tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19172781118912950432024-03-05T16:00:16.631+01:00Sabbatical -Montpellier France 2011La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-72763948847838753362011-09-27T19:22:00.005+02:002011-09-28T18:53:50.678+02:00St. Remy De Provence: A Visit With Vincent Van Gogh - May 21, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28U3xz7NpyD3q_1sYseN5voVahfnRWJEzjJnhgcsbE7Pof98iaaWaCfbceJGBVGljqxYAvVy3mOrnxQ-es5FEtqNIjDXuj67xeqvX76WAoNhEk3ZrighT8MX-3wMuifsyTlspWclrbtM6/s1600/DSC_0311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28U3xz7NpyD3q_1sYseN5voVahfnRWJEzjJnhgcsbE7Pof98iaaWaCfbceJGBVGljqxYAvVy3mOrnxQ-es5FEtqNIjDXuj67xeqvX76WAoNhEk3ZrighT8MX-3wMuifsyTlspWclrbtM6/s320/DSC_0311.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering St. Remy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDokh1Er1SKdI1KI92BMSO5QUnBmtm-6VbWunBwTDF-G3C9od5ZHhMLb-MgEhVUfIMDby_JBLMfyFTGOUO7lqZAlJYhzxaMO-GT_r9HukrFAlw-VX7UT-XT7Aw-SKmenr8eReBsGJn14ew/s1600/DSC_0251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDokh1Er1SKdI1KI92BMSO5QUnBmtm-6VbWunBwTDF-G3C9od5ZHhMLb-MgEhVUfIMDby_JBLMfyFTGOUO7lqZAlJYhzxaMO-GT_r9HukrFAlw-VX7UT-XT7Aw-SKmenr8eReBsGJn14ew/s320/DSC_0251.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The town of St. Remy was very quaint and full of life!<br />
Here - the Office of Tourism, our first stop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsanJbpcsDIQfL-FYgu816997F0ua_ygYVAWAmKe6E7ISOG_LzB6lgqvomd3mn185BVRN-ICWk-ZpVHUiJaKUZZHOLbdHRwDFItnbOpvbyZxFSD2s_tNlVMKn7iT0sH_rjIaoQwEHwvUlS/s1600/DSC_0248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsanJbpcsDIQfL-FYgu816997F0ua_ygYVAWAmKe6E7ISOG_LzB6lgqvomd3mn185BVRN-ICWk-ZpVHUiJaKUZZHOLbdHRwDFItnbOpvbyZxFSD2s_tNlVMKn7iT0sH_rjIaoQwEHwvUlS/s320/DSC_0248.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starry Night-Painted by Vincent Van Gogh in St. Remy<br />
in June 1889-shortly after his arrival</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGr4tjU1hE28KGYgz6XqBP_EkJCj6e4D9ByAlQ4N1SFI5GEaNHQFs6r52BE7geTu_gw3j5fwVTdTDAvdWSs2ZXP174gspUHLMbrDR4fdyH-tMYtFuKjgR9iRraWGjaayx4tkdNUmoXEvh4/s1600/DSC_0254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGr4tjU1hE28KGYgz6XqBP_EkJCj6e4D9ByAlQ4N1SFI5GEaNHQFs6r52BE7geTu_gw3j5fwVTdTDAvdWSs2ZXP174gspUHLMbrDR4fdyH-tMYtFuKjgR9iRraWGjaayx4tkdNUmoXEvh4/s320/DSC_0254.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many paintings along the "Van Gogh walk" through<br />
St. Remy</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VCygO8_T9JUCDEHfzKqtadL85FLAtR8pRc-q_BP4xvJwAZ0ftMjdYbguUDpQvlpXvNiGSn-MF3CDEysCG4bLlI9oBadTrwxgubh711XdyLbmSeCKdmjCNxMinmlrMkKhimEXkEtqAln2/s1600/DSC_0264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VCygO8_T9JUCDEHfzKqtadL85FLAtR8pRc-q_BP4xvJwAZ0ftMjdYbguUDpQvlpXvNiGSn-MF3CDEysCG4bLlI9oBadTrwxgubh711XdyLbmSeCKdmjCNxMinmlrMkKhimEXkEtqAln2/s320/DSC_0264.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIR-8pQ2dIu-xwFxVoUGxaG682TbJMsvR2p_K4cfa6Xqnb8U2iTFsfZZCnkHw_yiookqxrl4wLNStX63Wcda94Rl6SyiEoQYP3Yg7wseSz_0jVrjQSeQSZhjqpURXmeb1Vq1XvjYAN0_P/s1600/DSC_0265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIR-8pQ2dIu-xwFxVoUGxaG682TbJMsvR2p_K4cfa6Xqnb8U2iTFsfZZCnkHw_yiookqxrl4wLNStX63Wcda94Rl6SyiEoQYP3Yg7wseSz_0jVrjQSeQSZhjqpURXmeb1Vq1XvjYAN0_P/s320/DSC_0265.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double click on this one! See the relationship between<br />
this landscape and Nostredamus who was in St. Remy<br />
370 years before Van Gogh!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip23Nbztaw48gZJOEEptNPGDPv_hVpd1RsW3KsYUmUsQg5yOyRmtWkz4dV4bDWjGNsxA6zMxstJaTnseSdhsV6fs4K1CWgv3gt-Fu-yTce9cGW9LQ2GAwIxosS3YgtBXCObRmMDhP99Z6P/s1600/DSC_0276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip23Nbztaw48gZJOEEptNPGDPv_hVpd1RsW3KsYUmUsQg5yOyRmtWkz4dV4bDWjGNsxA6zMxstJaTnseSdhsV6fs4K1CWgv3gt-Fu-yTce9cGW9LQ2GAwIxosS3YgtBXCObRmMDhP99Z6P/s320/DSC_0276.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy - Ready to go see the hospital where Van Gogh <br />
stayed - <em>The Asylum of St. Paul de Mausole </em>- near St. Remy</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKW2800gypQVo-pcFn60XXg95s9MCTL75JgHGWD-J6Vhv6gnaVTb4tedENxhsdRmF9wWowygEUh994UoEqBO0FiqfGccGrahfqplv_mleiL01PkZmsXWK5kHdwZSZmCENfNQuZOJIJRAnR/s1600/DSC_0277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKW2800gypQVo-pcFn60XXg95s9MCTL75JgHGWD-J6Vhv6gnaVTb4tedENxhsdRmF9wWowygEUh994UoEqBO0FiqfGccGrahfqplv_mleiL01PkZmsXWK5kHdwZSZmCENfNQuZOJIJRAnR/s320/DSC_0277.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBRB2VwCIbMbP8Ba_Yw7knRssIrb57_MgLAH248oCSfmawzDZHjyBvgrQrEjOZ3xMboZOhdk11OV-aYt6ywESO-JGQRgKhvLD5P1nnPmvg71NtV_B9Ab-xcW26kT3Z-hyWyalXluxLvm6G/s1600/DSC_0282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBRB2VwCIbMbP8Ba_Yw7knRssIrb57_MgLAH248oCSfmawzDZHjyBvgrQrEjOZ3xMboZOhdk11OV-aYt6ywESO-JGQRgKhvLD5P1nnPmvg71NtV_B9Ab-xcW26kT3Z-hyWyalXluxLvm6G/s320/DSC_0282.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy and Vinnie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJhX3dyaS-qch7Ywb9qb9oUUYvJD8-gzdcNRBsvjjIlsfoBRsQSBsVg0Imofpo0fpYfT0xVsSPINbGIMsshE1IohopAStsFB9fE6CJUyT67o93Omc7ylpgvOTCi9CiENr1wJyb7Lzq-dc/s1600/DSC_0283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJhX3dyaS-qch7Ywb9qb9oUUYvJD8-gzdcNRBsvjjIlsfoBRsQSBsVg0Imofpo0fpYfT0xVsSPINbGIMsshE1IohopAStsFB9fE6CJUyT67o93Omc7ylpgvOTCi9CiENr1wJyb7Lzq-dc/s320/DSC_0283.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L'Hopital</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2goxEnCrfxIdlhPdjA7eP9yhGkpUbXlLxAey2hTUfQSMoc4py74SqLi9j_Oj9WX2nUmX0nj1aUnRWHYRwMQZ8vjW4W3Dep74y71as-u-4k3sACrOp1w0ado_ZzdnppYK71QeLL5_buFu-/s1600/DSC_0284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2goxEnCrfxIdlhPdjA7eP9yhGkpUbXlLxAey2hTUfQSMoc4py74SqLi9j_Oj9WX2nUmX0nj1aUnRWHYRwMQZ8vjW4W3Dep74y71as-u-4k3sACrOp1w0ado_ZzdnppYK71QeLL5_buFu-/s320/DSC_0284.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Chapel in the Hospital</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgei-OD96UUxe_ed3ulkn-knrQT-Bnq4pR885ybYbNItVuemvi0udOt7FsilspNfVhsb9OqWAFqhCVwBhGwqSKayrubeSs4WaA6fw5zOmpUNTt7gOuTalxIYeoF6WkkxY6nKKK7qnjgIJJJ/s1600/DSC_0287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgei-OD96UUxe_ed3ulkn-knrQT-Bnq4pR885ybYbNItVuemvi0udOt7FsilspNfVhsb9OqWAFqhCVwBhGwqSKayrubeSs4WaA6fw5zOmpUNTt7gOuTalxIYeoF6WkkxY6nKKK7qnjgIJJJ/s320/DSC_0287.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gardens were gorgeous!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Manup9XYwKNfvJxnLLc1s0zki2MpbpCGzH88qR3NgmE1ZXmyYRmiGqtX-k5Kelb_saNS7u2LbUY4aC_qauKE7aq2VXTFUbox4Kg8Jhn_VGqxV1M-hzl1dIYqMk9PBaREPwJt_cytIWFP/s1600/DSC_0288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Manup9XYwKNfvJxnLLc1s0zki2MpbpCGzH88qR3NgmE1ZXmyYRmiGqtX-k5Kelb_saNS7u2LbUY4aC_qauKE7aq2VXTFUbox4Kg8Jhn_VGqxV1M-hzl1dIYqMk9PBaREPwJt_cytIWFP/s320/DSC_0288.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Van Gogh's Bedroom</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzGjDWYJFMlHbkdrVks7dfCaiwwm9qFKJ0YLVADHvKJiNva8VWuOU8iXEq8vQvWAaW9eFsQEbCTKD3Tyr8eAdt6HrpssQ49ZZJq8xL-VqQvNbDEaSPXhHyrsnXBQ8iBBazcS6xjOWqiL4/s1600/DSC_0289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzGjDWYJFMlHbkdrVks7dfCaiwwm9qFKJ0YLVADHvKJiNva8VWuOU8iXEq8vQvWAaW9eFsQEbCTKD3Tyr8eAdt6HrpssQ49ZZJq8xL-VqQvNbDEaSPXhHyrsnXBQ8iBBazcS6xjOWqiL4/s320/DSC_0289.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the window in the hall - next to Van Gogh's Room<br />
This view was the subject of several paintings</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYO6QpV7vUrTrneNzOyRoFCiKfG8ECfBLxb-euabcIwSNOkDDevXuYdQxCT-8wPJwLWKo__CeAt50T4k9H4pREngl83SMHGYUquKdRuQktwGgT18bFwPwjil8cvEEmcXXNjmecszJn2ka/s1600/DSC_0291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYO6QpV7vUrTrneNzOyRoFCiKfG8ECfBLxb-euabcIwSNOkDDevXuYdQxCT-8wPJwLWKo__CeAt50T4k9H4pREngl83SMHGYUquKdRuQktwGgT18bFwPwjil8cvEEmcXXNjmecszJn2ka/s320/DSC_0291.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A painting that Van Gogh did of his own room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAW16hbbBnQlg_gjJ_qp4eTf0RZpeB0wde4XL4U48-rodGEghg1Rn0CikOZ0LwqlR8BLlJQyMr3kaolKjyLqvEfWsIaecFn07Y_ms-EBgFn6WzjmPshXVX53ujAcw22M6cpE2vf6q-J2tz/s1600/DSC_0292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAW16hbbBnQlg_gjJ_qp4eTf0RZpeB0wde4XL4U48-rodGEghg1Rn0CikOZ0LwqlR8BLlJQyMr3kaolKjyLqvEfWsIaecFn07Y_ms-EBgFn6WzjmPshXVX53ujAcw22M6cpE2vf6q-J2tz/s320/DSC_0292.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Van Gogh's room</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdUsztxETTMcF7hO4F9hdeok8_FK6txkzpzgxcOlJTvRTUOlqNYExNqutFk8rOS6u2oNyG8lmU1EhepqwOQbiYmg9Gz9j9gCqiBTEsoWnaUxBt4HWK6Q4MCP2r1FvfL5vSVIHr6QNcntq/s1600/DSC_0296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdUsztxETTMcF7hO4F9hdeok8_FK6txkzpzgxcOlJTvRTUOlqNYExNqutFk8rOS6u2oNyG8lmU1EhepqwOQbiYmg9Gz9j9gCqiBTEsoWnaUxBt4HWK6Q4MCP2r1FvfL5vSVIHr6QNcntq/s320/DSC_0296.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stairs/hall to Van Gogh's room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4Vz0ZwiOimwkNhcp7HNPsFYJ7t6-l2nZoz3-vNXACOgUgMrohXBo0xA85-_28Q7h3QjteqtM90KXGWCUlv7U5gtpb8WBlWTc3A2FCzJzb3M8b0aLAFM76EDJuNHdZCFK3MTiU43cu5ri/s1600/DSC_0300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4Vz0ZwiOimwkNhcp7HNPsFYJ7t6-l2nZoz3-vNXACOgUgMrohXBo0xA85-_28Q7h3QjteqtM90KXGWCUlv7U5gtpb8WBlWTc3A2FCzJzb3M8b0aLAFM76EDJuNHdZCFK3MTiU43cu5ri/s320/DSC_0300.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back of the hospital - one of the windows up there is<br />
where the picture above was taken</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHg9AYHaE9sk0nPwaKCZLqtv3Xd9bVcEKiMe8qNWj-XD-jZCPdlUnXWF3zqJH4RpnE18-b3SuCxPb5_UPjtxNqcVVe6bYPYLvSNIBq1TGpXoOOkMp0GNqXE16pvNchtl5Sbu3ePh-W8aS2/s1600/DSC_0303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHg9AYHaE9sk0nPwaKCZLqtv3Xd9bVcEKiMe8qNWj-XD-jZCPdlUnXWF3zqJH4RpnE18-b3SuCxPb5_UPjtxNqcVVe6bYPYLvSNIBq1TGpXoOOkMp0GNqXE16pvNchtl5Sbu3ePh-W8aS2/s320/DSC_0303.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAOZW-pLU9H_v49m680LSYTLmQoUmKN2ljCuj-uViKIxDjrzLHoNgInHMIkja1bEe7DaXfMZhOSd8Px7w461EsK_7K0_l9SKsGvft47n_VEyVU8NLKAOGpT5ilKxvOv1CfDY2ffE34irH/s1600/DSC_0306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAOZW-pLU9H_v49m680LSYTLmQoUmKN2ljCuj-uViKIxDjrzLHoNgInHMIkja1bEe7DaXfMZhOSd8Px7w461EsK_7K0_l9SKsGvft47n_VEyVU8NLKAOGpT5ilKxvOv1CfDY2ffE34irH/s320/DSC_0306.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olive Grove - and Painting of the Olive Grove</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzqOgaOgxYD4cn9YVNUZVVG2Zn-EYGG3hNLD67-g55WB7Arit1dtw1QzfSJrzB-BwDjBu8GWx4pshyphenhyphenduIYd5FcB0cPfuK4R5d2ggBXYyuBE2Xvq1Nq_AgS4Gm_aIJux_Ff8nwx0ThzL4P/s1600/DSC_0315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzqOgaOgxYD4cn9YVNUZVVG2Zn-EYGG3hNLD67-g55WB7Arit1dtw1QzfSJrzB-BwDjBu8GWx4pshyphenhyphenduIYd5FcB0cPfuK4R5d2ggBXYyuBE2Xvq1Nq_AgS4Gm_aIJux_Ff8nwx0ThzL4P/s320/DSC_0315.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back home!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKv8f5YPZGznlersUNjvHcVxGmzaatUn64wOSVCsBXBbfgVdL0fQs7285Pw5RPriY56bQ6XAP_zW6l1iG4NhiX6ROK-6mxmJSirQyWFz-haejdLkc5giA1I9bjQ8otcgb3meIPjQpc4KR8/s1600/DSC_0316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKv8f5YPZGznlersUNjvHcVxGmzaatUn64wOSVCsBXBbfgVdL0fQs7285Pw5RPriY56bQ6XAP_zW6l1iG4NhiX6ROK-6mxmJSirQyWFz-haejdLkc5giA1I9bjQ8otcgb3meIPjQpc4KR8/s320/DSC_0316.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice way to top off the day - a dip in the pool</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Vincent Van Gogh convalesced for a year (1889) at the asylum of St. Paul de Mausole which is near St. Remy. After seeing so many of Van Gogh's paintings while we were in France, and even before going, Andy and I wanted to visit a place where Van Gogh had spent some time. He had also lived in Arles, one of our favorite places, where he invited Paul Gauguin, whom he met in Paris, to join him to paint in his "Studio of the South". After a couple months of painting together, the two painters began to have violent disagreements, during which, at one point, Van Gogh threatened Gauguin with a razor. The same night, Van Gogh cut off a part of his own ear. It was after this that Van Gogh went to the hospital in St. Remy working between repeated spells of madness.<br />
<br />
The town of St. Remy has created a walking path, lined with paintings that Van Gogh created during his stay there depicting many of the same landscapes that we enjoyed along our walk. The Hospital was interesting yet eerie to walk through, knowing the history of Van Gogh's madness. Once again, I was in awe of the fact that we were walking in the footsteps of someone who lived so many many years ago.<br />
<br />
Overall, our visit to St. Remy was beautiful, educational (Hot!), and peaceful. The kids stayed home and Andy and I enjoyed some time exploring by ourselves.La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-81600729245360412452011-08-04T03:44:00.006+02:002011-09-12T19:07:50.365+02:00St. Guilhem le Desert - Last Day of M & M's Visit - May 17, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQ7sEWYgANcqrTvm_XPcYLkQtvs5H5SCOe2l_ZtITG6qBMkwWQp9Zzv0sd7bZfLrmAoDXQ7sbbhdkyhpRlTSrRmIJNuzHOu79PvNwrpWeEaqqzfqqDiKo-iLklRooZbrrYgY2kUTzD7F1/s1600/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQ7sEWYgANcqrTvm_XPcYLkQtvs5H5SCOe2l_ZtITG6qBMkwWQp9Zzv0sd7bZfLrmAoDXQ7sbbhdkyhpRlTSrRmIJNuzHOu79PvNwrpWeEaqqzfqqDiKo-iLklRooZbrrYgY2kUTzD7F1/s320/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%25282%2529.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet, quaint streets wind through St. Guilhem le Desert</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_U6jyJnozPEKbuKb1Vm3FqpTZ8nzD_Sa_-vU8QY99hHRxEHgPSHU1ho9CvWAaq328N2NtYWhfNiVi-JmScfUpCKtooBvckz7MB4TCITdIUilwbxSqktfL-dPOv6Qg4Bo97MAulF63Tv_/s1600/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_U6jyJnozPEKbuKb1Vm3FqpTZ8nzD_Sa_-vU8QY99hHRxEHgPSHU1ho9CvWAaq328N2NtYWhfNiVi-JmScfUpCKtooBvckz7MB4TCITdIUilwbxSqktfL-dPOv6Qg4Bo97MAulF63Tv_/s320/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%25286%2529.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a stroll through the town</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEgvUrqSPhkkAj78UKcs4agxv1TWT0HOT8dXwyhCXE6pY9MqNhp3grlWazkURanwVbhpsBM7xCc4A-i6Wp9BCAMkdhSHH4dX-N5vwmZwX_yG97IiLXpeBG_MvwONi0FsDR9j8Ky_Tr9Y-/s1600/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%25289%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEgvUrqSPhkkAj78UKcs4agxv1TWT0HOT8dXwyhCXE6pY9MqNhp3grlWazkURanwVbhpsBM7xCc4A-i6Wp9BCAMkdhSHH4dX-N5vwmZwX_yG97IiLXpeBG_MvwONi0FsDR9j8Ky_Tr9Y-/s320/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%25289%2529.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Abbey</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsK58H6QNpi3P6k5TAa1IYt_iaf_ImMCfhv2RgwwdCsB7jHgaDXBH8L0DTRm_x7aA350PZ0mMi_q6W-5XR9E8cgw8ok5vJb6qo4G81qzwvf8qUQOhxBB9MNZr1bXuUKePlmbUVYmwQsQAp/s1600/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252811%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsK58H6QNpi3P6k5TAa1IYt_iaf_ImMCfhv2RgwwdCsB7jHgaDXBH8L0DTRm_x7aA350PZ0mMi_q6W-5XR9E8cgw8ok5vJb6qo4G81qzwvf8qUQOhxBB9MNZr1bXuUKePlmbUVYmwQsQAp/s320/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252811%2529.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gardens and Grapevines of the Abbey</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic4eJfuqScdz3N49NWNFbwUE2LGznMK2daGj1o1KlRN85OxVbTPKtQn6Emy-ZkcS92GZI1TtpPJ_LMq_EVLS1LZ-H9xcQghD18VcpsWuRPPfs_JMXfEzCIachD_JgFNQ3PZLqnpnpfBDnD/s1600/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252817%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic4eJfuqScdz3N49NWNFbwUE2LGznMK2daGj1o1KlRN85OxVbTPKtQn6Emy-ZkcS92GZI1TtpPJ_LMq_EVLS1LZ-H9xcQghD18VcpsWuRPPfs_JMXfEzCIachD_JgFNQ3PZLqnpnpfBDnD/s320/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252817%2529.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside of the church in the Abbey</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHG3rORyylmQjK59NFXhhTUsCvXn8wNMNSHeezokiQr_bCbvR2-BUfahtfW6pEz8TPu4gcdfKv1GF96XTQ2BH8Tdqb__vljBriKy_4Bewnq16JSaca9P-mE2GxI-apLsbHmh7dt4gag8V/s1600/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252816%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHG3rORyylmQjK59NFXhhTUsCvXn8wNMNSHeezokiQr_bCbvR2-BUfahtfW6pEz8TPu4gcdfKv1GF96XTQ2BH8Tdqb__vljBriKy_4Bewnq16JSaca9P-mE2GxI-apLsbHmh7dt4gag8V/s320/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252816%2529.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organ</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeatF9cFa-GiMm7AH77FJTYkmTOX5pW7lGE6wrQuKdlZAVEIx60-KHscBSOMZk0vfSX2Vh9eL8dzMRg9E3xHoUXpl7v7I7B25d5J7s2xxaveS38xbzL3RJVzE7QmpFOTwWUZOUYmIFwl2p/s1600/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252818%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeatF9cFa-GiMm7AH77FJTYkmTOX5pW7lGE6wrQuKdlZAVEIx60-KHscBSOMZk0vfSX2Vh9eL8dzMRg9E3xHoUXpl7v7I7B25d5J7s2xxaveS38xbzL3RJVzE7QmpFOTwWUZOUYmIFwl2p/s320/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252818%2529.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TYR6btcBs0AMNlRAMsb17bjWE3x1vD9b8jEfMqCgghy7npXwyYoGMm6hM0FwH6e-djNq4HGVH9XDt-VSLaL-e3Suxti9LlyPQUyIIC35J6-iN7PqcWq5D49xNcJSvbY6PTIPCnibD4NF/s1600/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252825%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TYR6btcBs0AMNlRAMsb17bjWE3x1vD9b8jEfMqCgghy7npXwyYoGMm6hM0FwH6e-djNq4HGVH9XDt-VSLaL-e3Suxti9LlyPQUyIIC35J6-iN7PqcWq5D49xNcJSvbY6PTIPCnibD4NF/s320/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252825%2529.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nana and Grandpa's Birthday... a few years before their birth<br />
- Bricks in the entryway to the church</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-PfaHvZxs193nlsqLuHdr_v8BLevqd0lT41ZvLQ-Bp5OMyITBkORVtLrzrAD6tl8PUpUyCQy9OYnDo5GG6B_KlGzYKU_n0kLCYv0DPEdRbOt0N2lsp1NYTc2YzHdprJt2jv2oPgjX8FF/s1600/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252828%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-PfaHvZxs193nlsqLuHdr_v8BLevqd0lT41ZvLQ-Bp5OMyITBkORVtLrzrAD6tl8PUpUyCQy9OYnDo5GG6B_KlGzYKU_n0kLCYv0DPEdRbOt0N2lsp1NYTc2YzHdprJt2jv2oPgjX8FF/s320/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252828%2529.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olive Tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VbphL7vs4BlgN9eZhBdRfQYaxuC2upxGCOWupmjBwRKgwzWCXP5FIqIDFgWrvaUA0F-Kuv23ba4vgkX36kHyQfE5bFOU-uH1hEQDNlatqFX7i5dLDzHe-4RfiYnX-gVzV5Z4H3eFjTgE/s1600/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252829%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VbphL7vs4BlgN9eZhBdRfQYaxuC2upxGCOWupmjBwRKgwzWCXP5FIqIDFgWrvaUA0F-Kuv23ba4vgkX36kHyQfE5bFOU-uH1hEQDNlatqFX7i5dLDzHe-4RfiYnX-gVzV5Z4H3eFjTgE/s320/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252829%2529.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very Sweet!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4-mTbHUylarf1o1jccT71LSLZI0VCK5m0CAHUPsATaN0VAO_WUS7-4M09Hxe3jIE7kM-HFB3a08rGzdp2xVUPTZ_2v8ozYtZa5_pa_RD5LYMlXi1Zrmo8k_IxtELg92jlJNEPJXh8d3w/s1600/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252830%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4-mTbHUylarf1o1jccT71LSLZI0VCK5m0CAHUPsATaN0VAO_WUS7-4M09Hxe3jIE7kM-HFB3a08rGzdp2xVUPTZ_2v8ozYtZa5_pa_RD5LYMlXi1Zrmo8k_IxtELg92jlJNEPJXh8d3w/s320/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252830%2529.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch near the gorge of St. Guilhem</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHt3rJhLT35dwirIT2baE9Nqx3PX1kWbP6Qb3xG190jX4165d24GHRXRMPSC7MaHcNWKQE_hHcztT62vbnxh9OxwHH4eHZ0ag0TiIqKRWtFqe0iDV5EFIf2ryORV-a0B2JxtV4ymd9VEOp/s1600/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252833%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHt3rJhLT35dwirIT2baE9Nqx3PX1kWbP6Qb3xG190jX4165d24GHRXRMPSC7MaHcNWKQE_hHcztT62vbnxh9OxwHH4eHZ0ag0TiIqKRWtFqe0iDV5EFIf2ryORV-a0B2JxtV4ymd9VEOp/s320/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252833%2529.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winery stop - Nobody was there except the pup</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8Cs8e9lbK0zOuagdN9wkruAHHETJo7rLGGivJlbTEjj3dT_tNtbl679QKUtC60mftWbXsxvBwug-jni4c99C2rdte8tJRtj3L_2UfzrHMekBvSQzTP3372FYYnYJDALHPuL7bY-RcFWQ/s1600/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252836%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8Cs8e9lbK0zOuagdN9wkruAHHETJo7rLGGivJlbTEjj3dT_tNtbl679QKUtC60mftWbXsxvBwug-jni4c99C2rdte8tJRtj3L_2UfzrHMekBvSQzTP3372FYYnYJDALHPuL7bY-RcFWQ/s320/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252836%2529.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wBNHGVfm8L5f3QM54hTffK3B4k_hgHNDeC-x5VU4XbYvkQuToDGucr1F1qBaPwnsivyo2YxH4pjurWaOY525H13hflSRzivAu3dHC8GedlBboDfl9zeHklWeNJfW_I9yHRbZU17MORL-/s1600/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252834%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wBNHGVfm8L5f3QM54hTffK3B4k_hgHNDeC-x5VU4XbYvkQuToDGucr1F1qBaPwnsivyo2YxH4pjurWaOY525H13hflSRzivAu3dHC8GedlBboDfl9zeHklWeNJfW_I9yHRbZU17MORL-/s320/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252834%2529.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_M4DXYuhReeA_f44je6b2vp5QwvutavoSH3ef_n3tTd_7Z6EaBJxUTPS0hPXlBTCSC-uldzTgoqWXVsuuMFYrhE_ESmDP6R3guudmJ4r3yjqy2MOgrk8m6uVrZV0mp23ZRmJMQlTgzZbc/s1600/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252839%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_M4DXYuhReeA_f44je6b2vp5QwvutavoSH3ef_n3tTd_7Z6EaBJxUTPS0hPXlBTCSC-uldzTgoqWXVsuuMFYrhE_ESmDP6R3guudmJ4r3yjqy2MOgrk8m6uVrZV0mp23ZRmJMQlTgzZbc/s320/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252839%2529.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relaxing by the pool after a nice ladies' day out</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1c2eCoB8Wvjg-OZn6mCrxxr8FdxC1ZGdjSblt0Cb8j-dOv6E6Mcl3jn56C7ZU0z_pzi96cb9-QaBjZQDb7-OEvaN8mtH_8oIG4ZJiWb9Ie2J6drw9Q0yxpZtFk0eFwJ_6e7K2M7dZ08b/s1600/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252841%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1c2eCoB8Wvjg-OZn6mCrxxr8FdxC1ZGdjSblt0Cb8j-dOv6E6Mcl3jn56C7ZU0z_pzi96cb9-QaBjZQDb7-OEvaN8mtH_8oIG4ZJiWb9Ie2J6drw9Q0yxpZtFk0eFwJ_6e7K2M7dZ08b/s320/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252841%2529.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great place to relax and play cards..and have appetizers<br />
with the kiddos</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikY3dwwQwoxmGE7pH18ce4xk9epgGyHyGeRJrYxod-LzX-YbWVAVDEOdftJacFfPP4h9PBvrOX9CcEXWgZxFoRD4SMCJzGYOyHxRfzzI_L9Zrf-ZDF9B_pP0RZASEvEdNQjgbarrvDJlkf/s1600/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252842%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikY3dwwQwoxmGE7pH18ce4xk9epgGyHyGeRJrYxod-LzX-YbWVAVDEOdftJacFfPP4h9PBvrOX9CcEXWgZxFoRD4SMCJzGYOyHxRfzzI_L9Zrf-ZDF9B_pP0RZASEvEdNQjgbarrvDJlkf/s320/05-17-11-St.+Guilleum+-+Last+day+%252842%2529.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last day in Montpellier - a nice evening by the pool</td></tr>
</tbody></table><em><strong>The abbey of Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert in the Gellone valley (30 kilometers northwest of Montpellier) owes its name to Guilhem, a French knight of the medieval period. Born sometime in the late 8th century, Guilhem was the grandson of Charles Martel, the Duke of Aquitane, and one of the Emperor Charlemagne's chosen knights. He fought bravely against the Saracens (Muslims) of Spain and became famous as the hero of medieval ballads due to his knightly prowess and chivalrous character. A devout Christian who ended his days (died 812 AD) in the monastery at Gellone, he endowed the abbey with a relic of the True Cross, given to him by Charlemagne. Because of this relic, the monastery soon prospered and became an important place of pilgrimage in southern France (from web site: Places of Peace & Power)</strong></em><br />
<br />
The last day of Mom and Mrs. Eberhart's visit was another beautiful southern France kind of day - the sun was shining, the skies were bluer than blue and the temperature was lovely. Getting to St. Guillhem le Desert wasn't as difficult as I had feared it would be (we had to exit Montpellier from the other side, the side that I was not very familiar with!) and we made it with no problems. We even found a convenient parking place to park Mo Mo so we were off to a good start. The town was fairly quiet when we arrived, with the exception of a middle school aged school group probably on a field trip as they carried papers and pencils to make notes of significant findings during their tour of this historic town. Our first stop, as always, was the Office of Tourism where we picked up some brochures and information about the Abbey located through the city and at the top of the windy streets. <br />
<br />
Of course, being the ladies that we are, we had to use the "facilities" before venturing up to the Abbey so, lucky for us, Tracey and I had found them once before and I knew exactly where to go! When I showed Mom and Mrs. E the potties I said "sure they're outside (in a gorgeous garden), and non-gender specific but they don't smell and accomplish our goal!" I believe that we all used them and felt much better for doing so! And then began our walk through the beautiful, quaint cobblestone streets, lined with potted flowers and plants. Some of the shops were beginning to show signs of life and we were hoping that they would all be open by the time we came back through after our visit to the Abbey.<br />
<br />
The Abbey's grounds included a vegetable garden and grape vines which were all very well cared for and manicured, under the very blue French sky, it was a lovely picture! After we explored the inside of the Chapel, we exited into a fairly large courtyard where a fresh vegetable market was open. I purchased some veggies for dinner and then it was time to find out if the other stores in town were open. We were delighted to find that some were (many were not yet --- and it was almost noon! - The French people sure know how to relax and enjoy life!) A lot of time was spent in a lovely purse shoppe with wonderful purses of every shape, fabric, color and style - the sales lady was informative and very nice. Our next stop was a jewlery shoppe which specialized in wire jewlery - very pretty! We also enjoyed looking and tasting our way through a store specializing in dips, an artist's gallery/studio and a soap/lotion store. We wrapped up our visit with a nice lunch outside next to the gorge which borders the town.<br />
<br />
On the way home, we tried to stop at a winery, the dog was there, barked as usual, but nobody was home so we got to enjoy the beautiful grounds but didn't get to taste any wine.<br />
<br />
The trip home was uneventful until, of course, we reached the exits for Montpellier! There are four exits and I didn't know which one to take from this direction so we decided to wing it! We got off, began driving and found the Tram tracks! We were able to follow the tram line until we found familiar surroundings and made it home safe and sound.La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-91971395110196315292011-07-28T18:43:00.002+02:002011-08-04T02:59:44.412+02:00Toulon - Mt. Faron and Sete - May 15 & 16, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCkhuC6zuAPL40Ao4pRJtwr2NsSsjYRHWx0JlPN5EO1XL8h7M6Gj4aNgWnYLkwPiqvaI9ZZnjOxpCiaHaRvZEH78PiMjv-u5ilzvpCv5r9XG-XEnvMgJB98kLNHkpVv3eIPGKV6ORRrNu/s1600/DSC_0136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCkhuC6zuAPL40Ao4pRJtwr2NsSsjYRHWx0JlPN5EO1XL8h7M6Gj4aNgWnYLkwPiqvaI9ZZnjOxpCiaHaRvZEH78PiMjv-u5ilzvpCv5r9XG-XEnvMgJB98kLNHkpVv3eIPGKV6ORRrNu/s320/DSC_0136.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to board the gondola to the top of Mt. Faron</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNGae6sh_48wcs9DP3Dj8HENpLFS9QPpzH2VKIT_w6vHVwRlYzgJSkSxihy_hBnXujgXr_q1AzMfEvoidzNlCeqmXWXeL1uKEsUTGL9MTJm3d8S0a93jeHSPszmlAYSs12lSfKlPx3yMX/s1600/DSC_0137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNGae6sh_48wcs9DP3Dj8HENpLFS9QPpzH2VKIT_w6vHVwRlYzgJSkSxihy_hBnXujgXr_q1AzMfEvoidzNlCeqmXWXeL1uKEsUTGL9MTJm3d8S0a93jeHSPszmlAYSs12lSfKlPx3yMX/s320/DSC_0137.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to go! The peak is 584 meters</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbL_ui7X1iDT0j82uJT-8inu60QbgE6akkiRTZxniYJjC2xFNcYtx7vi0Ir4rg76kVXrnPqGjlYWKMUMBWEqQqs2xM-e0P6_7PrXSajzFkBwJWjGW8dO9zLLiozbQo5Rk3Wa4B3_wT3rWL/s1600/DSC_0139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbL_ui7X1iDT0j82uJT-8inu60QbgE6akkiRTZxniYJjC2xFNcYtx7vi0Ir4rg76kVXrnPqGjlYWKMUMBWEqQqs2xM-e0P6_7PrXSajzFkBwJWjGW8dO9zLLiozbQo5Rk3Wa4B3_wT3rWL/s320/DSC_0139.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toulon from Mont Faron</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeT74_HqS1hYFphwZzqunI1SippAIuPfn-fjJIf0VTsC3hGC_4i2-FPO0Hky4eBYLdXXP1BHRijk9320VIWSSkCOZrnIyRM9YA0uLPCoYEoq0wJlLUy3rRiJLS4YWsFzhn8ELf5Q962BM/s1600/DSC_0140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeT74_HqS1hYFphwZzqunI1SippAIuPfn-fjJIf0VTsC3hGC_4i2-FPO0Hky4eBYLdXXP1BHRijk9320VIWSSkCOZrnIyRM9YA0uLPCoYEoq0wJlLUy3rRiJLS4YWsFzhn8ELf5Q962BM/s320/DSC_0140.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma enjoying the view!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4P-lUC85haeNfe9JRTD3esBz5G3NzxyNZvw18i3QEbY-ZCQdfzGEnOMWghlPr_9mW1kJdGgpfHk4HW7eKJ6tOEzfVu0BJT2tmmibNuezzEzC3cqaPkVBzee7cyppvy9Dj8onV2GIftvf8/s1600/DSC_0142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4P-lUC85haeNfe9JRTD3esBz5G3NzxyNZvw18i3QEbY-ZCQdfzGEnOMWghlPr_9mW1kJdGgpfHk4HW7eKJ6tOEzfVu0BJT2tmmibNuezzEzC3cqaPkVBzee7cyppvy9Dj8onV2GIftvf8/s320/DSC_0142.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy and his favorite mother in law!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsuqOP4gL9RBeeK0naX0tMljhKZuE6ALp_IydFjSa4W3xbVHscuHiw4OtG9d_5mBqqzrFx-CgWn3LMGqHiaqvwabdu3PwHa6zU46PahkOtSg3KdW8MKCtsO8eLV7GMjN6iYXIllVGk6do/s1600/DSC_0144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsuqOP4gL9RBeeK0naX0tMljhKZuE6ALp_IydFjSa4W3xbVHscuHiw4OtG9d_5mBqqzrFx-CgWn3LMGqHiaqvwabdu3PwHa6zU46PahkOtSg3KdW8MKCtsO8eLV7GMjN6iYXIllVGk6do/s320/DSC_0144.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy and his favorite wife!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUP0z1aghQoA6UZq2B0UdL9jJ_0YA40Hu3bGhtoiH8c42Rau2VYnUL5-ILS4f8vgHR3DJx2Ew3QFomCHru2BZtZmhdiucOHWWkSjTeKNvGtI-eIX78peeQDJBRudO5y4OdzjKyrG7qznt/s1600/DSC_0149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUP0z1aghQoA6UZq2B0UdL9jJ_0YA40Hu3bGhtoiH8c42Rau2VYnUL5-ILS4f8vgHR3DJx2Ew3QFomCHru2BZtZmhdiucOHWWkSjTeKNvGtI-eIX78peeQDJBRudO5y4OdzjKyrG7qznt/s320/DSC_0149.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bikers - one event of their triatholon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhWelL3uF72fXYU_4iL0dn2fzPq5w5K2LDZfw-CXUSop-DQZQKnKcpfFL5XSjvzSWYJ5RKqTNSePhc1_I4OD1bY_V8om41yQ0-2_AChoxCk7YY3qrRDM1r0AoY-YNUJhlFNQoGtRtKYVW/s1600/DSC_0153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhWelL3uF72fXYU_4iL0dn2fzPq5w5K2LDZfw-CXUSop-DQZQKnKcpfFL5XSjvzSWYJ5RKqTNSePhc1_I4OD1bY_V8om41yQ0-2_AChoxCk7YY3qrRDM1r0AoY-YNUJhlFNQoGtRtKYVW/s320/DSC_0153.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy and his girl, ready to go back down</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GkTuRisGehu1Y7-Y_oQboJLlFs92iZmOOhWitjMGmhvROK-vPRzsCDmEr6Hg9HWVk4EmAdBwB4XWi7BiFuLh-Dgz7LXketfAa6ymgNJmMpMF-AGqRnoIXKgV2VgoRei0lOidvXVULt8f/s1600/DSC_0156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GkTuRisGehu1Y7-Y_oQboJLlFs92iZmOOhWitjMGmhvROK-vPRzsCDmEr6Hg9HWVk4EmAdBwB4XWi7BiFuLh-Dgz7LXketfAa6ymgNJmMpMF-AGqRnoIXKgV2VgoRei0lOidvXVULt8f/s320/DSC_0156.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view heading down - there was a bit of a<br />
breeze when we went back down</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqG_bfxt7EY3E2ZlNyv2J0OjGXv7u6eGuVEkVqycm328Eczxc472AzRfDeLe8o6SZ3SZ3ztrX7ui2yxkWtzbe-mR4fvTw8fqAPHTY-SZPMTZRvNG3Uo6m2uJR3veqvfx9OWUL1R2HkFwY/s1600/DSC_0159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqG_bfxt7EY3E2ZlNyv2J0OjGXv7u6eGuVEkVqycm328Eczxc472AzRfDeLe8o6SZ3SZ3ztrX7ui2yxkWtzbe-mR4fvTw8fqAPHTY-SZPMTZRvNG3Uo6m2uJR3veqvfx9OWUL1R2HkFwY/s320/DSC_0159.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma & Nathan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvr5lK7xNHZx1258NZ_kGCOVKhckm9HH3DytY-P-wuHWSxu1iPQ91DKy8j1LSN3rQFGKQqemtG1zpILk0E446G7F9LLTUQuT51uijNOGwruGGoGg-6B5Sqzu_KRB0IcGrbhQn9f1g0FRck/s1600/DSC_0160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvr5lK7xNHZx1258NZ_kGCOVKhckm9HH3DytY-P-wuHWSxu1iPQ91DKy8j1LSN3rQFGKQqemtG1zpILk0E446G7F9LLTUQuT51uijNOGwruGGoGg-6B5Sqzu_KRB0IcGrbhQn9f1g0FRck/s320/DSC_0160.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ADAM!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhmn_KSbVSilONemEznMFjvfa076ngbLXXR4B32d296SjVoFjRfoZZsvmRmVFBZ3M0gfaACE-85Wn3Llz0nQ0A9n0rg5mILghVjfEclua8DzP0EATAQijZolPFOHcRRjU0EVBdaTTfbzc/s1600/DSC_0162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhmn_KSbVSilONemEznMFjvfa076ngbLXXR4B32d296SjVoFjRfoZZsvmRmVFBZ3M0gfaACE-85Wn3Llz0nQ0A9n0rg5mILghVjfEclua8DzP0EATAQijZolPFOHcRRjU0EVBdaTTfbzc/s320/DSC_0162.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma and our "ride"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcw_y2jSjtfN0D3tloJz_HnmFLOIL0fVKaEUoTwH-qTt3zfptRuqwKcyWSFWKqgSuKTzfepqYoDoqQHoTg3e7uOK7qVVvtLZe5Tl3-c1Ch-_7tv4_stZVzSUotgxlBtRMqCs54ZTK_RpJ_/s1600/DSC_0164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcw_y2jSjtfN0D3tloJz_HnmFLOIL0fVKaEUoTwH-qTt3zfptRuqwKcyWSFWKqgSuKTzfepqYoDoqQHoTg3e7uOK7qVVvtLZe5Tl3-c1Ch-_7tv4_stZVzSUotgxlBtRMqCs54ZTK_RpJ_/s320/DSC_0164.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See - it was breezier! They closed the gondola while we<br />
were at the top!</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdCdA62iY7i29idAH0Ix17d5gjnL7zeakMVPeEU_8XkjpzupkOZBQvjJJo8aq_rQJ0uGIVOVML7dbFiMFHow0PJxOWX18ZrMD-kmVRsFMg7CgoUrKh2hqG_r-UX95FtdmHAo_43E0IyCK/s1600/DSC_0185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdCdA62iY7i29idAH0Ix17d5gjnL7zeakMVPeEU_8XkjpzupkOZBQvjJJo8aq_rQJ0uGIVOVML7dbFiMFHow0PJxOWX18ZrMD-kmVRsFMg7CgoUrKh2hqG_r-UX95FtdmHAo_43E0IyCK/s320/DSC_0185.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ladies in Sete</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36vh-T8l3cm2gxE8zf0l42-DVQCfhl8H4UKl0ANfNyB5Y3dnJbWheecCGzGIEhK-058B6Lv8QYh-MTTNhM6HRwrzxz0pdF4Pi4O7D2qVGJ1zsYdu1X_SUZqhMtxWgfZWUMM3vEUx2NEiy/s1600/DSC_0186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36vh-T8l3cm2gxE8zf0l42-DVQCfhl8H4UKl0ANfNyB5Y3dnJbWheecCGzGIEhK-058B6Lv8QYh-MTTNhM6HRwrzxz0pdF4Pi4O7D2qVGJ1zsYdu1X_SUZqhMtxWgfZWUMM3vEUx2NEiy/s320/DSC_0186.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mommy and me in Sete</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinswN96cq_jfQOTR5XPV8ZaLveDTpFwQylKxNer9FbiF6CscfgigKVWnx0kuRyOLkXWA_2NqF4XLOf0y0kFZVAelhTgFpujhu1VXA2VJH81KJbYsVSCya5VI53ex8rW2aMnsbWIXIGJGJO/s1600/DSC_0200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinswN96cq_jfQOTR5XPV8ZaLveDTpFwQylKxNer9FbiF6CscfgigKVWnx0kuRyOLkXWA_2NqF4XLOf0y0kFZVAelhTgFpujhu1VXA2VJH81KJbYsVSCya5VI53ex8rW2aMnsbWIXIGJGJO/s320/DSC_0200.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwtz8YhF4P8tTivwbSjjPwx-KkiJBPf7yTW2NS6SzGu-aQluz4QgQYJcuTvWY_yYSwQOPV-cUmpT6Tca5I_yVWE_Eu9mL6ika-JXg-uGafwxhTBQGeSg9hEOiJvxUK23oBJQlwgtg4Hbt/s1600/DSC_0202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwtz8YhF4P8tTivwbSjjPwx-KkiJBPf7yTW2NS6SzGu-aQluz4QgQYJcuTvWY_yYSwQOPV-cUmpT6Tca5I_yVWE_Eu9mL6ika-JXg-uGafwxhTBQGeSg9hEOiJvxUK23oBJQlwgtg4Hbt/s320/DSC_0202.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little lunch seaside</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCmUfYtjbstTRTX2H_o_c52Umeoq0ZkZ-uCfEqkBdeFzwANGP-MDphyphenhyphenJto5z39YvNIkHfAi5wG6HFZBz1RyjlxoSfjojMlgrcV2UGuqSDT45NuJX5Dtmj_ACsOsvDlvdNg6Cc9QGK00eOh/s1600/DSC_0205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCmUfYtjbstTRTX2H_o_c52Umeoq0ZkZ-uCfEqkBdeFzwANGP-MDphyphenhyphenJto5z39YvNIkHfAi5wG6HFZBz1RyjlxoSfjojMlgrcV2UGuqSDT45NuJX5Dtmj_ACsOsvDlvdNg6Cc9QGK00eOh/s320/DSC_0205.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the sailing school from the beach in Sete</td></tr>
</tbody></table><em><b>Mont Faron</b> is a mountain overlooking the city and </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadstead" title="Roadstead"><em>roadstead</em></a><em> of </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toulon" title="Toulon"><em>Toulon</em></a><em>, </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France" title="France"><em>France</em></a><em>. It is 584m high. At its peak is a memorial dedicated to the 1944 Allied landings in Provence (</em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Dragoon" title="Operation Dragoon"><em>Operation Dragoon</em></a><em>) , and to the liberation of Toulon.</em><br />
<em>The top can be reached either by a cable car from Toulon, or by a steep and narrow road which ascends from the west side and descends on the east side. The road is one of the most challenging stages of the annual </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris%E2%80%93Nice" title="Paris–Nice"><em>Paris–Nice</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_M%C3%A9diterran%C3%A9en" title="Tour Méditerranéen"><em>Tour Méditerranéen</em></a><em> bicycle races.-(Wikipedia)</em><br />
<br />
Mr. Boisson highly recommended our visit to Mt. Faron while we were in Toulon so on Sunday we loaded everyone in the bus, got out the map of Toulon that Andrew had picked up from the Office of Tourism and tried to find the right road. After several twists and questionable turns, we made it to the bottom of the mountain and determined that yes, indeed, we should take the gondola and NOT attempt to drive up the twisty turny roads of Mt. Faron. Unfortunately Adam was not excited about this outing and said he was staying at the bottom (not because he was afraid of the ride, he just didn't want to go - hummmmm). We told him that he could not stay at the bottom by himself, bought the tickets and boarded the car. The ride to the top was uneventful and the view of Toulon was beautiful! We enjoyed looking down into swimming pools and checking out the road that we would have taken had we decided to attempt the drive - we made the right decision to take the gondola!<br />
<br />
At the top, Adam decided to hang out in the area where the gondola dropped us off while the rest of us went exploring. Although we all felt bad that he was out of sorts and didn't want to join in the adventure, he seemed to be safe where he was, and he was next to a restaurant in case he needed anything.<br />
<br />
The rest of us took some pictures of the gorgeous views and headed up the road to the memorial. Suddenly we began noticing bikers (on bicycles, not motorcycles!) passing us while people handed the riders bottles of water. We realized that earlier in the morning, when we had been at the beach near the house, we saw a swimming race and watched as the swimmers got out of the water and began running - we decided that we were, throughout the course of the day, witnessing a triatholon-And a difficult one!! Swimming in the mediterranean, running and the biking up a mountain - these folks were in shape! We saw only one ambulance come screaming up the mountain to help a fallen cyclist. <br />
<br />
After walking for awhile we decided it was time for some lunch and headed back to the restaurant where Adam was. We all ordered our food, some of us had a beer, Adam stayed where he was and refused lunch. A couple of dogs wandered around outside and peaked in the door hoping for a snack but eventually they got tired of staring at everyone and went to lay down in the shade. Lunch was delicious (various forms of crepes) and when it was gone we went out the door to get ready for the ride back down the mountain. When the gondola began its desent, the car started swaying in the wind - I must say, it was a little nerve wracking blowing back and forth. Our "driver" even had to stop the car at one point to allow an oncoming, empty gondola to pass us (when one goes down, the other goes up). We did make it to the bottom safely, debarked and THEN noticed a big sign (see above) that said: "FERME - POUR CAUSE VENT DE VIOLENT!"="CLOSED BECAUSE OF VIOLENT WINDS" - Yikes! I'm glad that sign wasn't posted at the top, we would have walked the twisty road down the mountain.<br />
<br />
Back at the house, we began packing up, cleaning up and getting everything back in order for the Boissons' next set of visitors. Everyone pitched in and we got the chores done fairly quickly. On the way through the city we tried to snap pictures of the "Green Bay Packer McDonalds" signs for dad - all of the McD's are green and gold in France rather than the red and gold that we are used to in the states so we referred to them as the Green Bay Packer McDonalds :). Andrew drove us home like a pro, we had some dinner (I don't remember what it was though :( ), unpacked and got ready for bed, we may have even watched an episode of "Bones".<br />
<br />
Monday was a "ladies day" - Mom, Mrs. Eberhart and I went to Sete (one of my favorite spots) to walk along the pier, see the lighthouse, the old cemetary, the cute seaside town, have a little lunch and enjoy some beach time. The sun was shining, the sky was bluer than blue - it was a lovely, lovely, wonderful day to visit the sea! We took a lot of pictures and mom and Mrs. Eberhart even held a sailboat in the palm of their hands :) We enjoyed a little shopping and bought a few souveniers before lunch which was eaten at an outside cafe across the street from the canal and included some Fois Gras pate with bread, salads and.... of course, a beer. A musician was playing along the sidewalk so we even had entertainment for a few minutes. The fishing boats docked along the canal were huge with their nets wound up and ready for their next trip.<br />
<br />
After our visit to the town and pier, we piled back into Mo Mo and drove out to the beach with our blanket. The parking spot that we had found on our first visit to Sete was open so parking wasn't a problem and we walked down near the water, spread the blanket and began wading in the very shallow water. Soon I realized that since our first trip to Sete, an area of beach that had been there before, was covered with water making it impossible to reach the rock wall that Adam and Nathan had climbed on previously, without swimming - the rock wall was completely surrounded by water! It didn't take us long to realize why, however. Soon, a parade of small sailboats emerged from the far side of the beachy area that we were wading in - it was a sailing school for small children! In each little boat was a child and an instructor - very cute! They headed out to sea, around the rock wall and eventually came around the far end and back into the beachy cove. It made sense to us - if you live by the sea, the kids need to learn how to sail!<br />
<br />
While wading in the beautiful clear water, we found several critters similar to those that we found on our first trip and picked them up to watch them wiggle. A mom and her 2 year old daughter were having fun splashing and giggling nearby - I wondered if the little girl had found any critters while she sat in the water. After awhile of relaxing it was time to get back into Mo Mo and head home. It had been a beautiful, relaxing day in the sun.La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-71556024550254120352011-07-06T14:33:00.006+02:002011-07-25T18:21:13.129+02:00Toulon, France May 13 - May 15, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ytq9NDfjs1qbhfi5C1Z9hG9MG833VyUqazaqn6KkvBX2t8dhVmv6v_KmPYA7H1vc5lZKq1vuqBzpeUjEAO9FLJsfC-q74Gazbr_K499xOkauwunWoPfaHHWcZvQ9b60jZ8ABrhrU7uY/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528367%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ytq9NDfjs1qbhfi5C1Z9hG9MG833VyUqazaqn6KkvBX2t8dhVmv6v_KmPYA7H1vc5lZKq1vuqBzpeUjEAO9FLJsfC-q74Gazbr_K499xOkauwunWoPfaHHWcZvQ9b60jZ8ABrhrU7uY/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528367%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Boisson's Beautiful Toulon Home</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiARUPtZAPm8Duo0jOJS5Gs0ncL19yYNk75YBmFvhW47NvH7NJy2lLrjulU_aWBPVSXmFTGlxhnM2rdLWg9wQqRKRzsy68_1RL4lQxNQombqqhdoAvQDiWzF_6wN8trEwlcuGSRPlV_fU/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528386%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiARUPtZAPm8Duo0jOJS5Gs0ncL19yYNk75YBmFvhW47NvH7NJy2lLrjulU_aWBPVSXmFTGlxhnM2rdLWg9wQqRKRzsy68_1RL4lQxNQombqqhdoAvQDiWzF_6wN8trEwlcuGSRPlV_fU/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528386%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House from up the street</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0brrAqo8Y1M1rj4yEmOIFERMqf1W2kkD_3GLqgJ8z7a7p7mWKpH4vEDzfvV1Qlxi0-bRkrgZdgVYqQhwxClAaaS7qfK2wAdKgLVuxKDgshw3wlh9gBBCacsNlcDsvtFCUyNWd6Cam30/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528368%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0brrAqo8Y1M1rj4yEmOIFERMqf1W2kkD_3GLqgJ8z7a7p7mWKpH4vEDzfvV1Qlxi0-bRkrgZdgVYqQhwxClAaaS7qfK2wAdKgLVuxKDgshw3wlh9gBBCacsNlcDsvtFCUyNWd6Cam30/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528368%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking to the beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OUYjxnd9r10un-PrOLsZc4KhRQfbQLUBdRiPznqWC6UrilsUAhNvy2QimzKC91GS0SmaiwPkecPSXe56FDSPMwDYAUlDj4P6JwDlGVNqZs5Ij0x0e9ymNDaOq91CuUdPnLQhe2k9Qais/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528371%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OUYjxnd9r10un-PrOLsZc4KhRQfbQLUBdRiPznqWC6UrilsUAhNvy2QimzKC91GS0SmaiwPkecPSXe56FDSPMwDYAUlDj4P6JwDlGVNqZs5Ij0x0e9ymNDaOq91CuUdPnLQhe2k9Qais/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528371%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma and the kids</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwTRfuZ7c2IbkIp7676f9lfdLXIwI4Q2df-xoi_6epEM5v7HAViK0WULGDemR6rMsFzp-dR5ogorbRv_QVAtL3K7PtVGlEyXH1642MwgSkYiLg1Xk9_r-CdENcO_vH0276QGHiiELPkts/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528374%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwTRfuZ7c2IbkIp7676f9lfdLXIwI4Q2df-xoi_6epEM5v7HAViK0WULGDemR6rMsFzp-dR5ogorbRv_QVAtL3K7PtVGlEyXH1642MwgSkYiLg1Xk9_r-CdENcO_vH0276QGHiiELPkts/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528374%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ladies at the beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsDfIsbX5E_0IHYtDrLFVkH515Hc48wRAnHLC7iEqoPVyqMSfx-ZaaRzjQ7AYxELpVu0TbhcTvu0ETKWCC4uXet1e3MpvP4lEogAEuwhc1Q7BKHr0pHtvgdbn40PvauvjwJF9ChckDHDN/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528378%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsDfIsbX5E_0IHYtDrLFVkH515Hc48wRAnHLC7iEqoPVyqMSfx-ZaaRzjQ7AYxELpVu0TbhcTvu0ETKWCC4uXet1e3MpvP4lEogAEuwhc1Q7BKHr0pHtvgdbn40PvauvjwJF9ChckDHDN/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528378%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam the rock hopper</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjG1f1W6c9mZfjysFrCp4c3_hTZcKzughRnOgggRRKzQKgAD0XGCazQ17ZVcfh2tYKYfMxApJYB6Uz2uyOmAb71yNmoBUtsBXT18RXpEpSbn61afoos6Y4_UNYXkKtkYGDP1Q-mDkKk44E/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528381%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjG1f1W6c9mZfjysFrCp4c3_hTZcKzughRnOgggRRKzQKgAD0XGCazQ17ZVcfh2tYKYfMxApJYB6Uz2uyOmAb71yNmoBUtsBXT18RXpEpSbn61afoos6Y4_UNYXkKtkYGDP1Q-mDkKk44E/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528381%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool palm trees</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljyqCaTkhLe_IQthyphenhyphenO8_0c_OeNEgCcWdmHTjXsU39oJQcX7HioUq0XKFKmA8mwi9XoztnDyYKOXMNy352gDh-nrE6fHuwWZG-WSufg9B-RdxNcnXlDMu6EdZPHN-XJAj4L68FePGtjGVg/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528392%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljyqCaTkhLe_IQthyphenhyphenO8_0c_OeNEgCcWdmHTjXsU39oJQcX7HioUq0XKFKmA8mwi9XoztnDyYKOXMNy352gDh-nrE6fHuwWZG-WSufg9B-RdxNcnXlDMu6EdZPHN-XJAj4L68FePGtjGVg/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528392%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheers! </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGs4vI1DeN4v-xgqp9CXqsEcbBP2brjfFEj_5sIk4ukBwLP6iqWmPIObA9OQjhF1x2ezjyHpEHZJLSPiACyaWvnQNO3CaRyOUYGRTx_z-zhgPRUSY1g-azNmiHR8Xoa3f7ZbEcOT8ALeqp/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528395%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGs4vI1DeN4v-xgqp9CXqsEcbBP2brjfFEj_5sIk4ukBwLP6iqWmPIObA9OQjhF1x2ezjyHpEHZJLSPiACyaWvnQNO3CaRyOUYGRTx_z-zhgPRUSY1g-azNmiHR8Xoa3f7ZbEcOT8ALeqp/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528395%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pizza on the front porch - our first Toulon dinner</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_VSe92gQnlfvyOoayZL_bhJaLVpBg6t404U18j-de0_Xx95RPpBlpmCS_e2FZgXwvPvVYza0yNqAn0Uc-MDBqbnO-qG0_H-hhsKpHwT1l8RzqDz6sl6QJZ1731gUqfzIBUBM3xIZK57fv/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528403%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_VSe92gQnlfvyOoayZL_bhJaLVpBg6t404U18j-de0_Xx95RPpBlpmCS_e2FZgXwvPvVYza0yNqAn0Uc-MDBqbnO-qG0_H-hhsKpHwT1l8RzqDz6sl6QJZ1731gUqfzIBUBM3xIZK57fv/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528403%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma and Nathan enjoying the seaside</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCR1iRte6KK_3qOCFv8JsZXl8hlnZz2RPm2Tg485tu17VlHelZMpxNvPK08uNR6HY3NpoiOH4DeK9e1LpE2Vv7nDxPtkLTvTD2v9-ki7LkySynsWBG2bGhHDNJPY_TpwK_BxRzQCSyOpq/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528413%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCR1iRte6KK_3qOCFv8JsZXl8hlnZz2RPm2Tg485tu17VlHelZMpxNvPK08uNR6HY3NpoiOH4DeK9e1LpE2Vv7nDxPtkLTvTD2v9-ki7LkySynsWBG2bGhHDNJPY_TpwK_BxRzQCSyOpq/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528413%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serenity</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpirw5fU7VK1L27lGoZ3olT_PFO0Rnv_Y6ax0BowuByndLQ2i6ztiVmkjR0lIH9fjtt-3bS0AT3kOLfolYTHfHfbbk6acRShHZKE5M0I_U8ww3Snml1qjVmYSswqAmVmN6tnOyRNVCbap/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528423%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpirw5fU7VK1L27lGoZ3olT_PFO0Rnv_Y6ax0BowuByndLQ2i6ztiVmkjR0lIH9fjtt-3bS0AT3kOLfolYTHfHfbbk6acRShHZKE5M0I_U8ww3Snml1qjVmYSswqAmVmN6tnOyRNVCbap/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528423%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to Ile de Porquerolles</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcFHB-4nNIMJnhFTopmUXJlplGQq97iYtX5HgOjndYlxjrp3R0iO6S62sAECcsJfVruKECpe5Cht9PLq2MD11ZrZsptEuGMUgIohUQiYLeJJ5CnnbTH_yrF8RBg8TGqUChc_pqgCaNgrfP/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528430%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcFHB-4nNIMJnhFTopmUXJlplGQq97iYtX5HgOjndYlxjrp3R0iO6S62sAECcsJfVruKECpe5Cht9PLq2MD11ZrZsptEuGMUgIohUQiYLeJJ5CnnbTH_yrF8RBg8TGqUChc_pqgCaNgrfP/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528430%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marina at Ile de Porquerolles</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYM2KvYrW0DaQ4URcewKnhqAgz-Glueda_vr5Qw8ldQMjgaRhy2Qbaheje1PQ74UnCj5Vs5qdFPSWCcm9gaAEVVCt90-nfte9jQBTnSJmb14QFDSZJlFRugowtyE-39xURVgXDDh_pLme/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528434%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYM2KvYrW0DaQ4URcewKnhqAgz-Glueda_vr5Qw8ldQMjgaRhy2Qbaheje1PQ74UnCj5Vs5qdFPSWCcm9gaAEVVCt90-nfte9jQBTnSJmb14QFDSZJlFRugowtyE-39xURVgXDDh_pLme/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528434%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma and Grandma</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkmOlgfak6VzSzXK13065rWdkrBWzBIoxUrdZw745xCIGcrpGnpqOnugufjHtJcvpeaYyxKhPbD1tNt4_JbU5FUJkkaPofsr_wYgiQa2vMQwXKLBVSe22_LlaBV5AAqarceXKn8DR7C9u/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528435%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkmOlgfak6VzSzXK13065rWdkrBWzBIoxUrdZw745xCIGcrpGnpqOnugufjHtJcvpeaYyxKhPbD1tNt4_JbU5FUJkkaPofsr_wYgiQa2vMQwXKLBVSe22_LlaBV5AAqarceXKn8DR7C9u/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528435%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mrs. Eberhart and Grandma</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfOyTei7nss2uWAQ2Zw14UOI3_jHOPfzkz7Xjdso1TnvMzl7Tz03awPQHcdqzTVD0qFB0Yez7r9_vYfvVzybXVF7CVNVCRRG9D74U6gm8-6XLgE7Sjb_G6Et_VD-UzuDD9Bvpzghwzbi_J/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528441%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfOyTei7nss2uWAQ2Zw14UOI3_jHOPfzkz7Xjdso1TnvMzl7Tz03awPQHcdqzTVD0qFB0Yez7r9_vYfvVzybXVF7CVNVCRRG9D74U6gm8-6XLgE7Sjb_G6Et_VD-UzuDD9Bvpzghwzbi_J/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528441%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doves!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozSnjMR-4IIoNODsLnONnCEU_e1Y0VpF2dQ40DJFS2meqE2XPcRSKrt9OPHeQ_Nob8wi1Ht5MwVCw69W3qJycKT_dS4XlXEFjgXyJ1ThnjlVSFKk58bj_1ub2KVyiCWjfHHVW7Se_EolO/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528444%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozSnjMR-4IIoNODsLnONnCEU_e1Y0VpF2dQ40DJFS2meqE2XPcRSKrt9OPHeQ_Nob8wi1Ht5MwVCw69W3qJycKT_dS4XlXEFjgXyJ1ThnjlVSFKk58bj_1ub2KVyiCWjfHHVW7Se_EolO/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528444%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fort de la Repentance </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6nanMWXTW27sQkha-sRX2zXjKiqGmsdXoJCWt6WGSRjJdthWxaZOHbd-hqjqa_tSjt3GkVVkXajhTTDmXGY5qkq_if4eQLog7DYFP93Z1qazxyUeZ79kQqCK5EwRqF2lU0anEX-evCLr/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528452%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6nanMWXTW27sQkha-sRX2zXjKiqGmsdXoJCWt6WGSRjJdthWxaZOHbd-hqjqa_tSjt3GkVVkXajhTTDmXGY5qkq_if4eQLog7DYFP93Z1qazxyUeZ79kQqCK5EwRqF2lU0anEX-evCLr/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528452%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the beaches from Fort de la Repentance</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDct9OD0lsRHEI5M2e75XGTdXXanCsgk3KVnAKB5ONlwwR1djRf1qPKymj6Wfs1qesWWTAqz9MnvOyJXur5bVoPI2wA9ZVWhlKXJha0y9Vt7qQTdWUZKYzHXzPeSGuIDPF5NyouBdYFrYg/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528375%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDct9OD0lsRHEI5M2e75XGTdXXanCsgk3KVnAKB5ONlwwR1djRf1qPKymj6Wfs1qesWWTAqz9MnvOyJXur5bVoPI2wA9ZVWhlKXJha0y9Vt7qQTdWUZKYzHXzPeSGuIDPF5NyouBdYFrYg/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528375%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A & B on the seashore</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-c6N45ZWrGEnsf4zWFhtmo1pWO4ZF_zJ2YeejuqodeTLw-nCcyRZOep0153-cHR6EReI75Kzy0rhHzcZmOPbesufbuvLXOBgcdABWo3rbQeDIKVjmEBW_3yAdttRoowFiaz4QCBUqfyA6/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528364%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-c6N45ZWrGEnsf4zWFhtmo1pWO4ZF_zJ2YeejuqodeTLw-nCcyRZOep0153-cHR6EReI75Kzy0rhHzcZmOPbesufbuvLXOBgcdABWo3rbQeDIKVjmEBW_3yAdttRoowFiaz4QCBUqfyA6/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528364%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goofing off in the Mediterranean</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnTew4z_RhcPsVPPwbEI0GQYeaNsRSF63SaplcNU0CLY3MB9TdcF9A3XW51SO4KwmtBn7VOV5Tz2vSAVue7aZju-gpKZagwFn1B3cy3hYPcC6GtM1hsuAC6vTPZvwRiCrU8pvx-aS6K2Q/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528365%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnTew4z_RhcPsVPPwbEI0GQYeaNsRSF63SaplcNU0CLY3MB9TdcF9A3XW51SO4KwmtBn7VOV5Tz2vSAVue7aZju-gpKZagwFn1B3cy3hYPcC6GtM1hsuAC6vTPZvwRiCrU8pvx-aS6K2Q/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528365%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute Emzie</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNUgqnUdX7WLGqzsLsshfak0Sa0C_LuR4ErumhAy_htlMme8MsgLCWoc0ZEsjlgURprSr5VDFw_-0Mf8_6EkOvi33llkxIFeE8hAZ_qOgB0Oe3uVpX8FMjuzygK8EqAduu22kCGd706RT/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528488%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNUgqnUdX7WLGqzsLsshfak0Sa0C_LuR4ErumhAy_htlMme8MsgLCWoc0ZEsjlgURprSr5VDFw_-0Mf8_6EkOvi33llkxIFeE8hAZ_qOgB0Oe3uVpX8FMjuzygK8EqAduu22kCGd706RT/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528488%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boys attacking the girl</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyb5AVOqG6TlFnhO3wmzYCmqjLmG9rx1AlIE7VEbGSmM08apGYJ6FADVm75NKGONnGQq0pyQJXp7ABIf5iepcg72g2gRDqdENSYWpaP_HY9h4hBtk4qtPZz5OxOfkzDgcnF_WWOq1hxPc/s1600/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528490%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyb5AVOqG6TlFnhO3wmzYCmqjLmG9rx1AlIE7VEbGSmM08apGYJ6FADVm75NKGONnGQq0pyQJXp7ABIf5iepcg72g2gRDqdENSYWpaP_HY9h4hBtk4qtPZz5OxOfkzDgcnF_WWOq1hxPc/s320/05-13-11-Toulon+%2528490%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor tired Adam</td></tr>
