Campanile - Pau

... the ruins at Delphi - for a sense of the sheer reach of human history; the museum at Athens, with the see-through floor revealing something of those times.
Lows: all of Albania really - the sheer poverty of our near-neighbours. And, not to be too trivial, but the weather in Greece: hard to take the grey skies... especially when so sunny in UK! Having had it as a target since way back, it did tarnish the dream somewhat!!
And so life goes....on.

A brief stop over so that Mike could revisit Pau where he spent a month on a French exchange more than 50 years ago!
First we thought we should have a look at Lourdes as it was very near. It was difficult for us as dedicated athiests to understand the place. It is full of pilgrims but there did not seem to be any sense of joy. The buildings were magnificent and impressive,but the surrounding streets were full of very tacky souvenir shops all ...

... over 10,000 ft. A lazy afternoon followed by another delightful meal and a good night's sleep. Ahh, the mountains.

               

We spent a lazy day in and around our hotel, casually visiting Luz Saint Sauveur, about 10 minutes from our hotel. We also drove up to Gavarnie, the famous Cirque in the region. There weren't much in the ways of views as the mountains were in the clouds.
 
 

... Tyler "slept" in the back of our Golf Station Wagon. By 7:30 we were all up and playing soccer in the parking lot. After freshening up, we went down into town and played in a great local playground (2 storey climbing structure with 2 "dark slides" as Tyler likes to call them). On the road by noon we were ...

... to be entertaining. Christmas is just around the corner and that has totally taken me by surprise as well. En plus and even more exciting is that Lana will be here in hardly over a week!!!! And then Moma and Papa too!!! I have the most incredible month ahead of me; holiday in Europe with my family. How can it get better than that?? On verra... Hope all is well for everyone! Love, Anna.

... the girls' idea, even. The homework assignment was to interview a French student to learn the slang expressions for eating and drinking. These chicks wanted to become French teachers or something, so quid pro quo, just like it always is with the night life in France. Except most members of the opposite sex don't usually have a mutual professor who arranges the date for you, mais quand meme. When we got there, Anthony immediately offered to get ...

... into one town before somebody gets run out of business?* During the breakfast before I left town, my host brothers, Thadée and Barthélemy, gave me an empty milk bottle (20 oz.) to collect the holy water** from the stream that runs through the cave where Bernadette first received her vision of the Holy Mother. The water from this particular spring has also been the destination of those who seek (and sometimes even receive) miraculous healings. The boys ...

... brought from the states. I've heard that the super marchés sell it here, but it's definitely not a part of French culture. But Nutella certainly is. En fait, chocolate holds such a domineering presence in France that it's difficult to go a day without eating it. Breakfast pastries, croissants, and desserts are more often than not at least dabbed with un petit peu de chocolat. Nutella, however, is practically its own food group. Maybe you already know what ...

... to bown under the influence. I had the best score (119?). We drank quite a bit. Christian is drunk and he has a big test tomorrow. Good luck!

June 8
I stayed home and ate with the mom. I kileld time by listening to the radio, but it's mostly American music. Bummer. It's the father's birthday today, he's 43. We all dress up nice and head to a ...