Month: July 2023

I like Europe – A Lot

On By Terry ChristophersonIn Europe, France3 Comments

I like Europe. I particularly like France. Since moving to France over sixteen months ago, we have had the opportunity to visit twelve European countries, a few of them we had already visited at least once before we moved here – that is more than I ever dreamed I would get to see. If you take all of our European travel over the years we have been to fourteen countries in Europe.

The first conclusion is that I really like Europe, or at least Western Europe. The next conclusion is that I like France the best. With all of its paperwork, penchant for complaining, and unpredictability, it is still my favorite.

Just a week ago we drove back from spending time with Tricia’s sister in eastern France and Switzerland. Tricia was taking a nap as we cruised along the A11 at 130K. My thoughts pondered, what is it about Europe that I like so much?

When I visualize most anyplace in Europe it is cafes, cathedrals and castles, and a communal mindset that comes to mind.

One of the most striking features of Europe, and of course France, is the plethora of cafes and restaurants, most of which have outdoor seating. Al fresco, or en plien air, is the norm here. In Europe, the first choice is sitting outdoors for coffee, eating, and hanging out. The time of the year makes little difference. In the dead of winter, folks sit outside with un cafe or a glass of wine chatting with their friends.

Thanks to Tricia for photo

The cafe culture, which France is famous for, is more about people than what is consumed. People watching is an ubiquitous pastime here. In most cafes, the chairs face the street so you can watch the people parading by. There is no rush at a cafe, and you will never have a server indicating that they need the table – a 2€ un café entitles you to sit at the table for as long as you like. The cafe scene, just hanging out over a cafe, is something that most of the population takes part in regardless of status or age – cafes, en plien air cafes, are in the very fabric of peoples lives and outlook on life. It is a time to slow down to experience la joie de vivre. I like it a lot.

Another striking feature in Europe are the buildings, especially the churches, chateaus, and castles. Every city or, in a large city, like Paris, neighborhood, has a central area with an old church. Usually the weekly market is nearby, often a castle on a hill overlooks the whole scene.

St Julien’s
Ceaucé church
Chateau de Domfront

It is quite clear that this is an old culture which people are quite keen to embrace. One of my favorite scenes from the movie LA Story is when Steve Martin is giving a tour of the city and he says with incredulity, “Some of these houses are twenty years old!” We live in a house that is over 230 years old and we are surrounded by houses just as old. A twenty minute drive from here we can eat at a restaurant that sits in the shadow of Chateau de Domfront, over 1000 years old.

Joni Mitchell got it right when she sang, “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” In the US we tear down buildings. In Europe they update the building while valuing its history. In Europe, there is a connection to history which gives a different perspective on the future than if society is just focused on the next new thing.

The communal attitude of Europe and France stands out as well – public transportation and healthcare are two of the best examples. Trains and subways make it quite easy for many folks to never own or really need a car. Bicycles are common all over Europe, as are motor scooters. What is rare are large SUVs and trucks.

Healthcare is seen as a public necessity, not something connected with a job or only for the well-off financially. Yes, it has its frustrations, to expect otherwise would not be realistic. It is comforting to know that the societies of Europe are willing to pay a bit more in tax for the benefit of the community.

Individualism is quite acceptable here, and there is acceptance of live and let live. There is less of the attitude that has grown so divisive in the US where one group feels the need to intrude on the lives of other people’s lifestyles, lifestyles that most often have nothing to do with them. The US claims a separation of church and state, yet the church today wants to impose its beliefs on everyone. France is officially secular, which does not mean anti-religion. What it does mean is that you are allowed to practice your religion and just let me practice mine. (Sadly, recently this is being tested by far-right groups wanting to oppress some races and religions.)

Europe is not perfect, and like a good Frenchman I can complain with the best of them about the bureaucracy, the frequent waiting, or that we still have 3G phone service half the time. Yet, I like it here. There are a few places I know in the US that are close, like the part of Portland where our friends live, and a few pockets in Seattle, so if/when we return to the US we will need to seek out such a place. But, in the meantime, I will enjoy France.

Next week I will explore why I like France the best.

