walk into their homes and sit down, thinking they were in a restaurant, not someone’s private home!

Then we headed back toward Oxford, also crowded and hot, but fascinating. We shared a burger at Turf Tavern, which dates from 1381 and was a favorite of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, among many other stars.

Radcliffe Square in Oxford

We wandered the streets, marveling at the architecture and thinking about our three favorite British detective series, “Inspector Morse,” “Lewis,” and “Endeavor.” We didn’t witness any murders but were not disappointed by Oxford. When we returned to Victoria Station, we wandered through Belgravia before ducking into Ganymede, a pretty little restaurant serving Sunday roast, which is a must-do in London. We both opted for the rolled & stuffed pork belly, which seemed like a good idea at the time but was really, really rich.

The next day, our last full day in London, we had tickets to tour Westminster Abbey. I deliberately chose a date and time with lots of availability, thinking it wouldn’t be as crowded as the day we tried unsuccessfully to buy tickets at the gate. I was wrong. The crowds were horrible–and it was still super hot! I got my toe stepped on, my glasses bumped by an elbow, and my head tapped by someone’s phone. We made our way quickly through and hope to return sometime–off-season!

 

I couldn’t even get a photo of Chaucher’s tomb without some random guy’s hand photobombing it!

After cooling off back in the room, we showered and got ready for the big event: Cabaret! I had splurged on a table in the second row, with a “gourmet” dinner and a bottle of Champagne included. Standing in line to enter the Kit Kat Club (which was just around the corner from our hotel), we heard someone call out to us. It was Tom, our Camden tour guide! I guess it’s a small world, even in London.

The Emcee

The immersive experience was astonishing (although, again, super crowded). Our table had a phone on it, just like we see in old movies, Imagine our surprise when it rang! One of the dancers called us to chat before the show began. And the show was wonderful (although the gourmet dinner turned out to be a bento box). The whole experience was poignant, memorable, and very entertaining.

The next day, after checking out of the hotel, we headed to the Parlour, at the Great Scotland Yard Hotel just around the corner from our hotel. I’d been curious about their afternoon tea, and it turned out to be a highlight of the trip. We opted for the unlimited Champage tea, and because it was so hot, we asked for our tea to be served iced. It was wonderful! Three courses, all delicious, and bottomless Veuve Cliquot, our favorite Champagne.

As we left The Parlour, we spotted this rhinoceros chair, so I made Phil pose in it.

And then we headed to the Courtyard at Gatwick for a quick sleep before our 7am flight home. It was a wonderful trip that we won’t forget. The only down side, other than heat and crowds, was that we didn’t get to see our friends Jane and Bernie in Chichester because they both got Covid. They’re fine now, back home in the U.S.

We are so fortunate to be able to travel, and while this trip was a budget buster, it was worth it! Well, maybe not the hotel/bathtub sewage. Now we’re wrapping up August, back in our French lessons, and looking forward to our road trip to Switzerland next month. Stay tuned!

One last painting, a Renoir at the National Gallery

 

no lie, july was busy!

So. Much. Fun.

July started out with a bang, as our dear friends Danny & Lynn arrived for a visit. They were our first friends in Wimberley, where Danny is an amazing artist and Lynn is a skilled golfer. They stayed at the apartment hotel just across the street from us, which gave them a bit of room and privacy. For their first evening, I made dinner: peach caprese salad, veal piccata with polenta, and a clafoutis for dessert. 

Lynn & Danny in front of the Fountain of the Three Graces, at la Place de la Comédie

The next morning after coffee and pastries, we visited our neighborhood farmers’ market before heading to the brocante (weekly flea market). Alas, no brocante that day–but we happened to meet a lovely English couple who spend weeks at a time in their Montpellier apartment near the train station. Phil and I ended up meeting them for cocktails the evening before they returned home to northern England, and we look forward to seeing Eileen and Graeme on their next visit.

Sunday farmers’ market

We strolled through the Jardin des Plantes, the oldest botanical garden in France, which is still used for research, before enjoying lunch at Broc Cafe, one of our favorite Sunday destinations. Phil and I had dance performance tickets that evening, so Lynn and Danny explored on their own. Ice cream may or may not have been involved.

Ice cream here is so pretty!

One morning when Phil and I didn’t have French lessons, we all set out for Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert, a medieval village known for its Unesco World Heritage Site, le Pont Diable, or Devil’s Bridge. You can read about it and its legend in the link. On route, we spied a sign: “Site Prehistorique.” Of course, we had to investigate. After following a progressively rougher and skinnier road, we hiked up to the site, which was unfortunately closed, so all we could do was walk the perimeter. Next time!

This village existed around 2700 years ago!

