cat sitting

Roaming to Stockholm

Our daughter has a cat. Well, she and her husband have a cat. Not just any old cat (apologies to all the other cats). This cat is special. He’s magnificent. He’s old, very talkative, and he’s been a bit sick lately. His name? Dakeeti.

Dakeeti, napping

When our daughter first moved to Europe over ten years ago, we kept Dakeeti (along with our son’s part-wolf dog Busa; they became great friends after an initial battle, which of course Dakeeti won). We took him to Europe (he and I watched “Life of Pi” on the plane) and have visited him (and his humans) as often as possible over the years. Recently our kids had planned a trip to the U.S. to visit family and friends, but they couldn’t find anyone to take care of Dakeeti–so we volunteered. We spent two weeks living in their Stockholm apartment, enjoying our time with Dakeeti, exploring Stockholm, and luxuriating in the cool summer weather.

Our daughter, who is perfect, had decided to give us “the best Airbnb experience ever,” and she and her husband did not disappoint. We arrived in the evening and entered the apartment (third floor walkup) to find ten pages of instructions and helpful hints.

Detailed map

These notes were in addition to a lengthy email and–wait for it–a how-to video for the laundry room! They had made room for us in the closet and dresser, provided shower supplies, set out puzzles and crosswords, and much more.

More notes and tips!

Our son-in-law, who is also perfect, left a loaf of his homemade sourdough in the freezer for us. He makes all their bread and proudly wears a t-shirt with his name: Bread Man.

Sourdough boule; we ate every bite!

He also left us a beautiful loaf of banana nut bread. Phil said that with icing, it would taste almost like his favorite birthday cake!

Banana bread

We settled in quickly, slept well, and the next morning we headed out to explore this beautiful city. We walked our legs off, stopping for lunch at an outdoor cafe across from a fountain where tourists were taking selfies (or “ussies,” as that annoying guy on Ted Lasso would say).

Lunch view of fountain and sculpture

We had already visited Stockholm three times, but never on our own, so this was our opportunity to learn and become more independent. We figured out the tram and bus system (sort of), learned some of the neighborhoods (sort of), and saw lots of things we’d never seen on previous visits.

Gorgeous bar we didn’t have time to visit. Next trip!

We decided to buy a pass that would admit us to various tourist activities, which was a pretty good decision. However, we bought the five-day pass, which was a BIG mistake! We are too old and tired to gallavant constantly for five straight days. Lesson learned. Anyway, our first outing was an archipelago tour on a boat built in 1906. The tour was about three hours (we didn’t end up on a deserted island, thankfully!), and it was pretty interesting.

1906 boat

Back on land and after a late lunch, we headed to the K A Almgren Silk Weaving and Museum, which was fascinating. It’s still a functioning weaving facility for artisans, and it dates from the 1800s. The museum profiles many of the women who worked there (the work force was all women, some starting out in their early teens and working their entire careers there), and, of course, the MAN who ran the operation. After the first world war they transitioned to making ribbons for the medals that all the royals and their entourages wore. Each worker had only one job, which must have been mind-numbingly tedious, but the average tenure was many years, and they took great pride in their skills.

An exhibit of a dress made from silk ties

Next we stopped for a delicious cocktail at Exit Lounge, which we’d visited on a previous trip. They have wonderful tapas as well as cocktails, but this time we just wanted a quick beverage before heading home.

Cocktails!

Then it was home, dinner, watch Ted Lasso, and sleep fast, because the next day would be equally busy. Have I mentioned that we visited a LOT of museums?

National Museum main hall

We started our day at the National Museum. We didn’t know much about it before our visit, and we were absolutely blown away. What an amazing and beautiful space! And the art is magnificent. Here are a few of my favorite pieces there.

By the time we were ready to leave–after about three hours!–we were famished and ready for a very late lunch. Refreshed, we headed to our next stop, the Nobel Prize Museum. Phil was not enthusiastic about this one, but I really wanted to see it, and we were both glad we did. Our favorite thing was a series of short films highlighting the life and work of Nobel Prize recipients, but we also enjoyed the recreated work spaces for some of the most well-known winners: Marie Curie’s lab, writers’ desks, etc., and also gowns worn to the laureates’ banquets and much more.

By this time we were tired, hungry, and ready to go home. Instead of cooking, which I do most nights, we decided to visit a neighborhood bar and restaurant which became our local hangout. It was a pleasant 15-minute walk from the apartment and offered outdoor seating, excellent cocktails, and delicious food.

Parma Kok & Bar, our local hangout. We ate there three times in two weeks.

The next day we headed to a place we’d visited on our first trip to Stockholm: Artipelag. Artipelag is a unique facility: art museum, restaurant, hiking area, and event venue. On our first visit we had a wonderful lunch on the terrace overlooking the water, and we did a bit of hiking, but this time we wanted to see everything. First up was the “Imagine Monet” immersive exhibit. We’d enjoyed the Van Gogh one in San Francisco in 2021, but this one was even better!

“Imagine Monet”

After a delicious buffet lunch (with wine and a fun waiter!) on the terrace, we headed to the regular exhibit, which was much more robust than we’d expected. We also watched a film about the founders of this lovely venue. Here are a couple of my favorite paintings from this visit.

After perusing the gallery, we decided to head out to the hiking paths, which mostly lead to the water. We saw more art along the way and appreciated the picnic tables scattered around for a quick rest.

 

View from a hiking path

Giant golden egg sculpture

I especially loved this sculpture of a young boy.

We took a very nice bus ride back into Stockholm–much better than the public trains/buses we took to get there–and hit our next sight: the Royal Palace. The guard advised us to move quickly, as the palace was closing in 45 minutes, but that was not a problem; it was HOT in there! 

Royal Palace: very ornate, very hot.

Our final stop for the day was Just what we needed: cocktails at the Grand Hotel, Stockholm’s premiere hotel where Madonna, Justin Bieber, and other luminaries have stayed. The cocktails were delicious but super expensive, but it was worth it; that is a gorgeous hotel!

The next day began with disappointment: we had planned to use our pass (the expensive, five-day one we regret) for a round trip boat ride to Birka, the Viking city. A UNESCO World Heritage site, Birka dates from the seventh century and still has many relics from its Viking days. We tried twice, but they were sold out both days. Ugh! There was nothing to do but figure out how to make it a good day. Off we went–to more museums!