Basel Ticked All the Boxes

On By Terry ChristophersonIn Been there - places, Trips and travel6 Comments

Basel was our first introduction to Switzerland, and what a pleasant place to start. Stereotypes of mountside cottages with goats and cows ringing their bells would have to wait, Basel is a big city.

Bicycles and pedestrians rule, crossing and swerving with no rhyme nor reason. Driving our car was a two person job – I watched the street and listened to the GPS directions, Tricia watched for pedestrians ready to step out in front of the car with no warning, or cyclists coming up on my right as I was starting to turn. Once our Dacia was tucked safely away in the underground City Parking we joined the chaos on foot.

My mornings started at the Confiserie Bachmann on Blumenrain street, next to the Rhine River. One lesson from our European travels is how coffee differs from region to region. I know how to order in France – un cafe, un double, un café crème, une noisette. In other countries it is not always the same.

My first morning I ordered a latte with an extra shot, I dislike most American lattes because all you get is coffee flavored hot milk, so at Starbucks I always add an extra shot or two of espresso so as to be able to taste the coffee – thankfully caffeine has never had any effect on me. Look at what the server brought me in Basel – on a tray, nice serviette, small glass of water, a small baked nibble, and the coffee beautifully layered in a tall clear glass. This is why I like coffee in Europe, no paper cup with a plastic lid.

The next morning I asked for a cappuccino. Thankfully many of the better coffee shops in Seattle serve them just as well, though, with the exception of one shop I know of in Mill Creek, the water and the tray are missing.

Tricia is the travel photographer in the family, she posts her enticing work on her blog site, Travels Through My Lens. However, while in Basel, I was drawn to people in doorways and on the streets that got me to wondering what they were thinking or feeling.

The food in Basel was equally impressive. One meal that stands out was this spicy steak tartar at ONO Deli Café Bar. It tasted just as good as it looks; when it is done right, food can be such a joy.

Our Brit friends have a phrase, “It ticked all the boxes.” Basel ticked all of my boxes: morning coffee while observing the city and sketching, people to watch, and excellent food to share with Tricia en plein air. As Bob Hope sang, “Thanks for the memories…”

Alsace/Lorraine – A Long Way From Longyearbyen

On By Terry ChristophersonIn Trips and travel7 Comments

We are in Lesseux in the far east of France. The proximity to Germany and Switzerland is evident in the architecture. We are a long way from Normandie with its resemblance to southern England. We are even further from Longyearbyen, where we were just over two weeks ago.

Longyearbyen was 78N latitude, here it is 48N. The sun will not set today in Longyearbyen, but today it will set here at 2134 and come up again 0538 tomorrow morning. It is 74F in the evening here, it is 55F in Longyearbyen.

Eastern France is a world away from the far north. It reminds us of the Pacific North West, green forests and hills. It has architecture from another century. Longyearbyen’s structures are utilitarian.

My granny, my dad’s mom, was a woman ahead of her time. A single mom in the 30s and 40s, a master tailor, a executive assistant – when they were still called a secretary. On Sundays she and I teamed up against dad in a game of chess, and she was a vicious croquet player. She would have loved to travel, but she did very little.

Granny had a subscription to National Geographic. We would sit on the couch and dream of far away lands. I remember spending many hours looking at a thick book she had with black and white photographs of places around the word. In her imagination Granny was a world traveler – maybe that is where I got it from.

Thankfully, Tricia and I share a bit of wanderlust, and we travel well together. We have a rhythm that works well and we like similar things. Granny never met Tricia, but I know she would have liked her as much as I did.

I suppose the day will come when we don’t travel as often, and that will be just fine – quiet days have their own attraction. But for now we have a few more plans on the horizon, and we will enjoy each one. We have been blessed with a lifetime of travel – our life is the trip of a lifetime.

When that day comes, and we slow down a bit, it will be just right. For there is another thing we have learned, the days of a quiet routine are just fine. Cooking together, working on our photos and art, seeing friends and family, these will all be quite satisfying. In the end, each day is what you make of it, that is our plan. Thank you granny for planting the desire to travel, and for living each day well.