Have your cake and eat it too

Hi Everyone,

Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes! 

Life is truly a gift and as another year has passed, I'm sitting here still finding it hard to believe that I just celebrated my 5th birthday in France. Wow time flies.  

 

I also can't believe it's been almost 2 years since I last updated this blog. I love sharing my travels and experiences, but Aix-pat life keeps me on my toes and usually I'm already off on a new adventure before I have time to write about the last one.  

These past few years have been filled with wonderful moments spent with family and friends, beautiful landscapes, linguistic challenges, continuous opportunities for cultural exchange, and of course food and wine.

As birthdays often impose time for reflection, I wanted to share a quick recap of what I've been up to and remind myself that "you can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old" (George Burns).

On y va...

Spring & Summer 2016

I started off spring 2016 with a visit to see Alessa in Amsterdam. We had a great time touring the city and I loved seeing all the tulips in bloom at Keukenhof Gardens. 

A few months later back in France it was time to celebrate my 30th birthday. Panos organized an amazing surprise party with our friends at one of our favorite restaurants, Don Giovanni...complete with the largest tiramisu I've ever seen!

With the summer temperatures starting to climb (no pun intended), I had the chance to join some friends for my first evening hike on Aix's Sainte Victoire Mountain.

Summer vacation time finally rolled around and I headed to Greece for the 2nd time. Arriving in Athens, we drove west across the country, then took a ferry to the island of Zakynthos.

Looking out over Shipwreck Beach...

Who knew you could not only buy watermelons, but also pumpkins in July? 

At the end of summer I went back to the US for a conference in Golden, Colorado, but was also able to make a few of the usual stops along the way :)

Seeing family in Michigan:

Ok, so Trader Joe's isn't exactly family, but I have to confess that walking into this store does give me an instant feeling of home. People ask me all the time what I miss about the US as an expat living in France, and besides family and friends, this store is toward the top of the list lol.  

 San Diego:

I also met up with my brother and Dad in San Diego. It's always great to play the California tourist.

Seeing the seals in La Jolla...

After a few days on the coast, I headed to Golden, Colorado for my conference where in addition to working, I tried river rafting for the first time. 

Who said scientists don't know how to have fun? 

With the US tour complete, I then met my Mom in Florida and we spent a few days in Freeport, Bahamas. 

Fall & Winter 2016

As the weather cooled down, Alessa came to visit me in Aix. We visited Marseille and Arles, and went horseback riding in the Carmargue region (marshlands where you can find flamingos, rice, and mosquitos...such an interesting combination). I was happy to finally visit Cezanne's studio, where you can find lots of the models he used in his still-life works.  

Happy Halloween! Having already spent a few Halloweens in France I was starting to miss carving pumpkins. So we went on a mission. Finding pumpkins in France that are actually big enough to carve is not as easy as you might think. But the effort paid off (after driving to 4 stores) and Panos thoroughly enjoyed his first pumpkin carving experience!

The end of the year found us in jolly ol' Scotland to enjoy the Christmas season with some friends. I still remember going through passport control before boarding the plane...the agent looked at me and said "you're leaving southern France to go there? For vacation? in December? " Yes, yes indeed.

Despite the gloomy weather, warm Christmas cheer was everywhere to be found.

And before leaving, I made sure not to miss out on a true Scottish breakfast!

Back in France, ringing in 2017 in style! 

Spring & Summer 2017

A day trip to Gordes, listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France.

Next was a trip to the region of L'Aveyron, a few hours northwest of Aix. On the way there we crossed the Millau Viaduct, currently the tallest bridge in the world (343 meters/1125 ft).

Of course we had to stop for a bite and try some of the local specialties, including "Aligot", a dish made of mashed potatoes blended with melted cheese, butter, cream and garlic. 

 

The L'Aveyron countryside is beautiful and offers a great weekend escape from the city. 
 

A few weeks later I was off to the US for...another conference. I was happy to be able to meet up with these lovely ladies in San Francisco. Had to stop by 2640 Steiner Street, also known as the Mrs. Doubtfire house! 