We started with a hop-on, hop-off bus tour of the entire city, then stayed on the bus to visit Skansen, billed as the world’s oldest outdoor museum. Honestly? We didn’t love Skansen–but if you had young children to entertain it would probably be great.

Next we walked past the ABBA, Vasa, and Spirits museums (which we’d seen on previous visits) to the Viking Museum. That was fascinating–videos of actors portraying various Viking personas, artifacts, recreations, and lots of information–and horrifying in its focus on how cruel and violent humans can be.

Viking Museum: interesting but disturbing.

After a quick late lunch to forestall the hangries, we visited the Nordic Museum, which was excellent. I was too tired to take many photos, but it featured some amazing exhibits: table settings across the ages, the British influence on fashion over the last two centuries, a recreation of traditions throughout the year, and of course more amazing art. I wish we’d spent more time there.

Nordic Museum exhibit recreating the traditional Midsummer celebration

After all this museum hopping (and walking! We walked 15,000 to 20,000 steps each of these hectic days!) we were ready for. . .meatballs! I’d read about a restaurant called Meatballs for the People that sounded irresistable; you choose what kind of meatballs you want, anything ranging from pork or beef to bear or vegan, and get a standard plate featuring your meatballs of choice. We had a cocktail while waiting, then sat on barstools watching the meatballers at work. It was amazing! Mashed potatoes like clouds, delicious meatballs, and of course lingonberries and pickled cucumbers. I loved it so much I bought a t-shirt!

Meatballs for the People menu

We had a lot planned for the last day of our pass. But the next morning we decided to stay home and rest! It was a good decision and I don’t regret it, except for missing the Drottingham Palace, Prince Eugene’s Waldemarsudde, the Riddarholm Church, and the Royal Canal Tour. Next visit!

After a day of rest, which included our continuing Ted Lasso marathon, followed by a day of laundry (all the machines were in Swedish, so we relied heavily on our daughter’s instructional video!), we were ready to re-emerge. We did a little shopping, strolled the streets of Stockholm, and had a memorable lunch at Lisa Elmqvist, the seafood restaurant at the legendary Ostermalm Food Hall, Stockholm’s 130-year-old foodie institution.

My gorgeous, albeit too rich, sole meunière at Lisa Elmqvist

The next day we spent cleaning the apartment, making soups for the kids to enjoy when they arrived home, and packing. Dakeeti began freaking out and jumped into my suitcase more times than I could count! On the morning of their arrival we did one last batch of laundry and waited anxiously for their arrival.

Happy homecoming!

We ordered out for Thai lunch and toasted their homecoming with a bottle of champagne. Then, far too soon, it was time for us to go. We said happy-sad farewells and headed to the airport, where after checking in we visited the AmEx popup lounge for. . .let’s just admit it. . .our second lunch.

Second lunch: delicious!

We were excited to come home after two weeks away, but the memories from this amazing visit will stay with us. I’ll leave you with a view of the gorgeous flowers that are everywhere in beautiful Stockholm. How lucky we are to be living this amazing Roaming life!

 

Lyon

The Roamers celebrate an anniversary

Last December I received a reminder that I had an expiring credit card benefit: a $200 credit toward a hotel stay. After a quick conversation, Phil and I agreed to use it for a trip to Lyon, France, to celebrate our 42nd wedding anniversary. Lyon is known as the French food capital, so be forwarned; there’s a lot of food in this post! Our anniversary arrived last week and off we went on a new adventure.

On the train to Lyon!

We would be staying two nights at an Intercontinental, part of the IHG group. Being a Marriott loyalist, I wasn’t very familiar with this chain, so we really didn’t know what to expect. We pulled our bags on the 35-minute walk to the hotel (That reminds me of the old days when luggage didn’t have wheels and I rushed in heels through airports, carrying my bag!). We paused on the Rhone River bridge to take the picture below. “What a gorgeous building!” I said to Phil.

The beautiful Hotel Dieu

Imagine our surprise when we discovered that this was indeed our hotel! A former hospital, the Hotel Dieu is now a complex of shops and restaurants anchored by the Intercontinental Lyon Hotel Dieu. We were greeted graciously, upgraded to a river view room, and given an 80 euro credit. We used that at the bar, of course.

Our home for two nights

Room with a view

We quickly settled in, freshened up, and headed out to find lunch. Unfortunately, it was almost 2pm, so we were turned away from several restaurants before we found one that was still serving (in France, most restaurants serve lunch from 12-2 and then close until dinner). We were hot, hungry. . .and thirsty!

Phil enjoyed a cocktail and I had a rosé piscine (rosé with ice)

L’arquebuse turned out to be a find, albeit an expensive one. Our lunch was delicious! Phil’s (top of photo) was fish over lobster sauce and veggies, topped with puff pastry and a pesto mousse, and mine was veal topped with a veggie-stuffed cabbage leaf and decorated with pea puree. We had dessert too, but I forgot to take a photo.

Lunch!

We walked off our lunch and decided to take a hop-on, hop-off bus tour. But after waiting over an hour past the scheduled departure time, there was no hopping off. The tour was fascinating, and we saw things we’d never have seen otherwise. My phone had died, so I didn’t get any shots of the amazing views. Oh, and we walked over eight miles that day.

Beautiful and HUGE fountain, snapped just before my phone died

Lyon has a fascinating history and ideal position at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone rivers. It’s larger than Montpellier (over 500,000 population) and features both medieval and very modern sectors. It was hot, but we really enjoyed roaming the streets. We also strolled through Les Halles Lyon Paul Bocuse, a not-to-be-missed food hall, but for once we didn’t buy anything. That evening we opted for an early meal near our hotel, at La Mère Jean, a tiny bouchon (a family-run Lyon restaurant serving hearty fare), where I tried the salade Lyonnaise. We ordered a bottle of wine before we noticed that everyone else was drinking the house wine from a carafe. Tourists!

The next morning we enjoyed breakfast (included in our room rate) at the hotel. What a delight! We opted for the garden, where they had tiny chairs for purses.

The garden of our hotel restaurant

 

My purse’s tiny chair

After breakfast we walked to the Musée de la Résistance et le Déportation to learn about Lyon’s history during the war. We walked through a delightful multi-ethnic neighborhood, browsing through a huge Japanese food hall and studying restaurant menus featuring a wide range of cuisines. Phil and I are always amazed at the life force of plants growing out of concrete, out of buildings and walls, where there seems to be nothing to sustain them. We saw one of these that was so beautiful Phil thinks he might paint it.

