Thursday, November 28, 2024

Thanksgiving

Ted. Every year Judy indulges my desire to be back in the United States for my favorite holiday. Today (always the fourth Thursday in November) is my 72nd Thanksgiving. That’s a lot of turkey legs! 

Thanksgiving 1955 with Dad, my sister Kathy and me

I love the simplicity of the day. It’s typically quiet and peaceful with nothing to do but enjoy a meal with family and friends. There are no gifts or decorations and about the only activity (aside from watching football) is to reflect on one's blessings. 

Think about it. 400 years ago, our first Thanksgiving began as a religious feast for a handful of immigrants. Today nearly 300 million people, most born here but millions born elsewhere, of all faiths and no faith will sit down to dinner just to say "thank you." Rooted in the harvest festivals that are celebrated around the world, I consider this to be the iconic North American holiday (yes, Canada celebrated theirs last month). 

As for me, I begin by thanking God for the gentle death of my Dad back in June. He loved life and did not fear death but he did dread a slow, painful end. As usual, the worst case scenario did not come to pass. Just like Mom back in 2008, Dad went quickly and peacefully. 

Thanksgiving 2009 with Stef, Sarah, Dad, Judy, Les & Parker

The miracle of Judy’s recovery this summer was another blessing. Back in August, she left Atlanta in a wheelchair and we were looking forward to a difficult three months in Europe. Alas, less than a month later, we were able to donate her wheelchair to our church in Copenhagen. 

Judy in Ax-les-Thermes, France

I am truly thankful that our two children, their spouses and our four grandsons continue to thrive. Has everything been perfect for them this year? Dumb question. Life is full of ups and downs, yet the bonds within their families and between all of us provide the strength to weather the storms.

Thanksgiving 2019

This most recent election was a surprise and a disappointment to me. However, I remain thankful and confident that the checks and balances within our unique system of government will insure that the future of our country will be much better than many fear. 

Lastly, I am grateful for the many kindnesses shown to us this year by the dozens of people we have encountered in the seven countries that we visited. Most people are good and the world is a marvelously complicated and beautiful place!



Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Toulouse, the Rose City

Judy.  Before leaving France, we decided to spend our last 24 hours in Toulouse. From there, we'd get a better flight to London and on to Atlanta. It also gave us a chance to check out a city we'd always been interested in seeing.

If Montpellier's buildings make a golden city, Toulouse is known as the rose city, because all its edifices are build of a pink stone. It's warm and inviting and truly beautiful.





Arriving mid-morning, we were able to check into our hotel and get a recommendation for the best restaurant to eat cassoulet, a peasant bean casserole we first heard about from our old friend Felix De Greef about 47 years ago. Long time to wait to taste it, but never found it before. It's "home city" is near Toulouse, so it seemed a good place to try it. 


Le Colombier is famous for its cassoulet


We were sent to Le Colombier, which turned out to be exactly what we wanted. Our host there explained that this recipe had  been used there since 1947, and then steered us to the best wine. Cassoulet is a bean stew made with whatever meat is available--rabbit, sausage, goose, ham, whatever! This one had sausage, ham, and a goose drumstick, and was well worth the wait! Furthermore, dessert was an apple tart with armagnac ice cream.

From there we explored the city, starting with the Capitoline, a government building with stunning murals inside. While the outside was beautiful, the building was closed to visitors. Ugh. On to our next site.

The Capitoline and the market in the square


The rose color is evident in this building across from the Capitoline


While walking to the Couvent des Jacobins, we took in the charm of the medieval city. Streets were not as narrow as in Montpellier, but the buildings were definitely impressive.



The Couvent  is the birthplace of the Dominican Order of Preachers, of whom St. Thomas Aquinas is arguably the most famous. Central to this spare room is an altar covering the relic of St. Thomas. More impressive, however, is the colored light streaming through the windows onto the walls and the "palm tree columns", a distinctive aspect of the church. There's also a cloister where lots of people go to relax, but it cost, so we didn't go.


Palm tree columns reflect the light from the windows

The light reflects around the simple altar

St. Thomas Aquinas's final resting place


From there we headed to the Garonne River, and on the way, located the Basilica Notre Dame de Daurade, which housed a Black Madonna, so we ducked in. It was the complete opposite of the couvent--roccoco to the max! A plaque reminded us that the restoration of the artwork was done with the help of the French Heritage Society, Atlanta Chapter! There was artwork everywhere, and in a side chapel was the Madonna in her fancy blue gown. Legend says she has 23 outfits, and the presence of one of her dresses on the bed of a woman giving birth guaranteed a safe delivery.

The Black Madonna


That night we walked to the river to see the lights. What a sight! We took an elevator down to the river level and walked past dozens of university students enjoying the evening. 



The next morning we packed up, stored our luggage, and stopped at Monsieur Madeline for a breakfast of madelines and coffee. Another treat hard to get in the US.

This time we headed to the famous Japanese Garden. Now I've seen many Japanese gardens, but this one was in a class all its own. It's small, but has many nooks and crannies where you can observe the beauty there from different viewpoints. None of our photos do it any justice.





We headed next to the 12th century St. Sernin Basilica. Once again, the church was not like any others we'd seen. At the altar is the elaborate gold tomb of St. Sernin, but other than some ancient murals, it's a pretty simple stone Romanesque building. What it's noted for is the over 300 relics in the church! Other than the tomb of the saint, the most famous relic is in the crypt--a thorn from the Crown of Thorns. There's also a piece of the True Cross. Yes, I do have my doubts. Still, this pilgrimage church, with all its relics, is oddly peaceful. A side door was used by pilgrims, and, yes, the Camino (or Chemin de St. Jacques) runs through this city as well.



The crypt houses the thorn from the Crown of Thorns


Lunch was at one of a series of restaurants above the indoor city market, another recommendation from our hotel manager. I went for steak tartare, something I seldom find in the US. On our way out we passed an Art Deco building that took our breath away!

Certainly not part of Medieval Toulouse!


There was so much more to see, but we had a plane to catch, so we cut our losses and caught the bus to the airport. We definitely recommend Toulouse!



Friday, November 1, 2024

What's not to like (or dislike) about France

Ted. We fly to London this afternoon, so I am enjoying my last café allongé at our final stop in France, the charming city of Toulouse. I am also reflecting on what draws us back again and again to this beautiful country while reminding myself of those quirks of the culture that bug me. 

Like - Lots and lots of pedestrian zones 

Dislike - Inconsiderate people on scooters and bikes racing through crowded streets 

Like - well behaved dogs in restaurants 

Dislike - dog poop all over the sidewalks 

Like - cheap efficient pubic transportation which allows us to easily wander within and between towns 

Dislike - pushy, rude young people elbowing their way on and off trains and buses never considering to yield a seat to the elderly 

Like - Farmers markets and flea markets 

Dislike - scooters/bikes racing through the markets (yeah, even here) 

Like - tipping and tax included in restaurant prices 

Dislike - rising expectations of additional tips 

Like - slowly becoming a cashless economy 

Dislike - continuing expectation of cash by smaller businesses 

Like - efforts to reduce single use plastic 

Like - old churches 

Like - the importance of good food and wine 

I could go on and on. An overall theme, though is that the French, possibly more than any other Europeans, continue to believe that one should work to live and not live to work. When they strike (which is often) it usually has to do more with quality of life issues than money. The joy they find in slowly walking along the sidewalks with a friend or family member and then sitting at a café for an hour becomes contagious. We find ourselves slowing down to match their pace and that is probably the biggest reason we will continue to return. Bordeaux - we’ll see you next year!