Fall is Beautiful!

 I've become lazy. I don't feel like writing. More precisely, I don't feel like opening the computer, and typing or swooshing on the phone just doesn't work for me. There's not really anything new, just routine.

Since my last post was over 3 months ago, though, there is some catching up to do. We returned to Ginals early in July with the two Parisian grandchildren. They stayed with E & G; we stayed at our base - Hôtel Belle Rive in Najac. They had a great time helping around the property. We all did a little tourism. I'm very proud to announce that I managed to go up to the center of Cordes-Sur-Ciel and back down. The new hip is doing its job. It was a pleasure to be able to walk and go up and down steep hills. In this part of France, most picturesque medieval villages are perched high up overlooking a valley. We went to the market at St.-Antonin-Nobel-Val and had lunch at the Auberge des Sens. It was almost like old times -- not quite as crowded as in the past, but still bustling.

Delapre Abbey

The U.K. family canceled their trip to France because of the ever-changing Covid rules. Would they have to do multiple expensive tests upon return to the U.K.? Would they have to quarantine? At home? In a hotel? It was looking like a logistical and economic nightmare so they canceled. We went to them, instead. By the time we decided, it was pretty clear that if we had to quarantine it would be at their home. And if we needed tests, there are only two of us versus five of them, so much less expensive. In the end, we did not have to quarantine and we only had to do the "Day 2" test. We got to spend some much-needed cuddle time with them. 

Delapre Abbey

We went to a history event at the Delapre Abbey. There were stands all around the "parade" ground with embroidery, fabric dyeing, music, cooking, and other demonstrations of the 17th century revolutionary times. Inside the Abbey, there was a "dentist/doctor" demonstrating the various medical devices of the time. Everyone manning the stands seemed to be quite an expert in his or her field. I think we all learned a lot. The kids seemed captivated.

Another day, we went to Sulgrave, touted as the ancestral home of George Washington. In a way, yes. But his family had left the home many generations before George Washington was born. His great-great-great-great-grandfather built it in the 16th century but it was no longer in the family by the mid-17th. By 1911, it was a rundown farm. My take on it is that owners wanted to sell at the same time a group of investors was looking for a symbol of 100 years (give or take) of Anglo-American friendship. It was purchased in 1914 but restoration had to wait for the end of World War I. It is U.S. property. You are on U.S. soil when you are there. They have a beautiful garden and an extensive apple orchard. 

We were lucky to be there for A's birthday at the end of August, but by the time C's birthday came around, we were already home. Right now, we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the girls on their first school break. In England, as in France, there's a two-week break after about 6 weeks in school. 
In September, P & G came up from Six-Fours for a week. They stayed in Paris and we got together with them for lunch and the Botticelli exhibit at the Jacquemart-André Museum. I'm not a real fan of Botticelli. Interesting, but not riveting, for me. 

Fall is also the period of doing the medical rounds. I'm seeing doctors, getting all the check-ups, and so on. In France, our flu shots will be available from October 26. I've got my 3rd Covid shot scheduled for the 29th. Then, in November, my mammogram and an unrelated minor surgery. By mid-November, I should be clear of all the routine stuff. It's as if the beginning of the school year is still the beginning of my year.