This beautiful flowering plant is growing from concrete and stone.

After a 40-minute walk, we came to our destination. The museum is part of an educational complex, and we spotted student groups of all ages. We’ve often noted that in France the memory of WWII is kept alive for all to learn, much more so than in the U.S.

Museum entrance

The backs of our tickets

It was a somber experience, but we were glad we’d seen it. The most fascinating thing for me was a video of a couple who were Resistance members. He was arrested while trying to attend a secret meeting, and everyone knew he’d never come out of prison alive. So his wife dressed up (“I was young, and I put on some makeup, which I didn’t normally wear, and earrings”), went to the Gestapo headquarters, and demanded to meet the leader. That leader was Klaus Barbie, known as the Butcher of Lyon for his horrific torture of Jews and Resistance members, and who did not impress her with his diminutive height and casual dress. She told Barbie she was pregnant and needed her fiancé released so he could marry her before the baby arrived (This was a lie, as they were already married with a child). Barbie told her to find someone else, as she would never see her fiancé again. So she arranged an ambush while her husband was being moved to a different prison, killing several Germans and getting him cared for after he was shot in the face. They were both so very matter of fact about it, Amazing.

After a light snack, it was time to rest and refresh before the big event of our trip: dinner at Restaurant Paul Bocuse! This would be, we knew, a once-in-a-lifetime meal in a time-honored restaurant. Paul Bocuse was credited with popularizing nouvelle cuisine and with being one of the first celebrity chefs. 

Paul Bocuse was born and died in an upstairs room.

We arrived in style–our Uber driver had a Tesla–and were warmly greeted. I couldn’t resist taking a photo of the gorgeous kitchen where exciting things were happening!

Paul Bocuse kitchen before service

Every person on the staff–and there were many–greeted us as we were led to our table in the upstairs dining room. The place was beautiful, with paintings, lighting, and every detail designed to enhance the gracious setting.

Anniversary couple. I loved the painting behind Phil.

 

Fanciful charger plate

And now the feast began. First up was a glass of champagne, to be enjoyed with the three amuses bouches we were served: a radish cream served atop a savory cracker; corn three ways–polenta chip topped with corn mousse, topped with a piece of popcorn; and a cucumber mousse served in a crispy shell.

Les trois amuses

But wait, there’s more! Another beautiful amuse bouche was served next. Along with the wine list, I mean super heavy wine book. After a cursory look, we asked our sommeliere to recommend wines for each course, and she did a fabulous job.

A beautiful pea purée was the last amuse bouche.

Phil pretending to study the wine book

We both chose the same menu, which featured a fois gras entrée served with a perfect warm croissant. Decadent and filling! I gave half of mine to Phil.

Fois gras entrée

Before our plat (main course) was served, we were offered bread. It, of course, was house-made and wonderful. Then came the main course, the Bresse chicken prepared two ways and served with a morel cream sauce. I was excited about this, because I’ve been making morel chicken for many years–it’s our family’s favorite dish–and I wanted to see how mine compared to the master’s. And honestly, theirs was of course fancier, but really not that different in flavor!

Morel chicken, with a perfect veggie side in puff pastry

Next came the cheese. We tried a few, all of which were wonderful. Have I mentioned how kind, fun, and not-at-all-intimidating the servers were?

This cheese guillotine cracked me up!

You might think that dessert came next, but you would be wrong–sort of. Before dessert we were served a pre-dessert dessert, a tiny concotion featuring raspberries and chocolate!

Dessert before dessert

And then came the dessert chariot. Yep, that’s what they called it, and for good reason; way too many choices!

Dessert chariot

So after all of this, and two desserts, we thought we were done. But no! The servers wheeled out a funny-looking box on wheels that started playing music as they cranked a lever. Turns out it’s a mechanical pipe organ by Gaudin, the only one of its kind, and it’s used to celebrate special occasions.

Mechanical pipe organ

As the organ played, each table celebrating an anniversary or birthday was served a special chocolate concotion lit with a candle. Brilliant!

Our celebratory chocolate plaque, served on a chocolate easel. We’re still nibbling on it!

Finally, we were given farewell chocolates and the check. It was expensive, but we agreed the experience was worth it. Surprisingly, we were full but not stuffed!

Paul Bocuse kitchen after service: immaculate!

The next morning we enjoyed breakfast in the garden again and strolled through the Hotel Dieu. It’s truly a gorgeous building.

Am I a heroine? Are you?

A Roamer Interview

The very best thing about my 48-year career was the wonderful, lifelong friendships I’ve made. And one of the best of those is the friendship with my dear friend Jeanne, who was my first “corporate” boss. She is ethical, kind, brilliant, and funny, and we hit it off instantly. We have been close friends for almost 40 years, and even when we haven’t seen each other for a long time, there is no re-entry period when we finally get together; it’s as if we’d just picked up from the day before.

So imagine my delight when she introduced me to her friend and fellow coach Susanna Liller. Susanna is an author, school founder, and life coach who helps women find the confidence to get more out of life and to become the heroines of their own stories. By reimagining the archetype of the Hero’s Journey as the Heroine’s Journey, #theheroinesjourney, she provides a framework for women to, in the words of Joseph Campbell, “find their bliss.”

My lovely new friend Susanna

Jeanne had shared this blog with her friend Susanna, who became interested in learning how a couple from Oklahoma ended up living in the south of France. We had an introductory Zoom chat and hit it off immediately, so Susanna invited me to be interviewed for her YouTube channel, The Heroine’s Journey. 

I agreed, and we set a date. It was an informal interview, and it felt just like a conversation between new friends. I mean, who doesn’t like to tell their story?! When it went live, I’ll be honest, my first thought was that I didn’t like how I looked. But then as I watched and listened, I realized that it’s actually a rather compelling story. Phil and I have succeeded in “finding our bliss,” and if that can inspire anyone else, we’re happy.

So. . .here is the video.

 

I don’t feel at all like a heroine–but as Susanna teaches, we each are the heroes/heroines of our own stories. In the comments section, I’d love to hear your thoughts about your own Hero’s or Heroine’s Journey!

