From Paris to . . .

to Etratat . . .

to Normandy . . .

to Mont St. Michel . . .

and back to Paris!

Buongiorno

They're Here!

with luggage!

Day One and our weather was perfect.

Out of Pocket

We bought a new bike.  

It's small and red and has training wheels.

But that's not what I mean by "out of pocket".

My family always used the term "out of pocket" to mean being unavailable.  That's not the case everywhere.  In some places this term means you've paid for something and feel you didn't get what you paid for.  In my case, I mean the former.

Anyway, I said all that to say . . . we are having company for the next 2+ weeks! And I hope we put a few kilos on the cobblestones on that little red bike with training wheels!

Hopefully I can post a photo or two since I plan to fill up my memory card. :)

Slechtvalken

So ugly they're cute?

Op de site van OSB-platenproducent Norbord in Genk zijn opnieuw vier slechtvalken geboren.

Daar staat al sinds 2005 een nestkast bovenop de 80 meter hoge schoorsteen. Slechtvalken zijn een beschermde diersoort. Vier jongen in een nest slechtvalken is vrij uitzonderlijk. Toch gebeurde dat ook al in 2007.

And in English . . .

On the site of OSB producer Norbord Genk are four peregrine falcons born. There has been since 2005 a nest box on top of the 80 meter high chimney. Peregrine falcons are a protected species.  Four young in a nest of peregrine falcons is quite exceptional.  Yet it happened also in 2007.

FYI - 80 meters is nearly 2 Wyly Towers!

They may not be much to look at now, but they'll mature to be beautiful, with a wingspan of up to 4 feet.  They are also the fastest member of the animal kingdom reaching up to 200 miles per hour during its high speed dive.

-phobia, -phobe, -phobic

phobia  pho·bi·a (fō'bē-ə) 
n. from the Greek word meaning "fear"

1. A persistent, intense, abnormal, illogical, or irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid the feared stimulus.

Anthropophobia - Fear of people or society.

Xenophobia - Fear of strangers or foreigners.

From A to the Z sound, there are over 500 named phobias.  

Having the abnormal and irrational fear of something that compels one to avoid it, accept it as normal and often to never understand it.  In the field of psychiatry the suffixes -phobia, -phobe, -phobic are used to describe this irrational fear as a mental disorder.

This was one of the headline stories in our newspaper this morning, 17 May.

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Internationale Dag tegen Homofobie

07:00 BINNENLAND Zeventien mei, vandaag dus, is het de internationale dag tegen de homofobie. Dat is zo omdat de Wereldgezondheidsorganisatie op 17 mei 1990 homoseksualiteit van de lijst van de geestesziektes heeft geschrapt.

Homofobie is angst en haat voor homo's en lesbiennes. Dat komt nog veel voor. Volgens de ILGA, een internationale koepelorganisatie die de belangen van homo's en lesbiennes verdedigt, wordt homoseksualiteit nog in 54 landen strafrechtelijk veroordeeld.

In Nigeria, Somalië, Mauretanië, Soedan, Saudi-Arabië en Iran staat er nog de doodstraf op. En in een vijftiental staten meer dan tien jaar cel, aldus de ILGA. De meeste repressieve landen liggen in Afrika en de moslimstaten zijn flink oververtegenwoordigd. En dan zijn er nog een boel staten (waaronder China) waarover geen gegevens bestaan.

Amnesty International

Amnesty International voert al vele jaren actie tegen homofoob geweld. Vanaf vandaag tot oktober focust de mensenrechten organisatie op holebi-rechten in Sub-Sahara-Afrika. En meer bepaald op opsluiting van holebi's in Kameroen en straffeloosheid voor homofobe 'hate crimes' in Zuid-Afrika.

België kent geen wet die homoseksualiteit bestraft, er is zelfs een antidiscriminatiewet waardoor de minimumstraffen voor homofoob geweld worden verzwaard. En er is het homohuwelijk. Maar desondanks steekt ook hier het homofoob geweld steeds meer de kop op. 

And now in English . . .

International Day Against Homophobia

Seventeen May, so today, it is the international day against homophobia. That is because the World Health Organization on 17 May 1990 deleted homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses.

