The Last Day

Today is my last day in Nice. The week has been filled by Mariette’s guidance. The weather has turned quite warm, but I continued to take long walks.

Tuesday afternoon, Vesna was not home, I had forgotten that she was having surgery for carpal tunnel that day. So I went to the Music of Contemporary Art. There were plenty of new things to see and the rooms were air-conditioned.

Wednesday, I was able to meet with Xu Fang in the afternoon. She has a car, so we drove to the galeria (the mall) Cap 3000, just past the airport. She likes Starbucks, and they have a small store there. Xu speaks French quite well, and rapidly, her English is as strong; I am the opposite. Between us we were able to communicate what has been happening for the last two years. She wants to teach singing in a Chinese university some day. She has at least one more year, probably two to complete her diploma in France with a Master’s degree.

On Thursday, I met with Vesna. We had hoped to meet at 2:00, but she was not yet home. I did not know this, but thought perhaps she was needing to sleep after her surgery. So I decided to go to Nuit d’Etoiles (the mall of Nice Centre) to cool off and “shop.” There are so many pretty things here, but very little that is attractive to me because of the prices. The dollar is not doing well against the euro. Each time I withdrew money, it lost ground. (However, TODAY, it is doing a little better.) After an hour of looking around, I returned to Vesna’s house. She was home and a little worried about me, I suppose. I listened to her story about how the she had to pay in advance for the surgery, but it will be repaid, but not for three weeks. Not easy for someone on a set income. I hope it all works out. We went for a walk – more window shopping for me – until after 6:00. I headed back to Chez Mariette about 6:35. We were going to Murielle’s house for an apertif typical of the southern region of France. We took the bus there.

Murielle lives near the airport in a little villa. Her garden is her pride with lots of flowers and fruit trees. The house belonged to her grandparents, since the 1940’s. The furniture inside is theirs also. She has a fat cat named “Squat” who is quite calm. There was a little salamander on the ceiling who was eating insects, but was calmly resting while we were eating below.

Murielle served us a least 4 different kinds of wine or homemade liqueurs. I always forget that an apertif includes multiple stages of food. We had dried ham with cantaloupe, then stuffed courgette (zuchinni special to the region), then both goat and sheep cheese (I prefer the chevre-goat cheese), we passed on the salad (lettuce), then finished with strawberries and a choice of Häagen-Daas ice cream. It was a lot of food! A lovely evening. Afterwards, Murielle drove us home in her little car, so we arrived back about 11:00 PM.

Gratefully, this morning, I did not have to get up too early. Mariette and I took the train to Antibes. What a beautiful little town. We walked all over. Mariette is arranging activities for the students that she will have the next three weeks there. They will have a good time. We even stopped at the school site – it was formerly a Catholic school that is now being used only for special events, like the International School for Language for which Mariette will be teaching.

After walking along the beach and stopping to ask about a possible boating afternoon for the students-to-come, we walked up the rocky path – le chemin de calvier – the way of Calvary. It was quite warm, even walking in the shade as much as possible. There were outdoor stations erected regularly along the hill. Near the top, I needed to sit on a bench for a little while to cool off. Once at the top, the view was perfect. It had a very old church, first built by Constantine in the 4^th century. It is dedicated to Helen of the Cross. It was closed when we arrived, but there was some activity on the grounds because on Sunday, the feast of St. Peter, the guardian of fishermen, would be celebrated with a procession and mass.

We ate a sandwich under the trees before descending along the same path – it felt much cooler now. We passed along the beach towards the old town. There we stopped at the school so Mariette could prepare the classrooms she would be using the next three weeks. Then we stopped for some ice cream – I had both fig and black cherry flavors of sorbet. It was very good. Next we walked around to another plaza where there was a café with a garden. Here we had something to drink. The theme of the garden was frogs. There was a sign in English (because it would only work in English): Parking for Frogs only, all others will be Toad. It took a little explaining for this to make sense to Mariette; she did appreciate it. They had a fish tank with an albino frog in it – a little surprising.

Just after ordering our drinks, Mariette remembered to check for her school keys, but they weren’t in her purse, so she ran back to try to find them, which she did. She returned just after our drinks arrived. After this, we made our way back to the train station. It was a lovely day.

Tonight a few friends are gathering for an apertif at Chez Mariette. Then we will attend the first evening of the Festival of Musicians. If I understand correctly, there will be multiple stages around town with music of every kind from around the world. It will be fun to be in the crowd for this.

After a short night of sleep, I will take a taxi at 4:30 AM to the airport and be on my way again, back to home. The time has passed quickly, for sure. We have shared much about our two countries and our lives, Mariette and I. It was a very different experience from my first time here. I feel that I’ve gained much being encouraged to speak about so many things via French.

Where to next, dear Readers?

Au revoir, la France!

Le lundi 17 juin 2013

The days are passing so quickly, it’s a challenge to stay current, dear Readers.

Here is a brief review of the last five days:

The weather remains perfect though it is heating up a little.

Saturday afternoon I had the pleasure of reconnecting with Weiwei, a Chinese friend from my previous time in Nice. She has stayed here the last two years and in one year will complete her degree in Statistics. Next she wants to do a business degree, either here or in China. For a young woman of 22 years, she has had many experiences of life. We walked a bit and enjoyed Italian ice cream, walked some more, and then had coffee at the Café Lyonnaise near the train station.

I got home just before 6 PM. Mariette was not home. I doubted that I had remembered correctly the times for the evening schedule. I was sure that I had missed her because I saw that the aluminum foil for the quiche she had made earlier was on the counter. So I decided to warm-up my voice. Things went better this time around than they had a few days ago.

About 6:35 Mariette arrived home and we prepared to walk to Valeria’s new house. She has a garden. We would have an apertif with her there and then go to a free dramatic performance at the old Roman arena. Mariette’s quiche went along.

We enjoyed a lovely evening in the Valeria’s garden even though the mosquitoes were biting – I only count 6, so that’s not too bad. The supper under the lemon tree was lovely. The theater piece was interesting. It was created in the style of a Greek tragedy and progressed through time with songs of love – I guess ultimately saying that we still strive to find love despite the challenges. The setting of the old Roman arena was charming as was the bat that swooped low over the heads of the crowd. The theatre troupe did a fine job overall.

On Sunday, I went to church at my usual time and did a little shopping for Thea’s birthday. Later in the afternoon, I went to see a French movie called Demi-Soeur. This was a wonderful film about an older woman who was specially-abled and taken care of by her mother all her life. When her mother dies, she is taken to a retirement home, but the home as a rule that there can be no pets, not even her pet turtle. Ultimately she finds her half-brother that she didn’t know she had. They have an adventuresome few days together. It was a darling film and relatively simple to understand the action even though I could not catch all of the words.

Monday was much warmer. I tried calling Vesna to see if she was home, and could only leave a message. So after doing a load of laundry, I decided to take a walk to Florian Confisserie at the port. This is a good long walk, but adding the very warm day, it was tiring. On the way back I stopped for a latte. Lattes here are quite a bit smaller than Starbucks. Though I understand that Starbucks is in the vicinity and is all the rage with the young folks.

In a short turn, that brings us to the present. With another warm day ahead, and lots of wind, it will be a good day to get outside again.

 

14 juin 2013  Good Food and Some Bargain Shopping in Nice

Today, I think we were out and about more for the experience of being in Nice rather than really focusing on a particular thing. Mariette and I left the house about 10 AM. We made our way to the bank. The experience is similar to ours except that all the banks are small outlets of a larger bank. Large banks are intimidating to the people here. They are using a new system of depositing checks via a machine that stamps each check with a number. I can’t say that I understand how it works. Mariette was leery of the system because the man was in a hurry and did not separate the two accounts that she was depositing to, so she did not deposit her cash at that bank outlet, but at another later on in the day where the people knew her better.

Then we did a little second-hand clothes shopping. Since I’m really not in need of more clothes, as much as I think the French styles are quite cute, I did not purchase anything even though I tried on a few things. In the European system I wear a 40-42. One was a stylish maroon top for performances – that could be worn with a fitted skirt for example. But it was a little too large. And I don’t need to bring more things home than I came with, really.