Montpellier Music

Shared with permission

Last year in my French class I met David, an American who spent weeks in Montpellier studying French. I invited him to join our Thursday coffee group, which he did once or twice, and we connected on Facebook.

Imagine my delight when he sent me a message saying he was returning for a couple of months to resume his language studies! Phil and I met him for lunch, and he played hooky one day to join our coffee group. And just before he left for a few weeks in Nice, we had him over to our construction zone home for lunch. We had a great time, and we’re working on convincing him to make the move to France.

With David’s permission, I’m sharing a link to a wonderful video he created, featuring the random street music of Montpellier. Enjoy!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lwqnxgj4y93lps3/Montpellier%20Music.mp4?dl=0

 

Nesting, renovation, and fun

The Roamers enjoy their new home

Whew! I’ve fallen a bit behind. My excuse? Moving, settling in, living in a renovation project, exploring our new neighborhood, fun with friends,  road trips. . .in other words, a lot! It’s all been great, but it’s made our heads swim. 

Shortly after moving in, we ran into friends/new neighbors Dennis and Sheri at our neighborhood marché. Held each Wednesday and Sunday in a pedestrian-only promenade, this is a wonderful market selling everything from bread, produce, and meats to–wait for it–mattresses. I wonder how people get them home?

The Sunday market in our neighborhood, Antigone

Sheri and Dennis were hosting U.S. friends, and they invited us to join them for an apéro at their apartment. I wish I’d thought to take pictures of the food! We started with Champagne, paté, and bread, moved on to savory pastries, then Dennis grilled chicken and asparagus, followed by a beautiful cheese tray. The finale was a delicious cake. Each course was paired with wines, of course. Only in France does a casual apéro invitation turn into a delicious five-course meal with delightful company!

Soon it was time to meet Benoit, our contractor, at Castorama, where we would choose the fixtures for our bathroom remodel. Who knew there were so many decisions to make? We managed to select everything in one visit–including an ecologically sound toilet with a built-in handwashing station! The used handwashing water is reused for flushing.

This toilet has a handwashing sink!

We chose a beautiful accent tile for the bathroom. A month later, we’d forget we’d ordered it and would buy the exact same tile for the kitchen backsplash. Oh well, at least the two rooms will be coordinated!

Bathroom tile. Kitchen tile. Both the same.

Our painter, Mehdi, is great and helps me with my French. One day I told him I’d left my sweater at a restaurant, and they saved it for me. But instead of saying “pull,” which means sweater, I said “poule,” so I told him I’d left my chicken at the restaurant. Language goofs are hilarious!

In the midst of all that painting we had a special treat: a visit from bestie Beth and our friend David!

My beautiful friend at the fountain we call “Three Guys Showering”

We packed a lot of fun into the three days of their visit. They stayed in a charming Airbnb in Écusson, the medieval part of Montpellier, and we spent almost all our waking hours together. The first evening we all drove to our local mountain, Pic Saint-Loup, to meet friends Jo and Dennis and their visiting guests at Auberge du Cedre, a lovely hotel and restaurant nestled in a tiny residential area. The food and company were delightful, and Phil drove us all home without incident.

Beth and I were born four days apart in March, so the next night we enjoyed a belated birthday celebration at Le Petit Jardin, a beautiful spot with superior food and service. We spent our days roaming the city, visiting the brocante (flea market), wandering in the Jardin des Plantes (the oldest botanical garden in France), visiting our favorite fromagerie, and practicing our cafe-sitting skills.

Enjoying the brocante!

On the last night of their visit, I decided to cook dinner in our old kitchen, which was serviceable but had no microwave or oven. We invited our good friend Michael, whose wife Margi was in New York. Dinner was asparagus risotto, artisanal bread and cheeses, and strawberry shortcake for dessert. Our guests left around midnight after a lovely evening. Shortly after 1:00 a.m. I was awakened by the incessant vibration of my phone. I groggily answered it to hear David saying, “We’re lost! We need you to come get us!” It took us over an hour to get dressed, figure out where they were, and get them back to their apartment, and we finally arrived home around 2:30 a.m. The next morning we took them to the train station and they headed for Paris. Several hours later, jokester David texted me: “WE’RE LOST IN PARIS! COME GET US!!'”

We had other fun meals with friends as our kitchen demolition proceeded: dinner at l’Artichaut with Ann-Lii and Fredrick, a lunch with Gwen and Tom, and a wonderful dinner chez Betsy and Jacques on one of our nights without a kitchen. 

Only two days with no kitchen!

And speaking of no kitchen, I may have mentioned that the “before” kitchen had no microwave and no working oven. However. . .after a month of no oven (I made biscuits on the cooktop!), I was fiddling with the dials, and behold–it worked! Perfectly. In a good news/bad news scenario, we had already bought a new oven, but our friends Linda and Brecka had just moved into a new apartment with no oven, so ours found a new home. Win/win, except for how silly I felt.

Partially installed kitchen; we already love it!

Dear friends Barb and Chip had scheduled a stop in Montpellier during their France tour, but an airline change nixed those plans. They were hitting Paris, the Champagne region, and the Dordogne, so we decided to meet up. The final part of their trip, in the Dordogne, was a Martin Walker tour, based in a gorgeous 17th century chateau, so we decided this would be our first big road trip in our electric car. Martin Walker is the author of the Bruno, Chief of Police mystery novels and all his books are based in the Dordogne. Phil and I enjoyed the drive, which took six hours because we lost an hour in Toulouse searching for a high-speed charger. We are learning.

We arrived at Chateau Ladausse and checked in with gracious hosts Diane, an American chef, and Eric, a Belgian sommelier, who met in the U.S. while working in technology. The chateau and grounds were beautiful, and our room had a spectacular view. Our friends were still out on their tour, so we drove over to Monflaquin, a nearby village, to tour the church and buy some Champagne. Back on the chateau grounds, under a huge old tree, we popped the cork to celebrate our reunion with Barb and Chip

The view from our chateau room window

Diane prepared a sumptuous, multi-course dinner for the chateau guests, and we enjoyed chatting with the group as Eric refilled our glasses.  We lingered at the table until bedtime!