Homophobia is fear and hatred for gay men and lesbians. This is still common. According to ILGA, an international umbrella organization representing the interests of gay and lesbian advocates, in 54 countries homosexuality is still criminally convicted.

In Nigeria, Somalia, Mauritania, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Iran it is still punishable by death. And in a dozen states over ten years in prison, according to the ILGA. The most repressive countries are in Africa and the Muslim states are significantly over represented. And then there are a lot of states (including China) for which no data exist.

Amnesty International

Amnesty International has for many years taken action against homophobic violence. From today until October human rights organization are focusing on gay rights in Sub-Saharan Africa. And more specifically imprisonment of gays in Cameroon and impunity for homophobic hate crimes' in South Africa.

Belgium has no law that punishes homosexuality, there is even an anti-discrimination law so that the minimum sentences for homophobic violence is increased. And gay marriage is legal. But despite these measures, the homophobic violence increasingly emerges. 

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I am anxious from time to time, but I try to keep my irrational fears in check.  I hope you will too.

Class Dismissed

My Flemish class is winding down.  I've not missed a day so far.  For five days a week, I've learned a little more Dutch and more importantly, I've had the privilege of getting to know some very nice people.

Our teacher has masterminded a class where we spend a great deal of time talking to each other - one on one. Partnering for each assignment.  My only regret is that I don't speak better Flemish.

We still have our perceived assigned seats that we chose on Day One of the class.

To my left sits Zahra from Afghanistan.  She's a poetsvrouw (poots vrow) - a cleaning lady.  When asked what she likes to do - she says she likes to clean.  She's married and has a 2 year old son. She shared a picture of him with me one day and I told her in my best Flemish that he is beautiful.  And he is. 

My effort at a conversation with Zahra in a language neither of us speaks very well . . .

Me: How long have you been in Belgium?

Zahra: For 10 years.

Me: Will you ever go back to Afghanistan?

Zahra: When it is calm, I hope to return because my family is there.

Me: I hope it too.

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Next to Zahra sits Makka from Chechnya.  She is young, in her 20's.  She is happy and laughs every day. I don't know how long she has been in Belgium nor why she is here.  She told me her parents are dead and she dreams of going to Paris one day.  Sometimes she brings gum or oranges or cookies for everyone.  She says she wants her hair to grow longer, but I cannot see her hair because it is covered with a veil.

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To my right sits Mohammed from Iraq.  He is 26 years old, but looks more like 18.  He is skinny with jet black hair and says he loves to play all sports.  He said he hopes to have a house of his own and be able to stay in Belgium, but he is not certain how long he will be allowed to stay. We partner for nearly every assignment, but he's never changed seats.  He always sits to my right.  He doesn't get to attend class every day now.  He told us that he got a job training to be an auto mechanic.  He was so proud. 

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Our class will end and I'll probably never see any of them again, but it was my good fortune to get to know them. Zahra may  return to Afghanistan, and Makka may climb the Eiffel Tower, and Mohammed may build his house in Belgium.

I hope it. I sincerely hope it.

Piano

Piano - that's Dutch for piano - and also French for piano, and Italian, and Spanish, and Finnish, and Swedish, and Norwegian, and Portuguese . . .

If all language could be that easy.

If you've known me for very long, you know my mother was a music teacher and that she taught piano lessons every afternoon for as long as I remember.  There are hundreds of adults who may often thank her when they read a piece of music or sit down at a piano.  She didn't teach them to compete at the rally, but taught them to enjoy music. That's all.  They played what they liked and if it was the Beatles over Bach, then so be it.

I didn't have quite the love for playing the piano that she did, but on her insistence, I took lessons.  Not from her.  She knew it was necessary to take lessons from someone other than her.  When I entered high school, she said I could quit.  And I did.  But fortunately it's a bit like riding a bike and although I wish my vision was a little better and I could remember a little more, I can still find my way around a piano and a piece of music.  

I guess I'm also one of those hundreds of adults thanking my mother.

She taught lessons to Randi for a few years.  Randi loved my mother and probably enjoyed playing the piano more for that reason than any other.  I'm sure she can still play and read music and is grateful, but it is Ross who inherited the love of playing the piano.  

I often lament over how much my mother would have loved to hear Ross play . . .