As we drove out, we spotted a small sign advertising ceramics. Another detour! This path led to a compound with marvelous, bigger-than-lifesized sculptures of fanciful animals. After calling “Allo?”several times, I was rewarded when a tiny woman came out. “On cherche la ceramiciste,” I said. “C’est moi,” Martine replied, and she led us to the studio she shares with husband Dom.  They do not speak English, so I translated (badly) as Danny purchased a beautiful bowl (They don’t take credit cards, so without cash Phil and I were unable to buy anything). We admired some pieces in the “damaged” section, and Martine and Dom let each couple choose one as a gift. 

Our beautiful “mistake,” a gift from Martine and Dom

We finally made it to Saint Guihelm, after a LONG detour for road work, and after squeezing the car through the tiniest street I’ve seen, we enjoyed an al fresco lunch with several cats. Then, after visiting the abbey, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and of course the famous bridge, where a couple of young men terrified us by climbing up the gorge, we headed home.

The cloister at the abbey, next to the museum explaining its history

Gorge climbers. Lynn and I were terrified!

We were eager for Danny and Lynn to meet some of our Montpellier friends, so we invited two other couples to join us for dinner chez Shroyer. The menu: vichysoisse, morel chicken with pasta, and peach cobbler (the recipe from my Wild Woman Linda Goldenstern’s mom, Irma!). We enjoyed lemon martinis and nibbles on the terrace, followed by dinner inside. I was too busy having fun to take any photos!

The next day was July 4, a special day for us because it’s our daughter’s birthday (also our niece’s!). It was made even more special by the Chicago hot dog party hosted by our friends Dave and Sue! Again, I was having too much fun to remember to take photos.

Our friends left with fun memories, and we enjoyed the last dance performance of the Montpellier dance festival, a wonderful movie night with friends Jana and Martin, and a couple of fun times with other friends, before the big event: Quatorze Juillet, AKA Bastille Day! Our friends Lloyd and Bob had invited us to a party, and their terrace was just yards from the fireworks launch site. The fireworks felt as if they were coming right at our heads!

No photo could do justice to this amazing sight!

Then it was time to prepare for my big event: a trip to Arkansas for the wedding of Sydney and Sean. Sydney’s mom is my bestie Beth, and I’ve known Syd since she was born, so this was a very special trip. I had two close connections, the one in Atlanta caused by a bit of a backup in baggage claim.

There were hundreds of bags stuck on the belt, stopping it and making everyone angry!

Three flights later, I arrived in Tulsa at midnight and was chauffeured by Beth’s DIL Robby and granddaughter Jocelyn. The next morning we were all busy organizing, packing, and chasing Beth’s granddaughters Cora and Maeve.

Flower girls, Maeve and Cora

We arrived in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and checked into the Airbnb Beth had booked. It was a carriage house, and we slept in horse stalls. No, really!

I had the middle stall.

Then we got to work. We made all the flower arrangements and boutonnières, assembled the umbrellas (intended for sun, but used for a sprinkling of rain during the ceremony), ran errands, and chased granddaughters. The wedding was held at the Crescent Hotel (which is haunted), a beautiful mountain retreat in the charming village.

Junior bridesmaid Jossy with a wedding umbrella

Being a long-time family friend, as well as a former wedding consultant, I was drafted to be the wedding coordinator. The rehearsal went well, and after the rehearsal dinner Beth and I returned to our carriage house, where the youngsters had spent the evening with pizza and young adult supervision. 

The carriage house was a bit of a mess after all the kids left!

The day of the wedding was too busy for me to take photos, but it was lovely. Gorgeous bride, fabulous family, lovely ceremony, and a bit of rain to sweeten the day. One special moment for me: when I pinned a boutonnière on Bronce, the bride’s brother, he reminded me that I’d done the same when he married Robby 13 years ago.

Bronce and the bride, with beautiful Beth in the background

Sean and Syd, the happy couple

The reception was wonderful, and I got to catch up with friends-who-are-family, watch the festivities, munch delicious food (taco bar! wedding cake!), dance a little, and finally SIT!

Reception joy

But wait, there’s more! After the reception, as we were winding down at the carriage house, Syd, who is a director and producer, got a text message. She had just won not one, but TWO EMMYS!!! She was awarded for two documentaries, “The Ancient Game of Stickball” and “Chickasaw Warriors.” 

This was taken after the Emmys arrived.

The next morning after breakfast, I borrowed Syd’s car to make a quick visit to my brother and sister-in-law, who live nearby. It was too short but so great to see them both! 

Lea, Sandy, and Larry

We had two more nights in Tulsa, and on the last evening, after everyone had left, Beth and I enjoyed a quiet dinner (pasta with tomatoes from Lea’s garden and basil from Beth’s), reflecting on the wedding, but also on our 53-year friendship. I’m so very luck to have this treasure of a friend.

And then it was time to come home. Phil and I missed each other (although our friends kept him entertained and fed during my absence), and it was lovely to be home and back in our routine. The last few days have been blessedly quiet (watching the amazing Jeux Olympiques opening ceremony, bingeing the “Alice Nevers” detective series, cooking, and sleeping!), and I am very happy to be home.

A wonderful wedding. A wonderful couple.