Ready for dinner at the chateau

The next day was a marvelous, much-needed, restful indulgence. After a bounteous brunch, we spent most of the day catching up with Chip and Barb. My history with Barb goes back to when we were 18-year-old sorority pledge sisters–53 years ago! We’d lost touch after university, only to reconnect in Wimberley, Texas, where we moved in 2017. Barb and Chip had used their beautiful Wimberley home for vacations until Chip retired and they moved there full-time.

In our Wimberley neighborhood was a sign post that we’d seen when we first visited the town. It’s rather famous today, and of course when we bought our house we added our own sign.

Our sign is on the left, in the bottom third.

Well, Chip and Barb announced that they had brought us “a little something.”  What they brought was a little bit of Wimberley–our sign! We were thrilled, and the sign will live on the balcony of our Montpellier apartment.

Our dear friends and the treasure they brought all the way to France!

Our last dinner at the chateau was so much fun. We got to help Diane make a garlic soup that was delicious. It was followed by charcuterie, patés, artisanal breads, and desserts from the local bakery.

Last dinner at the chateau

The next morning we said our goodbyes and made the trip home, arriving just in time to attend a lovely apéro at the home of friends Jana and Martin. We had a busy week, with the kitchen delivery and installation, a delicious dinner chez Betsy and Jacques, a visit to a friend who’d had surgery, and the British Cultural Association‘s coronation watch party. And last weekend we made a short day trip with friends Jo and Dennis to the charming town of Pézenas, where we attended the twice-annual brocante. We stopped at one of the many crowded outdoor restaurants, only to find that on Sunday there is only one choice. On that day: Coronation Chicken!

 

Coronation Chicken

We followed our lunch with an ice cream stop before wandering the streets of Pézenas together. It’s a lovely town and we’ll definitely be back. I’ll leave you with the Coronation Chicken recipe, in case you’re inclined to copy this dish that was invented for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. King Charles’s coronation dish, a bean and spinach quiche, just doesn’t sound quite as good!

 

 

Moving out, Moving in. And Parties!

The Roamers put down roots.

As many of you may know, the French people have been protesting President Macron’s new retirement rules, which raised the retirement age from 62 to 64. In Montpellier, there have been frequent manifestations (demonstrations) and grèves (strikes), mostly quite orderly. So on a recent Thursday morning I was surprised to see graffiti on all the shop windows along my route.

Graffiti on a bank window

Not to worry, though–in Montpellier there are people whose job it is to remove graffiti. The windows were clean well before noon.

Graffiti removal van

If you read my last post, you know that we bought an apartment (!!!). We have so loved our first French home that we decided to throw it a farewell apéro (happy hour party), so that we could celebrate all the good times we’ve had there. About 35 people attended; the weather was gorgeous, allowing us to be both inside and out in the garden; and it was so much fun that we ran out of lemontinis. One of our guests was someone we’d met two days earlier: Zia heard us speaking English at the grocery store and struck up a conversation. He’s from Pakistan, his wife is French, and he was longing for English-speaking friends. He came to the party and now has become a regular at the weekly coffee group!

We bought an apartment!

Part One. Probably part one of many.

We really, really love our adopted city, Montpellier. Every time we venture into the Écusson (old town; it’s shaped like a shield, hence the name), we discover something enchanting, interesting, or downright funny. 

This shop window display cracked me up!

And now, since we have a (too big but lovely) car, we can venture outside the confines of public transportation. Recently we decided on a whim to drive to the beach, a 25-minute drive from our home. We parked (for free!) and stopped at a funky beach restaurant for lunch before heading to the sand.

Yes, we often have wine at lunch–especially at the beach!

This beach, unlike another we have frequented, is quiet, with no restaurants or shops, just lovely beach homes and the sea. We strolled a while before proceeding to enjoy a leisurely drive along the coast.

Quiet Mediterranean beach

On Sundays we often visit the nearby brocante (flea market), where we occasionally purchase but always enjoy looking at everything. On this visit we bought a large cut glass flower vase for 15 euros. Walking home, we stopped for two essentials: a baguette and flowers.

Sunday shopping

We have experienced such joy living in Montpellier, and we decided very early that this would be our home in France. After a half-hearted debate about whether to buy or rent (we already knew that buying would win), we began our home search with Renestance’s founder, Dennelle Taylor Nizoux. Having a buyer’s agent enabled us to actually get appointments for viewings (not easy!), as well as having an expert’s help and advice at every step. Denelle created a spreadsheet to track our wish list and measure each option against our criteria. After viewing countless homes online and nine in person (and being outbid on one place), we settled on a small apartment in our favorite neighborhood, Antigone. 

Our building

We made a full-price, cash offer on December 4 (we are too old to qualify for a mortgage!!!), and on March 7 we finally closed the sale. Have I mentioned that things move slowly in France? Assisting with the closing was Pogo, the notaire’s enormous shaggy dog, who posed with us after the final paperwork was signed.

Pogo is even bigger than he looks in this picture!

We were super excited to be homeowners! Before moving in, we had a lot of work to do. First up was cleaning. We have sold eight homes in our marriage, and each time we have left them spotless, with flowers and a welcome note for the new owners. Apparently that is NOT a thing in France! The apartment was quite grimy, so, armed with rubber gloves and alcohol (our new all-purpose cleaner recommended by our son), we got to work.

This spice rack in the kitchen was gross!

After a thorough scrubbing, the next step was finding someone to do the renovations. We plan to completely replace the kitchen (we bought a new kitchen and a lot of furniture from superstore BUT, where I think they should award us the Best BUT Customer award), reconfigure the bathroom, and repaint the entire apartment. The selling agent’s son came highly recommended, and we really liked him, but there was a catch: he is fully booked until September! We were shocked, so of course after the meeting we headed to a bar for cocktails and frites. By the time we’d consumed them, we had calmed down and realized that we could move in and live with things as they were until September.

CAD image of our new kitchen

And we love the location! On our first day there while we were cleaning, I heard noises and a loudspeaker but couldn’t figure out what it was. Soon the mystery was solved, as an enormous manifestation (protest demonstration) slowly passed our building. There had to be over a thousand people marching, protesting the proposed increase in retirement age from 62 to 64.

We live on the protest path!

After we had the apartment clean, we scheduled deliveries. We received our “American frigo,” washer and dryer, sleeper sofa, and TV, all of which were put in place easily.

Most French people don’t have a clothes dryer, but we’re a bit spoiled.