We also stopped at a little Russian grocery. I picked up some zefirs – marshmallow cookies. These were a little disappointing because they did not have the citrus flavor of those that Anna brought to us last week. Oh well, they may become a snack for me this week – it was warm enough that they melted together on my walk around town.

At 12:30, we arrived at a special Nicoise restaurant that featured home cooking. Tomomi and Pastell were meeting us there. It seems that Pastell and Tomomi had a little breakdown of communication, because Tomomi arrived first. Eventually Pastell caught up with us and the meal began. We ordered a flask (75 cl) of chardonnay. There were three items to choose for each course. I had an “omelette” that was egg and flour that was baked, topped with a fresh tomato salsa with a side of vinegar/oil greens. For the main course I chose the duck because I don’t remember having duck except at home on the farm when I was quite young. The duck was served sliced over cooked potatoes, celery, carrot and zucchini, and under that were puréed potatoes. There was a chutney-like sauce over the top of all. And for dessert I had the peach marscapone. This was delicious even though I was too full and had little room for anything more. (Note to self: learn to make marscapone.) It tasted very fresh and was served in a half pint, rather flat jar (somewhat like a Mason jar) with the lid off to the side. Each course was beautifully displayed and so tasty.

After lunch, Mariette went on to meet Jean for coffee. I headed home with a short stop at a store called Mim – they were having a 2-for-1 sale on everything. I didn’t get anything yet, but I may stop back this weekend.

Once at the apartment, I needed to put my feet up – the sandals were feeling quite tight – so that led to a short nap. Then I made an attempt to practice. It has been a full week since the cold was so bad. Warm-ups were a challenge – the muscles did not respond well at first – I was quite full yet, and I coughed a lot, but if I can do this several more times this week in preparation for all the upcoming performance events, I will feel better about being ready when I arrive home.

This evening Mariette had invited Valeria and Pastell for an apertif. She is so good at creating little plates of tasty morsels – crackers with hummus or tapas, pissaladière, and baked broccoli, and a compote of fresh fruits – lychees, bananas, golden raisins – and lastly a plate cookies – Russian and Niçoise. We had a lovely evening.

The sun is setting after 9:00 so the days seem long. It cooled down considerably this evening, so we did not go out to the park for a theatrical event. We may try to do that tomorrow.

For now it is bedtime in Nice. Bonne nuit!

With my walking shoes

13 juin 2013

Bon anniversaire à mon père. Il a soixante dixneuf ans!            (Happy birthday, Dad!)

Normally, we begin class at 9 AM. This morning Mariette had many errands to run, I think. She came back to the apartment about 9:30 AM.  Then she prepared something to eat later and also made a phone call. It was about 10:15 when we stepped out for the day. We walked many streets up to the Cimiez quartier (neighborhood). We walked and talked. She asks me a question; I attempt to answer. I know too many big words in English so I forget there is a simple way to say things with the French words that I know. The prepositions are a challenge!

We walked up to what was once a Russian chateau, now it is a University of Nice for the Sciences. What a beautiful setting walking through what was the “backyard” of the old home. During the school year, the grounds are off-limits to all but the students, but now anyone is welcome. There were ponds with fountains and scuptures and stairs that climbed up, up, up to the neighborhood above. C’était très jolie. We passed the Chagall house/museum and the music Conservatoire. I remember riding up this way on the bus the last time – it seemed like a l-o-n-g way then -  today it did not seem that far away. As we made our way back down the hill, Mariette is giving me sentences to translate from French to English. (I don’t think I’m getting much better – I really want this to become easier.) We stopped at a café for a (you guessed it) café! This is an espresso in a little demitasse (cup). I always need to add the packet of sugar, then it is very good. The young woman who served us expressed that this was her first day on the job. She was willing to remake the cup if it was not good, but it was just fine!

After a salad lunch, Mariette started my laundry. She was going off with her daughter Roxane for a job interview, which went well – I found out later. I went off to see “The Quartet” at the Mercury Theater. I got in at the senior discount price – OK, in a year and a half I will legitimately be a “senior” anyway. (Crazy thought!) The movie had French subtitles, but it’s a British movie so I had no trouble understanding it. I did attempt to read the subtitles, but they all seemed too formal for what was actually being said. The message was “live life – don’t let it pass by at any age.” It was cute and funny and touching. I recommend it.

After the movie I did a little shopping – I was looking for the new Fragonard shop along the Cours Saleya. Eventually I found it and made a little purchase, then headed home. My feet were tired and I was hot. The day had turned quite steamy. I stopped at a bank on the way home to get the rest of the cash I would need to pay Mariette for the week. After counting it out for her, I ended up with just  20.  The dollar is not doing too well against the Euro. Today it is $1.33 against one Euro. This is actually about what it was two years ago when I was here. But a Euro is not considered that much, as we say a dollar is not worth much. However, being aware of the exchange, I am cautious about throwing too much away on little things that I don’t really need.

Mariette and I arrived home about the same time. She made a lovely supper of mashed potatoes/broccoli, a slice of ham, and bread with Camembert cheese. One small square of dark chocolate finished it off just right.

The evening is mine, and I hope the rest of the day belongs to you, as well. Have a great one.

12 juin 2013 

It has been a busy week since last I made an entry. I will try to do this more frequently because I know that I will forget all the things I've done. Mariette is very good about planning outings for me with her student-friends.

Last Saturday, the weather was lovely, so along with Pastelle and Tonomi, we took the train to Monaco. We climbed and climbed the hill to the palace in the old town. (Huff-puff-puff) After watching the changing of the guard, we circled through the old town until we got to the Oceanic Museum. They had a new exhibition on sharks, so there was much to see. The exhibit was presented in a modern way, very interactively. Afterwards we ate in the old town at a little cafe that made pizza on a large slice of bread. I had a Coca-cola here - my first one. They taste better here than in the US. I think they are a little less sweet - more like the Coke I remember in days past. Of course, we had to see the Monte Carlo Casino, too, so we took the bus up the other hill. I feel like a tramp whenever I am here because I dress practically rather than chic-ly. Wearing my purple hat with the bow on back does NOT help at all amid the Prada, and Rolls Royce. Oh well, I'm certainly not looking to attract any super-stars. I wouldn't know one if I was introduced to someone since I see so few movies and television shows.

Next we took the train to Ventemiglia, a little Italian town the next port over. The merchandise here is generally less expensive than Nice, and certainly than Monaco. There was an antique flea market in the street near the park - looking for an Elvis album? We crossed the bridge to the old town. The river was not very deep, but the water was so clear. There were hundreds of fish feeding on the plants. They were slowly being pulled toward the mouth of the river into the sea. Goodbye, little fish.
The old town was not well kept here, but there was some renovation going on. I guess few tourists make their way over to the big hill, but perhaps after things look better, more will come.

Before returning to the train, we stopped for an aperitif. I had an Aperol Spritz - it's a very Italian drink. I don't know that I will find it in Dubuque, but it was good - an orange-background to it but not sweet.

The train home took about an hour. I was ready for bed after all the miles we made.

On Sunday, June 9, the day was warm and sunny to begin with. I went to Mass at the same basilica that I attended the last time I was in Nice. Things were much the same - the two priests, the cantor and the fantastic organist - wow. Afterwards I met Mariette in front of the Opera House in the old ville. We walked around a bit, then had a lunch of socca and wine. Then she went off to see a movie, and I to a concert. I had two hours before the concert, so I stopped for some gelato - two flavors - violet and hazelnut - a fantastic combination. I walked back to the appartment just to use the toilet. Then I was off to find the church of St. Paul on Pessicart Avenue. I studied the map and determined it was at the top of the hill out of Nice, so I hopped on the bus going up Gambetta Street. To pass the time, I decided to follow the map. I wasn't on the bus 5 minutes when I saw that we had just passed Pessicart, so I hopped off at the next stop and made my way back and up the little hill to the church.

I arrived about 45 minutes ahead of concert time. Quite a few people were waiting for the doors to open. It seems that this church regularly has organ concerts. Today, I would hear the Choeur Philarmonique de Nice under the direction of Giulio Magnanini, the opera chorus director. The group was accompanied by a woman organist who teaches at the Conservatoire de Nice. They performed Poulenc's Litanies à la Vierge Noir de Rocamadour, Duruflé's Requiem, and Fauré's Cantique de Jean Racine. It was a demanding program. Besides, it was difficult to coordinate the choir with the organ which was in the back balcony. The thunderstorm began just as the concert was starting. Those who came in after it began were soaked to the skin. I was lucky to get there when I did. After the concert, I walked home in a very cool evening - I was happy to have my windbreaker, and could have used another layer under that. But it only took about 20 minutes to walk back home where it was warm enough.

