Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Time for Trans Atlantic Travel

Six months of extremes! Europe had it's coldest and longest winter in 130 years. This summer Europe is setting records for hot temperatures. The cold I can handle...heat is another story! A lot of Europeans take the entire month of August off and leave their homes and it does look like at least half of my neighbors are gone. There's a skeleton group of vendors at our local market. I don't know where they all go but hopefully somewhere more quiet and cool...like Alaska.

Paris in the summer has been an assault on my senses. Too much of everything. Too much noise ...because our windows are open all day and night.  Too many tourists...visiting museums is frustrating...too crowded to see the art. And, too much heat...all day and all night...everywhere I go.

I am grateful I have the chance to return to the US for a couple of months. I'm leaving tomorrow for Atlanta to visit my BFF and then on to Alaska and my very quiet house...I can't wait. I bet the bear and moose have missed me....I've missed them.

We have a great year planned when I get back to Paris in October. I'm sure it will be cooler by then. (I really don't handle the heat well at all...but you probably figured that out by now.) We have two sets of visitors coming in October with a trip to France's champagne region. Our sons may come to Paris for Christmas. And after the new year I am going to see a great friend in Malaysia...with a trip to Bali for batik shopping! I'll meet up with my husband in Hong Kong before heading back to Paris. (Fed Ex has a pilot hub in Hong Kong so we will visit friends there.)

With the heat...I spent a lot of time sitting in front of a fan in my Paris apartment. In eleven days I finished a Christmas stocking front.


That makes four for the year so far...


It looks so peaceful from one of our apartment balconies...be glad you can't hear the homeless guy who lives at the end of the street yelling a 4 a.m. He likes to do that and sleep all day in the park.

5 comments:

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

oh my yelling at 4AM is not nice! it sounds like a great year that you have planned! Bali sounds divine - would love to buy batiks straight from the source - Bonnie Hunter did that last year and says the price is really low.
Have a great trip back to Alaska

Caroline Ingalls said...

I feel for you ....I just come back from Brussels (37C), my husband appartement is also hot small and nosy, a lot of tourists every where but I understand them La Grand Place is so beautifull, I'm going back in September hoping for more quiet time... and cooler
Have a safe fligh back!

Suzanne said...

Globally, it has been a strange weather year for everyone, I think. My family in Fairbanks have baked in the unusual heat this Summer. Paris will be lovely in the Fall!

Suzanne said...

Globally, it has been a strange weather year for everyone, I think. My family in Fairbanks have baked in the unusual heat this Summer. Paris will be lovely in the Fall!

Lynette said...

ugh! Hopefully you're happily enjoying your summertime away by now! I have been in heaven with my first full summer in Colorado rather than the Florida oppressive climate, so I can certainly relate to that assault. Have fun stateside time!