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</div>When the Boissons heard that my mom and her friend were coming for a visit, they offered to let us use their house in Toulon France - a 3 minute walk to the beach! After discussing the week of events with everyone, we accepted their kind invitation, rented a bus (thanks ladies!), packed everything up, including sheets, towels etc... so we didn't have to use theirs, and headed southeast to their beautiful home! Andrew did the driving (as usual) and we arrived in the city of Toulon without a problem, finding the house was another story however. We pulled into a gas station that was situated on the outer edge of a round-about (one of our favorite things about French driving - the round abouts!) to ask someone. Our first question (as always) was "parle vous anglaise?" One nice gentleman gave us the most popular answer "a little" - he listened to our predicament, grabbed a map from the display on the counter, and explained how to get to the house. After we said our "Merci", I realized that he was a Toulon police officer. We all piled back into the bus and made it to the house with no further issues.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After figuring out the locks, unpacking everything, turning on the water and electricity and settling in, we decided to take a walk to the beach so we would know where it was when we wanted it. As expected, the beach and the sea were beautiful! Palm trees were plentiful, the sand was soft, there was a rocky (big rocks) type of wall or pier to walk along and a nice breeze blowing. We enjoyed our time on the beach very much and then headed back to the house to figure out what to do about dinner. Mr. and Mrs. Boisson had recommended a little pizza shop down the street so that is where we headed. None of the pizza makers spoke english but we were able to decipher the menu and place our order. The pizza shop was on the corner, very small (no inside seating, and included a wood oven. Mom and Marilyn headed across the street to a "bar" to ask if they could buy some beer but were unable to - on the list for the next day: "find some beer" :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On Saturday morning, Nathan and Andy walked into town to explore and when they returned, we prepared for a fun filled day at Ile de Porquerolles with is a beautiful island consisting of grape vineyards, lovely beaches, a charming village, marina, and an old fort at the top of the hill. The landscape of the island is breathtaking! From the Boisson's house, we drove to the location where we caught the boat that delivered us to the island. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We went to the Office of Tourism first to ask about what the island had to offer. We were given a map with directions about where to take a walk, hike and eventually, visit a beach. The kids, with there grandma and Mrs. Eberhart, decided to walk in the opposite direction of Andy and I who were going to head toward the ancient fort at the top of the hill. They were headed for iced cream and a beach where we agreed to meet them at a certain time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The hike to the fort was minorly strenuous and well worth it! The view from one side of the fort provided an amazing view of the shoreline consisting of blue mediterranean water and light colored sand while the view from the other side treated us to a beautiful landscape of grape vines and olive trees! Upon our arrival at the beach, we learned that the kids and ladies were treated to an interesting view themselves - topless sunbathers to further their education. Unfortunately, the uninhibited sunbathers were not young and perky and may have damaged our sons' thoughts of the female body for awhile while reassuring Emma that she is definitely a beautiful young lady! Due to the entertainment that we were enduring and the pebbly "beach", we packed up our basket and towels and decided to hike to the beaches that were recommended by the Office of Tourism. We were sure that it was a fairly short walk in the direction from which Andy and I had come. We were right about the direction, but wrong about the "short"! We walked, and walked, and walked, keeping in mind that the last boat would come to pick us up around 6:00. Eventually, we did find the beach, enjoyed some sun and playtime in the water on a much more comfortable sandy terrain. Adam was not a happy beach comber and decided to lay down, cover his face and catch som "z's" while Andy, Nathan and Emma splashed and swam in the water and the rest of us relaxed on the shore. A little while later, we packed up again and walked, walked, walked back to the boat pick-up but not before grabbing another iced cream cone which we all greatly deserved! Everyone was quiet on the ride back to the mainland where we found our big white "bus" and headed for "home".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dinner that night was interesting. After driving downtown to find a nice seaside restaurant and after realizing how expensive all of the seaside restaurants were - we opted for a cute little place an got burgers and fries! - It was seaside too - right along the marina, and was very good! Mrs. Eberhart, mom and I ordered beer which tasted great after a day on the island!</div>La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-46197449738724277852011-06-16T09:47:00.004+02:002011-07-04T13:26:01.184+02:00Grandma & Mrs. Eberhart's Visit! May 6, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiC4JBg9fR7WGiJGGuLSW3Y0EdaUwTzH9J8E3dahFRijmgDqHOaJzGQ90O9_KabSjFLeRcQjIZJ5CQ_CMdWc3JzBce41e0Q48UyqiStYrNaIVr3dlpj81e8Rn9Cg_KjLmI5vwhXHgQDttS/s1600/05-07-11+-+Arles+%252813%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiC4JBg9fR7WGiJGGuLSW3Y0EdaUwTzH9J8E3dahFRijmgDqHOaJzGQ90O9_KabSjFLeRcQjIZJ5CQ_CMdWc3JzBce41e0Q48UyqiStYrNaIVr3dlpj81e8Rn9Cg_KjLmI5vwhXHgQDttS/s320/05-07-11+-+Arles+%252813%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First morning in France -- They were treated to a trip to<br />
the Arles Market</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaeuCr407SmwBJwW4C-2NLkzQTrDwzel3eA39Oy4TUXu4-fctEJkZlS2HIMMC1mgCalyrtOqoTJhKL0JBh2KrlRJr5PeYbSsBC74Un-RV7jWMG73_Whe5Tn9GAtFc3rj4TYT8pyKglowIc/s1600/05-07-11+-+Arles+%25288%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaeuCr407SmwBJwW4C-2NLkzQTrDwzel3eA39Oy4TUXu4-fctEJkZlS2HIMMC1mgCalyrtOqoTJhKL0JBh2KrlRJr5PeYbSsBC74Un-RV7jWMG73_Whe5Tn9GAtFc3rj4TYT8pyKglowIc/s320/05-07-11+-+Arles+%25288%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying Van Gogh's Garden</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Y0Jojy-Q4pdoEmLxQ-2x-DpGTn7CYhmII7-u8sJrzXT2zT4bcNB1dLvGpVY0Rec2Iu9xQjDiegqJapfhq43wTHRh4SrIXq5DX6kd23F5c8aA8cStmEtlZfVgArTaysilv5aLoj0gD-Li/s1600/05-07-11+-+Arles+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Y0Jojy-Q4pdoEmLxQ-2x-DpGTn7CYhmII7-u8sJrzXT2zT4bcNB1dLvGpVY0Rec2Iu9xQjDiegqJapfhq43wTHRh4SrIXq5DX6kd23F5c8aA8cStmEtlZfVgArTaysilv5aLoj0gD-Li/s320/05-07-11+-+Arles+%252810%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smiling in the Garden</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpnAtFa0RlEjPD7cM546W8Hqq7x3JO2hTVlOzaI-Ku6GebJ0_v0ok1W5zz4fRpomgNyZopR_9q1oBdbgfRErSHj-_zjT5yxGspinNOXCvLgek42C6DPFPNO-b38_K9ZcmUTohs4EcyfoT/s1600/05-07-11+-+Arles+%252819%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpnAtFa0RlEjPD7cM546W8Hqq7x3JO2hTVlOzaI-Ku6GebJ0_v0ok1W5zz4fRpomgNyZopR_9q1oBdbgfRErSHj-_zjT5yxGspinNOXCvLgek42C6DPFPNO-b38_K9ZcmUTohs4EcyfoT/s320/05-07-11+-+Arles+%252819%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew has been looking for just the right "chapeau"<br />
since we arrived</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNydeAAlaaShb7EtpuD7b8vcC1FIU4vwuqFtJcpllOE6VVlDj6fffPN5ct5rs3NczvL0hpjEQIdnGb-vxft-nltXr13K-TbZeRN5-QRMtin3ohXQYY8VvEEEtfGIh84Z1obUl0RKTWuTmD/s1600/05-07-11+-+Arles+%252823%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNydeAAlaaShb7EtpuD7b8vcC1FIU4vwuqFtJcpllOE6VVlDj6fffPN5ct5rs3NczvL0hpjEQIdnGb-vxft-nltXr13K-TbZeRN5-QRMtin3ohXQYY8VvEEEtfGIh84Z1obUl0RKTWuTmD/s320/05-07-11+-+Arles+%252823%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma found one right away!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGfRhvtbZkL7hUClera7W3hah5PKDSIfOHu71J_I5Y37Iaz5yRcKyG3iga0B-zy1p7n3dzJjeUh9xPhOtizUALbH5T18I9D8wRhR2XzqtiiNYWQVSeX9Qx7zY9UWcnJHxuKjlk6NqFDXM/s1600/05-07-11+-+Arles+%252824%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGfRhvtbZkL7hUClera7W3hah5PKDSIfOHu71J_I5Y37Iaz5yRcKyG3iga0B-zy1p7n3dzJjeUh9xPhOtizUALbH5T18I9D8wRhR2XzqtiiNYWQVSeX9Qx7zY9UWcnJHxuKjlk6NqFDXM/s320/05-07-11+-+Arles+%252824%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside the cafe depicted in<br />
Van Gogh's: <em>The Cafe Terrace Arles at Night</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhZHhVNnu-2FQtf_xRRgcJN2xBPCH_nE2IkFlxWjf9aFdw_wWpZc73x1NrkrBMcbs7U70ZgUFM5acm3BqpeaZLQYlaMGmvlTI2pUfQhWl_lBn_1KhVRziahRKaVnimbja-qI1sq-0w_kw/s1600/05-07-11-Sts+Maries+De+Le+Mer+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhZHhVNnu-2FQtf_xRRgcJN2xBPCH_nE2IkFlxWjf9aFdw_wWpZc73x1NrkrBMcbs7U70ZgUFM5acm3BqpeaZLQYlaMGmvlTI2pUfQhWl_lBn_1KhVRziahRKaVnimbja-qI1sq-0w_kw/s320/05-07-11-Sts+Maries+De+Le+Mer+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picnic at Sts. Maries Del La Mer with food from the market</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gimVDFoa8puGQvr4uDLueZes-yOZoUJJiWYFneFSV27MG92zu7wt3fDt34Dm2aiLrt38HUfDF1JQ9IjUrCREgaPw_YLiZ4a6gpimsHCJlCFZxw1CBN_imM9snt9Gt30Io93taYlqTnmk/s1600/05-07-11-Sts+Maries+De+Le+Mer+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gimVDFoa8puGQvr4uDLueZes-yOZoUJJiWYFneFSV27MG92zu7wt3fDt34Dm2aiLrt38HUfDF1JQ9IjUrCREgaPw_YLiZ4a6gpimsHCJlCFZxw1CBN_imM9snt9Gt30Io93taYlqTnmk/s320/05-07-11-Sts+Maries+De+Le+Mer+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a breezy walk on the rocky pier</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ap1_J6hzfkip4Dbbvi-n0eolTC61xHGOOwnxrLt7YJCGz916bjs3XD7ThMcVzD_h92LFLwfUSAJHfujL9NVy8pQ7WzR001zQ5ux_87CZxhV9egym4iO_eay7m_jta_RrBI_ehy9Y51HL/s1600/05-08-11+Mothers%2527+Day+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ap1_J6hzfkip4Dbbvi-n0eolTC61xHGOOwnxrLt7YJCGz916bjs3XD7ThMcVzD_h92LFLwfUSAJHfujL9NVy8pQ7WzR001zQ5ux_87CZxhV9egym4iO_eay7m_jta_RrBI_ehy9Y51HL/s320/05-08-11+Mothers%2527+Day+%25282%2529.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating Mother's Day!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz_LnfMndvRtjZgAsFFMwlrMKizmue-slC18wx1A0u5bU6ZNYsmOFg2DfolRBj8sZT5KMYLfMpZrygZGXUDQnWJKMhs6T6bYlRrcTyrMldhqHGPOuPst-2qs1fcD_k_J6bl7p9yhOENDB1/s1600/05-08-11+Mothers%2527+Day+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz_LnfMndvRtjZgAsFFMwlrMKizmue-slC18wx1A0u5bU6ZNYsmOFg2DfolRBj8sZT5KMYLfMpZrygZGXUDQnWJKMhs6T6bYlRrcTyrMldhqHGPOuPst-2qs1fcD_k_J6bl7p9yhOENDB1/s320/05-08-11+Mothers%2527+Day+%25285%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a little relaxation by the pool - Cheers!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWvm11QDxUy0QqFLkZhVjW2Mf8bYacO1uULhiphXW23IPt6DuQkErUwTjQRDl-qxMM1dWbTloLEAW13ew9EzgUge-2tkFcIvRHj_ZRDxoQc6UiRgEz2rwD0QuGCowQJIVXLlC-Gx4C2Be/s1600/05-10-11+-+Mom+and+Marilyn+Heading+to+Paris+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWvm11QDxUy0QqFLkZhVjW2Mf8bYacO1uULhiphXW23IPt6DuQkErUwTjQRDl-qxMM1dWbTloLEAW13ew9EzgUge-2tkFcIvRHj_ZRDxoQc6UiRgEz2rwD0QuGCowQJIVXLlC-Gx4C2Be/s320/05-10-11+-+Mom+and+Marilyn+Heading+to+Paris+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next stop - PARIS! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Mom and Marilyn arrived on Friday night after 9:00 pm. We had the house cleaned up, snacks ready and were very excited! When it was time to go, we all walked to the tram station to discover that the trams were running 10 - 15 minutes apart and we were probably going to be late to pick the travelers up from Gare St. Roch! The trams typically run 3 minutes apart except on Sundays when they run 10 minutes apart - this was a Friday night - I have no idea what the issue was! Rather than waiting for the tram, we began walking to the next station - down the road to Station Boutenet - when we arrived there, we would still have a 7 minute wait so Adam ran to the next stop while the rest of us patiently waited for tram 1 which finally arrived, right on schedule, 7 minutes later! As we stopped at each of the following stations, we looked for Adam to jump on but never found him. I could tell that Andrew was concerned and I was beginning to be also. I decided, however, not to panic until we got to the Gare St. Roch station - if he wasn't there, we had a problem! Sure enough - the tram stopped at our destination and there he was, waiting for us with a sweaty brow! He had run all the way from home to the train station - about eight tram stops!<br />
<br />
We walked into the train station to discover that the train was running a few minutes behind so we had some time to catch our breath and figure out which platform they'd be coming in on. Soon, the train pulled in and people began pouring out of all 20 cars. Since we didn't know which car they were in, our family of 5 was evenly distributed along the platform looking for two grandmas and their baggage. They were found, baggage collected, hugs and "French" kisses (three in a row on cheeks!) were distributed as we showed them the way out of the station and to the tram.<br />
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Upon arriving home, they were given a tour of the house and a small portion of the gardens since the sun was setting and it was getting pretty dark. We had a nice visit that night with wine and Pain au Chocolates (a welcome to Montpellier tradition started by the kids) as they settled into their visitors quarters - Emma's room :). <br />
<br />
Bright and early Saturday morning we awoke, drank some coffee, tossed everyone in the car and took them to our favorite Saturday morning hangout - the Arles Market. Arles is approximately 1 hour from our house so the drive was nice and we showed them the outer edges of Camargue region. The Camargue is known for the "Guardians" (cowboys) and their white horses and black bulls. It is also an area where Camargue Rice is grown. As we passed by many of the fields, I mentioned that I wasn't sure why there was so much water standing in some of the fields - Mrs. Eberhart (very smart former kindegarten teacher!) very nicely suggested that the fields might be rice patties - Ahhhh Haaaa! Well duh! That makes complete sense! The drive was nice, we got to our favorite Arles parking garage without incident, and headed for the market.<br />
<br />
Showing visitors around the market is always a big treat for us. Mrs. Eberhart kept her eyes open for some Provencal fabric while mom looked around for souveniers. We walked away from the market after a while to find a bathroom which, ironically, happens to be in Van Gogh's garden (the nicest bathroom that we've found in Arles that we don't have to pay for anyway!) While we were there, pictures were taken and the various Van Gogh memorabilia was perused before our return to the market. <br />
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Everyone agreed that since the sun was shining and it was close to lunchtime, a picnic on the beach sounded nice. We bought some bread, cheese, olives, fruit, baked goods etc... packed everything into the car and headed for Sts. Maries Del La Mer for a nice beach picnic. When we arrived, the wind was howling and the temperature was chilly! We eventually found a barrier to sit behind (most of them were already taken), set up "picnic shop" and ate our market lunch on the chilly beach next to 4 teenagers - two guys, and two bikinis who, I'm sure, were happy to have our company!<br />
<br />
After walking on the beach and watching some wind surfers, we collected our basket of goodies and headed for the town to walk around the shops and see if we could find the area of the church where people go to say a prayer for fertility that Mr. Boisson had explained to us. We bought rice from the Camargue area since we pass the rice patties every time we visit the area, tried some Gelato and enjoyed the afternoon before heading back to the house.<br />
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Sunday was Mothers' Day - Nathan surprised us with gorgeous flowers and wonderful cream puffs from the patiserie as well as a nice card written in French. We went to St. Pierres for mass in the morning and enjoyed a tour of the Parc Zoologique, compliments of Adam, in the afternoon. The sun was shining, time was spent by the pool. Andrew and Nathan left later in the day for Aix en Provence, where Nathan had made arrangements to take his important A.P. Biology exam. Aix is approximately two hours from Montpellier so they wanted to get there Sunday night in order to check out the town, find the testing location and get a good night's sleep before the test began early Monday morning. During the test, Andy toured around Aix and had an enjoyable time on his own! Nathan felt that he did well on the test and will be anxiously awaiting the results until they arrive at our Ohio home in July.<br />
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The rest of us spent Monday touring around Montpellier, showing the ladies all of the monuments, little squares, Place de la Comedie etc... The guys returned on Monday night and we celebrated the end of Nathan's intense studying regiment with a delicious cake from his favorite patiserie! Early Tuesday morning I delivered the ladies to Gare St. Roch to get them on the next train to Paris - which is where they spent the next few days, touring around by themselves. We got them back on Thursday evening.La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-74070276428174288262011-06-04T09:20:00.002+02:002011-06-16T08:42:05.548+02:00Heading "Home" from Italy - Genova May 1, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-FJgq6A1DNrOpnRtB-D-dLXOyOBHaHPzXAS7aLO2aFkvlre4qaW1wuufwWu2e60X8S08htSNadqa-WNhygMIvfHgtTWMSczZ7UnjNCm4OGdS_w8zNlCshMLZC8Ta2VMMkadwgbwod4Jj/s1600/Fattoria+Sant+Appiano+-+Morning+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-FJgq6A1DNrOpnRtB-D-dLXOyOBHaHPzXAS7aLO2aFkvlre4qaW1wuufwWu2e60X8S08htSNadqa-WNhygMIvfHgtTWMSczZ7UnjNCm4OGdS_w8zNlCshMLZC8Ta2VMMkadwgbwod4Jj/s320/Fattoria+Sant+Appiano+-+Morning+%25283%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a surprise-We woke up to hot air balloons!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nY5IvP4MadePFkb_1SQIipeHZK578EERahxuYeutx6lT_dTeOQVO1G4OrQre74XGDpl9sw5CoMNYSqXfxxaFZs5c6zN1AWF8gHuNyaunM_FBMUJ-R92TC9jqy63OB95qxuHRL68-T0kG/s1600/Fattoria+Sant+Appiano+-+Morning+%25289%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nY5IvP4MadePFkb_1SQIipeHZK578EERahxuYeutx6lT_dTeOQVO1G4OrQre74XGDpl9sw5CoMNYSqXfxxaFZs5c6zN1AWF8gHuNyaunM_FBMUJ-R92TC9jqy63OB95qxuHRL68-T0kG/s320/Fattoria+Sant+Appiano+-+Morning+%25289%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful Tuscan countryside from our patio</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlRvzt-7MtiB03CEgMTSR9GVKT4xgUpQUf6LMB8X0yLDJFzlwnBEl_JmpwIsGfHHSpspaHosKDjnThBB1jciih66XadIAozXd5ARn-iE8dUYRW-Q38qkZpSJTrkC0IVg1QVJteXl3iM-0/s1600/Fattoria+Sant+Appiano+-+Morning+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlRvzt-7MtiB03CEgMTSR9GVKT4xgUpQUf6LMB8X0yLDJFzlwnBEl_JmpwIsGfHHSpspaHosKDjnThBB1jciih66XadIAozXd5ARn-iE8dUYRW-Q38qkZpSJTrkC0IVg1QVJteXl3iM-0/s320/Fattoria+Sant+Appiano+-+Morning+%252810%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The town of S'ant Appiano Italy from our patio</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVG3GrcfW2BIZLHFIjoYMWF5Lq6Cwd4iIVT5S_W-luHCL6NX6EcfbYNtWLjSwOUCoChtSD-2ZRdJ8FCLTaTPfhsM6DSus8wKPf8Jlj0Hns59LwGyv5hBRfw5JVNVS6XntHVjOMDO6pRXUJ/s1600/Fattoria+Sant+Appiano+-+Morning+%252813%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVG3GrcfW2BIZLHFIjoYMWF5Lq6Cwd4iIVT5S_W-luHCL6NX6EcfbYNtWLjSwOUCoChtSD-2ZRdJ8FCLTaTPfhsM6DSus8wKPf8Jlj0Hns59LwGyv5hBRfw5JVNVS6XntHVjOMDO6pRXUJ/s320/Fattoria+Sant+Appiano+-+Morning+%252813%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew enjoying the fire at dawn</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6p5wBxX2mtJ54eysD_PvFMSXwxuqXkGPnFbHmVHNap37fG7TPxoELV9rc9O6s-eQaR1ptXzC2nTLKflMktwpttHtXbt_kPXLF5FGAGA0rA81AqOMGhGTO2VXxa3SLFAh9lJC5XSI4DPQR/s1600/Genova+Italy+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6p5wBxX2mtJ54eysD_PvFMSXwxuqXkGPnFbHmVHNap37fG7TPxoELV9rc9O6s-eQaR1ptXzC2nTLKflMktwpttHtXbt_kPXLF5FGAGA0rA81AqOMGhGTO2VXxa3SLFAh9lJC5XSI4DPQR/s320/Genova+Italy+%25281%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Genova - first stop on our way back to Montpellier</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqToMscCvY4dYTh-n9oESi-6Bum-ZCDgZrUzT6P_juMz-S1O1Ol0gS2wiXzPgCaOaHpdBWm7dxse2Fr3hYDND4_pXdKiGjyYOFvhcLCyGpUQvmB9VAeIi8G5NPDcEEXAuzS1S3kLm0Q9N/s1600/Genova+Italy+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqToMscCvY4dYTh-n9oESi-6Bum-ZCDgZrUzT6P_juMz-S1O1Ol0gS2wiXzPgCaOaHpdBWm7dxse2Fr3hYDND4_pXdKiGjyYOFvhcLCyGpUQvmB9VAeIi8G5NPDcEEXAuzS1S3kLm0Q9N/s320/Genova+Italy+%252810%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pirate ship from Roman Polanski's 1986 film "Pirates"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUQ2M1PHVRHLmP8MH8XOfbPzrwX9DYtFeFj5y9xKy3-rvEPaJCQEmRiSZRiiIj9NJS82awKuySJbDBQEktrKkM-RGpDLSSPctUhmGBbfEcp0PbzP7L8OiOdpQAoHXzSI-8Nt3G-fwvQHb/s1600/Genova+Italy+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUQ2M1PHVRHLmP8MH8XOfbPzrwX9DYtFeFj5y9xKy3-rvEPaJCQEmRiSZRiiIj9NJS82awKuySJbDBQEktrKkM-RGpDLSSPctUhmGBbfEcp0PbzP7L8OiOdpQAoHXzSI-8Nt3G-fwvQHb/s320/Genova+Italy+%25282%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ship - The movie starred Walter Mathau <br />
and Leslie Nielsen among others</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJG9xh5tYw9etcFc8D4EhZWXlwmAtb7mKDiM0lIJYkzz6tQOI1nN3HmlnkORs9IvVtYze3Bt11xPkOUqpkkDT8X5bjsJb62Cbqx3g6EEHisHTG444S2WaMRM64yXumFRki_IRJkqSsXAw-/s1600/Genova+Italy+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJG9xh5tYw9etcFc8D4EhZWXlwmAtb7mKDiM0lIJYkzz6tQOI1nN3HmlnkORs9IvVtYze3Bt11xPkOUqpkkDT8X5bjsJb62Cbqx3g6EEHisHTG444S2WaMRM64yXumFRki_IRJkqSsXAw-/s320/Genova+Italy+%25286%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ship's bow</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnWcRKWIpDxEFL-WOUbsuL0oGxyNOPlZGpXZAx-IbrBmvImSfsNArkciqZdb36GSHWLI8ysijZPyCfdnSx9CNrQtV7STLDqiAwAFTlBE8xobJ1-lx-qdSSy62b0bomEPW93-1bBqSjXoN/s1600/Genova+Italy+%252822%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnWcRKWIpDxEFL-WOUbsuL0oGxyNOPlZGpXZAx-IbrBmvImSfsNArkciqZdb36GSHWLI8ysijZPyCfdnSx9CNrQtV7STLDqiAwAFTlBE8xobJ1-lx-qdSSy62b0bomEPW93-1bBqSjXoN/s320/Genova+Italy+%252822%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking around the town of Genova-The man was creating<br />
various critters from palms</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8Mj853rpCcGDjK709zHgF2B5KCltT_m-KCycGARwDkHQ6kUlvVt_AcijfzK2OCcFB3PmPSkz1JQG0_8hBXvN-LZjx6H0mmGhiiYI1_mlZXKK4xwtl60ld0Zz3zGBMiuWjRNx9NK4JWGa/s1600/Genova+Italy+%252819%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8Mj853rpCcGDjK709zHgF2B5KCltT_m-KCycGARwDkHQ6kUlvVt_AcijfzK2OCcFB3PmPSkz1JQG0_8hBXvN-LZjx6H0mmGhiiYI1_mlZXKK4xwtl60ld0Zz3zGBMiuWjRNx9NK4JWGa/s320/Genova+Italy+%252819%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cathedral of Genova</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNz9RICVYT_c6a7SWj2F97xAnP61lEuyIfF1JHXYBUc91kgq0vHDWk5cHYGjYDbGbm8zuBNdsrozdvp2bx6-Od6yQU1YBSu2mMIZR7CR4eUegCdisrKGW0RRUds8pcfXID8ch-K6ds-T0C/s1600/Genova+Italy+%252821%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNz9RICVYT_c6a7SWj2F97xAnP61lEuyIfF1JHXYBUc91kgq0vHDWk5cHYGjYDbGbm8zuBNdsrozdvp2bx6-Od6yQU1YBSu2mMIZR7CR4eUegCdisrKGW0RRUds8pcfXID8ch-K6ds-T0C/s320/Genova+Italy+%252821%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was one of two lions guarding the cathedral - <br />
I Love his face!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQK87ubT1VZ19DdemoKxK5cXes58NBUVKs-ddMtt-bXCDRa3soe4KXpbIfPeJvEKvWDS1MDFHj2DyX8dyTswPwLv4iFhyyaqUJfnDxgzHd5cHACxiMZ2GG09QAKUoMK8e-CWt9qRH2rz_z/s1600/Genova+Italy+%252823%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQK87ubT1VZ19DdemoKxK5cXes58NBUVKs-ddMtt-bXCDRa3soe4KXpbIfPeJvEKvWDS1MDFHj2DyX8dyTswPwLv4iFhyyaqUJfnDxgzHd5cHACxiMZ2GG09QAKUoMK8e-CWt9qRH2rz_z/s320/Genova+Italy+%252823%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Cathedral of Genova</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRE_JPExmES2aImYKbGk1l0tyUlB2kaELWxi4pNLzUngQlFisfEDCW9wPwb0tduVBUUDwa2-yfKd4VkUoKlEDvpUIcfRGd_9HtCfaSTBnL0FVJoGf9itxM9chdoBbaabr5Ddeg5m-WyhdS/s1600/Genova+Italy+%252825%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRE_JPExmES2aImYKbGk1l0tyUlB2kaELWxi4pNLzUngQlFisfEDCW9wPwb0tduVBUUDwa2-yfKd4VkUoKlEDvpUIcfRGd_9HtCfaSTBnL0FVJoGf9itxM9chdoBbaabr5Ddeg5m-WyhdS/s320/Genova+Italy+%252825%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The organ - gorgeous!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6L1OxKWi_cdgPFMkYAFx2kCH9UDWIEqqLrfEgsp1SlGgj5Wr4Jv8GZ4kqKZP24gq8v2gDWCEZjgVgpNYL53fsoDneLXKelBK1t3M8lwGM_UHydMbLbt_CJuYKs9jLrtgN3jJ4vnvjOO4/s1600/Genova+Italy+%252830%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6L1OxKWi_cdgPFMkYAFx2kCH9UDWIEqqLrfEgsp1SlGgj5Wr4Jv8GZ4kqKZP24gq8v2gDWCEZjgVgpNYL53fsoDneLXKelBK1t3M8lwGM_UHydMbLbt_CJuYKs9jLrtgN3jJ4vnvjOO4/s320/Genova+Italy+%252830%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last Gelato in Italy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHo3DUluE7Zka1J4nak6cBxxv8EE9ID9bzyNiNb83G_M-UTEWqGSGKhQ7SNApQpx3B7itB1Yxq8DHuxOnPNBXeQ_3zDEBnjVFIzVih9TkaXVv7oAHLr6pK-PQy0nzIJ2q2f7JozEhaaQ4Y/s1600/Genova+Italy+%252831%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHo3DUluE7Zka1J4nak6cBxxv8EE9ID9bzyNiNb83G_M-UTEWqGSGKhQ7SNApQpx3B7itB1Yxq8DHuxOnPNBXeQ_3zDEBnjVFIzVih9TkaXVv7oAHLr6pK-PQy0nzIJ2q2f7JozEhaaQ4Y/s320/Genova+Italy+%252831%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Even Andrew got a cone this time!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEuC60cb4eZclNPOYbNIezHYI_ejzIr6fwMq_v4m1Wtiwg149bLclNE_YLGSyJz0K4HjxUjRiRzyqtzoN8cFFJO8GjfXonnKc_W6eOFyIAcmLF7LiJOwyUxp3HEaubu6s39tXRKuaggmN/s1600/Genova+Italy+%252833%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEuC60cb4eZclNPOYbNIezHYI_ejzIr6fwMq_v4m1Wtiwg149bLclNE_YLGSyJz0K4HjxUjRiRzyqtzoN8cFFJO8GjfXonnKc_W6eOFyIAcmLF7LiJOwyUxp3HEaubu6s39tXRKuaggmN/s320/Genova+Italy+%252833%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strolling along the water</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQiljSQngG8J_L1OSRowooRDnOXZJtzfNvECFPtw4mtQVrpCMWB_aGFQJkw8YjvkTx5kHzeas0jgj0iPziQ1HV3zgdoGPk3Y3qbV7ik4Ao-7AnymxvzTyUp2OGFQzyZtgoRgVg7gCfBOK/s1600/Genova+Italy+%252834%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQiljSQngG8J_L1OSRowooRDnOXZJtzfNvECFPtw4mtQVrpCMWB_aGFQJkw8YjvkTx5kHzeas0jgj0iPziQ1HV3zgdoGPk3Y3qbV7ik4Ao-7AnymxvzTyUp2OGFQzyZtgoRgVg7gCfBOK/s320/Genova+Italy+%252834%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam and his BIG chocolate smile!</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On our last morning, Andrew and I woke up and went outside to find a familiar site from home – Hot air balloons were hovering quietly over the Tuscan countryside!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sat outside and watched them as they floated on by and then woke the kids up to pack our bags and head for Montpellier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the drive home, we decided to stop in Genova for one last look around an Italian city.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Genova is a port town, with many sailboats in a marina and several large vessels floating further out in the sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we walked from the parking garage to the marina district, we were amazed at the numerous yachts docked along the city – Huge, gorgeous, movie star style yachts with people cleaning and polishing every inch of them.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Agreeing on what to do once we arrived was, as usual, a struggle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although Andrew didn’t find an Office of Tourism in Genova, he did find an information booth with a very nice lady who spoke a little English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He discovered that there was a large pirate ship docked nearby that we could tour but was advised that there was not much onboard to see – the ship was used in a 1986 Roland Polanski movie starring Walter Mathau and Leslie Nielsen called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pirates</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed walking around the outside of the ship and taking pictures of the ornate carvings that adorned it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A large aquarium was also nearby but due to the ticket prices and the fact that we only had about 2 hours to walk around, we decided against going in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, we found a cafeteria connected to the aquarium and enjoyed a very expensive, not so wonderful, cafeteria lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Afterward, we walked around the old town of Genova and found a flea market, large church, museum and many sweet little shops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andrew enjoyed looking at paintings from local artists that lined the streets, many depicting Tuscan scenes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had always heard from Tracie and Neil, what wonderful coffee Italy had to offer – I remember looking forward to trying it while we visited, however, on our way from Tuscany to Genova, I realized that I never had<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>opportunity!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andrew tried to bring me coffee from town in the Piedmont and Tuscany apartments – the coffee from Piedmont was literally delivered in a Dixie cup – I've come to realize that the Europeans do NOT believe in coffee “to go”! After that experience, I decided to buy some coffee to have available in the Tuscany apartment and it was a good decision because when Andrew tried to find some coffee there, he had absolutely no luck!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the rest of the time, we were too busy running around seeing everything and the thought of trying the coffee had slipped away. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">While walking out of the town of Genova, back to the car, Andrew saw a brasserie offering coffee and asked if I wanted to try to get some – we went in and asked if I could, in fact, get a cup-o-joe to go and we were told yes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I waited anxiously to try real Italian coffee and when it was delivered I smiled, took the “cup”, said my grazies, and walked outside with the family wondering how I was going to walk and drink this coffee without spilling it all over the place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe that the “cup” used to accommodate my American way of not relaxing and enjoying my coffee in a chair, was actually a condiment container with a plastic lid that balanced on the container but in no way was meant to keep the liquid from sloshing out, down the side and all over my hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, the other part that may need to be explained is the fact that coffee, in Europe, unlike coffee in America, is actually Espresso, so the amount served is approximately the equivalent of a shot glass – sloshing around and losing, even a little bit, was sad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The coffee was o.k.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– it was probably better than “o.k.” but I was too worried about keeping up with the family and not spilling anything to truly enjoy the Italian coffee experience.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Leaving Genova was uneventful and we thought about other stops along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emma suggested stopping in Grasse again which I would have liked to do, however, by the time we would have arrived, all of the stores would have been closed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On to Antibes France we went – to see the sea and have dinner along the shore – well THAT didn’t actually happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After several suggestions to stop in Antibes and walk around the pretty little sea city, we ended up parking on the street and eating dinner at a Chinese restaurant!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emma and Adam finished dinner first and went for a walk to find the sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they returned and announced that they had found it, we paid the bill and started walking ---- to a little body of water filled with sailboats – well, we saw water in Antibes anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone was anxious to get home so that was the extent of our Antibes visit.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The most humorous part of our entire Italian adventure began about an hour outside of Montpellier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andrew drove Mo Mo along the highway, in the dark while the rest of us sat quietly in the car and I tried to find decent radio stations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point we heard a horn honk a couple of times so we looked around to see who was beeping at us but couldn’t determine which car or truck it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About a minute later, it happened again and then again and again until we realized that the car that was beeping was our own sweet Mo and Andrew was not involved!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Memories of the movie <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Herbie the Love Bug </i>came to mind as we cruised along A9 with our spontaneously honking horn – if we happened to be near another car when Mo decided to honk, we smiled and waved at the driver – by the time we got to our exit 29, we were all laughing very hard!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was at this point, when we got off at our exit and started driving through Montpellier, that Mo decided that she had had enough!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The horn, rather than spontaneously honking every minute or so, Stuck!<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Hoooooonnnnnnkkkkkk……</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pulled over, shut her off and restarted her, hoping that we might get lucky and solve the glitch that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, we discovered that the glitch with the horn was connected to the lights – if the lights were on, the horn was honking! So, the last 10 minutes of our trip home was in complete darkness unless we saw an oncoming car at which time we would turn on the hazard lights or turn on the lights and deal with the honking!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never a dull moment with us!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-16184033272176986642011-05-24T11:06:00.002+02:002011-06-01T10:11:10.043+02:00Siena Italy - April 30, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaMb-qaiO0RfbjKI66iOqJe3WTfLw4CTv6zfsbkSvbVUlRZsEfy4KYYbGvryo7FCYokLxP8SDkv0kCk1zyVhT05pBcDOcualk4smFQ0d7H_9WNdRdQ57-g68blc_VAbIlQEIdMjhrcdmO/s1600/Cooking+Class+4-30-11+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaMb-qaiO0RfbjKI66iOqJe3WTfLw4CTv6zfsbkSvbVUlRZsEfy4KYYbGvryo7FCYokLxP8SDkv0kCk1zyVhT05pBcDOcualk4smFQ0d7H_9WNdRdQ57-g68blc_VAbIlQEIdMjhrcdmO/s320/Cooking+Class+4-30-11+%25281%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nathan and I took a cooking class with an Italian Chef<br />
in Tuscany</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZEMcHyYhvNHeE8OYb13yzmxNpCCvYbL-uzm2MsHSfv-tllYAxwcctHcunpVsWdO23hbVGssr9Cd8rsBnjrsF8jOv2J0CFuu66kQb5gQZAfLCzuA4IyPzI5rC7EK4ZrcTWA0LgTr8BOpZ/s1600/Cooking+Class+4-30-11+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZEMcHyYhvNHeE8OYb13yzmxNpCCvYbL-uzm2MsHSfv-tllYAxwcctHcunpVsWdO23hbVGssr9Cd8rsBnjrsF8jOv2J0CFuu66kQb5gQZAfLCzuA4IyPzI5rC7EK4ZrcTWA0LgTr8BOpZ/s320/Cooking+Class+4-30-11+%25283%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learning how to use this rocking slicer !</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9C5XQ35ll2N6T68y-PWoTjVZ77rNJTmgGjiY-DV1a-a8q3lKhW1DnKDJ9RJg2M7QeSKWU9EEtGMp98QCo3AAZyuRSnmSmZToK4N6TKLDFPYGdDCv8WIjj9qKRbMMnO1sdQOmicbhzcU9h/s1600/Cooking+Class+4-30-11+%252811%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9C5XQ35ll2N6T68y-PWoTjVZ77rNJTmgGjiY-DV1a-a8q3lKhW1DnKDJ9RJg2M7QeSKWU9EEtGMp98QCo3AAZyuRSnmSmZToK4N6TKLDFPYGdDCv8WIjj9qKRbMMnO1sdQOmicbhzcU9h/s320/Cooking+Class+4-30-11+%252811%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Chef/Teacher Rosanna Passione of La Chiara di Prumiano</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYk7jdWAtFPSYQjwCLVc_ZzYo5zrhkuE8InQNY4dePl6Yilhj73SIhlmYdiJY4Mds4czYDJxlGR7KcebkfOMkMK-Je7uR_-wsW1NU-bD2eChi6TZ_PDbwtll-PorhzGkJfDkNJ2f9wi5AM/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%252897%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYk7jdWAtFPSYQjwCLVc_ZzYo5zrhkuE8InQNY4dePl6Yilhj73SIhlmYdiJY4Mds4czYDJxlGR7KcebkfOMkMK-Je7uR_-wsW1NU-bD2eChi6TZ_PDbwtll-PorhzGkJfDkNJ2f9wi5AM/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%252897%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basilica of St. Catherine</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LIBlZcVqqn0eRQcjgxRA8uYu0pNR7D7w8o5QyIyYu-yfzuqOVILsZPF2DzEefUt7zGIJLVuWQrObxFrBfWf8FgIoNIr9XO_XNwxfQRN3eYSWNaydRVCn4gMhygTFtfGROS-AHHmhJXxK/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%2528102%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LIBlZcVqqn0eRQcjgxRA8uYu0pNR7D7w8o5QyIyYu-yfzuqOVILsZPF2DzEefUt7zGIJLVuWQrObxFrBfWf8FgIoNIr9XO_XNwxfQRN3eYSWNaydRVCn4gMhygTFtfGROS-AHHmhJXxK/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%2528102%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering Siena</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUvnkAEW4Go1fQVcfXyagjaCsfAiS0Bcl_CyRdq4MJuSabJMH1IrLe5st5Z4KK7gguti0wHaJFaG_7SvxS-fi3qJ-XU4P4-Rd9rT13k1sadcXDvr2a_PKiax6VqO1KT5JtyNIdCKZWUoA/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%2528111%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUvnkAEW4Go1fQVcfXyagjaCsfAiS0Bcl_CyRdq4MJuSabJMH1IrLe5st5Z4KK7gguti0wHaJFaG_7SvxS-fi3qJ-XU4P4-Rd9rT13k1sadcXDvr2a_PKiax6VqO1KT5JtyNIdCKZWUoA/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%2528111%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We climbed that tower!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7dgk1ReejYb_TxTJJjor8LiS93-rIcTUCNII1UWtbDYVHHQtQoLgbfNEwDMc6jPd5RbpaK3oLMZuosw09Dmj_HyW3m5PU3EgE0oW2kXgZ7Gltbbs4gYTGWi7xIpNHjXt3z6F08DxHiFbX/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%2528114%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7dgk1ReejYb_TxTJJjor8LiS93-rIcTUCNII1UWtbDYVHHQtQoLgbfNEwDMc6jPd5RbpaK3oLMZuosw09Dmj_HyW3m5PU3EgE0oW2kXgZ7Gltbbs4gYTGWi7xIpNHjXt3z6F08DxHiFbX/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%2528114%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The square</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYHyaBIGVie4RuHkj-LmKGQafbZGGeGSmpXplPotOuuE_kJj7_zyFUe_O0v8ucHerPXfMYMbcHbNlRIesFhNuwD6oWSk-ZonqDbFGRr3lwlwJa5jXWTO8yTo_JW8Xm0P5uZLGLv-rADNS/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%2528117%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYHyaBIGVie4RuHkj-LmKGQafbZGGeGSmpXplPotOuuE_kJj7_zyFUe_O0v8ucHerPXfMYMbcHbNlRIesFhNuwD6oWSk-ZonqDbFGRr3lwlwJa5jXWTO8yTo_JW8Xm0P5uZLGLv-rADNS/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%2528117%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learning about torture!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fLOl-b_qxx2DC-aMfI2kDv8QaZErjuS_utU0uQZ3BEbXl0lnT_pXDKktzm8oK1od8-DLJTyvYGLzXvd4yAzj86y51NOMPWimDUhbx-4HV1tk7a_FrFr78OMV-Z_GPELbOwVuM1P3mCf5/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%2528118%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fLOl-b_qxx2DC-aMfI2kDv8QaZErjuS_utU0uQZ3BEbXl0lnT_pXDKktzm8oK1od8-DLJTyvYGLzXvd4yAzj86y51NOMPWimDUhbx-4HV1tk7a_FrFr78OMV-Z_GPELbOwVuM1P3mCf5/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%2528118%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor Adam</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcziVLMiAOSdwQh2P-Qz-Q2Z9eFylNyYQ1fW0SOnuZm7RQBMbKPS-VTrtXM4LBDGHNxwrm1pXTewJTSFOhm2RFFcAiXxtCvx_If3wJTn0yocXJCDfV9rp9Cs6CAsXKd8_GtaWkc7MQ2Vwc/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%2528119%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcziVLMiAOSdwQh2P-Qz-Q2Z9eFylNyYQ1fW0SOnuZm7RQBMbKPS-VTrtXM4LBDGHNxwrm1pXTewJTSFOhm2RFFcAiXxtCvx_If3wJTn0yocXJCDfV9rp9Cs6CAsXKd8_GtaWkc7MQ2Vwc/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%2528119%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy's enjoying the torture a little too much!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5woThZ1NI4IlMRrGXtjaWNFVwBnreDVBrrvew9e3mRn-1j1iiiOgX5uZndv_JEkdD_q8xzT4kcz5knvveRr576jBxbE8EXfhjy1qHSgg-GzXBLieUZpkwI5exEZfY9rn47G7mhiGTWRzg/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%2528135%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5woThZ1NI4IlMRrGXtjaWNFVwBnreDVBrrvew9e3mRn-1j1iiiOgX5uZndv_JEkdD_q8xzT4kcz5knvveRr576jBxbE8EXfhjy1qHSgg-GzXBLieUZpkwI5exEZfY9rn47G7mhiGTWRzg/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%2528135%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing the tower</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrbpVw9VK79u1ifx8yWvEAV6COo11pQ6Eb28r2zzajwUVV_sRV8_8ks4OliXxZyPgKEArCfcMdaI2EPofoFsCrGIxaHnrx61jC1kSqtdVGp_Guga5MkssCT7Lmm6ksHftIzvrrIQzFcLm/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%2528126%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrbpVw9VK79u1ifx8yWvEAV6COo11pQ6Eb28r2zzajwUVV_sRV8_8ks4OliXxZyPgKEArCfcMdaI2EPofoFsCrGIxaHnrx61jC1kSqtdVGp_Guga5MkssCT7Lmm6ksHftIzvrrIQzFcLm/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%2528126%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy and his little girl</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9KFZ0gB3OjDecnhTLGRqjt4L7nViWgfHI_pAXfvtEuAqR3fcXEhEfIuBUsOBXel1K07cr0ktn8-nUOPSsT8lO3ye0cABfCOdUxkhmtvaUqjBeM2VUHiAH08hndEKSxglJBoKZX5gq3Mi/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%2528128%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9KFZ0gB3OjDecnhTLGRqjt4L7nViWgfHI_pAXfvtEuAqR3fcXEhEfIuBUsOBXel1K07cr0ktn8-nUOPSsT8lO3ye0cABfCOdUxkhmtvaUqjBeM2VUHiAH08hndEKSxglJBoKZX5gq3Mi/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%2528128%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the wayyyyy top</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIoPGUQPTOjAhhBOuWrhEDRm0H2YSIV6fvvilsN7m-F6fRVRtRIzsShN3_5YDAo3NKQ6OKki-C9AsSoIa3CphEM3ubh6vx2ln_KRb5rFbRKLFD_70ApW9IjqcqOvVJJndO9k3RwHl6dG-0/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%2528133%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIoPGUQPTOjAhhBOuWrhEDRm0H2YSIV6fvvilsN7m-F6fRVRtRIzsShN3_5YDAo3NKQ6OKki-C9AsSoIa3CphEM3ubh6vx2ln_KRb5rFbRKLFD_70ApW9IjqcqOvVJJndO9k3RwHl6dG-0/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%2528133%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZ59XvVQYna1SQRFIy-wC_9e1in02lOl7-ktSBxL7bxTM6-HUXdW7MRXz5nd9RUX3KsGbiZkzaax-x2j7v8qpNS7dnSjA4LWQCCH2pKRjrNhEwNBYJTs52yrlQhTbNuNqazN3ZTMKctYo/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%2528144%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZ59XvVQYna1SQRFIy-wC_9e1in02lOl7-ktSBxL7bxTM6-HUXdW7MRXz5nd9RUX3KsGbiZkzaax-x2j7v8qpNS7dnSjA4LWQCCH2pKRjrNhEwNBYJTs52yrlQhTbNuNqazN3ZTMKctYo/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%2528144%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down the staircase - we climbed up that!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTsKpDOB9VoIbostkSeGIDOyrsSs9wzafgvbYqh7xpipFWff2reLWINr2RKt79eD5x36TYaF4YswdQXeAbHU7EzaqSh-8NzXvTvGyegMcDNbMgCURrKcu51qSgyrnY92NwhnXVqKn-xBkd/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%2528148%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTsKpDOB9VoIbostkSeGIDOyrsSs9wzafgvbYqh7xpipFWff2reLWINr2RKt79eD5x36TYaF4YswdQXeAbHU7EzaqSh-8NzXvTvGyegMcDNbMgCURrKcu51qSgyrnY92NwhnXVqKn-xBkd/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%2528148%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A treat for a climb well done</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJYPaN-iJmsZegb7rp03W_ulK13Uv-on_z69yl_PkxMuqZd_4TwqFX1vJc0r6fv0nVBOZKDQe-0GTBih5GE7VWgauJXVVw9TMMleLsvQzQkQhrNpPng-lt46od3GPpaAOX0Iv-_g8PwRY/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%2528150%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJYPaN-iJmsZegb7rp03W_ulK13Uv-on_z69yl_PkxMuqZd_4TwqFX1vJc0r6fv0nVBOZKDQe-0GTBih5GE7VWgauJXVVw9TMMleLsvQzQkQhrNpPng-lt46od3GPpaAOX0Iv-_g8PwRY/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%2528150%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many flavors, so little money!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0liOjRKq-gido9qab0DdSoiinhf9inP91MREuIJA-2MTDUZ-TpaXTuNTugOpsSYbjy5Q7SVgfhGsUcqpfJKOBW0-XfXfKXnbRFhVVbcn8tkyCZa8aOHq64VB6-BBY27dx9n4ZlrC33gIs/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%2528152%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0liOjRKq-gido9qab0DdSoiinhf9inP91MREuIJA-2MTDUZ-TpaXTuNTugOpsSYbjy5Q7SVgfhGsUcqpfJKOBW0-XfXfKXnbRFhVVbcn8tkyCZa8aOHq64VB6-BBY27dx9n4ZlrC33gIs/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%2528152%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummmmm</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJ70Brl1XtsEMAwpAusw9nt8a1DLEvUibzEujUU_XZ2VXHny5Jtj2QKhRJhehBlu__SGwG3XMX4cX9BF5xIrfw0dzdyYAhUzZHBWX6z23v6o-iDtZeX1Ol_1GQpXZLE6rxqUOxDHd85iJ/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%2528153%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJ70Brl1XtsEMAwpAusw9nt8a1DLEvUibzEujUU_XZ2VXHny5Jtj2QKhRJhehBlu__SGwG3XMX4cX9BF5xIrfw0dzdyYAhUzZHBWX6z23v6o-iDtZeX1Ol_1GQpXZLE6rxqUOxDHd85iJ/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%2528153%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKb_DjwIXhhhrGtW2zqjMrMcbKQ6642fwFVV5_3F86JT5PMvZml6K4Y3aOtjL84iHPrwJyv24dQg2hIC4dBNsViLf0T5meRksVUzeMi_aaa7D1yeSh8Za8ju-3D28uyjtoiu6n-O2qv-K/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%2528159%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKb_DjwIXhhhrGtW2zqjMrMcbKQ6642fwFVV5_3F86JT5PMvZml6K4Y3aOtjL84iHPrwJyv24dQg2hIC4dBNsViLf0T5meRksVUzeMi_aaa7D1yeSh8Za8ju-3D28uyjtoiu6n-O2qv-K/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%2528159%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet little store </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FObirnpYDqNCNGFVboqqyU9R6IJ6k8kLvhw9ds8qrm-63Uh2zH5D3CyPYKZ2xrKUbj95rLaouOnljVQhqITA5Bww9sJcQysED7Uu9ROadSv5LUCODHLYWNLIyF7ZtcNvzw9prnJvZ_SK/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%2528172%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FObirnpYDqNCNGFVboqqyU9R6IJ6k8kLvhw9ds8qrm-63Uh2zH5D3CyPYKZ2xrKUbj95rLaouOnljVQhqITA5Bww9sJcQysED7Uu9ROadSv5LUCODHLYWNLIyF7ZtcNvzw9prnJvZ_SK/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%2528172%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We happened to be in Siena for the 550th anniversary<br />
of the canonization of St. Catherine by Pope Pius II</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGP2hEifV863xG90LfrCR9yq0FfR80f7gugWseHwgZXVXSGh1MuZ3AAnDiHfeffAejPMF7ULBDadWkeC63H3gsHIo0tLOaPFaGWFk4A5w-aXeKWMAGCMWM4H_9buc95i3y7MDe9UaSfTk/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%2528173%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGP2hEifV863xG90LfrCR9yq0FfR80f7gugWseHwgZXVXSGh1MuZ3AAnDiHfeffAejPMF7ULBDadWkeC63H3gsHIo0tLOaPFaGWFk4A5w-aXeKWMAGCMWM4H_9buc95i3y7MDe9UaSfTk/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%2528173%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys trying on some Italian leather jackets</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjuGHgfkgZdEEGAEanG77-9AKW9e744oICC2VuiNd_3XU9uQMmLRC6keIbWGN8Tn18q7hdTe2yMdFiccq9AOJYTltzGQEMEHcYUs6sgRJQQqKHWJA6XBjICt7WIHUz1k6bA9jew3Im4o3/s1600/Siena-Procession+for+St.+Catherine+550+yrs+canonization+-+4-30-11+%252822%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjuGHgfkgZdEEGAEanG77-9AKW9e744oICC2VuiNd_3XU9uQMmLRC6keIbWGN8Tn18q7hdTe2yMdFiccq9AOJYTltzGQEMEHcYUs6sgRJQQqKHWJA6XBjICt7WIHUz1k6bA9jew3Im4o3/s320/Siena-Procession+for+St.+Catherine+550+yrs+canonization+-+4-30-11+%252822%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The procession with St. Catherine's head</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVYcaijztAxowlHrcC5zpdTHBkM_RDoK87CnwSYKB1Pgxy0Cpp_13nd9A4NeS8_ryLmYbHrEi6cgWosbMpWMJS5iu4axMcI-3Iwj2zLUP_zzRPnIOYpX6-UGSMc0cIpOW6UKmRIHHSihn/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%252894%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVYcaijztAxowlHrcC5zpdTHBkM_RDoK87CnwSYKB1Pgxy0Cpp_13nd9A4NeS8_ryLmYbHrEi6cgWosbMpWMJS5iu4axMcI-3Iwj2zLUP_zzRPnIOYpX6-UGSMc0cIpOW6UKmRIHHSihn/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%252894%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes! That IS a real pizza!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRsfrhyrxriO5gxK9dhy56PPiEglBfSiKTkLoupd-I9_HDlcKx4gQJoL5aGlbVafsOaDHsr13hacNzTS6wHgSIlJk62CccHOM1-GsVCDiahavbkYaJaRUzhFwFsdLQQcVZwgymixzA5zB/s1600/Siena+4-30-11+%252895%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRsfrhyrxriO5gxK9dhy56PPiEglBfSiKTkLoupd-I9_HDlcKx4gQJoL5aGlbVafsOaDHsr13hacNzTS6wHgSIlJk62CccHOM1-GsVCDiahavbkYaJaRUzhFwFsdLQQcVZwgymixzA5zB/s320/Siena+4-30-11+%252895%2529.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HUGE! And delicious!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Saturday began with a cooking class for Nathan and me with an Italian chef. The idea came from the literature about our apartment/hotel, that offered the cooking class, however, when we inquired about signing up for it, we were told that the chef was in the hospital and not able to teach at that time. Another chef at a local restaurant located close to the apartment was recommended as a substitute so we signed up with her.<br />
<br />
Andy drove us to the restaurant, which actually turned out to be an Inn for people or groups of people who came for various retreats or conferences ie: Yoga, spritual meditation, etc... - it was a wonderful location for those typed of groups and the Inn was aged, stone, quaint and, of course, surrounded by vineyards and a garden from which the vegetables and herbs that are used for cooking, are grown.<br />
<br />
Nathan and I learned how to make homemade saffron fettuccine with zucchini and cherry tomatoes, Savoury chicken with herbs and olives and a chocolate cake from scratch. We also received a couple more recipes that were not made that day. Although Rosanna Passione (the chef/teacher), was very nice and taught us delicious recipes, we were disappointed overall with the class because we were not involved with the cooking at all. The two of us were the only students and we just stood in the kitchen and watched Ms. Passione create the meal. Nathan and I assumed that it was to be a more "hands on" type of class. We'll know to ask more questions before signing up from now on!<br />
<br />
Andrew arrived to pick us up just in time to help us eat the food - lucky guy, it was good! From La Chiara di Prumiano, we picked up Emma and Adam and went to Siena - just south of S'ant Appiano. Andrew dropped the rest of us off and parked Mo Mo while Nathan, Emma, Adam and I went into the Basilica of St. Catherine where we had heard St. Catherine's head is encased in glass. Sure enough - we found it! Pictures were forbidden in the church so we did not get a photo of the head.<br />
<br />
When Andrew arrived, we walked into the town of Siena and found a snack for our hungry children - Pizza of course! The slices were large and delicious! Then on to find the Office of Tourism and plot out our activities for the day. The office was located in the Piazza del Campo, the main Square, we were given a map and some suggestions of things to do which included climbing the Torre del Mangia on the other side of the square and some walking tours. There was to be a procession at 4:30 beginning at St. Catherine's Basilica through many of the streets in Siena. During the course of the day, we heard drums and saw little groups of costumed men throughout the city whom I assumed were preparing for the procession.<br />
<br />
The whole family agreed that climbing the tower was a good idea since we had such spectacular views from the tower in Pisa. In order to purchase the tickets for the tower, we climbed about three flights of stairs to the office (Emma and I were already winded by the time we got to the ticket office). When it was our turn to purchase the tickets, we were informed that cash was the only form of payment accepted - ugh! Back down the stairs to find a bank machine that may or may not work with our bank card! We did find a machine and by some stroke of luck - Andy guessed the right code and we were able to get some cold cash for our climb! Back up we went, got our tickets and began our climb. <br />
<br />
