ALMOST HALLOWEEN!

I just noticed that I've been blogging for a year.  It doesn't feel that long....

 Charlie and I have a quiet week-end for the first time in several weeks.  Monday, Chuck is on his way to Denver for a quick conference.  He'll be back on Wednesday.  I plan to spend a few weeks not traveling.  As much as I like trekking about, it's nice to have some quiet time in-between.

Tomorrow's Halloween.  We never get many kids here.  A neighbor a few houses away has two small children, Dante and Molly.  Those two and a loyal Hispanic family are about the only ones who trick or treat on our street.  We saw Dante and his dad the other day and asked him what kind of candy he liked.  He told us that he really liked candy corns.  Since he is almost our only customer, we bought him (and his sister) a special candy-corn bag.  We also have a huge bag of regular trick-or-treat sized candies.  When our loyal Hispanic family shows up - they'll get handfuls of those.  That way Charlie and I can avoid 2 pounds of candy (we'll just have 1 pound left)

The Caribbean Amphibian

Yesterday, after school, Charlie and I drove up to Hayward.  We always stay in a Quality Inn in Castro Valley.  A very odd place to feel like home, but we've been coming up here since Ian and Sarah moved to Hayward - and have stayed here for at least 3 or 4 years.

Today was the reason for the drive - the Caribbean Amphibian dance.  Harriet and her friend were to be in a recital.  She  has been learning tap and ballet through a program at her nursery school.  The dance teachers, however, come from a dance school that really is quite serious about getting kids into the "business".  The recital wasn't just a pack of 4 year olds dancing their little hearts out.  Most of the recital (the program had 8 pages filled with all the dances for the day!!) were students who were rather advanced.  The program broke into three sets of dance types - tap (which were quite enjoyable), non-en-pointe ballet (which I have never been a huge fan of - lots of sad music, flowing raggedy gowns, and floor moves), and hip-hop (which I found I quite enjoyed - knock me out!).  There were a few numbers for the youngest dancers.  Harriet and her partner were in the second half of the show - they were a real hit!  One group in the first half - semi-dancing to a number I believe was called "Lucy Ladybug" seemed too traumatic for one member of the troupe.  She stood on stage and bawled her eyes out the entire number.  We went out for a great Chinese dinner tonight for a celebration.  Our little dancer - frog lady - was so exhausted she actually fell off her chair.

We drive home tomorrow.  Photos above

WE MADE A GOOD DECISION

Yesterday evening while talking to Geoff he told us about a poisonous taxi trip from Gare Du Nord.  It took him two hours during the last transportation strike.  So many people needed to get around, that they all went into taxis.  But the streets of Paris really can't handle that kind of upsurge in vehicles.  The result was complete grid lock.  When we went to bed, I kept thinking about the fact that the strike is building up steam.  I had images of us getting to the station (Gare du Nord) and discovering that the trains weren't going to go.  Then getting into a taxi and as the hours rolled by, we'd be trapped in a feeble attempt to make it to Charles de Gaul airport, and never getting to our flight.  That's when I had a brilliant idea - we'd go to the airport and stay the night in an airport hotel.  Every major airport in the world has a small bevy of service hotels near the airport for people who have flights out at dawn (or are in the throws of some awful strike).  We got on line this morning and found the Park Inn.  Less than 5 km from Charles de Gaul!  We now don't have to worry.  There's a shuttle from here every 15 minutes, and if that goes out, the taxis cost less than 20 euros.  All will be well.
We got up late this morning (all my nighttime plotting kept us up to the wee hours).  It was drizzling rain, but we wandered over to another cafe for a cafe creme and a croissant.  Back to Geoff's for some relaxing.  Then around 12:30 we wandered out to another cafe for a lunch.  Maude came over to talk science with Geoff and Charlie.  By 5 we went out to the RER for our little jump from Chatelet Les Halles to Gare du Nord.  We literally couldn't get into the first train to Gare du Nord.  A guy came along and actually stuffed people's arms into the cars so the doors would close.  The second train, mercifully came along more quickly and we got to Gare du Nord in apparent luxury.  Our second trip was a little more like a trip to Dachau.  The platform was literally filled with people by the time the train showed up.  We were "fortunate" to get on somewhat early and found a place to stand with our suit cases near the back of some seats (no one in front of us).  The car filled to the brim with people.  The train people had to convince a fellow to get off the train car because the door wouldn't close properly.  One woman in the middle of the mob began to say "Je suis malade, je suis malade!" (I'm sick) and the let her off the train.  I began to think "je suis malade aussi!!, but I honestly couldn't have made it out the door from where I was squashed.  The Indians in Mumbai sit on the roof of the trains, that sounded pretty good too!  Once the train finally started - the wait seemed to last an eternity - the air from an open window kept me from really becoming "malade"!  We got to terminal 2 - Charles de Gaul about 6:30.  When we passed a station called "Les expositions"  the crowd waiting for the train to Paris was incredible.  There must have been at least 1000 people squashed on the platform.  Clearly another trip from hell for those lucky folks.  Our hotel is lovely.  We're here!  We're close to the airport!  All's right with the world.  A quick aside.  Geoff's newly minted PhD, Maude, was excited to get back to the strikers on the streets of Paris this afternoon.  It seemed like a looming party to her.  If I hadn't needed to get on a plane tomorrow, it might have seemed like a party to me too.

MONDAY - WALK TO THE LOUVRE

Charlie and Geoff went to the university in the morning after a lovely cafe-creme and a croissant.  They went off in one direction and I plodded off in the other.  I took lots of photos - see attached - and then went to the Louvre.  I hadn't been there in years, and hadn't spent enough time the last time I was there.  Since I had the whole day, it was a great, trip.  I had lunch there.  Then, in a Brownian-walk kind of way, met Charlie and Geoff after the student's PhD exam - the reason for this trip in the first place.  Maude is very nice, and did very well.  We tried Chestnut wine.  I think I'll stick to the regular grape kind in future.  We had a late night Thai dinner snack.  Today, Tuesday, our last full day here.  Tomorrow after many hours - back to LA.  Will the strike get us?  Not really.  We plan on spending tonight close to the airport to avoid any city stoppages.

WE'RE IN PARIS

France, that is.  We began our journey at 4:15 this morning first with a flight to Dulles (Washington, DC) then on to Charles D'Gaul in Paris.  There's a transportation strike here.  At the moment it means that we had to take a train from the airport to Gare du Nord, then another train to Chatelet des Halle (one more stop beyond).  Silly really.  The more exciting piece of the strike is that the strikers have stopped a gasoline pipeline to the airport.  We've heard tell there's only enough for 10 days more air travel.  Fortunately, we should escape before they run out..... or will we????  It does add some excitement at any rate.  Tomorrow Charlie will spend the day at the University.  The student's oral exam is tomorrow afternoon.  I have the day to myself - wandering seems just right.  I'll bring my camera for better updates.