Monday, June 10, I re-connected with Vesna. She invited me to her house at 3:30, and we went to Mass at a little church in the old town. There is an altar to St. Rita there. At the little shop, she bought me a magnet of St. Rita for my refrigerator. Then we walked up the main street of shops, Jean Medecin, just to window shop. She did buy a little hat to wear on the beach. She looks good and seems happy - she has a new friend who she met on the Internet. She is being cautious, but he is good company for her.

Tuesday, June 11, I took a long walk to the Museum of Fine Arts. This was a good walk up a hill, many stairs, to an old mansion. The art work in it was not fantastic, but I think it represented some of the lesser artists who passed some years in Nice during the 19th century. Then I walked along the beach because the day was so beautiful. Little be little, I'm gaining some color. When I got back to the house, I had determined that I would like to take in a movie - there are several cinemas in the area. As I was searching the Internet for times and places, Mom called. After that, I decided it was best to spend the rest of the afternoon studying - the futur simple tense needed to be reviewed. So that's what I did.

Today, June 12, Wednesday, Mariette and I took the train to Cannes. We walked along the beach, pass the Congress and Casino towards the old town, which is very clean and neat. I took in the Museum of Ancient Arts - a lovely collection of items from Greek, Roman, Inuit, etc. There were some nice paintings there, too. We returned to the beach, picked up a sandwich and sat beside the carousel to eat. After that, we walked back to the Casino to meet Anna who was meeting us there with her car. With her we drove to Mougins, another little villa up the hill a little ways. The old town here features painters and artisans in every shop. There was a museum of photos of famous painters, but mostly Picasso. With it was a display of contemporary art - the theme: Se derobe. It was interesting to see how the artists interpreted that theme. No pictures were taken - I forgot to pack my camera.

After that, it was a short ride to the place where Anna was staying. She is renovating the inside of this little villa for a Russian family - this is their summer home. We had a lovely visit for the rest of the day. She brought us back by car to Nice. Everything looks very different - a new perspective from the train and the bus.
So it was a lovely day, and it's time for bed.
Wishing you a lovely day, too!

Back in Nice

Return to Nice

Samedi 1 juin, 2013

Well, I’m heading back to Nice, France. Eileen dropped me off at O’Hare about 2:00 PM. The traffic heading in to Chicago was busy – the 35 miles through the construction zone was heavily traveled.

At the airport, I was reminded that no bag could be over 12 kilos, about 25 pounds. In order to manage that, I am carrying my computer separately. It was a little juggling act on the floor for about 5 minutes. But that worked and I got in line for security. They were very busy today, too. I reached the gate in plenty of time, so I’ve readjusted a bit more. The plane will be boarding about 4:30 – later than hoped, but at least there is no rushing.

Jeudi 6 juin 2013

Since I have been in Nice for five days already, it is a good time to review all that has happened.

The flight from Chicago to Amsterdam went well, but I could tell that my ears were filling up. Then on the shorter flight from there to Nice, I found that I couldn’t hear much at all. However it would only take two or three days for them to clear. That Sunday morning, Mariette met me at the airport. She has no car, so we got on the bus towards the train station that is very near her home. Soon I was settled into my room that is somewhat dimly lit. The window is a little difficult to open, and it opens to the next building anyway, so it is not very bright. However the front room, where we meet for lessons is sunny. The first evening I did my best to stay awake for several hours until dinnertime. 

Mariette is a wonderful cook and she prepares tasty and healthy meals for both dinner and lunches.  Breakfast is somewhat more casual, i.e. less structured and I am usually at the table by myself. I’m quite happy for this, because speaking in French is a taxing way to start the day. However, each day it is getting easier to say simple things.

By the time the first evening came, I knew that I had a head cold. Mariette let me use her saline syringe to clear my sinuses. I’m not sure it worked because I couldn’t get much to move out of my nose. Nonetheless, the salt water couldn’t hurt. Now that it is Thursday, the cold hangs on, but during the day I am not really bothered by it. I will have to watch it for a few days to be sure it doesn’t turn into a sinus infection or bronchitis, but so far so good.

I slept a long time the first night, from 9h 30 PM until 9h 15 AM. Ouau! (Wow!) Gratefully, Mariette understood and so we began our first lesson around 11 AM.  Normally our class is held from 9 until noon each day. Yesterday and today, we went for a walk around town to practice vocabulary and asking/answering questions. This continues to be a slow process for me, but I think I’m getting it. As I write this, some small French words come to me before the English, which I think is interesting.

On Sunday, Mariette introduced me to Pastelle, a retired lawyer from Washington, D.C. who is studying French at Azurlingua. Yesterday, Wednesday, Mariette took us on a bus to Eze-sur-la-mer to see the old town at the top of the hill. Pastelle’s new language friend Tonomi came along, too. I took a few pictures and will post them for you. It is really for tourists; most of the citadel has been transformed into shops. At the very top, where the old chateau was located, now there is a desert garden with cacti from around the world. The bees were quite happy there. We walked a lot – up and down the stairs and hills. Then we took the bus down the hill to Ville Franche. We were looking for the Institut de Français – a language school that Pastelle is interested in attending next summer. We walked along the wharf. There is a little chapel there for the local fishermen decorated by Jean Cocteau. The drawings are large (yet refined) for such a small space. No pictures were allowed, but there are many images on the Internet. C’est très jolie. The day was great. I slept quite well last night.

Mariette’s daughter Roxane is 17 years old. She is beautiful girl and has just finished school. She will take her university entrance exam in two weeks. She is spending most of her days and evenings studying with her boyfriend.  I haven't seen much of her because she has been sleeping in in the mornings and staying out later in the evenings. I hope she does well.

Back home in the Midwest

This trip has been a marvelous adventure - I traveled for 15 weeks on my own; I learned a lot about France and its language; in Luxembourg I connected with "family"; in Norway, I experienced peace and joy; all along I met wonderful people from around the world.
The flights home connected smoothly. Going through customs in Chicago was simple. Eileen only had to make one circle past the international terminal - we connected on her second time around.
The drive home provided beautiful sunset scenes. We arrived back in Dubuque about 9:30 p.m. I immediately fell into bed.
The next few days, many people welcomed me home - so did the turkeys and the flowers. With the people, of course, there were numerous questions about my journeys which I was happy to answer.
My next project is to summarize in a PowerPoint presentation - where does one begin?! - the places and people that I have met since January.
Thank you all for your "follow-ship" over the last few months. I hope that we can connect sometime this summer to debrief together.
Enjoy this final pictures.Back home pictures

First week in Norway

2 – 7 mai, 2011   

            Early Monday morning, 4:45 a.m., Elisabeth met me at the car to take me to the airport. She and Guy have been wonderful to work with. I feel as though they have become my Luxembourg relatives. This morning she has packed a sandwich and drink for the trip.

            All went as expected at the airport. The plane to Amsterdam was quite full – I had an aisle seat in the very last row of plane. It was necessary and easy to nap a bit during the flight of 45 minutes. Upon arrival in Amsterdam, I found the bank to exchange Euros for Kroner so that I could pay for my train ride and taxi cab in Norway.

            The flight to Trondheim was 3 hours, so more naps and a little eating of airline food. I arrived in Norway at 10:30 a.m. Sr. Sheryl had emailed detailed directions of what to do once I arrived: catch the 11:45 train, just a short walk from the airport’s front doors, and about a half hour trip, and then take a taxi, which was waiting for me at the Åsen station, 45 minutes to Tautra Mariakloster. It worked just like that.

            Once at the monastery, about 1:00 p.m., I had a bit of dinner, then Sr. Marjoe showed me around and to my room. It has a view of the boathouses and the water -  water everywhere.

The day was calm and mild with a definite feeling of spring. The farmers are working up the fields in preparation for planting of potatoes, carrots, lettuce, etc.