The stairway was much more narrow than the one in Pisa and there were fewer "resting" places. Several times during the climb, we were forced to stop to let people coming down the steps, pass us - there were many languages spoken and a lot of laughter when that happend! It was fun! The view from the top was wonderful - Siena is a beautiful old city and it was certainly worth the climb to see it from that vantage point. We met a family from Australia at the top who had been touring around Europe climbing towers for the past month - mom, dad and two teenaged sons - they were having a fun time too! <br />
<br />
After the climb, we rewarded ourselves with gelato and walked the streets of Siena. We tried to go on one of the walking tours but got turned around at some point and were no longer on the "tour" depicted on the map so we made up our own tour! We enjoyed looking around the little shops, sitting in the square and watching the people. <br />
<br />
One of the shops that we found sold leather goods made in Tuscany - we went back to that store a couple of times and in the end I purchased a new wallet to match my purse and a new briefcase type bag for work! Adam and Andy tried on leather jackets but didn't love them enough to bring them home. While in the shop, we heard the drums again and saw the saleslady who was helping me, head toward the door. She was very nice and motioned for all of us to follow her. When we approached the door, the drums got louder and we saw a parade of Priests, other religious people (ie: nuns, bishops??), and many men who were dressed in costumes reminding me of court jesters. St. Catherine's head was carried through the streets also. The lady explained that the town was celebrating the 550th anniversary of the canonization of St. Catherine who was from Siena - wow! Did we time this visit well! <br />
<br />
The various "court jesters" were from different sections of Siena and each group representing the various sections, carried their corresponding flag. At the end of the parade, many townspeople followed the procession which was headed to the Piazza del Campo (square). It was a sight to see and we felt very fortunate to witness such an event.<br />
<br />
During this time, Nathan had gone on his own to find an Italian flag (he has decided to collect flags from the various countries we visit), which he found and purchased. After the procession, we found Nathan and a nice quiet restaurant for dinner and ate pasta (of course!) The dinner was good, but we just couldn't resist heading back to the pizza shop and ordering one for the road. The pizza was HUGE (as you can see from the photo above!). The pizza guys were very friendly, made our pizza, snapped some pictures and we were headed back to the car --- munching on slices along the way! Siena was great!La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-56287276039760149972011-05-20T13:13:00.008+02:002011-06-01T09:17:03.092+02:00FIRENZE !! - Florence Italy - April 28, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwHtkRlNQrVcXGx7K9IbPA9POEEV_NXp0BhQgvjf_HKQwrMO6BCWyYI9ruBKyz-xW5jdOV77yU0sU6oGcIfIwbOdyx9F61kJnTJFA6d8UIqtMmozF5d0snPHib9WB-ShPmjYW4jFernRn/s1600/sant+appiano+%252833%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwHtkRlNQrVcXGx7K9IbPA9POEEV_NXp0BhQgvjf_HKQwrMO6BCWyYI9ruBKyz-xW5jdOV77yU0sU6oGcIfIwbOdyx9F61kJnTJFA6d8UIqtMmozF5d0snPHib9WB-ShPmjYW4jFernRn/s320/sant+appiano+%252833%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made it! Fattoria S'ant Appiano is<br />
between Florence & Sienna in the Tuscany<br />
Region of Italy</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDQ1y1g7BPVWfJHB0G9Uz9QbG2N49WXiBZTqp4GZiX9M1viYGU8HwZMKRaOnRi8U-NpfcwiSqBFyjEfeV-eJ7BihQy_DOQlUJPGYT8cHLAKdFTfrcspv-UWvh_-XfhNg8yFJkzVaObrQw/s1600/Fattoria+S%2527Appiano-Italy+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDQ1y1g7BPVWfJHB0G9Uz9QbG2N49WXiBZTqp4GZiX9M1viYGU8HwZMKRaOnRi8U-NpfcwiSqBFyjEfeV-eJ7BihQy_DOQlUJPGYT8cHLAKdFTfrcspv-UWvh_-XfhNg8yFJkzVaObrQw/s320/Fattoria+S%2527Appiano-Italy+%25285%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Tuscany home - set in the gorgeous Tuscan countryside</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-D69N2R0GOQRVJISMtsYlB2vZb9KCsLT8q-nZLoaSFjjR0cWC5rnJvLw4XYDG9_R-vkst-FuF-GJ_G32sUldYh6-b114tlcBMJOMeYifQF5jamMd-CxDRBvTuE4y-ZiFr98bh9wj5PvQ8/s1600/Fattoria+S%2527Appiano-Italy+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-D69N2R0GOQRVJISMtsYlB2vZb9KCsLT8q-nZLoaSFjjR0cWC5rnJvLw4XYDG9_R-vkst-FuF-GJ_G32sUldYh6-b114tlcBMJOMeYifQF5jamMd-CxDRBvTuE4y-ZiFr98bh9wj5PvQ8/s320/Fattoria+S%2527Appiano-Italy+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our front door - looking at the town</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVYTjhllVXFGt_pev9vhkvZ02eU2844toF5D3SrL0o4TZVoyrMwOGeAMTn1K-Oe9dFVYF2hjDdmLpKOWrJBJWlP6dmDc6NKfV_m33pFuJemevsB_sH7jIQ7s_HHYXDQRfI-p0AvJNGdP_K/s1600/Fattoria+S%2527Appiano-Italy+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVYTjhllVXFGt_pev9vhkvZ02eU2844toF5D3SrL0o4TZVoyrMwOGeAMTn1K-Oe9dFVYF2hjDdmLpKOWrJBJWlP6dmDc6NKfV_m33pFuJemevsB_sH7jIQ7s_HHYXDQRfI-p0AvJNGdP_K/s320/Fattoria+S%2527Appiano-Italy+%252810%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a relaxing evening outside</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1UDfo-9yuNe029E7hQQAbiSySh9C3KWGm7rURUdlUPcRWY3UmpbgScXWR-IEi1KVRZtHl5B1kqyohSL4XfY4FLx1X_J_YVu-RIVYfQ6P_U7Ajo0CDcNeoHoDBE8t-1b7433Nz-ZWql1c/s1600/Florence+Italy+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1UDfo-9yuNe029E7hQQAbiSySh9C3KWGm7rURUdlUPcRWY3UmpbgScXWR-IEi1KVRZtHl5B1kqyohSL4XfY4FLx1X_J_YVu-RIVYfQ6P_U7Ajo0CDcNeoHoDBE8t-1b7433Nz-ZWql1c/s320/Florence+Italy+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering Florence!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_25lXD5_Gi7eMxC7N3br6-2jSnAMbtxnV58ZQkJkm9evIvH4m0t6AsF_fY22x4Vg3zESkmj41kiN0XUPTE4fL59hHPizEsY94FWl-Wj9f612SVGYN8nakooVKlDBcPXBZslXELY57IO9d/s1600/Florence+Italy+%252814%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_25lXD5_Gi7eMxC7N3br6-2jSnAMbtxnV58ZQkJkm9evIvH4m0t6AsF_fY22x4Vg3zESkmj41kiN0XUPTE4fL59hHPizEsY94FWl-Wj9f612SVGYN8nakooVKlDBcPXBZslXELY57IO9d/s320/Florence+Italy+%252814%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the Ponte Vecchio - lined with jewlery stores<br />
and tourist shops</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigDkHX2QFDh3exQ3z0jOSFM2d8XSIMdC7ZKI2VmNLWq0YBMkbi_c-_Yvcayi625Nq39-BF9qhAO4LQ6lYH4_9nXBI_V8A3VYGZWryPvMjeADUyn46T7Sj4J1oHOhKxSy1IwudluXAt08c8/s1600/Florence+Italy+%252817%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigDkHX2QFDh3exQ3z0jOSFM2d8XSIMdC7ZKI2VmNLWq0YBMkbi_c-_Yvcayi625Nq39-BF9qhAO4LQ6lYH4_9nXBI_V8A3VYGZWryPvMjeADUyn46T7Sj4J1oHOhKxSy1IwudluXAt08c8/s320/Florence+Italy+%252817%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ponte Vecchio - <br />
Built in the 10th century, damaged by floods over time<br />
and then restored in 1345</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG82Oc3VzkU1CBiflv3tMvWRG-OhFnHCB9V6DbAJ5ykXfPHhgdwaT15S-bFrnrNjseYUba1V3ui4exrEmsIorV57ygvelfOGCoL9BD0L8szFB-V8jfyWo7EiFl1XUCzZb9pAYgt7ptT2eA/s1600/Florence+Italy+%252821%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG82Oc3VzkU1CBiflv3tMvWRG-OhFnHCB9V6DbAJ5ykXfPHhgdwaT15S-bFrnrNjseYUba1V3ui4exrEmsIorV57ygvelfOGCoL9BD0L8szFB-V8jfyWo7EiFl1XUCzZb9pAYgt7ptT2eA/s320/Florence+Italy+%252821%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Florence's Icons, it was the<br />
only bridge in Florence spared by the Germans <br />
as they retreated in 1944</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nGBFG_ftpxCNUdAWAqZENY17B3WJ6iychi_i1Nh5GlB3LLn0UZYEqXavN75kCCH0snuGseCbcPwEk_QtVZpqaKqVPCK6c3Tn-dYOikCy45tgLcDWk3tzsjRhk0s2x1eaKr2lgsz1Vyam/s1600/Florence+Italy+%252822%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nGBFG_ftpxCNUdAWAqZENY17B3WJ6iychi_i1Nh5GlB3LLn0UZYEqXavN75kCCH0snuGseCbcPwEk_QtVZpqaKqVPCK6c3Tn-dYOikCy45tgLcDWk3tzsjRhk0s2x1eaKr2lgsz1Vyam/s320/Florence+Italy+%252822%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the scene over the Arno River which divides<br />
the north & south sides of Florence</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqG6yHI6jG3uXhZ_Nm0ZWRXC0nNnntt21B-EYztcA1RIPbA-SmE_uL_BLZlghEgaTnNLLdH9OVf5b6pPbyoZqCWi4Wkn2Xw7b6MslNSxEMIcpil67dKuC1FNh29vCGOH8vynEvZsr4wp84/s1600/Florence+Italy+%252825%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqG6yHI6jG3uXhZ_Nm0ZWRXC0nNnntt21B-EYztcA1RIPbA-SmE_uL_BLZlghEgaTnNLLdH9OVf5b6pPbyoZqCWi4Wkn2Xw7b6MslNSxEMIcpil67dKuC1FNh29vCGOH8vynEvZsr4wp84/s320/Florence+Italy+%252825%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love Padlocks - locked to a railing between the Arno<br />
and the Uffizi Art Museum</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZmBm_CV6qna0VWQnporD4Qe3408CDZJvj-mzCKgjwZWaSjuXLgI7vZ0o9c04ZZmgCUt3qMxiHZZnGn5mSr7k39LSXqlzx2nV7BlwfGYubAozlKAoU4ivjGRZgzjjJP8TdDb5CLq98PDy/s1600/Florence+Italy+%252836%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZmBm_CV6qna0VWQnporD4Qe3408CDZJvj-mzCKgjwZWaSjuXLgI7vZ0o9c04ZZmgCUt3qMxiHZZnGn5mSr7k39LSXqlzx2nV7BlwfGYubAozlKAoU4ivjGRZgzjjJP8TdDb5CLq98PDy/s320/Florence+Italy+%252836%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdnHLMNFJ7Z35hzESlpy0dyq_obmeHSgj1NUTUwtGD3cG7GdXePM2CNWXMCOBVsX9JKcaQfJefa1e5y36mcamCB4hi83z_UOrvUlDOl5rMSyf0Ht-pHB7viiGR8b2lz8s8ETF0NRjj_mm/s1600/Florence+Italy+%252841%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdnHLMNFJ7Z35hzESlpy0dyq_obmeHSgj1NUTUwtGD3cG7GdXePM2CNWXMCOBVsX9JKcaQfJefa1e5y36mcamCB4hi83z_UOrvUlDOl5rMSyf0Ht-pHB7viiGR8b2lz8s8ETF0NRjj_mm/s320/Florence+Italy+%252841%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many market squares in Florence</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaNQkFePqVsDqWHahGRXn4PeaHdaF_qqRvV5VutYStachsLFmenOGwwdpD2M9nSBtgMNgLddvT7OBqfE7MYq_hckVeklBp-bBKApLrxE4nJDxMSuRaFvB8PTUvAOSFa35fsqubhN0_qJo/s1600/Florence+Italy+%252847%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaNQkFePqVsDqWHahGRXn4PeaHdaF_qqRvV5VutYStachsLFmenOGwwdpD2M9nSBtgMNgLddvT7OBqfE7MYq_hckVeklBp-bBKApLrxE4nJDxMSuRaFvB8PTUvAOSFa35fsqubhN0_qJo/s320/Florence+Italy+%252847%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perche No! - Wonderful Gelateria </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyO_IsbfeLIxtdgDCHuF8tLGGRpIidhruAFWxV4LDSumcjnIxVRXKjooCmcw3X3C-jvHdz0iEu6fGKPviGYTA2IT5pTakyrw4fXpMhW2ONH7JmXgL_YLZkv7vtlL-FfSpSxBiyyx1iAvsW/s1600/Florence+Italy+%252881%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyO_IsbfeLIxtdgDCHuF8tLGGRpIidhruAFWxV4LDSumcjnIxVRXKjooCmcw3X3C-jvHdz0iEu6fGKPviGYTA2IT5pTakyrw4fXpMhW2ONH7JmXgL_YLZkv7vtlL-FfSpSxBiyyx1iAvsW/s320/Florence+Italy+%252881%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piazza della Signoria - Florence's most famous square</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboJ8VlJrluxtoRGYrnomEMjZywTZeBo3dQu_PdlAtCPa3Qy4-o7YCZlU0B8jMmUo8TodxCBjI0CWGIUnUD7Ry1rTy1WquZr1TIWkftvqHBRKu56j2RAMvW935r0pCbC7hKH_vVWQjN9Um/s1600/Florence+Italy+%252852%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboJ8VlJrluxtoRGYrnomEMjZywTZeBo3dQu_PdlAtCPa3Qy4-o7YCZlU0B8jMmUo8TodxCBjI0CWGIUnUD7Ry1rTy1WquZr1TIWkftvqHBRKu56j2RAMvW935r0pCbC7hKH_vVWQjN9Um/s320/Florence+Italy+%252852%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many statues in the square</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_RfU5-A0U0l_L8PajBi3uy5Uh4hd4q03xR5t3UtmkAawCkpqrtBAcqhfnMp-Q3uefl3GHUj6LDDMDFYa9tDb_v9Fb1p4UoyOWWSJpj75DTAIYTUj1x4Ok2FiSXhVqsqKO2PtKPowj4ZM/s1600/Florence+Italy+%252858%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_RfU5-A0U0l_L8PajBi3uy5Uh4hd4q03xR5t3UtmkAawCkpqrtBAcqhfnMp-Q3uefl3GHUj6LDDMDFYa9tDb_v9Fb1p4UoyOWWSJpj75DTAIYTUj1x4Ok2FiSXhVqsqKO2PtKPowj4ZM/s320/Florence+Italy+%252858%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family - acting like sculptures</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6lbJcuz9sGqYpVCCpGXwbixlZAY0qTJuVzLvB701Nz-na3I3uu3qLcXigT5NccHuX5ETFHzzBTXKwDsKt3vj062YW_klOrquAu0josJChzjqPY-_jIWPq2YxI2oslR8eQE9JSsGoGRyh/s1600/Florence+Italy+%252883%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6lbJcuz9sGqYpVCCpGXwbixlZAY0qTJuVzLvB701Nz-na3I3uu3qLcXigT5NccHuX5ETFHzzBTXKwDsKt3vj062YW_klOrquAu0josJChzjqPY-_jIWPq2YxI2oslR8eQE9JSsGoGRyh/s320/Florence+Italy+%252883%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our second gelato of the day!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha56uk9m9S9HFE4N_GGNlydNec4IUQutNPhUMKHh7dD57oIhexmHktXZkulhEegk4Aq-BJmDh71os9VLeHXNGUE917-WBeX3xa28rzKeM4QT6rgIrISUufBcie0_ZHGl-PzaP5Lfmoa4w0/s1600/Florence+Italy+-+Edited+%252891%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha56uk9m9S9HFE4N_GGNlydNec4IUQutNPhUMKHh7dD57oIhexmHktXZkulhEegk4Aq-BJmDh71os9VLeHXNGUE917-WBeX3xa28rzKeM4QT6rgIrISUufBcie0_ZHGl-PzaP5Lfmoa4w0/s320/Florence+Italy+-+Edited+%252891%2529.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greek Orthodox church where<br />
a friend will be married the day that<br />
we fly out of Europe!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJq8HTcsIy5fErTR4DJ6NdmWzXmj16EKJJbjuQniV7sbowzKczK_1h-2OvbFfhvneEcSHtbBYqZZkE1ZZDEstyhhyphenhyphen041kOcHX05FM8WJelx4rQcdPa9pmuRLqpAYO-3vOBklhzci4iAT9Y/s1600/Tuscany+Countryside+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJq8HTcsIy5fErTR4DJ6NdmWzXmj16EKJJbjuQniV7sbowzKczK_1h-2OvbFfhvneEcSHtbBYqZZkE1ZZDEstyhhyphenhyphen041kOcHX05FM8WJelx4rQcdPa9pmuRLqpAYO-3vOBklhzci4iAT9Y/s320/Tuscany+Countryside+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the Tuscan countryside from the back of our<br />
apartment</td></tr>
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Since it was dark outside when we arrived in Tuscany, we had not seen the view that welcomed us on Thursday night. After a long day of sight seeing, getting lost and then finally finding S'ant Appiano, we were driven from the office, to our apartment and went to bed. Our apartment was very sweet - two large bedrooms with armoirs, a bathroom, kitchen and dining area with fireplace. Although there was a television in this apartment, we did not turn it on. The wooden french doors that led outside from the dining area looked out over the vineyards and blue skies in the morning. When we woke up, Andrew and I walked outside to discover the beauty of Tuscany that surrounded us. Vineyards, hills and valleys, and a quaint little town on a hill that was Fattoria S'ant Appiano. Andrew walked over to the main office and talked with the owner and her daughter on Friday morning to get the information that we would need to get to Florence (The daughter who helped run the business was fairly easy to talk with and very nice - Andy and the mom, who spoke no English at all, hit it off well and formed some kind of bond!). The kids woke up earlier than they would have liked since we had reserved tickets to the Uffizi Museum, and we all prepared for the day. We made it to Florence with no problem but had to stop at a gas station to ask where to park! We found a great place on the edge of the old town, left Mo Mo and went to find the Office of tourism and explore the Renaissance city of Florence.<br />
<br />
The office of tourism in Florence (or at least one of them) was hidden behind the square where the Basilica of Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross) is located. The Basilica is the principal Franciscan Church in Florence and the largest Franciscan church in the world. This church is where such famous Italians as Michelangelo and Galileo are buried. Andrew and I had the kids take our picture in front of this church because it was a roman catholic church with a star of David prominently displayed on the front wall. After some research, I discovered the following:<br />
<br />
<em><span style="color: yellow;">The </span></em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Campanile" title="Campanile"><em><span style="color: yellow;">campanile</span></em></a><em><span style="color: yellow;"> was built in 1842, replacing an earlier one damaged by lightning. The </span></em><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Neo-Gothic" title="Neo-Gothic"><em><span style="color: yellow;">neo-Gothic</span></em></a><em><span style="color: yellow;"> marble façade, by Nicolò Matas, dates from 1857-1863.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: yellow;">A Jewish architect Niccolo Matas from Ancona, designed the church's 19th century neo-Gothic facade, working a prominent Star of David into the composition. Matas had wanted to be buried with his peers but because he was Jewish, he was buried under the porch and not within the walls.</span></em><br />
<br />
After gathering some information and a few maps from the O.O.T., we headed to the world famous Uffizi Gallery to check out the famous artworks that have been gathered overtime. The Uffizi was undergoing a lot of renovations and as a result it was difficult to appreciate the outside of the building. I wasn't sure what to expect since I did not do my research before our travels. Unfortunately, Emma and Adam, having been introduced to nude artwork on a field trip with their school to the Musee Fabre in Montpellier, determined after 5 minutes that they were NOT interested in seeing more "naked people". In the end, I had to agree with them. Maybe it's because we just aren't "cultured" kind of folks or just very modest, but the numerous nude male statues lining the halls of the Uffizi caused me to keep my head down for most of my visit!<br />
<br />
I did enjoy a lot of the religious paintings and found them especially moving since we had just celebrated Easter and Passover but I think that Andrew and I learned during our visit that Iimpressionism is more of our style overall. Nathan was the biggest trooper of the kids - Emma and Adam left the Gallery after approximately 20 minutes and agreed to meet us outside at a specific time, Nathan stuck with Andrew and me for about an hour and even stole a photo of one of the sculptures (no photos allowed!).<br />
<br />
We enjoyed seeing the Arno river which flows through Florence and divides the north and south sides of the city, and the love padlocks that are hanging on a railing between the Arno and the Uffizi. Legend has it that when a person hangs a lock on the railing (or on other places nearby), after writing their "true love's" name on it, and throws the key into the Arno, their love will last forever! Sidenote: after a week the railing is so full of padlocks that they are cut off and thrown away - what THAT does to the true love is unknown!<br />
<br />
The streets around Florence are so inviting! Filled with Gelato shops, jewlery stores (no, I didn't get any jewlery - BIG bummer!) and around several corners we were dumped into little "squares" containing markets which sold not only souvenirs but leather goods as well. Upon a recommendation from the Plakas family, who has been to Italy many times and is planning a wedding in Florence in June, we had our first Italian Gelato at<em><strong> Perche No!</strong></em> and it was fantastic! Emma and I had a fun time looking at the purses and wallets at several stands. In the end, Emma and I bought leather purses, Adam and Andy got "Messi" soccer jerseys (famous Barcelona football player) and Nathan took home a t-shirt. While we ate lunch, Emma suggested switching from our old purses to our newly purchased fancy Italian leather purses, however, since it looked like rain was coming our way, I discouraged it. (In retrospect, however, it probably would have been a smart idea since my new purse had a zipper on the top and my old one only had a ribbon to tie the top closed).<br />
<br />
We enjoyed looking around the numerous squares and had fun checking out a lot of the sculptures in the Piazza della Signoria where there is a replica of the "David" along with Titan and many others. I was sort of fascinated by the sculpture above depicting the beheading of someone - I need to look that up and figure out the significance of it!<br />
<br />
Andy wanted to make his way to the museum where the original "David" is housed and found out from someone we talked with on the street that the line was 2 hours long. That didn't stop him, however, he at least wanted to see the outside of the building! After wondering around the outside of the Duomo Cathedral which is the third largest cathedral in the world, took six centuries to build and is dedicated to St. Mary of the Flower (and also had a two hour line to get into), Andy seperated from the family and we agreed to meet about 30 minutes later in the Piazza della Signoria.<br />
<br />
The kids and I began walking back toward the Piazza and stopped in the square where we had purchased our souvenirs so that I could buy a cute blue scarf - it really is very pretty with little flowers on it -- that was the last time I saw the wallet that had traveled from the states with me.<br />
<br />
After parading through the streets for awhile enjoying the people, the views and the experience of Florence Italy, we met up with Andy just as the rain began to fall. For cover, we decided that it was time for another gelato and headed to the closest gelateria for our second cone of the day which we ate undercover, huddled with many others, at the opening of the Ponte Vecchio before crossing back over.<br />
<br />
Although it was a little early for dinner, I was interested in finding a restaurant that was also recommended by Mrs. Plakas in order to see the church where the wedding is to be held in June which happens to be across the street from the restaurant. We found both with no problem - it will be a beautiful wedding I'm sure!<br />
<br />
In preparation to pay the parking ticket before our departure from Florence, I opened my purse to retrieve my wallet and discovered that it was no longer in my purse - I had become a victim of the Florence pick-pocketers that we were warned so much about! After thinking about what I had lost, I realized that my only serious concerns were my French bank card and my Citi Bank Mastercard from home. I can replace my Ohio drivers' license, insurance card, pix of the kids etc... and there were only 12 euros in the wallet. Thankfully, upon our arrival to France, I had taken all store credit cards etc.. out and put them in my nightstand along with my American money - whew! We tried to find a police officer or police station to report the loss but had no luck so headed back to our apartment.<br />
<br />
Our hostess at the apartment helped us call the local police station who said that there really isn't anything that we can do - a police report wasn't necessary. So, we were able to call the credit card company to block the card and order a new one (which arrived Monday morning!). I cancelled my french card on Monday because they were closed on the weekend. Later, we found out that the criminals had, in fact, tried to purchase quite a bit of sporting good equipment - $1,005.00 worth but Citi Bank blocked the charge!<br />
<br />
We did not let the lost wallet dampen our visit to Florence - it was wonderful, the weather was very nice overall, the gelato was fantastic, and the sights were beautiful!La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-88074852440582014932011-05-19T13:58:00.004+02:002011-05-23T07:58:02.320+02:00Cinque Terre and Pisa - April 28, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8meVvZdF3yG8ydht9oqV19tGhgxyVMo0NxxH_42f4oidItVVnxEdXuzIwvMgBw8XZIFFDgCBAyHRjmY3urYMRw69T_rji32swf28qQuXyzIAz-MlKoieUfbvDYAg9g0hrjxMKMIXtAXL/s1600/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8meVvZdF3yG8ydht9oqV19tGhgxyVMo0NxxH_42f4oidItVVnxEdXuzIwvMgBw8XZIFFDgCBAyHRjmY3urYMRw69T_rji32swf28qQuXyzIAz-MlKoieUfbvDYAg9g0hrjxMKMIXtAXL/s320/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our way to Cinque Terre - Italy - GORGEOUS views<br />
along the way!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijK1I_wNQY0Am-uTN58GDq6rmIBzMC5RtI6C1VMKaV4hAr5fphVDH90oHqRStdfNl-GNTTorfTAFwVvRrUuyxDZcb9jqCi-LYE4EJKWbkDespfm3gcZbE3R1hn5C5nVFjDQ7DAOFbTIkCX/s1600/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijK1I_wNQY0Am-uTN58GDq6rmIBzMC5RtI6C1VMKaV4hAr5fphVDH90oHqRStdfNl-GNTTorfTAFwVvRrUuyxDZcb9jqCi-LYE4EJKWbkDespfm3gcZbE3R1hn5C5nVFjDQ7DAOFbTIkCX/s320/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%25287%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrl-5cw0p4o1uj2mLZVIrBj4P97QfuQMwTOkX9mr8lulLHSAmwSQ-awXrspSgeODSanaDJInFq2OcunhyphenhyphentWIwnGYc7IE7SAJatNlIbp01z2rHKJGOtys1zJkrsXH_hXniLqSldNMc0JW4/s1600/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252850%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrl-5cw0p4o1uj2mLZVIrBj4P97QfuQMwTOkX9mr8lulLHSAmwSQ-awXrspSgeODSanaDJInFq2OcunhyphenhyphentWIwnGYc7IE7SAJatNlIbp01z2rHKJGOtys1zJkrsXH_hXniLqSldNMc0JW4/s320/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252850%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The village on the northern tip of Cinque Terre - <br />
Monterosso al Mare</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngglnRnrb3IgkqaGnfGwNT7-_4A8MD2jKiQWaSlayNKPaBhw3YhqD5s1u3Aq9HZz5Qi2oyYsq-YlyUaZUrEmAFkwQ7uSRPr8j7OMQhCLc5Rs6dZrb7tCwSVuUp63CJtPhv-E01z45nF34/s1600/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%25288%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngglnRnrb3IgkqaGnfGwNT7-_4A8MD2jKiQWaSlayNKPaBhw3YhqD5s1u3Aq9HZz5Qi2oyYsq-YlyUaZUrEmAFkwQ7uSRPr8j7OMQhCLc5Rs6dZrb7tCwSVuUp63CJtPhv-E01z45nF34/s320/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%25288%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking down the mountain on which we parked</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GBaF8cenuXIcM4g67sw966x530CKMs7hB91NDX9IUsXgLygYDjbjiZrU6rwl9A6Yk_syVNQsChJYg1_9gdoc6qVW1QY3S-hDuO3NsCoTtp-vjKnkiJpJ8fl-v5-UKQWdn8Zu1qm46b8v/s1600/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252813%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GBaF8cenuXIcM4g67sw966x530CKMs7hB91NDX9IUsXgLygYDjbjiZrU6rwl9A6Yk_syVNQsChJYg1_9gdoc6qVW1QY3S-hDuO3NsCoTtp-vjKnkiJpJ8fl-v5-UKQWdn8Zu1qm46b8v/s320/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252813%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahhhh - The U.S. Flag -- and Italy too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWrwB62SchKKith3qykRNzXuB-IED4O07pdqcEDlbFd9ITpXtQNjoBAZJpkDTV9bCkAXXilnjw7nJ02hW7H7DhipJbHHHhk_Z_6rZKfbGve7TjL-B9oOvYX_cPvhbgT4HLeOcxZ1arupU/s1600/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252814%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWrwB62SchKKith3qykRNzXuB-IED4O07pdqcEDlbFd9ITpXtQNjoBAZJpkDTV9bCkAXXilnjw7nJ02hW7H7DhipJbHHHhk_Z_6rZKfbGve7TjL-B9oOvYX_cPvhbgT4HLeOcxZ1arupU/s320/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252814%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the view</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8on3VPmmlbzoJEHDC-kdCSICmzLkm0ByLlO9C7Xj81AIDZ2wQMjAOOvagIbETvuqz-k3cGfbx8Ee4p6E_wGnMzAqaIJA7A22uh7XIPXhqe3AXBAiXRU7ue5cyveUmwKAZRXQI1Alqguy/s1600/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252821%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8on3VPmmlbzoJEHDC-kdCSICmzLkm0ByLlO9C7Xj81AIDZ2wQMjAOOvagIbETvuqz-k3cGfbx8Ee4p6E_wGnMzAqaIJA7A22uh7XIPXhqe3AXBAiXRU7ue5cyveUmwKAZRXQI1Alqguy/s320/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252821%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnez-nPxKRS_FyFpFs6dc2vmTvzxxqO8XnZBdCHEU_S-78z5vZcdtu1JFGLb-CnTkBWKQeXF7SvaS9bdGdPfa3XO-A-1IcaeJf8ivndiANgEOUdT7p5JrTGXH_52m3i56FGTdaWHB3LjP/s1600/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252826%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnez-nPxKRS_FyFpFs6dc2vmTvzxxqO8XnZBdCHEU_S-78z5vZcdtu1JFGLb-CnTkBWKQeXF7SvaS9bdGdPfa3XO-A-1IcaeJf8ivndiANgEOUdT7p5JrTGXH_52m3i56FGTdaWHB3LjP/s320/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252826%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How fun would this be??!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLXYaZbBilkDvfZkAambNVu7NTkNbZNXbbzYF6wEnpG70OywiBFpvzdjIUK7AqwNMRIsW64JWBDfBq_DjZzk7gQccKsM1FZYOaZ8H_rrc8zcnjxI0MDld6pXY4XpY3_14wzs7FzYf3QuE/s1600/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252828%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLXYaZbBilkDvfZkAambNVu7NTkNbZNXbbzYF6wEnpG70OywiBFpvzdjIUK7AqwNMRIsW64JWBDfBq_DjZzk7gQccKsM1FZYOaZ8H_rrc8zcnjxI0MDld6pXY4XpY3_14wzs7FzYf3QuE/s320/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252828%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Church in Monterosso</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86MlWZ6IRse6_2tpmBvr5zq9qZrCMPft-td8K3-u-9in0d9iNqlDBGz2w65TFUbHFE6y94q92XES3puDM5hyCus4JTPBU9jJTajsBhiDn6WZLZtRPp15NLvcZywp189Qkos1fTPdj6lG8/s1600/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252830%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86MlWZ6IRse6_2tpmBvr5zq9qZrCMPft-td8K3-u-9in0d9iNqlDBGz2w65TFUbHFE6y94q92XES3puDM5hyCus4JTPBU9jJTajsBhiDn6WZLZtRPp15NLvcZywp189Qkos1fTPdj6lG8/s320/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252830%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Havin fun trying on hats! Chef Nathan, ready for our<br />
Italian cooking class!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDTg7CRiHpq6vY9eqmfzywtkvaTJEiD1ifOKbDsMf6Ju1xbKRgOTQev_-GrA2hp1GFQAM9tcVJDbicvoQ5PWJwOz6HI8dY-16raD3oTqu4YoAO-WG97iWdPfuwAoOPyt4oAX0ah0sYPYw/s1600/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252831%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDTg7CRiHpq6vY9eqmfzywtkvaTJEiD1ifOKbDsMf6Ju1xbKRgOTQev_-GrA2hp1GFQAM9tcVJDbicvoQ5PWJwOz6HI8dY-16raD3oTqu4YoAO-WG97iWdPfuwAoOPyt4oAX0ah0sYPYw/s320/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252831%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam's Italian souvenir</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQeETo-wfw2KuEcwLC5lA0NT4t1QOeSADHpzGl3ogQbMs6i8dmImbfRtk1ga3t86jCsIno88xm11I8Agjl8-zzNZy-3Kbf3mF7fv1JZn6YZQtzVI0Iug3GibUnwMgGCxGgzZz5olqqe0uu/s1600/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252838%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQeETo-wfw2KuEcwLC5lA0NT4t1QOeSADHpzGl3ogQbMs6i8dmImbfRtk1ga3t86jCsIno88xm11I8Agjl8-zzNZy-3Kbf3mF7fv1JZn6YZQtzVI0Iug3GibUnwMgGCxGgzZz5olqqe0uu/s320/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252838%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The third village in Cinque Terre - we decided to visit Corniglia<br />
-Big mistake since we didn't have a lot of time!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2paFHwBQ4Jnn3YRdswOnZCOCoc_8SAaSWlBO_W1zzFDqSu9nfXzJXWdoGCZa95BIcuR-dfkOAhzB7YMlZb7FGqRoX_39wjIMeIQwZATWl9oZner4FGE74jBHaGg9I0KnXWfCjFMRxE6z/s1600/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252849%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2paFHwBQ4Jnn3YRdswOnZCOCoc_8SAaSWlBO_W1zzFDqSu9nfXzJXWdoGCZa95BIcuR-dfkOAhzB7YMlZb7FGqRoX_39wjIMeIQwZATWl9oZner4FGE74jBHaGg9I0KnXWfCjFMRxE6z/s320/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252849%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the train to head back to Monterosso</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLysFqzPUfqPx9MvCuGwraZvbJlqDTMxP35yTha50k4zJC37TQ0OQ-FMW4oPYffbK9B47Tkm6bLOiqImhx-PB2o8oRCk1FaUDXGEv_SDdAxt8ntYSQ2_zvIj4NDssmpmCXm3BvS-Oj9Wi/s1600/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252857%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLysFqzPUfqPx9MvCuGwraZvbJlqDTMxP35yTha50k4zJC37TQ0OQ-FMW4oPYffbK9B47Tkm6bLOiqImhx-PB2o8oRCk1FaUDXGEv_SDdAxt8ntYSQ2_zvIj4NDssmpmCXm3BvS-Oj9Wi/s320/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252857%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charming store in the village of Monterosso</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY9nHj3POSpkD0gCN2H58rjiozh_Zt6U3srFgbB-VPFIgE812YRUNM9b1A20n263X8w8lJ7ViD0XMqvImgeAoKcd9VeWzHzUWQyjV5EmSvrQGPNsl_vVmXAsDYfSApmzb2aXZsF868fhBC/s1600/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252859%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY9nHj3POSpkD0gCN2H58rjiozh_Zt6U3srFgbB-VPFIgE812YRUNM9b1A20n263X8w8lJ7ViD0XMqvImgeAoKcd9VeWzHzUWQyjV5EmSvrQGPNsl_vVmXAsDYfSApmzb2aXZsF868fhBC/s320/Cinque+Terre+Italy+%252859%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading back up the mountain to Mo Mo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3dDkFDi_RDeuxeJiVjxgU3YcqYNttM6MvcDFvwGQtCwP03ouvmL_RAxNqou8tvBnkon98wMBPbULnGNU44u_WVQUqgOql39djonRanGDUjwUbuFOQYP_WQu-cBpHQJSmovjstC6S8YW7/s1600/Pisa+Italy+%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3dDkFDi_RDeuxeJiVjxgU3YcqYNttM6MvcDFvwGQtCwP03ouvmL_RAxNqou8tvBnkon98wMBPbULnGNU44u_WVQUqgOql39djonRanGDUjwUbuFOQYP_WQu-cBpHQJSmovjstC6S8YW7/s320/Pisa+Italy+%25287%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering the Pisa square</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURAmrnRINjlzsF5vR_3RmqixDFYxDd-YAHSEnbFNCISSsbQVJpgyLjSjT24lhHgb2ySdwioPvhGx6P9_efwH-5RoTEtecJvwsuyaa9Fjrt9ChdWUKrsqS1MTFjHdq4wPJcdt1L0xWuIdC/s1600/Pisa+Italy+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURAmrnRINjlzsF5vR_3RmqixDFYxDd-YAHSEnbFNCISSsbQVJpgyLjSjT24lhHgb2ySdwioPvhGx6P9_efwH-5RoTEtecJvwsuyaa9Fjrt9ChdWUKrsqS1MTFjHdq4wPJcdt1L0xWuIdC/s320/Pisa+Italy+%252810%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peek-A-Boo - there's the tower!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI02kSmBMNj7YzzL_FurGuib9N0sGtZLi6zkQvoEOa8eDjzN9jowRQB16NbXw3eS3-qLcptcmAvqReZJRdYbm4vpB86RMg_cBfUxEj84HNbsi8JlUdhe7p3BFLnfOawwO6jjyxb8OZ5Vuv/s1600/Pisa+Italy+%252815%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI02kSmBMNj7YzzL_FurGuib9N0sGtZLi6zkQvoEOa8eDjzN9jowRQB16NbXw3eS3-qLcptcmAvqReZJRdYbm4vpB86RMg_cBfUxEj84HNbsi8JlUdhe7p3BFLnfOawwO6jjyxb8OZ5Vuv/s320/Pisa+Italy+%252815%2529.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pushhhhhh.....</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Rk3-S1B05hRP-5ovdafZMv9WZmk-AwOfmD5vkhedglbl4G9mzGN_ZaoGuK_hM9owf8LycaAd2h1Y4EpY9BrqyqL4ne4gZRg0bD1veqw-SXBcWEGr06i_alCvjUv_4bYhd4n4EOE1WXHS/s1600/Pisa+Italy+%252821%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Rk3-S1B05hRP-5ovdafZMv9WZmk-AwOfmD5vkhedglbl4G9mzGN_ZaoGuK_hM9owf8LycaAd2h1Y4EpY9BrqyqL4ne4gZRg0bD1veqw-SXBcWEGr06i_alCvjUv_4bYhd4n4EOE1WXHS/s320/Pisa+Italy+%252821%2529.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good job Emma!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRMhA4uJpO-6wmcSoY-59tpHv4wxCDgB9foTUyNA9oiJGpZQqtkul1KMxcHLs3E-gsTPtmcGyD9hC1Wru4nmnaWh-hEn5kmuPD0ytvw7QKUVa5Q-VVDlQ_fKb0TeyDkl0sD8kGt8qylTk/s1600/Pisa+Italy+%252820%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRMhA4uJpO-6wmcSoY-59tpHv4wxCDgB9foTUyNA9oiJGpZQqtkul1KMxcHLs3E-gsTPtmcGyD9hC1Wru4nmnaWh-hEn5kmuPD0ytvw7QKUVa5Q-VVDlQ_fKb0TeyDkl0sD8kGt8qylTk/s320/Pisa+Italy+%252820%2529.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hummmm - I think it's comin down!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWemyiaf7HqMWgZ34sOpwPEeyq4GBGEyK80PeJZuiqIMD3WlE6oS0X6F1JrJb_JCSCLT5o8BGsoblwCe0rL7bpo3KNCiQwZP7I3nOKUVLyXbEqpEdhBSDNL9bVqecIcdPg34XyLIjcXInI/s1600/Pisa+Italy+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWemyiaf7HqMWgZ34sOpwPEeyq4GBGEyK80PeJZuiqIMD3WlE6oS0X6F1JrJb_JCSCLT5o8BGsoblwCe0rL7bpo3KNCiQwZP7I3nOKUVLyXbEqpEdhBSDNL9bVqecIcdPg34XyLIjcXInI/s320/Pisa+Italy+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the top!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZIVW6_buHzK9QUnMj8lh3bCqyo3zuM5uqwQwkrkK5gp6RUoR-OkZplPb2X3DoyEIbWmWGwpNE49_FeG2xMG4ebiAmy7lNX2HoNHJWJswq0ZFrXTt7esWhFs3zq3vjqwAlvLj0m8-Jqqf/s1600/Pisa+Italy+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZIVW6_buHzK9QUnMj8lh3bCqyo3zuM5uqwQwkrkK5gp6RUoR-OkZplPb2X3DoyEIbWmWGwpNE49_FeG2xMG4ebiAmy7lNX2HoNHJWJswq0ZFrXTt7esWhFs3zq3vjqwAlvLj0m8-Jqqf/s320/Pisa+Italy+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the top...again</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzKZyhJE7arpv2cHK_InV-QsR21kDBDCoV01kAWarFh_H0x2zBU0c5QtZWNaMy1RWNThxTaka4G-QNSzUhi5vLIAbQMKhTnAvYlX_5zLD9qqjfZk3JOYQJyRXMTztNMKXqpteaBlXSIsu/s1600/Pisa+Italy+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzKZyhJE7arpv2cHK_InV-QsR21kDBDCoV01kAWarFh_H0x2zBU0c5QtZWNaMy1RWNThxTaka4G-QNSzUhi5vLIAbQMKhTnAvYlX_5zLD9qqjfZk3JOYQJyRXMTztNMKXqpteaBlXSIsu/s320/Pisa+Italy+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tower looks pretty straight here huh?!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjdrSsbhVnp3WPY3FXINohxxnT8F_XbK52AdrzcgfqTi88Hbk09RiWrLH09Voa9NGcpHEYslbx90VjgQomaN_UcmyreSOT60Fx6431XzMn2ZieLh8J3PSQ3hCFNWHqVL_s0nmr8-vVR38/s1600/Pisa+Italy+%252833%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjdrSsbhVnp3WPY3FXINohxxnT8F_XbK52AdrzcgfqTi88Hbk09RiWrLH09Voa9NGcpHEYslbx90VjgQomaN_UcmyreSOT60Fx6431XzMn2ZieLh8J3PSQ3hCFNWHqVL_s0nmr8-vVR38/s320/Pisa+Italy+%252833%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Havin fun getting to the top of the tower</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfvPEnKIkhFAxacv10VgtRDqVKz_SZx3IusnClTy7f-BVH696cJMJxKYW5OJHTxjucPiz07V1mnMqwG_FqTx4DDBhL1QhvLCOADYQ1SCjQDFNCkyHf8qQefpOvEM1VALelad9DMWkyp4-/s1600/Pisa+Italy+%252839%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfvPEnKIkhFAxacv10VgtRDqVKz_SZx3IusnClTy7f-BVH696cJMJxKYW5OJHTxjucPiz07V1mnMqwG_FqTx4DDBhL1QhvLCOADYQ1SCjQDFNCkyHf8qQefpOvEM1VALelad9DMWkyp4-/s320/Pisa+Italy+%252839%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way down - What a view from the top!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The route to Tuscany was, of course, beautiful! As we drove I admired the landscape and was reminded of drawing mountains as a child. We used to draw arched line next to arched line to depict a mountainous area - well, that was Italy - mountain on top of mountain - gorgeous greenery all around with bright blue skies above and often, the mediterranean sea below. Upon several suggestions to visit Cinque Terre along the way, we headed in that direction.<br />
<br />
The Cinque Terre are five small villages on the "Costa Ligure of Levante". The villages from north to south are: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. In order to get to Monterosso (the first town on the northern tip), Mo Mo had to chug up and down the mountains, around hairpin curves, past little houses and restaurants tucked into the mountain, past vineyards, olive tree groves, lemon trees and a lot of "middle of nowhere on the mountain" areas. We didn't know if we would ever truly arrive in Monterosso but continued to follow the narrow road and the signs claiming that we were indeed heading in the correct direction.<br />
<br />
Finally, we did in fact, arrive in Monterosso -- along with many many other people and their cars! As we drove closer to the village, the roadsides were more and more populated with parked cars. We saw a parking garage and actually pulled into the drive to the gate before we noticed that it was closed/full. Andy did a great job of backing out of the drive and into the road before any other cars came whipping around the sharp corner at the end of the drive. He let us out and chugged back up the mountain with Mo Mo in search of a parking spot. He soon returned and pointed straight up the side of the mountain where he left our hearty little car.<br />
<br />
We enjoyed walking around Monterosso - a charming little village on the sea with tourist shops, restaurants and a lovely view. Lunch was eaten in a tunnel due to a short rain shower which passed through, a couple of souvenirs were purchased and pictures were taken before making the decision to board the train and tour around another village in the Cinque Terre chain. We decided to visit Coniglia, bought the tickets, boarded the train, arrived in Coniglia and started walking toward the village when we realized that the village would take 20 - 30 minutes to walk to! We didn't have that kind of time since we still had hours to drive to Tuscany. We all did an "about face" and went back to wait for the next train that would return us to Monterosso where we enjoyed walking through through some more streets and headed up the mountain toward Mo Mo. Emma and I brought up the rear huffing and puffing up the hill and stopped to enjoy rows of lemon trees and a few other interesting sights along the way - cacti, fun bumper stickers and tiny town maintenance vehicles :)<br />
<br />
Pisa was our next stop and actually had more to offer than just the leaning tower. The following came from the tourism sight for Pisa and explains the buildings very well:<br />
<br />
<em><span style="color: yellow;">In the north-west of Pisa there is an immense green lawn on which four impressive buildings stand, in gleaming white marble. These imposing structures are the enormous, breathtaking Duomo (cathedral) - built almost 1,000 years ago, the cathedral's bell tower - better known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the circular Battistero (Baptistery) - the largest of its kind in the whole of Italy, and the Camposanto - also known as the Holy Field, without doubt one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world. This area is referred to as the Campo dei Miracoli or the Piazza dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles) and these remarkable Tuscan buildings combine Moorish, Gothic and Romanesque architectural features.</span></em><br />
<br />
Upon a suggestion by our good friends, the Wolff family, we actually purchased tickets to climb to the top of the leaning tower - not cheap but well worth it! The stairwell to the top of the tower is narrow, the stairs are well worn and leaning along with the tower, and the little openings along the way add to the excitement and anticipation of finally reaching the top. We spent approximately an hour at the top looking around, enjoying the view and snapping pictures. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Nathan attempted to enter the cathedral for a tour but found that it had closed for the day. From the souvenir shop Adam bought himself a 5 inch statue of the leaning tower, I bought a new Rosary and Emma purchased a spoon for a friend who collects them. </span><br />
<br />
Dinner consisted of pizza at a little restaurant with a nice view of the tower and a scoop of iced cream for dessert (it was NOT gelato!). Back to Mo Mo for another hour to reach our destination in Tuscany in Fattoria Sant' Appiano.<br />
<br />
I decided that it would be a good idea to call our "hotel" to let them know that we would be arriving late and received the wonderful news that we were supposed to be there by 8:00 pm (which wasn't going to happen since it was already 8:45!). The lady on the phone wished us luck finding the place in the dark and said that she would wait in the office for us. Andy drove as fast as he could (which may have resulted in the speeding ticket that we received in the mail soon after our arrival back to Montpellier) and we were able to get close! In the end we did have to call for help which she provided nicely and we arrived at our nice Tuscany home around 10:00 pm.La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-48993177183828132112011-05-10T13:59:00.004+02:002011-05-19T12:25:41.687+02:00Piedmont Region - Italy - April 27, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsZp13zKby3_LGzFn_lAQF3fu-alZQ_ZCKUueCU1BgbMYP0xhEXVTfzAZf7EaDwnvyb9m0lSVYAVMpTZ6vajhK42UgLU7udX2q5iEspiez2x1HzhplwVs85z_kQk1Qh_j64DDgUtK_PQK/s1600/DSC_0001A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsZp13zKby3_LGzFn_lAQF3fu-alZQ_ZCKUueCU1BgbMYP0xhEXVTfzAZf7EaDwnvyb9m0lSVYAVMpTZ6vajhK42UgLU7udX2q5iEspiez2x1HzhplwVs85z_kQk1Qh_j64DDgUtK_PQK/s320/DSC_0001A.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the LITTLE village where Ivana's Inn is located</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBeUdMvQFHYDce0UZzSbdp74SrVJJ5tummCX1Cm9R5svEu0IC_zmWY5TJi0h5zQ92tB0v1FCsIoslQUDD3OqQNAV3xIY641-zqs_QyWy4ivcnR070HL1WU4baezWVMNKizGHq5wTeXPruy/s1600/DSC_0002-Inn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBeUdMvQFHYDce0UZzSbdp74SrVJJ5tummCX1Cm9R5svEu0IC_zmWY5TJi0h5zQ92tB0v1FCsIoslQUDD3OqQNAV3xIY641-zqs_QyWy4ivcnR070HL1WU4baezWVMNKizGHq5wTeXPruy/s320/DSC_0002-Inn.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A window of one of the apartments from the<br />
front of the building</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_216rs23HfW9HxtiiR-IdIHI5XVcRvrB5EDHTbFsaM_TUC5I5Cq8iCBLbC-Y6Hc-u2ZqpE8Cf5rDJn7d2C-agHPJ7aNqhHXR4hiuMCPobwlDqgMVkvwvozI1mn3ufYXYN5HWTyFRvW4wL/s1600/E-Ivana%2527s+Inn+%252811%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_216rs23HfW9HxtiiR-IdIHI5XVcRvrB5EDHTbFsaM_TUC5I5Cq8iCBLbC-Y6Hc-u2ZqpE8Cf5rDJn7d2C-agHPJ7aNqhHXR4hiuMCPobwlDqgMVkvwvozI1mn3ufYXYN5HWTyFRvW4wL/s320/E-Ivana%2527s+Inn+%252811%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8iFy7o9BtpShELbVQ9Hv_Gdfo6zjkw8Kqce4pcCn3PbzbCvRbSp_PMQvh9QMfYZXkZHHFVGUWSuh7f4l2t30iZJMiUBLB8kVifwaAYtLSHZN5SOvHmijIwmcdHnfYp-0KYdKUZlufUx2/s1600/E-Ivana%2527s+Inn+%252812%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8iFy7o9BtpShELbVQ9Hv_Gdfo6zjkw8Kqce4pcCn3PbzbCvRbSp_PMQvh9QMfYZXkZHHFVGUWSuh7f4l2t30iZJMiUBLB8kVifwaAYtLSHZN5SOvHmijIwmcdHnfYp-0KYdKUZlufUx2/s320/E-Ivana%2527s+Inn+%252812%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our sitting/dining area</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrsiHdyGZBxTNsWEsA2-oxbvsddEzsQOuuYW-gYOV5wuAv2YqDKavIl3LY-hyRGPYQlPJIosgl6NpV6Di7N8wQp_3AXIk3T2Vh1a7H1vXONUTx51HJIhN8WjSGU8yn-zw5ioFvmGWciAI/s1600/E-Ivana%2527s+Inn+%252817%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrsiHdyGZBxTNsWEsA2-oxbvsddEzsQOuuYW-gYOV5wuAv2YqDKavIl3LY-hyRGPYQlPJIosgl6NpV6Di7N8wQp_3AXIk3T2Vh1a7H1vXONUTx51HJIhN8WjSGU8yn-zw5ioFvmGWciAI/s320/E-Ivana%2527s+Inn+%252817%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the balcony</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlagHYlgIo3Hgh1XJ6rPQpQlHbTiYTSpsFhN7HDlw_QkFwnJ_BS8ZGCTS9riEfslOW40g4WQVbrgKuoCscazR0IYuFFvsNt8wbEH3xAp7yBEmBm0ez7eKWPtUCV3yEZ_MQ2UXy3VCkfQ36/s1600/DSC_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlagHYlgIo3Hgh1XJ6rPQpQlHbTiYTSpsFhN7HDlw_QkFwnJ_BS8ZGCTS9riEfslOW40g4WQVbrgKuoCscazR0IYuFFvsNt8wbEH3xAp7yBEmBm0ez7eKWPtUCV3yEZ_MQ2UXy3VCkfQ36/s320/DSC_0009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew and his favorite wine maker - Stephania<br />
from Stroppiana vineyards (and Ivana's sister!)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6qprRwaiqpOeodHXSjsBrhYlf5cmDncjuZ3Q_HB5YbSJd_tTeFFmgpPzDXEsQiUSrb-TSNWwr6ennVjnkGi7f0eTAq0tWgAG-iiJHaGxxKv9sJh07TliU7lLkPCO0AbKdBUU_zDYh03F/s1600/DSC_0013-Stroppiana.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6qprRwaiqpOeodHXSjsBrhYlf5cmDncjuZ3Q_HB5YbSJd_tTeFFmgpPzDXEsQiUSrb-TSNWwr6ennVjnkGi7f0eTAq0tWgAG-iiJHaGxxKv9sJh07TliU7lLkPCO0AbKdBUU_zDYh03F/s320/DSC_0013-Stroppiana.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Stephania (and her husband), Leonardo (and his sister)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxd83QWOAq7LgQUHBKQyGGpTwPM5uQFY5jsQAvTc-3W5dKV6xFWvPSlcm1YJ3N_yUNcIGRWtqagmq0Kx9b_sQGmQVENLVozIqPI_iMmKyfGZEKb27Znu2aI-S52v_RTjUa0XdEgtnqtvNM/s1600/DSC_0010-Stroppiana.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxd83QWOAq7LgQUHBKQyGGpTwPM5uQFY5jsQAvTc-3W5dKV6xFWvPSlcm1YJ3N_yUNcIGRWtqagmq0Kx9b_sQGmQVENLVozIqPI_iMmKyfGZEKb27Znu2aI-S52v_RTjUa0XdEgtnqtvNM/s320/DSC_0010-Stroppiana.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The oak barrels at Stroppiana</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFqKETsL5udOZrfij7Jh4QDm-Idse-bmbGDTK30sXvfE1ESrVeJJQDViwizRmkv0mF0c1L5fOtAD_KeO72OZO04bwUJk3CJc7MwZ4vNRF5vKz-9hPwRK7o2SGLwU_vJe5L8uoK6DPkpV5/s1600/DSC_0011-Stroppiana.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFqKETsL5udOZrfij7Jh4QDm-Idse-bmbGDTK30sXvfE1ESrVeJJQDViwizRmkv0mF0c1L5fOtAD_KeO72OZO04bwUJk3CJc7MwZ4vNRF5vKz-9hPwRK7o2SGLwU_vJe5L8uoK6DPkpV5/s320/DSC_0011-Stroppiana.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He looks right at home with the big barrels huh?!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTG8YC2CdAHchdnfCd-ryICmk2e3DhtjkuLNZCRVrmYN7F_DrBITeJ6dZboZB0DNb2I2zUe4aR3SUzE9R9Utx1spKsLA1ZKVusQPFxW6zVasLJ6ZyeCwKu3PsuT9POpmgVcDosumDeEyC/s1600/DSC_0027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTG8YC2CdAHchdnfCd-ryICmk2e3DhtjkuLNZCRVrmYN7F_DrBITeJ6dZboZB0DNb2I2zUe4aR3SUzE9R9Utx1spKsLA1ZKVusQPFxW6zVasLJ6ZyeCwKu3PsuT9POpmgVcDosumDeEyC/s320/DSC_0027.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Touring around the Piedmont region - La Morra Italy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTEdlyg6xreLNYPoauuW11uqkEb3aHsxTvXxoPPOOb1o8gDGeyL0wk2jCBJKb_QDa8a28OwIM7fllLLqpKvjx_beWKHohFA8MhtUmK8huKuIt-yBVtzNt-1Zi6eS6vot4rc9AQjHGM4OoY/s1600/DSC_0034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTEdlyg6xreLNYPoauuW11uqkEb3aHsxTvXxoPPOOb1o8gDGeyL0wk2jCBJKb_QDa8a28OwIM7fllLLqpKvjx_beWKHohFA8MhtUmK8huKuIt-yBVtzNt-1Zi6eS6vot4rc9AQjHGM4OoY/s320/DSC_0034.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from La Morra</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswJ0rRg9Jkvno4KOJQWe3iiLdFkxv8AgTBAvc81jC5_eT2UKgJsamx3fCpYLKqrEE8CHLrHSAeFgoB3GdkRmtPCxaLlA4AwXvTt9sjfEUlFtTQghDoq9hV6HiFixo549jUSH-3sJqqFJD/s1600/DSC_0045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswJ0rRg9Jkvno4KOJQWe3iiLdFkxv8AgTBAvc81jC5_eT2UKgJsamx3fCpYLKqrEE8CHLrHSAeFgoB3GdkRmtPCxaLlA4AwXvTt9sjfEUlFtTQghDoq9hV6HiFixo549jUSH-3sJqqFJD/s320/DSC_0045.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma and Adam enjoying the view</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRp1DC9REtIElgy9dtme5qfHkJ9eD8HqOdRqlQOpuKKTHOPdSs7oxBWTOIGP3CMCWayjF-NXQeKR5KB-NRs3OMILmh3klJz6ZQGUK9-4M9LUlMyLvpvIVd82KraQJvPaK1cXisxP6w1tJ/s1600/la+morra+%252816%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRp1DC9REtIElgy9dtme5qfHkJ9eD8HqOdRqlQOpuKKTHOPdSs7oxBWTOIGP3CMCWayjF-NXQeKR5KB-NRs3OMILmh3klJz6ZQGUK9-4M9LUlMyLvpvIVd82KraQJvPaK1cXisxP6w1tJ/s320/la+morra+%252816%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bra???? :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7jCoN8DseCZmbC5zulcmRFFFuFAYTTC-uXrqqFryLJsYVtUmiNCL9Z8OoHB83sTKlJh2FjI5TqVhHfmrKuJ0VmR8EtdWX1hxa__phgso_5IFDksze6DcA84h6G1whviNejq_tapnAvu7H/s1600/DSC_0062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7jCoN8DseCZmbC5zulcmRFFFuFAYTTC-uXrqqFryLJsYVtUmiNCL9Z8OoHB83sTKlJh2FjI5TqVhHfmrKuJ0VmR8EtdWX1hxa__phgso_5IFDksze6DcA84h6G1whviNejq_tapnAvu7H/s320/DSC_0062.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We couldn't find lunch in LaMorra so we opted for<br />
dessert instead! - cannoli - yum!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKpJVO780VVOiEYnVwcgExF6j3LsDWoOhSRAwqZIdMub4T7cXa27tHbFtbQKgZrKozF3WjnBEQuFEDufmEnsahZJcZKs1J65M3Lw7HcXUrDrbObM5tDOfehQ_2bDoLDu4WhcZ2MfPLuLR/s1600/DSC_0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKpJVO780VVOiEYnVwcgExF6j3LsDWoOhSRAwqZIdMub4T7cXa27tHbFtbQKgZrKozF3WjnBEQuFEDufmEnsahZJcZKs1J65M3Lw7HcXUrDrbObM5tDOfehQ_2bDoLDu4WhcZ2MfPLuLR/s320/DSC_0069.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gorgeous landscape of Piedmont Italy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkNoJxXiKnMGUIwZXcTo5eLjSGTN4hdsCnkLuaWKbWPYxhC6i_Mkyz78aXTLiqf3ivZjgq47HP7H9veSWPuYXeQ9sYCJInrOwPBP8IyNaoh2nNnczeEQkpbGWpbxzXEPczgskJtOL-Blp/s1600/DSC_0075-Grinzane+Cavour+Italy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkNoJxXiKnMGUIwZXcTo5eLjSGTN4hdsCnkLuaWKbWPYxhC6i_Mkyz78aXTLiqf3ivZjgq47HP7H9veSWPuYXeQ9sYCJInrOwPBP8IyNaoh2nNnczeEQkpbGWpbxzXEPczgskJtOL-Blp/s320/DSC_0075-Grinzane+Cavour+Italy.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We found some lunch! Pizza - in Italy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49rO98jw1hjhZfZzE6pzzGRo1Qb62HH547gBtIH_877ZBpqELKkTOAqunyfe91qhsxBhszW90WIHwCNMlOTz2o0pNa7iswAGnKiGkXLtWYUVmOhouKgL_uM9jB4pnjqxrMpTXH5CMnj3o/s1600/DSC_0076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49rO98jw1hjhZfZzE6pzzGRo1Qb62HH547gBtIH_877ZBpqELKkTOAqunyfe91qhsxBhszW90WIHwCNMlOTz2o0pNa7iswAGnKiGkXLtWYUVmOhouKgL_uM9jB4pnjqxrMpTXH5CMnj3o/s320/DSC_0076.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids decided that it's the best pizza they've ever eaten!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzOuz9RCh5eOWSCS-RsOoNCXZ9nF7O2ahjKMuYqVT36xgoBt4cPEisT7-3pwu_khscVN-HKTWyBgPOuh3OfJ9U9rPjCyHu6XL32WDTPN62dUxGNaqZ6gDJQfgqd_td4b1DzfeBOci9ohf/s1600/DSC_0081A-Winery+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzOuz9RCh5eOWSCS-RsOoNCXZ9nF7O2ahjKMuYqVT36xgoBt4cPEisT7-3pwu_khscVN-HKTWyBgPOuh3OfJ9U9rPjCyHu6XL32WDTPN62dUxGNaqZ6gDJQfgqd_td4b1DzfeBOci9ohf/s320/DSC_0081A-Winery+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erbaluna Winery-LaMorra Italy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeZkBkHzcj0gpdjiTU5qonBVP4l8-xn_bFTx7-ysX0UfyLsgtIXWiYjZmNZHrL5APXRke_NpKHKK5ypAM1APpM7z0BVatx0-QKHAuoYj-L59mPa_K11ByAHhXnPA3ylgT0S5qobHl2aRP/s1600/DSC_0081B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeZkBkHzcj0gpdjiTU5qonBVP4l8-xn_bFTx7-ysX0UfyLsgtIXWiYjZmNZHrL5APXRke_NpKHKK5ypAM1APpM7z0BVatx0-QKHAuoYj-L59mPa_K11ByAHhXnPA3ylgT0S5qobHl2aRP/s320/DSC_0081B.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very interesting cellar with a special story told below</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0Hh7PJ9GuMK4UgLnw0-A1tt68WPB6rjhyIvBHuB1Hk_egFnAHs6bNmVdtldxK1o3eeWyN02GO7ABMv17DlOQG0_6cn3FDLHzdGsrJLbnT4ZkZt3jh-J7BTvvQLpnT6GJSH7xYNCcoLPV/s1600/DSC_0088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0Hh7PJ9GuMK4UgLnw0-A1tt68WPB6rjhyIvBHuB1Hk_egFnAHs6bNmVdtldxK1o3eeWyN02GO7ABMv17DlOQG0_6cn3FDLHzdGsrJLbnT4ZkZt3jh-J7BTvvQLpnT6GJSH7xYNCcoLPV/s320/DSC_0088.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had a wonderful tasting!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5kh3CMGswhLFdz7QF_Cp_X9GJWFuclJReKenPh0UEnBsGlf332Yj2Z-iY_q3ND44clS9I51GRSrsDFEm224caFbbqG-60dT65PfSrVbEZGfmSdfmT6FGGVbrKZAKSw792zFbFaq62N4t/s1600/DSC_0093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5kh3CMGswhLFdz7QF_Cp_X9GJWFuclJReKenPh0UEnBsGlf332Yj2Z-iY_q3ND44clS9I51GRSrsDFEm224caFbbqG-60dT65PfSrVbEZGfmSdfmT6FGGVbrKZAKSw792zFbFaq62N4t/s320/DSC_0093.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nathan enjoyed it too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimo7YuplqpYDp9Uhxg0RqapATU3PKk5sF7Zd0bKVZctF4qo28UnWcoMDMTonxUfJwXFIPgbdTZ1jKSUuFw1ijBLA75U4PB-JdHCaZfWNv7wpbIcK9pCQXdJXI0Qm5CiBY_TZPPRIcLcTZ9/s1600/DSC_0096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimo7YuplqpYDp9Uhxg0RqapATU3PKk5sF7Zd0bKVZctF4qo28UnWcoMDMTonxUfJwXFIPgbdTZ1jKSUuFw1ijBLA75U4PB-JdHCaZfWNv7wpbIcK9pCQXdJXI0Qm5CiBY_TZPPRIcLcTZ9/s320/DSC_0096.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More of the Piedmont landscape</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkckqB-X5CeJhQXANSonauZfcmcQmERxi93HofeZ9N7oVcuvn161R33ISluNe73nIWskPcz74Mju9PAvLYYQGO6PkjRv3VyQnzevpw886FIANBxq-FHqEIvOp9TvLmR3G_73WfwmISREZ/s1600/DSC_0099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkckqB-X5CeJhQXANSonauZfcmcQmERxi93HofeZ9N7oVcuvn161R33ISluNe73nIWskPcz74Mju9PAvLYYQGO6PkjRv3VyQnzevpw886FIANBxq-FHqEIvOp9TvLmR3G_73WfwmISREZ/s320/DSC_0099.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8U2DLc55zwE8lbkXumsRSWwmBGvbC9g-5bPeKS4w-DR4w9VQHE1AvD_PbfnlmlXFx6rBCdw5xS9TsYVZbhK5SmlTRVW2D81QbKqKlJwAfEhrmEsDnYR260V_9PccWa92GX1jNFIiPVay/s1600/DSC_0104-Alba+Italy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8U2DLc55zwE8lbkXumsRSWwmBGvbC9g-5bPeKS4w-DR4w9VQHE1AvD_PbfnlmlXFx6rBCdw5xS9TsYVZbhK5SmlTRVW2D81QbKqKlJwAfEhrmEsDnYR260V_9PccWa92GX1jNFIiPVay/s320/DSC_0104-Alba+Italy.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gelato anyone??? :) - Alba Italy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1eN50fdkHgtgZG091QS1-WQJmCqWXpiLQSkN-eDVni_ucoJtDlJPOGioUDEOqXshR8-EKsPdeYQhYkWLAErkkTDiaZBJoucaosopj0m4H1RaHHo4iFdlC5h2AuiS_wmrccWQkBNjvI0o_/s1600/DSC_0107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1eN50fdkHgtgZG091QS1-WQJmCqWXpiLQSkN-eDVni_ucoJtDlJPOGioUDEOqXshR8-EKsPdeYQhYkWLAErkkTDiaZBJoucaosopj0m4H1RaHHo4iFdlC5h2AuiS_wmrccWQkBNjvI0o_/s320/DSC_0107.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cattedrale di San Lorenzo - Just after the funeral of <br />