I know I'll never play like her or him, but Jim bought a piano for us a couple of weeks ago and I have enjoyed every minute!  I'm re-learning Fur Elise and The Entertainer, both of which I played in a piano recital nearly 40 years ago.

If you're lucky enough to have a piano, go play something and don't forget to thank that piano teacher who made it all possible.  And in my case, a mother, who insisted I learn to play.

Norwegian Good

Recently Ross brought his friend, Ida (pronounced Eeda) to our house for a visit.  She's from Norway and is also studying French in Paris. We don't speak Norwegian, but of course, Ida (Eeda) speaks English.  Fluently.  We cooked fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole and she seemed to thoroughly enjoy our Southern cooking.

It was a pleasure to get to know Ida and I wish I'd taken a photo of all of us to share with you, but I didn't  :-(

So, last week, an article appeared in the news about the best places in the world to be a mother.  I've read this annual Save the Children report before, but this time it really caught my eye because the number one place in the world to be a mother is . . . you guessed it.  Norway.

The report considers a multitude of things like health, security, education and economic conditions for 165 countries.  Of those 165 countries, 45 are considered developed countries or "peers" to the U.S.  I was disappointed to read that the U.S. ranks #25, but also happy to see it had moved up from #31 in 2011.

2012 Mothers' Index Rankings

TOP 10 - BEST PLACES TO BE A MOTHER
RANK	COUNTRY
1	Norway
2	Iceland
3	Sweden
4	New Zealand
5	Denmark
6	Finland
7	Australia
8	Belgium
9	Ireland
10	Netherlands/United Kingdom

I noticed something interesting about this list of countries and that is, with the exception of New Zealand and Australia, they are all within a stone's throw of each other - globally speaking.  I'm sure that doesn't mean anything, just something I noticed.

If you're interested in the rest of the report, click HERE.


And since I couldn't resist that post title . . .

One Thousand Days

1000 Awesome Things is a book written by Neil Pasricha.  I've never read it, but I read a few of the things Neil thinks are awesome and I agree . . . like

Driving by the house you grew up in.

Someone picking you up at the airport.

The other side of the pillow.

Thousand Day Promise is a drama written by Kim Soo-huyn about a woman who is losing her memory and the loving man who stands by her side.  I've never read it, but I may one day.

Anne of a Thousand Days is a 1969 movie about Henry VIII of England, his second wife, Anne Boleyn and their thousand days together before her eventual beheading in 1536.  I've never seen the movie, but it's history so maybe I will some day.

The 1,000 Days Partnership promotes action for improved nutrition for mothers and children in the first 1,000 days between a woman's pregnancy and her child's 2nd birthday.  Their mission is to help break the cycle of poverty.  

We are approaching our 1000th day in Belgium.  That's 2 years, 8 months, 27 days. It has changed our lives completely and it seems like a milestone of some sort, I guess.

I've had a link for a fundraising website for Kelli Richmond on my blog for a couple of months now. We felt blessed to share in her hope.

About a thousand days ago her life changed completely too.

And on Tuesday, the first of May, her family said goodbye to her and began a journey that will last far more than a thousand days.

The website link will come off, but before it does . . . if you haven't clicked on "Read More", I wish you would.

Even if you didn't know Kelli, her blog and this newspaper article will make you wish you had.  

  

Arrivederci

This is the island of Giudecca.  This photo is taken from the shore in Venice.

Here it is on a map.  It's that long island south of Venice.

The building dominating the island is Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore (Church of the Most Holy Redeemer) and commonly known simply as Il Redentore.  It's a Roman Catholic church built in thanksgiving after a major outbreak of the plague in 1575 in which approximately 46,000 people died.


I'd say a weekend is certainly long enough to see Venice, but I could have stayed longer and I hope to go back some time.  The weather was nearly perfect and it really is a fascinating place like no other we've ever seen.

One of the highlights of our trip was attending this concert . . .

It was fantastic.  We were so glad we made the decision to go. There is an opera or concert nearly every night so if you're ever in Venice and have the time, I recommend it.

The concerts are held at the Chiesa San Vidal (Church Saint Vidal).

This group of musicians, Interpreti Veneziani, has been playing together since the 1980's and it was obvious how much they enjoyed their work and making beautiful music with each other.  