After evening prayer, Sr. Sheryl and I had supper together. She was the cook – salmon, green beans, and rice – and made all taste so good. She and Sr. Gilchrist laid out before me the various musical tasks that were before me for the week.
PICTURES

I wasn’t sure how my body/mind would take the long days. At 9:30 I decided to go to bed, but first I took a picture of the evening sky, still in bright twilight, from my bedroom window. Then I slept quite well despite briefly checking the near darkness several times throughout the night. The curtains on the windows block most of the light for easily adjusting to the non-dark.

On Tuesday, the rehearsals began. Each morning from 9:00 – 9:30 I work with the choir. Then there are two or three scheduled meetings for individuals throughout the day. That evening I had supper with Sr. Gilchrist.

Tuesday morning, Sheryl had asked if I’d like to travel with her on Wednesday on some errands to Trondheim. On the way back we would stop at the world-famous Ringve museum of music. Tautra is an island in the fjord of Trondheim. Crossing the little bridge to the mainland is just the beginning. It was over an hour and a half to drive to Trondheim, through several tunnels and along the sea. Norway has lots of big rock mountains and lots of trees. It is very picturesque.

The Ringve Museum has an amazing collection of instruments by a Russian singer who came to and married in Norway. She and her husband purposefully collected instruments from around the world. Most are no longer being manufactured such as a piano with a keyboard like that of an accordion – an invention of the 19^th century. The other aspect of the museum is a history of musical instruments, so one finds a Moog synthesizer, a Hammond organ, and a jukebox. In the “barn” the audio tour provided recordings of the instruments being played and explanations of their significance. We really needed more than the 2 hours that we allotted to take it all in. It was a fascinating place to visit.

On our travels through Trondheim, we picked up Bjørn, a retired chef who has become a friend of the sisters who was coming out to Tautra for a retreat weekend. He connects with restaurants and stores to pick up foods that have expired dates but are still good to use and distributes them to several charities. This week the sisters were going to have several treats: salmon, asparagus, and tomatoes.

By Friday, I had gotten to know the other people who were on retreat at the monastery. The guests eat with Fr. Anthony in the guest dining room after the noon prayer. We eat in silence until all have finished eating. Then as the dessert and coffee or tea is being prepared we converse with one another. The Lutheran pastor, the very first day I arrived, gave me a quick lesson on Norwegian vowels so that I might better join in the singing of the prayers. (Now I need to inquire about the consonants because I am hearing some new things.) Another woman, Amanda Dorothea, who is a pastor of a church in Rotterdam, is here with a friend for the week. They are doing lots of walking and some touring of the area. Amanda was a choir director for 20 years. Now she uses a lot of music in her church. We have had numerous chats as we share a common kitchen.

This day, Bjørn wanted to give us a chance to taste Munkeby cheese. This cheese is being made by the Cistercian monks who are about an hour away from Tautra. They come from Citeaux in France, so the cheese looks a lot like brie, but it does not smell like brie – the odor is much stronger – however, the taste is mild and earthy. It is made with goat’s milk from the region around the monastery. It is quite popular with Norwegian restaurants of a certain caliber.

With the cheese tasting, Bjørn prepared rhubarb, cooked just until tender in a water-sugar syrup, and fresh asparagus. There were biscuit crackers on which to set the cheese, too. His chef-hand made it look appetizing, and it was very tasty.

Another cheese that the Norwegians really like is “brown cheese.” This is made from milk that is cooked down, until carmelized, and then processed as cheese. It is very smooth and a little sweet, not unlike Velveeta, but it is not so soft.

In the afternoon, after my lessons were done for the day, Amanda and I walked to the monastery ruins on the other side of the island. It is not a long walk at all. At that site, there are several small shops with gifts, Norwegian and otherwise, and a little restaurant that serves Norwegian dishes. Today there was a funeral dinner being served, so we did not go in. The area is set up for picnickers, too.

Norway has decided to intentionally preserve any remaining ruins – monasteries, castles, and such. There is work going on at this site to tuckpoint the stones.

It was a lovely day weather-wise today. This week there were two days of rain, another two overcast and windy days. The weekend is supposed to be more pleasant. Friday, like Monday, were warm and mild. I hope there will be more good weather next week when I’m on retreat. When the sun doesn’t shine, even indoors it is much chillier.A few more pictures

As I predicted, I do not have convenient access to Internet. Also during retreat, I do not expect to be online at all. If necessary, please call Mariakloster – some of you have that phone number. That will be the best way to reach me until I make my return home.

Peace, Dear Reader.

Last days in Luxembourg

PICTURES

            Saturday morning I had the delight to meet Ernest and Claude Molitor, certainly a relative from several generations before. They came at 9:00, joining me for breakfast. Unfortunately, just as we were about to sit down, we heard the dog yelp. She had gotten behind a car that Guy was moving up the hill toward the house; she could not be seen. This changed the course of events for Guy and Elisabeth for the day since they had to take the gentle and forgiving dog to the vet in Mersch; she was limping badly. As they made their way out the driveway, I sat down with the Molitors.

            In sharing our family trees we have found that Philippe Manternach and his wife née Thérèse Schumacher is the common starting point. Ernest’s family tree is of the Schumacher’s. By what was written down, it seemed possibly that Philippe was a son of Nicholas III. However, the dates do not align according to Fr. Albert’s history. There is a ten-year difference to account for. I would like to find out who are the parents of Philippe. This would be a younger brother to Nicholas, and agrees with the story that Philippe and his sister Cecile were cousins of Henry, our great-great grandfather.

            Later in the day I received an email from Ernest with this family information: Nicholas’ wife, Ann Maria Weber, was the sister of Ernest’s great grandmother who married Peter Molitor. The farming community here is still close-knit, as I understand, so it is no surprise that the prettiest women would marry the handsomest men in the area. I hope that we can keep in touch via email.

            Guy and Elisabeth returned about 11:00 with the dog, who seems only to be badly bruised but with pain relievers. The Molitors stayed a little while longer; we all sat at the pond until a little after noon watching the dog for fear she might misstep into the pond. However, she stayed dry, and at least she wanted to be around people.

            In the afternoon, I decided to take a longer drive to a city in the northern part of Luxembourg – Clervaux – because the weather was perfect for a walk. There is a museum there with a photographic exhibit called “The Family of Man” and some walking trails surrounding the town. I left the house about 2:00. The drive was relaxing. I found the castle-museum, but the exhibit I was expecting to see was closed for renovation. So was the exhibit of miniature castles depicting chateaus from all over Luxembourg. However, the part of the house dedicated to the Battle of the Bulge was open.

            Once again the impact of WWII on the people of the area took a stronghold in me. This place was at the very heart of the fight for independence from Germany, which had annexed them immediately. Many letters of testimony and thanks were exhibited along with the munitions and uniforms of the war, even a brown scapular (called a talisman) from one of the American soldiers who had perished. I was moved.

            After this viewing, I climbed the hill toward the abbey, stopping in at the parish church where a woman was practicing the organ, and then following the road to the top. The Benedictine men’s abbey is quite “new” having been built at the beginning of the 20^th century. The chapel is beautifully renovated with simplicity and light. I visited the “expo” of abbey life below the chapel. Here I discovered that Dom Paul Benoit had been a resident of the community. He was a composer as well as an organist who taught the well-known French organists of the turn of the century – Debussy, Faurés, Ravel, et al.

            The bookshop was open, too. I found a wooden-bead rosary for my nephew who makes his first communion today. The monk blessed it especially for him.

            Now it was time to return to the car, as my parking permit would expire in half an hour. I stopped again at the church to see if there would be Mass in the evening, but no. So I went on to the car taking the opposite direction around the chateau. The street was lined with eating places, many of them already busy. I stopped to buy a Magnum caramel and almond ice cream bar at one of the cafés because I heard that they were very good. Indeed it was, like a Dove bar but better.

            I reached Larochette just before 6:00. Seeing people heading to the church, I parked the car and went in to Mass. The choir was singing, but the congregation did not have any way to participate in the music – I saw no books or papers. Interestingly the Mass setting in Latin was the same one that was being used at the church in Nice, so I could at least hum along. I like it. It may be one to use in the States during the transition time if someone wants to use the Latin text.