Pietro Ferraro (47 yrs.) - CEO of the Ferrero Group Holding Co., <br />
Producer of Nutella and Tic Tacs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAb-W11ji2-5Lcqtc-SCvFGdh_kKwbcG_Mt4yPuNH2w4-M2ZewB2rhJnYbCp6D4e6a9PzqwONazCbSjDvfNVa4XzSzcny-tauBMLTNxwTiA3gf8p6NgLy55E3BykpdRqNXbWLKCZH6M6b/s1600/DSC_0135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAb-W11ji2-5Lcqtc-SCvFGdh_kKwbcG_Mt4yPuNH2w4-M2ZewB2rhJnYbCp6D4e6a9PzqwONazCbSjDvfNVa4XzSzcny-tauBMLTNxwTiA3gf8p6NgLy55E3BykpdRqNXbWLKCZH6M6b/s320/DSC_0135.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The world headquarters of Ferrero Corp.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFb-luR2UOS-b4domyE9JrJgjqKoVW4fK9FB35mZprsy0spDBf_PMUU9h60eywu4cHx9djB3CUZwAXRiTzdt0iIJyH_sDWXSDjxCU8WR9hlPzQPoJZTBBDM7Fs00tjQ5n-9K_1z1wDWi6/s1600/DSC_0131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFb-luR2UOS-b4domyE9JrJgjqKoVW4fK9FB35mZprsy0spDBf_PMUU9h60eywu4cHx9djB3CUZwAXRiTzdt0iIJyH_sDWXSDjxCU8WR9hlPzQPoJZTBBDM7Fs00tjQ5n-9K_1z1wDWi6/s320/DSC_0131.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beautiful statue in a church in Alba Italy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXWmhv41TJfFQV6GBYbojz43HPSYPRe4ZJPUFGGs86aMHk0Ekj3iapj2J4Zs6qC8G5dqzQZ4j1Y2cQrYt5zqOHKHWDHnmW7UKxwH-xMRdlxQrM07UNsmHVG-6oWcjGaN0YFgAcbjy0WWS/s1600/DSC_0133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXWmhv41TJfFQV6GBYbojz43HPSYPRe4ZJPUFGGs86aMHk0Ekj3iapj2J4Zs6qC8G5dqzQZ4j1Y2cQrYt5zqOHKHWDHnmW7UKxwH-xMRdlxQrM07UNsmHVG-6oWcjGaN0YFgAcbjy0WWS/s320/DSC_0133.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy asked the nice folks at Rolex if they could fix the<br />
band on his $5.00 watch that he bought at the Arles <br />
Market - unfortunately, they didn't have the right part.</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rAgBhaEdI5glGx1t_M3wEjUw8A5DVr0690oA88Z-LkOiHXMWVzXOVZlx8-JEYnq17vLLX47XhcGR_QHsG9aK6czb9HMFpScjyte7ovXLA06JcFY4Guy8nGEBADf1KCcgvYULUBYklJsg/s1600/DSC_0145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rAgBhaEdI5glGx1t_M3wEjUw8A5DVr0690oA88Z-LkOiHXMWVzXOVZlx8-JEYnq17vLLX47XhcGR_QHsG9aK6czb9HMFpScjyte7ovXLA06JcFY4Guy8nGEBADf1KCcgvYULUBYklJsg/s320/DSC_0145.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our visit to the Piedmont region of Italy was pretty special. The decision to go to Piedmont was based on our meeting a wine maker, Stephania Stroppiana, who came to Canton in November to help market her wines around the U.S. When Andy told her that we would be in France for six months and would try to stop by her winery, she suggested that we stay at her sister's "Inn" if we do make the trip. So, because all of the places we checked on our route to Tuscany were booked due to the school holidays, we decided to go the one hour out of our way and visit Stephania and her sister, Ivana. The reservation was made and Andrew e-mailed Stephania to let her know that indeed, we were coming to Piedmont!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Due to all of our stops along the way, we didn't make it to our destination until 11:00 pm on Wednesday April 26. Ivana's Inn is tucked in the tiny little village of Monforte D'Alba - population = less than 100! We were able to follow the directions that Andrew was given until we were just outside the village - at that point, we decided to call for help. By some miracle, between the broken cell phone reception in the mountains, Ivana's broken English and our lack of Italian we were able to communicate that we were, in fact, close, but didn't know where to go from where we were. Ivana said that she would come and find us to lead us in, however, after about 20 minutes and no sign of Ivana, we called back - and it was good that we did! Ivana couldn't find us so we changed locations and she sent her husband to find us, which he did, and led us to the beautiful Inn. Ivana greeted us, showed us to our "apartments" (bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, sitting/dining room/ balcony) - the kids had one and Andrew and I had our own - The place was wonderful, we enjoyed everything about it! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On Thursday, Andrew walked into town to get some breakfast for everyone - he returned with a couple of yogurts, some rolls and fruit --- and amazingly, espresso in a dixie cup for me! The town only had about 6 buildings so he was very limited but did find a small grocery store. We are so used to boulangeries in France that I guess we assumed that they would be in Monforte D'Alba as well - no such luck! After preparing for the day and collecting the kids, we were off to Stroppiana Winery for a visit with Stephania.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We found Stroppiana with very little difficulty between 10:00 and 10:30 am and were greeted by Stephania's 17 year old son Leonardo and her mother in law. When Stephania came around the corner and hugs were given all around! We were taken to a simple and comfortable tasting room where we found a long wooden table with bottles of wine, glasses and a large bowl of hazelnuts. After visiting for a little while and learning about Stephania's family, the bottles were opened and the tasting began! The kids were very patient and after a few minutes, were offered Chocolate! Stephania walked over to a large closet and grabbed several large bars, opened them up, cracked them apart, and the kids were smiling! Stephania told us that Leonardo may be visiting the states and helping Claudia (their representative in the U.S.) with marketing - we told him that if he comes to Canton, he has a place to stay and tour guides :) -- We visited with Stephania and Leonardo for about an hour and then Stephania arranged another tasting for us at Erbaluna Winery, down the road in La Morra, at 2:30. On our way out, Stephania's husband and daughter arrived, we were introduced, pictures were taken and we were off!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our original plan to visit Bra Italy was nixed after Stephania and Leonardo explained that there really isn't anything there - so, although Emma and I were excited to have our picture taken in Bra, we opted to not visit the town. We did, however, take a pix in front of a "Bra" sign. Upon Stephania and Ivana's suggestion, we stopped in the town of La Morra for a look around and some lunch. Unfortunately, a lot of the restaurants were closed so we got some canoli to hold us until we found something more "lunchlike", which we did in the next little town, Garibaldi - pizza :) They were delicious and hit the spot. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Erbaluna winery is in a beautitul setting on a hillside with vineyards all around in La Morra Italy. The lady who conducted the tasting was informative, fun and explained the reason for all of he dusty wine bottles in the pictures above: Whenever a new child is born into the family, a case or two of wine from that year is saved until that child's 18th birthday at which time, at the celebration, the wine is opened and enjoyed! What a fantastic tradition! The wine was great, Nathan enjoyed it too - we liked everything we tasted, bought several bottles, met some German folks outside who where heading in for a tasting as well, and were on our way once more. (and today I discovered that Erbaluna wine is available at Astor Wine shop in NYC! - I stumbled upon that bit of info. when researching the town that the winery is actually in for this post-Astor ships to North Canton!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next stop: Alba Italy. Stephania and Ivana suggested that we visit Alba and both warned us to NOT go until later in the afternoon due to the funeral of the CEO of the Ferrero Corp., maker of Nutella. When we arrived, many of the stores were closed and 99% of the shop/restaurant windows held a photograph of a gentleman who we assumed, must be running for some kind of public office. Soon, however, we realized that it was the CEO who had died - the town loved him which was evidenced not only by the number of photographs, but also by the number of bleachers/speakers etc.... that were being dismantled and loaded into trucks from the funeral mass which was held in the church (pix above) with the crowd spilling into the square outside. When we arrived home I checked the internet and found that Pietro Ferraro had died suddenly while biking in Capetown South Africa.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The kids enjoyed some gelato and we did enjoy walking around Alba for awhile, then headed back to the Inn to relax before a wonderful dinner at a beautiful little restaurant which was tucked down a hill, around a corner, behind some vines - I really don't know how people find these restaurants! The restaurant was a suggestion from Ivana again, and I'm glad that we went - dinner was delicious! The next day we were driving to Tuscany and making some stops along the way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-44302804402837481052011-05-10T13:22:00.004+02:002011-05-11T12:59:28.626+02:00Trip to Piedmont Italy - April 26<div class="separator" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSYZ5I6suMcwqv9JZZZHpwu1DfWMSOMBAWi6oxyzOAvFYUkMNni1459xK4rOhkVQorg4_6E23BBWuY_1p4PEQoJTCBDsnCIsDCY4yJY2HguUK2PD4EAu27QP9wPHxlb6mco-UgQCGlIOq0/s1600/A-Grasse+France+%252814%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSYZ5I6suMcwqv9JZZZHpwu1DfWMSOMBAWi6oxyzOAvFYUkMNni1459xK4rOhkVQorg4_6E23BBWuY_1p4PEQoJTCBDsnCIsDCY4yJY2HguUK2PD4EAu27QP9wPHxlb6mco-UgQCGlIOq0/s320/A-Grasse+France+%252814%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Stop - Grasse France - The center of the world's<br />
perfume industry since the 16th century</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0XQWmFkq5LVQQbZEcE8fvdHCS5mRS9jvfF26P_SpgoCQrKbGBgNY1NQNAXK17buGrE7Eqqc-LA5LY-qF3Tr4YIgBkAjfjJw2W_ZWTVpqIqZoh-wWl6RYHWuYU5-YMpchj2uC72_ns0Vq/s1600/A-Grasse+France+%252815%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0XQWmFkq5LVQQbZEcE8fvdHCS5mRS9jvfF26P_SpgoCQrKbGBgNY1NQNAXK17buGrE7Eqqc-LA5LY-qF3Tr4YIgBkAjfjJw2W_ZWTVpqIqZoh-wWl6RYHWuYU5-YMpchj2uC72_ns0Vq/s320/A-Grasse+France+%252815%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Musee Internationale de la Parfumerie</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRTqCmpKLMNlWczrmoFYEvzbnLtT6r7B18KK4e7bsZmmv7w0ccyL8wbkd26HIN9cw8lN9Z-ZcF2o7M4kcAC2a8yjDfrMPA_7kc9AoIUJfZsZ13wubr2VDRKbet7NUjd3obt5prRlXIRCd/s1600/A-Grasse+France+%252816%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRTqCmpKLMNlWczrmoFYEvzbnLtT6r7B18KK4e7bsZmmv7w0ccyL8wbkd26HIN9cw8lN9Z-ZcF2o7M4kcAC2a8yjDfrMPA_7kc9AoIUJfZsZ13wubr2VDRKbet7NUjd3obt5prRlXIRCd/s320/A-Grasse+France+%252816%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Touring the museum, Emma is smelling some of the<br />
plants that are manufactured into perfume</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmXOhzJ-Rat4IIGCQOSeSAJL_qepBK7hSUFmn6JxthmJ5q2w7QepZohW7kwt7KMhQ2eYJ1MxzuW9_5kRxZahyHqwIclpjOOg8tcgupIXO06tjC4kLzTDZ_TlXaEbvVgQkvEaRY0mZLvZf/s1600/A-Grasse+France+%252817%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmXOhzJ-Rat4IIGCQOSeSAJL_qepBK7hSUFmn6JxthmJ5q2w7QepZohW7kwt7KMhQ2eYJ1MxzuW9_5kRxZahyHqwIclpjOOg8tcgupIXO06tjC4kLzTDZ_TlXaEbvVgQkvEaRY0mZLvZf/s320/A-Grasse+France+%252817%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fragonard Parfumerie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28eJmp_UHo7MlLbQ-kdOZOIveVehZ07eqfLBV0GmwwUq-zE5r6BBCAtkwQUA-a-jgvfd8v5T9jCY2BV4I0iSv5MBV_NG5fUGi7SLu6Umuu964QgzjSqR9GPr1Q9hS7qfDxzB4wl3Wob3C/s1600/A-Grasse+France+%252819%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28eJmp_UHo7MlLbQ-kdOZOIveVehZ07eqfLBV0GmwwUq-zE5r6BBCAtkwQUA-a-jgvfd8v5T9jCY2BV4I0iSv5MBV_NG5fUGi7SLu6Umuu964QgzjSqR9GPr1Q9hS7qfDxzB4wl3Wob3C/s320/A-Grasse+France+%252819%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grasse was the birthplace of Jean-Honore Fragonard</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_jqULSu2MS607gxQa1VVnUbOxkSpiArq0gOkEpiaCCfwmim_SRTbEkiW6v8FK0w_Sw8D2h1ro2EqK9ATiKbt8_TtF2X0zqfJIc1wm6me5ZFSzbUhmIHbBA-WV4v82TolEBNHQ7SkKD8A/s1600/B-Cannes+France+%252844%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_jqULSu2MS607gxQa1VVnUbOxkSpiArq0gOkEpiaCCfwmim_SRTbEkiW6v8FK0w_Sw8D2h1ro2EqK9ATiKbt8_TtF2X0zqfJIc1wm6me5ZFSzbUhmIHbBA-WV4v82TolEBNHQ7SkKD8A/s320/B-Cannes+France+%252844%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second Stop - Cannes!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEiUYimZfc5J58VIRfjFckfN5enhVxyL2TJAMhUyeRlov77Ol4-6l8z86jBUfEz6Yh9-AQ_6wquk3InQpEucm_qSyyJ5f4BVaJ990F3MeFQOpIKdnes3NVRnv7oKU_RJ8HjTPYUA7t5t-/s1600/B-Cannes+France+%252849%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEiUYimZfc5J58VIRfjFckfN5enhVxyL2TJAMhUyeRlov77Ol4-6l8z86jBUfEz6Yh9-AQ_6wquk3InQpEucm_qSyyJ5f4BVaJ990F3MeFQOpIKdnes3NVRnv7oKU_RJ8HjTPYUA7t5t-/s320/B-Cannes+France+%252849%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Palais Des Festivals et Des Congres</em> - the location of the<br />
International Film Festival (sans the red carpet!)<br />
They were preparing for 2011 - Runs May 11-22<br />
We were there a little early</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABMv00g5YVrpXXDcVzSAd9oIBUKsMTQS-xjcDXw2BfT5v1LAylpl-fcTJ5gd5Wv-23rgsPwTR2zMAKcOjNe39WI8AgOdpv-9frv77DPXa5BDXaHhnlwo70K_HEDHs465KAzk4fpyrsUFt/s1600/B-Cannes+France+%252852%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABMv00g5YVrpXXDcVzSAd9oIBUKsMTQS-xjcDXw2BfT5v1LAylpl-fcTJ5gd5Wv-23rgsPwTR2zMAKcOjNe39WI8AgOdpv-9frv77DPXa5BDXaHhnlwo70K_HEDHs465KAzk4fpyrsUFt/s320/B-Cannes+France+%252852%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mickey Mouse's Handprint</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yJGaGWlybwvBn88BZiw_Uww8-wymGqX5z2Ef15AN1PbJG45wHN22b08P9_b5USUbXr-QWh3iISjIeW379Xw9GKVxy3DdoRFs6QYsENScPacHxXD7R-E-qOgETfnmcw1WzZrULeWgvwId/s1600/B-Cannes+France+%252855%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yJGaGWlybwvBn88BZiw_Uww8-wymGqX5z2Ef15AN1PbJG45wHN22b08P9_b5USUbXr-QWh3iISjIeW379Xw9GKVxy3DdoRFs6QYsENScPacHxXD7R-E-qOgETfnmcw1WzZrULeWgvwId/s320/B-Cannes+France+%252855%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pink Panther</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgye60wYphswwfPH6Eo0YjzWj05Hn5VB6G1mxX6aKO4TC2_xNH9nP5I7ErwyRLr6JNuOfls4ndFgWu55mQPplowBvdiaVh_tjSt_j0T4KSlpJ7RbRV9qrDhri-VdGCU9LT5HlVlKd0ktamW/s1600/B-Cannes+France+%252859%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgye60wYphswwfPH6Eo0YjzWj05Hn5VB6G1mxX6aKO4TC2_xNH9nP5I7ErwyRLr6JNuOfls4ndFgWu55mQPplowBvdiaVh_tjSt_j0T4KSlpJ7RbRV9qrDhri-VdGCU9LT5HlVlKd0ktamW/s320/B-Cannes+France+%252859%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma - A Jedi!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiedZKa5hvA0f1s3QQGuY0vazkDxuLk-5iBr1xs4BNd2Dq117GLS2tED6irstLpeUVa1lq8mvszZSV2x8qpDhdFuOOXSJ9MmFyzOcjofaK9ECZBzZEw2FHYb95vhUOfJ574hSPc_XbwF3km/s320/B-Cannes+France+%252860%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam - A Jedi!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheofXPinm_2ntKdXHyeJsbCdp9MM63NA50LbD5FFAKfcOdb7G6pZdLdznXx3DZPoN69kUIH34wqE0LlhOUnI4NiODiV7uRd5oksdGmC01hsvJqYT8ZZiqW4st0qmjIVxhZeckwfrY3pTSa/s1600/B-Cannes+France+%252865%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheofXPinm_2ntKdXHyeJsbCdp9MM63NA50LbD5FFAKfcOdb7G6pZdLdznXx3DZPoN69kUIH34wqE0LlhOUnI4NiODiV7uRd5oksdGmC01hsvJqYT8ZZiqW4st0qmjIVxhZeckwfrY3pTSa/s320/B-Cannes+France+%252865%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smile!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZxEukOEvydsAPUiUxS438H9lxDzxO2gD2AQ5iBAYg7UID6A6FMbjHepTaQzgX0Dj9wzlsOo51vPY9SWHo_hPg_3-Nd5GJlhfmxEe-bzCKaN0k29t5bQBUeNxYlU7Mj3vzP42DYdbEzj6/s1600/B-Cannes+France+%252868%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZxEukOEvydsAPUiUxS438H9lxDzxO2gD2AQ5iBAYg7UID6A6FMbjHepTaQzgX0Dj9wzlsOo51vPY9SWHo_hPg_3-Nd5GJlhfmxEe-bzCKaN0k29t5bQBUeNxYlU7Mj3vzP42DYdbEzj6/s320/B-Cannes+France+%252868%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nathan and Andrew taking a break</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlp-7KE0h4IcM4a0AGNlDhJv6_A2almOUkbUzRcSiZh8irCfTIIZSIQ2R8JU82yaqs35RnpvrwK0vX-eoRaMktHcu8tjvotzZppR8nSftkLXXHcB9ZkSYCefA3eWN4zsLiP0FQvDM2SOs/s1600/B-Cannes+France+%252871%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlp-7KE0h4IcM4a0AGNlDhJv6_A2almOUkbUzRcSiZh8irCfTIIZSIQ2R8JU82yaqs35RnpvrwK0vX-eoRaMktHcu8tjvotzZppR8nSftkLXXHcB9ZkSYCefA3eWN4zsLiP0FQvDM2SOs/s320/B-Cannes+France+%252871%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very fun sand sculptor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2A0-JF6DGwFdzVIW9DxSo4NUNEaFKn1xPhr5o_MrSWbAAQInQyprgj2WVnxAUehHMhjL_6EjaTRcm96qGjZcNw4hM9giwwGfRb5AEHX2oNDRTNclZKes13go152EXVMTgn5JUyOClYPN3/s1600/C-Entering+Italy+%25289%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2A0-JF6DGwFdzVIW9DxSo4NUNEaFKn1xPhr5o_MrSWbAAQInQyprgj2WVnxAUehHMhjL_6EjaTRcm96qGjZcNw4hM9giwwGfRb5AEHX2oNDRTNclZKes13go152EXVMTgn5JUyOClYPN3/s320/C-Entering+Italy+%25289%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ITALY! (this was the best pix we could snap between<br />
tunnels!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkUFBbnEO5elhqtTFKggirtChTXVjiThksUpaSUZY0MHDxV-uMHSc93xkGwmo1NP69whmwAyhKWZ1ghRMDDWQFwXv1p9I4vSKZXPW-ab5LiOfZchuYgSV8wPL58Kpl6B4Q9GB-JSAsk8q/s1600/C-Entering+Italy+%252811%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkUFBbnEO5elhqtTFKggirtChTXVjiThksUpaSUZY0MHDxV-uMHSc93xkGwmo1NP69whmwAyhKWZ1ghRMDDWQFwXv1p9I4vSKZXPW-ab5LiOfZchuYgSV8wPL58Kpl6B4Q9GB-JSAsk8q/s320/C-Entering+Italy+%252811%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMWfoJKrb2FsGVVkdxVxov0ikIUegrsqWL2NQ_462-aF6_jXTzYOBH646rx6GgzYaM8z-Ni4OykVEXBGpIb6tDTqitcW0SpoCDpYcZws0TxFF3epANPzhph7F8bS4hGykQwkYIhidQeeC/s1600/D-Catibona+Italy-Dinner+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMWfoJKrb2FsGVVkdxVxov0ikIUegrsqWL2NQ_462-aF6_jXTzYOBH646rx6GgzYaM8z-Ni4OykVEXBGpIb6tDTqitcW0SpoCDpYcZws0TxFF3epANPzhph7F8bS4hGykQwkYIhidQeeC/s320/D-Catibona+Italy-Dinner+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first italian dinner was here - a restaurant whose<br />
driveway was between guardrails off of a very<br />
windy, in the middle of nowhere, road.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiedZKa5hvA0f1s3QQGuY0vazkDxuLk-5iBr1xs4BNd2Dq117GLS2tED6irstLpeUVa1lq8mvszZSV2x8qpDhdFuOOXSJ9MmFyzOcjofaK9ECZBzZEw2FHYb95vhUOfJ574hSPc_XbwF3km/s1600/B-Cannes+France+%252860%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">We left for our big Italian adventure on Tuesday April 26. This was the second two week break for the public school system so the kids did not miss any classes. Our ultimate destination was Florence/Siena in the Tuscany region but we planned some fun stops along the way as well due to the distance involved. We would travel east along the A8/E80 freeway, just north of the mediterranean sea and stop wherever we wanted to along the way. We had numerous recommendations from friends and family regarding what to do and what not to do which were very helpful, so, although Monte-Carlo and Monaco sounded like great places to stop, we chose not to do so on this trip. The size of the towns and knowing that they would probably be very busy due to the holiday time (children out of school) played a large part in that decision.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Rather, Emma and I suggested that we stop in Grasse, the center of the perfume world! We were excited to smell a wide variety of scents and maybe even purchase something as a souvenir. Grasse is a lovely little town positioned in between hills with views of the sea and surrounded by lavendar, mimosa, jasmine and rose fields (although we didn't see any of them in bloom). The buildings are painted with bright colors and the town is very warm and welcoming. We parked Mo Mo in a parking garage and went in search of the Office of Tourism. Before finding the office, however, we found the one museum that was recommended in our tour book - the <em>Musee Internationale de la Perfumerie. </em>Andy, Emma and I decided to go in and look around while Nathan and Adam chose to look around the town and get a snack - we agreed to meet back at the front doors of the museum in 30 minutes. Overall, Andy, Emma and I were disappointed with the museum - We were hoping for more explanations of how the perfume is made, how scents are determined etc..., however, the museum included more information regarding the history of the industry overall - especially perfume bottles and cases. Our favorite exhibit was the one in the photo above which allowed us to "scent test" the various plants used in perfume manufacturing. We met up with the boys as planned (who had found the Office of Tourism!) and went over to the Fragonard Perfumerie and museum.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The historic perfumerie was built in 1782 and still produces perfumes and soaps daily today. Emma, Nathan and I had a nice time walking around the quaint little shop smelling the various fragrances and looking for "just the right one" to claim as our official souvenir. (Nathan was smelling the mens' fragrances :) ). Meanwhile, Adam waited outside and Andy decided to check out the Fragonard museum. I wish we would have had more time to spend in Grasse, because Andrew appreciated the Fragonard museum much more than the first museum we had visited and I would have liked to tour it as well. In the end, Emma and I decided to purchase a three pack of mini bottles of perfumes which included one that she liked, one that I liked, and one that we would share!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">After Grasse, we drove a bit south to Cannes to check out the town that is famous for the annual International Film Festival and many other festivals as well.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Although our handy tour book told us that, in addition to the festival area of town, Cannes has an Old Town which Lord Brougham (founder of Cannes who arrived in 1834 when he was unable to reach Nice due to a cholera outbreak) knew as the center of the city, we stayed around the newer festival area. I think we are pretty "old towned and ruined" out by now!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The festival area reminded me a lot of what I envision Rodeo Drive in California to be like. The stores lining the street across from the sea included names such as: Dolce & Gabbana, Coach, Prada, Gucci, Chanel, Dior, and Hermes. There were banners still on the poles lining the streets announcing the "Cannes Shopping Festival - 21-24 Avril" - I figured that since we arrived just two days after the festival, we might stumble upon some sales at those nice stores - ha ha - just kidding, I knew better, but it was fun to look! </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">We attempted to enter the building where the Film Festival is held (<em>Palais Des Festivals et Des Congres</em>), however, there was a lot of construction etc... going on, I assume, in preparation for the festival which begins on May 11 so we were unable to go in and check the place out. We did enjoy walking around outside where we found many handprints of stars in the sidewalks - photos of a couple of them are above. In addition, there were ice cream stands, street vendors and a lot of hustle and bustle - tourists, construction workers, kids riding the Carousel and playing carnival type games. Cannes is an exciting area. Even though the day was overcast, we had a nice time strolling along the streets where many movie stars, producers, and animated characters have strolled before us.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Getting out of Cannes was interesting and took quite awhile but thanks to Andrew's (now) expert European driving skills, we made it and began our final trek to Italy! As we came closer to the border, we understood why the Wolff family was so impressed with the number of tunnels they drove through on their way to our house a few weeks before. The tunnels began coming one right after the other, with literally only 30 seconds to 2 minutes between gaps! The kids began keeping count when we entered the first one and Emma kept up the count all the way through Italy - final total: 270 and that was one way - we did not count on the return trip! The "Italia" sign shown above is positioned between two of the tunnels so as soon as we exited one tunnel, we grabbed cameras and tried to snap but only got what you see above before entering the next tunnel!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The trip was absolutely gorgeous, with mountains on one side and the sea on the other side. The scene at the exit of every tunnel was breathtaking - with the end of every tunnel came another "oh my gosh, look at that!" comment worthy scene. Photos were difficult to snap due to the guardrails (very necessary!) on both sides of the car and there were nostopping opportunities. We enjoyed the entire trip and hope to remember the beauty for a long time.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Our first destination in Italy was in the Piedmont Region - at an Inn run by the sister (Ivana) of an Italian wine maker (Stephania Stroppiana) that we met at a wine tasting in Ohio in November. We needed dinner first, however, and Andrew decided that we should stop in ???? - a large town off of the main highway. I, on the otherhand, as the exit approached, suggested getting onto the next highway and THEN finding a restaurant so we didn't get lost in a large Italian town where we knew even less of the language than we did in France. So, we continued on -- into more mountains, in the dark, with no streetlights and where the roads got smaller and buildings were fewer. Pretty soon dinner was looking like a disant dream. Although we saw signs for towns, they were not directly off of the highway so our chance of finding it within an hour and then being able to get back to the main road after dinner, wasn't looking good.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally as a result of hunger desperation, we decided to take a chance and got off of the highway, drove down a narrow road and noticed that there was a driveway to a ristorante between an opening in a guardrail! Seeing very few other options, we turned in, bumped along the dirt driveway and parked Mo Mo. The ristorante was teeny tiny - approximately 30 square feet which included the bar, about a dozen tables, an area where the host chopped fresh meat and cooked it in an open fireplace, and a coffee "bar" corner. The kitchen was behind one of the walls, I have no idea how big IT was. The place was full (I'm not sure where everyone came from) but did have one table left for our family. The host was very busy, wonderfully kind, and even spoke a little english. We each ordered a pasta dish (our first real italian pasta!!) and ABSOLUTELY LOVED every bite!!! The sauces were amazing, the lasagna was the best that Adam had ever eaten, and I loved the pesto - we picked the right teeny tiny ristorante (as if we had a choice!).</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">After dinner, our trip continued to Monforte D'Alba - a wonderful little town in the mountains where Ivana's Inn was waiting. After several failed attempts to find it on our own, in the dark, we sunk to the level of having to call Ivana (late-it was about 11:00 pm by this time), explain where we were, and have her husband come and lead us to our temporary home away from home away from home ( we were within 1/2 mile). Ivana was waiting outside for us, led us to our "apartments" - Andrew and I had one, and the kids had their own - they were lovely, comfortable, and we were happy to be there.</div>La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-7315702060113660722011-05-10T08:54:00.001+02:002011-05-10T09:03:34.778+02:00Passover and Easter 2011Passover came first this year and Andy was able to find a temple (traveling temple!) through a man that we met during movie night in the beginning of our stay in Montpellier. They have no permanent synagogue here so apparently, make due with various locations.<br />
<br />
For Passover, the Jewish congregation was holding a Sedar meal in the Corum which is a very large, beautiful convention center where shows, meetings, and cultural activities are held. On the very top floor of the building, there is a meeting room with a kitchen area - the room where the Sedar was to be held.<br />
<br />
On the night of the Sedar, we all got in our "fancy clothes", walked to the tram, and got off at the Corum stop. From there, we were supposed to find an elevator and go up to the top floor. Well, being us, we assumed that the elevator would be around the public area of the building so we headed up some stairs, then further up more stairs (all outside). We ended up on the roof of the Corum and asked some College aged kids if they knew where the room was - "no, but maybe down a floor" - so, we headed down only to confirm that the room wasn't there and neither was the elevator! Andrew pulled out the cell phone and called his contact person (a lady from the congregation) who said that she would meet us at the tram stop - down we went to meet her, which we did and then followed her about 100 feet to an elevator door tucked in a part of the building that we didn't see initially! <br />
<br />
Since it was a very small elevator - we sent Emma and Adam with a gentleman who had met us with the lady, up and planned to follow. When the elevator came back down, the rest of us climbed aboard, pushed the button, and didn't go anywhere - the elevator was suddenly broken. So - we got to hoof it back up all of the steps, and back onto the roof where, tucked back into and around a corner, was the door to the room we had been looking for all along - ugh!<br />
<br />
The service had already begun when we walked in, but the kids in the room were very relaxed and goofing off so we didn't seem to be disturbing anyone by coming in late. There were about 50 people in attendance. We handed over our contribution to the "Pot-Luck Sedar" (strawberries, matzo and wine) and found some seats (which we were eventually moved from because they were reserved for the president of the temple).<br />
<br />
Most of the service was in French, until the person leading the service got to a certain prayer and only knew how to say it in....Arabic! Needless to say, it was a very interesting, culturally diverse, evening. We were lucky enough to sit by an english speaking couple - she from New York, he from Turkey who had three boys around Adam's age (they, however were sitting with all of their friends). The food was good and again, culturally diverse - 2 different matzo ball soups, some meatballs and other various dishes. After a couple of hours, we were all ready to head for home and thanked the english speakers for taking us under their "wing".<br />
<br />
For Easter, I went out in search of a traditional Easter ham, only to discover that there are none! I called Marie to ask what people in France eat for Easter and was informed that Leg of Lamb is the tradional dinner of choice, I however, was not about to attempt my first leg of lamb here so, we resorted to our tradional passover dinner from home - Bourbon Chicken, which everyone loves! <br />
<br />
We decided to go to the Easter Vigil service at The Cathedral of St. Pierre for mass on Saturday night. The weekend had been rainy but we made it to the church dry by tram. When we entered, we picked up Easter candles for a 50 cent donation and were told that there would be a procession into the church at 9:00 pm. We found a seat up in the front and waited. Andrew went for a walk outside to pass the time and found a group of people standing around a very large TV screen watching the Montpellier Handball match! He was back in time to join in the procession and was very excited to tell Adam what he had found.<br />
<br />
The Bishop, along with numerous priests and deacons, lead the church service, beginning with a fire outside the front of the church, the lighting of the big easter candle and the procession into the church - it was a beautiful event - the music/singing, candlelight and ambiance of the Cathedral all together for Easter, was very moving. The service was looong as all Easter Vigils are, and we stayed for the whole thing! <br />
<br />
On Easter morning, we were suprised to find that the Bunny had visited us in France! Much Chocolate was found and enjoyed :) The day was spent going to the Zoo to visit the animals and relaxing at home. Our dinner of Bourbon Chicken, mashed potatoes and whatever veggie we had, was good. The kids had colored their Easter Eggs the day before thanks to Grandma and Grandpa's care package. I didn't see any egg coloring kits here in France. The new tie-died style eggs were beautiful and I know I took pictures of them but am afraid that I deleted the pix at some point since I can't find them on the computer :(<br />
<br />
Overall, the holidays here were very nice and enjoyed by all of us!La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-45602610685725081052011-05-04T08:01:00.002+02:002011-05-05T16:01:28.413+02:00Cassis and First Day at The Pool - April 16 and 17, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46Yy_Q_VUSo2VhXxaaahGa0Zz0Lu19i632cg6jElG_S_Oxqq2fJUa9rnw2_LAdbOAsH2jKlqxGrbKniEanSpp2YDIgoBMoIsATvUvSW418pIHhzcG2RBj8wDLN8h8Sj58Y0rJIxxhQSaO/s1600/Cassis+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46Yy_Q_VUSo2VhXxaaahGa0Zz0Lu19i632cg6jElG_S_Oxqq2fJUa9rnw2_LAdbOAsH2jKlqxGrbKniEanSpp2YDIgoBMoIsATvUvSW418pIHhzcG2RBj8wDLN8h8Sj58Y0rJIxxhQSaO/s320/Cassis+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cassis! A beautiful coastal town about 2 hours<br />
east of us</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a picnic on the beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids - deciding if it's too cold to get in!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clever Eli - found a rock on the beach that was perfect<br />
for cleaning the sand out of his toes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eli's getting buried - vertically!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big cousin burying little cousin!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_qEEpvClPHioyOnH1w8uC1P9w5DQzIKyAZfcZ-izB-fsy08Rf2RIgkB07CkVDqTCbUURENZZqGY99j-N1-8ayx-YfDZ0JMbnQibd7QP7z9e6on80eBIrEoTgOJToMJHSf9TELKAv8lFv/s1600/Cassis+%252850%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_qEEpvClPHioyOnH1w8uC1P9w5DQzIKyAZfcZ-izB-fsy08Rf2RIgkB07CkVDqTCbUURENZZqGY99j-N1-8ayx-YfDZ0JMbnQibd7QP7z9e6on80eBIrEoTgOJToMJHSf9TELKAv8lFv/s320/Cassis+%252850%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Havin fun with my cuz!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYAIKCPuz8jqdabrXT9KUShwUKqQ0E3zvdb9SqAtQT5g43UEc3EUlqF77rFh_LndKf8msDKxpSX69zH0TbBTBK3IhOpQ7iA68TnU57vFLFnaO4XyYBhUGTT9P3MiWR9IGTesR1-1AHnKL/s1600/Cassis+%252851%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYAIKCPuz8jqdabrXT9KUShwUKqQ0E3zvdb9SqAtQT5g43UEc3EUlqF77rFh_LndKf8msDKxpSX69zH0TbBTBK3IhOpQ7iA68TnU57vFLFnaO4XyYBhUGTT9P3MiWR9IGTesR1-1AHnKL/s320/Cassis+%252851%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun on the beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6QK0lZM42k24muXbGL65RNLhhRd_evFVPDEswgLTJGf35xn_91wPJrQ4CHx0s6Y0ns4moJLIO0QWn2-lCzE_RWcVKefw1J59QlMg8wJ7N2IToXwlacK2EPaT9VPlWptfUknLymKU6GN-/s1600/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6QK0lZM42k24muXbGL65RNLhhRd_evFVPDEswgLTJGf35xn_91wPJrQ4CHx0s6Y0ns4moJLIO0QWn2-lCzE_RWcVKefw1J59QlMg8wJ7N2IToXwlacK2EPaT9VPlWptfUknLymKU6GN-/s320/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a river and gorge along the mountains where we<br />
hiked at the beginning of our trip - beautiful!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiar5q_njKM6F7AdgJcFe-XUfbTKuf456NGc6ytlD3TC_oBRRE4yv7HcCAaGzHP_yN2MFnW1oScpeXkqOnMgLq4pBskqZWEGUiQ34kQRmgnIYdY7loPvjrllwu5EoJpy6cAiYO6nN-Zeb9T/s1600/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiar5q_njKM6F7AdgJcFe-XUfbTKuf456NGc6ytlD3TC_oBRRE4yv7HcCAaGzHP_yN2MFnW1oScpeXkqOnMgLq4pBskqZWEGUiQ34kQRmgnIYdY7loPvjrllwu5EoJpy6cAiYO6nN-Zeb9T/s320/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%25285%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tracie and Andrew</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_q38svLYEi5Xmnk772CjBB6lcu-IzzKgd8OWTbzkxM4J1eoQ0RF-0W8w0mCEEPK_n7zJes4NjG2y864ovc7Q5lYPJxvahwq2NmI0HMg76Z7ovqDqrXfbIfCt2v_uovrpwZO7N_tsHxGMg/s1600/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_q38svLYEi5Xmnk772CjBB6lcu-IzzKgd8OWTbzkxM4J1eoQ0RF-0W8w0mCEEPK_n7zJes4NjG2y864ovc7Q5lYPJxvahwq2NmI0HMg76Z7ovqDqrXfbIfCt2v_uovrpwZO7N_tsHxGMg/s320/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%25287%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guess Who!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WGcfYyQyBadLM7BKJHhtOSh2eevB-ayDdW37P4HhOkrXgTo6mkANa7ZfEfHBl6Qc2obu2YsrNp7FArBmR3dputr3hcbvfHxEPTTYbRUVk6Vo6zwV-Uy80KAox_kUVIhXIaYrRfWBdaBr/s1600/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WGcfYyQyBadLM7BKJHhtOSh2eevB-ayDdW37P4HhOkrXgTo6mkANa7ZfEfHBl6Qc2obu2YsrNp7FArBmR3dputr3hcbvfHxEPTTYbRUVk6Vo6zwV-Uy80KAox_kUVIhXIaYrRfWBdaBr/s320/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%252810%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our bus for the weekend - thanks Tracie, it was much<br />
more comfy than everyone in Mo Mo even though<br />
the window fell out!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9n8Epz6_Be9xPxvwHS5Uu0eWaKUk6SLOU_TqYc1qJB16zoKFGVY3k86avHtNLhrfASP1HOslplHuiy5QI21qAHORl3rxDZjycBXWjt8wMv5Xeew_2Ne6PA0y_UKkHcQMzFl-bn22QMuM/s1600/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%252811%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9n8Epz6_Be9xPxvwHS5Uu0eWaKUk6SLOU_TqYc1qJB16zoKFGVY3k86avHtNLhrfASP1HOslplHuiy5QI21qAHORl3rxDZjycBXWjt8wMv5Xeew_2Ne6PA0y_UKkHcQMzFl-bn22QMuM/s320/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%252811%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First day of Boisson pool season</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PlrqlbwpurrIrf2rXNPAKsFejsu7HkTWLV0akPBeFO_Bs8-9fu_lmqReZdwxXWIt-c_FPEzmfRMH648rvOhEetKxDivCLDHNYRK2IvrXwUrvKEuCbecWyjztTkr8YYGhWOXywoWFj6LL/s1600/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries-edited+%252816%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PlrqlbwpurrIrf2rXNPAKsFejsu7HkTWLV0akPBeFO_Bs8-9fu_lmqReZdwxXWIt-c_FPEzmfRMH648rvOhEetKxDivCLDHNYRK2IvrXwUrvKEuCbecWyjztTkr8YYGhWOXywoWFj6LL/s320/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries-edited+%252816%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out the guns!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV81P2UPz2wOrmvoVpHVQgTHu3XPoVUkL6m3heJ5Or3g-rrWEi7_V4LM7Ld99CDhw6BZHFPw7kgVqe4IoaTks2WkdidDQYi0zSXF7OOgQPVs0tkIMTMSChbxbIl4s5ZzXlfC7kWKsTCnPK/s1600/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries-edited+%252817%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV81P2UPz2wOrmvoVpHVQgTHu3XPoVUkL6m3heJ5Or3g-rrWEi7_V4LM7Ld99CDhw6BZHFPw7kgVqe4IoaTks2WkdidDQYi0zSXF7OOgQPVs0tkIMTMSChbxbIl4s5ZzXlfC7kWKsTCnPK/s320/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries-edited+%252817%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thinking about getting in - she did!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoQ5qsGjoNLcs57X4DZQMF82VNGDcJJj3PyBEcHwKupih_u7aK0B18HdosPhkuIQ79wxDI-nVvBO4ZMvi0nKa6zvSKUPqk2I1tmfGYr_TUaIJXzbHSGD06jpeSJDNDng61oFki_pucSJW/s1600/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%252821%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoQ5qsGjoNLcs57X4DZQMF82VNGDcJJj3PyBEcHwKupih_u7aK0B18HdosPhkuIQ79wxDI-nVvBO4ZMvi0nKa6zvSKUPqk2I1tmfGYr_TUaIJXzbHSGD06jpeSJDNDng61oFki_pucSJW/s320/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%252821%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cousins - very sweet</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33lYWggH1ScbfV71FE_HyvSqcFAeEqfJFU_WKr5PM2nD7Hy-NS-DWxPVu1NMGJnSBbyI_XYnb8wS1BrCPOsOHrsc6MBMTakdUdo9t1WZ9Pt-rcUrVoVW95P7qjlshVKzsngV6u105ICaH/s1600/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%252819%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33lYWggH1ScbfV71FE_HyvSqcFAeEqfJFU_WKr5PM2nD7Hy-NS-DWxPVu1NMGJnSBbyI_XYnb8wS1BrCPOsOHrsc6MBMTakdUdo9t1WZ9Pt-rcUrVoVW95P7qjlshVKzsngV6u105ICaH/s320/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%252819%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nathan decided to join the fun also</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gSQk44NPNzFvyUioojD6Gv1A09ucAPxhnSrQUnRrNmoge_NDlLhC7F1yAHONLBdiVohpETZSOgme6IQQQGQ-KlwfBnfX4ehXlxSq5RW4PZuEuqRAuPd6qYtwTee8AZCYoyViDGzBHzzL/s1600/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%252826%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gSQk44NPNzFvyUioojD6Gv1A09ucAPxhnSrQUnRrNmoge_NDlLhC7F1yAHONLBdiVohpETZSOgme6IQQQGQ-KlwfBnfX4ehXlxSq5RW4PZuEuqRAuPd6qYtwTee8AZCYoyViDGzBHzzL/s320/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%252826%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uh Oh! Look out, he's comin in!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnC0cV7Ywq0iCw2COTtl3RpxhVegvbn80FFR-9Q-2D7nxzZ1eHvAN_pUkcP_LVnRnMTBUVJ2-e0xP2oAN4LkX6NCCD8Guwnur1aRECgFyG8ZRQTc9AnlmXduIY-vjHLL54-w8ePiExgwM/s1600/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%252844%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnC0cV7Ywq0iCw2COTtl3RpxhVegvbn80FFR-9Q-2D7nxzZ1eHvAN_pUkcP_LVnRnMTBUVJ2-e0xP2oAN4LkX6NCCD8Guwnur1aRECgFyG8ZRQTc9AnlmXduIY-vjHLL54-w8ePiExgwM/s320/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%252844%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tracie enjoying the peace and fun</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWtPHF_0niXouCdmFlHkg-N-4OdPvbudgRLWvg3_jDbQh8FqMGNDSIxhrPJ9Dp6SEshP7WoIIICpoN-4SxMxI-5j9FQuSzQJ3A9udL8J2qUeKWF_4BTENaJFErtSQBjnBf4lU6Mk1syXP/s1600/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%252847%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWtPHF_0niXouCdmFlHkg-N-4OdPvbudgRLWvg3_jDbQh8FqMGNDSIxhrPJ9Dp6SEshP7WoIIICpoN-4SxMxI-5j9FQuSzQJ3A9udL8J2qUeKWF_4BTENaJFErtSQBjnBf4lU6Mk1syXP/s320/Last+day-Pool+and+Wineries+%252847%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were able to take Tracie to one of our favorites - Domain de Rieussec </td></tr>
</tbody></table>We made it through the week transporting everyone with Mo Mo the Peugot since we usually had one less child along due to school. The weekend, however, was a different story. Rather than having a couple kids pile in the back of the car (Emma and Eli) again, Tracie rented a nice big 9 person van for us - it was one of the biggest vehicles on the road (like the Wolff bus when they were here). It was roomy and we were hoping, would help Koby and Eli with their car sickness. On Saturday morning we got everyone moving early so we could go to the Arles market for some goodies before heading to Cassis. After everyone was in the van and we were driving out, Adam (?) stayed in the yard to hold Vox and Cool - when we circled back to pick him up and the sliding door on the van was closed, an indicator light was still on so I got out and slammed the door hard causing the window to pop out and into the van! Koby, who was sitting on the other side of the door, and I, looked at each other suprised and I said Uh-Oh! We tried to pop the window back in and, although it stayed in place for the most part, there was about a one inch gap through which the wind blew, sounding like a jet airliner, for the rest of the day. It was frustrating and loud, but the rest of the bus was fine.<br />
<br />
Arles was it's typical busy, crowded self on market day but Andrew with his great driving and parking skills, was able to find a parking spot for the bus on the street since it wouldn't fit in the parking lot that we've come to know and use often. The market was nice - I believe that the biggest treat for Koby was when he and Adam found the bargain of the day - 13 Pain au Chocolates for 3,50 euros - they declared that the entire bag was theirs and theirs only and guarded it accordingly. (in the end, however, a few of the treats were missing and assumed "stolen" by siblings).<br />
<br />
Tracie, being the smartest one of the group, decided to go touring around on her own. One minute she was there, the next she was gone, but met us at the agreed "meeting point" at the agreed time. She found most of the tourist sights in Arles during that brief time away from us along with some cute shops. When we were all accounted for, we made sure that we had enough food for everyone and made our way back to the bus.<br />
<br />
With Andrew as the driver and Tracie the co-pilot, we were ready to find the beach! As we approached Marseilles we missed a turn somewhere and rather that going around the city, found ourselves smack dab in the middle of it - in a traffic jam with our big bus. I was anxious and nervous, Tracie was calm but worried about Eli and Koby and their car sickness issues and Andrew remained calm and maneuvered the city beautifully. We managed to get out of there after 30 - 40 minutes and made it to Cassis. Finding parking, however, was another story!<br />
<br />
Cassis is a beautiful beach town with windy, narrow roads where people park. After looking for a good spot for a few minutes, we decided to drop Tracie and the kids off in the town while Andrew and I went in search of the perfect spot - which we found, about 1/2 mile away and up a hill. After parking, paying, putting the "paid" ticket on the dash, Andrew was informed that the "spot" we found was illegal - but we should be o.k. since we did pay and weren't the only ones there! We took a chance, left the bus, and walked with baskets, blankets, cameras etc... to find the gang.<br />
<br />
We set up camp at the beach - in the sand where the sun was warm but the water was chilly. People all around us were in their swim suits, bikinis, speedos etc.... Our kids were shocked when their Tia, who arrived in jeans, while sitting on the blanket, decided to change into her shorts - right there, sitting on the blanket! Giggles and "Tia!!!" comments were heard for a few minutes - to which she responded "I am wearing no less than most people on this beach" and she was right! We unpacked the picnic, began cutting bread, sausage, cheese, fruit etc... Eli discovered that he likes olives :) Koby and Adam, however, looked at all of the food and asked "is this all we brought??" and tried to dive into their pain au chocolate treat bag! We reminded them both that they were supposed to make sure that there was food that they liked, in the picnic basket before leaving the market - I guess in their 12 year old minds, a bag of pain au chocolates fit that bill!<br />
<br />
Tia was very sweet (I was very frustrated) and took the boys into town to find some acceptable food - PIZZA of course! They came back happy, full, and with an extra slice to share. The rest of the visit to Cassis was relaxing, warm and enjoyable. The kids played in the sand while the adults walked around the town and sat on the blanket and relaxed. Eli was partially buried - vertically, by Nathan and all of the kids worked together to build a "dam" with rocks. Koby was the only one to brave the chilly water while Eli gave it a good try and got partially wet - our kids stayed dry!<br />
<br />
We spent several hours at the beach before packing up and walking back to the bus which was still exactly where we left it!<br />
<br />
The final day of the visit began slowly and relaxed with the kids getting up and playing outside for awhile waiting for us to give the A-O-K for swim time. Mr. Boisson was trying to fix the broken fence around the pool so we had to wait for his O.K. as well. When all was clear, the kids changed into their swimwear and started dipping toes into the pool water to determine its cold factor. They all got in eventually, although, not for very long - we were impressed that they got in at all. Even Andrew came out in his swim suit and dove off of the diving board!<br />
<br />
When the kids had had enough, we made sure the pool was cleaned up, kids were out and dressed and then Tracie, Andrew and I took off to find some more wineries. Unfortunately, we only found one open on that Sunday - but it was one of our favorites! Domain de Rieussec was the winery wear the owner came out and served us our wine right out of the stainless steel vats! We all enjoyed the wine, took a walk around the gardens, visited with the owner and the winemaker. When we were finished, we drove our bus to the car rental office and dropped it off, picking up Mo Mo and going home. The kids were fine, we were relaxed and it was time for the suitcases to be packed up since Tracie and the boys were heading to Barcelona early in the morning.<br />
<br />