As we walked to catch the very early shuttle bus to the airport, the streets of Venice were very quiet.  These risers lined the streets so they are ready to assemble into a makeshift sidewalk in the event of rising water.  

Venice is covered in water from time to time.

I found this photo on the internet.  It is San Marco Square under water in 2010.

Here's my picture of that same area.

I also found the following video on YouTube.  It's a portion of the same Interpreti Veneziani concert we attended and a nice bonus video of Venice.  Enjoy!

Arrivederci Venezia!

Salute

As the Italians say . . . when life gives you lemons, make limoncello.

We tried this digestif recently and realized what we'd been missing!  Authentic limoncello is to be made with lemons grown in the Sorrento region of Italy only.  

The rind is the part of lemon used to make the liqueur, not the juice.  I read that the rind of this particular lemon is different than most lemons so we bought one and tried it. The rind was really thick and it had a mild taste, not bitter or sweet really. 

I must assume that huge cardboard sign, in English, was for us :) 

Limoncello is best served straight from the freezer - remember liquor doesn't freeze - in little aperitif glasses right out of the freezer too. Our dorm fridge freezer is now a chilling station for limoncello and aperitif glasses.  You can make limoncello yourself, but don't.  Just buy this one if you can find it.

Quick FYI - an aperitif is a "before dinner drink" like champagne or a liquer mixed with sparkling wine and a digestif is an "after dinner drink" and is usually sweet.

While wandering the streets of Venice we noticed at least one or two tables at each cafe' with a pretty orange cocktail.  Naturally we had to find out what it was and try one for ourselves.  It is called an Aperol Spritz.  If not ordered at a restaurant, you can make it yourself at home.  I assume Aperol is available everywhere.  I hope so.  Here's the recipe:

Aperol Spritz

3 parts Prosecco

2 parts Aperol

1 splash of soda or seltz

ice + half a slice of orange

In addition to good Italian drinks, these cookies are delizioso as well. They are called pane del pescatore or "bread of the fisherman".  Similar to a scone, they are not too sweet with a few nuts and raisins.  I may try making them because they are so good.  If you'd like to try making them, here's the RECIPE.

Salute

aka Cheers

Untitled

On May 1, Kelli Richmond's battle with cancer ended.

I don't know what else to say . . .

Canalasso

That's "Venetian" for Grand Canal (Canal Grande in Italian).

The Canal runs through Venice in an "S" shape and is about 2 miles long.

These boats with the wooden upper half are taxis.

They are really beautiful.

The water in the canal is very clean and a wonderful blue color.

Most of the traffic is public transportation, but since there are no cars in Venice, a boat is the only way to get around besides on foot.  There aren't enough streets without a bridge so no bikes either.

Buildings along the canal are from the 13th to 18th century.  This picture is taken as we are sitting at one of the many cafes along the canal.

Since there are zero cars and trucks, we saw a lot of things that you would normally see being delivered by car or truck -  like this boat full of fruit and vegetables.  We saw 2 boats filled with household items - tv, plants, bed - Moving Day!

Three bridges cross the Grand Canal. The most famous is the Rialto (above), built in 1588. Notice the width of the whole thing and that arch in the middle.  The bridge looks exactly the same on the other side.  The middle is open and all those windows are little shops.  

You can see the boat in the foreground is delivering a load of "something" in boxes.  

This is the interior of the Rialto Bridge.  Since there are two identical sides, you can walk up and down either side looking out toward the canal or use these steps in the middle with shops on both sides.  It's a total of 75 feet wide.

There are plenty of gondolas to tour the city.  At 80 euro per person (that's over $100 each), we decided this was not so important to us.  This photo is also taken while we were sitting at another cafe'.

We had lunch at two different "touristy" restaurants along the Grand Canal and the food was really good at both places.  This is not by my standards because I'm happy with a hamburger, but by Jim's standards and he knows good food!

The traffic gets congested from time to time and there didn't seem to be any organization to it all.  Best we could tell, there's no right lane or left lane and traffic goes both ways and in the middle!  Those large vessels are their equivalent of a metro and called a vaporetto.  They were always crowded and we stayed off them for a variety of reasons, not least of all the security of our wallets.  It is Italy!

The gondolas are moored for the night. Sunset on the Canalasso.