The west coast travels continued with a mother-daughter trip to Page, Arizona to see the famed Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. Nature always has some amazing landscapes in store!

Then it was off to San Diego again. On this trip my Dad and I checked out the San Diego zoo and the safari park. Although I love the zoo, I prefer the safari park where you can see the animals in their more "natural" habitat. I also couldn't help but sing Lion King songs to myself the whole time ;)

Last on this trip was another one of my home away from homes, North Carolina! It's always a treat to catch up with old friends and I was also thankful to have some time to stop in Salisbury and see Melissa and her "new" home.

Summer 2017


Conference season continued and I headed to Brussels, Belgium. My 22nd country visited! 

 

Trying out some "French" fries where they were actually invented...Belgium!

With a little bit of free time before the conference started I headed to Bruges for a day trip. This UNESCO heritage site has amazing medieval architecture.

And since I still hadn't had enough...I headed to one last summer conference in...Singapore! I wasn't really sure what to expect for my first trip to Asia, much less of Singapore. The food was above and beyond anything I had imagined, but I wasn't prepared for the city to feel so much like...Las Vegas. With chain restaurants, casinos, and light shows everywhere sometimes I doubted if I was really that far from home. 

The Singapore Merlion:

Gardens by the Bay:

Walking along the river, enjoying the mix of old and new architecture.

At the end of the summer it was back to France to visit the lavender fields and do some field work. Yes, work at the beach! Have you ever wondered how much sunscreen residue washes off when you go swimming in the sea ? Well we were on a mission to find out...stay tuned for analyses and published findings! 

After all the hard work at the beach it was off to Imperia, Italy for a few days of food, fun, and sun. The drive along the Mediterranean Sea from France to Italy was almost as good as the get-away itself.  

 Fall & Winter 2017

 Surprise anniversary dinner and sightseeing in Arles.

Thanksgiving dinner 2017...
It's not turkey, but at least it's American, right?

December came and brought with it the first snow I've seen in Aix!

Oh yeah, and December also brought along a visit from some of our favorite Canadians :)

For Christmas I headed to Michigan to be with my Mom's side of the family. Such a gift to have the WHOLE family together for Christmas...for the first time ever!

A white Christmas was definitely not on my wish list, but it came anyway with some pretty cold temperatures (-6 deg F with the wind chill). I was thankful to thaw out a bit in San Diego afterwards. Oh the difference a few days and a few thousand miles makes...
 

Ringing in 2018 sibling style!
 

Spring 2018

This year has also started out with some new firsts for me. Not only did I finally make it to the French Alps, but I also got to try snowshoeing for the first time. I was happy to see that modern snowshoes are nothing like the traditional wooden ones! 

Changing out the snowshoes for hiking boots, a group of us took advantage of a nice spring day to hike up the Saint Victoire mountain. I hadn't actually been to the cross at the top since my first year in France! 

And since 2018 is continuing to be a year of firsts, we recently joined some friends for a weekend where we enjoyed the LONGEST meal I've ever had to date. A 6 hour lunch followed by a wine degustation, topped off with dinner, dessert, and dancing. I think this could be a new style of competitive eating!

Well, that brings us up to date. Thank you for reminiscing with me!

 

Time to take 32 by storm. And remember, no matter what anyone says, you CAN have your cake and eat it too!  

 

A+ 
Danielle


 

Stuart V. takes France

Hello everyone, 

Today is your lucky day! I happen to have a guest blogger named Stuart V. (aka my Dad) to tell you about his ideas of what it's like to prance in France. You can also find some of my commentary interspersed throughout in bold...Enjoy!

Stuart V. writes:

"It took 54 years for me to make my first trip overseas, wow was it the most amazing trip of my life.  The overwhelming support from my Family (including Road Runner Sports) is how this trip came about….so Thank YOU for your love & support.  If you can imagine hiring a tour guide to make all the plans and take care of all the details for the entire trip…..that is what my Daughter Danielle did and as a bonus she speaks French. When I boarded the plane in Atlanta to fly to Paris, I was a bit nervous flying over the Atlantic for a 9 hour flight and concerned about meeting Danielle at the airport.