We enjoyed having Tracie and the boys - it was good for us (again) to have english speakers to visit/play with and it was fun for us to show them our little temporary corner of the world.La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-76699073971467040792011-05-03T09:49:00.002+02:002011-05-04T07:16:13.985+02:00Carcassonne, Grotte Des Desmoisselles & Sheep! - April 14 and 15, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGcOeBqcOEuusruAuIntdDdWHc_PaHd4BYRmEBLUXPprnyLS4Svh-0cl0RaAGd6an59ZD0CWKm_oRNu3tOEPXVDmdyIH0QgxZfgGGia5RuU5AZqGC0oQ2KcPNYqy2qyTXJMq9jtjc580x/s1600/tracey%2527s+visit+%252819%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGcOeBqcOEuusruAuIntdDdWHc_PaHd4BYRmEBLUXPprnyLS4Svh-0cl0RaAGd6an59ZD0CWKm_oRNu3tOEPXVDmdyIH0QgxZfgGGia5RuU5AZqGC0oQ2KcPNYqy2qyTXJMq9jtjc580x/s320/tracey%2527s+visit+%252819%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a day at Carcossone - ancient walled city</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmfDOMiwaFceWzSU9VU4pGSqydDE7bb8MDObL0jiUVKvwgCZhRfjAOSqjRYiaKJWX8WMqj32xoZxlmT4xrZIBwnZBERg6HV7L6fGEQtgJoWbI-Rp6sUBTtkPnXCyvSh0F3_yxVoSmgKrv/s1600/tracey%2527s+visit+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmfDOMiwaFceWzSU9VU4pGSqydDE7bb8MDObL0jiUVKvwgCZhRfjAOSqjRYiaKJWX8WMqj32xoZxlmT4xrZIBwnZBERg6HV7L6fGEQtgJoWbI-Rp6sUBTtkPnXCyvSh0F3_yxVoSmgKrv/s320/tracey%2527s+visit+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Koby guarding the ammo!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO112w5YZhdBP8sA4dYX6MjNn8qIYWhKn27EoMJ_oy4rynEPkuy0TbOdvvyfB7VcqzE-2Fqnsd8m0LLGQs0yUStT0DBhe2xtp6Ebsbmrmlj_B1zJG3fcFNqNMTTurbOPIC2ljgEz8RsMo9/s1600/tracey%2527s+visit+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO112w5YZhdBP8sA4dYX6MjNn8qIYWhKn27EoMJ_oy4rynEPkuy0TbOdvvyfB7VcqzE-2Fqnsd8m0LLGQs0yUStT0DBhe2xtp6Ebsbmrmlj_B1zJG3fcFNqNMTTurbOPIC2ljgEz8RsMo9/s320/tracey%2527s+visit+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eli holding the Ammo down</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fga8KtYOF9D5PBL2rnEl-Fk0ojDSZ9J3drflVeonKljC2AyPNbsyvzZTmVhUmJOs048IH_ozTEVWoVOk4-QTU0vvNyCV8AMlaXWdyRxO98J0FLL4S-h6xu_4Ox5zJfk-MdghHktxmMkS/s1600/tracey%2527s+visit+%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fga8KtYOF9D5PBL2rnEl-Fk0ojDSZ9J3drflVeonKljC2AyPNbsyvzZTmVhUmJOs048IH_ozTEVWoVOk4-QTU0vvNyCV8AMlaXWdyRxO98J0FLL4S-h6xu_4Ox5zJfk-MdghHktxmMkS/s320/tracey%2527s+visit+%25287%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys and Uncle A in the Ammo room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKYDT7ZSxGaCMoo3Q4twkEcOIneYoJ2z7uT5axkEJntR3sBaFA96V2_P4tGI7wrtuYlBy7l4InPSlMHP5xs_vMyYRTKt7bzNHasiTL8qiGCwj_wVdS69LP58-2ijorABFe65hfMaCerGl/s1600/tracey%2527s+visit+%25289%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKYDT7ZSxGaCMoo3Q4twkEcOIneYoJ2z7uT5axkEJntR3sBaFA96V2_P4tGI7wrtuYlBy7l4InPSlMHP5xs_vMyYRTKt7bzNHasiTL8qiGCwj_wVdS69LP58-2ijorABFe65hfMaCerGl/s320/tracey%2527s+visit+%25289%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahhhhh - Koby got a treat - smiles!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUHqs6UboActAQ6ERUoawfei4XDkNjPDHf5JjxnXP1WGWyaIoCtfb8dztVBo4qr5yCDOnMoX1THC2IVXya10U6OLVBo3lwpNuib3vzHOypEYiMR1ffsIbvU9mYmY9E9DJ1SpTidbVYLaA/s1600/tracey%2527s+visit+%252811%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUHqs6UboActAQ6ERUoawfei4XDkNjPDHf5JjxnXP1WGWyaIoCtfb8dztVBo4qr5yCDOnMoX1THC2IVXya10U6OLVBo3lwpNuib3vzHOypEYiMR1ffsIbvU9mYmY9E9DJ1SpTidbVYLaA/s320/tracey%2527s+visit+%252811%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAW5nGrlI9m9KMSwEdfB2BnCRhLyl2-Nfi-1jhlQv4dG3oWwwPmWo-bJiIdWMXh0f_rMVYWQpGBRDzpphHMPEJ-Owx348RXntLZJM0KnPsw-pU2fLQUODmQHxC09oamQZ1MCQ66wrNA93u/s1600/tracey%2527s+visit+%252821%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAW5nGrlI9m9KMSwEdfB2BnCRhLyl2-Nfi-1jhlQv4dG3oWwwPmWo-bJiIdWMXh0f_rMVYWQpGBRDzpphHMPEJ-Owx348RXntLZJM0KnPsw-pU2fLQUODmQHxC09oamQZ1MCQ66wrNA93u/s320/tracey%2527s+visit+%252821%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute boys</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVihStji_Z30Y1wYdgH1-PWr2-jks506-yVVBxADvd1QL3eXbhsup0lo3zbYfRdlmHJfrFD6imQ1VWONl6bMKAf5VhMeY8MA66zeeTnzMRXoboN2lkxqy7SR_kAqtgcg9W7tdMfn6yK6Bi/s1600/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVihStji_Z30Y1wYdgH1-PWr2-jks506-yVVBxADvd1QL3eXbhsup0lo3zbYfRdlmHJfrFD6imQ1VWONl6bMKAf5VhMeY8MA66zeeTnzMRXoboN2lkxqy7SR_kAqtgcg9W7tdMfn6yK6Bi/s320/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%25287%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to experience the caves!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1M82JZsnUn_K6Ur0tqj0w-NwDzMWQhpNju9w3i5pajRmmR2YQX-0MqmAOfS0KTLG2mWiG-kZ5Ni0OwOZ2aACufldA-8okvxO8CUJC4D0SEhhxeCci_BMW94snfveFCCzFvPiMYXnNXeup/s1600/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%25288%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1M82JZsnUn_K6Ur0tqj0w-NwDzMWQhpNju9w3i5pajRmmR2YQX-0MqmAOfS0KTLG2mWiG-kZ5Ni0OwOZ2aACufldA-8okvxO8CUJC4D0SEhhxeCci_BMW94snfveFCCzFvPiMYXnNXeup/s320/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%25288%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmqao-aCbzQDqPJioMoCV043narBQtuHyC3PtDN7J093_rPrv_Xhjbbcemi_HkJP1Dxhzq0bRTOxa8MFhFypgMbbaCAmbKOzWlzZfX1MeQVvCoK93HVe6vzjOxpsyW62LaQGmDP2OnsyB/s1600/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%252814%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmqao-aCbzQDqPJioMoCV043narBQtuHyC3PtDN7J093_rPrv_Xhjbbcemi_HkJP1Dxhzq0bRTOxa8MFhFypgMbbaCAmbKOzWlzZfX1MeQVvCoK93HVe6vzjOxpsyW62LaQGmDP2OnsyB/s320/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%252814%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bro and Sis</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0g2eWAM_nGKrjxjLOi92LqDwDeUFKZS2qRWUHeLG4eReWwCzGiDOZ3_SO0Jz-QPVU0DgzsE342X4HmDh9-ERZyspggLACuDirI1lGo_CiI06gd9Bq3hz6jl-VtdB4heJGweUzsOgxpZ-o/s1600/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%252866%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0g2eWAM_nGKrjxjLOi92LqDwDeUFKZS2qRWUHeLG4eReWwCzGiDOZ3_SO0Jz-QPVU0DgzsE342X4HmDh9-ERZyspggLACuDirI1lGo_CiI06gd9Bq3hz6jl-VtdB4heJGweUzsOgxpZ-o/s320/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%252866%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wife and Hubby</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOMbXuUBDawcRCqqdqlG-qoRjFf0FX2uroFRbUTTm9GyBoraUCu51LtSrJ7T_0LCm259pB2elR65_asVS7AHJHzZ8rbjUyeuslo4y7UsAotl24Xnp8DlOiqFmXUleBl7v4xmcfxNvD8fC/s1600/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%252819%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOMbXuUBDawcRCqqdqlG-qoRjFf0FX2uroFRbUTTm9GyBoraUCu51LtSrJ7T_0LCm259pB2elR65_asVS7AHJHzZ8rbjUyeuslo4y7UsAotl24Xnp8DlOiqFmXUleBl7v4xmcfxNvD8fC/s320/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%252819%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eli being spooky</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89D9ZSJiEpq_s_EzHZMB7Ls3GRbIVHEnYt0uMNUSCUqTbVrh4nMBf48ufgsqPfPnACfFwMfG6UCVbe6zXt-0MKNiY_L8AruPUeC-Ak7gSAnyGQxJ0RcF8h_XMdjxXC5WqQzGeEG20s_zI/s1600/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%252821%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89D9ZSJiEpq_s_EzHZMB7Ls3GRbIVHEnYt0uMNUSCUqTbVrh4nMBf48ufgsqPfPnACfFwMfG6UCVbe6zXt-0MKNiY_L8AruPUeC-Ak7gSAnyGQxJ0RcF8h_XMdjxXC5WqQzGeEG20s_zI/s320/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%252821%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the english portion of the talk about the caves</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4PgBJOs8LMEn62TwbCXwEnsUX5uwr_7uJrxpsiscABqj_g3FCA3I0-xgtU-SW-0hLFZPfWuvhwLiRR9b1K0IOYYcFBhvq0RfTf3bK1IjGWUq1zeXWWCjSJi2QICDH3WVWwBNWtXOqPCQ/s1600/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%252822%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4PgBJOs8LMEn62TwbCXwEnsUX5uwr_7uJrxpsiscABqj_g3FCA3I0-xgtU-SW-0hLFZPfWuvhwLiRR9b1K0IOYYcFBhvq0RfTf3bK1IjGWUq1zeXWWCjSJi2QICDH3WVWwBNWtXOqPCQ/s320/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%252822%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma jumped on this monkey pile!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ExR-WIr-lGSdWkIOmQChDAZC-bWiWAYJ6yVR6l1OLWJ-TwcNTJ_IISDFRTQdnCt1CUdPfqOBcC24v4AovWv0jOqr9shVqXVzN9Y4RwpdacuF55n4bMUJXZ3v_5ISOGDAQTJvpOyyML2q/s1600/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%252823%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ExR-WIr-lGSdWkIOmQChDAZC-bWiWAYJ6yVR6l1OLWJ-TwcNTJ_IISDFRTQdnCt1CUdPfqOBcC24v4AovWv0jOqr9shVqXVzN9Y4RwpdacuF55n4bMUJXZ3v_5ISOGDAQTJvpOyyML2q/s320/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%252823%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peek-A-Boo in the "dining room"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjviND5mzLWK4EKlgZhkRLi61hsWJa9AakveV6_5nyrbYzEFkucJm0t360U2ONDcsb97-WWjoIvwtaHG5I99PZWEToHNB6aLjwJPLrMZpvIw2LC4uyNzO3KKz3_zhaTKIhIPJe4bCRxd4v/s1600/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%252825%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjviND5mzLWK4EKlgZhkRLi61hsWJa9AakveV6_5nyrbYzEFkucJm0t360U2ONDcsb97-WWjoIvwtaHG5I99PZWEToHNB6aLjwJPLrMZpvIw2LC4uyNzO3KKz3_zhaTKIhIPJe4bCRxd4v/s320/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%252825%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eli Peeking</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xZdUOg-vRi5vIExn8AsnIRACvdxYMnnO4sY4CiO9vTj6vpfzeJ7FiZhzmmS_rRpX0aVRz6ddzVMa9AJe7BO49Z2p52wmIeBpXGO23yTBOHBbVR4si4jLswWrqGXmQGkw9CLTiS2vahZV/s1600/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%252832%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xZdUOg-vRi5vIExn8AsnIRACvdxYMnnO4sY4CiO9vTj6vpfzeJ7FiZhzmmS_rRpX0aVRz6ddzVMa9AJe7BO49Z2p52wmIeBpXGO23yTBOHBbVR4si4jLswWrqGXmQGkw9CLTiS2vahZV/s320/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%252832%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun in the caves!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwSG6iiayvF0aR-VV1-LzoOoSRY-CTFqGCF52R8i41ObIWrkuyOqTvHO6iHOd2aJfUTfgWnyjCvpWL3qXs1O_FKOykDyveNZQDI7CaL5cwQ4fuPed4dO74g7c9hr93jG0aqolIcL5K-66/s1600/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%252862%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwSG6iiayvF0aR-VV1-LzoOoSRY-CTFqGCF52R8i41ObIWrkuyOqTvHO6iHOd2aJfUTfgWnyjCvpWL3qXs1O_FKOykDyveNZQDI7CaL5cwQ4fuPed4dO74g7c9hr93jG0aqolIcL5K-66/s320/Grotte+Des+Desmosiells+%252862%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Koby posing with the mountains</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_zmeHrsM5dEjDNhitXJea3_PrFkaWumUvS1lzk6uv4TK_eI0zuNxrNCeaXaG3ku4V64lCUI8Z5YiDPIiXQdyYw1EW0v2j-D5ypye-xvzVfuyIv8HO3GjUH9p1RTeAOrsK0PpNDBSJ1q6n/s1600/Sheep+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_zmeHrsM5dEjDNhitXJea3_PrFkaWumUvS1lzk6uv4TK_eI0zuNxrNCeaXaG3ku4V64lCUI8Z5YiDPIiXQdyYw1EW0v2j-D5ypye-xvzVfuyIv8HO3GjUH9p1RTeAOrsK0PpNDBSJ1q6n/s320/Sheep+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheep!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tracie and the boys with the wondering herd of sheep!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaELWvZ8BN9O6YLpFAQCmu2xlC0r5paz8KkJYq9DBhxZgV5tX-7Ur4BqmMQ7UQvYB01Of_O8djkRykF9w6F1Z1UnrQpwtDzGzeulyIyc5qyGh7boceZQkCjFvh3ST5rp3Urgy3YEVM6bA8/s1600/Sheep+%252816%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaELWvZ8BN9O6YLpFAQCmu2xlC0r5paz8KkJYq9DBhxZgV5tX-7Ur4BqmMQ7UQvYB01Of_O8djkRykF9w6F1Z1UnrQpwtDzGzeulyIyc5qyGh7boceZQkCjFvh3ST5rp3Urgy3YEVM6bA8/s320/Sheep+%252816%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma having fun with the camera</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIs0vBlFf-n0TBYANmU6tyODe3BcrTJfSPUo8v9RJHl91Yu7d2uSYSHe2bHpzcvnnyRQZzIGryj0QII9bhbQFzXC0HGEa12l06jyEa-4AaevPd8vaktY1qSr56JTVZh8OtnqO-sugHvLl/s1600/Sheep+%252820%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIs0vBlFf-n0TBYANmU6tyODe3BcrTJfSPUo8v9RJHl91Yu7d2uSYSHe2bHpzcvnnyRQZzIGryj0QII9bhbQFzXC0HGEa12l06jyEa-4AaevPd8vaktY1qSr56JTVZh8OtnqO-sugHvLl/s320/Sheep+%252820%2529.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfLG8EJaqYwqTKQEtzuVfRiWJ7CT4rgBMDby5ddnzdY3AN_C4EoRZ-wVQbvVHIwRSJ-LU6LoTctkg2TTfLTyb3-UV3QS0cDVWRCj-xJI4ZIe07qqbYU028KfwCRJ8BL3pjTlhjAm1SH1s/s1600/Sheep+%252836%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfLG8EJaqYwqTKQEtzuVfRiWJ7CT4rgBMDby5ddnzdY3AN_C4EoRZ-wVQbvVHIwRSJ-LU6LoTctkg2TTfLTyb3-UV3QS0cDVWRCj-xJI4ZIe07qqbYU028KfwCRJ8BL3pjTlhjAm1SH1s/s320/Sheep+%252836%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There WAS a shepherd!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkAuyS6ky-i8K-MpnHR81K-X_7ylax2XxjTaIr23Qo8WeJ8w8FxfnrwlXgC0QryJ5HPj-IfqcAApM8gFLFljfJiMDHvdgjiV2CU5Ggsv5OWKHmgASSrKI-hQTQvjmKrBY-LOTfVofFBts/s1600/Morties-Pic+Saint-Loup+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkAuyS6ky-i8K-MpnHR81K-X_7ylax2XxjTaIr23Qo8WeJ8w8FxfnrwlXgC0QryJ5HPj-IfqcAApM8gFLFljfJiMDHvdgjiV2CU5Ggsv5OWKHmgASSrKI-hQTQvjmKrBY-LOTfVofFBts/s320/Morties-Pic+Saint-Loup+%252810%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did find a winery</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQtpIPDftBP81CQeEj3M0tb6RLWSXhREqh0BqvFye5koQoQ4wzbEYMUIrbv5JbXT4mEzzaBm3xLC6reX4SEQ9-EfTtuoVFm3GYe9OkJIaBX5oeVX98nsGwnnoXGQRjVfbOaVqJkzKpqe8/s1600/Morties-Pic+Saint-Loup+%252814%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQtpIPDftBP81CQeEj3M0tb6RLWSXhREqh0BqvFye5koQoQ4wzbEYMUIrbv5JbXT4mEzzaBm3xLC6reX4SEQ9-EfTtuoVFm3GYe9OkJIaBX5oeVX98nsGwnnoXGQRjVfbOaVqJkzKpqe8/s320/Morties-Pic+Saint-Loup+%252814%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>On Thursday, Andrew took the day off to show Tracie, Koby and Eli Carcassone - the ancient walled city. Our kids went to school and I stayed home to catch up on things there. The boys enjoyed most of their visit to Carcossone but I think it would have been much more fun for them if our kids had gone along.<br />
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On Friday, Emma took the day off of school and went to Grotte Des Desmoiselles with Tracie, the boys, Andrew and me. The caves were very cool even on our second tour! Koby and Eli enjoyed running around and hearing the stories about the caves, the shepherd who fell in and saw the little fairies, and playing the "instruments" in the "music room". We were lucky enough to have the same tour guide, one who spoke some English and therefore, talked about each "room" in French and then followed with the English version. He even remembered Andrew from our first time through!<br />
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After the caves, it was time for the adults to find some wineries and let Tracie taste some vin from France!<br />
As we drove, we watched for signs mentioning "degustiation" (tasting) and found one - after winding down a long narrow road, we found the winery, pulled in between the stone entrance and parked in a fairly deserted lot. We got out of the car and headed to the door which was locked - closed up - not open! Our trip down the long winding road, however, soon got very exciting . In the near distance we heard a lot of..... bells???? Sure enough, an entire herd of sheep were heading straight for us and each of them had a bell around their neck (the kind that people use at high school football games :) ) -- I had never seen anything like that but had heard from my parents about the sheep and bells in Europe. What a sight to see so many sheep sauntering across the field, across the street, through and around the winery, to another field and being prodded by a modern day shepherd in a tank top, baggy pants with his trusty dog to help! The clang, clang, clang of the bells and the bahhhhhing of the sheep were fun to witness, we all laughed and enjoyed the event!<br />
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After leaving the deserted winery, we headed further down the long windy road to find out if there were any degustiation opportunities there - sure enough! Around a couple of bends in the road, we saw signs and kept on driving. We eventually came to a very old estate in the middle of vineyards - I walked in to see if it was open and was greeted by a very nice woman who said that she would get the winemaker and meet us in the tasting room. We enjoyed the tastings and the visit with the women while the kids played outside and waited as patiently as they could. After this degustiation, we headed for home, cooked up dinner and enjoyed the evening.La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-61302263070674120672011-04-23T11:31:00.005+02:002011-05-05T15:44:21.780+02:00Tracie, Koby & Eli - Sete - April 11, 2011 & Les Baux de Provence - April 12, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kuT3DeBI4ROIGBxl-7kcEOgEecY0LIG9vTcI-vhyQN5RsvCHsLyB8dfffO8jk3fDDeOoI9tbqSj35mlNPzCAcU61VnxN1Ujg98PevKBC9xIz4d7IiDkh0CQCIvMkvrK6pQMTwFz2Z5of/s1600/Sete+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kuT3DeBI4ROIGBxl-7kcEOgEecY0LIG9vTcI-vhyQN5RsvCHsLyB8dfffO8jk3fDDeOoI9tbqSj35mlNPzCAcU61VnxN1Ujg98PevKBC9xIz4d7IiDkh0CQCIvMkvrK6pQMTwFz2Z5of/s320/Sete+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eli and Tracie having a blast waking Koby up!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PqTyuefq6Rx2TuprVYTj8lfhxbucUcEEs2e0FUJeQphWjANUL49yRo2Y9E-L88bnwBctzY0KPcoRjOON-MxCY_fJ-ZJerf1c6SGH6-hntiTq7mu5zdH4y9zY8bvBNIp5rldr9c7ELRBW/s1600/Sete+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PqTyuefq6Rx2TuprVYTj8lfhxbucUcEEs2e0FUJeQphWjANUL49yRo2Y9E-L88bnwBctzY0KPcoRjOON-MxCY_fJ-ZJerf1c6SGH6-hntiTq7mu5zdH4y9zY8bvBNIp5rldr9c7ELRBW/s320/Sete+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to the lighthouse in Sete - all of the kiddos</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqI57h1-Cq6v7FnVgHqsgFgotNGyvp8MngxZinenx9d-lm3GOgGtOPE2-fexiV3ijPAemYlv56ItQq4iwWjBHBd1M10rql8YVptmYs_glcyHk2NOf6DTUtvJcl4w1NqU7GBoifLDKKUXe/s1600/Sete+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqI57h1-Cq6v7FnVgHqsgFgotNGyvp8MngxZinenx9d-lm3GOgGtOPE2-fexiV3ijPAemYlv56ItQq4iwWjBHBd1M10rql8YVptmYs_glcyHk2NOf6DTUtvJcl4w1NqU7GBoifLDKKUXe/s320/Sete+%25285%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam and his Tia - Nathan too :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75QUhTit92EQb1DQkb6-4FCwJGlPDN5bSW-_gzmwCEK9w42Lsi7XZw2eTJM9usPHfBfX0EUqkPJU0V-lFtNEinihwIS_LSTLN8KPgLlT1ep70XZ2t5pJwFxaw6RYiWkGME5VF5WpOJL2x/s1600/Sete+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75QUhTit92EQb1DQkb6-4FCwJGlPDN5bSW-_gzmwCEK9w42Lsi7XZw2eTJM9usPHfBfX0EUqkPJU0V-lFtNEinihwIS_LSTLN8KPgLlT1ep70XZ2t5pJwFxaw6RYiWkGME5VF5WpOJL2x/s320/Sete+%25286%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They love posing for the pictures - ha!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrcm3fI45etZlBsSOQoKpFyvb3Z7Mw8HeE1-N_23LwzZ9s0gwcXIszUQBIWEpmH_RVBz14bF4Z8u6vJfYr1ZnCEXvvj3qqTPV2ZBnmPT1vjOFaF4Qj3v48Xw8gb6kJfBCi93eK5yxYf8N/s1600/Sete+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrcm3fI45etZlBsSOQoKpFyvb3Z7Mw8HeE1-N_23LwzZ9s0gwcXIszUQBIWEpmH_RVBz14bF4Z8u6vJfYr1ZnCEXvvj3qqTPV2ZBnmPT1vjOFaF4Qj3v48Xw8gb6kJfBCi93eK5yxYf8N/s320/Sete+%252810%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We found Koby's boat in the marina</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmBXLpVERpC9ETG9iTY7mOlMp9-nXl7U6Wqq0xwT6bNwY3-V6u1oLKEt4NvEVpvFG7Ie_ySItQ1LcRQo894wbideJQsNgIPpnDRXZ9FBIqFS7WqKgLCgFKEgpyca1bHVJF-yQ7RvhtHUV/s1600/Sete+%252813%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmBXLpVERpC9ETG9iTY7mOlMp9-nXl7U6Wqq0xwT6bNwY3-V6u1oLKEt4NvEVpvFG7Ie_ySItQ1LcRQo894wbideJQsNgIPpnDRXZ9FBIqFS7WqKgLCgFKEgpyca1bHVJF-yQ7RvhtHUV/s320/Sete+%252813%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our very many ice cream stops</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfatVGOhOweA6dVhd60Tlb8jIluIWz3SEGUOgTkpoNG1_j6wblSLbncamgOq8AymmQMkDXYupB-zFj48cSdw0wA_D7QrWcu4LrxiP2x9Woayl0MuLIXgpo3fL27ncz0NLFNXiC2DfRNr8A/s1600/Beach+at+Sete+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfatVGOhOweA6dVhd60Tlb8jIluIWz3SEGUOgTkpoNG1_j6wblSLbncamgOq8AymmQMkDXYupB-zFj48cSdw0wA_D7QrWcu4LrxiP2x9Woayl0MuLIXgpo3fL27ncz0NLFNXiC2DfRNr8A/s320/Beach+at+Sete+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the beach - it was a little chilly, but that doesn't stop the<br />
kids</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ifYQnBBVx5hU3bepTrlfNH-gqRaAnaDmg17fbVQmzYLT9yIJi5r4ufRPafliuv70ULIvarkmc80h1zibAIcb1MfHbVycKt36rtX5IaCsPKhCdYJJ4TNWlnDncWTaLzh_Nr0mcIIq1hfo/s1600/Beach+at+Sete+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ifYQnBBVx5hU3bepTrlfNH-gqRaAnaDmg17fbVQmzYLT9yIJi5r4ufRPafliuv70ULIvarkmc80h1zibAIcb1MfHbVycKt36rtX5IaCsPKhCdYJJ4TNWlnDncWTaLzh_Nr0mcIIq1hfo/s320/Beach+at+Sete+%25285%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cleaning of the feet - no sand in Mo Mo - <br />
just bread crumbs!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0XL46V3js8HoX9VSyVmKXIlvLKgkRp7TBMPRH6uZpCgDNQLpPRqnJsRglXsnldQ57yHyB7pNAxT1ylpYsC7QWNarlAqgyUhQxFueXgXFjmTH2sFTEcyn_-BVH777HCojRdshs15rcjXR/s1600/Beach+at+Sete+%252812%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0XL46V3js8HoX9VSyVmKXIlvLKgkRp7TBMPRH6uZpCgDNQLpPRqnJsRglXsnldQ57yHyB7pNAxT1ylpYsC7QWNarlAqgyUhQxFueXgXFjmTH2sFTEcyn_-BVH777HCojRdshs15rcjXR/s320/Beach+at+Sete+%252812%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These cookies are called cigarretes - the kids like to <br />
ham it up and pretend to be european smokers</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uDqSkIudnG4hFmQxt7u2u8UXJZU82A_rbocY440w7n4REhuaiH-SerIzIL2z8jTZO8E07n68PUtLy70YqDedcJGnQBzPSgPRcmNL3jMZSPz5Er7T7wEYpjfmC_d00o5IxvzvA8SL2Mo-/s1600/Les+Baux+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uDqSkIudnG4hFmQxt7u2u8UXJZU82A_rbocY440w7n4REhuaiH-SerIzIL2z8jTZO8E07n68PUtLy70YqDedcJGnQBzPSgPRcmNL3jMZSPz5Er7T7wEYpjfmC_d00o5IxvzvA8SL2Mo-/s320/Les+Baux+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving in Les Baux on Tuesday, we were hungry -<br />
Eli loved his plate of spaghetti - Koby and Adam<br />
enjoyed helping him finish it too - like two vultures!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPXWK5UpgyKOLxYnlWP0qE_VT2CHhcjjxkJ2pRQlxouP8tQk2rAZNSDsH8twJGaSD5hXHCkCnt5zGpEjLmoK3YYCmQiPWE_xuHSDyU-Ylh62AkkOcusanhcBbEkuM3Wjphbb9iQGt510T/s1600/Les+Baux+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPXWK5UpgyKOLxYnlWP0qE_VT2CHhcjjxkJ2pRQlxouP8tQk2rAZNSDsH8twJGaSD5hXHCkCnt5zGpEjLmoK3YYCmQiPWE_xuHSDyU-Ylh62AkkOcusanhcBbEkuM3Wjphbb9iQGt510T/s320/Les+Baux+%252810%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We arrived in time to see a catapult demo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeHgjgGblz1ki2ah4s08sAedAu2ljsZWk5pra_sw6mIt5StqcRN_Xy9Atpr9veAUVav8bbf9m49t_KsjPmJlFrv1B0sYOsw1z8VY8LcBeaFPpRyrPLlFQoJM3KyFzajR9nH-oASJZsyr6q/s1600/Les+Baux-edited+%252815%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeHgjgGblz1ki2ah4s08sAedAu2ljsZWk5pra_sw6mIt5StqcRN_Xy9Atpr9veAUVav8bbf9m49t_KsjPmJlFrv1B0sYOsw1z8VY8LcBeaFPpRyrPLlFQoJM3KyFzajR9nH-oASJZsyr6q/s320/Les+Baux-edited+%252815%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute cousins</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hMuIoHz6G76A6GTZFjd7LBT6QvA9ND1HvRT74wijBtkjfq-8p_FWkfsAGvLZuyXifskQdmoJzgwtKfd0zKarzVOMIa2jKg9ZrkH7HIcvM3mX4gGH92pjIhDZP-iX5wTYYgjPnRz0pxIN/s1600/Les+Baux+%252824%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hMuIoHz6G76A6GTZFjd7LBT6QvA9ND1HvRT74wijBtkjfq-8p_FWkfsAGvLZuyXifskQdmoJzgwtKfd0zKarzVOMIa2jKg9ZrkH7HIcvM3mX4gGH92pjIhDZP-iX5wTYYgjPnRz0pxIN/s320/Les+Baux+%252824%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who will they put in the flinger?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQEvSGjooOGuP_4VrYhyphenhyphenb3p7xfxxCvRNiB84rIVFMblFThguDZIB2IoK6z0qtmsqn_tZOdgIrOxTwEXQOOPLKfF2zY3-bonnJRSV3qbxZkYFBJQq23TehBNF07pa3zUNECCYNqxsK4V3q5/s1600/Les+Baux+%252836%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQEvSGjooOGuP_4VrYhyphenhyphenb3p7xfxxCvRNiB84rIVFMblFThguDZIB2IoK6z0qtmsqn_tZOdgIrOxTwEXQOOPLKfF2zY3-bonnJRSV3qbxZkYFBJQq23TehBNF07pa3zUNECCYNqxsK4V3q5/s320/Les+Baux+%252836%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGmqFSZy1e2prQLHPe9IMDWEhmm6G3tC-iDI9ALWFkiNPgyzHd39h4JCnm-AYFi8j7ta3G47n25LxnemGNiqZOPwX8nBrCpnOxkxTt_qzG1bw6rSri4Fx7l_5cEUEMHlQJBrW_5JWmX8E/s1600/Les+Baux+%252846%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGmqFSZy1e2prQLHPe9IMDWEhmm6G3tC-iDI9ALWFkiNPgyzHd39h4JCnm-AYFi8j7ta3G47n25LxnemGNiqZOPwX8nBrCpnOxkxTt_qzG1bw6rSri4Fx7l_5cEUEMHlQJBrW_5JWmX8E/s320/Les+Baux+%252846%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hee hee hee</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidt2PUA8ROMFgXfqXsD2tCUtI7gQM6azvQmBy6FI3rLHbIlGaWefqO9Y9aznF1IaTKCJ64f0mNYqsTRz3kzGw1-mzH7UTeP8OksK4xsd8iiUgAqbxrGFeIzzi7HDbUCEawj0zX4PANzAlZ/s1600/Les+Baux+%252853%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidt2PUA8ROMFgXfqXsD2tCUtI7gQM6azvQmBy6FI3rLHbIlGaWefqO9Y9aznF1IaTKCJ64f0mNYqsTRz3kzGw1-mzH7UTeP8OksK4xsd8iiUgAqbxrGFeIzzi7HDbUCEawj0zX4PANzAlZ/s320/Les+Baux+%252853%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ha ha ha</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJDq9DJEDxu5gSMKjXlwHLJ2BNgezzCVYazOcbH6Hv-3DXntGx7guDfnz5ztnb22vJyexDWzX57fibBOzmfLObLe8BJnd8YpLPW5_-_DeaCn1nd6SQ0SRUR2AFJqMvWZR1BREfF-1rJef/s1600/Les+Baux+%252856%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJDq9DJEDxu5gSMKjXlwHLJ2BNgezzCVYazOcbH6Hv-3DXntGx7guDfnz5ztnb22vJyexDWzX57fibBOzmfLObLe8BJnd8YpLPW5_-_DeaCn1nd6SQ0SRUR2AFJqMvWZR1BREfF-1rJef/s320/Les+Baux+%252856%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ho ho ho</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOZfHxpAAe1p6kaB4eTv_s5K2nhvrWPycpGk8ExBKjE_v6BZAbejh8XneEP6JE-OsIagMPVbCLlCJNRUlO4qGU-0XQmB7mF2OyjYvi9SDx2plZxErFSL6SDaZasLBFQYcltdS3uukTWTh/s1600/Les+Baux+%252862%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOZfHxpAAe1p6kaB4eTv_s5K2nhvrWPycpGk8ExBKjE_v6BZAbejh8XneEP6JE-OsIagMPVbCLlCJNRUlO4qGU-0XQmB7mF2OyjYvi9SDx2plZxErFSL6SDaZasLBFQYcltdS3uukTWTh/s320/Les+Baux+%252862%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We climbed to the top of the Chateau ruins -<br />
beautiful view!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_7ojKRc-yW1sv-sQjPBqORXShMEAhGEHcRY00hHNp9OudkW3EtqIH-JpAK-QYjm4Ki13M7SQkzRWNtFYgIoA770qZOgq2cEgHZgVdtYCJetPLOuJQjJ9KAPkbLqqQIAtd202UUUsGaeo/s1600/Les+Baux+%252864%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_7ojKRc-yW1sv-sQjPBqORXShMEAhGEHcRY00hHNp9OudkW3EtqIH-JpAK-QYjm4Ki13M7SQkzRWNtFYgIoA770qZOgq2cEgHZgVdtYCJetPLOuJQjJ9KAPkbLqqQIAtd202UUUsGaeo/s320/Les+Baux+%252864%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ditto</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesvyckOYRNVEdr8vQP_vCsT1O0Pag4I491WUHEt3NwNpg6za5br_GSWvX7mKUG5v8WKICDN8WyUs1XC6sFAEY3sgMFjElshYa8DzebDiAMhKYjHA_28SOkHZ77cGr8ieBuR_RKEvuA1yR/s1600/Les+Baux+%252866%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesvyckOYRNVEdr8vQP_vCsT1O0Pag4I491WUHEt3NwNpg6za5br_GSWvX7mKUG5v8WKICDN8WyUs1XC6sFAEY3sgMFjElshYa8DzebDiAMhKYjHA_28SOkHZ77cGr8ieBuR_RKEvuA1yR/s320/Les+Baux+%252866%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way back down</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk89Ie-p0dJPxIU47TomCaJ2RVBMZPbbBMz2SkFCeqA4_v4K42Dtnm_81IW6kMyMusXu62QqWBPzb_wl4_VIXWnhr_USrzxYVADy5ULOGxfRRZfJ5gZQpgW-E3NlObXjavev7t7-FelOWG/s1600/Les+Baux+%252869%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk89Ie-p0dJPxIU47TomCaJ2RVBMZPbbBMz2SkFCeqA4_v4K42Dtnm_81IW6kMyMusXu62QqWBPzb_wl4_VIXWnhr_USrzxYVADy5ULOGxfRRZfJ5gZQpgW-E3NlObXjavev7t7-FelOWG/s320/Les+Baux+%252869%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a break</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXjg_bMuB6qtNdm0ux1ZHcliLEYa7HFownXNF2xHCghmcgJSxNCP9-pCAd7T_dlUpADEqQrLWDUqKAEQrKsceJgYW0MyB6m4wTAL7IG90uEsrvuEcf1dw9fPKZHIlpKABgdgawjKp4G6F/s1600/Les+Baux+%252884%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXjg_bMuB6qtNdm0ux1ZHcliLEYa7HFownXNF2xHCghmcgJSxNCP9-pCAd7T_dlUpADEqQrLWDUqKAEQrKsceJgYW0MyB6m4wTAL7IG90uEsrvuEcf1dw9fPKZHIlpKABgdgawjKp4G6F/s320/Les+Baux+%252884%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peek-a-boo - through the windows of the chateau</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg388l0dJAGFBHwFWJ85Wj0n-hXLbil3xG26vjdKb0sMEvFgEnP5MayE6JLrphlvVupl3C4D3xB3itsUewomyU9PYWvNvjy0Lpt9SQmtJaNbJb80YRwtwOdpYXHLQcVFri4A8ZhJGBUbUUI/s1600/Les+Baux+%252896%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg388l0dJAGFBHwFWJ85Wj0n-hXLbil3xG26vjdKb0sMEvFgEnP5MayE6JLrphlvVupl3C4D3xB3itsUewomyU9PYWvNvjy0Lpt9SQmtJaNbJb80YRwtwOdpYXHLQcVFri4A8ZhJGBUbUUI/s320/Les+Baux+%252896%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mom's deserved a stop at a winery for a little taste!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Tracie, Koby and Eli arrived safe and sound four hours before their original arrival time! Thanks to Tracie's travel savy and knowledge of the Spanish language - rather than arriving from Barcelona at 9:00 pm, they were coming in at 5:07 pm on Sunday April 10. After a day in Pezenas, getting home and finalizing the "clean the house" process very quickly, we were all very excited to go to Gare St. Roch to get them - one by one, each of us said "I'll go get them, I want to get them" so - all five of us hopped on the tram to the train station to find our next set of visitors! When we got to the station, we found the right track and looked at the schedule to discover that now, they would arrive 15 minutes late - whew, some breathing time!<br />
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Tracie called us at some point to be sure that we received the message that she left us about their change of plans and said that she thought they should be pulling in withing 10 - 15 minutes - I told her that, according to the schedule, they should be pulling in within 2-3 minutes - so she went to get their suitcases down and prepare to debark the train (does one "debark" a train????). Seeing them coming down the platform was exciting - Tracie looked great, Koby looked about a foot taller than the last time we'd seen him (and filled out too), and Eli was as cute as ever - we gave hugs and kisses all around, grabbed suitcases and headed for home.<br />
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Andrew, Adam and Koby ended up going to the second half of the Montpellier Hand Ball match for which we had tickets. Montpellier won the match by about 10 points - the boys were excited! The rest of us hung out at the house and showed Tia and Eli around. When the boys got home, Andrew and Tia sat down to plot out the Burns/Gigletti visit and, using a very methodical and practical reasoning technique, came up with the perfect plan to suit kids and adults alike! A tour of Montpellier on Monday, Les Baux on Tuesday, Sete on Wednesday, Carcassone on Thursday, Grotte (cave) Des Desmosselles on Friday, Arles/Cassis (beach town) on Saturday, and hang out/swim/winery visits on Sunday. We gave our kids the option of taking a day off of school to join the fun - they got to pick which day. Adam chose Tuesday, Emma chose Friday and all kids had Wednesday afternoon off so everyone except Andrew went to Sete.<br />
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The tour around Montpellier was alright - I think the kids were much more interested in eating a treat (crepe or iced cream) and playing with each other than seeing the sights so, after a while, they took off and headed for home to play....whatever they played, I stayed with the adults! Oh! Before they left, we did go to the Police Station so that our little criminal could show the tram police that he truly did have a paid tram pass on the day that they caught him without it - he still got stuck with a a 5 euro fine but now his record in France is clean! Adam says that they played tag in the big garden with the Boisson's grandchildren along with ping pong and foosball (we are really spoiled here - the Boisson's are very well equipped for kids!)<br />
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Adam stayed home from school on Tuesday and we were packed up and out the door by 11:00 for Les Baux (see previous blog posts for Les Baux info - short summary: walled town with catapults and other large medieval weapons, along with the remains of a HUGE chateau, built on a mountain with a gorgeous view) - this was my first time driving outside of Montpellier without Andrew so I was a little nervous but with Tracie by my side (literally - in the passenger's seat!), holding the map, I was more confident than nervous! We made it to our destination with no issues - we even found a nice parking spot and figured out how to pay for it! All of us were pretty hungry when we got to Les Baux so our first stop was a restaurant. We all enjoyed our lunches, especially Eli as evidenced by the photograph above - the spaghetti was a hit!<br />
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On our way to the Chateau, Tracie and I enjoyed stopping in a couple of shops to have a look around, Tracie ended up purchasing a cute ceramic something (I don't remember exactly what it was now!). We made it to the Chateau area, purchased our tickets and entered ---- the windy city! The wind was HOWLING that day on the top of the hill! It wasn't very cold, but the wind could have picked Eli up and tossed him to St. Remy if we didn't hold him down! We had to be careful of flying debris and keep eyes covered - poor Koby got some dust in his eyes at some point so Tracie helped him get it out, other than that, the trip was fun and exciting. We even made it in time to watch a catapult demonstration - Tracie was picked to participate in launching the catapult, along with 7 other lucky volunteers. When the nice French man approached her, Tracie said "I don't speak French" to which he responded - loudly in his microphone: "Oh! Well, I don't speak English!" and made her follow him! I did video the production, however, the wind is so noisy that it's not worth posting unfortunately. Tracie had fun and everyone was excited to see her help launch a large waterballon the same way the Romans launched their massive rock ammunition back in the day.<br />
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After touring around for a couple of hours, we stopped for some iced cream and coffee, grabbed two baguettes from the boulangerie, loaded everyone back into Mo Mo the Peugot, and prayed that we could find our way home, which we did, with no problem! Along the route home, we passed the very first winery that Andrew and I found - it is large, gorgeous and has a restaurant which we believe, is a large portion of their business. Tracie and I decided to stop in and have a taste - there was a little playground where the boys ran, played - they liked it so much that when we were ready to leave, they wanted to stay! The photo above was taken by the driver of a tour bus who we met in the parking log - he was very nice and, I believe, thought Tracie was very cute :) - A nice evening was enjoyed, dinner was eaten, the kids played and everyone went to bed pretty well - as well as they could with four boys in the same room anyway :)<br />
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Since our kids only had 1/2 day of school on Wednesday, we waited for them to get home and took them to Sete with us. The day was beautiful and, once again, the Tracie and Beth navigational team made it to the destination just fine. We parked in the underground, very steep, parking garage where our family had parked on a previous visit. Emma was very excited to take Koby and Eli to see the lighthouse and the shore by the marina - so we headed in that direction and stopped at some of the shops along the way. Koby and Eli bought a red ball and Tracie bought herself an adorable blue/white striped nautical shirt (which I plan to purchase on the next trip to Sete because it is soooo cute!). We got to the lighthouse, took some pictures and the kids were ready for a treat - back to town for iced cream (can you see the theme with the Gigletti boys here???? Iced cream seems to be their "thing"!). Then we were off to the beach - back to Mo Mo in the garage.<br />
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Now, getting to Sete and into the garage was uneventful - getting OUT of the garage was a little more exciting. The angle of the ramp and curvature of the walls out of the garage, along with the 5 speed Peugot, made for an interesting combination. Trying to steer the car so as to NOT plow into the walls, in first gear while not stalling, took a lot of concentration - and a few centimeters of rubber off of our tires! I didn't realize just how steep we were until I had to move my foot from brake to clutch and hit the gas just at the right time so as to not sail back down the ramp! Tires were a'burnin and the kids were laughing! We made it though - only two tire burning sessions to get out of the garage!<br />
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The beach was relaxing and fun. The kids built sand things, played "Pickle" with the ball, and yes, jumped into the water if for no other reason than to say that they actually got in - it was pretty cold! We all had a fun time at the beach and no critters were injured, maimed or killed in the process!<br />
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We spent a couple of hours at the beach and then loaded everything/everyone up and drove back home where Andrew had purchased the dinner foods and had dinner waiting for us when we arrived - chicken, broccoli and rice - yum! The kids played, adults visited etc.... then bedtime and preparation for another day!La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-40712521451695806642011-04-22T13:40:00.002+02:002011-04-23T10:41:45.299+02:00Pezenas France and St. Martin De La Garrigue Winery 4-10-11<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpyTldC7j0DcUhV80CzWrKDs7TbiW_yHYMfPAi4lhA6vxWH7vX8tA_9PDEQ7ghL4kcRkwZnZG54iNO7wmDLO3h5B4UFARmQoyfUv5LtqGXmt0ij7h_ZyLpIeUacPBSdUgE8JA0s0y-ibp/s1600/DSC_0500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpyTldC7j0DcUhV80CzWrKDs7TbiW_yHYMfPAi4lhA6vxWH7vX8tA_9PDEQ7ghL4kcRkwZnZG54iNO7wmDLO3h5B4UFARmQoyfUv5LtqGXmt0ij7h_ZyLpIeUacPBSdUgE8JA0s0y-ibp/s320/DSC_0500.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Office of Tourism in Pezanas</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hcolDEB8krFyvb2_VM_dtfCpDVsKwd-KL3bOwBhkvgiOYezMMQ2YIYkdsYXdgjJwmZhhfaJJHi86gpkYO3BzWuryR5H7QgEuvEKw6zAE3L_MEIgxy1XYPdCa-jsMRjUDpuYI6X_LUuxK/s1600/DSC_0504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hcolDEB8krFyvb2_VM_dtfCpDVsKwd-KL3bOwBhkvgiOYezMMQ2YIYkdsYXdgjJwmZhhfaJJHi86gpkYO3BzWuryR5H7QgEuvEKw6zAE3L_MEIgxy1XYPdCa-jsMRjUDpuYI6X_LUuxK/s320/DSC_0504.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting in the middle of a traffic circle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3je_fqxAj3TkrG-vr3apANluxM7DVPmFuQW5h3gm1Pktl-XiDbykY3RPympf4tM14loAk4C5fWu7_Fodys7SqGIQTXh3bgc60LdfB-49somVOgO2nkYx-pPC_fOaEti6H0-BSoH5uMVo4/s1600/DSC_0508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3je_fqxAj3TkrG-vr3apANluxM7DVPmFuQW5h3gm1Pktl-XiDbykY3RPympf4tM14loAk4C5fWu7_Fodys7SqGIQTXh3bgc60LdfB-49somVOgO2nkYx-pPC_fOaEti6H0-BSoH5uMVo4/s320/DSC_0508.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to the Jewish Ghetto</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYEM7ul8oCGtVrcXIKVPDsrnASrwTtvfTiqF3bK90ZhWyVEbwZ_R04dG-jCKdGjmNp1EJoYhS2BXhgaLsIcZSiKH9fsQ1Blvchn7EVk88cXO4OBPbW2p20QPOprif1GKG3VIJwVSVUGFf/s1600/DSC_0511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYEM7ul8oCGtVrcXIKVPDsrnASrwTtvfTiqF3bK90ZhWyVEbwZ_R04dG-jCKdGjmNp1EJoYhS2BXhgaLsIcZSiKH9fsQ1Blvchn7EVk88cXO4OBPbW2p20QPOprif1GKG3VIJwVSVUGFf/s320/DSC_0511.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our kids are GIANTS - or this door is for little people!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKxgZhd5SEDU40EXynRh8fTkOoZU9Ir2nR8_WjavgKrIJRegNZl7N4RONfSS4GVxSOpM0InoJyCTBoFEJHAb-SMRBL4G2ReRg2BuUqBkDkYuGyw7L18cV2CmjLKLktPiji9sBiTHiPVgM/s1600/DSC_0512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKxgZhd5SEDU40EXynRh8fTkOoZU9Ir2nR8_WjavgKrIJRegNZl7N4RONfSS4GVxSOpM0InoJyCTBoFEJHAb-SMRBL4G2ReRg2BuUqBkDkYuGyw7L18cV2CmjLKLktPiji9sBiTHiPVgM/s320/DSC_0512.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty window</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceDvsA6-uCJws6q1RVnwaE5y4XuIvdX6mU34f-g0UzpnHzo8yWs-eiYzWHFQmDuWdMA7MFhlh3tnuAkme3gMZmxeXHqAj09Js2PxeMPoOKCs2jMjr7Vsko69fXurWn6LbtFPq7akMLim3/s1600/DSC_0517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceDvsA6-uCJws6q1RVnwaE5y4XuIvdX6mU34f-g0UzpnHzo8yWs-eiYzWHFQmDuWdMA7MFhlh3tnuAkme3gMZmxeXHqAj09Js2PxeMPoOKCs2jMjr7Vsko69fXurWn6LbtFPq7akMLim3/s320/DSC_0517.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medievil Weapon Store</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1mpLbMVs80ZEWGgRiZLmTc57-e_IUV5PUiLKL9MCV6s19oH1G1h7DwqtcAVaR7TSfrNKR0kn7V7jk96GymzcOZ02ujRofcpe1mewFzWlfdDPTtZMWGGrVh6CnKys_agaigWHrQZ5dVIl/s1600/DSC_0520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1mpLbMVs80ZEWGgRiZLmTc57-e_IUV5PUiLKL9MCV6s19oH1G1h7DwqtcAVaR7TSfrNKR0kn7V7jk96GymzcOZ02ujRofcpe1mewFzWlfdDPTtZMWGGrVh6CnKys_agaigWHrQZ5dVIl/s320/DSC_0520.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iced Cream!! Gellato! Glaces! Yea!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ax2mXFMUz1hkwXsTGTGMo36KaKotphWAwdFkHx4603RQEghzCCNdxA4xUefpS3NlGUUSEJVbzIJC_yeCP77YFcqcncPFPeQz1KeTOcCzM2d_XEeIOxS1GZx2qFmbzcEwSovtJ2MrmNXJ/s1600/DSC_0522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ax2mXFMUz1hkwXsTGTGMo36KaKotphWAwdFkHx4603RQEghzCCNdxA4xUefpS3NlGUUSEJVbzIJC_yeCP77YFcqcncPFPeQz1KeTOcCzM2d_XEeIOxS1GZx2qFmbzcEwSovtJ2MrmNXJ/s320/DSC_0522.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the iced cream - gorgeous!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90-1rxznKoZfxzmn3TdHxBO2JJlz-dO-jv7im0nbJEumse57OrmR5eT6GoxiuTcWa6trGGbL4AZVYo3hyphenhyphenQ1PLsKPBGSiDfKTQx5Hb8mT-q6BlkomlB8NQpcKVdcMa2iifdTMD3dd6P4GN/s1600/DSC_0537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90-1rxznKoZfxzmn3TdHxBO2JJlz-dO-jv7im0nbJEumse57OrmR5eT6GoxiuTcWa6trGGbL4AZVYo3hyphenhyphenQ1PLsKPBGSiDfKTQx5Hb8mT-q6BlkomlB8NQpcKVdcMa2iifdTMD3dd6P4GN/s320/DSC_0537.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool door-knocker</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_LEav0MhhUtr0qCtO7QZiSEXvQcuzWmBak0pJRX66CiF4vIsup0QdjWUFN3xbfCd70EZYP5tUGoB6rYWkm0kfZJwxEv9J5ixgx5nSlfEoX3whpieim-ewBACyyySABe7Tt-hWOexioC7/s1600/DSC_0539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_LEav0MhhUtr0qCtO7QZiSEXvQcuzWmBak0pJRX66CiF4vIsup0QdjWUFN3xbfCd70EZYP5tUGoB6rYWkm0kfZJwxEv9J5ixgx5nSlfEoX3whpieim-ewBACyyySABe7Tt-hWOexioC7/s320/DSC_0539.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grapevines along the lane of St. Martin's Winery</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very nice wine cellar!!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf26PMhtqcQwiszLLC5X2yQnXVAx_DyiqUYWx7OiyVUj2Lxyi5fC6yF3K17_bCq8cLiIghHdL2XbVRaYD2gT9s-sHHRNY7YvGi-hKt1A1-yXDjfqnXtGyKohvauLb8pGaHcLe3CtehCOrl/s1600/DSC_0548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf26PMhtqcQwiszLLC5X2yQnXVAx_DyiqUYWx7OiyVUj2Lxyi5fC6yF3K17_bCq8cLiIghHdL2XbVRaYD2gT9s-sHHRNY7YvGi-hKt1A1-yXDjfqnXtGyKohvauLb8pGaHcLe3CtehCOrl/s320/DSC_0548.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3KW2pxbal4rhf09RhBG1pkqCB49LgZkprEb7YgqOdWfQfoLg4fddxtKwOllGk00o7Ax_0w0I3pCQ3S-B9rabm6yr-APGj8xH718v1_9BOBKMD6sWgXg3mtbGkcS_kLKDUq5F4ZnMD-sz/s1600/DSC_0551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3KW2pxbal4rhf09RhBG1pkqCB49LgZkprEb7YgqOdWfQfoLg4fddxtKwOllGk00o7Ax_0w0I3pCQ3S-B9rabm6yr-APGj8xH718v1_9BOBKMD6sWgXg3mtbGkcS_kLKDUq5F4ZnMD-sz/s320/DSC_0551.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jksOEo68kYAb0-kS8LgzGfqiGbff9bW8Nv8WI7pRS3XWp3sluW9d9xtPtG5y_fo9jUtLRl1d9Fg8z_Vvc36fYysUo3Qf3Vk_jxmtLS2_018mWm7kenpC3A8kknmVHUNHxqNGho-FewE0/s1600/Andrew+and+Winemaker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jksOEo68kYAb0-kS8LgzGfqiGbff9bW8Nv8WI7pRS3XWp3sluW9d9xtPtG5y_fo9jUtLRl1d9Fg8z_Vvc36fYysUo3Qf3Vk_jxmtLS2_018mWm7kenpC3A8kknmVHUNHxqNGho-FewE0/s320/Andrew+and+Winemaker.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew and the winemaker</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlPBYyVeKvwgp3lwCiI2hFFXlsQ-DR8OYQ_L_VrVkmcIkm7rPuK-UgAlh75YrnKN6GxbF31nTqlwh3E8naGrTUFlp2e3uo4d2k_iyAzydiIkdLeeyBYgm3w44L8Aruslu-CjMmiGAuD85/s1600/DSC_0563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlPBYyVeKvwgp3lwCiI2hFFXlsQ-DR8OYQ_L_VrVkmcIkm7rPuK-UgAlh75YrnKN6GxbF31nTqlwh3E8naGrTUFlp2e3uo4d2k_iyAzydiIkdLeeyBYgm3w44L8Aruslu-CjMmiGAuD85/s320/DSC_0563.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vox - resting by our door</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DDdYxIG6iMNLmP2u70l8Bzf_ja2D-8nGLYtRILRlX3xnmQ5zFSDcJtXlPSVmIDSvN52N29iZ0B8Ww18KVZFXShem_VuQh26sWOO7I2TMz-2SNsQ8cK2OTplUX0vUB-Fdnt-7WmARW2Xg/s1600/DSC_0581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DDdYxIG6iMNLmP2u70l8Bzf_ja2D-8nGLYtRILRlX3xnmQ5zFSDcJtXlPSVmIDSvN52N29iZ0B8Ww18KVZFXShem_VuQh26sWOO7I2TMz-2SNsQ8cK2OTplUX0vUB-Fdnt-7WmARW2Xg/s320/DSC_0581.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool - welcoming us home :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We decided to have a relaxing Saturday this weekend and went to the little town of Pezenas on Sunday while waiting for Tracie (Andrew's sister) and two boys - Koby (12) and Eli (8) to arrive on the TGV train from Boston via Barcelona at 9:00 pm - we were very excited for them to arrive!!! Andrew, Adam and I also had tickets to attend the Montpellier Handball match at 5:30.<br />
<br />
Pezenas was a very sweet little town consisting of many used bookstores, antique shops, quaint stores selling such things as incense, soaps, spices etc... One of the most interesting shops for the kids was the medievil weapons store which was not open on Sundays. We had fun peaking in the window though! The other favorite stop was the Glaces shop (see above) which sold gelatto (the owner is Italian) in the shape of flowers - very pretty and delish! <br />
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Another point of interest was the Jewish Ghetto consisting of many narrow streets and tall walls creating an erie feeling of enclosure when walking through the lanes.<br />
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Pezenas served as the seat of the local government in the 16th and 17th centuries and played host to many musicians and actors throughout the years, including Moliere, a playwright and actor from Paris: <br />
<a href="http://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/clsc35.html">http://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/clsc35.html</a>.<br />
<br />
We enjoyed walking through the streets, admiring more outdoor cafes and brasseries and, as a bonus, we stumbled upon a large flea market taking place on the edge of town. Most of the wares that people were selling were, just as at garage sales back at home - junk, however, we did buy a nice copper pot, a cheese tray made of local winery wine corks, an Asterix book (well known comic book character), and Emma/Adam decided to spend their money on a couple of Pokemon figures (is Pokemon making a come back???) <br />
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At some point, our cell phones began beeping alerting us that we had voice mail messages - Nathan figured out how to access the messages (since the instructions for accessing messages is in french, we hadn't figured that out yet) and discovered that it was Tracie calling to let us know that they would be arriving 4 hours early! They had boarded an early train from Barcelona and were to arrive at Gare St. Roch train station at 5:07 - we headed for home so I could <strong><em>very quickly </em></strong>finish getting the house ready for visitors. By the time we got home, we had 40 min. before catching the tram to the train to pick up the Burns/Giletti crew. The train ended up being 15 min. later than scheduled but we found T and the boys with no problem and hugs and kisses were spread all around - it was good to have some more familiar faces with us!<br />
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Andrew and Adam ended up taking Koby to the handball match which, I think, he enjoyed (it was too busy, I don't remember asking him!) while Emma, Nathan and I showed Tracie and Eli around our little home away from home. The rest of Sunday was spent catching up, playing, and plotting the rest of their visit.La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-35540763641971601202011-04-08T17:31:00.006+02:002011-04-11T09:06:28.277+02:00The Gardens!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkIftgspw2tArp1Gpi2PI52FtYZ-WSgki1ZaN3RidD81iPmJ1T02a4TnF1R-WPGKzeIHn1lEWGPd2ip6Q54Ztx3R9M1rANjw1LYsLVfZwJsbwIJdO6M5SYSw4K9OhabS6eeBQqs4gnaOx/s1600/DSC_0209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkIftgspw2tArp1Gpi2PI52FtYZ-WSgki1ZaN3RidD81iPmJ1T02a4TnF1R-WPGKzeIHn1lEWGPd2ip6Q54Ztx3R9M1rANjw1LYsLVfZwJsbwIJdO6M5SYSw4K9OhabS6eeBQqs4gnaOx/s320/DSC_0209.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wisteria on the terrace outside of our bedroom and Emma's<br />
bedroom</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The birdies in the big cage outside of our front window</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7MQzCSvPsW59NlDEewdkrmOZGvAyPwpA0GCfrrDWLR79jBfRZiFsZnA1lu1Pqn88uto-2aaz95k3ZZ_TPICP_9pJrRgGRKBnOFrO_BZb7heDsWfMEaodQBccCIJX4xJGkYvtHWKrIbpq/s1600/DSC_0221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7MQzCSvPsW59NlDEewdkrmOZGvAyPwpA0GCfrrDWLR79jBfRZiFsZnA1lu1Pqn88uto-2aaz95k3ZZ_TPICP_9pJrRgGRKBnOFrO_BZb7heDsWfMEaodQBccCIJX4xJGkYvtHWKrIbpq/s320/DSC_0221.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving up the driveway - what a welcoming!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84bqqUCgrkpVC5lZb4MUTGtljgQYNWDvcNDz0rMpsSDl-7r6MmY_Gya554oKiSBHYfJKL7hiy4cBp2dzAV3pgSQEN6LpdRnk0P3WoijDe89I_pzzuNpIRDqxg6rCMvgagHcOVFbMcUEaa/s1600/DSC_0230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84bqqUCgrkpVC5lZb4MUTGtljgQYNWDvcNDz0rMpsSDl-7r6MmY_Gya554oKiSBHYfJKL7hiy4cBp2dzAV3pgSQEN6LpdRnk0P3WoijDe89I_pzzuNpIRDqxg6rCMvgagHcOVFbMcUEaa/s320/DSC_0230.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimLtYMcsSFbf-pEtQDKsNbhW_HAdQUdIS3bsYqqusoRcBYgU8LscN_OdQPrePBxgnHG1gib_HCL3DCtDnDsAj8ZagPVEMOpWcJ7X_jgT3juxURGFKFzPZQZHNR2roXzbY5GwlWtaX9-RR/s1600/DSC_0237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimLtYMcsSFbf-pEtQDKsNbhW_HAdQUdIS3bsYqqusoRcBYgU8LscN_OdQPrePBxgnHG1gib_HCL3DCtDnDsAj8ZagPVEMOpWcJ7X_jgT3juxURGFKFzPZQZHNR2roXzbY5GwlWtaX9-RR/s320/DSC_0237.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The terrace Wisteria</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stone path to our portion of the house</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Adam's first French offense!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lemon tree - 1 of 3 or 4 in the yard right<br />
now</td></tr>
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The gardens in our French home are absolutely gorgeous! it seems that every day we wake up, there are new suprises blooming out the windows. The wonderful scents that greet us when we open the windows or walk up the driveway are heavenly. Also, now, in addition to being greeted every day by Vox and Cool (Mr. and Mrs. Boisson's chiens (dogs)), we are tweeted to by the five cute birdies in the cage outside our front door and window! </div>Mr. and Mrs. Bosson, along with the gardener and his wife, work very hard to keep this house and yard so enjoyable! Mr. and Mrs. Boisson, in addition to gardening, have also been preparing the beautiful swimming pool for the summer. The last report was that the water would start flowing sometime next week. The pool takes 3 days to fill, then the chemicals have to be balanced. Sitting by the pool, in these gardens during a nice warm southern France afternoon, sipping some Pastise sounds too good to be true, but will be happening soon I believe! :)<br />
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Update! -- Today (4/8/11) we were invited to Emma and Adam's school for a little performance. Upon our arrival, Adam came to me and asked "hey mom, did you happen to think to bring my tram pass???" - HUH?? I asked him how he got to school if he didn't have it along - well, he forgot it and tried to ride the tram without it which, a lot of the time, works out o.k. but when it doesn't, the offender passenger receives a 46 euro ticket! Today, unfortunately, the tram police jumped on Adam's tram, asked to see his pass and thankfully, one of the policemen spoke a little english so Adam was taken off of the tram and had to explain his forgetfulness! Between his french and the little english that the police officer knew, they were able to get all of the information to write up the ticket for our 12 year old offender. Thankfully, in the end, the officer explained that if Adam took the ticket to the Tram office with his tram pass to prove that his pass was effective as of today, the ticket would go away. We will be at the tram office tomorrow morning!<br />
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The performance that the kids put on was very cute! Emma was a bus passenger while Adam, ironically enough, was the Police Officer that had to take a bus passenger (not Emma - she was a sick passenger who had to ask the driver to stop) without a ticket, off of the bus and to the police station! --- Interesting how things work huh??<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-70393443008145441832011-04-05T12:05:00.005+02:002011-04-06T10:36:59.605+02:00The Wolff Family Visit - March 31 - April 4 - Fast And Fun Trip!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMmp2IcF6HMyJiJUoycQ5LUkSajq380JQdiTOGMyRcJrDVDqlQVzBy8f-EH9Os_rX2xui46CGaKUC68gUZu131M_S6SpaGROWFh8F1dkUKua1FO2DaaGMW4PG1DV3I1Li_ztHPNRYWGvq/s1600/wolff+visit+%252883%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMmp2IcF6HMyJiJUoycQ5LUkSajq380JQdiTOGMyRcJrDVDqlQVzBy8f-EH9Os_rX2xui46CGaKUC68gUZu131M_S6SpaGROWFh8F1dkUKua1FO2DaaGMW4PG1DV3I1Li_ztHPNRYWGvq/s320/wolff+visit+%252883%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wolff Bus</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-He6QYXTyBOBYdGN_87V1kNmBn272z4YCHfmY8uhmINjlNTRfjncydtThhs3OcazL94tvpINgcyotXEhsiLugtKQfRRxpm8vA6UQNPxxfwld6ZeTjDiezz_JFEWqO5NplLL4KrZx5lpP/s1600/DSC_0316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-He6QYXTyBOBYdGN_87V1kNmBn272z4YCHfmY8uhmINjlNTRfjncydtThhs3OcazL94tvpINgcyotXEhsiLugtKQfRRxpm8vA6UQNPxxfwld6ZeTjDiezz_JFEWqO5NplLL4KrZx5lpP/s320/DSC_0316.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wolff Pack's Visit - typical evening sitting around<br />
with bread, cheese, wine etc...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0-v4I08snC30e2fpSCLZSLrTm5w6qZgKc8VOo_0Koq8UG9UE-B9flhD-ip4fJ6t4uAieuaV6NAorD0eaFRq-hIpsECFq-FuYWK__Nhyphenhyphen2my2NygfrZIVOvsPMgX76HrFfVSESzxkVv9ur/s1600/DSC_0242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0-v4I08snC30e2fpSCLZSLrTm5w6qZgKc8VOo_0Koq8UG9UE-B9flhD-ip4fJ6t4uAieuaV6NAorD0eaFRq-hIpsECFq-FuYWK__Nhyphenhyphen2my2NygfrZIVOvsPMgX76HrFfVSESzxkVv9ur/s320/DSC_0242.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Carousel in Montpellier's Comedie was a hit!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrVFE0P0KeQEvOBQLGjYAQM6SeuXw1pRBnzkcOHtLSV0q1ndhYnDTRx3d0YCppBMth3Qm6yURr_iOGwnVkQBhT0RGJC8O0hxGC9jMXjjRG6Wq2suc26VMxr7UIrrhChETt2v37M7NiysV/s1600/DSC_0247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrVFE0P0KeQEvOBQLGjYAQM6SeuXw1pRBnzkcOHtLSV0q1ndhYnDTRx3d0YCppBMth3Qm6yURr_iOGwnVkQBhT0RGJC8O0hxGC9jMXjjRG6Wq2suc26VMxr7UIrrhChETt2v37M7NiysV/s320/DSC_0247.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Friday afternoon stroll around town began with<br />
lunch outside</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLzjYZmOIy_6DX9htHKZyOMEuZLFZ2M38i4pxkfBNsVeUaLsFwABNKaQhhNF9vr1XEPr2e12GE4S4rf8yE_wy1cZrcm4KdS7o1baOrsOwJ8_TQSzsRlhdryuDDNognDls5taxnIAYjMy1/s1600/DSC_0265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLzjYZmOIy_6DX9htHKZyOMEuZLFZ2M38i4pxkfBNsVeUaLsFwABNKaQhhNF9vr1XEPr2e12GE4S4rf8yE_wy1cZrcm4KdS7o1baOrsOwJ8_TQSzsRlhdryuDDNognDls5taxnIAYjMy1/s320/DSC_0265.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the restaurant we had hoped to have dinner in<br />
Saturday night</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYah7uBt_THooXIKY21VzTHu4ZY-qseOm8WgxjkmvyvpDThg4_EcdUFfZzGmQW-5ZWjyykEC79tZ17rIB2znT7-1YJynox5T42yMyTPNpX1Ccczdur75-9ki6lgEUMOkTA13tSayPQAjSN/s1600/CSC_0489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYah7uBt_THooXIKY21VzTHu4ZY-qseOm8WgxjkmvyvpDThg4_EcdUFfZzGmQW-5ZWjyykEC79tZ17rIB2znT7-1YJynox5T42yMyTPNpX1Ccczdur75-9ki6lgEUMOkTA13tSayPQAjSN/s320/CSC_0489.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The moms at the Place Royale Du Peyrue</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-wojbBzg-1j8Q1evjJ1upD6wA_FzQDJiE9kwVYYMYQBY3xgiLzNodyUhS2ZT7oCEzuK45RruhYVqC_HK-v8vi02qReKQqQEUmO3kFiL5uZa80PlFK5sg464hCxdxJOqK-huHN4PFVhn48/s1600/CSC_0490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-wojbBzg-1j8Q1evjJ1upD6wA_FzQDJiE9kwVYYMYQBY3xgiLzNodyUhS2ZT7oCEzuK45RruhYVqC_HK-v8vi02qReKQqQEUmO3kFiL5uZa80PlFK5sg464hCxdxJOqK-huHN4PFVhn48/s320/CSC_0490.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dads heading for the Place Royal Du Peyrou</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-ddK92VT0h0pXs3VsvWpF5nmIK6RuQZdPq27J6j4_PekKThpEbikJL5C0MyXBU4AmknCawNva5Qq5OBX3fR4EALHL5X_q3aDDVBg38hHqWzwNqX5d7mFqZQNiMgtnAUHjGdXtM0PSKEp/s1600/DSC_0302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-ddK92VT0h0pXs3VsvWpF5nmIK6RuQZdPq27J6j4_PekKThpEbikJL5C0MyXBU4AmknCawNva5Qq5OBX3fR4EALHL5X_q3aDDVBg38hHqWzwNqX5d7mFqZQNiMgtnAUHjGdXtM0PSKEp/s320/DSC_0302.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hangin out at the Peyrou monument</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGMzWsDKN41BtHmcEsUfFcOMBbrGM9Yh8fq68BRHFNpFasG9-Co7AcBEHrSNjxFPAXmGM-4N7joqDr8XXB31KKjWDO1tocEKUn7VQx9Dfr3FkeJ6LHw1uFp1h6f8zHxo30gTocjkuTgVC/s1600/DSC_0303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGMzWsDKN41BtHmcEsUfFcOMBbrGM9Yh8fq68BRHFNpFasG9-Co7AcBEHrSNjxFPAXmGM-4N7joqDr8XXB31KKjWDO1tocEKUn7VQx9Dfr3FkeJ6LHw1uFp1h6f8zHxo30gTocjkuTgVC/s320/DSC_0303.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good friends, Good times</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVDiZ2Kd3criUU_O2vVtPiVam6MBqw8TQ4htSY7uHAWBXLqdFCkOerryNpMI1PlhOARQ5IFhJJkayMNlHZf18KldI-6gI3HUDOI9iotbs6pSJwVKNXnMOv1bax4vCKyPFCFga7w-ZGHKO/s1600/DSC_0307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVDiZ2Kd3criUU_O2vVtPiVam6MBqw8TQ4htSY7uHAWBXLqdFCkOerryNpMI1PlhOARQ5IFhJJkayMNlHZf18KldI-6gI3HUDOI9iotbs6pSJwVKNXnMOv1bax4vCKyPFCFga7w-ZGHKO/s320/DSC_0307.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Future Doctor in front of Oldest Medical School!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4iucVih1LTMU9ps475-Vf_MEcrcYH93cgyqrwi2_IAvRwTyNgo64R6NnUKeQIXfrx9oy1DcA_xCIzU-orzqoVJgilF8M-Ia_EpMyO9dHkDtJbz1aOqKLx48ssn2_EKiyj3LZkfcJFrj0y/s1600/DSC_0308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4iucVih1LTMU9ps475-Vf_MEcrcYH93cgyqrwi2_IAvRwTyNgo64R6NnUKeQIXfrx9oy1DcA_xCIzU-orzqoVJgilF8M-Ia_EpMyO9dHkDtJbz1aOqKLx48ssn2_EKiyj3LZkfcJFrj0y/s320/DSC_0308.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arthur & Kevin hugging the pillars outside St. Peter's Cathedral</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKARvuwsgvs2KujFWByfTK6p8moKg30kW1TaVaTl-ItgME5vyD56QjC5naz48O5eOTJfHWL40jFhlB9crBpVrO5vaMfNgBzRJer_4DtIiCBv6HeWCmIjAZPVCOV6KQun3pqy9HrnTdqaG/s1600/DSC_0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKARvuwsgvs2KujFWByfTK6p8moKg30kW1TaVaTl-ItgME5vyD56QjC5naz48O5eOTJfHWL40jFhlB9crBpVrO5vaMfNgBzRJer_4DtIiCBv6HeWCmIjAZPVCOV6KQun3pqy9HrnTdqaG/s320/DSC_0318.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a break from hide & seek in the dark garden for ice cream</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2jG4Hs3tBEcucQgs2atJvWJEUkMv7fFVqxUYvgQXMO0otV8len-3nf9K-f_xVsZ6zijVmYJJqJ1J9Xmp7PIljupLg6gj9-ewQ_puUA41URtOjcXdvLwTp73_VPKX9ZRlySyNb50zwjHi/s1600/DSC_0322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2jG4Hs3tBEcucQgs2atJvWJEUkMv7fFVqxUYvgQXMO0otV8len-3nf9K-f_xVsZ6zijVmYJJqJ1J9Xmp7PIljupLg6gj9-ewQ_puUA41URtOjcXdvLwTp73_VPKX9ZRlySyNb50zwjHi/s320/DSC_0322.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Addie & Emma waiting in Arles for the boys to arrive so we<br />
could hit the market</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLXMPbg26_mKOdsqQIuBSBuwMn0BHFj1P98kJZ70igEYRGSSb2WE63Bl-Rpt08fxZTkezPK0K-bktc71tWqU9aqM2sLjSGgBWh6u73_VeJdP4pXqhj37o-2bkTLanwPWQeP9plwNOomXr/s1600/wolff+visit+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLXMPbg26_mKOdsqQIuBSBuwMn0BHFj1P98kJZ70igEYRGSSb2WE63Bl-Rpt08fxZTkezPK0K-bktc71tWqU9aqM2sLjSGgBWh6u73_VeJdP4pXqhj37o-2bkTLanwPWQeP9plwNOomXr/s320/wolff+visit+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I finally got my French Market basket at the Arles Market! <br />