            Afterwards, I walked across the street to the medieval festival. The crowd was quite small, but the “players” were enthusiastic for their task: food was being served, wood was being chopped, coal was being ground, and along with two coats of armor there were other small items from the time to observe.

            There was a musical group singing French/Belgian folksongs. And a camper was set up selling sausages on a bun and beer. I went across the street to the Café de la Place, recommended by Elisabeth to have supper. The music was just the right volume from there, too. I had a chevre chaud salad: lettuce with a mustard dressing, served with small toasted squares topped with baked goat cheese seasoned with oregano, and garnished with a tomato and 3 slices of melon. It was just what I wanted.

            I made it back to the house about 8:20 p.m., which was a good time to Skype family on this special day for my nephew. The First Communion Mass was not until 4 pm but that would be 11 pm my time; the time difference fascinated my nephew. I’m sure they had a good party if the rain stopped at all.

            Sunday morning dawned bright and clear. Elisabeth and I sat for a long while. She showed me pictures of the house when they bought it. It really must have been a strong dream for them to commit to four years of renovation before they could even move in. The transformation is amazing.

            This afternoon, I am trying to update the blog, then to pack the bag into something that is manageable. Elisabeth will lead me to the airport this evening so that I can drop off the car. I won’t be able to check in early, so we will leave at 4 a.m. in the morning to catch the flight to Amsterdam/Trondheim.

            It has been a wonderful week in Luxembourg. So many people have welcomed my inquiries and interest in the country. It feels very much like home. Now if I could only learn Luxembourgoise – after I secure a little more French.

            This may be the last entry of the blog until I return to the States. The next two weeks I will be in Norway with the Cistercian sisters in Trondheim. The first week I will assist with musical consultations; the second week I will be on retreat.

            So much love to you, Dear Reader. It has been a pleasure to share my travels with you in this medium. You are in my thoughts and prayers. With love, LaDonna

Days 88 and 89 mercredi, jeudi et vendredi

27, 28, 29 avril 2011

            Wednesday morning the Internet connection has finally been achieved!

Elisabeth did a lot of calling around to see if there was anyone I could meet with regarding relatives. Shortly after 11:00, she made a connection with the parish house in Larochette. I headed into town, parked, and walked up the hill in the direction of the house. As it was, I had overshot my destination, but an older Portuguese man tried to help along with his wife and a neighbor. Finally when I said “the former priest house” they knew it.

            The secretary was helpful, showing me a book from about 1875 to 1920 or so. I found the name Manternach several times, one being the son of Philippe (the musician). So I determined to come back the next day because the office was closing at noon.

            From there I headed to the village of Manternach, which is REALLY in the middle of nowhere. It is a farm town that has had a history of mills – paper, wood, textile, and steel. I saw no remnants of anything large, but the mills have been gone for a very long time. After walking through the cemetery, I stopped at the town hall to ask for information. The young man seemed surprised and wasn’t sure what to say. (Imagine this scenario for a little town like Worthington, IA; the response might be the same.) He directed me toward a small museum further down the street. I walked the street without seeing anything that looked particularly inviting until I reached the top of the hill and the end of town. Turning to go back downhill, I stopped at a little bar called “Manternacher Stuff.” This café/bar was run by a young Portuguese woman. The dog barked a greeting and the two little girls, both under two years of age, were playing. I had a café crème, watched the girl’s temperament dissolve as they headed toward naptime, and used the restroom. As I departed, I received a souvenir of the place, a pen. Then as I headed back towards the car, I saw signs for a nature center.

Going in I found brochures with historic information and trail maps. This old house with a barn area attached had antiques from the turn of the century. It was neatly laid out. Upstairs was a lovely museum showing the geology of the area, the former flaxseed-to-linen production, and a number of taxidermy animals. A young man came in after a while. I surprised him, first by being there, and then by telling him that my family name was Manternach. He said that when he first arrived at the nature center, he had done an Internet search of Manternach but only Manternach family information came up, noting of the town. He was full of information about the area and gave me a trail map of the woods nearby.

The trail was along the little river where the mills had been over time. I was able to see the dam that could divert the water to the mill. The path took me up and down the hills. Other trails converged here – Luxembourg is a friendly place for hikers and bikers. At the mill sight, there was limestone rubble, but no indication of a foundation. By now it was late in the afternoon and I headed back to the car and homeward.Manternach trail and city pictures

Thursday morning I got to meet Mr. Colbach, a former mayor of Heffingen. He had looked up the Manternach family records for this little town. It does not seem that our family is closely connected. However, by looking at Fr. Albert’s written history, he was able to describe the street in Larochette on which they likely lived. Elisabeth said these houses are quite old, now occupied by the Portuguese families. The old church has been razed and the cemetery moved, so what I visited the other day is the new church and cemetery.

Because of Mr. Colbach’s visit, I did not get back to the parish house and in calling I was not able to reach anyone. So I will try again Friday morning. For the rest of the day, which was dreary, I headed to Luxembourg City.

Here I took the first parking lot and went directly to the Tourist Information office. With maps in hand, I circled the block several times trying to find the entrance to the Notre Dame Cathedral, formerly a Jesuit institution and college. The deceased members of the royal family are buried in a vault downstairs. The building is another dominating structure outside and inside. 

The city’s historical museum gives the development of the fortress from the late tenth century to today. It offered everything printed in English as well as French, German and Dutch. The most striking exhibit was that of the German occupation during the Second World War. The people were forced by threat to participate as soldiers and cooperate with the army. Luxembourg has an amazing resiliency.

Next I walked along the borders of the “high city” and took an elevator down at least 4 floors to the “low city”. Back at the top I found the old St. Michael’s church, whose origins date back to the late tenth century. Then to the Casements which were tunnels under the city that held ammunition and allowed soldiers shelter and passage to other areas of the city.

It was a little after 5:30, so I hoped to get some supper in the City before heading back to Heffingen. Like in France, dinner service begins after 7:00 p.m., so I walked around looking at the multitude of menu boards. In the end I decided upon a place because my feet were tired. The food was delicious – my first taste of spring (white) asparagus. By 8:30 I was on my way back to the B&B.

This morning, Friday, I returned to the parish house to look at the book of records from the era of my great, great grandfather Henry. I was not able to find a lot, but I copied three items: the baptismal accounts for baby Henricus (1878) and then Mathias Henricus (1880); a year later, a record of the death of baby Henricus (1879). This is information that I don’t think we had before. According to the Iowa records, baby John should have had a place in the book in 1878, but I could not find another record. The other children who were born during the years of the book, I could not find either. There is likely another story to uncover here.

Afterwards, I walked next door to the Gemang, city hall of Larochette. Here Mr. Bruno Brunetti, through the request of Mr. René Manternach of Berford, helped find birth records for Henry in 1833, his sister Margueritte in 1831, and his son Philippe (1870)– my great grandfather. Even though the town hall could not provide more than this in the time they had, and because other books were “likely” destroyed in the fire that destroyed so much of the town during WWII, 1942 or ’43, I was grateful for the copies of these records.

Across from the mayor’s office there was a gathering of local people watching the wedding ceremonies of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

I walked up the street called Hënneschtgaass, now Rue Michel Rodange. This was the street where the old church was located, and by Fr. Albert’s description, likely the one where the family home is located. Some of the doors indicated the year of construction, very few indicated the name of the family that constructed it. I took lots of pictures of this street, with the hope that I possibly captured a glimpse of the old family home.

At the site of the old church there is now a parking area and a small park for children. There are stairs leading up the bluff to a tower. I scaled upwards; the site was worth a visit for views of the town. Then I walked a very level trail along the hillside for quite a distance before turning around. The spring growth on the trees and the undergrowth are fresh and lush.

Before heading back to the B&B, I decided to have lunch at the restaurant of the Hotel de Chateau. It was fine, a good price, but the menu of the day was more Portuguese than Luxembourgoise: broccoli soup, fish (and calamari and, perhaps, mussels) in a red sauce with rice, and vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Back at the house, the BBC review of the royal wedding is repeatedly going over the details of the day. I’m rather interested in the music that was used, so I’ll be checking the Internet for more details on that.

Elisabeth had washed my laundry today, so she stopped by with the first load and more “relative” information. Good friends of Guy think that we may be related, and I think this is very possible. The family name is Molitor. They have death cards of Philippe (the musician) and his wife Thérèse Schumacher. This is a definite commonality. They will come for breakfast in the morning at 9:00.