Despite phone issues and my (Danielle) train hitting a cow on the way to the airport we managed to find each other at the CDG airport easily, although with a little delay. What a way to start the trip!
 

Our first day in Paris was sitting down at Starbucks, having a coffee and then sleeping for 4 hours.  Without calling one another, we just so happened to run into my good friends Joan, Tom, and Rachel Davis.
 

First dinner in PARIS was at  Le Procope (considered the oldest restaurant in Paris)….found out quickly that you need to be ready to drink the world’s greatest wines and lots of it.  Water on the other hand, you have to ask for frequently.  Additionally, found it odd not to tip…you can, but most don’t unless the service is amazing (The basic service fee is already included in the price).  

Great company for our first dinner all together in France.

The first full day was visiting the Orsay Museum (a dream for fans of Impressionism) and the Eiffel tower……it was a big thrill to see art works and the Eiffel tower live in person. I couldn’t help but recall a photo of Adolf Hitler in front of the Eiffel tower and realizing that at some time ago in history this area in the world was occupied by the Nazi’s. God Bless America…….and it made me proud to be an American in a foreign land.

Eiffel Tower Slomberg selfie!

The next day was just walking all over Paris…..visiting the Notre Dame, the Basilica Sacre Cœr, spending time outside the Louvre and of course meeting up with the Davis Family.  

Just doing a little strength training outside of the Louvre...

Our last night in Paris was a dinner cruise on the Seine River.  Seeing the Eiffel Tower lit up at night was incredible…again seeing pictures all of my life and actually being there was very, very cool. 

After that it was off to Southern France via the bullet train. (high speed train which operates at speeds of ~200 miles per hour).  Love the transportation infrastructure in France as it truly is easy to get around and a lot easier than driving. (I confirm the infrastructure is great, but the strikes...not so much. Lucky for us my Dad visited just before a huge wave of les grèves) 
 

Traveling by train to Southern France you really get to take in the beauty of the countryside and as you get closer and closer to the South of France you begin to see the mountains. Breathtaking for sure.

Once in Aix-en-Provence it was then I began to realize just how young the United States really is in comparison to Europe. Once we settled in "x an" (as my Dad likes to call it), we had a yummy burger for dinner and a few beers with Habib (Wuhib) and Panos. Finally got to meet Panos which was good.  Next day was off to the outdoor market in x to buy all fresh food and cook it that day with Danielle's friend Edwidge who is an AMAZING chef. 

Selecting local produce for our Provençal cooking course.

We had the smoothest silkiest smoked lox that I've ever tasted. We enjoyed a few bottles of southern France's best wines (selected just for our meal by the very knowledgeable Yves at La Cave d'Yves) while we made an entrée of tellines (small mollusks) with garlic and parsely.  That was followed by an amazing pan-seared fresh cod with fennel and lemon. Delicious meal for sure and I learned a thing or two about cooking. 

Ready to reap the benefits of our hard work!

That night we then went to Marseille for a soccer game with Danielle's friends. Stadium was huge, around the same size as the football (American) stadium in Seattle. Fans are simply nuts!!!! It appears to me that soccer matches in other countries gives the fans a reason to riot.  My take away for sure.  

Are you ready for some football (aka soccer)?

The following day we left for the French Riviera. Amazing drive along the coast and wow was Nice spectacular.  

View of the Nice coastline and La Promenade des Anglais.

We had lunch in Nice before we headed to Monaco and Italy. We had dinner in Sanremo, Italy (just across the border) which was cool and very inexpensive (wine and full meal for ~ $20 each) for great authentic Italian food. 