Thanks K & K! Katie and I got matching baskets at this booth :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinitnFKkgC6q4JPtXupUUjQs_3jbz17-y7XfRLsMLWwVdiufR0KMlRCFnXP6fPdmsEHm1m9NaB0NOtEITJatQD5Rrwrel-_Dhn-XbiImpdzk90phKWz7Xqra0_wIQSwnp5fcndGopYgARG/s1600/DSC_0324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinitnFKkgC6q4JPtXupUUjQs_3jbz17-y7XfRLsMLWwVdiufR0KMlRCFnXP6fPdmsEHm1m9NaB0NOtEITJatQD5Rrwrel-_Dhn-XbiImpdzk90phKWz7Xqra0_wIQSwnp5fcndGopYgARG/s320/DSC_0324.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wolff's at one of the spice/herb tables</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiduJ094T0fY2hCsFOZKCCJnGSA8Fdq5czvmpxDbm3HJgf2yuvzvbQQOZYOh-BFqsEOYgNXRd8T03pLLW20rEqO4xWNkNdpZdWW8QbwByQjnKi_e5z3WoWrip9KucGFl5G4e6YyKJjxmaKE/s1600/DSC_0325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiduJ094T0fY2hCsFOZKCCJnGSA8Fdq5czvmpxDbm3HJgf2yuvzvbQQOZYOh-BFqsEOYgNXRd8T03pLLW20rEqO4xWNkNdpZdWW8QbwByQjnKi_e5z3WoWrip9KucGFl5G4e6YyKJjxmaKE/s320/DSC_0325.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The eldest boys lugging our loot!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv22NYxtg8XJkBBd9VNnue4wPD_prpYswTjQHqFKmdESM_vQO1BYW-rQ6EUUMzP6Un3PEpuJt2MrpI69l0weQEAoUTqHPD8V5rca4b0dZw07aNafB_2sIYjws-eY9EaZoRRYfP8pUekKAv/s1600/DSC_0327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv22NYxtg8XJkBBd9VNnue4wPD_prpYswTjQHqFKmdESM_vQO1BYW-rQ6EUUMzP6Un3PEpuJt2MrpI69l0weQEAoUTqHPD8V5rca4b0dZw07aNafB_2sIYjws-eY9EaZoRRYfP8pUekKAv/s320/DSC_0327.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katie kickin it at Van Gogh's Jardin</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRaBDzaLkZdH7IJ5Fw5TP5YQSlw5soCIasIIXRlDZMX01Z59JaNGGNeGyZ6AV4U93VbCjJPjsw2Yf6xVRh_PS-DRQ-tIVAKlUwlLWlc8sFU94zIiNEadcGU0Cu5VBNX35Dcy_ZuNtUxzx/s1600/CSC_0491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRaBDzaLkZdH7IJ5Fw5TP5YQSlw5soCIasIIXRlDZMX01Z59JaNGGNeGyZ6AV4U93VbCjJPjsw2Yf6xVRh_PS-DRQ-tIVAKlUwlLWlc8sFU94zIiNEadcGU0Cu5VBNX35Dcy_ZuNtUxzx/s320/CSC_0491.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklg2BnhmYl0ssGqjg1zffgzG1Ax4zeWmCtztYXpPAHwIahZ2mI6D1WbLPLBcNTYIT7rh2gcKt0Y24tBc5q6L5tvY_kxugUly1aLXV_s4Qu1OTjBXGK4lzNdSJCB2CEOw8m2Uj3qaHIQOW/s1600/DSC_0339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklg2BnhmYl0ssGqjg1zffgzG1Ax4zeWmCtztYXpPAHwIahZ2mI6D1WbLPLBcNTYIT7rh2gcKt0Y24tBc5q6L5tvY_kxugUly1aLXV_s4Qu1OTjBXGK4lzNdSJCB2CEOw8m2Uj3qaHIQOW/s320/DSC_0339.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monkeys near a tree in Van Gogh's garden</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPNZCnd1tX0oMSEakJwnds256wolZ5fQQZEBkVbUqTZuGWHgkLfNUW9MHVFt2_HJF39IPL75FgDi4Epq2bjyOaTdz5gYSXXptif4REPm048OhCJtbBNaKyVZpRRz2zJu2Jg9dej9jZWeB/s1600/DSC_0354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPNZCnd1tX0oMSEakJwnds256wolZ5fQQZEBkVbUqTZuGWHgkLfNUW9MHVFt2_HJF39IPL75FgDi4Epq2bjyOaTdz5gYSXXptif4REPm048OhCJtbBNaKyVZpRRz2zJu2Jg9dej9jZWeB/s320/DSC_0354.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Addie is a flower :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOHgGeH_hyifE4QrrTYCPjhkaH05SlGyjVnnZVQlZPgpEq9W5b8xHFsoOiXTJkb7NNodxbKiFAeSkAJUCKj5YVpi5gD4PJmaSW3kJw5Hsc1StPVtoAIhkVSt14QR5Fz_toSa7chiBKcEq/s1600/DSC_0377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOHgGeH_hyifE4QrrTYCPjhkaH05SlGyjVnnZVQlZPgpEq9W5b8xHFsoOiXTJkb7NNodxbKiFAeSkAJUCKj5YVpi5gD4PJmaSW3kJw5Hsc1StPVtoAIhkVSt14QR5Fz_toSa7chiBKcEq/s320/DSC_0377.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was cold, it was windy - but that didn't stop us from having<br />
a picnic at the beach at Sts. Maries Del Mar <br />
with food from the market!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Fsdi2Hzus6HQ9LvXEeP9StTShxfu5dWWClp0730P7_caR3tjIlWarwb129e8nilKZsb89RWgonQSibp0k3eRRPrYV34uUuW-G_-2mqLh5CF-_MdFMZvkcPDpCDJA1MacXhlRk6-1Emkl/s1600/DSC_0379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Fsdi2Hzus6HQ9LvXEeP9StTShxfu5dWWClp0730P7_caR3tjIlWarwb129e8nilKZsb89RWgonQSibp0k3eRRPrYV34uUuW-G_-2mqLh5CF-_MdFMZvkcPDpCDJA1MacXhlRk6-1Emkl/s320/DSC_0379.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wolff cubs had fun romping in the sand, surf and rocks!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSsRxdatIyoKcPFZm0weDpxP-aeawpsHng2MzJbAorfBxGFVoVsJgVc5aAuMKP5bIM_2fG7JbfvsfvzSoQHp18Mb4hI3CF8z0FDmmTOwF6_Qubn13CuTfx09H6K1XboBOVDGFa4ehbNac/s1600/DSC_0381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSsRxdatIyoKcPFZm0weDpxP-aeawpsHng2MzJbAorfBxGFVoVsJgVc5aAuMKP5bIM_2fG7JbfvsfvzSoQHp18Mb4hI3CF8z0FDmmTOwF6_Qubn13CuTfx09H6K1XboBOVDGFa4ehbNac/s320/DSC_0381.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole kid gang!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHonBTQ-Yfi-F77bIk-fv01uGiv4CsXNPNs-r2_8cLctJBbPWxCgmQaafMTfh_8YT_Blpes0H0UajtV9KOKprKCCQ8sc1zQynRbu0WdOnWRj5TZaP_XD2o-SnBM1jSnkyFwftFL5N-OLG/s1600/DSC_0385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHonBTQ-Yfi-F77bIk-fv01uGiv4CsXNPNs-r2_8cLctJBbPWxCgmQaafMTfh_8YT_Blpes0H0UajtV9KOKprKCCQ8sc1zQynRbu0WdOnWRj5TZaP_XD2o-SnBM1jSnkyFwftFL5N-OLG/s320/DSC_0385.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pack on the shore of the Mediterranean</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN5yQBoEsupr88UK0eSATzvw6h-tj8MxrTzY_1VxLzWHIMF_KxpqVsdIMoWlADybQEn-DSi-dSDD-_S9CUdn7pOxTFVt5wmpBCcWak3piUvyM_O8x1MfZV-m4vA8_IReRvm-jEoXq_0KCW/s1600/DSC_0396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN5yQBoEsupr88UK0eSATzvw6h-tj8MxrTzY_1VxLzWHIMF_KxpqVsdIMoWlADybQEn-DSi-dSDD-_S9CUdn7pOxTFVt5wmpBCcWak3piUvyM_O8x1MfZV-m4vA8_IReRvm-jEoXq_0KCW/s320/DSC_0396.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too cold for ice cream??? - NEVER!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXs5pESENQX5f7CI3PtCskvcf2ID0dLmQJftgOIeWkwkft-tNuCHulNIe4-3q-k3UfSb-Th8xJteZDBTaWtBeOjxqYduGVu_radbWxiJU1FWpmFxg8TDkct8GodQLx-i8UDFRYfLBFfW6i/s1600/DSC_0401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXs5pESENQX5f7CI3PtCskvcf2ID0dLmQJftgOIeWkwkft-tNuCHulNIe4-3q-k3UfSb-Th8xJteZDBTaWtBeOjxqYduGVu_radbWxiJU1FWpmFxg8TDkct8GodQLx-i8UDFRYfLBFfW6i/s320/DSC_0401.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buddies hangin out</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCE5aHmRXNuG5V1zrvR983ivhD0fXy4ap_OTZTJhq3a77e91LlHzds6QT8QjZ3iAnuRoAXMyvfwSfNyaIhuUdkdWbO45e8U6IJOfhYqR_pvHPgBv3esFJfdQhArCEAkl4faO7nJ3Iozrok/s1600/wolff+visit+%252845%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCE5aHmRXNuG5V1zrvR983ivhD0fXy4ap_OTZTJhq3a77e91LlHzds6QT8QjZ3iAnuRoAXMyvfwSfNyaIhuUdkdWbO45e8U6IJOfhYqR_pvHPgBv3esFJfdQhArCEAkl4faO7nJ3Iozrok/s320/wolff+visit+%252845%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice French dinner out Saturday night - just the adults</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpj_cOxkrVMLUFfl52Bsy4LwcWnAQDv82jCUxfKFuYMbyROLr6k4xwwU1XiLuxnoKMqwsJ2nl6VDL_an0d4CoJ4Dez7z-cbzKGJUnqCB0Jq0WQoFNNVA7B_Q5AsXypxJXx-M38V84G_Uiz/s1600/CSC_0492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpj_cOxkrVMLUFfl52Bsy4LwcWnAQDv82jCUxfKFuYMbyROLr6k4xwwU1XiLuxnoKMqwsJ2nl6VDL_an0d4CoJ4Dez7z-cbzKGJUnqCB0Jq0WQoFNNVA7B_Q5AsXypxJXx-M38V84G_Uiz/s320/CSC_0492.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pont Du Gard - the men are ready to cross</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRX3-SwYmKLsqinS-a7HMjMBL7tbdJMwXChe-FAvXnzm6rGw2yNR6AfPqy0x6jiYvBARMGT5uq35NfqsJUIOqvf5O8U_fAXXESJeed8vd99yCjq733C0IxNrKpXuoWUOTlJzGVe6tDIlov/s1600/DSC_0415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRX3-SwYmKLsqinS-a7HMjMBL7tbdJMwXChe-FAvXnzm6rGw2yNR6AfPqy0x6jiYvBARMGT5uq35NfqsJUIOqvf5O8U_fAXXESJeed8vd99yCjq733C0IxNrKpXuoWUOTlJzGVe6tDIlov/s320/DSC_0415.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't roll off girls!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1rF1jZq47PBkhLNAvReNaqPDo7WguzhRXYqeHVHdpFkeSJrODgK1ZRd938n4enYb-s9qo137IgNDzylhzm-kb8OB-Sadn1_3FDPb2sUPQX4Y6DB3zy73NvsYFwFPU6pgh1fMLnEfJnD5/s1600/DSC_0416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1rF1jZq47PBkhLNAvReNaqPDo7WguzhRXYqeHVHdpFkeSJrODgK1ZRd938n4enYb-s9qo137IgNDzylhzm-kb8OB-Sadn1_3FDPb2sUPQX4Y6DB3zy73NvsYFwFPU6pgh1fMLnEfJnD5/s320/DSC_0416.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a cute couple!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_R_2dC1OWttrjEunLd1DCBQ0OSoFNrjY6AWW46JL7fOENra1tZUaqQ2vhkrLpNoEHLbDr687EzVVw0_MYmcEtic3qw3KuQRIcTHY39CNEu99rUXL42PHVRwY7dcIkhE_xOw190-3rKajo/s1600/DSC_0418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_R_2dC1OWttrjEunLd1DCBQ0OSoFNrjY6AWW46JL7fOENra1tZUaqQ2vhkrLpNoEHLbDr687EzVVw0_MYmcEtic3qw3KuQRIcTHY39CNEu99rUXL42PHVRwY7dcIkhE_xOw190-3rKajo/s320/DSC_0418.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJT__eO81Ns2WROYd0AkYOojtD3K1HXfLWpdSk3V1CbTqlYa70Y8x8yzHggtfhuTmk1s3LMF1s7eaoG7xpf_AFdw0WSwhZxaeViaNYOVKRE1puf3dKCVLa45jOhBVWqROloG2edPeQaiyo/s1600/DSC_0420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJT__eO81Ns2WROYd0AkYOojtD3K1HXfLWpdSk3V1CbTqlYa70Y8x8yzHggtfhuTmk1s3LMF1s7eaoG7xpf_AFdw0WSwhZxaeViaNYOVKRE1puf3dKCVLa45jOhBVWqROloG2edPeQaiyo/s320/DSC_0420.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYv6zlEVjNvHd7WfSlUSLg1z2-7ts8hfwvsEUcZ7OEfa80n9IUaDlu4HlFnJ_4Ah-uL_yLBL4bwaJGnVbVfYl6vzaNOHZc3A1rrDkYT4ETodr1uk61UxB-v17BqcHNiTKz02ARRh-vjQzt/s1600/DSC_0422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYv6zlEVjNvHd7WfSlUSLg1z2-7ts8hfwvsEUcZ7OEfa80n9IUaDlu4HlFnJ_4Ah-uL_yLBL4bwaJGnVbVfYl6vzaNOHZc3A1rrDkYT4ETodr1uk61UxB-v17BqcHNiTKz02ARRh-vjQzt/s320/DSC_0422.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUqRlsEaXTspI0GDn5HggsGvCUmWw2lf4H1yq7JT24qBW9k4hWw_yHkaRDZd1FS0etuGnW5EuWaCgjEpqfRSwwZez3qExBKpBMbFFe4yL9udxJLJ7-Q07FXUHFqElolJF5noWzhaysJBf/s1600/DSC_0443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUqRlsEaXTspI0GDn5HggsGvCUmWw2lf4H1yq7JT24qBW9k4hWw_yHkaRDZd1FS0etuGnW5EuWaCgjEpqfRSwwZez3qExBKpBMbFFe4yL9udxJLJ7-Q07FXUHFqElolJF5noWzhaysJBf/s320/DSC_0443.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the top</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marcus was a monster - running up and down the hill, <br />
around the Pont Du Gard, through the rocks - he seemed<br />
to be having a blast - big smile on that cute face the whole time!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mSFoTRBdxIRoOw21s1XnP2UK1p3YXKjhLyS-0Mjy_y1okNZ8rtY-VhMa5wxi7fFpJZ34iC4nEPs54_ylKEl7hQa8O58TsfnY0WUchNXnL1VCG1Ug3Q-XNxiLJNIomtKyawrS78_Q8ws1/s1600/DSC_0474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mSFoTRBdxIRoOw21s1XnP2UK1p3YXKjhLyS-0Mjy_y1okNZ8rtY-VhMa5wxi7fFpJZ34iC4nEPs54_ylKEl7hQa8O58TsfnY0WUchNXnL1VCG1Ug3Q-XNxiLJNIomtKyawrS78_Q8ws1/s320/DSC_0474.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids - fishing with spears made of bamboo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwsishV-mkPsEJhFoVz79sAnqp7z-Eqxz2jsm2Fs3hJY8HZN6CFWyCnHOzre07T0CFes7RYk_3FU0gKm5L52AybSYkzCCkxvwEuooJh9bm-TGBrTrz4zx7Er01J5pXNkBvv9_NyyzTxK4/s1600/CSC_0493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwsishV-mkPsEJhFoVz79sAnqp7z-Eqxz2jsm2Fs3hJY8HZN6CFWyCnHOzre07T0CFes7RYk_3FU0gKm5L52AybSYkzCCkxvwEuooJh9bm-TGBrTrz4zx7Er01J5pXNkBvv9_NyyzTxK4/s320/CSC_0493.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing back over the bridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I realized while the pictures were uploading to the bolg, that Katie's face was the last one that I had seen before departing the United States of America in January and her's was the first American friend face I saw here in France - very nice!<br />
<br />
The Wolff family arrived about 3 hours late on Thursday March 31 due to their initiation into understanding European map reading vs. freeway directions! Kevin drove from Rome, Italy while Katie navigated -- she did her best, and believe me, I understood her frustration when she called to report that there are no "north, south, east or west" labels on the road signs! In the end, they enjoyed a 90 minute tour of countryside that they would otherwise, not have seen (and a 90 minute tour to get back to the right path).<br />
The original arrival time was slated for 8:00 or 9:00 pm - we found the huge Wolff bus hidden among all of the semi trucks at a rest stop at a little after midnight - with four cute faces peering out of the back windows.<br />
Although Katie and Kevin had a reservation at the Holiday Inn at the heart of the historic area, the trams stopped running at 1:00 am so by the time we got them to our house to park the bus and unload, it was too late to go to the hotel (and we were NOT going to try to drive them there!). We all piled onto couches, beds, air mattresses etc... and got a decent night sleep.<br />
<br />
In the morning, Andrew went to work while the rest of us leisurely woke up. Emma and several of the kids went to buy fresh croissants for breakfast while Katie and I wondered through the garden with our coffee - Katie identified several of the flowers and bushes for me - the big purple flowers climbing up the terrace - Wisteria! She's going to look for some at home :) Kevin joined us for a few minutes and met Mr. Boisson along the way. Later, we packed up the adult suitcases and I trammed them to their hotel where they checked into their beautiful room overlooking the pool and palm trees. We agreed to meet at the carousel at 1:00 for a tour of the historic district. By this time, Nathan was at school (Adam and Emma skipped on Friday) and the other kids had run, with tram tix in hand, to the tram and ultimately, to Place De La Comedie to explore.<br />
<br />
At 1:00 - we all met at the carousel, however, poor little Marcus had a tummy ache and was taken back to the mom and dad Wolff room to rest for awhile. The rest of us headed for a sandwich stand, purchased some lunch and sat in the sun to eat. Then we explored the rest of the city for the afternoon. Andy and I enjoyed showing everyone around and were happy to have a sunny day in which to do it. Nathan and Arthur became the family photographers on Friday during the tour and both did a great job! After several hours, the Wolff parents went to their room to check on Marcus, regroup and planned to be at our house for dinner. Andrew and I came home to the rest of the kids and began dinner. We had a nice relaxing visit, Marcus fell asleep on the couch, where he stayed for the rest of the night. The little guy slept soundly until the other kids woke him up in the morning - and he seemed much better.<br />
<br />
On Saturday, we headed for the Arles Market where we shopped around, bought baskets and spices and enough food for a picnic on the beach. We also went to the Van Gogh garden where the kids played and we snapped more pictures. Afterward, we headed to the beach in the Camargue region. This is the region that is known for black bulls, white horses and the Guardians (cowboys). It is also where we see a lot of pink flamingos which, of course, we stopped to watch for a few minutes - the shrimp must be more available to them now as the flamingos are a brighter pink color than when we originally saw them a couple of months ago.<br />
<br />
The beach that afternoon was frigid. While we drove to Sts. Maries De Le Mer from Arles, the clouds and the wind came rolling in. By the time we unpacked our lovely baskets filled with food from the car, the temperature had dropped and it was cold! We did not let that stop us though - Kevin led the way to a nice sandy spot behind a barrier where the wind was blocked - we unpacked the food bit by bit - did not spread it out for fear of sand being blown into it, and enjoyed chicken, cheese, sausage, bread, olives, fruit and pastries! Arthur and Nathan did a fantastic job with the fruit and pastry purchases! From lunch, we wondered down the beach to a rocky "pier" where the kids played in the water (up to their knees - except for Addie who did a belly flop right into the sea - from the sand, not the rocky pier!). All of the kids were cold and wet - and having a blast! The wind surfers had a fantastic day for their sport and we enjoyed watching them as well! After a while on this end of the beach, we agreed that the time had come to pack it up and head to the other end for ice cream - which we did, but only after Addie found the cutest pink french dress to replace her soaking wet pink leggings! Adorable!<br />
<br />
After ice cream and wondering along the other end of the beach we climbed back into the vehicles and headed for home with every intention to stop at several wineries on our way home. Ironically we could only find one open - strange! The wine was o.k. - Kevin and Katie bought a bottle of the Merlot which we all liked and enjoyed on Sunday evening. The winery itself, Domaine De Montcalm (<a href="http://www.domainedemontcalm.fr/">http://www.domainedemontcalm.fr/</a>) seemed very different than the others that Andrew and I have visited. There seemed to be farmhands living on the grounds. We passed a row of living units on the way to the tasting room and noticed several children peering at us through the curtains on the door. Andrew and I had never seen that before.<br />
<br />
Our last stop was Aiges Mortes - the midievil walled city. Upon entry to the city, we found a pizza shop that was open and we were able to order 4 pizzas for the kids' dinner since the adults were going out. The walk around the city was nice, the pizza's were done at 7:00 and we were heading home. The adult dinner was going to be in true French style - LATE! Thanks to the Holiday Inn, Kevin was able to find a restaurant that could get us in since I was unable to reach the one recommended to me to make a reservation. (strange - I tried a couple of times and Nathan tried numerous times to call - we only got an answering machine!)<br />
<br />
The kids watched a new movie delivered by the Wolff family: "<em>Unaccompanied Minors</em>", and ate their pizzas while the adults went to dinner at Plaisirs des Mets (<a href="http://www.oplaisirsdesmets.fr/">http://www.oplaisirsdesmets.fr/</a>), a sweet french restaurant down one of the lanes in the historic district. We were greeted by a waitress who spoke very little english, seated outside on the front patio and handed menus to translate on our own. I meant to bring our French/English dictionary along for just such a situation but had forgotten at the last minute (figures!). When we asked to see the wine list, a kind gentleman who must have been in charge of the beverage options, stopped by our table to ask if we were interested in blanc or rouge vins - to which we replied "rouge s'il vous plait". The nice gentleman disappeared and returned after a minute lugging two large chalkboards (about 4.5 ft high and 2.5 ft wide) to our table, propped them up against something and left. Kevin, Katie, Andrew and I looked at each other and laughed! After perusing the prices of the wines which ranged from 19 euros to 140 euros + - we settled on a 29 euro bottle that the waiter suggested - good choice, we all liked it!<br />
<br />
Between the waitress's broken english and our broken french, we were able to decipher enough of the menu to place our order. Katie, Andrew and I tried the scallops while Kevin had the lamb - I think everyone enjoyed their meals, the wine, the entertainment that was provided by the waiters and waitresses (trying to talk with us), but most of all, the quiet relaxation and visiting with friends. After dinner (close to midnight), we walked back to the center of the town and said "bonne nuit". Katie and Kevin walked back to their hotel while Andrew and I got on the tram and headed home where all of the kids, except for Addie, were still awake and playing. We told them to go to sleep and headed for bed ourselves.<br />
<br />
I believe we headed out Sunday morning around 10:30 and took the Wolff clan to see the beautiful Pont Du Gard - built 2000 years ago by the Romans who prided themselves on the160 foot bridge being the tallest they'd ever built. The purpose of the construction of the Pont Du Gard at that time was to deliver water to the city of Nimes, today it is an awesome site to see. The Wolffs purchased enough sandwiches and chips for all of us to eat some lunch on the rocks beneath the bridge while enjoying a beautiful sunny day along the river. Although all of the kids were disappointed that the adults would not allow them to go swimming, as other kids were doing, they had fun running around the rocks, up the hill to the top of the bridge, along the river and trying to spear fish with bamboo poles that they found along the way. The adults enjoyed the whole scene. We returned home that evening, enjoyed our last dinner together along with the bottle of wine purchased on Saturday and the Italian wine that Katie and Kevin brought from Rome and planned for their departure on Monday morning. Andrew made a point, on Monday morning, to take a picture with Addie and Marcus so he could send them, via e-mail, to their teachers back home - very cute!<br />
<br />
We made the most of every minute that we could and truly appreciated the Wolff pack's effort to come and visit us. The kids (and the adults!) needed to see some familiar faces that they could communicate and have fun with and the Wolffs provided exactly that (along with deoderant from home, mac & cheese and other requested American items)! We were all sad to see them go and are looking forward to hearing about their adventures in Florence Italy and their trip home.<br />
<br />
Our next visitors arrive next Sunday night --- Tracie, Koby and Eli!!La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-78965047699443407442011-03-29T11:33:00.006+02:002011-03-29T17:18:32.569+02:00Three Towns (Four Stops) in One Day - A Record! - March 26, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBQiuZd3RDH4Rr5QL-HHWkIh7z5aZh17MC5NrR_PS5LMcDl8ynlgs4I_vt8jLSxaIqmdbXqA7if4lYrjmloRDVOEYqVdpO7fxbxea-JOTVnsm9zQVIjm9xdd1R1Oth7Z4SxAPrOY6h3uV/s1600/carpentras+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBQiuZd3RDH4Rr5QL-HHWkIh7z5aZh17MC5NrR_PS5LMcDl8ynlgs4I_vt8jLSxaIqmdbXqA7if4lYrjmloRDVOEYqVdpO7fxbxea-JOTVnsm9zQVIjm9xdd1R1Oth7Z4SxAPrOY6h3uV/s320/carpentras+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Stop - Carpentras</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj840xREd4lFoGkn3LAE-CntaEsWxsseCbByVeTmtpQ_2HobggeEPv99RCoi3rBGAe54OjFRkNu6zqJdee758dNh_RYbpbfqPxdvbmzLJWy6FHgQ7J77T-vMYTUT15D4vG-wsEE9U8hqgsP/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj840xREd4lFoGkn3LAE-CntaEsWxsseCbByVeTmtpQ_2HobggeEPv99RCoi3rBGAe54OjFRkNu6zqJdee758dNh_RYbpbfqPxdvbmzLJWy6FHgQ7J77T-vMYTUT15D4vG-wsEE9U8hqgsP/s320/DSC_0001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having Lunch at a Chinese/Vietnamese/Thai Restaurant</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEk94We4qHaqnermgtYBIZsn430TSszdwtxd-78OI5cmaImjOUULIxLZCzRAtI-AOLkXNFB8fUHv51b9D2-gvoFil6Z-hhS0N-ThKos63oAhzMX5jqH2XAL4CvxYmuU0FYyDJKW_AyrhLK/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEk94We4qHaqnermgtYBIZsn430TSszdwtxd-78OI5cmaImjOUULIxLZCzRAtI-AOLkXNFB8fUHv51b9D2-gvoFil6Z-hhS0N-ThKos63oAhzMX5jqH2XAL4CvxYmuU0FYyDJKW_AyrhLK/s320/DSC_0002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We all enjoyed these interesting rice crackers(??)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous Cathedral - First one we couldn't go into</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These Two had a rough night!</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: right;"><img border="0" height="133" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTg38lChQUDxsecd3RGFvNk3uQULI11SdP8Zp2Bm0V0FXc3i1ljJ7fKoQJzwvYn0Alxg-XNHf0bhyphenhyphennaTezjsW745LaPsQUzdL8KtfPMsf7QnLiquVUJAjmwX9mg0QlJD9HtU1qTrZwtOmB/s200/DSC_0016.JPG" width="200" /><br />
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</div><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfqpBotHl_JmI23JxoFzQq8yz2OSVrd1bOPIgfAHDSkpjm3hlpDaOYbP3tDNwrXERsa2Kx2koYtUz_usld_12NjGF5iFvPUEOP7wMjeOAdFM4CZTgfyy9grd3z9q5wHG0-Wy45P2-KFeD/s1600/DSC_0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfqpBotHl_JmI23JxoFzQq8yz2OSVrd1bOPIgfAHDSkpjm3hlpDaOYbP3tDNwrXERsa2Kx2koYtUz_usld_12NjGF5iFvPUEOP7wMjeOAdFM4CZTgfyy9grd3z9q5wHG0-Wy45P2-KFeD/s320/DSC_0024.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side of the Cathedral</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTg38lChQUDxsecd3RGFvNk3uQULI11SdP8Zp2Bm0V0FXc3i1ljJ7fKoQJzwvYn0Alxg-XNHf0bhyphenhyphennaTezjsW745LaPsQUzdL8KtfPMsf7QnLiquVUJAjmwX9mg0QlJD9HtU1qTrZwtOmB/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWIJ7kyGR51g5Fw42P33wbC45x9NqWJUZGn7ka4e1h0KGCSuVNgmSweyRt_HXGA7QAi9CLBz04CWFEBZQah_CtrZxWQiNuda11DPP7-kgtS53nety-dwKN79H2lUiyze3_zw4hO-0Yjqd/s1600/DSC_0029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWIJ7kyGR51g5Fw42P33wbC45x9NqWJUZGn7ka4e1h0KGCSuVNgmSweyRt_HXGA7QAi9CLBz04CWFEBZQah_CtrZxWQiNuda11DPP7-kgtS53nety-dwKN79H2lUiyze3_zw4hO-0Yjqd/s320/DSC_0029.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gargoyals!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSWNpGj_qo9TgbOjDp8_SciJIgCZ2dUqgeCPp5_w24whOpAKNUILIlOyD_ktO9bBfMKaVBdtilft8IMxL3DdTVqJtRyVEACpRdeKxWl0LxY4bySoWZWdoFH3QG_6CqmamL2tvlEqbxesm/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSWNpGj_qo9TgbOjDp8_SciJIgCZ2dUqgeCPp5_w24whOpAKNUILIlOyD_ktO9bBfMKaVBdtilft8IMxL3DdTVqJtRyVEACpRdeKxWl0LxY4bySoWZWdoFH3QG_6CqmamL2tvlEqbxesm/s320/DSC_0032.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool fountain !</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pmUJr-3DGQAJ2xpzC4oIqZsn7bMr9HscKVyVrceK21hb2ISw3bMqurMDnoYeXy5_2WdpY2ma-HK4nLCrkXIjaerBu6QVyjdt-JHODin9s1L6XlxtuHgO-5H0cC0_nYpJsl2sCOgt8WPd/s1600/DSC_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pmUJr-3DGQAJ2xpzC4oIqZsn7bMr9HscKVyVrceK21hb2ISw3bMqurMDnoYeXy5_2WdpY2ma-HK4nLCrkXIjaerBu6QVyjdt-JHODin9s1L6XlxtuHgO-5H0cC0_nYpJsl2sCOgt8WPd/s320/DSC_0035.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These statues of Mary and Jesus were tucked<br />
in a lot of places around town</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: right;"> <img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WwwVbcpx30Y-V7Mre5S7jZHgeL2eDBuHhQSAkZZzOvknOP-6R2l6ioANvMjEz-Fh5EFY8fEI1Cser87OpaJL4L_byedL564IH_u-f0DdvrngZNU9wE5QtbtTLjgWmkq1HlAdL-pDhNyp/s320/DSC_0038.JPG" width="213" /></div> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRc7uo5Rx3ZVp-4csYJUWxmGaX9XUftqmwQWaAxYhdAksQTyrsDjazGxDoei9TuujhKo0U7sLC0thF_IW74uw_u1u3hIXke-KImsykhnKvSHcOQPX2SeOsDq2cjytzEN5WJCWozuPBX-9/s1600/DSC_0044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRc7uo5Rx3ZVp-4csYJUWxmGaX9XUftqmwQWaAxYhdAksQTyrsDjazGxDoei9TuujhKo0U7sLC0thF_IW74uw_u1u3hIXke-KImsykhnKvSHcOQPX2SeOsDq2cjytzEN5WJCWozuPBX-9/s320/DSC_0044.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oldest Synagogue in France</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<div style="text-align: right;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"> <br />
<table align="right" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59Z61xN8dltydo43P54QBHuYrQmTpW6nut-DUA82Q-CVSN82zVk32FIM10_oV_XWy9ARgpHk0v_gcf5gGP9zRjwoOMBYpc9VKh8cAO6-RlhBYZvGUjhsqJ895gFJ-lcEws0l35tmAhPDh/s1600/DSC_0045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59Z61xN8dltydo43P54QBHuYrQmTpW6nut-DUA82Q-CVSN82zVk32FIM10_oV_XWy9ARgpHk0v_gcf5gGP9zRjwoOMBYpc9VKh8cAO6-RlhBYZvGUjhsqJ895gFJ-lcEws0l35tmAhPDh/s320/DSC_0045.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Built in 1367!</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7qHiajQnyfcxx_y2s_C-1t52CrgLlwahcAxsJJnFvTXTUWYk5u2N8VLmhDszpdiD-KUs5I9VhE13x76N-19aQ7FVfdVAxVmXOXLCMCxpGq6Y7yCHLkuy7akJzdWGMYuF-hK8qqPhSAV7/s1600/DSC_0053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7qHiajQnyfcxx_y2s_C-1t52CrgLlwahcAxsJJnFvTXTUWYk5u2N8VLmhDszpdiD-KUs5I9VhE13x76N-19aQ7FVfdVAxVmXOXLCMCxpGq6Y7yCHLkuy7akJzdWGMYuF-hK8qqPhSAV7/s200/DSC_0053.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We stopped for a little treat! Yum!</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKjsWplOr_h17MLRZgQ3yNneHMPHJkHosIEW_1IwYywMgcyWEAJ_E_ypunLXBaK_2TqvojyLExk4a_cuVn7CgwujacwTa9oG30fYi-VmX3OaOJczynLPXc3xpDYJX5s2_UPDV7LHoLnvb/s1600/DSC_0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKjsWplOr_h17MLRZgQ3yNneHMPHJkHosIEW_1IwYywMgcyWEAJ_E_ypunLXBaK_2TqvojyLExk4a_cuVn7CgwujacwTa9oG30fYi-VmX3OaOJczynLPXc3xpDYJX5s2_UPDV7LHoLnvb/s200/DSC_0055.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma's name was on the box :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DHpwVH7my9deLezPMEUNqLuXe88ABXLV9KMJXvusvyRSR1QUM1xFos6eQHFVyFYbAo6wK3r3oil5Sx6wI-4A8o2_r-6QHzg9acd4UhByFA66oj8GsOnYGjrFNsAWJvfg6TzjCKTuH79l/s1600/CSC_0199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DHpwVH7my9deLezPMEUNqLuXe88ABXLV9KMJXvusvyRSR1QUM1xFos6eQHFVyFYbAo6wK3r3oil5Sx6wI-4A8o2_r-6QHzg9acd4UhByFA66oj8GsOnYGjrFNsAWJvfg6TzjCKTuH79l/s320/CSC_0199.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice Advertisement :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYUyBeG0pYMHHxsm-UuX6JgPZXGhHj9YGzxldyQFnWRG9hlLo7MwLYDwsX0KQrX0QIlp72v1hrnuXiVWiWRFplw_xuluWpXliBnWExXTEPQiSFi7sPrmoxAL8rpOe_Jyls_lZU6fCm_Rm/s1600/DSC_0065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYUyBeG0pYMHHxsm-UuX6JgPZXGhHj9YGzxldyQFnWRG9hlLo7MwLYDwsX0KQrX0QIlp72v1hrnuXiVWiWRFplw_xuluWpXliBnWExXTEPQiSFi7sPrmoxAL8rpOe_Jyls_lZU6fCm_Rm/s320/DSC_0065.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next Stop - Fontaine-de-Vaucluse</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcD2vDPjKBIkcX619PB4zjf473MMB3ZL8KcCOSdzexjhfMhqyLdgNf4b3ko1f-CRVphXNqCPErqlnqtJst94YE1dBH9Fg-p0VUwqCGODX7YkY1fJd-BrMNpMky5CJILXtgXuR_TuljrKks/s1600/DSC_0076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcD2vDPjKBIkcX619PB4zjf473MMB3ZL8KcCOSdzexjhfMhqyLdgNf4b3ko1f-CRVphXNqCPErqlnqtJst94YE1dBH9Fg-p0VUwqCGODX7YkY1fJd-BrMNpMky5CJILXtgXuR_TuljrKks/s320/DSC_0076.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The town was partially surrounded by a rocky mountain<br />
formation</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-JJsB8xa60vlSVG0TBW6ADC4-nBPs5nPoDG6rXmkohkcjWbc-fDdttvV22hO4_QbEgX36E9l19ITAq7sxjZ4ytKEHx6i4B3CQ9Wb7haVF3VfGx9tMfTfSzsMotzlwIdjG1w6U3HlZn3m/s1600/CSC_0201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-JJsB8xa60vlSVG0TBW6ADC4-nBPs5nPoDG6rXmkohkcjWbc-fDdttvV22hO4_QbEgX36E9l19ITAq7sxjZ4ytKEHx6i4B3CQ9Wb7haVF3VfGx9tMfTfSzsMotzlwIdjG1w6U3HlZn3m/s320/CSC_0201.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Spring at the top of the river - the source<br />
of the River Sorgue</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div align="center"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_ope7hq9JSnNIyGgd5AO3A63Sja5IZE4yxPtU6rPBLdUbIcvSZoMbvfxB-hluwCTg9hAhnfGe6lo2VKZ-a-IUi68Wib8ulI1Qlu9yubhxq4Cdcgf3gXH_lb9TQl3-RG7B6R7JFdkfYU8/s1600/DSC_0089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_ope7hq9JSnNIyGgd5AO3A63Sja5IZE4yxPtU6rPBLdUbIcvSZoMbvfxB-hluwCTg9hAhnfGe6lo2VKZ-a-IUi68Wib8ulI1Qlu9yubhxq4Cdcgf3gXH_lb9TQl3-RG7B6R7JFdkfYU8/s320/DSC_0089.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet Fam!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0wS4cl7qIO4z7Gn4MEE_a8pKpePBxqdeqpIQrYaeE8Lv-VJxNI1ZY5U7H3Z6adwq6askLSOuW8fCGAzJUVpRjDUW2gOk7eUDcFDYE9nCnvgUitfT8MA7nkT6V14ZPrp7NlwbeRztzQ9v1/s1600/DSC_0094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0wS4cl7qIO4z7Gn4MEE_a8pKpePBxqdeqpIQrYaeE8Lv-VJxNI1ZY5U7H3Z6adwq6askLSOuW8fCGAzJUVpRjDUW2gOk7eUDcFDYE9nCnvgUitfT8MA7nkT6V14ZPrp7NlwbeRztzQ9v1/s320/DSC_0094.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So happy to have another picture taken!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLF0opdDi7A1ySpy1Qce_XqIsR66CL6NrJeGhSYf_j3clanOXHl80FjhbIhbPDfyW-u2ucI8y-MTCBCYmtT4pSbBfi0fjp7eH1Iu8EUKYL0UJltiqAVuLShd2JNkBCFyumHF1WgkLI-SSu/s1600/DSC_0109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLF0opdDi7A1ySpy1Qce_XqIsR66CL6NrJeGhSYf_j3clanOXHl80FjhbIhbPDfyW-u2ucI8y-MTCBCYmtT4pSbBfi0fjp7eH1Iu8EUKYL0UJltiqAVuLShd2JNkBCFyumHF1WgkLI-SSu/s320/DSC_0109.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam grabbed the camera :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmraeobF9D2iCsnD1W3o7rgwtG_SFF1v8mMGjL3BBeTQyempP4XbULshtdD-on6RYAaAE7hyaJKBQBr8fvgxZnUKl-7RIZUkIBhkqwjKklRQjVOvYARpTUoeNRndrMx5EktUqZfchoAkzd/s1600/DSC_0110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmraeobF9D2iCsnD1W3o7rgwtG_SFF1v8mMGjL3BBeTQyempP4XbULshtdD-on6RYAaAE7hyaJKBQBr8fvgxZnUKl-7RIZUkIBhkqwjKklRQjVOvYARpTUoeNRndrMx5EktUqZfchoAkzd/s320/DSC_0110.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water wheel that helps power the paper mill</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzKkOW8l46BhmCelyCF2XfuoCWDUCmHekKAoiNXThQUctOcm2YefOZ-YIMz_1q3LW6eqV3TQyL50SXflK7aCSHQoKFcUjXxc-wddTrV3kNjSpwD-VEBCiaZHrThhWuaaMLGsiJGku50wI/s1600/DSC_0113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzKkOW8l46BhmCelyCF2XfuoCWDUCmHekKAoiNXThQUctOcm2YefOZ-YIMz_1q3LW6eqV3TQyL50SXflK7aCSHQoKFcUjXxc-wddTrV3kNjSpwD-VEBCiaZHrThhWuaaMLGsiJGku50wI/s320/DSC_0113.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gears in the paper mill</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNMKHDV05IgQQ9Yr0zSMwamP9v3zfgdFnmJwGp8wQv0Tc4froxdEP7uTI4CkawPpB6gUX3M4tVVmVtQ8RchkEHmyOGAskmwHAXuTOqDZv9AWXuQRC6ZBYlCgUwW4aUWIKluG8TtLOyeRY/s1600/DSC_0122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNMKHDV05IgQQ9Yr0zSMwamP9v3zfgdFnmJwGp8wQv0Tc4froxdEP7uTI4CkawPpB6gUX3M4tVVmVtQ8RchkEHmyOGAskmwHAXuTOqDZv9AWXuQRC6ZBYlCgUwW4aUWIKluG8TtLOyeRY/s320/DSC_0122.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caves in the side of the mountain</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YaLkg5LocVkaVl6ncj2tMYG5t_q0i8p-cqOIYqZBwrBFbuJrUMEvPGmUG8q5InEcz95o58O1b5UBKddzyiT77t8i_Sqa_kkKOsRXgZvam_dQoeVu-Lc3cXzSfBHOMDq14x16JB_NJO9f/s1600/DSC_0130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YaLkg5LocVkaVl6ncj2tMYG5t_q0i8p-cqOIYqZBwrBFbuJrUMEvPGmUG8q5InEcz95o58O1b5UBKddzyiT77t8i_Sqa_kkKOsRXgZvam_dQoeVu-Lc3cXzSfBHOMDq14x16JB_NJO9f/s320/DSC_0130.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out on the bridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHI0B52rPnGNvfGRO_mmBDmdMkP4cs5QkHCXR0xeeSJyCwHmF02DDuXJreQz3L-Zj6Ha78AIzoHhY17LtaitSx-DGN9QaRw_sYAi90SIVflvNQrsEOJSoZ1yMjwM125VRCMn4OVfcIK4_/s1600/fontaine+de+vaucluse+%252828%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHI0B52rPnGNvfGRO_mmBDmdMkP4cs5QkHCXR0xeeSJyCwHmF02DDuXJreQz3L-Zj6Ha78AIzoHhY17LtaitSx-DGN9QaRw_sYAi90SIVflvNQrsEOJSoZ1yMjwM125VRCMn4OVfcIK4_/s320/fontaine+de+vaucluse+%252828%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riverside</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivw4Sj2tOuPUeEoYz2ZfJ_PIrvAMLAMF-oEcs5a0NNOK0VzM-OAqUJKxAetCsx-H3Y4Zery93QgnQuDqO4f_Gm4FY8ghKjXJORZCVo-EYxPEvrwly00RrmHwv48KQHPyQmNPuit9u8U4BZ/s1600/fontaine+de+vaucluse+%252860%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivw4Sj2tOuPUeEoYz2ZfJ_PIrvAMLAMF-oEcs5a0NNOK0VzM-OAqUJKxAetCsx-H3Y4Zery93QgnQuDqO4f_Gm4FY8ghKjXJORZCVo-EYxPEvrwly00RrmHwv48KQHPyQmNPuit9u8U4BZ/s320/fontaine+de+vaucluse+%252860%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The walk back from the spring</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZv5TO6r5NoGNFh2mOlY_U6NLvQ-VspQPCQ9Z7gHAmkpwdn4X4qEQ8SWRjtDVzYcNxIY9JHxX9yduOn3eysInGqM4BCYGrc8ONH3Tz_7lLTcb1SeRbGfMtA7MO1pGCXRPzal66RIs0EAWB/s1600/DSC_0143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZv5TO6r5NoGNFh2mOlY_U6NLvQ-VspQPCQ9Z7gHAmkpwdn4X4qEQ8SWRjtDVzYcNxIY9JHxX9yduOn3eysInGqM4BCYGrc8ONH3Tz_7lLTcb1SeRbGfMtA7MO1pGCXRPzal66RIs0EAWB/s320/DSC_0143.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Third stop - Village des Boires - south side of Gordes France</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5u7TeQOmHWLpUV88zCikYaZRpELE9k6umRUUfrO8Y0UPmmU1mBnpa-UFqwmE6Vf4AFJMQcCIb86BghebJm6ORwzg-SGmhK8gIHVGQAe_JgKb6sGSTelwqU4H5fWUIAZqVVSzjv5NGSyH/s1600/DSC_0156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5u7TeQOmHWLpUV88zCikYaZRpELE9k6umRUUfrO8Y0UPmmU1mBnpa-UFqwmE6Vf4AFJMQcCIb86BghebJm6ORwzg-SGmhK8gIHVGQAe_JgKb6sGSTelwqU4H5fWUIAZqVVSzjv5NGSyH/s320/DSC_0156.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wine cistern</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBl9hl8bsHb6H8El_hI8VlPIQqvVgL_RXZEgxSVrUogB6qRxY_w5sECCkpycrH2Uz2k8fZWh4f0P0YiUMnv3C0-4h46VuWXdnFjONPLyXWmJW4PHlDZgWDzgR_VkMWfqf4iK8ip61PaWB/s1600/DSC_0160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBl9hl8bsHb6H8El_hI8VlPIQqvVgL_RXZEgxSVrUogB6qRxY_w5sECCkpycrH2Uz2k8fZWh4f0P0YiUMnv3C0-4h46VuWXdnFjONPLyXWmJW4PHlDZgWDzgR_VkMWfqf4iK8ip61PaWB/s320/DSC_0160.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy next to another wine cave/storage area</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinquicJvBfmwX14BUw1WNHvih4mJFzIuYmEBjrYI79u3uIflN6X8O8HZ87vDorvA8JzfLccRXAF4WtKN5q43VAYdI3CLN5nxSxPwzWbrJDoK4RZ877q3Am5AlGhHFd_co7x44h0raND_I5/s1600/DSC_0152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinquicJvBfmwX14BUw1WNHvih4mJFzIuYmEBjrYI79u3uIflN6X8O8HZ87vDorvA8JzfLccRXAF4WtKN5q43VAYdI3CLN5nxSxPwzWbrJDoK4RZ877q3Am5AlGhHFd_co7x44h0raND_I5/s320/DSC_0152.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So THIS is what a pigsty looks like!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGU6Sy7jhPTCjyZ0lMY4lwpkiIe6fle9GoCe-RXu0WfztMapfTP1gGjVA26vKBbanp7Fz7ILu9PxZG0Bw-Orp9mZbd78KD9JX9Hq2APwWw8AkhB5vDuxgwoM_vQh1kF2-nJamUdNaYehBO/s1600/DSC_0183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGU6Sy7jhPTCjyZ0lMY4lwpkiIe6fle9GoCe-RXu0WfztMapfTP1gGjVA26vKBbanp7Fz7ILu9PxZG0Bw-Orp9mZbd78KD9JX9Hq2APwWw8AkhB5vDuxgwoM_vQh1kF2-nJamUdNaYehBO/s320/DSC_0183.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fourth Stop - Gordes France - built into the hilltop</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06Ob05K_Nrew2uhtz8Jr6ipBkggX9ObYD2Uf5WLYFppmPBY2SA8PolFxqYGGusEZvXA7JAdUtdTMoRIzC8pB6WlsPG8fjscmfTeHaZGhCXonx8lSu18zBuLk6R-ALqq6-xmIPgDPLe-eL/s1600/CSC_0203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06Ob05K_Nrew2uhtz8Jr6ipBkggX9ObYD2Uf5WLYFppmPBY2SA8PolFxqYGGusEZvXA7JAdUtdTMoRIzC8pB6WlsPG8fjscmfTeHaZGhCXonx8lSu18zBuLk6R-ALqq6-xmIPgDPLe-eL/s320/CSC_0203.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83Ogj87Aw7qag9qC84OZfU1sKBqqk7BiMppeQLTWN_FeZjmrZwa2bBfHEUbXD5UeDoyWc0lPUQXqXsvo5LJEBb3w8jWRrTR4NkPgIJLJRMHVyQMSrAVg0G1DuZojEFennSe6f9DD54H-n/s1600/DSC_0185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83Ogj87Aw7qag9qC84OZfU1sKBqqk7BiMppeQLTWN_FeZjmrZwa2bBfHEUbXD5UeDoyWc0lPUQXqXsvo5LJEBb3w8jWRrTR4NkPgIJLJRMHVyQMSrAVg0G1DuZojEFennSe6f9DD54H-n/s320/DSC_0185.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View that Gordes overlooks</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFhL7BFkum6TiY6a5aNxiTFGeKEREurOkhVcFqaK4jNqI3XXYAH7A3l3fHdVvmiiLTP3bC62c4jZbSuVrojNWh2vPdu48JNtps6NaHbBPZNHPz6zV7c5BMxwWehFpVdzBgrklW_UfYDuY/s1600/DSC_0188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFhL7BFkum6TiY6a5aNxiTFGeKEREurOkhVcFqaK4jNqI3XXYAH7A3l3fHdVvmiiLTP3bC62c4jZbSuVrojNWh2vPdu48JNtps6NaHbBPZNHPz6zV7c5BMxwWehFpVdzBgrklW_UfYDuY/s320/DSC_0188.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Fam again</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWGsg17L-1pBBCSUmEtXvBLtfzv5KG84_FDPZGSLjssfhg7nJicuQfOXF56sfnBR6tx4xHd3tO5CN62tqJZ7jKUKEwpEXoZW-Zj30dMzw85PVu6GRjXX94eRQcYUt0bZcKGKAc9_rXjjP/s1600/DSC00598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWGsg17L-1pBBCSUmEtXvBLtfzv5KG84_FDPZGSLjssfhg7nJicuQfOXF56sfnBR6tx4xHd3tO5CN62tqJZ7jKUKEwpEXoZW-Zj30dMzw85PVu6GRjXX94eRQcYUt0bZcKGKAc9_rXjjP/s320/DSC00598.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is about 2/3 of my French class :)<br />
L-R = Nuch (Thailand), Kambiz (Iran), Dominique (teacher), <br />
Taryn (Australia), Kym (Taiwan), Alberto (Spain), <br />
Gillian (New Zealand) and Ilaria (Italy)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Emma and Adm completed their second week at their new school - College Aiguelleres and are doing alright - not great yet, but alright. The difficulty at this school is that everyone is from different countries and are trying to learn French so nobody can really "chat" with each other - at least not until they have enough French under their belts! The program is affiliated with the connecting public school so after the eight weeks of French, they are integrated into that school. I'm not sure if I wrote about the other girls in the class "petting" Emma's hair or not, but an 11 year old Yugoslavian girl started it on the first day and it has caught on - Emma deals with it, thinks it's strange, but at least it's a way to interact with the others. Adam is slowly starting to interact with people as well - he's been teaching the art of thumb wrestling! No talking involved! <br />
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On Friday, Andrew, Nathan, and I met with Nathan's new teacher at Lycee Pierre Mendes which is located at the end of the tram line, through the mall, across the bridge and down the sidewalk - it's about a 45 min. commute for him - easy, but long and he doesn't seem to mind. His teacher was very nice, all business, spoke to Nathan in French (probably to gauge his abilities) and discussed the classes with us. She was prepared with all of the necessary paperwork, as was I - passport - check, photo - check, Immunization record - check, Verification of residence - check! She was pretty impressed (remember, we've been through this three other times already!). The school is large and very modern - white and metal and very open. Changing classes requires going outside in the sunshine - lucky students! Nathan seemed ready to start, which he did on Monday and had a great day! He is primarily taking French classes and is thrilled about that - he is hoping to come home and be able to surf right into French 5 at Hoover!<br />
<br />
On Friday evening we had dinner, watched an episode or two of "Bones", our new favorite family show thanks to Nathan and hit the sack because we had all agreed to be up and out of the house by 10:00 am on our way to Carpentras etc... in the Provence region.<br />
<br />
Saturday mornings awakening went off without a hitch - no grumpy kids, everyone was ready and seemed happy. If it hadn't been for me forgetting to turn off the coffee maker, we would have been out of town by 10:15! Instead, we were on the highway by 10:30 and had stopped to get gas.<br />
<br />
Carpentras looked like a very sweet, quaint little town but turned out to be very frustrating to maneuver on foot. We began, as always, at the Office of Tourism. I realized on this trip that every town we've visited has an office of Tourism - in the States, I don't think that's true - I'm not sure what we would do without these wonderful information centers - they seem to always (with the exception of one) be open, friendly and helpful and I really appreciate them! We were given a map which included a walking tour of the town and headed out to eat. Carpentras is about 1.5 hours from our house so by the time we arrived, everyone was hungry for lunch. We found a nice little restaurant next to the Office of Tourism which served Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai food - lunch! Adam ordered the chinese ravioli which ended up being fried ravioli and enough for an appetizer - he made due by chowing down more of the little rice cake jobs that you see in the photos above! Everyone else seemed to enjoy their lunches, we finished and used the "facilities" as to try and avoid any space shuttle experiences (see previous blog posts), re-parked the car, and began our walking tour.<br />
<br />
Now, I do love the office of tourisms as I've said above, however, the map that we were given in Carpentras, neglected to list about 80% of the streets in the town so reading the map, and following the map were two totally different things and we found it very useless! We did see a few of the important landmarks that you see above but we had such a hard time that after about an hour of wandering, we treated ourselves to some pastries, jumped back in the car and said "au revoir" to Carpentras!<br />
<br />
The next stop was Fountaine de Vaucluse which is home to the most powerful spring in France, gushing at up to 19,800 gallons of water per second from an underground river at the foot of a cliff. The water powers the Moulin a Papier Vallis Clausa papermill which produces handmade paper (we looked, we touched, but we didn't buy). The river and the spring were beautiful as was the cliffs/hill/mountain that surrounded a good portion of the town. As we walked across the bridge and into the town (yes - there was an office of tourism!), we all jumped when a bunch of firecrackers went off just up the road! We could see a lot of people and hear some music and later found out that there was a celebration similar to our halloween - people were dressed up and it was festive! The spontaneous firecrackers were set off often, in various places and always caught us off guard!! The river Sorgue, which comes from the spring, is calm in some places and white water in others. We enjoyed watching Kayakers practice their sport, paddling down a water fall and through an obstacle course for quite a while. After taking many pictures of this beautiful little town, we decided to move on to Gordes/Village des Bories.<br />
<br />
We found Village des Bories, which is just south of Gordes, first. Bories are tiny beehive-shaped huts built of overlapping dry stones. According to our handy dandy France book, this group of Bories was inhabited from the 16th to the early 20th century. The small village consisted of Family living areas that included groups of bories made up of a main dwelling, an oven (seperate building), sheep pen, and wine cave/storage area and other miscellaneous buildings/rooms. The whole area was very interesting and like nothing I've ever seen before - I'm glad we stopped to take a look!<br />
<br />
Just up the road and around the corner we had our breath taken away when we looked to the right and saw Gordes - you can see why in the pictures above! The town is dominated by a 16th century chateau at the top and the rest of the town trickles down the hillside. We did not go into the town, but did enjoy it quite a bit from the hilltop across the valley where we took our pictures! <br />
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Since our travel time home was 1.5 hours, we picked up a couple of baguettes at a boulangerie in a tiny little village and then drove for a while before pulling over to what would be our equivalent to a "rest stop" and got some sandwiches for dinner.<br />
<br />
Sunday was very very rainy and overcast so we hung around the house, played games, and rested. We are very excited for the Wolff pack to visit - they will be arriving on Thursday evening and staying through Monday morning - wahooo! Our first visiters!<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTg38lChQUDxsecd3RGFvNk3uQULI11SdP8Zp2Bm0V0FXc3i1ljJ7fKoQJzwvYn0Alxg-XNHf0bhyphenhyphennaTezjsW745LaPsQUzdL8KtfPMsf7QnLiquVUJAjmwX9mg0QlJD9HtU1qTrZwtOmB/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WwwVbcpx30Y-V7Mre5S7jZHgeL2eDBuHhQSAkZZzOvknOP-6R2l6ioANvMjEz-Fh5EFY8fEI1Cser87OpaJL4L_byedL564IH_u-f0DdvrngZNU9wE5QtbtTLjgWmkq1HlAdL-pDhNyp/s1600/DSC_0038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-88939535127745040522011-03-22T11:10:00.001+01:002011-03-22T11:19:52.305+01:00Beziers France & Beaches of Agde - March 20, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlf83ryjfxrcbiszkjDi3lhDJkliqwVDuAkYPW715QyKmU9sD2ogoUprZqXcNvNg111j9Xx9vwaLLSm84tZ0A0RdOJz_TNPC0WJgnVMqgdU4U70WNbKMDcu8eqlTCnAbOfBr-bvLcuBB4/s1600/Beziers+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlf83ryjfxrcbiszkjDi3lhDJkliqwVDuAkYPW715QyKmU9sD2ogoUprZqXcNvNg111j9Xx9vwaLLSm84tZ0A0RdOJz_TNPC0WJgnVMqgdU4U70WNbKMDcu8eqlTCnAbOfBr-bvLcuBB4/s320/Beziers+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beziers France<br />
Statue of Beziers' "Most Famous Son"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLnI286eLKKJtWAPPrEGJoYrA4UEVpOrzl3DeuRbc-Pg0rBMMOWXvtixifXoR8stq4Gn6y25Qdq210XwUJ_-rQoYRF4zVIdmVI1mPl3y3PewEj1UgxuPTBx6IGugpEcPwhMccRAJTqtgZ/s1600/Beziers+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLnI286eLKKJtWAPPrEGJoYrA4UEVpOrzl3DeuRbc-Pg0rBMMOWXvtixifXoR8stq4Gn6y25Qdq210XwUJ_-rQoYRF4zVIdmVI1mPl3y3PewEj1UgxuPTBx6IGugpEcPwhMccRAJTqtgZ/s320/Beziers+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma dreaming of her future car!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ah0PkQLkE81dZ6B9cZ38YY32cmVutFYYy_yQhXJIlZoeghHpdZCRUDkuFrwBnnfEIVDAu83lpl4iSZwVN9lm6ZbxgJA1bHJJgu8iFQbbJG_lNUUcPEPE0W-OXuFEExwX44NJpoi48IxY/s1600/Beziers+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ah0PkQLkE81dZ6B9cZ38YY32cmVutFYYy_yQhXJIlZoeghHpdZCRUDkuFrwBnnfEIVDAu83lpl4iSZwVN9lm6ZbxgJA1bHJJgu8iFQbbJG_lNUUcPEPE0W-OXuFEExwX44NJpoi48IxY/s320/Beziers+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids love the Carousels :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFP-a1c-HBl74tagg8378nXn_tnsziMIcx7mCPyX7kJy-TTw1tdhP49XedHYSoelBJKGjX8ke8_GOKlGrvCVvCAlvUnNoahoc4pihK-Wx8tkpHGrl0TaY1EYafppqfrVaAQoOtOMAQfJj/s1600/Beziers+%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFP-a1c-HBl74tagg8378nXn_tnsziMIcx7mCPyX7kJy-TTw1tdhP49XedHYSoelBJKGjX8ke8_GOKlGrvCVvCAlvUnNoahoc4pihK-Wx8tkpHGrl0TaY1EYafppqfrVaAQoOtOMAQfJj/s320/Beziers+%25287%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam working his magic with the fountain - "RISE" he said <br />
to the water, and it magically rose for him!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKjiQOL06rWfSQoadp3Wc154Iz6EhdnrMPpOz947Jy-W0Qc3MajLETur0uwuMdzBwKr_wR8p1A3T8YETREU59uWbWPgKTVuRaJV1_gTDQ_BIZhl_kWU4R-4G0FtAJvu2f90rRAtvtR9Xgt/s1600/Beziers+%252813%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKjiQOL06rWfSQoadp3Wc154Iz6EhdnrMPpOz947Jy-W0Qc3MajLETur0uwuMdzBwKr_wR8p1A3T8YETREU59uWbWPgKTVuRaJV1_gTDQ_BIZhl_kWU4R-4G0FtAJvu2f90rRAtvtR9Xgt/s320/Beziers+%252813%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the park that we stumbled upon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6EgCwyRFo7Oygl1TAI2MYmMWE0QGFgAhH0Eha5kE2eHylnII6BNax8FqDCuqVWwg7gIqcLmObnZ5oIaAQrJofbgLV8iaAp_dUJlP62wo4pWz9JCJY7h0o44JZBbEZMrUNjOm6AvMW70G/s1600/Beziers+%252823%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6EgCwyRFo7Oygl1TAI2MYmMWE0QGFgAhH0Eha5kE2eHylnII6BNax8FqDCuqVWwg7gIqcLmObnZ5oIaAQrJofbgLV8iaAp_dUJlP62wo4pWz9JCJY7h0o44JZBbEZMrUNjOm6AvMW70G/s320/Beziers+%252823%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span closure_uid_ozispj="38" style="background: #e6ecf9; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; color: black; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This way to the top, the gigantic and monumental fountain Titan</span></span><br />
<span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span closure_uid_ozispj="39" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Injalbert sculpted by Jean Antoine in 1877, completed in 1892.</span></span></em><br />
<em><span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span closure_uid_ozispj="40" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It measures 17 meters tall and represents TITAN (or ATLAS),</span></span></em><br />
<em><span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span closure_uid_ozispj="40" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> which </span></span><span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span closure_uid_ozispj="40" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">according to </span></span><span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span closure_uid_ozispj="40" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">legend is on his shoulders the</span></span><span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span closure_uid_ozispj="40" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> weight of the </span></span></em><em><span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span closure_uid_ozispj="40" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">world and </span></span><span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span closure_uid_ozispj="40" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">builds</span></span></em><br />
<em><span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span closure_uid_ozispj="40" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> on a </span></span><span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span closure_uid_ozispj="40" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">large shell </span></span><span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span closure_uid_ozispj="40" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">St. Jacques put</span></span><span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span closure_uid_ozispj="40" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 100%; margin: 0px; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> on a chariot led by angels (from Center Blog)</span></span></em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiGTuB8CSHacfpXJ-_aETpd7-Yx4PfF6c13sdgWxhCZJ2wssRn457_P2_n4kioohv93t6JHxLbPENdZ56CGg9osPvVWqT3IxP5eoopJjjody1x7d1wrXPTGfDH2acOCXF4JDHYoyYyHXJ/s1600/Beziers+%252825%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiGTuB8CSHacfpXJ-_aETpd7-Yx4PfF6c13sdgWxhCZJ2wssRn457_P2_n4kioohv93t6JHxLbPENdZ56CGg9osPvVWqT3IxP5eoopJjjody1x7d1wrXPTGfDH2acOCXF4JDHYoyYyHXJ/s320/Beziers+%252825%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwOaaW7oJNxarunOYjEyUfXKUqxx7u_oyEBBsTegemPQPvFfN7wwt23rfR6HuLHoeFtb366O_354CkdboZ9tik3Kjl7rzR0oA_aJAwFvqoxyY2zDl_iY4ARhS3VEb3DnH2IMOlKavlWk8/s1600/DSCN1757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwOaaW7oJNxarunOYjEyUfXKUqxx7u_oyEBBsTegemPQPvFfN7wwt23rfR6HuLHoeFtb366O_354CkdboZ9tik3Kjl7rzR0oA_aJAwFvqoxyY2zDl_iY4ARhS3VEb3DnH2IMOlKavlWk8/s320/DSCN1757.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back of the statue-Taken by Nathan<br />
who wandered around and found things that the<br />
rest of us didn't!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbu6Mqg1xea8iHt-HX4qf8wdyxud-aPjWvWuv8Eoc2jJuarhyIMovv12pjefeSIz4HOWsFDWNoIuANuB6FAl4bbqy6SvlT4mrQBaw-S8j0txBL0NvymH-lqa_EclNl46XDZ4L8z8A-Xq7/s1600/Beziers+%252833%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbu6Mqg1xea8iHt-HX4qf8wdyxud-aPjWvWuv8Eoc2jJuarhyIMovv12pjefeSIz4HOWsFDWNoIuANuB6FAl4bbqy6SvlT4mrQBaw-S8j0txBL0NvymH-lqa_EclNl46XDZ4L8z8A-Xq7/s320/Beziers+%252833%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did find funny looking ducks</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iROHfs6Zk6_FePoCuKib9YIXCalRXYZopxobg_KmT4w_l__x11Q3gyK96S2m8eSE1umeYd_fYwxX8MdOq6YXXq5-Su7hNQiKoTERfRR8skznZxSBijWPSEeezO5b9WlmMLGJlkWUS4bw/s1600/Beziers+%252834%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iROHfs6Zk6_FePoCuKib9YIXCalRXYZopxobg_KmT4w_l__x11Q3gyK96S2m8eSE1umeYd_fYwxX8MdOq6YXXq5-Su7hNQiKoTERfRR8skznZxSBijWPSEeezO5b9WlmMLGJlkWUS4bw/s320/Beziers+%252834%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ah Haaaaa! Here is a picture of the space capsule potty!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbETPwzaoYklvVd6n1OCVrcf8KMoXfY74xHVt4SicuD20t6A9mBkuPQ6lfV3lUnMdjTrn1pOzd90pH2-gQaaQWa8dL6jB0W0CJJw2vPGwOJ5b3Vrc3y-jpQnF90AzqUQK-Rt21UD33wqxn/s1600/CSC_0209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbETPwzaoYklvVd6n1OCVrcf8KMoXfY74xHVt4SicuD20t6A9mBkuPQ6lfV3lUnMdjTrn1pOzd90pH2-gQaaQWa8dL6jB0W0CJJw2vPGwOJ5b3Vrc3y-jpQnF90AzqUQK-Rt21UD33wqxn/s320/CSC_0209.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little guy, along with a bunch of his cousins, were running<br />
everywhere!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_6izmDjEjr30uFODthjQg6x2nPcpPLOSQO5cRjap6PkNj-xoEKjGNWrl3ZxzGUwoPMxuS25-6Ex0nC-J37B0nnLJLXT6xC3HmTTlO7atTOhcMRSWCtN11_nrWNcW_MiHLtZUYz9ltkf8/s1600/CSC_0208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_6izmDjEjr30uFODthjQg6x2nPcpPLOSQO5cRjap6PkNj-xoEKjGNWrl3ZxzGUwoPMxuS25-6Ex0nC-J37B0nnLJLXT6xC3HmTTlO7atTOhcMRSWCtN11_nrWNcW_MiHLtZUYz9ltkf8/s320/CSC_0208.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loved these windows with the blooming flowers smiling<br />