Then we had tea and spent several hours together chatting. Elisabeth has a very interesting life story that could be a book. I won’t share it here in detail except to say that she met Zoltan Kodaly’s young wife one summer in Lucerne, Switzerland. Elisabeth’s grandmother took her many places to share the culture of music with her. When she was 13, she traveled with her grandmother to Lucerne for a music festival at which Kodàly was conducting some of his music. Since Kodàly, who was already and old man, liked to nap in the afternoon, his young wife of 18 years and a violinist was looking for companionship. The two young Elisabeth’s found each other and spent many hours together taking walks around the lake. Elisabeth Nilles never met Mr. Kodàly, but I feel like I just had an out-of-body experience in her storytelling.

I think that’s all for today. Here’s wishing you many happy memories of your week. And a special greeting goes out to my nephew Jonah who makes his first communion tomorrow. With love, Dear Reader.

Day 87 mardi

26 avril 2011

            This morning, after breakfast, Elisabeth let me use her computer to do some Internet things. She also retrieved the password for the in-house Wi-Fi, but I can’t get it to work on my computer. I’m not sure what the problem is since this is a first time problem. I couldn’t find anything online that suggests a reason or a solution.

            After a few bites for lunch, I returned Elisabeth’s computer, and Guy gave me the phone so that I could call René Manternach in Berdorf. His wife answered the phone and she did not want to speak English. Before I could ask in French, she hung-up. Then I asked Guy to call. He did a lot of talking to explain my situation. I was welcome to come in the afternoon, so this became the focus of the day.

            Already I had a new Facebook friend from yesterday’s meeting of Nathalie, the friend of Georges Manternach in Beaufort. This surprised me because she was cautious of me presenting myself at her door. But I hope that we might keep in touch.

            Berdorf was just a short drive away. The Manternachs live in a house near the edge of town. I took along my computer with pictures and Fr. Albert’s family history. The door opened for me as I approached. René and Mariette were most willing to share the family history. His skin and hair coloring is very much like our family.  As we studied the two histories and compared dates with our family, there did not seem to be a close connection; possibly if we had another generation back for René’s family, but to the time of Heinrich (Henry) there was no connection to place or time. His family is from Heffingen, and has no story of people who emigrated to the States. So he may be related if we had information that went back far enough.Pictures of the Manternachs

            When I showed René the death card of Philippe Manternach, the musician, he went on a hunt. He came back with two pieces of music that he had played in band in grade school – trumpet. He made me copies of these pieces: one is a marche, the other is called Zimmen-Menager. The first piece is published by M. Hulsemann in Luxembourg. The other is a handwritten copy, but I do not know whether or not it is in Philippe’s handwriting.

He did tell me that Manternachs are interred at Ernzen, not Larochette. I will visit there tomorrow – it is very close in this valley – Larochette quickly becomes Ernzen and then shortly one is in Soup and Heffingen. I also have Manternachs to call in Bissen, near Echternach. René does not know these people. They may provide another possible link.

After visiting with the family, I drove to Echternach for some sight seeing. Following the GPS instructions, I accidently took a right across the river into Germany. It was easy to turn around and return to Luxembourg, of course. I parked near the abbey of St. Willibrord. (This man brought relics of St. Stephen, the martyr, from Rome to Germany, thus bringing together the two churches.) The city is not large, so I walked around the city center. Since it was already late in the day, nearly 5:00 p.m. when I arrived, most places were closing, but I was able to see a bit of the church museum.

The church is a pilgrimage spot. Each whitsun season they have a dansante (dancing) procession through town to honor St. Willibrord and to pray for health – originally for a cure from the plague. The church itself was destroyed during WWII, but the people have rebuilt it following the same plan and adding some chapels. In its simplicity and sincerity, it felt like a holy place to me.Echternach basilica pictures

Afterwards, I walked around the center of town trying to find an Internet hotspot and a place to eat. I saw several, but the computer was in the car. I decided to stop somewhere else on the way home for Internet, though I did have tomato-rice soup and wienerschnitzel with french fries for supper at a little corner restaurant.

On the way home, I stopped in Larochette and asked if there was a place for Internet in town. Just across the street at a little bar, they had it. So ordering a Coke, I settled in to connect with the world. It did not go as well as I had hoped. In calling Eileen, I was able to connect twice, but by her response, I think that it must have sounded strange on her end. She hung up. Instead, I left messages for people and wrote emails. I did talk to Corinne (former student of Azurlingua) on Facebook – that was nice.

Now it is late and tomorrow is another adventure. Good day, Dear Reader. 

Day 86 lundi

            After breakfast, I showed Elisabeth and Guy the family information that I had, including Fr. Albert Manternach’s story of the family history. They did a phonebook and Internet search for anyone named Manternach in the area. There aren’t many, but possibly someone will know someone who shares some of our family history.

            Today the weather was beautiful and my plan was to visit the small villages of Beaufort, Medernach, the Larochette cemetery and Meysembourg chateau. The GPS did a fine job of directing me across the winding roads of the countryside. (It looks so much like Iowa and Wisconsin here!) I left after lunch.

            At Beaufort the Chateau of Torture greets one at the edge of town. Since it was such a lovely day, I decided to visit. This structure was begun in the late twelfth century; at some time in its history it gained a jail and hall of torture, but it also had a history of glory until the end of the seventeenth century.Beaufort castle/

            After this visit, I drove to the church, but it was not open and there was no cemetery near by. So I set the GPS to take me to Medernach.

            The church of Medernach was not hard to find. It was open. It was very plain on the outside, but inside they had retained a beautiful baroque-style altar and organ. Here I found a statue of St. Donatus. Outside there were garden plots with a few old headstones collected from the cemetery. Along the wall of the yard there were other headstones, but I did not see another cemetery in town.Pictures of Medernach church

            Next I set the GPS to find a Manternach in town. It was quite close to the church. Elisabeth had tried calling them this morning without an answer. The house was relatively new. I could hear a child’s voice emanating from inside. I rang the bell. A young woman with a friendly face answered the door. After greeting one another with “moyen”, I asked if she spoke any English. She said yes. I told her my story. She acknowledged that her friend George was not at home, but that his father René was interested in genealogy. She gave me his phone number, so that’s a call to make tomorrow.

            From Medernach, I returned to Larochette. The cemetery is near the edge of town. I was able to park across from it. This was good because there was a open air market for clothes going on in the middle of town and I did not want to get caught in traffic. The visit to the cemetery was worthwhile: I found two Manternach gravesites, one of which was of the time period near the end of the 19^th century. So there must be someone who continues to take care of them. My other observation is that the names on the tombstones are very familiar. I am remembering so many people that I knew in Bellevue and St. Donatus and other places, too, of course. Then I walked toward the center of town where all the people were milling about. There were skirts, jeans, tops and shoes everywhere. It didn’t seem that a lot of people were buying even though the prices were good.Larochette cemetery

            From here I made my way to the Meysembourg chateau. This was not as productive. I visited because Elisabeth has told the story of the house. A man built the gigantic house for his wife. Many poor farmers lived in the area. The man gave them loans with high interest rates that they could not pay back, so many immigrated to the United States. The house is now for sale, but it does not have a successful history despite the beautiful valley it sits in. I could not get close to the house, and the GPS wanted me to turn into a field, but I did not.Meysembourg photos

I found the local church with its little graveyard, but that did not yield any family connections. So I headed back to Larochette, through Heffingen and back to the B&B, quite tired after the trekking and relaxed by the warm sun.

That’s all that the day offered. Tomorrow is another adventure, possibly to the towns of Manternach and Echternach. Off to bed for a good night’s rest, Dear Reader. Sleep well.

Days 84, 85 samedi et dimanche de le Pâque

Pictures of the going away party, train travel, and first days in Luxembourg

            Friday evening I left Michele’s place at 7 p.m. having not yet heard from Wei-Wei who wanted to walk me to the station. As I was saying my good-byes to Michele, Wei-Wei called: she was on the bus and would arrive “immediately.” I told her that I would wait two minutes, and then I had to start walking. The bus did not come, so I began walking slowly so that Wei-Wei might catch up with me. At the corner a Moroccan man wanted to talk: he was a draggeur. After several “jamais” (never) from me, we parted ways. And I continued to the station.