Suddenly a voice came from our bedroom. “Madame, il n’y a pas de pieds pour le lit,” said the delivery guy. Sure enough, the bed had no feet. We had bought an electric bed with the motor on the bottom, so without feet he could not set up the bed. Back to BUT I went, and 110 euros later our bed had feet!

This bed has no feet!

Phil and I were able to set up the bed, and this week I had a small nap on it. Lovely! While we were roaming throughout the U.S., we experienced a variety of bed quality, some great and some just ok. But we always missed the electric bed we had in Wimberley, so an electric bed was on our “must-have” list.

Later on delivery day a beautiful fox-like dog rushed into our apartment. She let me pet her for a moment, but then she was off to explore our new digs. Her human arrived, she ignored said human’s efforts to collect her, and finally she was cornered, picked up, and carried back home to an apartment down the hall. An hour later, said human knocked on our door and explained that he was moving out that day. I was able to make a joke in French about whether he was moving out because we were moving in (hurray for toddler-level French!), as he held out our first housewarming gift: a bag of frozen french fries. Hilarious!

Housewarming frites!

Yesterday we met with another contractor who may be able to tear out the old kitchen so we can get the new one installed before September. We’ll keep our fingers crossed, and maybe soon I’ll have some before and after photos to share! Meanwhile, we will be busy moving non-essential things over, hosting friends for a last apéro at our old place, and planning our big move.We are beyond grateful and excited for our next adventure!

 

 

Joy, Learning, And Hilariousness

The Roamers laugh. A lot.

We have a tradition in our family of choosing a word to guide our intentions for the coming year. For 2023, Phil chose “learn,” primarily related to his determination to learn French. After a year of lessons, he can read French and get around a bit, but he still freezes when he has to speak. I had high school and university French, so I started a bit ahead. Today I can have toddler-level conversations, but it’s going to take a lot of time to get comfortable with the language.

My word for this year is “joy.” At age 70, I’m realizing that my life has an expiration date (fortunately an unknowable one), and it’s up to me to decide how to use my time on this planet. I choose to experience joy whenever and wherever possible, every day, no matter what. When you look for it, joy can come from many sources: natural beauty, a good conversation, social contacts, and even mistakes.

February crocuses spark joy for me

Regular readers may recall that we bought a car last month. A car that is far too big for Montpellier streets. I drove the first few times out, but I don’t like to drive after dark, so when we headed out for our “Franciversary” celebration dinner, Phil drove. Into the underground parking garage we went, only to scrape the side mirror on the wall. “Oh well,” we agreed, “it was only a matter of time before we got our first ding, and now it’s done.”

You can barely see the ding.

We went on to our dinner, at a lovely restaurant called Bistro la Canourgue, which is in an esteemed old hotel. We had a cocktail in the bar, which is the former wedding chapel.

We sat at the table on the left.

We spent the cocktail hour reminiscing about our year in France, retelling the stories and reflecting on the joy of living here. The space was gorgeous, especially the ceiling, which features two phoenixes connectd by a snake. Apparently the significance of that image is related to Montpellier’s history.

Ceiling of the bar

It was a joyful celebration, topped off by chatting with the British couple at the next table. They own an international translation company and perodically spend time at the Montpellier office, so we hope to see them again.

In late January we attended a Sunday brunch organized by the “Americans in Montpellier” Facebook group. That’s a misnomer (as is the British Culture Association, of which we’re members), as all nationalities are welcome. We sat next to French friends for the buffet brunch. After sampling the treats, I ventured to the dessert table, where a small group of French people were gathered, wondering aloud about the giant bowl of what looked like crushed Oreos. There was a large serving spoon in the bowl, so I volunteered to confirm the contents. I spooned some atop my dessert plate and took a nibble. “It’s dirt!” I exclaimed. 

Eating dirt

Yep, I ate dirt. Honestly, it was worth it for the hilarity. And I skipped dessert but made Phil get me a glass of wine. To make up for eating dirt. And it worked. Later during the brunch I noticed that the bowl of dirt had been removed. I wonder how many people ate dirt that day?

Last weekend we attended an “ApérOpera” at a nearby wine chateau with friends Margi and Michael. We picked them up and drove to the chateau without any major incident (ok, maybe a short jaunt down a one-way street going the wrong way, and a couple of fortuitous U-turns) and arrived right on time. We hung our coats in the lobby and proceeded to enjoy a two-act presentation of opera and operetta pieces by a wonderful soprano and mezzo soprano. During the intermission we were served delicious wine and appetizers. It was a lovely event in beautiful surroundings. We gathered our coats and headed out, with Phil driving (because it was dark). At the first turn we spotted a juggler on a very high unicycle, right in the middle of the intersection, in heavy traffic, wearing all black. Crazy, but hilarious!

Chateau Flaugergues, where the AperOpera was held

Have you ever driven (at night, in a too-big car, on medieval French streets) with a Greek chorus? That’s what Phil experienced as we all provided helpful addenda to the GPS. “Turn right! No, not a sharp right! Stay on that road!” we all shouted. And off we went–right onto the tram tracks! Fortunately, no tram appeared, and after a few blocks Phil was able to get off the tracks and onto a proper road.

Don’t drive your car on the tram tracks.

We finally managed to drop our friends off and head home. When we arrived, I went to the closet to hang up my jacket. Wait–this wasn’t my jacket!! Yep, I apparently stole someone else’s coat. Or someone stole mine and left theirs for me. Either way, it was another hilarious mistake that cracked me up.

This jacket: not mine.

On Sunday we hosted two other couples for a paella party. We love our international friends, and for this dinner we had two Swedes, one Czech, and one American. We had a lovely evening, drinking homemade sangria, eating, and (mostly) telling stories and laughing. There is so much joy in our lives–lovely friends, the beauty of nature, fascinating travel, learning French, making hilarious mistakes–an endless list of joy inducements. My wish for you is that you, too, find joy in every day.

Cheers to joy!

un an plus tard…

The Roamers reflect on a year in France

Wow, today we are celebrating our one-year anniversary of living in France! It’s been quite a year. A year is a long time, and yet it’s hardly any time at all, we’ve learned. One year ago today, we landed in Montpellier, jetlagged and excited. We took a taxi to our new home, which we’d never seen, where we were greeted by Renestance consultant Lizzie, as well as our new propriétaires (landlords), Charbel and Jacqueline, who would become lovely friends. 

