Wow! I have been bad! Forty days without a blog here?!?!??!
Things have been busy in here in Sceaux, of the province of Ile-de-France, the regions of Hauts-de-Seine, outside of Paris, in France. Last time I posted here was July 3rd. We had some of our French neighbors over that night for a traditional "4th of July meal": BBQ pork sandwiches, potato salad, watermelon, and chocolate cake (Pam made all of the above, except the watermelon, but she did cut it). I had a slideshow of our "Great Western Vacation", which Pam and I took in 2007, playing on the 32" TV. It was good for conversation, and a good time had by all. On July 4th, Pam and I saw the Statue of Liberty -- the one here in France on the Seine, and think by the 9th bridge (they are numbered). This is the same one, you recall, which was referenced in "National Treasure 2". I arranged a very nice dinner cruise on the Seine for us to enjoy the 4th and her being here for nearly a month at that time. The 4th also represented the last full day of the rental furniture, for on Monday the 5th, they hauled it away leaving the apartment quite bare (our stuff was in-country going through customs).
With no furniture and therefore no place to sleep, we went into Paris to the Royale Phare Hotel, right across from the Metro stop Ecole Militaire, and the place we stayed when we celebrated our 20th anniversary in 1999. It is a typical French, as opposed to international business, hotel. Small rooms and no air-conditioning. In 1999, we came in late March so the A/C was not an issue. In July of 2010, we needed the windows open, and got to enjoy the sounds of the City of Lights -- all night long. There was a lull at 3AM, but it started again at 5AM with garbage and delivery trucks making their appointed rounds. Pam got to do a bit sight-seeing and lots of shopping, and I got to schlep over an hour to work on the fabled public transportation systems -- oh yeah, I was only going 7 miles. Our three nights in Paris were enough, and we were anxious to return to Sceaux (where the only thing you hear in the morning other than my snoring is the singing of birds).
Our furniture arrived and we learned two things: one, the names of all the rooms in the apartment in French (the movers helped us learn so we could tell them where to put the boxes, and two, we had to assemble all the new stuff we purchased in the States for the apartment, because movers do not assemble new stuff. The latter one was particularly painful for me, as I did not have access to the suite of tools normally at my disposal. Nonetheless, the balcony furniture, dining room table, and bedroom furniture put together by day's end (although there was not enough room for both nightstands; one became the living room TV stand).
What was missing after the move-in? TV, DVD player, a kitchen (you only get a kitchen sink, the rest you have to supply yourself). I went to Darty for the TV, and they were very helpful, even calling a taxi for me (I went there by bus). The kitchen stuff we ordered from Auchan, and after many shenanigans, the appliances were delivered the day before we returned to Houston -- sans counter-cabinets. I was in Houston a little over two weeks, all business, but grateful for the family time we did enjoy together, including my grandsons's birthday party -- he's two now.
I returned to France on August 3rd, only to find that my business travel for August had fallen victim to a rather austere cost-cutting edict. The sun is setting sooner now, so I noticed also that I need lamps -- only the kitchen, bathroom, and hallway have lights. Surprisingly, considering all the trouble we have had getting stuff ordered and delivered, my 5 new lamps (four of them standing lamps, or "lampadaires") arrived within a week, delivered to the door of my apartment. Contrast this to the delivery of ONE cabinet by Auchan (two others are STILL waiting to be delivered, as well as a kitchen etagere). The one cabinet weighs 65 pounds, and the guy did not even want to bring it from the street (over 50 meters from my apartment); I mean, c'mon, don't you ALWAYS have a hand truck on a delivery vehicle? I picked it up and pressed it overhead and walked back to the apartment. I am sure it was a good resistance exercise, but it was clumsy to boot -- and unassembled. The assembly actually went better than expected, and I was able to get somethings off the floor and into proper storage. The two coming cabinets and the etagere should empty the last box (mostly dishes), and get the canned goods out of the hallway, completing the move-in -- approximately 7 months from date of official transfer.
I have continued my running regime along the Coulee Verte (it can be found on Wikipedia), and I even bicycled into the Montparnasse area of Paris (beginning of the Coulee Verte) last Saturday. I did this right after lunch, and had run that morning. I had to climb over 100 feet elevation at one point before heading downhill into Paris. Needless to say, coming home was uphill all the way. I got nothing else done the rest of the day.
Pam has decided not to make the move; there are a lot of complicated factors in that decision which I do not question. As an American, she come here for 90 days at a time whenever she wants, so she can take care of Hickory Mill Court, the dogs, help Michelle as her #2 is on the way, and keep her job and continue to build toward her retirement (and with the job situations these days...). We talk almost daily by video, and she doesn't have to put up with my guitar music, snoring, or general loudness I bring along wherever I go.
I will keep you posted as I share this adventure with you, thanks for dropping by, and the "chambre-amis" (guest room) is ready and available...
A bientot,
Mark
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