            The train was not yet there and I had almost a half hour wait for the departure time, so I scanned the crowd for Wei-Wei. There she was! She was so thoughtful to want to see me off. I was having a hard time wrapping my mind around “last” time things, so it was very nice to have Wei-Wei there. The train arrived and my bags were heftily weighed down, so I need to work my way to the car. We said “good-bye.”

            The car was directly in front of the door, so after checking the ticket, I made my way up the stairs, one bag at a time, to my couchette. Since it was a second-class ticket, there were six sleeping places in the cabin. Mine was in the middle – not on the bottom, not on top. There was a young man who greeted us as we departed Nice. I explained to him that I did not know where to put my bag. (I had placed it unattended at the end of the car in the spot for bicycles.) He brought it back to my cabin and tucked it away underneath the window, behind the ladder. I felt better.

At Nice, I was alone, but by the time we had stopped about four times, all the spots were taken. My first cabin-mate and I kept the lights on in the cabin until 9 p.m.  After that the other four people entered in the dark, but they managed getting settled quite well. I did not watch a clock because I knew that my stop in Luxembourg City was well after the sun was up. There were plenty of interruptions of sleep from the noticeable changing speeds of the train, people coming and going through the car, as well as the berth being a little uncomfortable that I really only catnapped through the night. By the time we stopped in Nancy and Metz, I was alone again, and I had part of the breakfast that I had packed – hard-boiled eggs, carrot sticks, and butter cookies.

The train arrived in Luxembourg just after 9:30. The young man from the train assisted me with my big bag as I descended from the train, and he directed me to the elevator. I was with another woman who I followed through the station to another elevator that brought us up on the street. Now I was outside the station, and I looked for Elisabeth and Guy, my hosts for the next week, first there, then inside. There they were holding a placard with my name on it. We first had coffee across the street in a hotel coffee shop.

Then Guy gave me a tour of Luxembourg City through the old town and to the airport to the car rental. That’s when I realized that my directions did not seem to indicate that the EuropCar desk was at the airport. I hauled out the papers; no, back in town, actually, just behind the train station. Oh well, Guy was very nice about that. We found the office, and Elisabeth and Guy waited for me so that they could lead me to their bed and breakfast.

At the first stoplight, the manual transmission car stalled. It always takes me a little bit of time to adjust to the feel of a new car. Gratefully Elisabeth was with me and we were on our way again soon. The landscape is very much like the wooded areas of eastern Iowa. I can see why my Manternach ancestors made their home in Iowa. At the house, there is a driveway that would require me to back up or down as there is no room to turn around by the house – with the experiences of the car so far, I didn’t feel ready for that, so Elisabeth invited me to park in her spot at the end of the lane.

The inn is delightful. I have a suite of rooms all set out prettily and comfortably. After unpacking a few things and eating the remainder of my breakfast foods, a nap seemed to be the wisest course of action for the first part of the afternoon. The bed was so comfortable and the house so quiet that I slept for over an hour. About 3 p.m. I knew that I had to get up for the rest of the day. Elisabeth offered to lead me into Larochette to the supermarket as well as to an ATM. After picking up a few things for lunches or suppers for the week, we parted.

When I parked the car near the bank, I strolled around the plaza to the church, which was being cleaned in preparation for the Saturday night service, and to the office of tourism. Finding that the Chateau, a dominant site from below, was open until 6 p.m., I decided to make a visit. When I parked the car in the lot, thunder was rolling, but I decided to take my chances and enter the site. This must have been a magnificent place in its time (14^th century) built right into the rocks at the top of a mountainous bluff by 5 noble families of the area. The views of Larochette were spectacular. The ruins had many stories to tell. I took lots of pictures, but they cannot begin to give a sense of the natural grandeur that was emphasized by what must have been grand structures. One of the manors has been restored. That building alone must have provided work and lodging for many people. Excavations are continuing at the site. There was only one sign that told people not to climb on the walls – other than that, there was much to explore for all ages.

Now to see if I can find my way back to the inn: The GPS does not want to recognize the address, but as long as I can remember and learn the way that is better anyway. It was no time at all until I was back. I made a simple supper of soup and a sandwich, watched TV in French, German and Luxembourgish, was falling asleep by 8:30, waking up at 9:15 and headed to bed.

I don’t remember turning over at all during the night. I saw that it was light, checked the time – it was just 6:20 a.m. Being in my first real bed since coming to France, I saw no reason to get up until the alarm went off at 7:40 a.m.  By then I was aware of some delicious smells coming from downstairs.

Elisabeth had breakfast ready for me at 9:00 at the dining table. There was sliced ham, cheese slices, pastries – the cutest was especially for Easter, a danish shaped like a bunny with chocolate covered ears and tail and a raisin for its eye. I saw that there was a bell to call Elisabeth. I tapped it once, never being too bold. But I should have given it a series of taps so that she could hear it. Next time. About 9:15, Elisabeth came in with tea and a soft-boiled egg. It was a sumptuous breakfast.

Easter Mass was especially nice at the nearby church. The town of Heffingen is less than a ten-minute walk up the hill. The church was easy to spot. I arrived a little after 10 a.m. The musicians were gathering. I spent some time studying the little hymnal which contained mostly German prayers and songs, but a little section of French, too. By the time Mass started at 10:45, a good number of people had arrived, but the church was not crowded. This was too bad, because the musicians did a fine job with the program. The priest was of Nigerian origin. He alternated between German and French. The Gospel was read in German by one of the parishioners. The short homily given by the pastor was both in German and French. For the Eucharistic Prayer, everyone stood until the acclamation then they sat until after the Lamb of God. The only thing that all were invited to sing was the recessional hymn. The number for the song was projected above the altar. By the time I found the page, I was able to join in on the second verse. All in all, the musicians made it a very nice celebration. It was also good to see that families hung around for a while afterwards chatting.

I made my way to the cemetery across the street to look at the names on the tombstones. Very few plots seemed older than 1940. Later I asked Guy about it. He explained that generally a plot is kept about 30 years. When there is no one left to tend the plot, the remains are removed and someone else may purchase it. This does not give me much hope for finding Manternach gravestones, especially from the time of my ancestors who departed in the late 19^th century.

After a short walk around town, I headed back to the inn. By now the sun was very warm and I was dressed too warmly in my suit. After a bit of a cool-down in my room, I joined Elisabeth and Guy, who had invited me to their Easter celebration with family (their daughter Margret) and friends, at the pond behind the house for “pies.” The pie was quiche Lorraine and a meat pie of Alsace-Lorraine origin, which I had. The salad was delicious, too. Afterwards we had two delicious treats: cheesecake and a chocolate cake with coffee flavored with vanilla, cinnamon and chocolate. Friends stopped by throughout the afternoon. At the very last we had home languages of German, French, Luxembourgish, Portuguese and English. It was quite the international celebration – a most enjoyable day.

It doesn’t seem that I will be able to call family via Skype today because my computer is not talking to the Wi-Fi at the house just yet. Hopefully in a few days I’ll be able to make it work. Thinking of you, Dear Reader.

Days 82, 83 - jeudi et vendredi

21, 22 avril 2011
     Yesterday class was in the morning so I got home early enough to wash a load of laundry. Gratefully the rain has held off so the drying process went quickly. I began to pack my bag(s). I have one extra carry-on to hold the things that I need until the end of my European excursion, some of which will not come back to the States with me.
     Last evening a group of us, about 22 students, went out to dine at Le Safari in the old town. We had a very nice time. I have so enjoyed the young people that I have met here. The girls from China have been especially appreciative of our friendship. I hope that I can keep in touch with them. Facebook will be most useful for this. I reached home at midnight.
     This morning I finished packing. It is hard to believe that I will be on my way from Nice for the last time tonight. The people have been so kind, and I've learned so much about France and French. The only thing that I did not do was connect with French musicians in a meaningful way. Practicing was not possible either, so I feel really rusty now, but the summer will be time to revive that. However, no regrets, it's time to look for other opportunities and sharing.
     This afternoon I have class, but I will stay only until 4:30, after the break. Then I will return to the apartment. Michele is making me supper before I leave for the train. Wei-Wei is going to meet me at 7:00 to assist with the walk/dragging of bags to the station. I am grateful for all these things.
     Blessed Good Friday, Dear Reader. I hope to return to this page after Easter. See you then.