Coming home one evening to our beautiful furnished apartment

We arrived on a Sunday during COVID, so after being welcomed to our apartment our first stop was the only open pharmacy, where we obtained our Cartes Sanitaires, without which we could not enter a restaurant terrace. We enjoyed a quick dinner on le Place de la Comédie and crashed in our new space.

Our apartment’s kitchen

Settling in was the first order of business. We bought sheets, towels, and groceries, applied for our TAM senior cards, which entitle us to free public transportation, enrolled in French lessons, met up with other English speakers for coffee, reconnected with the friends we’d made on our reconnaissance trip, and began to explore our new city. 

Our friends Gwen and Tom invited us for coffee when we arrived

After roaming in the U.S. for a year and a half, we were not about to stop traveling! So we kept it up. In our first year in France we have visited Bordeaux, Nice, Avignon, Sète, Aix-en-Provence, Rouen, Honfleur, Bayeux, Nimes, Monaco, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Cannes, and a few others I’ve forgotten. Yes, we have been to Paris several times, but only in transit.

Rouen Cathedral, one of our favorite Roaming sights

We’ve traveled a lot outside of France as well. Over the past year we’ve visited Barcelona, Stockholm (twice), Southampton in the U.K., Norway, Northern Ireland, Ireland, the Azores, Italy, and in the United States NYC, Austin, Dallas, Oklahoma City, and my hometown Ponca City, Oklahoma. We took a 15-day transatlantic cruise that was amazing. Honestly, we are a tiny bit travel-weary and plan to roam a bit less in 2023.

Cruise sunset

One thing that amazes us is the circle of friends we have here in Montpellier after only a year. Many are Americans, but we have friends from France, Lebanon, South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland, Tunisia, England, Scotland, Ireland, and elsewhere. There are more social gatherings than we can attend, and we have loved entertaining our new friends at home.

Hosting our first French Friendsgiving

One day in January we had two parties, one for the women, co-hosted by Renestance and friend Tracey, and one for the men. I attended the galette party (many king’s cakes were served), while Phil hosted some of the guys.

Galette party. Over 30 women attended!

 

Guys’ party. They forgot to serve the king’s cake!

We have loved exploring Montpellier. Simply walking through the medieval streets is a treat. We’ve also taken advantage of the many cultural opportunities here, including the amazing Musée Fabre, the photography museum Pavillon Populaire, two operas (Tosca and Aida), a Mozart concert with our local orchestra, and an organ concert in the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Montpellier. We even attended a delightful small piano concert at a local bar/restaurant.

This cathedral, built in the 1300s, offers free Friday evening organ concerts.

We also enjoyed hosting several house guests in our first year. Dear friends Pilar and René spent several fun-filled days with us in May–and they bought us a pétanque set! This lawn bowling game is very popular in our area, and we’ve had great fun playing in our garden. Friends-who-are-family Joni and Scott spent a few days with us in early June, and it was wonderful! Next up were Nancy and Tom, our friends and in-laws (our daughter is married to their son). It was very hot during their visit, so we had to curtail our walking a bit, but we managed to have a wonderful time together. And they brought us Tex-Mex goodies! In July we hosted Phil’s college friends Gayla and Trish for a week. Unfortunately, COVID decided to visit Gayla the morning after they arrived, so the visit was not ideal, but we still managed to have fun. I cooked, Trish loved sketching in the Jardin des Plantes, and on the last day of their visit Gayla was able to do an informal walking tour of the city.

Playing pétanque in our garden

We had planned to buy a car after a month or two, and we hoped to find a used electric vehicle. When that proved impossible, we ordered a new electric car. That was in March. Ten months ago. After countless delays, apparently due to the parts shortage, we gave up and bought a different car, which we just picked up last week. It’s larger than I’d hoped for, and the turn radius is poor, but it’s beautful and should be great for road trips. Already we’ve discovered how narrow many roads are, and don’t even get me started on the tiny parking spots! Phil has received his French driving license, but mine is delayed. Apparently I colored outside the lines on my signature, so of course I have to start over from scratch!

New car!

We arrived in France with a plan to rent our furnished apartment for a year, then decide whether to rent long-term or buy. Buying won out, and with the help of Dennelle from Renestance, we have found our next home. Have I mentioned that things move slowly in France? Our offer (full price, cash) was accepted December 5, and only last week did we sign the compromis de vente, which starts the purchase process (after a ten-day cooling off period!). We’re hoping to close in late March or early April, after which we have some renovations to complete before moving in.

Our new apartment building. That tiny white sign on the left is on our balcony.

Our American friends will be asonished at the size of our new home: less than 900 square feet! We’ve lived in 3600 square feet, and our last house in Wimberley, Texas was the smallest to date: 2200 square feet. But homes in France, for the most part, are smaller than in the U.S. This apartment has two bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms (or it will when the renovations are done), and a large balcony. That’s all we need!

The new apartment

One goal for 2022 that we failed to achieve was living within our budget. We have rationalized that, of course (I tell people that my university minor was rationalization), by realizing that we were actually under budget except for excessive travel expense. For this year we’ve increased the travel budget, but kept it below what we spent in 2022. 

This picture has roamed with us everywhere!

So we are closing out our first French year with immense gratitude, respect for the wonderful, kind people of France, and some new goals: improve our French, move into our new home, visit granddaughter Cora (and her parents), explore more of France, and continue to appreciate and enjoy every moment of this wonderful life we’re so fortunate to be living. My wish for everyone who reads this is that you have the best year yet. Remember: life is short, so do it now!

 

 

Christmas in sweden

Our daughter! Our son-in-law! Snow! Food!

Several months ago we booked a ten-day trip to Stockholm for the holidays. What a treat to finally spend Christmas with our daughter and her husband, whom we think of as one of our own. That, incidentally, can be a bit embarrassing when I introduce them as “our kids” to someone who is then puzzled by their hand-holding and snuggling!

We arrived in Stockholm just before midnight on December 16, where we were greeted by -10 degrees Centigrade and SNOW! We spent the next day with Amelia and Nic, strolling, shopping, and of course eating. For dinner at their house we were treated to delicious soups and Nic’s homemade bread, which has been perfected over many months. He is even the proud owner of a t-shirt that says “BREAD MAN.”