down at us</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzar6bu1hsfzHDPc-4eX7zIdoVycUcx1rw-AgfQFaFp2Bo4TjfeetfSy_5IvPqGCERkZw2FRtnW2Pi6H06fNCzb55-_m91tPOrIyzIj7VNwzFfrgW1_2dt8doK2W-UJvgt9weQGN_9on4x/s1600/Beziers+%252841%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzar6bu1hsfzHDPc-4eX7zIdoVycUcx1rw-AgfQFaFp2Bo4TjfeetfSy_5IvPqGCERkZw2FRtnW2Pi6H06fNCzb55-_m91tPOrIyzIj7VNwzFfrgW1_2dt8doK2W-UJvgt9weQGN_9on4x/s320/Beziers+%252841%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pastel hotels at Cap d'Agde</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNRY8CMqZDLJlROIYTkvGQHJ06yOcnqThpNJoyf7feUzq8I3jQdTPv4lpeutRssb9udyq7kUWXaqQglq1OVnXQYsO5M3AXV7Z35-LidH3iz1ki3LQTJ2XJBQ9PsIQMUDac_Hxs4512lFz/s1600/Beziers+%252842%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNRY8CMqZDLJlROIYTkvGQHJ06yOcnqThpNJoyf7feUzq8I3jQdTPv4lpeutRssb9udyq7kUWXaqQglq1OVnXQYsO5M3AXV7Z35-LidH3iz1ki3LQTJ2XJBQ9PsIQMUDac_Hxs4512lFz/s320/Beziers+%252842%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids romping in the sand and seashells</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_rEtGQMIrh1bPX5b8peaaSIzOVwQfUUdQq2vNF8b7c91ZePkc3d4zZV7sRKA0b227T5yDCjRXnthtv_Z-i9CvSPBkAeaj_DJr7SwtC0e1dS-FVa026n7ZrQGOAHSpiRcMydIVACdpIKs/s1600/Beziers+%252847%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_rEtGQMIrh1bPX5b8peaaSIzOVwQfUUdQq2vNF8b7c91ZePkc3d4zZV7sRKA0b227T5yDCjRXnthtv_Z-i9CvSPBkAeaj_DJr7SwtC0e1dS-FVa026n7ZrQGOAHSpiRcMydIVACdpIKs/s320/Beziers+%252847%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahhhhh - the sun and sea</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_c7yDiwwK2wXXIciNul3UxEUfaLBJsh5pXvYvdoa6H8V32nZ-QLnrpadUuBd2r49dLq7XxyFazSyL0OsHsk4PZDQ3LqwSccqEtAkP5V67exxNnfY1KetcGGGUL6aqHZimUN0xlBWt26RQ/s1600/Beziers+%252850%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_c7yDiwwK2wXXIciNul3UxEUfaLBJsh5pXvYvdoa6H8V32nZ-QLnrpadUuBd2r49dLq7XxyFazSyL0OsHsk4PZDQ3LqwSccqEtAkP5V67exxNnfY1KetcGGGUL6aqHZimUN0xlBWt26RQ/s320/Beziers+%252850%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LOTS and LOTS of seashells! They were everywhere!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIP9nylBSUh1HaH1_JtxVzVPyV4TedZ5vt2VVy9u3wG72xE61-Jb87wZz_IWdxHbMtWHKAI5SNG1V5F2dgybKG0OlXwiUxnDhWW1mJfS6oKF1vnzqSNWA3cRH5RUrUsTLjs3_04vPwWH9z/s1600/Beziers+%252853%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIP9nylBSUh1HaH1_JtxVzVPyV4TedZ5vt2VVy9u3wG72xE61-Jb87wZz_IWdxHbMtWHKAI5SNG1V5F2dgybKG0OlXwiUxnDhWW1mJfS6oKF1vnzqSNWA3cRH5RUrUsTLjs3_04vPwWH9z/s320/Beziers+%252853%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTIv1EtselRxS07ppQzusCcDy-TtdUNQXx8gZ1AIw1QwksCnhLaFMp7PBIU31W2PjtNxIbWnUF0f9MAz4LX5WIMqYeabqOfQr7lPPh1Zy_KadRXF7aD70C2CZyGYwCtsXLjaVQuSpU3mhj/s1600/Beziers+%252854%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTIv1EtselRxS07ppQzusCcDy-TtdUNQXx8gZ1AIw1QwksCnhLaFMp7PBIU31W2PjtNxIbWnUF0f9MAz4LX5WIMqYeabqOfQr7lPPh1Zy_KadRXF7aD70C2CZyGYwCtsXLjaVQuSpU3mhj/s320/Beziers+%252854%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMqbDIrkvmoZQMv82yF-DFF3DwN6R7V6zEt1-K4odqn9HnxN9xKT582qWClhtDD0rRnhJTWt8ZpwvfKCUq1PND5UO0OmV3qRoIpSeDKzhc0YYX7eRCWbfdQFADzAXmrUIW-TaYgZ6qLry/s1600/Beziers+%252865%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMqbDIrkvmoZQMv82yF-DFF3DwN6R7V6zEt1-K4odqn9HnxN9xKT582qWClhtDD0rRnhJTWt8ZpwvfKCUq1PND5UO0OmV3qRoIpSeDKzhc0YYX7eRCWbfdQFADzAXmrUIW-TaYgZ6qLry/s320/Beziers+%252865%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rock wall behing Emma was part of the volcanic<br />
rock portion of the beach - very interesting!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSC5rwHjUUNc9Jo4tTKIjr5DpeFYKKjxVHtEvVERaUPP0W9508glore-wPceshiNB2clBdSenzjSJKUiJV2wHCYm7CSvFDYu4X6O1cn1_g3t3nXp-sPooSLK3CaabIGuR04bqeztZKv4a/s1600/Beziers+%252871%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSC5rwHjUUNc9Jo4tTKIjr5DpeFYKKjxVHtEvVERaUPP0W9508glore-wPceshiNB2clBdSenzjSJKUiJV2wHCYm7CSvFDYu4X6O1cn1_g3t3nXp-sPooSLK3CaabIGuR04bqeztZKv4a/s320/Beziers+%252871%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNsjhDv3nqTQ4cW0WEN3XrWsFoOdSNXa1D-E7ag4fiE2KD3mFikG2qKo1gzSHIGgKJkWqRfb68WLrKIMCuPwVOA6Xs73KDIS67VJmMZEomrqRQYeLkFCKwCY4jksARC6LPRQX5g4YaskPK/s1600/Beziers+%252880%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNsjhDv3nqTQ4cW0WEN3XrWsFoOdSNXa1D-E7ag4fiE2KD3mFikG2qKo1gzSHIGgKJkWqRfb68WLrKIMCuPwVOA6Xs73KDIS67VJmMZEomrqRQYeLkFCKwCY4jksARC6LPRQX5g4YaskPK/s320/Beziers+%252880%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hunting for the perfect shells</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIhboQmnBw3DMKmljX6a0zTsMOAh12wlW3cjjFI9-v0g8lreryUEYxUTMHZUJVh5e_Tk_oOhTqaZgfP9GQQA6R3KBTSjaP3-5tWSU3TlpuYiv1vo-yGyABFNQfX5zIMr9xv-j5gazLtty/s1600/agde+beach+3-20-11+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIhboQmnBw3DMKmljX6a0zTsMOAh12wlW3cjjFI9-v0g8lreryUEYxUTMHZUJVh5e_Tk_oOhTqaZgfP9GQQA6R3KBTSjaP3-5tWSU3TlpuYiv1vo-yGyABFNQfX5zIMr9xv-j5gazLtty/s320/agde+beach+3-20-11+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken by Andrew - very cool pix!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4xX2nrYqtB3or1caSABWi29ei-alKb4ixECefYGtedunmwnMuQ7csrBLeDg5RA6DJla89VIIGsp9mx_bIE6A7LR9eN0HQlpBU-AoET9SAzk8uoJOHo1m1ODFTCMoHSrKlJa1lZPiiRMG/s1600/agde+beach+3-20-11+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4xX2nrYqtB3or1caSABWi29ei-alKb4ixECefYGtedunmwnMuQ7csrBLeDg5RA6DJla89VIIGsp9mx_bIE6A7LR9eN0HQlpBU-AoET9SAzk8uoJOHo1m1ODFTCMoHSrKlJa1lZPiiRMG/s320/agde+beach+3-20-11+%25286%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
After a late Saturday night, Andrew was very nice and let the kids sleep in again on Sunday so we didn't get out the door until after 12:00. Our original plan was to pack a picnic lunch, look around Beziers, which is about an hour southwest of Montpellier, and then find a beach and enjoy a picnic lunch by the sea. We ended up eating our picnic lunch in the kitchen before heading out - same food, very different atmosphere!<br />
<br />
Beziers was the first town that we have visited where the Tourist Information center was closed on a Sunday! So, we had to figure the town out with the help of our limited <em>D.K. Eyewitness France </em>travel guide. We were able to locate the town center :) and the statue of Paul Riquet on our own and then stumbled on a large beautiful Jardin (Garden)/park area.<br />
<br />
Paul Riquet (<em>Beziers' most famous son)</em> is the engineer from Beziers credited with the planning and construction of the Canal Du Midi which is a 149 mile canal flowing from Sete to Toulouse that encouraged Languedoc trade. Completed in 1681, it consists of a complex system of locks, aqueducts and bridges and snakes between plane trees, vineyards, and villages.<br />
<br />
From the statue of Paul Riquet - we followed the beautiful tree lined walk to the <em>Plateau Des Poets, </em>a very expansive garden/park area complete with ponds, a playground, many statues as tributes to various poets, funny looking ducks, little lizards etc... We enjoyed strolling through this area and I could imagine going there on a sunny afternoon with a good book, blanket, baguette and bottle of wine to relax, read, and nap on the grass. This was a very beautiful, peaceful and inviting garden! Adam loved it too - he found a huge, low tree that he could climb and made it to the top!<br />
<br />
From the garden, we walked back up toward the Paul Riquet statue again, checked out the other end of the tree lined walk and then agreed that it was time to find the beach. Andrew pulled out the map, pointed out where Sete is in relation to Beziers and explained that there should be a lot of beach between the two along the sea - sure enough - we found numerous beaches and settled on Cap d'Agde - a great choice! The Tourist Information center for this very touristy area, was open! The lady manning the desk on that sunny Sunday explained the map of the area to us - where the sandy beach was, where the volcanic rock beach was, and where to park - We,said our "mercis" and went to the beach!<br />
<br />
Although many of the restaurants were closed along the shore, probably due to the early time of year, plenty of people were out enjoying a stroll in the sand or along the sidewalks in front of the seaside hotels. The beaches were full of seashells that we all dug through to find the most beautiful and worthy shells to take home with us. Andrew and the boys enjoyed skipping rocks and flat seashells while Emma enjoyed looking at the shells and checking out the view. We saw a wind surfer, a speed boat and plenty of sailboats - it was a windy, cool day so perfect for sailboats! As we walked down the beach, we found the volcanic rock area that the tourist info. lady told us about - very interesting formations which were easy to climb and fun to look at. I think we spent about an hour or a little more at Agde and really enjoyed the relaxed nature of the sea lapping at the sand and the mediterranean breeze blowing. Maybe we will pack that picnic another time and head back there!<br />
<br />
The trip home was uneventful - we made it! Had some dinner, watched an episode of Bones and everyone headed to bed. Emma and Adam had school Monday morning and I was praying that Nathan's teacher would call! We did talk with her Monday night and are scheduled to meet with her on FRIDAY - ugh! Maybe he'll start before we come home????La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-79133746573575613862011-03-21T12:29:00.006+01:002011-03-24T22:05:28.483+01:00Orange France - March 19, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJV1hwLoyBpGfudFwuXVn6Qxxu0QFZlBMpEYkhBUNLFE1RV1CPRkzVzAs4dsQ6iELFi3iX1wxCSAdd2aMmCfl075kgHAuxTgSQFCx-O4KWjT6MHW4Q3V-U1RRmWLO0YqUrbBe5Emn_J4I/s1600/Orange+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJV1hwLoyBpGfudFwuXVn6Qxxu0QFZlBMpEYkhBUNLFE1RV1CPRkzVzAs4dsQ6iELFi3iX1wxCSAdd2aMmCfl075kgHAuxTgSQFCx-O4KWjT6MHW4Q3V-U1RRmWLO0YqUrbBe5Emn_J4I/s320/Orange+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Opera House<br />
in the Orange Town square</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguDNjXCliePrJda7aO9fEF2kzHau9w-BECC6FBwkXlK3_2cG3owf537dlJbLnqRjOqwQdhh3pQG1sCE0whD8onV0RHyiSkocJJdKf6fJgn1avNtAvJ-zZiquqAoXxM99bZJx86NlB2S54/s1600/Orange+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguDNjXCliePrJda7aO9fEF2kzHau9w-BECC6FBwkXlK3_2cG3owf537dlJbLnqRjOqwQdhh3pQG1sCE0whD8onV0RHyiSkocJJdKf6fJgn1avNtAvJ-zZiquqAoXxM99bZJx86NlB2S54/s320/Orange+%25285%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the cute side streets on the way to the<br />
Antique Theatre</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjiBBWNFuBySZ2yD7J6ahqlhQpK_jGPlbXooewdheSWEOp1n0ZNOnWhVHAkkIvVpQJAG9jjFfbK5OMkXKwu1h8UaY0_7Dc5AZyyQWy1sLcDb3l_k-ggbTb_dKCesYZ1eTNysXGc_-RFiv/s1600/Orange+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjiBBWNFuBySZ2yD7J6ahqlhQpK_jGPlbXooewdheSWEOp1n0ZNOnWhVHAkkIvVpQJAG9jjFfbK5OMkXKwu1h8UaY0_7Dc5AZyyQWy1sLcDb3l_k-ggbTb_dKCesYZ1eTNysXGc_-RFiv/s320/Orange+%25286%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We aren't sure, but maybe the Phantom of the Opera<br />
will be performed at the Theatre soon?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkt5jM4hq1cKF7nOejSbMiKruX49zrAKjcNwUEzHolB4OtvalNKv-xu3vqovbfuQf8VC1UDLrrqUxb875YQ2vKs06gFs5tBM9CTjXt5mAfisrG4W9bRngifO1LOip4QyovNhjk0OtD9CM/s1600/Orange+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkt5jM4hq1cKF7nOejSbMiKruX49zrAKjcNwUEzHolB4OtvalNKv-xu3vqovbfuQf8VC1UDLrrqUxb875YQ2vKs06gFs5tBM9CTjXt5mAfisrG4W9bRngifO1LOip4QyovNhjk0OtD9CM/s320/Orange+%252810%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue of Augustus Caesar - still stands in the original wall</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIMmZ0qPfwy7nMUeRPifGktTFIni0DByW2WfstS1mBD09kXwBXi7k_Wj1aTNRVJSiPyAsgHAqSsTfaAtiQEuEz3WjFZjZUwlrTyVGSiJvsxKwPPDsy9qy7WZi4bQvD-SGLP0o6lFVlc0d/s1600/Orange+%252812%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIMmZ0qPfwy7nMUeRPifGktTFIni0DByW2WfstS1mBD09kXwBXi7k_Wj1aTNRVJSiPyAsgHAqSsTfaAtiQEuEz3WjFZjZUwlrTyVGSiJvsxKwPPDsy9qy7WZi4bQvD-SGLP0o6lFVlc0d/s320/Orange+%252812%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "hallway" in the outside wall</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hSETBZKcb4-2bnGgvflx3XfIYZMUEg2-daYEq1Ism4JntYf-F7gafe_5-c0VvHgiPClZSa1HbcvazvI4Th2vDAx9aakL61ajJIOId7J1QLhZ-39Yv_pG2uzM9zDhWZGKgY-knf9MU-5L/s1600/Orange+%252846%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hSETBZKcb4-2bnGgvflx3XfIYZMUEg2-daYEq1Ism4JntYf-F7gafe_5-c0VvHgiPClZSa1HbcvazvI4Th2vDAx9aakL61ajJIOId7J1QLhZ-39Yv_pG2uzM9zDhWZGKgY-knf9MU-5L/s320/Orange+%252846%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sign in front of the temple ruins right next to the theatre<br />
which states: "Entrance to the Temple is Forbidden"</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<div align="center"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94Od03Wrk4m-5nLYxQgJCkWp6I77dSBtzxlt6VmBGUURJMG3s64nl0a5aYD0GKk3LHB7tTXsCCCWGobCfeAoxol3928WQoRPVx9zXHkQjjyw_q8L2KjXdHrRgL1VXAHcJMcnrH8drjqwU/s1600/Orange+%252813%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94Od03Wrk4m-5nLYxQgJCkWp6I77dSBtzxlt6VmBGUURJMG3s64nl0a5aYD0GKk3LHB7tTXsCCCWGobCfeAoxol3928WQoRPVx9zXHkQjjyw_q8L2KjXdHrRgL1VXAHcJMcnrH8drjqwU/s320/Orange+%252813%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Temple ruins - taken from the Theatre</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYiyyZIWNjtJPtLeu3SS1C-hlv0rFZuntdya1seTFxa9XsAJbKY39ASxOnRB0hszuuQUTxS5zzzijVovMFFTFjgggTjPqoKrWAeFYS18neUlrcG_a8yJXkSeKrNyJ77XezAFIIG38vUH0/s1600/Orange+%252815%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYiyyZIWNjtJPtLeu3SS1C-hlv0rFZuntdya1seTFxa9XsAJbKY39ASxOnRB0hszuuQUTxS5zzzijVovMFFTFjgggTjPqoKrWAeFYS18neUlrcG_a8yJXkSeKrNyJ77XezAFIIG38vUH0/s320/Orange+%252815%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Theatre - still used today for performances</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPt8p1nWsO96M6ranbmB7T5Zs6Gwe22MV-9mSy7HSlo_E9QcAMWjNjsAU3Wy-OJlvJlDh17LnlPw7UiMzsx_RqJOENUIR-3ewz2Z89AaJcT9Yuq9-D9_WgRWjYnBgWL8XQXVTi3QJhwapY/s1600/Orange+%252817%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPt8p1nWsO96M6ranbmB7T5Zs6Gwe22MV-9mSy7HSlo_E9QcAMWjNjsAU3Wy-OJlvJlDh17LnlPw7UiMzsx_RqJOENUIR-3ewz2Z89AaJcT9Yuq9-D9_WgRWjYnBgWL8XQXVTi3QJhwapY/s320/Orange+%252817%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma holding Caesar</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxusyfo5Uozp2R1hyphenhyphenZcwIG5y94LnYbvqcsYhThwzA9lM8fjuFekDO6eljGQk_0Giu62UwyfbwTmAacVbZ0mbchkNCQYa5XKRTSFbAsGjOgbmMtOgRlwrf5fWoAUJsqc1Yk5Y0PxtqJrpr/s1600/Orange+%252818%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxusyfo5Uozp2R1hyphenhyphenZcwIG5y94LnYbvqcsYhThwzA9lM8fjuFekDO6eljGQk_0Giu62UwyfbwTmAacVbZ0mbchkNCQYa5XKRTSFbAsGjOgbmMtOgRlwrf5fWoAUJsqc1Yk5Y0PxtqJrpr/s320/Orange+%252818%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtspuk64TNdxSCIyUQUKSFNxMKGyxE6RacXsv5CSDo_IO7e2jmOIq3B-hkIpEKqwfi1_oW2oP4FDvgQzORejgvUr3EO6q1ut7CaRs-_NDGEstzJT0gMsnF6269mzrwIHPZikc8l6S0i6b/s1600/Orange+%252821%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtspuk64TNdxSCIyUQUKSFNxMKGyxE6RacXsv5CSDo_IO7e2jmOIq3B-hkIpEKqwfi1_oW2oP4FDvgQzORejgvUr3EO6q1ut7CaRs-_NDGEstzJT0gMsnF6269mzrwIHPZikc8l6S0i6b/s320/Orange+%252821%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyoGWolKoWdZ7tNydqZNj2Mv_lKv7dEyiAWx4NotIfzUJR2HvORyzXK7xEWskOGauYMEedQSPtDpT9wLj0MD8fqk4OPqH0gz0ywGEHuOYBTwbepeRiYe_pHHqoyaOIJNBlG5UtG4PO71zb/s1600/Orange+%252822%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyoGWolKoWdZ7tNydqZNj2Mv_lKv7dEyiAWx4NotIfzUJR2HvORyzXK7xEWskOGauYMEedQSPtDpT9wLj0MD8fqk4OPqH0gz0ywGEHuOYBTwbepeRiYe_pHHqoyaOIJNBlG5UtG4PO71zb/s320/Orange+%252822%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emzie Pooh!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcheCstUk5DA3IGUienTteIazmb25T8OZAosIwNOLOeycUy56R3r-qoPVlJO_S6wJi3XsZ6F_lJ5fyMulXKejg_0joNA4mYL42Ro03xA9u1ZMvb5D_8vqwevufMsVyg0s8X9WjlT_zFAV/s1600/Orange+%252828%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcheCstUk5DA3IGUienTteIazmb25T8OZAosIwNOLOeycUy56R3r-qoPVlJO_S6wJi3XsZ6F_lJ5fyMulXKejg_0joNA4mYL42Ro03xA9u1ZMvb5D_8vqwevufMsVyg0s8X9WjlT_zFAV/s320/Orange+%252828%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew dancing on the stage - of course, after he, Nathan,<br />
Adam and Emma crawled up there and danced around,<br />
we saw a sign forbidding it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUzGr2gRVPf-b10MHy49ix0f9sHxQmpoIUQd7fo8neMmlpZ-Fb7eJmDHpE6LSiJzumXgXG9y8ildchXhUJ3-AzEOioK6xMc4I_NtQ5bq7VtbNTyeGlTtJ31cSnZ-T7qUHzGa_WyH8OBUw/s1600/Orange+%252830%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUzGr2gRVPf-b10MHy49ix0f9sHxQmpoIUQd7fo8neMmlpZ-Fb7eJmDHpE6LSiJzumXgXG9y8ildchXhUJ3-AzEOioK6xMc4I_NtQ5bq7VtbNTyeGlTtJ31cSnZ-T7qUHzGa_WyH8OBUw/s320/Orange+%252830%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Criminals! Standing on the stage</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdJ9bIv6Q8f4EgEjhLKLuRS-BTVJ-_L4lBwTRjiVcQfQO6AcWL8Q_j3rKymVs4AMTxfejPWyv7rfZWRGRnwr44J7yduKuLEZSbEN0ai6K38etk4gPIJzgO8lGeXzuiWVeTrMD2Nqmpwp4/s1600/Orange+%252836%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdJ9bIv6Q8f4EgEjhLKLuRS-BTVJ-_L4lBwTRjiVcQfQO6AcWL8Q_j3rKymVs4AMTxfejPWyv7rfZWRGRnwr44J7yduKuLEZSbEN0ai6K38etk4gPIJzgO8lGeXzuiWVeTrMD2Nqmpwp4/s320/Orange+%252836%2529.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pillars - still standing - The family could<br />
have been pole dancing! :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbpkWfFh1B19JN1lRiZPK7-t3ztEkJ7iqQ5kqzLWUqfePR18QkoL_kCT7o63bEtDIx_BCsOeD48CjIPz4QsL7mHBekPRw3dXeJRvC4Bh13-kYNa8hSb1P9RfOmMnPHLzAbFGiI7uGxf7X/s1600/Orange+%252837%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbpkWfFh1B19JN1lRiZPK7-t3ztEkJ7iqQ5kqzLWUqfePR18QkoL_kCT7o63bEtDIx_BCsOeD48CjIPz4QsL7mHBekPRw3dXeJRvC4Bh13-kYNa8hSb1P9RfOmMnPHLzAbFGiI7uGxf7X/s320/Orange+%252837%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seating</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBdgGjEbBugHno_Hdzx5GcZ05jZs51yB9QdhFzEk5y9pYoW4LfeixfELkrmSGIPT51Hn5tUu8JpZ_lfpwb2CTn0cW1RThuuYKPDv8XuKaF4Aob3-IAi2cqj_kDfTW1nBYGDyn4RE10pU7/s1600/Orange+%252842%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBdgGjEbBugHno_Hdzx5GcZ05jZs51yB9QdhFzEk5y9pYoW4LfeixfELkrmSGIPT51Hn5tUu8JpZ_lfpwb2CTn0cW1RThuuYKPDv8XuKaF4Aob3-IAi2cqj_kDfTW1nBYGDyn4RE10pU7/s320/Orange+%252842%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Between the Theatre (behind us) and the Temple ruins (left)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTpQLxcTDGDdLPeWDezbk6h6vbYntiU6ToUKA5hddCiLcjyZzNrUivuTVwOckks84rF7HzarPsflLXRccmPG03SlmaeQYK3hSzNvIoCaG4yf_GOLwmhsy6kRvRj35K4cEC7EtSIY_-hGg7/s1600/Orange+%252851%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTpQLxcTDGDdLPeWDezbk6h6vbYntiU6ToUKA5hddCiLcjyZzNrUivuTVwOckks84rF7HzarPsflLXRccmPG03SlmaeQYK3hSzNvIoCaG4yf_GOLwmhsy6kRvRj35K4cEC7EtSIY_-hGg7/s320/Orange+%252851%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exterior look at the Theatre wall</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5ke0Fr4HQ0ezFDCX_OgUnYsMMaT-A6yxDI3eSbWUmy7XMEPzoUXVWdmuPP7xNbN20iIKsZTg2L5YP6aqIG4KqLRInXJOG2qA0tdG_Zke_aR9MXOyKHdCuDbZdr-Iv3Q8X18qlSGO8BFm/s1600/Orange+%252857%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5ke0Fr4HQ0ezFDCX_OgUnYsMMaT-A6yxDI3eSbWUmy7XMEPzoUXVWdmuPP7xNbN20iIKsZTg2L5YP6aqIG4KqLRInXJOG2qA0tdG_Zke_aR9MXOyKHdCuDbZdr-Iv3Q8X18qlSGO8BFm/s320/Orange+%252857%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Triumphal Arch in Orange - and three thinkers :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84QaRR8rwlWRf2X40ox256WrZx-5vDKp0zfoJUt3Azti3-eLxO3rokenvUGjdAWFLL8advFEuiwJVJ5LCKvvMz8gcidjC09DlhEPPet57kESrD4PNQM7BXGhaGSiRVlJ9hU1SRF6ibaPu/s1600/Orange+%252859%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84QaRR8rwlWRf2X40ox256WrZx-5vDKp0zfoJUt3Azti3-eLxO3rokenvUGjdAWFLL8advFEuiwJVJ5LCKvvMz8gcidjC09DlhEPPet57kESrD4PNQM7BXGhaGSiRVlJ9hU1SRF6ibaPu/s320/Orange+%252859%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ceiling of the Arch - beautiful!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjugztFLylxyjgSC1BfFXc0h4lZYr7qVF2sslfq5l_51P98vSZRFHwd361TwR-6wnYEqXeOfyu5aLy6P2vtS6mCQLVztWJI_L56bHx_A8FYIikyw4iSg9VaME_KPZd-KI8FvbkgHM7lO4/s1600/Orange+%252862%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjugztFLylxyjgSC1BfFXc0h4lZYr7qVF2sslfq5l_51P98vSZRFHwd361TwR-6wnYEqXeOfyu5aLy6P2vtS6mCQLVztWJI_L56bHx_A8FYIikyw4iSg9VaME_KPZd-KI8FvbkgHM7lO4/s320/Orange+%252862%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nathan standing on the Arch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4Ov73Hy2BZj_cUZp_U3HIykCQBpC-EmOmIpL7XDWtx-QQWGRs_RS8lgGlsmZhJwcRPygY9NkLrRSuKZLbmAvkNvXnpN7v-2hiFtIDEcaotoYRdixU6d8CzID2i69C9Ohg6PJM2IXNnU8/s1600/Orange+%252864%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4Ov73Hy2BZj_cUZp_U3HIykCQBpC-EmOmIpL7XDWtx-QQWGRs_RS8lgGlsmZhJwcRPygY9NkLrRSuKZLbmAvkNvXnpN7v-2hiFtIDEcaotoYRdixU6d8CzID2i69C9Ohg6PJM2IXNnU8/s320/Orange+%252864%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Triumphal Arch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTbWhzfFdlxQj_lwY8Jf5-GrAyuiJ45TcVATVQZ4mNDnvRC9dm_xr0pT3IiHaVyoqJS8fzJoTYu4z4LmPsU2xiJ7ssxiguG2zsDam3KMigdjHZCB1UGWmA3wJ-5Swz62-0pZDO8eIzDba/s1600/Orange+%252867%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTbWhzfFdlxQj_lwY8Jf5-GrAyuiJ45TcVATVQZ4mNDnvRC9dm_xr0pT3IiHaVyoqJS8fzJoTYu4z4LmPsU2xiJ7ssxiguG2zsDam3KMigdjHZCB1UGWmA3wJ-5Swz62-0pZDO8eIzDba/s320/Orange+%252867%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nathan standing on Dad</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkO9PC8mbMVTQQNazocQPFmMQjlG1P-QI4KEdckrz2yrENNywmAxxEk_j7CvDUqGLZYL3iJsf6rlqwreHamtv2s5HnBZVg6FRz87tpGuWWkmSWNusnCVjn70W5RwilwiXeIoBajQRWUD4h/s1600/Orange+%252868%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkO9PC8mbMVTQQNazocQPFmMQjlG1P-QI4KEdckrz2yrENNywmAxxEk_j7CvDUqGLZYL3iJsf6rlqwreHamtv2s5HnBZVg6FRz87tpGuWWkmSWNusnCVjn70W5RwilwiXeIoBajQRWUD4h/s320/Orange+%252868%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam squishing Emma!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbVpAMw7U3lQHJljPA-hhBBXnDRFEB3zyBzC3WQfo_pBIQeEYBXn7iUiptYzSG6CEMhxNckLDaxzRU-MqQVjcB-ujEC3wgGQWZ_OODWN031G8Jwyz1nhZe78ZS6WiWUWJa4Da0714-tlz/s1600/Orange+%252870%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbVpAMw7U3lQHJljPA-hhBBXnDRFEB3zyBzC3WQfo_pBIQeEYBXn7iUiptYzSG6CEMhxNckLDaxzRU-MqQVjcB-ujEC3wgGQWZ_OODWN031G8Jwyz1nhZe78ZS6WiWUWJa4Da0714-tlz/s320/Orange+%252870%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam - First one to have an official French haircut</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9aknFpWRpuTmx_saS1HyTZTBqBxAOEVt5Vhm6hqsv14xRZ5nbzCJth7GsHqeoW4mPla1K0wutDACZG2QlZwmsT3gQmwxBZuyhqB3DCTQniMTnJeK-kCu3jHuBYkLrzAt8eaSOaNZYTbMq/s1600/Orange+%252874%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9aknFpWRpuTmx_saS1HyTZTBqBxAOEVt5Vhm6hqsv14xRZ5nbzCJth7GsHqeoW4mPla1K0wutDACZG2QlZwmsT3gQmwxBZuyhqB3DCTQniMTnJeK-kCu3jHuBYkLrzAt8eaSOaNZYTbMq/s320/Orange+%252874%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam's new look!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKFGwgYpITUfYzXNqmQIyo0twViV1xKEJI-sX0PraEFzyc849vpVDNY0tKRr7OzIu8HAP6HGem2aOCy4kyqArZtU8IOE5LTkpq6fZX6XAvtHQW3RiZnYDEfqAwheyGL8tI_JtHIrWpVKF/s1600/Orange+%252872%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKFGwgYpITUfYzXNqmQIyo0twViV1xKEJI-sX0PraEFzyc849vpVDNY0tKRr7OzIu8HAP6HGem2aOCy4kyqArZtU8IOE5LTkpq6fZX6XAvtHQW3RiZnYDEfqAwheyGL8tI_JtHIrWpVKF/s320/Orange+%252872%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having a little snack before moving on in Orange</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSTrIxJYygv268ldnoBmS_05zFkUIbgae4BwNl-yHmC4VkLEOjyBwkoNxd4ePkbu3wtDW8zbjm-DkLPtFIGapxNKNPDi9uQ0W-RuNjdj18j7nN3oU4DWggfLYNI7YnouiDsZ52ndoOGHx/s1600/Orange+%252888%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSTrIxJYygv268ldnoBmS_05zFkUIbgae4BwNl-yHmC4VkLEOjyBwkoNxd4ePkbu3wtDW8zbjm-DkLPtFIGapxNKNPDi9uQ0W-RuNjdj18j7nN3oU4DWggfLYNI7YnouiDsZ52ndoOGHx/s320/Orange+%252888%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Domaine De Saint Siffrein - Vineyards <br />
and mountains - a common site during our <br />
travels</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wlGrqZ3JUguSFilkGmhbvw6DLZwWK7p51T3mxEJIiIPLK0CUFj0gX7sKf2aQXLuSnG4lA-oQXKKv9WYmqtVDgiBCYkQiGA8xK7DwBJtG2Uyz0hmDUX4XFAyENYGa5y8rTsXAA19sMgob/s1600/Orange+%252876%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wlGrqZ3JUguSFilkGmhbvw6DLZwWK7p51T3mxEJIiIPLK0CUFj0gX7sKf2aQXLuSnG4lA-oQXKKv9WYmqtVDgiBCYkQiGA8xK7DwBJtG2Uyz0hmDUX4XFAyENYGa5y8rTsXAA19sMgob/s320/Orange+%252876%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Domaine Grand Veneur-reminded me of a Cali winery!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>On Friday afternoon we received a call from Monsieur Didier Valery of the Espace Leopold Sedar Senghor to let me know that they have found a spot for Nathan at the Lycee! Yea! Now we have to wait to hear from Nathan's new teacher about the location and the time for him to report to school - more waiting - ugh. We received this call while Nathan and I were having a croissant, pain au chocolate and coffee at a local boulangerie - yum! Maybe I should go out and do that more often, the phone seems to ring when we leave the house :) Emma and Adam are doing alright at school - I think that the education is better but the friend-making still isn't happening due to the language barrier again. They asked if they can come home for lunch from now on, not because the food is bad, but because there is "nothing to do" for an hour. We told them to use the time to try to communicate with the other kids standing around with "nothing to do" and threw the deck of UNO cards in Adam's backpack - they should all know their numbers and colors in French by now right??? That could be fun! - We'll see what happens.<br />
<br />
Saturday morning started off similar to last week - we let the kids sleep as we headed for the Montpellier Market. We ended up with some dried fruit, new jelly (cherry and black raspberry), fresh bread, scallions, pears and apples. We were also given a lesson by a lady selling 100% mohair blankets on the difference between Mohair and Casmier - the Mohair blankets were beautiful and warm but we can't spend 165 euros on one right now so we just enjoyed the lesson, said our "mercis" and kept going. About 3/4 of our way through the market Nathan showed up and joined us for the end of our shop. I looked at the Madagascar basket booth again - we liked the polka dot baskets but they only came in REALLY large sizes and we need a medium so I will think about it all some more and go back soon. It's just so hard to pass these baskets up for 10 - 12 euros!!<br />
<br />
On our way home, Andrew decided to walk the whole way, Nathan and I took the basket of goodies and jumped on the tram. Adam was up but Emma was still snoozing away and didn't wake up until late! After she woke up, we ate some lunch and headed for Orange France, a destination listed on Adam's list that we had planned to do last weekend but due to the rain, postponed that idea. Saturday was bright and sunny and very welcome after all of the rain we've had.<br />
<br />
Orange was very nice - a friendly little town with colorful buildings and many cafes etc... We enjoyed seeing the old (duh!) Roman Theatre, from 1 AD - reign of Augustus, which is one of only three theatres in the world that has maintained its original theatre wall measuring 120 ft. high and 338 ft. wide. The theatre continues to be used for performances & concerts today due to it's perfect accoustics. The statue of Augustus Caesar is still housed in an alcove high and in the center of the theatre wall but was difficult to photograph due to the location of the sun while we were there - we got a lot of shadows. After looking all around the seating areas and hallways of the theatre, Andrew decided it would be fun to jump up on the stage and do some fancy moves (yes, there were other people there, listening to their audio tours and taking pix!), all three kids decided to join him in his antics as I photographed the whole event and then made them all jump down so our fellow tourists could enjoy their visit and photograph the theatre. It was on our way out that we noticed the sign stating something like: "Please, for your safety, do not climb on the stage" - and it was in several languages -- including English, so we couldn't even play the "we don't speak/read French very well" card. Big OOPS!<br />
<br />
From the theatre we walked to the Triumphal Arch on the edge of town. The arch was built around 20 AD and is elaborately decorated with battle scenes, military trophies and inscriptions of the glory of Tiberius. I loved the ceiling which reminded me of a quilt pattern - the center ceiling (there are three arches in the monument as you can see above) remains in very good condition, the little arches on the sides seem to be fading somewhat.<br />
<br />
After hangin at the Arch for about 15-20 min we walked back to town and on the way happened to pass a barber shop listing haircuts for 10 euros! Wahooo - the cheapest we've found them in Montpellier is 14 euros so in we went and got Adam in the chair - he was getting very shaggy - still cute, but shaggy. The barber was a very nice gentleman from Avignon who had worked in a shop their until he bought this one in Orange and is now his own boss. He spoke very good English and when we asked if he had been to America he replied "no, I learned all of my english from watching T.V.!"<br />
<br />
Adam got a nice haircut, we met a very friendly Frenchman and were ready to continue our little exploration of Orange. After realizing that we had probably done all there was to do in Orange, we treated ourselves to a little snack and jumped back in Mo Mo (we named the Peugot Mo Mo - I don't think I've mentioned that yet - she's been Mo Mo for a few weeks now) and headed for Chateauneuf-du-Pape, a little village nearby where in the 14th Centruy, the popes of Avignon built a new castle (chateau neuf). They also planted vineyards from which one of the finest wines of the Cote du Rhone is produced. During the Wars of Religion, the Chateau was destroyed for the most part and all that remaines of the papal fortress are a few fragments of walls and tower.<br />
<br />
This area is known for the vineyards, numerous wineries and tasting opportunities - we were psyched! The first winery we visited was Domaine Grand Veneur - Alain jaume & Fils. The wines were alright - my favorite was the first one which was actually in a very cool bottle and, of course, the most expensive at 23 euros. Andrew said he didn't care for any of them (three) so we bought the pretty bottled wine and left. I feel so awkward when we go into these wineries, don't pay anything for the tastings and then don't buy any wine - I always feel like we need to purchase something. Sometimes I wish that we could just pay for the tasting so my guilt would be alleviated!<br />
<br />
The next winery was a REAL letdown - the sign out front was pretty, the drive up to the tasting/selling area was gorgous, the buildings on the property were lovely, the directions to get to the tasting room were easy to follow - unfortunately, although the signs around said "Ouvert" (open) - none of the doors would budge - no matter how much we pushed and pulled them!!! So we looked around, took some pix and headed for Domaine De Saint Siffrein where the above photo of the vineyards and mountains was taken. Andrew asked if he was the owner/wine maker and he replied "yes" - he looked about 28 years old -- maybe! When we asked how old the vineyards were he told us that the first vines were planted in 1880 and that he is the 5th generation to run the business. He works the fields along with his father and a some folks that they hire during the busy parts of the year. The winery itself was very simple and had a nice sense of history, family and ease. We didn't love either of the wines there but, thanks to me and my obligatory nature, did purchase one bottle. <br />
<br />
After that we headed for home as Andrew and I were invited to dinner at his boss's house (Veronique and Phillipe). Another friend of their's, Hollie, who is a French professor at San Diego State University in California and is currently in Paris teaching French at a university there, would also be at dinner. We got home, Andrew napped for a few minutes while I had a snack and the kids scattered to their respective electrical devices. We then got dressed and ready and picked up the phone to place a pizza order (there are 2 or 3 nearby pizza places). I couldn't believe this - ALL of the pizza places were closed! Andrew even walked to a couple of them to see if they were just too busy to answer the phone and came home to report that, sure enough, they were closed. I, who had been a tad bit tired and grumpy all day finally blew - "WHO IN THE %$#$*@!! CLOSES A PIZZA PLACE, ON A SATURDAY NIGHT, IN A COLLEGE TOWN??!!" Now what??? I offered to drive the kids to the grocery store to pick out some frozen pizzas but time was closing in on that opportunity because we had to leave in time to get to Veronique's house by 8:00 - dinnertime! The kids were very gracious (much more so than me!) and Emma said "Mom, just give me some money and I'll walk to Shoppi and find something for us" - bless Emma (and Adam who walked with her) and Nathan too for cooperating with everyone - they took care of everything so we could leave. Andrew and I had a wonderful evening with Veronique, Phillipe, and Hollie - who is also in a Rock and Roll band in San Diego - she seems like a very bright and fun lady and we enjoyed getting to know her. The dinner was amazing - asparagus, lamb, potatoes, salad, cheeses, bread and a wonderful apple tart and of course Wine! We took a bottle and everyone enjoyed it with dinner. When I finally looked at the clock after dessert - it was 12:00! Midnight! OMG! We have to get home but we can't just eat and run - ummmmmmm - well, we helped clean up the table and made it home by about 12:50 - kids were still up and had watched two episodes of Bones :) Sunday we were all going to be tired!La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-5340107884225715382011-03-18T11:01:00.002+01:002011-03-21T12:30:45.240+01:00Montpellier vs. Chambery - Handball Match 3-16-11<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWoBHZcjsDp9EggxjTINNfoyZU2IUfTh8ZhoYMcrKiJpfRgcrSWU4vGMegKv7E2NFH2q2HtKNLC9EgGG70ZS68JmxB8-RI7SpOu06vbzlzHFZiTMG-syg6UQPv2IJGAWVY5nEcw-tbPJW/s1600/DSC00342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWoBHZcjsDp9EggxjTINNfoyZU2IUfTh8ZhoYMcrKiJpfRgcrSWU4vGMegKv7E2NFH2q2HtKNLC9EgGG70ZS68JmxB8-RI7SpOu06vbzlzHFZiTMG-syg6UQPv2IJGAWVY5nEcw-tbPJW/s320/DSC00342.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the match to begin!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ce83KumQIjh_L6RkZwPIdL-EGlWjvJ39SSmxX61I5eclVBIMpxVmuojBmStoofzAqknknG6sgCrj18Tkb4sA5L2uDgis362KLdvZjzhNYKr54VwF_cUtTLS-Pe89QYb4uZ96EPiWKOVV/s1600/DSC00340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ce83KumQIjh_L6RkZwPIdL-EGlWjvJ39SSmxX61I5eclVBIMpxVmuojBmStoofzAqknknG6sgCrj18Tkb4sA5L2uDgis362KLdvZjzhNYKr54VwF_cUtTLS-Pe89QYb4uZ96EPiWKOVV/s320/DSC00340.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time out</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglm98FyoKcqUi_DT63fLE-lHQzZui3wkzKEw2sRXHCtDwDgUZrOUAwx7Cekc7j14via3a_zIEOg3VLmWffTRUyCDqNBob13vuOanTi1S1IcHS9h7mBQPn2amymt5y9sZ1rozWXoAjLfcIb/s1600/DSC00344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglm98FyoKcqUi_DT63fLE-lHQzZui3wkzKEw2sRXHCtDwDgUZrOUAwx7Cekc7j14via3a_zIEOg3VLmWffTRUyCDqNBob13vuOanTi1S1IcHS9h7mBQPn2amymt5y9sZ1rozWXoAjLfcIb/s320/DSC00344.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up by 1 - this was the case for most of the game</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3yyaxrJiYJ2XwDvw8ctmMCOMB9KBzhq4O3smFc7SLdfhpm4iVspbuHkvnSUpDG1q_092OuJJqg7w5AbcwJwiy7l9x6KxfKcK3Sb07gDVY1Kl3FOpM-BQ4GfgEkqW2CROjHhsu8bLTB84/s1600/DSC00345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3yyaxrJiYJ2XwDvw8ctmMCOMB9KBzhq4O3smFc7SLdfhpm4iVspbuHkvnSUpDG1q_092OuJJqg7w5AbcwJwiy7l9x6KxfKcK3Sb07gDVY1Kl3FOpM-BQ4GfgEkqW2CROjHhsu8bLTB84/s320/DSC00345.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lining up for a penalty shot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4WESTRUkrS3dIMkKMusoW1un2mC5oZ5mbuxOFh7jKst6piAPMZb-GjIYmVPTKdlJ5P0lQWZmkWgXYMpEXrQlk0475Gsmif9DQ8JfDga7bMi5ynN3IzJ0bG1yBEvXbDnu1qGSBdQjyDit3/s1600/DSC00346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4WESTRUkrS3dIMkKMusoW1un2mC5oZ5mbuxOFh7jKst6piAPMZb-GjIYmVPTKdlJ5P0lQWZmkWgXYMpEXrQlk0475Gsmif9DQ8JfDga7bMi5ynN3IzJ0bG1yBEvXbDnu1qGSBdQjyDit3/s320/DSC00346.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penalty shot - He got it!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQf99sqiCJpv-23nJhY7Wv5NvAcWFgmwYll_DfytAe30quS0J3-tFo-b-7rTIdP8wvtFofVZvhdCA77j-gIf4KpiaVkXGYf4zcEg4-SdkrKUtM2nn5wLzMzZf6qjw9KSuZ_VaEqZDnIiY/s1600/DSC00347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQf99sqiCJpv-23nJhY7Wv5NvAcWFgmwYll_DfytAe30quS0J3-tFo-b-7rTIdP8wvtFofVZvhdCA77j-gIf4KpiaVkXGYf4zcEg4-SdkrKUtM2nn5wLzMzZf6qjw9KSuZ_VaEqZDnIiY/s320/DSC00347.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allez Allez Montpellier!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_y4mSmHE4GRgmbhag_SEpl_JZmr4FAIXUF_zJpNPfJOc6S_T12wxAqoFTNHQfkuD_VyNqI7kvJd8RXVd7WwI-WiBFybWDAsJWNg5I2x7YDBUUbrDVxztd1E8skp5Vi9lAYEvTtYJpsTG/s1600/DSC00348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_y4mSmHE4GRgmbhag_SEpl_JZmr4FAIXUF_zJpNPfJOc6S_T12wxAqoFTNHQfkuD_VyNqI7kvJd8RXVd7WwI-WiBFybWDAsJWNg5I2x7YDBUUbrDVxztd1E8skp5Vi9lAYEvTtYJpsTG/s320/DSC00348.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up by 6 - then we were up by 7 - and then....we lost it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGq0IJ3gngDrkXe6kxvPXv_Mqu0IN7WevvvRR02OXp9uCWrctqKamZX5KgzCHSb0QI_8YRL8wIsRKrCjyuEixd9XQjzzT_ErlExJ3jYRgMy8_sbaos6TECZudDBYso2nLxE_JxDo7CTw2T/s1600/DSC00350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGq0IJ3gngDrkXe6kxvPXv_Mqu0IN7WevvvRR02OXp9uCWrctqKamZX5KgzCHSb0QI_8YRL8wIsRKrCjyuEixd9XQjzzT_ErlExJ3jYRgMy8_sbaos6TECZudDBYso2nLxE_JxDo7CTw2T/s320/DSC00350.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A slightly disappointed Adam after the match</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRKUMLMUOkR92MaBj4xIXCkRxLkcpfJVNzKH3RdYKiJOEsGK53dk4s8NGJfJpjNBiTo6nQqCQaiQtnTUrNGPWPFUjb0fcjNDOIxaC-2jUEuRDOSQ2qHgAbyq1mIX0uHoq9ftfH03jnL3r/s1600/DSC00351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRKUMLMUOkR92MaBj4xIXCkRxLkcpfJVNzKH3RdYKiJOEsGK53dk4s8NGJfJpjNBiTo6nQqCQaiQtnTUrNGPWPFUjb0fcjNDOIxaC-2jUEuRDOSQ2qHgAbyq1mIX0uHoq9ftfH03jnL3r/s320/DSC00351.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside of the Arena - Adam was treated to a Montpellier<br />
team jersey for his birthday!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQ7R2992u6CqgwOXlRwiWNxRayzSFFcZrz60v-Yh6GA5ZhUXq7hs1aDfhxaGV3Lz2uS4yxsJlm6RYfCTAyR3tZkbfurv7xTD101QWPtLvD1yfYD0nwpQIiFwp9Du1cnW2gW62z50LRx6d/s1600/DSC00352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQ7R2992u6CqgwOXlRwiWNxRayzSFFcZrz60v-Yh6GA5ZhUXq7hs1aDfhxaGV3Lz2uS4yxsJlm6RYfCTAyR3tZkbfurv7xTD101QWPtLvD1yfYD0nwpQIiFwp9Du1cnW2gW62z50LRx6d/s320/DSC00352.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's bouncing back from the loss</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnlh_hrLT7NkdHiVKHVKVgqX3mhFvi1UBU3VFAlek8bvW6Br5AIH19kCmVZfrzFyoD06o7b2qkQXo-YmFi2dvYzv6L5eqT-y2_s3sCbebCCvr2HF3ckNdi-9qv0kJBsUD1543n8bjovcDf/s1600/DSC00353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnlh_hrLT7NkdHiVKHVKVgqX3mhFvi1UBU3VFAlek8bvW6Br5AIH19kCmVZfrzFyoD06o7b2qkQXo-YmFi2dvYzv6L5eqT-y2_s3sCbebCCvr2HF3ckNdi-9qv0kJBsUD1543n8bjovcDf/s320/DSC00353.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The roof of the Arena outside changes colors - very cool!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDaYo5JqlK6_Nkuz7SwkWoRf2p82-mJfCBMv4aDfz6e_Qzm3GdkUIb1HqFVesUSJAYHVdmi8HcneUdbzCQ0AGK_oMa3UsalQTm7VMHqvUIeLfvqdKQHElKyWLphn5ZHsPGPhbsmqY1iH2a/s1600/DSC00355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDaYo5JqlK6_Nkuz7SwkWoRf2p82-mJfCBMv4aDfz6e_Qzm3GdkUIb1HqFVesUSJAYHVdmi8HcneUdbzCQ0AGK_oMa3UsalQTm7VMHqvUIeLfvqdKQHElKyWLphn5ZHsPGPhbsmqY1iH2a/s320/DSC00355.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Staying positive - walking home - see story below</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2qFPRs2-LVh-3T1TAWQL__wRWc0MUZTTjLARrUUUzjC6EcdwBzEst28Hj2EUh1QBgIs-eulK8-_tVDTY454_rG-ynrWuKLlncSDBV20uMtHd_6vB9hdxTPhpNd1xYT4W9GDbMQVE1MC3/s1600/DSC00356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2qFPRs2-LVh-3T1TAWQL__wRWc0MUZTTjLARrUUUzjC6EcdwBzEst28Hj2EUh1QBgIs-eulK8-_tVDTY454_rG-ynrWuKLlncSDBV20uMtHd_6vB9hdxTPhpNd1xYT4W9GDbMQVE1MC3/s320/DSC00356.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ditto</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYklBTWtuIiCzKDBGF7NgDNx-WrnGSYSQbkjVqjfiFgrVXexdELabxYkFNZZY7OM155vdfoiH3zoa38fWNC29EGQa3pYuC1A1eUBpnJpxI3SeeS8QkkkjdMXBOvkbO-4ce7LN-_BB9kfYR/s1600/DSC00357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYklBTWtuIiCzKDBGF7NgDNx-WrnGSYSQbkjVqjfiFgrVXexdELabxYkFNZZY7OM155vdfoiH3zoa38fWNC29EGQa3pYuC1A1eUBpnJpxI3SeeS8QkkkjdMXBOvkbO-4ce7LN-_BB9kfYR/s320/DSC00357.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ice cream at Quick Burger - while getting some help</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH82tjovRROR9xveh45tLuj-ktMazHOhdZksdsLfim2djzWx96K7I8GNV-Wk09UmWK0mugToYy252Xw4hmQvVAszwDM7VbCaFjmF3T7wbX7lb3LJEUDO2wCF3TfCh_oY2dVNxk-v8oCqqE/s1600/DSC00358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH82tjovRROR9xveh45tLuj-ktMazHOhdZksdsLfim2djzWx96K7I8GNV-Wk09UmWK0mugToYy252Xw4hmQvVAszwDM7VbCaFjmF3T7wbX7lb3LJEUDO2wCF3TfCh_oY2dVNxk-v8oCqqE/s320/DSC00358.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Jersey - very cool! #22 - one of the MVPs of the team</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ex4fgygKlsS9ajuCvMOOrKgi9wLVq5eC0SBGn4kC0FSzL4VRH25Yk7_Y59phDgg1M58Nmbn1BRKqRkX6-58Vi9l1uzg4moUE0KYACwetkj5sL0VqQgmzkEYITrJgHquQvXy-7GkAPFls/s1600/DSC00359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ex4fgygKlsS9ajuCvMOOrKgi9wLVq5eC0SBGn4kC0FSzL4VRH25Yk7_Y59phDgg1M58Nmbn1BRKqRkX6-58Vi9l1uzg4moUE0KYACwetkj5sL0VqQgmzkEYITrJgHquQvXy-7GkAPFls/s320/DSC00359.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karabatic - #22!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Wednesday March 16 turned out to be a fun, exciting, interesting, frustrating and scary day/night for our little almost french family.<br />
<br />
The morning began, after 4 days of rain, with no rain but a lot of clouds. Emma and Adam headed off to their second day of school at College des Aiguerelles after the placement testing on Monday. The administration is still trying to figure out where to put Nathan since he tested higher than Emma and Adam and should be going to the Lycee (high school), however, there is limited space there so, we wait. The vibe after the first day seemed to be pretty positive for Emma and Adam so we are hopeful that it will continue that way. The plan for after school today (noon - it's Wednesday!) is for E and A to ride the tram to the Odysseum to buy their school supplies. Nathan had plenty of homework from Hoover to work on and was comfortably seated at his computer by 9:10 am.<br />
<br />
I happily woke up, showered, got dressed and ready for my second Sensorial Analysis session! At 9:30 I walked to INRA with my trusty umbrella, and met Andrew at the gate. I arrived dry, although my hair had soaked up a lot of the humidity in the air and was now pretty big.<br />
<br />
I was led to my favorite seat - cubbie #1 and signed into the computer all by myself! After a minute or so, the little door to my cubbie opened and my first sample was slid onto my desk. This session was different than my first; We would not be rating the color of the wines this time, only the smell and taste so the wine was delivered in black wine glasses. In addition, some of the questions on the computer were different and I had not received them ahead of time so was unable to check the translation prior to arriving. After asking one of the scientists about two of the words, the gentleman next to me tapped me on the shoulder, told me that he knows a little English and would be happy to help me with any future questions - which he did several times!<br />
<br />
After 17 wines I was finished, a little happy, but not very excited about any of the wines overall. Either the scent was bad and the taste was alright or the scent was wonderful and the taste was awful ! Nothing was really worth asking to be led to the back of the van again for - maybe next time, which is scheduled for March 25 - yea! I walked home with Andy, had a little lunch and took a nap for about an hour. Nathan was not home when we arrived - he was scouting out the route to our very first Handball match which was taking place at 7:30 - we purchased the tickets as part of Adam's birthday gift and were excited for our first match - Montpellier vs. Chambery.<br />
<br />
Mr. Boisson, who has season tickets to the matches but will be out of town for this match, had advised us to drive the car to the match since he figured the bus would be full - he explained how to get there on a map but Andrew was very hesitant since it was clear on the other side of town, out of the town a little bit and through the construction areas where tram 3 is currently being built. All of that, along with our wonderful history of getting lost confirmed that we would be traming and busing to the match. Nathan did a great job of tramming, figuring out where bus 28 picked up and where we would be dropped off in relation to the arena. We were ready. Everyone got home, chowed down soup and sandwiches, put on their shoes, grabbed umbrellas and we were out the door! Well, everyone except Emma who wasn't interested in going to a handball match and decided to stay home to have some personal time.<br />
<br />
We arrived at the tram just in time to jump on - arrived at the bus stop just in time to hop on - the travel gods were with us on this journey - we would arrive in plenty of time! The bus driver was very nice, spoke a little english and confirmed that we were on the right bus to get to the Arena - Wahoo! Smooth sailing from here - Well, maybe not :( - As the bus rounded a corner, and the road narrowed, some nut had decided to park 1/2 on the sidewalk and 1/2 on the road, blocking any possiblity of the bus getting past - one of these tiny european cars-yes, the bus - no! Our driver prooved that he knew a little more english when he very clearly said "Oh Shit!" and blew the horn several times very long, however, nobody came to claim the car. In the end, the license number was taken down, police were called and arrived (to pull over another car though - then helped us!), after about 20 min. of this, an older lady showed up and argued with the policeman for a minute, was given a nice ticket and moved her car - we were ready to go again, but were now getting very close to match time. When the bus stopped, we ran to the arena with the rest of the people on the bus (not full at all by the way - maybe 10 - 15 others), got in line with our tickets, turned our umbrellas in since we were not allowed to take them into the building (supposedly we could pick them up again on the way out - ha!), found our seats and got comfortable just when the real "owners" of the seats showed up to inform us that we were in the wrong ones - so we moved to our actual seats which were better!<br />
<br />
The match was very exciting - we learned how the game was played, Andrew and Adam figured out the strategies, Nathan and I tried to figure out where the band came from since this wasn't a school function but a town function - we decided that they were townspeople or a club that formed the band which played a lot of songs that our bands at home play at football/basketball games in high school and college. There was no announcer which was fine with us since we wouldn't have known what he/she was saying anyway. There was lot of cheering and chanting - one of the chants was "Allez, Allez, Montpellier" -we liked that one and joined in. We also were participants in the wave - all around the arena several times! Montpellier was ahead of Chambery for most of the match until the last quarter of the game. It was very apparent who the MVP of Montpellier's team is: #22 who scored most of the goals - Chambery's coach caught on and put a defensive player on him (Andrew called it the "box and 1") - from then until the end of the match, Montpellier couldn't score and Chambery was on fire - we ended up losing by 1 which was disappointing but the experience was great - we had a fun time and Adam was treated to a Jersey - #22 of course! He said to me, "mom, #22 is like Lebron James on the Cavs before he left!"<br />
<br />
We left the arena, looked for our umbrellas and actually found one of them - the broken one, not the nicer of the two, and then headed for the bus stop where there were several other people waiting - Nathan realized at some point, however, that according to the bus schedule, there were no buses running this late (9:00 ish) - the last one was at 8:00pm. We asked one of the young girls who was waiting and who spoke a little english about this potential problem, she looked at the schedule and agreed with us, called the office number on the schedule but got no answer and we all decided that we better come up with a plan "B". The younger folks decided to hitch home, we decided to walk along the tram 3 construction. Keep in mind now - it's dark, we are on the complete OPPOSITE side of town and OUT of the town in the country area. I was ticked that none of us thought to check the return trip plans while Andrew remained calm and positive. We began our trek home and after a while, I grabbed the phone and called our S.O.S. buddy, Marie, explained our situation and asked if there are taxis in the area - she said that there are and that she would go to her office and find some numbers for us ( I told her that wasn't necessary) or we could walk to the airport and find a taxi there - "just walk toward Montpellier and you will see the airport". Our problem was, we weren't sure which way, once we hit the first round-a-bout, Montpellier was but we did see a Quick Burger that was still open (like a Burger King) so we headed there. The nice young man behind the counter figured out our problem, raised his eyebrows when he discovered that we were walking to a tram line and when we mentioned "taxi" he very kindly grabbed his cell phone, looked up a number and called us a cab! While we waited, Nathan and Adam waited behind a family ordering $60.00 worth of food to ask for ice cream. The taxi arrived, we all piled in, and I was able to convey our destination with the help of the bus map - "any tram 1 stop"!!! We arrived at Place De L'Europe 10 minutes later safe and 30 euros lighter. As we waited for the tram to arrive, a girl on the other side of the track stood up and waved at us - it was the same english speaking girl from the bus stop! She told us that there was a mini-bus at the arena when they went back there - UGH!<br />
<br />
Our adventure didn't end there - suprise! We boarded the tram, got comfortable, and I texted Marie to let her know that we had made it. I then heard some loud voices coming from the tram car ahead of me and realized that there were several drunk guys sitting down there and one of them was looking my way (I was sitting with Nathan). Being the very smart traveler, I avoided eye contact and ignored him. A few minutes later, however, he stood up, walked toward us, and sat down behind Nathan and me. When I felt a hand on my hair I turned around and saw him sitting there with another guy who was smiling at me. At this point I'm trying to figure out the best thing to do - give him the "evil eye"? Ignore him? Move seats? Get off of the tram? If this continued I didn't know how to handle it since if we yelled at him in English I was sure that he would just laugh -this was our first uncomfortable experience. The tram stopped, I looked at Andy and said "Get off" - we all stood up and I led the way off of the tram while the drunk guys yelled something behind us. None of the boys knew what had happened and didn't have a clue why we were getting off at the darkest stop along the tram line. I told them what had happened and they all understood as we walked the 2 minutes to the next stop on the line to wait for the next tram. When we saw that it was 12 min. out, we decided to walk to Comedie and wait for the tram there instead - wouldn't you know it, when we got there, my "friend" was there too! I probably used our bus driver's earlier language and then told the guys that he was there. We all agreed it was best to keep walking to the next stop at Corum - which we did, boarded with no problems and got home alright.<br />
<br />
Thankfully everything worked out alright but I was pretty shaken up about the experience and had to work through some thoughts of "what if" before I went to bed. I've told friends at home that I've never felt safer in a city and that is still true - we just have to be smart about night time travel like anyplace else.<br />
<br />
Overall - the whole experience was good - I think we would all like to attend another match at some point, and Adam had a great birthday - he, of course, wore his new jersey to school on Thursday and was very proud!La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-18735755623576191182011-03-14T12:06:00.003+01:002011-03-15T11:57:46.277+01:00Rainy Weekend Fun! - March 12 & 13, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_tNKPrKTy9yOOfsq82wfBLK3wRGk9lD06MDau8HAye3tTndDDjsa_UB-tHYSjOniVpx92UO9pzZ0jJ9zCb-RXbNBWUEOY3zpG6H2BsPBdoAslFiadbG68-92LX7NI5gliqLFtiHKL26K/s1600/Mont.+Market+Purchases.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_tNKPrKTy9yOOfsq82wfBLK3wRGk9lD06MDau8HAye3tTndDDjsa_UB-tHYSjOniVpx92UO9pzZ0jJ9zCb-RXbNBWUEOY3zpG6H2BsPBdoAslFiadbG68-92LX7NI5gliqLFtiHKL26K/s320/Mont.+Market+Purchases.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our market finds! Garlic olives, dried fruit, apples, pears, curry, <br />
cute bundle of garlic bulbs, herb mixtures for cholesterol (A) and<br />
memory (B) along with some black currant jam and fresh whole<br />