Days 80, 81 - mardi et mercredi

It has taken me several days to fill out a simple form that I needed to fax back to the university. First I had to go to the papeterie to print the pages – ordinarily this is easy, but this time it was not. The USB drive that I had bought just for this project and had used with my Mac did not want to talk to the PC in the papeterie. The young man who had been very helpful to me in the past made every effort to produce the papers I had requested, even hooking up the store’s printer to my computer. In the end he had to copy the documents from my computer to his personal USB drive in order to get them printed. By then the store had been closed for 15 minutes. At this point, I did not ask if they had a fax machine and planned to return the next day with my completed forms.

            When I got home, I discovered that there were two more items that I needed to print besides finding a fax machine. Michele steered me toward another office store not far from school that had been Mac-friendly for her. This I found in the morning but they did not have a fax. At this point I decided to ask the school if they could assist and they did. Unfortunately, the fax would not go through after three attempts. Then it was decided that they could be scanned so that I could send them via email. With just a little more drama, the entire set of scanned pages was sent to my email account and I happily went on my way and sent off the forms. Hip-hip-hooray! This was a much bigger task away from home than I ever could have imagined.

           The next entries will likely be brief since I am preparing for my departure of Nice. Over the last few days I have been eating whatever combination of food the refrigerator has offered. Tonight, however, I found a marvelous thin crust pizza made in a van on a street corner for 5 Euros that will make lunch tomorrow, too. This has also been a time to say final good-byes to the many good people I have met and worked with over these last three months.

           Michele and I went out for lunch together. I wanted to take her to Chez Panisse at the Best Western Hotel, but it seemed that the patio area was not being attended to before noon, so we walked back a few blocks to a little Salon du The. We ordered the Artichoke Heart with wine and then coffee afterwards. It was good, but the service left a little to be desired. We had a nice time talking about Michele’s dream of traveling throughout the States to places where famous authors lived. She and a friend may do this in the fall. I hope that we will be able to connect when she is in the Midwest.

After school today, I met Mariette (one of my previous teachers) at a little bar on rue Victor Hugo. We each had a glass of beer. We started out in French, but she was very kind and let me practice my English for most of our time together.

               The other important task that I was able to complete online in the last two days was renting a car for my Luxembourg portion of the trip. Hopefully all will be in place when I reach my destination. Look out world! (Yikes!) Since it is Easter weekend, perhaps there will be less traffic on the roads for a few days.

              These are the ordinary adventures of my days on the road. The entries of the next few weeks may be even more sporadic since I don’t know where I will find Internet service in Luxembourg and Norway. However, I hope that you will check back here occasionally for more stories and pictures.

               Have a blessed Easter, Dear Reader.

Days 77, 78, 79 samedi, dimanche, lundi

Pictures of Monaco

16 avril 2011

            The day was clear and warm from start to finish. The trip to Monaco was going to be quite nice if for the weather alone. I was out the door by 9:12 a.m. to meet the group by 9:30 a.m. There were many more people gathered than I expected, about 10 altogether. We represented Algeria, Venezuela, United States and Switzerland. Eric, the animateur of Azurlingua, led the group. We met the 10:00 train to Monaco.

            I had a lovely chat with Robert from Berlin. This day marked the end of his first week in Nice. He has a scholarship to a private university in Strasbourg for a master’s degree in finance, so he needs to work on his French.

            Once in Monaco, we headed toward the castle at the top of the hill. The water was deep blue and the white yachts filled the marina of the bay. The streets are very clean – like Disney Land. The cleaning crew is always on the watch for debris. Eric said that discarding a cigarette butt onto the street results in a hefty fine. But there are plenty of poubelle cans all around. The castle has been in the Grimaldi family since the end of the thirteenth century, but the biggest section of the structure looks modern. The canons on display all around the plaza are real, but today, they would have to fire through trees to be effective. We were able to see the changing of the guard just before the noon hour.

The old town is adjacent to the castle, so we took a short walk down the street to the Cathedral of St. Nicholas that is dedicated as well to St. Dévoté. This cathedral is simple and elegant at the same time. The princes and princesses of the principality are entombed here, including Princess Grace and Prince Albert II.

The principality is preparing for a royal wedding in July, so buildings are being polished and tuck-pointed. The oceanographic museum was founded by Prince Albert I who was an explorer-scientist. He collected specimens from oceans around the world. The museum has a great deal of his collection and the history of his explorations on display.

Our last stop was the infamous Casino that is flanked by luxury hotels and shopping. I was not dressed for entering the “real” casino, but there was a small room of machines for the real tourists. The opera house is part of the casino. Standing in the hall outside the theater, I could hear a group rehearsing inside – a large chorus. That is the closest I’ll get to an opera experience in Monaco.

The only people who are allowed to live in/move to Monaco are those who are no more than three generations away from having been born there and really rich people who buy their way in.

At this time the Masters Tennis tournament is going on. The next event is the infamous Formula One race. The town appears ready for tourists at any time. The lawns are groomed and the souvenir shops are well stocked.

It was a big day in Monaco. The train on the way back was packed and I anticipated another standing-only trip back to Nice. However, a man with a large knapsack made room for me. He was an Australian backpacking across Asia and Europe over seven months. His job with a bank in Hong Kong allowed him a sabbatical year, too. His adventures must have been amazing. He’s on his way home in another few days.

That sums up the adventures of the day. There are some pictures to go with the story. Enjoy, Dear Reader. Good night.

17 avril 2011

            Today was the most beautiful day of sunshine in Nice that I have yet experienced. The air is dry; the sky is so blue. This morning I recorded the ringing of the bells (les cloches) of the Russian Orthodox Church across the street from the apartment. They sound so beautiful. I hope you will enjoy hearing them.

            Yesterday in Monaco I bought a braided cross of palm branch for 3 euros so that I would have something to bring to the church for Les Rameaux (the branches). The tables of braided palm have been set up outside the church for over a week. Not only palm but olive branches, too. The church does not provide the palm branches, but the system gives someone a little income at this time of year.

            I met Yves and Veronica at school to attend Mass together this morning. They were good to go, even though it was quite long. The reading of the passion was done with three voices, but no congregational participation, so standing for the twenty minutes or so was even more of a “sacrifice.”

            Vesna was at the Mass, too, so we connected afterwards. Along the way home, she stopped to buy some fresh veggies at the Islam market. I decided that I had to do laundry and clean my bedroom before the day became short, so I headed home first. At 3:00 p.m. I went for a walk along the beach and ended up at Vesna’s apartment afterwards. We spent the afternoon and evening together with her daughter Maria. Her younger daughter, Valeria, is to come tomorrow, but I will not get to meet her. My time here is becoming very short, and there will be something to do every evening now including packing for the next part of the journey.

            There is so much suffering in the world, in any one country, in any one town, on any one street, in each person’s life. Being in another part of the world has given me a deeper appreciation of the gift that our lives are. We too often take our time here for granted. Let’s make these days matter in someone else’s life, Dear Reader. I hope your Holy Week has some holy space for reflection, too.

18 avril 2011

            The weather was beautiful again, today. The laundry dried in record time.  I sent off another round of post cards to family and friends and I talked to my sister Maria for a few moments as they were just getting out of bed to start the workweek. Another group of new faces arrived at school today. This week is Easter vacation for many schools, so people have come to enrich their lives with a little French study in Nice.

            After school I had tea with Michele, and then I walked to the train station. Earlier in the day Michele had asked if I had a women-only compartment for my train trip. I didn’t know, so I returned to the station to ask and to see if my place could be changed if it was not a compartement femme. It was not, and my spot was changed.

            Tonight I watched all of The Closer with Michele. It is fascinating to hear the work of the unknown people who do the voice-overs. Whenever possible the similar French word is matched closely with its English equivalent so that the visual of the pronunciation aligns. It gives one the sense that it was always meant to be French. However, I miss the gentile southern accent of Kara Sedgwick’s character. (Sorry, fans, I can’t remember her character’s name.)

            After a little review of the day’s class work and texting Mariette to determine a meeting time on Wednesday, I am calling it a day, Dear Reader. Have