Red Sky at Night...

A glorious sunset yesterday after lots of rain!

Inbound: Part Three

After our visit to Chinon, Bette and I stopped in Amboise on our way back to Blois to attend a meeting of Loire Connexion, a international group of people who get together on a monthly basis and speak English. We arrived in Amboise at that wonderful time of day when the light on the buildings and the Loire is rose-gold.

Here's a nice shot of the town from the island where the get-together took place:

And a nice sign to add to my collection:

And finally, a view of the Loire through an arch of the bridge leading back over to Amboise:

Bette was making a presentation on American musicals to the local chapter of an organization called France-États Unis a couple of days before I left to return to Paris. We met at a restaurant on the south bank of the Loire and these photos were taken from an upstairs window looking back at Blois.

The bridge you can see in the foreground behind the hedge in this final photo is the bridge in the photo that won me a blue ribbon at the Yolo County Fair.

UP NEXT: Inbound: Part Four--back in Paris, my visit to the Louvre, specifically the newly-opened Islamic Art Department...

Stormy Weather

For the past couple of days we have been having very un-Luxorlike weather. All last night and into today there has been cloud cover, thunder, lightning and rain (real rain, not a few drops!). This photo was taken on Saturday, but it does show some of the dramatic clouds that have been streaming over our fair city:

Check out this video of some of the astonishing lightning (courtesy of Jane Akshar):

Even long-timers are saying that they don't remember such a storm in the recent past. In eight-plus seasons, I certainly haven't experienced anything like this in intensity and duration. Here are some images conditions this morning and during the lunch hour:

Of course, even though the cool air is welcome to humans, this weather plays havoc with the monuments--mud bricks just "melt". So please, rain "go away"!

New "Kit" on the Block

Look who just moved in today! This little one is a street cat who's decided to opt for the cushy life at CH. Real laid back and sweet as can be. He's been hanging out with the guys at the front gate all afternoon.

And while we're talking CH cats, I got some good ones of Rusty of the beautiful green eyes yesterday. She's very skittish and I had to be sneaky but the results are worth it:

Winners!

I entered eight photos in the Yolo County Fair this summer. Five won ribbons (one a first place blue ribbon!). Six of the eight were taken in Egypt. Check them out at: Yolo County Fair Entries 2012. And here is my blue ribbon winner complete with ribbon:

Marvel-ous!

I couldn't resist snapping a photo of some of the lush Marvel of Peru that adorns many of the walls here on the property. It is indeed a "marvel"!

Inbound: Part Two

The next afternoon I was off by train to Blois to visit with my good friend Bette, who lives in the town of Villebarou. This visit was a much-needed opportunity to get some rest and to catch up. Bette also makes sure that I have my fill of pork products, enough to tide me over for the six months in Egypt!

In Bette's garden (she asked me if she should paint the flamingos pink and I advised against it!):

Pastries from Feuillete:

We did make a day trip to Chinon, which neither of us had visited before. Had lunch in town and then toured the fortress. In town I stocked up on doors:

It's a lovely old town but the fortress is fascinating! Great views over the Vienne River:

At the fortress there was a fascinating exhibit about Jeanne d'Arc (600th anniversary of her birth):

Of course, Chinon is famous for its wines:

On our way back to Blois, we stopped in Amboise for a gathering of Loire Connexion, but this post has gone on too long, so to be continued in Inbound: Part Three...

Happy Halloween!

Inbound: Part One

I flew out of SFO on Sunday afternoon, September 30 and arrived in Paris in the late morning of Monday, October 1. Because of a physical problem, I had a wheelchair and "driver" at both ends! It was a good thing, especially on the CDG end. Delta/Air France flies into Terminal 2, and now into a new section. A lot of walking and you have to take the CDGVAL metro to get to passport control and baggage claim. My wheelchair assistant was phenomenal--he managed to wheel both me in the wheelchair and a heavily loaded baggage cart with amazing skill!

I stayed at the usual place--Hotel de la Porte Dorée in the 12th--and received their usual warm welcome. After a bit of a rest, I went to my customary first-dinner-in-Paris brasserie/restaurant--Les Cascades. Here's a view I took after dining:

On Tuesday, I wasn't up for much, and many of the museums are closed, so I made a brief visit to Bercy Village and the Parc Bercy:

The next afternoon I was off by train to Blois to visit with my good friend Bette, who lives in the town of Villebarou.  To be continued...