Then off to Monaco to gamble.  Monaco was spectacular and we were driving on the same road the Grand Prix takes place.....it was cool that they were setting up the stands for the race while we were there.  Clean and I mean clean city. Smells of the super rich.  The very wealthiest in the world hang out here and you can tell by what stores and banks they have (not to forget the cars they drive). Bucket list item for me was to gamble in the Monte Carlo.  Well that kind of happened and kind of didn't.  They charged me 10 euros to get in and come to find out you really can't gamble there.  They had a few tables going and a few slot machines. Very, very small space and it is a tourist trap to pay money to go in.  Come to find out they have an American style casino one building over, so I went over and played Blackjack and won my ten euros back plus a few chips for souvenirs.  

Final Score: Stuart-1 Monte Carlo-0.

Then it was back to Nice to spend the night (a little cheaper than Monaco...). Never realized that Monaco was a country, so that's 3 countries in 1 day.  France, Monaco and Italy. 

The next day we worked on Danielle's apartment getting her bed bug free and steaming everything she owns (yes, there was a return, but after a thorough fumigation I think we've finally won the war). We ate well, drank well and I enjoyed having a day where we didn't do a whole lot. I needed a break after a week of non-stop work and play. 

Panos pretty much drove us everywhere we wanted to go so I was grateful for him offering to do that as it made it easy to see so much more having a car.

The paying to go to the bathroom is annoying and I'm so happy that the US doesn't follow the lead by charging for the use of a public bathroom. 

The breads and the wines in France are the best I've ever tasted.  I can understand why French wine is so expensive in the US, it is because the French drink most of what they make. Wine for breakfast (I personally haven't taken it this far yet ;)), lunch and dinner.  French wines do not have the acidity of wines that I drink in the US. My dad thoroughly embraced his love of French wine by even taking his vitamins with it...

It was also great to have Danielle represent by speaking French and really serving as my tour guide the entire trip. Seems as though the parent should be doing this for their children, but if was the opposite for us and that's pretty cool and clearly it makes me so proud to be able to say Danielle is my daughter.  

My iPhone decided to go bonkers on me so here I am in Southern France and of all places an Apple store is within walking distance. Danielle translated and within about 2 minutes my phone was fixed.  That never happens in the US, you have to make an appointment and it becomes painful.  Wow was that easy. 

One of my last days we visited a holding camp from World War II. Towards the end of the war over 2,000 Jews were shipped by train to Auschwitz from the Camp Les Milles. We spent several hours touring the camp and reading as to what went on.  The reality of the war really hits you and hits you hard when you are standing on the same ground where horrific acts against mankind took place. I could go on and on about what I learned about Hitler, The French Revolution, the Catholics response to Hitler but I don't want to spend time discussing religious / political view points. Let's just say I learned a thing or two on this trip around what really took place while millions of Jew's were massacred. 

Camp Les Milles, a former tile factory, in Aix-en-Provence.

Found the hotel rooms to be very, very small and the bathrooms small as well. We are spoiled in the States with huge hotel rooms and when you really think about it, when your on vacation you don't spend much time in your room anyway.  The hotel rooms were about the size of a room on a cruise.....and the bathrooms weren't much bigger either. 

One night Danielle and myself made our own sub sandwiches with French bread and fresh cheese and meats. OMG.....it was the greatest sub sandwich ever made....it's all about the bread I tell you.

Going to France was a huge bucket list item for me and I am grateful to have been able to make the trip with everything I have had to deal with personally the past 11 months. Grateful for Danielle and thankful she put up with me for 10 days. The flight back to the US was a long one....Paris to LAX is a 3 movie / 4 hour nap kinda trip. 

Many of my friends have asked if I want to go back to France.....that answer will be based on what Danielle does over the next few years.  I would prefer to visit somewhere new and continue to travel the world as I can see how it is addicting to visit places you would never imagine visiting."   

Until next time!

Dad, thanks for sharing and showing it's never too late to start globetrotting or learning about new cultures! What a great trip! I'm very grateful to have shared in this adventure with you :)

A+
Danielle