Nic’s sourdough loaf, fresh out of the oven

The next day we finished up some stocking-stuffer shopping, strolled the city, and enjoyed each other’s company. Following that was Amelia’s last Christmas market day, so we all bundled up for a very cold day. It was lovely, despite the cold, to watch all the holiday shoppers. Some of us may have commented on one guy in shorts and sandals in 0 degree weather. Amelia’s business, Mellie Earrings, has taken off and the markets have played a big role in her success.

Amelia and Phil at the market

Because our kids have a one-bedroom apartment (and also because we’re spoiled and require a king sized bed), we stay in a hotel when we visit, but for this trip I had booked an Airbnb outside of Stockholm where the four of us could stay together for a few days. We arrived to almost-melted snow and slick sidewalks, but we were charmed by the gorgeous view from the top floor of the house.

Our view upon arrival at the Airbnb

Nic and I headed out to buy food for the next three days, and we all proceeded to have a wonderful time cooking together, working a puzzle, watching old Star Trek episodes, and simply enjoying our precious time together.

A lot of resting was accomplished in the spacious living room.

On our last full day in the Airbnb, we were treated to some SUNSHINE! It was still too cold and slick to enjoy walking outside, so we stayed snugly inside and enjoyed the view. We had only five hours of daylight each day, so this was truly a treat.

A brief sunny view

The next day we all headed back to the kids’ apartment. There, over another yummy dinner, we made plans for our special Christmas Eve event: a “Chopped Challenge” type meal. Chopped, for anyone who has the misfortune not to know this, is a quirky food competition reality show where contestants are given a mystery basket from which they must make a delicious dish. Three of us love to cook, and Phil is a non-cooking bartender, so we assigned him to make cocktails. Amelia would make the appetizer, I’d make the main course, and Nic would create the dessert. We agreed that Nic would provide Phil’s basket, Phil would do Amelia’s, she would do mine, and I’d provide Nic’s. The next day we were off to fight hordes of people at the liquor store and supermarket.

This idea came, of course, from our kids, who’ve done this a couple of times before. We had great fun creating mystery baskets for each other. Nic made an interesting basket for Phil’s cocktail creations, featuring whiskey, champagne, lemon balm, basil, ginger beer, sake, and blood orange cider.

Phil’s cocktail basket, created by Nic

The appetizer basket Phil created for Amelia hinted toward stuffed mushrooms, but of course she was far more creative than that. It included mushrooms, Tex-Mex cheese (because we all came to Europe from Texas!), canned artichoke hearts, green onions, jalepenos (Texas again), and herbed cheese.

Phil’s appetizer basket for Amelia

My main course basket from Amelia included one quite challenging item: green plantains. It also contained entrecote, thai basil, king oyster mushrooms, yellow bell pepper, green onions, fresh pasta, almond butter, mustard, calamata olives, and an orange. Wow!

The main course basket Amelia gave me

And finally, I made a basket for Nic’s dessert creation including fresh cranberries (because Christmas), shortbread cookies, individual tiramisus, sauternes, whipped cream, chocolate cookies, and an orange.

My dessert basket for Nic

Because we were not on TV and could make our own rules, we did some planning that evening. Our daughter Amelia has always been the most organized and creative person ever, and of course she did not disappoint with her sketch and planning.

Amelia’s appetizer plan

Nic also made some elaborate plans. Phil researched cocktails using his ingredients, while I researched what the heck I could do with plantains. I entered the cooking portion of the event with a skeleton of an idea, but it would require significant improvisation.

On Christmas eve, we decided that a rather long meal with breaks after each course for the next chef’s kitchen time would work just fine. Interspersed with breaks for video chats with U.S. family, as well as a few episodes of Ted Lasso, we got to work. And our meal was spectacular!

Phil created two memorable cocktails. Well, I think they were memorable. Not liking whiskey, I took a couple of polite sips before passing mine on to Phil and Nic. Everyone loved both cocktails, and I happily sipped Champagne. So happily, in fact, that I forgot to take a picture of Phil’s work.

Next up was Amelia’s appetizer. She made an “everything bagel” cracker, topped with a mousse made from herbed goat cheese, green onions, artichokes, jalepenos, and mushrooms, garnished with green onion, roasted jalepeno, and mushrom, and topped off with a cheddar tuille. It was fabulous, and we ate every morsel!

Amelia presents the appetizer

I was up next, with two very hard acts to follow. With my basket I made pasta with a sauce of steak, yellow peppers, olives, and green onions, with a side of butter-sauteed mushrooms. I made a second “side”–almost more like a second appetizer–of plantain tostones with a dipping sauce of almond butter, garlic, ginger, orange juice, wine vinegar, and sesame oil. It wasn’t a pretty plate, too much brown, but as my daddy used to say, “it ate good.”

My main course

Finally it was Nic’s turn, and he outdid us all. With his basket he made an incredible cheesecake. The crust was made with the two kinds of cookies, a bit of sauternes, and plenty of butter. The cheesecake had a wonderful tiramisu flavor, enhanced by the addition of some coffee powder. And using the fresh cranberries he topped the cheesecake with a delicious compote. The whole beautiful dish was topped off with whipped cream and cookie crumb sprinkles, with a bit of orange peel. I may or may not have had three servings over two days.

Fabulous cheesecake from Chopped Winner Nic!

Stuffed, happy, and proud, we proceeded to enjoy the rest of the evening, playing Dominion (a first for Phil and me), watching more Ted Lasso episodes (the best tv show ever produced, in my opinion), giggling, and feeling grateful for our time together.

On Christmas morning we headed to the kids’ apartment for a delightful day. We had a video call with our son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter, exchanged fun stocking stuffers, played with their cat Dakeeti, ate leftovers, watched more Ted Lasso, and enjoyed a relaxed, joyful day.

My stocking held this beautiful amazonite stone from Amelia

We ended the evening with another round of Dominion (Phil and I still came in last) and the beginnings of a puzzle that looked impossible. We gave up and returned to the hotel shortly after it was framed up, but Amelia finished it before bedtime. She is the best puzzler ever!

Final Dominion game

And the next morning it was time to go home. The kids joined us at our hotel for breakfast and sent us off in the taxi. It’s always sad to say goodbye, but we love knowing we’re not so far away. In the words of A.A. Milne, “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” 

Phil and Amelia cherishing those last minutes