grain bread </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0kxxuCq_iNzl8WZEGMIoXRyhMHCXVG__hrGOHE3aiv0ZrVPPaz4V-xkmY94iYbHnHEC1xnTkEpXVSkZn9uKbdC6g65Ta6ZGZTndI5fEZs3akwZMb8gfoC0pTXdskqs77K6FU82xfESWp/s1600/Rainy+Day+Fun%2521+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0kxxuCq_iNzl8WZEGMIoXRyhMHCXVG__hrGOHE3aiv0ZrVPPaz4V-xkmY94iYbHnHEC1xnTkEpXVSkZn9uKbdC6g65Ta6ZGZTndI5fEZs3akwZMb8gfoC0pTXdskqs77K6FU82xfESWp/s320/Rainy+Day+Fun%2521+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wrestling on a rainy day - Go Emma!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKedjW7gimaKe1w7QloWtpxHks6lEC7V20RGDEyhqlvebocQZNStHJGIrhuGUaI-6CHglMHDo7viqiDh1u7ofwU_vRUXy3z2F5EMg0h7U_7b2vAzWKc3pSgT5rbKZU7D4tru6RaHqMwbTn/s1600/Rainy+Day+Fun%2521+%25289%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKedjW7gimaKe1w7QloWtpxHks6lEC7V20RGDEyhqlvebocQZNStHJGIrhuGUaI-6CHglMHDo7viqiDh1u7ofwU_vRUXy3z2F5EMg0h7U_7b2vAzWKc3pSgT5rbKZU7D4tru6RaHqMwbTn/s320/Rainy+Day+Fun%2521+%25289%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam's taking over!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8mcYjeLREOhzYQY88k8Id7EWrlGmwfqE9P5u952Pd9pNme4KcID7eU9NLM_h6-qgyqxJOJe-3OQNCdDqOI9bBvLOg6AEbCiVliBs9-hra3TbJeOnOMH2FdLW9wE0eOH6t6nq-uD3ZEiA/s1600/Rainy+Day+Fun%2521+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8mcYjeLREOhzYQY88k8Id7EWrlGmwfqE9P5u952Pd9pNme4KcID7eU9NLM_h6-qgyqxJOJe-3OQNCdDqOI9bBvLOg6AEbCiVliBs9-hra3TbJeOnOMH2FdLW9wE0eOH6t6nq-uD3ZEiA/s320/Rainy+Day+Fun%2521+%252810%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ah - The papoo conquers all!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jYhV4D1R96DTToenWpOuMrjQb7RlRIP16GKTu1Wx_dNxuDpiIjXG_4S8HtqdL7UAlmT7Ji4lNcr8yWkJQGpF8LBt-3yPihGoIb5dEupq12JSG2CXxPGjqc-poSJWWU8TdoDvMw_fxISR/s1600/Rainy+Day+Fun%2521+%252811%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jYhV4D1R96DTToenWpOuMrjQb7RlRIP16GKTu1Wx_dNxuDpiIjXG_4S8HtqdL7UAlmT7Ji4lNcr8yWkJQGpF8LBt-3yPihGoIb5dEupq12JSG2CXxPGjqc-poSJWWU8TdoDvMw_fxISR/s320/Rainy+Day+Fun%2521+%252811%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical scene at our house</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqJ6ZyvdvK-VVHBVKdSR444d_URz3kyGXdxTjfrlcCtFi3KdrjGt94ivrmQ50dlQcHyXGaaJEu_eAvqF2_UssTOi9Qhphyphenhyphen0Ryg9bKpIWO1mMcnujVVGnnzHGVHRWMYi3cAu6cE9KxYLEQ/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqJ6ZyvdvK-VVHBVKdSR444d_URz3kyGXdxTjfrlcCtFi3KdrjGt94ivrmQ50dlQcHyXGaaJEu_eAvqF2_UssTOi9Qhphyphenhyphen0Ryg9bKpIWO1mMcnujVVGnnzHGVHRWMYi3cAu6cE9KxYLEQ/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very cool caves!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDOTvD6mLjQ-h6vanlKoWQ-C4AASua2C7BtDdwmlrDpTRlSoWdO6aWR8f2ewQ29Li11Qqvadv8464fFDpDEMoHX_piOejY4sz8UQvU1Ne9GBBtSoZXyR-aUdB4_4Ybc6X9MD6lbZfux00/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDOTvD6mLjQ-h6vanlKoWQ-C4AASua2C7BtDdwmlrDpTRlSoWdO6aWR8f2ewQ29Li11Qqvadv8464fFDpDEMoHX_piOejY4sz8UQvU1Ne9GBBtSoZXyR-aUdB4_4Ybc6X9MD6lbZfux00/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready to tram to the top of the incline to begin<br />
the tour</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXvMqTbglZ-BIj1iI9g-PYtcnWeEI_10LULkbj_3NKnZEIPJWJiKK1A8AKEDQirL6msww7H88xpbiZNljRR-cZMbjMJQenLXMhLmdRHQCHX9393vWqMo8uLZNE1tcoy-AUMWexGBxDObP/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXvMqTbglZ-BIj1iI9g-PYtcnWeEI_10LULkbj_3NKnZEIPJWJiKK1A8AKEDQirL6msww7H88xpbiZNljRR-cZMbjMJQenLXMhLmdRHQCHX9393vWqMo8uLZNE1tcoy-AUMWexGBxDObP/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27C1Jb-XqDtizxapaCvEYSr92dI2DLIY03yfXxFjWC3Ukd8vudv3OjC08paOUlgrek5anO2tGD4oj6-ZOP-cicVSY0-jYjoktFF0oaHjW81eTBT3Ai1tN3gczDd0Eo-X-c0Nyo50bxCR0/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27C1Jb-XqDtizxapaCvEYSr92dI2DLIY03yfXxFjWC3Ukd8vudv3OjC08paOUlgrek5anO2tGD4oj6-ZOP-cicVSY0-jYjoktFF0oaHjW81eTBT3Ai1tN3gczDd0Eo-X-c0Nyo50bxCR0/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%25285%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yikes!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN46r_xqK7u2fMsWgQ8rnmbJYCkRkEvdptW8C_3XtJgjmGKXpkkP07p_JJwKW8z0UgYecHlvuYuWIzQICgXbIkx1zMCuy92GzCZIvTzYuV0sFCbN9QpxOkpWwyCXkZb4CFVhixe1gGVA8c/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN46r_xqK7u2fMsWgQ8rnmbJYCkRkEvdptW8C_3XtJgjmGKXpkkP07p_JJwKW8z0UgYecHlvuYuWIzQICgXbIkx1zMCuy92GzCZIvTzYuV0sFCbN9QpxOkpWwyCXkZb4CFVhixe1gGVA8c/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See the jellyfish?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7how9FHXC-9sjd1aUifk3NM214u3Otn-4OAoC52vWZ1GO41D-Fcflp27eDi7BeXzFiP2B5qxnvDUzGQ98mlIE8asxcnHdbIRZNyVg2E9oTIH2wh5oy5MW02uBAzHS2dIXHkB6i90j_evt/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%25289%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7how9FHXC-9sjd1aUifk3NM214u3Otn-4OAoC52vWZ1GO41D-Fcflp27eDi7BeXzFiP2B5qxnvDUzGQ98mlIE8asxcnHdbIRZNyVg2E9oTIH2wh5oy5MW02uBAzHS2dIXHkB6i90j_evt/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%25289%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyAcoo6uvAcoCCaMkP1Poky0IgXP6dJ9MOc2_Myv8HSRqLw6mObhxKTJKlcUqXTuViPEBHACq2xiXoBVfkgq_ZOMzaHDYtHkvHhk2IH4C5bouCnVS-yAd-Sl9Gnws3iViLngDZwJOw_tG/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252813%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyAcoo6uvAcoCCaMkP1Poky0IgXP6dJ9MOc2_Myv8HSRqLw6mObhxKTJKlcUqXTuViPEBHACq2xiXoBVfkgq_ZOMzaHDYtHkvHhk2IH4C5bouCnVS-yAd-Sl9Gnws3iViLngDZwJOw_tG/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252813%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GBj2yg1Keal-TF1EKLeKnTn07erHzfU41WBkZ5KJbj4N092vvMWZvoeSP4Udyng6ZJyCjVwXUdI7kUrsbASvXnV1l49H_CTetXMmIBdQgjGIJrJOpNuCHJ7wSYNcr7Shvy4wP6d4tGIG/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252815%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GBj2yg1Keal-TF1EKLeKnTn07erHzfU41WBkZ5KJbj4N092vvMWZvoeSP4Udyng6ZJyCjVwXUdI7kUrsbASvXnV1l49H_CTetXMmIBdQgjGIJrJOpNuCHJ7wSYNcr7Shvy4wP6d4tGIG/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252815%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a replica of the skeletal remains of a dinosaur that<br />
was found while digging the incline tunnel for the tram in 1929</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_tPlh5usx14Tkhxb0jc0RU8RsbzuaUEuwbhyphenhyphenLxg19b-cZkh4DTopmD3P07wlgKEMluDYnvgIqVJztgnyZNzwXfGvuSsNnkgmUpw0SCHlVx1APeJ4m8NhDjM4BT_V2JaE8-_G7nybcSOb/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252821%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_tPlh5usx14Tkhxb0jc0RU8RsbzuaUEuwbhyphenhyphenLxg19b-cZkh4DTopmD3P07wlgKEMluDYnvgIqVJztgnyZNzwXfGvuSsNnkgmUpw0SCHlVx1APeJ4m8NhDjM4BT_V2JaE8-_G7nybcSOb/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252821%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks like a beautiful chandelier huh??!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyTuBrO2BZKNFl02xRWvR-AqmEibBbKXtueWDg_qbMv7V7htLEaVOpfh_bEPWi-JQDszfPTSjXPHSfhClDcBYx9sHJOZJ7_rJ1wF2m2_4BODWJT3MrELZZ5DhcCsvLb8dnB62VUivGlU6V/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252822%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyTuBrO2BZKNFl02xRWvR-AqmEibBbKXtueWDg_qbMv7V7htLEaVOpfh_bEPWi-JQDszfPTSjXPHSfhClDcBYx9sHJOZJ7_rJ1wF2m2_4BODWJT3MrELZZ5DhcCsvLb8dnB62VUivGlU6V/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252822%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSIYO_xFohi7elExF1KOb8TxkIYCxmOG32AOChpWrW3x_ydRcM8Wpz4PAy8FBNQMiCJrjWUe6HdYlnclbRWPhx-Nk7hsKr_WUiAIVjA-TlON6Hu4uuvX0x9oNyBZBTMXVXRhJox-Rb9UU/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252826%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSIYO_xFohi7elExF1KOb8TxkIYCxmOG32AOChpWrW3x_ydRcM8Wpz4PAy8FBNQMiCJrjWUe6HdYlnclbRWPhx-Nk7hsKr_WUiAIVjA-TlON6Hu4uuvX0x9oNyBZBTMXVXRhJox-Rb9UU/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252826%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hole to outside at the top of the caves</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTjRghxf6Q1xuIsr7R8Tk2R8WW10W5pd8MPrr2B0WSKkSQh4of7Py3ukBM_CCfB2ldQMQGhD0_ldf-UyHDhf-0BEoZV5vgNs5wyoFlm7SCdD8ZH_bDCSumNJJkPgraPMneOmVfS5xyClh/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252863%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTjRghxf6Q1xuIsr7R8Tk2R8WW10W5pd8MPrr2B0WSKkSQh4of7Py3ukBM_CCfB2ldQMQGhD0_ldf-UyHDhf-0BEoZV5vgNs5wyoFlm7SCdD8ZH_bDCSumNJJkPgraPMneOmVfS5xyClh/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252863%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Truly Amazing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGYFxw5bKMIR0djsO2tkJDDSltbo_KONQE3mhqUKZ7mLaXnwJEQIX5eyVar22FJnCBwIW-KCJ4V5wMDIFrZol_huxCZoKyYTRdTHCXHvfuIGtpWxDsutdTrjeP4kOf6O1wRO3kv4rReKu/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252835%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGYFxw5bKMIR0djsO2tkJDDSltbo_KONQE3mhqUKZ7mLaXnwJEQIX5eyVar22FJnCBwIW-KCJ4V5wMDIFrZol_huxCZoKyYTRdTHCXHvfuIGtpWxDsutdTrjeP4kOf6O1wRO3kv4rReKu/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252835%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We thought that the orange stalagtites looked like<br />
BBQ Pringles! </td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALbh0SD7mWphzQSqHHRXq5lXTWnr5Vwk8SVoKgHc1SGBKKDVPOJ5UKKecBb-W0kCETJ0cIsuoKxh8dFfis4rhakPDoT4YLbcvR9gmTbJlEEg6yGtKDkV3T1G5cCQjOHyhvUeHGTacWPS8/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252836%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALbh0SD7mWphzQSqHHRXq5lXTWnr5Vwk8SVoKgHc1SGBKKDVPOJ5UKKecBb-W0kCETJ0cIsuoKxh8dFfis4rhakPDoT4YLbcvR9gmTbJlEEg6yGtKDkV3T1G5cCQjOHyhvUeHGTacWPS8/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252836%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots and lots of baby stalagtites</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HdWl7h8l-zIYmAdzRvYrDcvSe8kdFnkxpD7R4qwrunvP7TpEYhs3whwTjflJ6MS0OkZFHxfmWiZEVVWqrzZCRbnWR03y5suzU9fRYa8cJDSrENeEt72WGu2KFMgMl9rvNwVxdajAUKxo/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252841%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HdWl7h8l-zIYmAdzRvYrDcvSe8kdFnkxpD7R4qwrunvP7TpEYhs3whwTjflJ6MS0OkZFHxfmWiZEVVWqrzZCRbnWR03y5suzU9fRYa8cJDSrENeEt72WGu2KFMgMl9rvNwVxdajAUKxo/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252841%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peek-a-Boo</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoRNZ04kLSqTR21hYqdRudgY7cGnPFrAGEyClt3GZKAuRCMckrkEdL2wkRC-8zBxAdKlOFQ4jwgP1-khz8FwQ4e4nuhVGyx8f8W86inxlXoUnJOHQlRQmPskekA8hGRdhE-XvQ4llgJzY/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252842%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoRNZ04kLSqTR21hYqdRudgY7cGnPFrAGEyClt3GZKAuRCMckrkEdL2wkRC-8zBxAdKlOFQ4jwgP1-khz8FwQ4e4nuhVGyx8f8W86inxlXoUnJOHQlRQmPskekA8hGRdhE-XvQ4llgJzY/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252842%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look closely just to the left of center - can you see the<br />
profile of a witch's face??</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7O-vSBPBInZgYuL1WKkPuRvaJQIUcZGJAg_-s4CnysvkEoY6vGLIJP6PlWCoRR7tFYwM8Y5GwB-_RZPNOtXeyknPYGDDV-CSUOIC0KYztrOhhyh8AZ9RBmJ_iINR7GhunjCnpqh3vwJtu/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252846%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7O-vSBPBInZgYuL1WKkPuRvaJQIUcZGJAg_-s4CnysvkEoY6vGLIJP6PlWCoRR7tFYwM8Y5GwB-_RZPNOtXeyknPYGDDV-CSUOIC0KYztrOhhyh8AZ9RBmJ_iINR7GhunjCnpqh3vwJtu/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252846%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDpms7ZADw0P4DzDZRfXEXVIPSYBlQmMHJOaeDVlNg6g-DqSlT9yuj6S-sSzwJT65X7iWJPHfFzP7XA5SsLM-Sma2Ti_yrJuIdgAbzsqMNooGH0gubJnaXoPeRyQ6QfJEbdsN-vXilw2k/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252848%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDpms7ZADw0P4DzDZRfXEXVIPSYBlQmMHJOaeDVlNg6g-DqSlT9yuj6S-sSzwJT65X7iWJPHfFzP7XA5SsLM-Sma2Ti_yrJuIdgAbzsqMNooGH0gubJnaXoPeRyQ6QfJEbdsN-vXilw2k/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252848%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down - the variety of colors was spectacular</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnQE6RwUKcpLXImDQF2wAS9B9aMYq0TxUcCJMV9CscA4Go4rsz_dWlBkNSRX18tlEcOg7mWXjOFflItK1SA5mEimpqF68ZaRTpCdv7Ghxkjmr9u-YZikF5lEt83HiY3WGDyxm1jN4Tchy/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252851%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnQE6RwUKcpLXImDQF2wAS9B9aMYq0TxUcCJMV9CscA4Go4rsz_dWlBkNSRX18tlEcOg7mWXjOFflItK1SA5mEimpqF68ZaRTpCdv7Ghxkjmr9u-YZikF5lEt83HiY3WGDyxm1jN4Tchy/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252851%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtz7YxKSkjqh4eww3peih4UR75rtx18POhb0jd5HpDFqgaTt5fe3Y9A0ZgC2MOUDYxrtD1tkWvsBLLJQ5LZhRpbXRBPcSs3xadoIRfD7DOYfgjkPdiQr9CbR1pf3Wqrh1udo0QUTyZ-HYm/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252854%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtz7YxKSkjqh4eww3peih4UR75rtx18POhb0jd5HpDFqgaTt5fe3Y9A0ZgC2MOUDYxrtD1tkWvsBLLJQ5LZhRpbXRBPcSs3xadoIRfD7DOYfgjkPdiQr9CbR1pf3Wqrh1udo0QUTyZ-HYm/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252854%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WCFdQAQ6_64HuI_fn4A0GshowOGFCweWSIshft8le9ZgI3-nZ1fBEcfp-xdbNH5__BOz2eYlIH3n2aIAYMxTBm62cflIXZ0q48wZxjD1kjcP7eTZ3qNuxMyH1w4VeHzfx4ibbSNYaCD3/s1600/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252864%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WCFdQAQ6_64HuI_fn4A0GshowOGFCweWSIshft8le9ZgI3-nZ1fBEcfp-xdbNH5__BOz2eYlIH3n2aIAYMxTBm62cflIXZ0q48wZxjD1kjcP7eTZ3qNuxMyH1w4VeHzfx4ibbSNYaCD3/s320/Grotte+des+Demoiselles+%252864%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a rainy day away from the house!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This was our most challenging weekend - it rained from Friday night through --- well, it's now Tuesday and it's still raining! We did get a little break on Saturday morning when Andrew and I walked to the tram to go to the outdoor Montpellier market.<br />
<br />
On Friday night we relaxed and watched a <em>Bones </em>episode. I forgot to mention in Adam's birthday blog post that after bowling, we found a VERY LARGE bookstore which reminded me of a Borders and Joanne Etc.. combined - lots of books along with craft items. We had a nice time browsing through the store and Nathan ended up using his birthday Euros from Nana to purchase the first four seasons of one of his favorite shows (and now becoming a favorite of the rest of the family): <em>Bones</em>. Popcorn was popped, we all snuggled on the very uncomfortable couch in our family room and enjoyed watching Booth and Bones solve another murder.<br />
<br />
The kids enjoyed sleeping in on Saturday while Andrew and I jumped out of bed, threw on some clothes and headed for the Montpellier outdoor market which is held down by the aquaducts. We remembered to bring the basket that Mrs. Boisson has loaned us and were looking forward to finding some fresh stuff. Upon our arrival, I noticed that the Basket booth with baskets from Madagascar wasn't there - I assume due to the impending rain, the smart market folks decided not to brave the elements - bummer for me, good for them!<br />
<br />
All of the other booths seemed to be there and we enjoyed looking at the fresh fruits/veggies, cheeses, breads, herbs and spices (much different than the Arles market), fish, shellfish, flowers. We spent a lot of time talking with the lady at the herb/spice booth learning about her business. The herbs that she sells are primarily for medicinal purposes although she does have some pre-packaged curry and tumeric etc.. which we have purchased. Mrs. Boisson had explained to me the first time I went to the market that if we tell the lady at this booth what our problem is, she will come up with an herbal remedy for us! So - Andrew asked what she would suggest for his cholesterol (remember about 10 years ago when the doctor told him that his numbers might be getting a little close to the high range??? He has been very good about watching his cholesterol intake ever since!). A mixture was explained, he had an option of three different ingredients to make it taste good (two were licorice flavors - anise and ???, and one was citrus -he chose citrus), the procedure for preparing the "soup" was explained and everything was packaged up. I asked about my memory issues and was given a package that they have pre-mixed, along with instructions (mine seems to be more of a tea). My mixture contains Melisse, anis vert, ginkobiloba, vervelne, hibiscus, ecorces citron, reglisse, basilic, rocibos vanilla (I copied this off of the package and can't read some of it well - it may even be partially in french).I tried mine the next day and liked it - Andrew has not tried his yet.<br />
<br />
On the way home we decided to walk to the boucherie and pick up some meat - we came home with chicken breasts, ground turkey and pork chops. The rain started soon after we arrived home and the rest of our day was spent playing Parcheesie (sp?), cards, wrestling, skyping, computering, napping, being bored, getting on each other's nerves etc...<br />
<br />
The rain was still pouring down on Sunday morning - I didn't even want to open the shutters but we feel like we are in a cave if we don't so I did and we watched the droplets hit the poolwater out the window. Emma had suggested several times that we go to the other cave we had heard about so Andrew decided that it was time to get out of the house before we hurt each other and called Grotte Des Desmosielles to ask if they were open and what the tour schedule was. It turned out that an english speaking guide would lead a tour at 3:30 so we putzed around the house for a couple of hours until it was time to go at 2:10 or so - the trip was about 45 min. Nathan chose to stay home which was ok with us - I think he needed some alone time.<br />
<br />
As you can see above, the caves were gorgeous! Grotte De Clamouse, which we visited a few weeks ago was amazing in a different way - it was a "newer" area of caves and more crystalized or sparkly. Grotte Des Desmoisels was much older and larger. Some of the "rooms" we visited included: The Royal Room, named for the stalagtites hanging down in such a way that they looked like fabric robes; The "Dining Room" which is where you may be able to see the witch's face in the picture above; "The Cathedral" which is indescribeable - this room was massive - the size of a football stadium at 52 meters high (about 156 feet), 48 meters (about 144 feet) wide and 120 meters (360 feet) in length - full of stalagmites, stalagtites, columns, columns that, due to their weight - had collapsed into themselves, and many different colors from red, orange, blue, green, black, brown etc... - gorgeous! One of the Stalagmites which sits on two platforms in the middle of the cathedral is known as the <em>"Madonna with child" </em>because it actually looks like Mary holding Jesus - very cool! My camera battery had died by the time we saw her and Emma hasn't loaded her pix yet so I couldn't post it.<br />
<br />
The legend of these caves tells the story of a young shepherd who, while looking for a lost sheep, fell into the cavern and upon awakening, claimed to have seen thousands of tiny fairies dancing around him. He ran to the village to inform the people. (nobody knows how John got out of the cave!).<br />
<br />
The first real tour of the caves was in the middle of the eighteenth century but were largely athletic and dangerous and lasted about 14 hours. The caves were open to the larger public in 1931, after the creation of the tunnel in 1929 where the complete skeletal remains of a dinosaur were discovered.<br />
<br />
Our day continued with a rainy ride home, checking out the flooding grape vine fields, overflowing rivers etc... we now are under a flood warning and the rain is supposed to continue through Wednesday night. Sunday evening we enjoyed "<em>On a Clear Day</em>" a movie that Andrew's mom sent - it was slow at first but had a nice story/lesson in the end.<br />
<br />
Monday began with the kids taking placement tests at, what we hope will be, their new school. Emma and Adam started classes today (Tuesday) and Nathan will begin as soon as they find a spot for him at the Lycee (high school). Although Emma and Adam seemed happy to go and take the tests yesterday and were happy afteward, when I got the call that they could begin today, the moods suddenly changed. I am hoping that they are happy, make new friends, learn french and make the most of this new chapter in our trip!<br />
<br />
My french class continues to go well and I've met people from all over - we have nice time together, laugh a lot and understand each other's frustrations. I am, by far, the oldest person in the class and the only one who isn't working at the University or local research facility! Several of the students are post doctoral students and I love hearing about their adventures! <br />
<br />
That's it for now - I have another Sensorial Analysis job tomorrow (Job???!!! ha ha ha ha!)La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-66242143777001607632011-03-14T10:55:00.002+01:002011-03-14T11:33:49.409+01:00Adam's 12th Birthday - March 9, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5VIPyMNVF0PVVSXoMxOh3Gj_5POhfrYDXc7u8JXyyccBY2mAZDFOE7r9xYNbyWoAM7sD7l2vkBlBAqgk_Lq18ZLTBHW_mYVHvjhzweU71AM1FFhikHqD5AEvVigd5eyhNRM50fON4qJJ/s1600/DSC_0211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5VIPyMNVF0PVVSXoMxOh3Gj_5POhfrYDXc7u8JXyyccBY2mAZDFOE7r9xYNbyWoAM7sD7l2vkBlBAqgk_Lq18ZLTBHW_mYVHvjhzweU71AM1FFhikHqD5AEvVigd5eyhNRM50fON4qJJ/s320/DSC_0211.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunchtime! Mac and Cheese for the boys, an apple for<br />
Emma, and a box for the family from Nana!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnzgb1cKezwwN6kmHWnn3ee6xa8Z6i8xSkmSzezT8n8uaq5F654-GDaBDsYgHQ7wmHpeAvkxpstSSba7u5exJn1_lB6EzXOgneWZ71O4RoOtRl3bqDHGIcr4t5_pLtLAZWu7XJgka5UkD/s1600/DSC_0222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnzgb1cKezwwN6kmHWnn3ee6xa8Z6i8xSkmSzezT8n8uaq5F654-GDaBDsYgHQ7wmHpeAvkxpstSSba7u5exJn1_lB6EzXOgneWZ71O4RoOtRl3bqDHGIcr4t5_pLtLAZWu7XJgka5UkD/s320/DSC_0222.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam chose to go bowling on his birthday</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMu-3d1rpCaBMo8Nw9_D0e53UItz5hfn8PiLDz0kIqO0AqfX6k35tli-Uc8HGZR1qtUcAM3sL6drSYgnjqd2hn-25uXLS2Uyi5qeACHagUAkbo6fehla6c_QEx4cHm_6d1SuuKZ1hS4k3J/s1600/DSC_0223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMu-3d1rpCaBMo8Nw9_D0e53UItz5hfn8PiLDz0kIqO0AqfX6k35tli-Uc8HGZR1qtUcAM3sL6drSYgnjqd2hn-25uXLS2Uyi5qeACHagUAkbo6fehla6c_QEx4cHm_6d1SuuKZ1hS4k3J/s320/DSC_0223.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's ready to knock 'em down!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Er7mxEPntb43_v89fp4w7k8qqfTr7hy9OazmcMkGdzexNT3P2hT_abplCHLqv_TDmXqi0gtYmuGfYdr1Laxe6SnQFtZOwGRMKxBnSoSiapnoCcSjzHbTNA0V0uZGdZNTsgO0h-2-1lD4/s1600/DSC_0224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Er7mxEPntb43_v89fp4w7k8qqfTr7hy9OazmcMkGdzexNT3P2hT_abplCHLqv_TDmXqi0gtYmuGfYdr1Laxe6SnQFtZOwGRMKxBnSoSiapnoCcSjzHbTNA0V0uZGdZNTsgO0h-2-1lD4/s320/DSC_0224.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma was shooting for above 73 - the score her dad<br />
predicted she would get</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPOFjvBBobQh0jS43qPOLG6z4tjvHWry-nmL6PfsnpHyurMlfZ_HZ49WIDzS9QF2itfUDNquX3GeyeG6f14cTVZb1rWzEBRnQoSUeCoRv4739vRhuy3JV1CvCvZzWhjrbXDXjBFOt15Qj/s1600/DSC_0230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPOFjvBBobQh0jS43qPOLG6z4tjvHWry-nmL6PfsnpHyurMlfZ_HZ49WIDzS9QF2itfUDNquX3GeyeG6f14cTVZb1rWzEBRnQoSUeCoRv4739vRhuy3JV1CvCvZzWhjrbXDXjBFOt15Qj/s320/DSC_0230.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't believe it's been 12 years!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHftdYj8_jHCl_TaDSQtZemqTzZmLeg2u0RDpk3GICPAHSyv6sRDFwCOxhG3WaqzZ-TXELr8qYVW1TPeRVf3ApbE0wY4d8Wd0z9Ee9In7r8_3HwcypjASvzlbLuDnyqW_Xfuy1eKPbaM8/s1600/DSC_0244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHftdYj8_jHCl_TaDSQtZemqTzZmLeg2u0RDpk3GICPAHSyv6sRDFwCOxhG3WaqzZ-TXELr8qYVW1TPeRVf3ApbE0wY4d8Wd0z9Ee9In7r8_3HwcypjASvzlbLuDnyqW_Xfuy1eKPbaM8/s320/DSC_0244.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We thought it was Mr. Cheerful, it ended up being<br />
Mr. Jester (funny)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdScC9sWIMPGL0Dy3Zvco1KdHy8X91zltbzyd4mPajltNiB2bV3NwGm818YA23ZV2wVhCgDo09w4v7Eu-gUZhyphenhyphen05rbf15kIfqQkvh-RW6mhJnYM3ztNFukvSzsGv6RFCQeE-gIu5fz9X1i/s1600/DSC_0246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdScC9sWIMPGL0Dy3Zvco1KdHy8X91zltbzyd4mPajltNiB2bV3NwGm818YA23ZV2wVhCgDo09w4v7Eu-gUZhyphenhyphen05rbf15kIfqQkvh-RW6mhJnYM3ztNFukvSzsGv6RFCQeE-gIu5fz9X1i/s320/DSC_0246.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam's Birthday cake - strawberry mousse and cake!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQd4h0z7gSQfZUdOSS9p1OMT5nsFsA7v-3nakN6OlYCDpDzvcNLeJdELslRLCf_HtEaTy5ycWDVOMUqvpjRibrLw603Chs_qtQdT-qlKhlIXpGWnSKsoKLmtR3055YT_fqKx5MjuQZExY/s1600/DSC_0253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQd4h0z7gSQfZUdOSS9p1OMT5nsFsA7v-3nakN6OlYCDpDzvcNLeJdELslRLCf_HtEaTy5ycWDVOMUqvpjRibrLw603Chs_qtQdT-qlKhlIXpGWnSKsoKLmtR3055YT_fqKx5MjuQZExY/s320/DSC_0253.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to cut it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XDm3n6DBVnb_-fMfWISrJb_BPYnItf69zsQbmg4NZYO3NifLyd5fqgPeeI7RKe9KQ_JB4PSRenCbMJ8FeqbrpJYuZusmVrU9SoqarmmP1Drcewr3lnaTEuc5T5tvmZss54YH5P51KUHt/s1600/DSC_0254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XDm3n6DBVnb_-fMfWISrJb_BPYnItf69zsQbmg4NZYO3NifLyd5fqgPeeI7RKe9KQ_JB4PSRenCbMJ8FeqbrpJYuZusmVrU9SoqarmmP1Drcewr3lnaTEuc5T5tvmZss54YH5P51KUHt/s320/DSC_0254.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our boy!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="left"></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Wednesday March 9, 2011 was Adam's 12th birthday! It's really difficult to decide how to celebrate when we don't know many people and really don't know anyone his age (he did make some friends at school but it was the school holiday here so he hadn't seen them for awhile). One idea that Adam came up with is going to a Montpellier handball match (pronounced "Hant Bahl"). We talked with Mr. Boisson, jumped online and now have tickets to the Montpellier vs. Chambery match on Wednesday March 16 at the BIG arena. The Montpellier team often plays in a stadium close to our house - we could walk there! But this is a big game and will be held at the arena on the other side of town. We are very excited to go (except for Emma who is choosing not to attend the match).<br />
<br />
So Wednesday began as any other day, with the kids sleeping in until about 9:00, waking up, having some breakfast and then starting their schoolwork - except for Adam who negotiated a day off since it was, afterall, his big day! I let him read his book instead. (in actuality, he has most of his schoolwork from home completed!). Andrew came home for lunch and took the afternoon off, the boys had mac and cheese and I don't remember what the rest of us ate. After lunch Adam decided that he would like to go bowling - so we did!<br />
<br />
As I stated before, bowling isn't cheap (although I recently found out that my brother and his family paid $10/person/game in Columbus - ouch!) We had a fun time, Andrew won and predicted that Emma would get a 73 - which she actually did! The rest of us did alright and Adam came in one point behind Nathan. <br />
<br />
The bowling alley is in the big mall area at the end of theTram 1 route where Geant - the "Super Wal-Mart" type of grocery store is. Adam had requested "Aunt Debbie's Broccoli and Cheese Casserole" for dinner so after bowling, we hit the store to get the ingredients the headed home to prepare the feast! Since Emma doesn't like cheese, and Andrew is constantly watching his cholesterol (for the last 10 years since the doctor told him that it might be getting a little high --- he is very good about watching his intake), as soon as we hit the door, Andrew turned around and walked to the boucherie to get some chicken and some ground turkey so he and Emma would have something to eat.<br />
<br />
The pictures above explain the rest of the evening :) Adam had some gifts to open from us and from Grandma and Grandpa (Eagles wear!) and then tried to read his new French books. For the past couple of weeks, he had been scouring the bookstores for the perfect picture dictionary to help him learn words - although it isn't in one of the pictures above, he did receive one and it is very nice. There was a lot of skyped birthday wishes from home along with e-mails and facebook messages which he loved receiving!<br />
<br />
One of the biggest suprises was an e-mail from North Canton Middle School's 6th grade band and the band director, Mrs. Varn. Mrs. Varn recorded the whole band singing happy birthday to Adam and sent it to him as an attachment to an e-mail - Adam was very touched and so was the rest of the family! I've included it below.<br />
<br />
Overall his birthday was a success, funfilled, and will continue on the 16th when we go to the big match !<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxR_iNJczlZyJQkKNP68oyeItLuOhxUvRgYshrWlF3_picOgIV01XooR9v6vzVGkJmPnrNZW1KhRcJIcYLbiA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div align="center"></div>La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917278111891295043.post-25727607362683644222011-03-08T09:37:00.003+01:002011-03-08T16:53:43.870+01:00Sete France - March 6, 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvoEIoViSn7k3seCKMFZnQP7sn-7tJDGuBA5YnSl-zsZeRd4AKwa7smxy8jH-z2FVlmqDHTrJ7_NGfEGzRG86YxdOgtaUKfYu-dhBwqdROmspT7ZAL4wespwL5LaFNg1uFlTQBzw2veSv/s1600/Sete+France+%252889%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvoEIoViSn7k3seCKMFZnQP7sn-7tJDGuBA5YnSl-zsZeRd4AKwa7smxy8jH-z2FVlmqDHTrJ7_NGfEGzRG86YxdOgtaUKfYu-dhBwqdROmspT7ZAL4wespwL5LaFNg1uFlTQBzw2veSv/s320/Sete+France+%252889%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the bridge over the Grand Canal</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjRbgKJYF6-hffS3lO_Y8ZjkXdeHorbNnE0h-XPtdZ1cBKwt2tzRA84KQs8cKYy84TWx-I-DGYtsoOJhkZhZ2KZycKyeEtelO_XGUoI_qN2GG-i1dJXTeVAb8ZggmaBh5Hs-0Aap6Upks/s1600/Sete+France+%252892%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjRbgKJYF6-hffS3lO_Y8ZjkXdeHorbNnE0h-XPtdZ1cBKwt2tzRA84KQs8cKYy84TWx-I-DGYtsoOJhkZhZ2KZycKyeEtelO_XGUoI_qN2GG-i1dJXTeVAb8ZggmaBh5Hs-0Aap6Upks/s320/Sete+France+%252892%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grand Canal</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pmv7N6qG2x-bUfSvBMWeKjlUcAeDtO3hAQ8cwr46zmu3ZsgQ_YTnR6K8TdeDaWlXEGtDcIzf8RiBUWx8Oy_7BBgYTjdZf_bgXPPPjDaf3zIvxMgtFBr94LztcrIOZ46Pbf78jK7IwaZC/s1600/Sete+France+%2528125%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fGeWlsS0dc8ulAMzwA2lNRALavVUg-uyiP3znuHgcgF0Qq5wiQgM31nKHo90A_E4uE40FX00MtcawZ5cQ-eACrD0zjt77KoSkiu9giKPP7UpQVAUimj0XA3Xcm7A35XX2Ck6MQ12PHps/s1600/Sete+France+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fGeWlsS0dc8ulAMzwA2lNRALavVUg-uyiP3znuHgcgF0Qq5wiQgM31nKHo90A_E4uE40FX00MtcawZ5cQ-eACrD0zjt77KoSkiu9giKPP7UpQVAUimj0XA3Xcm7A35XX2Ck6MQ12PHps/s320/Sete+France+%25285%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVokdi2SmjGqcUatduSnEKECNu-yP7awm6cFvMJhMRZA8rmD_n_tXzpJkfBYV-wMjsropmqkCuyJyjkVTMKU2k5deCFGBWCC8TC_eOP-8slIUU2zww9Zx1XYJdlbjs7RKJXTI8G8mfOU2a/s1600/Sete+France+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVokdi2SmjGqcUatduSnEKECNu-yP7awm6cFvMJhMRZA8rmD_n_tXzpJkfBYV-wMjsropmqkCuyJyjkVTMKU2k5deCFGBWCC8TC_eOP-8slIUU2zww9Zx1XYJdlbjs7RKJXTI8G8mfOU2a/s320/Sete+France+%252810%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of the restaurants had outdoor cafes along the canal<br />
Very sweet!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-45IW-aSS208i28mcs07FgdTJjbhho9za_TLn-9s5cbk-sFncxiZgw4EEsHr4W1enf9KKGjlGSv6wT7e4_Y-46Wwc0D0UYG8w7-RIzPdakXrP5IshaMx0UrLDX9UT9WaVynUdoiDQqiq/s1600/Sete+France+%252811%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-45IW-aSS208i28mcs07FgdTJjbhho9za_TLn-9s5cbk-sFncxiZgw4EEsHr4W1enf9KKGjlGSv6wT7e4_Y-46Wwc0D0UYG8w7-RIzPdakXrP5IshaMx0UrLDX9UT9WaVynUdoiDQqiq/s320/Sete+France+%252811%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hangin out in Sete</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMhJtdKC9DE5pwtlFJIb3_jJHgjk7DdgejTYeYVsJVgI-XhiIU7N7yShG_YpCwA6uoM7wJjaybtuGrbXl69zi-WkThhhmYv0a4AT9MxMDxLdLmr7ZL0EvzbHlp-hnQy3x-UiDx60ueRLZ/s1600/Sete+France+%252817%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMhJtdKC9DE5pwtlFJIb3_jJHgjk7DdgejTYeYVsJVgI-XhiIU7N7yShG_YpCwA6uoM7wJjaybtuGrbXl69zi-WkThhhmYv0a4AT9MxMDxLdLmr7ZL0EvzbHlp-hnQy3x-UiDx60ueRLZ/s320/Sete+France+%252817%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overlooking the Marina </td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0il3qx8Yp86BIlVU7mdTP14BXX5DOlXmF-PVPSxVVjk1xzoNpJvtMaqHnqSGk75gimwAgu44P8uVQIo60D-mI2dLK3w7-Zxd7Tw6lzh6r-VD8L2I2xKvsqBC-vX2rWUqhc68KxtmXV9G/s1600/Sete+France+%252821%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0il3qx8Yp86BIlVU7mdTP14BXX5DOlXmF-PVPSxVVjk1xzoNpJvtMaqHnqSGk75gimwAgu44P8uVQIo60D-mI2dLK3w7-Zxd7Tw6lzh6r-VD8L2I2xKvsqBC-vX2rWUqhc68KxtmXV9G/s320/Sete+France+%252821%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCivHHn_ier4axdK2Frr4PfC3EnYO-JJ7UUtjA3GHLfqAmsyY7WaIfg6mG5s6XiiEBd-mzjL7WP5-k9vvaCm16YavXbLe-i2EKM12nnCNvg4lfFSiZL978EaDrXqgqsLJ2dAgQ64VuQ94Q/s1600/Sete+France+%252836%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCivHHn_ier4axdK2Frr4PfC3EnYO-JJ7UUtjA3GHLfqAmsyY7WaIfg6mG5s6XiiEBd-mzjL7WP5-k9vvaCm16YavXbLe-i2EKM12nnCNvg4lfFSiZL978EaDrXqgqsLJ2dAgQ64VuQ94Q/s320/Sete+France+%252836%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3qqd-xXoAALefBLRa-oo0_PPe4kektqiUPi4bYGsWyf7A_q__DhrZqVT2NNc-VldzFwvlnfu2KR48_eiW-aGF8DIsazE5O-e1F6e06qTE0VTev8KXC6X2D9xnjovqFGBNdvpPpV5qVi5/s1600/Sete+France+%252840%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3qqd-xXoAALefBLRa-oo0_PPe4kektqiUPi4bYGsWyf7A_q__DhrZqVT2NNc-VldzFwvlnfu2KR48_eiW-aGF8DIsazE5O-e1F6e06qTE0VTev8KXC6X2D9xnjovqFGBNdvpPpV5qVi5/s320/Sete+France+%252840%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nEQsrziUy5wjT8RF2-dOtth2h7HuJ4dD3nNMJvmI8c7ITTCIW2sWj89v_E5EmVAacPYosy-6BVsZK4rSeIlWGk0_l3vh2IbpUQ3-FdVWscxB4HyX3HTNxxe8suuzj7H1HAkx2TRuVkzw/s1600/Sete+France+%252842%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nEQsrziUy5wjT8RF2-dOtth2h7HuJ4dD3nNMJvmI8c7ITTCIW2sWj89v_E5EmVAacPYosy-6BVsZK4rSeIlWGk0_l3vh2IbpUQ3-FdVWscxB4HyX3HTNxxe8suuzj7H1HAkx2TRuVkzw/s320/Sete+France+%252842%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmq4KA7jyjX2Ao0hC7hrG-YNrhdzlUrg_tNf2UOqV2ppR2KgB8H0hrlVKpxIa39Qee_8_h8lNQ3V35OPB6wP1JkXFH7XiKrUkXBGSchvNEChEjoYXFy0YK7Gp4CsfVKl14mUcmD06fpFz-/s1600/Sete+France+%252844%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmq4KA7jyjX2Ao0hC7hrG-YNrhdzlUrg_tNf2UOqV2ppR2KgB8H0hrlVKpxIa39Qee_8_h8lNQ3V35OPB6wP1JkXFH7XiKrUkXBGSchvNEChEjoYXFy0YK7Gp4CsfVKl14mUcmD06fpFz-/s320/Sete+France+%252844%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yikes! Look out for aquaman!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PVfSmW4JktGc498cKbFUrStFBg1tSx1XA8rlEdThiE80jn7EpoBW-FYhYaO_GgLYBXsP6DT9ihihIIaNu4m2b9SgCgKIXU_71Krjrra8h1c9QOXR51sV-nipHrSE_oo3VA7k8d68lnRP/s1600/Sete+France+%252845%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PVfSmW4JktGc498cKbFUrStFBg1tSx1XA8rlEdThiE80jn7EpoBW-FYhYaO_GgLYBXsP6DT9ihihIIaNu4m2b9SgCgKIXU_71Krjrra8h1c9QOXR51sV-nipHrSE_oo3VA7k8d68lnRP/s320/Sete+France+%252845%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another picture????!!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFczc_4Sz8M6YwDTVI-PLESO7-W0z-E1BwHQuT25Aw8RPDpEEu2HPcyKZyYh3KVZzkxf_fDsNPBkmJCIERuDAoPBw4CaIV5f8fkex10HtsDywgxsG5eMitT4j03TcSFhEpWnBtCy14Z5W/s1600/Sete+France+%252852%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFczc_4Sz8M6YwDTVI-PLESO7-W0z-E1BwHQuT25Aw8RPDpEEu2HPcyKZyYh3KVZzkxf_fDsNPBkmJCIERuDAoPBw4CaIV5f8fkex10HtsDywgxsG5eMitT4j03TcSFhEpWnBtCy14Z5W/s320/Sete+France+%252852%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUsx6JAQco7sceB0IqMn7kbhxgP6ycaoOS6nO-FggBAcz7JwXJprmfM034uLNOdiLXEeeayu9txmZNl5NN7OScAqS34d8MQrA11UPArgcX2qiy_-0c-5utv5mbXkoEny0BPhTAxl1KcGax/s1600/Sete+France+%252859%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUsx6JAQco7sceB0IqMn7kbhxgP6ycaoOS6nO-FggBAcz7JwXJprmfM034uLNOdiLXEeeayu9txmZNl5NN7OScAqS34d8MQrA11UPArgcX2qiy_-0c-5utv5mbXkoEny0BPhTAxl1KcGax/s320/Sete+France+%252859%2529.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtw9ZYHun1SoqXQpeY95mt2cH64QxKn5Bc6KTbUHuvjZXdnr3E73TiN0xcr5-dW_t96WZDAjRx7XG_w28X5b304iHjtQHOqIYBuxM65EfxjN3ITSeZA0VpNMTdjokm8OkwZIngEhfeuFh/s1600/Sete+France+%252864%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtw9ZYHun1SoqXQpeY95mt2cH64QxKn5Bc6KTbUHuvjZXdnr3E73TiN0xcr5-dW_t96WZDAjRx7XG_w28X5b304iHjtQHOqIYBuxM65EfxjN3ITSeZA0VpNMTdjokm8OkwZIngEhfeuFh/s320/Sete+France+%252864%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relaxed - this is the life !</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3aIjAy4gAjT5KOeJZEvwVRYT1nvKa4S8F8OfNoYG3XgXZIWCGV_pm4Lecl5eHfi8AwhyphenhyphenLjsi8DU_QTmUmAVAGJSE8U5Y9mK1Yq6C1fGrVki5TNpRB59tbzkF8th4nYiUgnOMUJFNSZeu/s1600/Sete+France+%252870%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3aIjAy4gAjT5KOeJZEvwVRYT1nvKa4S8F8OfNoYG3XgXZIWCGV_pm4Lecl5eHfi8AwhyphenhyphenLjsi8DU_QTmUmAVAGJSE8U5Y9mK1Yq6C1fGrVki5TNpRB59tbzkF8th4nYiUgnOMUJFNSZeu/s320/Sete+France+%252870%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nathan caught a sailboat</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFZNPINP9VoUkzd8Mj8841s-XePxK6RjiHApZKDYlgqZfFMfO6IM1CYyPjVQmgSmV_LSC6XfML1euQoXgMzniDCV04qDRIPEPTXDfhvX5sP1sMlawQNdBFmnOCxIlzyBRO2iU9I6dk02o/s1600/Sete+France+%252873%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFZNPINP9VoUkzd8Mj8841s-XePxK6RjiHApZKDYlgqZfFMfO6IM1CYyPjVQmgSmV_LSC6XfML1euQoXgMzniDCV04qDRIPEPTXDfhvX5sP1sMlawQNdBFmnOCxIlzyBRO2iU9I6dk02o/s320/Sete+France+%252873%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma couldn't wait to get her feet in the sand</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiE1q06OvcCKEVP3EJIHaqgAyEzAA6LtSwBVqJjUdJIEGT3w2dBM5ZqbUX0QCHs6zckCojXjqsGlfDAfbx-zi0wrWXZbb60GmVy5hTy8CJfNuJqdLGJTul3ZyX40U8nExXF5CPdGhe1t_a/s1600/Sete+France+%252874%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiE1q06OvcCKEVP3EJIHaqgAyEzAA6LtSwBVqJjUdJIEGT3w2dBM5ZqbUX0QCHs6zckCojXjqsGlfDAfbx-zi0wrWXZbb60GmVy5hTy8CJfNuJqdLGJTul3ZyX40U8nExXF5CPdGhe1t_a/s320/Sete+France+%252874%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam had a great time climbing on all of the rocks<br />
not just these little pebbles</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFe9MAxtUCwK2jtoiQWWegMhYjio0g1pZzkO1ndSbfcdnejcZ9wi36-iRM5oWXFvVtfkUPi1fiCDFADN8_yBbOmmJRXSJt_rToXTQXVR0ec9ABluZw_N-CqPywfi04PVFTCdNYFpZtcG0S/s1600/Sete+France+%252877%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFe9MAxtUCwK2jtoiQWWegMhYjio0g1pZzkO1ndSbfcdnejcZ9wi36-iRM5oWXFvVtfkUPi1fiCDFADN8_yBbOmmJRXSJt_rToXTQXVR0ec9ABluZw_N-CqPywfi04PVFTCdNYFpZtcG0S/s320/Sete+France+%252877%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the warm sunshine!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrriGEdMGjjSKBbHjgGKQMx-ASEEtA68p5q-qCr_jeqtA5_IxntFudIgr37Abr115VBNsegwucZyn9cmPyDdKjk5VgfkpsVrKE0CEwf_fgqfWdGMhP-O68Odz6jG4P0KqSueFYWx12pbZf/s1600/Sete+France+%252881%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrriGEdMGjjSKBbHjgGKQMx-ASEEtA68p5q-qCr_jeqtA5_IxntFudIgr37Abr115VBNsegwucZyn9cmPyDdKjk5VgfkpsVrKE0CEwf_fgqfWdGMhP-O68Odz6jG4P0KqSueFYWx12pbZf/s320/Sete+France+%252881%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was seen from on top of the bridge overhead - cool!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgt-2RfcZvsknPuD1u5mdLOrSvJGfDEUE-dL0KSw1Xc7IdZI6qB4aoVxcCp56NxWwkmSBn_fmp_-0OGYNxB4tVqOfy_Y34ybGaTOeLv4Tu-Ws0-OZUkPH9gHaKwvbbEWbVRWT-Z-GKryv/s1600/Sete+France+%252885%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgt-2RfcZvsknPuD1u5mdLOrSvJGfDEUE-dL0KSw1Xc7IdZI6qB4aoVxcCp56NxWwkmSBn_fmp_-0OGYNxB4tVqOfy_Y34ybGaTOeLv4Tu-Ws0-OZUkPH9gHaKwvbbEWbVRWT-Z-GKryv/s320/Sete+France+%252885%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snacktime - Emma had pizza and the boys had creampuffs<br />
Andy and I shared a Flan - because we didn't know what <br />
it was! A large slice of custard - great!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwcDIpn7n58Sd-9XxNSo_HVRGz7r3Fk7OtD6a7pqdi1nTCX9P_3TuivZpsqOzfZiF0AigSPmZ6NMy493OwCoeg7qOMOiwT3PNZyIzKKx7rYdLYavdnVTYze2xVnnDSVyTBcDLyc40eaYg/s1600/Sete+France+%2528102%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwcDIpn7n58Sd-9XxNSo_HVRGz7r3Fk7OtD6a7pqdi1nTCX9P_3TuivZpsqOzfZiF0AigSPmZ6NMy493OwCoeg7qOMOiwT3PNZyIzKKx7rYdLYavdnVTYze2xVnnDSVyTBcDLyc40eaYg/s320/Sete+France+%2528102%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam found this little guy - he is really in there!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kC1EDIJ2zQZ_wU047Wuesej06TvZRLLGkiUgXrZNx19ATQu_mkMwy6BAq6dSpRklTDugTckNjC9D35fMOq2z0Qowl7G3hNY9vdTnYbaLJjnFQIvebXaOfXOuZW8kih7ViuthF4YFXt3w/s1600/Sete+France+%2528106%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kC1EDIJ2zQZ_wU047Wuesej06TvZRLLGkiUgXrZNx19ATQu_mkMwy6BAq6dSpRklTDugTckNjC9D35fMOq2z0Qowl7G3hNY9vdTnYbaLJjnFQIvebXaOfXOuZW8kih7ViuthF4YFXt3w/s320/Sete+France+%2528106%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Missing home</td></tr>
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</div> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIilnETxhnByB5_RkeMzQSP9xoZTTpJU-kXxJsuVYdxp7-3iPJEPNreFBfD22cSPDYvjTEVJnNo0EI1rZVoqic-eGL1bFoD7-Ge4U5KzgeSd2WDeapOtiAZbbN8A5-OrZjepBkhO7pYer/s1600/Sete+France+%2528126%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIilnETxhnByB5_RkeMzQSP9xoZTTpJU-kXxJsuVYdxp7-3iPJEPNreFBfD22cSPDYvjTEVJnNo0EI1rZVoqic-eGL1bFoD7-Ge4U5KzgeSd2WDeapOtiAZbbN8A5-OrZjepBkhO7pYer/s200/Sete+France+%2528126%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Andrew found this shell </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">(Inside)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="133" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pmv7N6qG2x-bUfSvBMWeKjlUcAeDtO3hAQ8cwr46zmu3ZsgQ_YTnR6K8TdeDaWlXEGtDcIzf8RiBUWx8Oy_7BBgYTjdZf_bgXPPPjDaf3zIvxMgtFBr94LztcrIOZ46Pbf78jK7IwaZC/s200/Sete+France+%2528125%2529.JPG" width="200" /> </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">The outside of the shell</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWipP0J4jtndpoQFiWiwwlxwBI_TA0gKUMXNZF-svmX9iVuIV9xcI3dNp3rr_hUBcByTxnP3sShIsF-R7HpjD4rXzhS5ychdB10f0DW0H78BF_PSz34nb_qCIZcPDvQ3ZVm14vjYPHSqIL/s1600/Sete+France+%2528131%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWipP0J4jtndpoQFiWiwwlxwBI_TA0gKUMXNZF-svmX9iVuIV9xcI3dNp3rr_hUBcByTxnP3sShIsF-R7HpjD4rXzhS5ychdB10f0DW0H78BF_PSz34nb_qCIZcPDvQ3ZVm14vjYPHSqIL/s200/Sete+France+%2528131%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZVo0D8jx5MGXvw2tqN9zINM14QR4sCrN3E5ibqFHnFHbpncg2zibc6wh5An-F7t363YmAuvEZ5TFa4mo35qgrlmBgDWzPxWgAuP2v_hqwxZuVEB7PM5zsnkinvgGdfEJHl9yhFs9CXk9/s1600/Sete+France+%2528133%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZVo0D8jx5MGXvw2tqN9zINM14QR4sCrN3E5ibqFHnFHbpncg2zibc6wh5An-F7t363YmAuvEZ5TFa4mo35qgrlmBgDWzPxWgAuP2v_hqwxZuVEB7PM5zsnkinvgGdfEJHl9yhFs9CXk9/s200/Sete+France+%2528133%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtSmXUg7NN4lTasF_wZR3ZXCO2MmHmqY66JHsSQt90I3eTxbLAMgKAzD0bS9aEnhqqVPrCWu3U711_lnDNIsfUIjDCLj29DtR8cCJ9mEBFvLfoBISqKUQkAgQ9EY1vI4b_gjgKcd-Ps3c/s1600/Sete+France+%2528138%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtSmXUg7NN4lTasF_wZR3ZXCO2MmHmqY66JHsSQt90I3eTxbLAMgKAzD0bS9aEnhqqVPrCWu3U711_lnDNIsfUIjDCLj29DtR8cCJ9mEBFvLfoBISqKUQkAgQ9EY1vI4b_gjgKcd-Ps3c/s320/Sete+France+%2528138%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a differenct sea critter - see his story, complete with <br />
video, below</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZIyW7YhkMikeL_XtIMFVAbsOPhmgxddujMcbUv368hjdj5fmiCYg81QDNjdvV56E1Oyaxll37hgDxdtN879-ZmipUX-9owGDtsEJrHrYmue42TiYwpVrDl_QP0QZceI0JWB0V24st99P/s1600/Sete+France+%2528145%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZIyW7YhkMikeL_XtIMFVAbsOPhmgxddujMcbUv368hjdj5fmiCYg81QDNjdvV56E1Oyaxll37hgDxdtN879-ZmipUX-9owGDtsEJrHrYmue42TiYwpVrDl_QP0QZceI0JWB0V24st99P/s320/Sete+France+%2528145%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying our picnic spot on the beach<br />
</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkTy5Fdfx9ik292KE3MtAee9MsDAm_6n-u9FyFsM9Jfz7J6dXyiBEJI-OD3CTw3RdvqrfLWPANDp4MLyvuS0Pwg-alL5JHiRaTxLdqx_bEmTLqD6AhZgcJ30ZDwjputaEe5x_aUILolUr/s1600/Sete+France+%2528172%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkTy5Fdfx9ik292KE3MtAee9MsDAm_6n-u9FyFsM9Jfz7J6dXyiBEJI-OD3CTw3RdvqrfLWPANDp4MLyvuS0Pwg-alL5JHiRaTxLdqx_bEmTLqD6AhZgcJ30ZDwjputaEe5x_aUILolUr/s320/Sete+France+%2528172%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I happened to snap this on the way out of town</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTgKHSMsghpT_L4hQVwQKFtMcyXqvj-jLVRCQafMshSXyXtKenVrV1-IFy9gU8jp5C5jPlySDyiT0J9WlXqXzzKKN3asmVuZkXY3-321fEud2jc2NS5Pu2-Sg9vyzjYIYeVh1CiQdnm0n/s1600/Sete+France+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTgKHSMsghpT_L4hQVwQKFtMcyXqvj-jLVRCQafMshSXyXtKenVrV1-IFy9gU8jp5C5jPlySDyiT0J9WlXqXzzKKN3asmVuZkXY3-321fEud2jc2NS5Pu2-Sg9vyzjYIYeVh1CiQdnm0n/s320/Sete+France+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More pink flamingos! Hi Annie! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-cfbQUQRnsL6tWGWN0fz-AUj_ZVkWj-oVuFp__9njVlNp-0B2fnbEO-FQn0JVghu2Iu0JDFNywQDU25PcAP4lhi20Gaex-XQZo9qs-72bTK3HjUMUEfn43N0QsPT9WF_FEnpwQExL8w6/s1600/Domaine+du+Mas+de+madame+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-cfbQUQRnsL6tWGWN0fz-AUj_ZVkWj-oVuFp__9njVlNp-0B2fnbEO-FQn0JVghu2Iu0JDFNywQDU25PcAP4lhi20Gaex-XQZo9qs-72bTK3HjUMUEfn43N0QsPT9WF_FEnpwQExL8w6/s320/Domaine+du+Mas+de+madame+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Domaine Du Mas De Madame - Winery/Vineyard</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxhpWZRLlQaEZH90ol9Eo_eorZjJJuH3aIgHfAFZUlLDasXOlSQGZ3PJeh_UjhNfiTw2LLTnn0bqyMtaKmEUkqkWlR2wbbPPRrxmdWiN_NU27NqstGQWUj0eJX34cl7erNkyxw1iDtP6H/s1600/Domaine+du+Mas+de+madame+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxhpWZRLlQaEZH90ol9Eo_eorZjJJuH3aIgHfAFZUlLDasXOlSQGZ3PJeh_UjhNfiTw2LLTnn0bqyMtaKmEUkqkWlR2wbbPPRrxmdWiN_NU27NqstGQWUj0eJX34cl7erNkyxw1iDtP6H/s320/Domaine+du+Mas+de+madame+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15S49tDBpgFg4DkBYB7e8ZMrjp8ZROmhu4HHisr798UK2dEwzHNJS_1u7d1ME6VdXijQzPeiPfAcTn86ChrQmd2cwsuLBGeKsmSyQPZkt8az8AyATbyrTQpZPW5pQlV1ID5TfjtLlPFoO/s1600/Domaine+du+Mas+de+madame+%25289%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15S49tDBpgFg4DkBYB7e8ZMrjp8ZROmhu4HHisr798UK2dEwzHNJS_1u7d1ME6VdXijQzPeiPfAcTn86ChrQmd2cwsuLBGeKsmSyQPZkt8az8AyATbyrTQpZPW5pQlV1ID5TfjtLlPFoO/s320/Domaine+du+Mas+de+madame+%25289%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sete was fantastic! It is a major fishing and industrial port in France. The Grand Canal is surrounded by adorable little cafes, restarurants and shops that sell ships' lamps, propellers, fisherman type clothing etc... Of course there are sailboats and fishing boats everywhere. We were intrigued with the very large fishing boats which were piled high with fish nets, chains, bouys (sp??), anchors. I told Andy that I was reminded of the movie "<em>The Perfect Storm</em>".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We started at the Office of tourism after finally finding a place to park the car. We retreived a couple of maps and pamphlets and were off! We hiked up the hill to the middle (not quite the top) of the town where <em>Cimetiere Marin</em> (old cemetary) is located and where the famous poet Paul Valery, is buried. We then headed down to walk along the Grand Canal and past all of the restaruants and cafes. What a beautiful, sweet walk! I enjoyed seeing the many people sitting at the seaside tables, enjoying their wine (yes - at 11:00 am!), and snacks - usually some type of fresh seafood.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Walking along the marina was relaxing and gorgeous as well, with all of the docked sailboats bobbing in the water waiting for the next ride out to sea. We did see a couple of young guys getting one of the vessels ready for departure - masts up, sails out etc... The lighthouse was very cool to look at and the view from that point was lovely - hazy, but lovely. The kids enjoyed climbing on the rocks and finding a small part of sandy beach area -we spent about 20 - 30 minutes playing in that little patch of sand and enjoying the sun and sailboats. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On our way out, Adam decided to walk along the inside of the "wall" that seperated the rocky area from the sidewalk/parking lot - as he approached part of the wall that had an opening for him to climb through, I noticed that a couple of people were preparing to pose for a picture in that exact spot so I, in my very confident French accent said "Pardon, uno momento s'il vous plait" - to which Nathan said - "Mom, you just spoke 1/2 in French and 1/2 in Spanish" and after thinking about it, I realized that he was absolutely right! So, we decided that I had just created my own language ---wait, no! We'll call it Catalyn - that language that is spoken on the Spanish/French border that we've heard about!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After our little walk down the marina, we found a nice patisserie and purchased a couple of snacks to tide us over until our picnic lunch that we decided to eat at the beach - just up the road!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The lady at the Tourism office told us that there is a beach that is 8 kilometers long right up the street - we headed back to the Peugot, paid our parking, and headed for the beach. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The beach was very nice - much like the beaches at Sts. Maries del Mar where there were many "inlets" of sandy areas seperated by rocky terrain. it's almost as if a group could set up shop in their own little private beach area. After we enjoyed our picnic lunch of sandwiches, baguettes, cheeses, fruit and water, we strolled along the sand, climbed on the rocks, skipped rocks, wrote names and messages in the sand and found many sea creatures - some were still in their little sea houses (shells) and some were out in their birthday suits! One BIG snail/slug whatever you call them, was sitting in the water when Emma said "hey look, it's a slug!" and Nathan, very smartly replied "yea, right Emma -- that's a stick", so, they tossed something at it and it started to move and Nathan jumped! Ha - guess it is alive - Emma laughed :) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Adam found the little guy above - he thought it was just a shell but when he looked inside, sure enough, the owner of that house was still occupying the space - Adam waited for him to emerge but didn't see any sign of him wanting to come out and play so, he put him in the shallow water and barricaded him with other shells. As we continued to play -- Andy found another critter, much like Adams. Very interesting shell with sharp points all around --- which leads me to the story below entitled:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">POTENTIAL INVOLUNTARY CRITTER SLAUGHTER</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">AT LA PLAGE (THE BEACH)</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy149uF1iO8CvUcigNNsxMMgA1MLa1zl0DQK3ICs-VAE_sAuwN5_d4NRn05yWGSdYf_RC9_h-tJ8AHge9P05Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
As Adam was playing barefooted on the rocks approximately 100 yards from the (almost) murder sight, Andrew found the cute little critter in the video above, picked him up, and announced, "Hey, here's another little guy like the one Adam found!" so we all began yelling for Adam because this guy was actually out of his shell and reaching around for something to grab onto! Andrew placed him on the sand so we could watch as he crawled around. We enjoyed watching his little claws grab the sand and pull his shell along and commented how cute he was and how we should put him back in the water. As Emma, Andy and I were all focused on our entertainment for the moment, off in the distance, a chase was brewing between the brothers. Nathan had gone to get Adam and explain what dad had found. All of a sudden I heard Emma exclaim "No! Adam! No!!!!!!" and I looked up to see Adam running at us and just in time to see his foot come up and land directly on top of our new found friend! Of course I began yelling at Adam that he'd just stepped on the critter and didn't pay attention to the fact that Adam was now jumping around holding his foot - oh yea, did I mention the pointy spikes coming from the shell - well, four of them ended up going into Adam's foot - one punctured the skin more than the others and there was blood streaming out of his foot.<br />
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We calmed Adam down and Andy kept watch over the critter to determine if it was a life or death situation - Nathan and Emma ran for Adam's shoes, socks and some papertowels from the picnic area and we got Adam's foot to stop bleeding. Miraculously, the critter actually started to move around and seemed to be alright! We were all relieved as we placed him back into the sea and headed home.<br />
<br />
On the trip home, we spied some more pink flamingos and stopped into Domain Del Mas Du Madame, a winery specializing in white, sweet, Muscat wines. This entire region grows white grapes and focuses primarily on Muscat. The first wine we tried was not a sweet muscat which suprised both of us as the only Muscat we've had (in California) was syrupy sweet. We liked the first and tried two more which had hints of Mango, Lichie fruit and citrus. Nathan chose the bottle that we purchased and we headed for home. This wine will have to wait for a nice hot sunny day!<br />
<br />
The Boissons have their grandchildren staying with them for the week since all students in France are on winter break so we have six little people - 5 boys and 1 girl, all under 9 years old, running around the yard. The best day was Monday morning when, at around 7:45 am - all of the kids were outside running and playing, laughing and screaming, running past Nathan and Adam's windows and having a great time --- all the while our three angels were trying to sleep! Nathan was so excited that he got out of bed, opened the window and closed the shutters - he didn't seem to mind if the kids saw him doing so or what they thought - HE NEEDED TO SLEEP MORE! I reminded him that he was that age once, loved to run around laughing and playing and probably kept a few people awake also. The Boisson grandchildren are very cute - the little girl who is 9, Matilde, came over when we had Mrs. Boisson's keyboard (piano) and very politely said: "I'd like to play the piano please" - she came in, sat down, and played beautifully! We couldn't chat with her much since she doesn't speak much more english than what she said but we did manage to play three games of UNO with her - colors and numbers, we did fine!<br />
<br />
As for my French language classes - they are going well! I have met several people in the class and enjoy visiting with them before and after class - we all take the same bus after the class is over so we talk about the classes and learn about each other. The two girls I've chatted with most are from Australia and New Zealand - the New Zealand girl, whose name is Gillian, informs us about the recent earthquake and the progress of rebuilding Christchurch. Her father happened to be in a business meeting on the top floor of an office building in Christchurch when the earthquake happened but the building held fast and he is fine. There is a lot of damage to homes and to historical buildings that were built before people knew that there was a fault line running under Christchurch. I've also become friends with a greek gentleman whose wife, from Conneticut arrived last week (I had coffee with her this morning - very nice!), a gentleman from Iran, one from Brazil, a girl from Thailand and others. We have a very nice and friendly group and believe that we are learning a lot :) We need to chat with other people though to practice our skills.<br />
<br />
That's it for now! Enjoy your weeks! Bonne Journee! Au revoir!</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>La Famille Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12346910806289143361noreply@blogger.com3