Montmarte

Tuesday, July 29

A little seedy around the edges, packed with tourists in the main square, Montmartre is actually a pleasant place once you get off the beaten track and stroll its pretty cobbled streets in search of the homes, studios and hangouts of the artistic and literary lights of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. They're all there, from Renoir & Van Gogh to Hemingway, Picasso and Gertrude Stein. Parts of Monmartre are reminiscent of Berkeley, North Beach in San Francisco, and Venice Beach in LA.











We took the Metro out to Montmartre, it's too far to walk. Through the early twentieth century, it was an outlying village and not part of Paris (it still has its own small vineyard, with an annual production of around 300 litres). Our nice weather returned today so it was cooler with a lovely breeze, perfect for hiking the hilly streets.


We started at Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) high up on the butte, overlooking the city. The domed Roman-Byzantine basilica looks old but was actually built over a period of 44 years between 1875 and 1919. The interior is lovely, the most impressive feature being the beautiful blue, white and gold mosaic above the altar of Christ with outstretched arms and exposed heart. Mass was in progress when we were there and a nun in a white habit and black veil was softly playing the lute. The tourists present actually remined silent through the service and it was the nicest church experience we've had in Paris.


The main square is as you'd expect, jammed with tourists and artists, lined with cafes, shops and galleries. We had a delicious lunch at a small quiet cafe off the main square (a street cellist provided a nice accompaniment to the experience).





















Highlights of the rest of the afternoon included a stop in the Musee de Montmartre, in a 17th century manor house, featuring paintings, original posters, photos, music and memorabilia recalling the traditional Montmartre scene. The museum was featuring an exhibit on Absinthe, the inspiration and downfall of many creative Montmartre residents.














We also saw (in addition to artists studios & homes) the original La Maison Rose Restaurant, Au Lapin Agile Cabaret, Moulin Rouge, and the Moulin de la Galette, the last being the location where Renoir's painted his masterpiece, en pleine aire--what some call the quintessential Impressionist work. A glance up some of the streets (with the basilica dome in the background) recalled paintings by Utrillo, who lived most of his life in Montmartre (when he wasn't in rehab!).






















Dinner was at Pitchi Poi, a restaurant specializing in Eastern European Jewish food on Rue Caron.

A Walk Around the Faubourg St-Antoine

Monday, July 28

Our guidebook has several guided walks, so we decided to try one today. We relaxed for a lot of the morning then took a walk around the Faubourg St-Antoine area. Starting at our studio, we walked (sauntered, actually, the weather has been quite warm the past few days) to the Bastille, or rather what used to be the Bastille. Since the prison was torn down to start the Revolution in 1789, there's nothing there but a tall monument in a big roundabout. We then walked along the Port de Plaisance, location of the Paris yacht club and docking place for lots of pleasure boats, and the Paris Arsenal garden with its pretty flowers, cobblestone streets and antique lampposts.








We then proceeded to the Avenue Domesnil and the Viaduc des Arts. This looked to Claire like Paris' version of Showplace Square, the "to-the-trade" interior design shops of San Francisco. In 1859 the Paris Viaduct was built to take a railroad line that linked this district with the suburbs. In 1994 it was revamped to house 50 shops and studios devoted to all sorts of arts and crafts--everything you need to decorate your home in style, from hand-woven fabrics, rugs, furniture designer/makers and restorers, to floor coverings & decorative tile, kitchen & bathroom items, plus fine painting, sculpture, glass, porcelain, as well as more personal items like jewelry, lace, leather bags, ribbons, embroidery thread, buttons. The window shopping was fantastic.






















After a delicious lunch at the Viaduc Cafe we retraced our steps back to the Bastille (two stories up this time) along the Promenade Plantee, a lovely rooftop walkway landscaped with roses, lavender, bamboo, hollyhocks and more. Because of the heat, walking back required another cafe interlude for Perrier and a teensy weensy cup of French cafe.





















For dinner we returned to Cafe Framboisy, where we had such a wonderful lunch last week. The dinner was as good as we expected. It was a hot and humid evening, so sitting outside was comfortable and people watching was fun. Just as we finished eating, a thunderstorm hit, cooling things off considerably. We walked home (2 blocks) in a lull of the storm and only got slightly wet. The cafe's owner, Francoise, speaks excellent English with a slight German accent. We asked her about this and found that she went to school in Germany and spoke lots of English while there. Also, her partner is an American from the LA area and we had a nice conversation with him.

Musee Marmottan

Sunday, July 27

We can't get enough of Monet, so we thought that today we would expand on yesterday's Giverny adventure by viewing some of his actual work (the "Monets" on the walls in the Giverny house are copies--some good, some not so).

Paris has three major museum collections of Monet: L'Orangerie, D'Orsay, and Marmottan. Musee Marmottan is located on the far west side of Paris, almost to the Boulevard Peripherique, and an hour's walk from the Eiffel Tower. So we tried public transportation again, this time the Metro. The Paris Metro is similar to the London Underground and the New York Subway; it is very extensive and will take you close to almost any destination in the city but it is aging and showing the results of deferred maintenance. It is also complicated but can be very effective once you learn the details of the layout; the stations where several lines come together can be confusing and exiting on the street you want can be difficult if you're not careful. We got on Line 1 at St. Paul, transferred to Line 9 at Franklin D Roosevelt and got off at La Muette. The trip was fast, efficient and cheap.

The museum is housed in a mansion built by Jules Marmottan. His son, Paul, was a friend of Monet and other painters and he collected their works. When he died with no children, he bequeathed the house as a museum. The basement gallery is entirely Monet. The ground floor has some more Monet plus other Impressionists (Sisley, Renoir, etc.) and other artists (Claire epecially enjoyed getting to know the work of Berthe Morisot, Manet's sister-in-law and a skillful Impressionist painter); it also has a collection of medieval religious illuminations and period furniture. The top floor usually has more Impressionist paintings on exhibit but today there was a special exhibition of some modern artists.

On the way back to the Metro station, we walked through a very pleasant park where families were picnicking and we bought some panini at a stand. The Metro brought us back to St. Paul quickly (we're old hands at this now). We bought a Sunday Times (London) to read, first in the studio then in a cafe on St. Antoine. We didn't get much reading done in the cafe as the street theater was too riveting.

Bill took a walk to Place des Vosges; there is a free internet signal available there so being online should become easier.












We went to dinner at Arirang in the square at rue Caron. This is a Korean barbecue; Bill had shrimp and Claire had beef, with vegetables an sauce; quite good.

Giverny

Saturday, July 26

We decided to do a day trip to Monet's home and gardens in Giverny, about 50 miles west of Paris. After a week of walking, city bus-catching and organizing our own itinerary, it was nice just to plop down on an air-conditioned bus and be given background info by a tour guide, dropped off right in front of our destination, not have to wait in line to buy tickets, and then be driven back again. There's definitely something to be said for organized tours!

The bus went past the Eiffel Tower, down the Champs d"Elysee past the Arc d'Triomphe, onto the ring road (Boulevard Peripherique) and out of the city into the Seine Valley. It was nice to see some of the French countryside, including fields of lavender (if only whizzing past the window) after a week in the crowded bustle of Paris. We had plenty of time to enjoy Monet's two lovely gardens and farmhouse.













By the time Monet, his second wife and blended family of eight children moved to Giverny in 1890, he was a successful artist with the time and money to spend the remaining 36 years of his life landscaping his gardens and painting them. The house itself is fun to go through--the decor is just what you imagine "Country French" to be, with soft pastels on the walls, lace and gingham curtains on the windows, blue-and-white patterned tiles and polished copper pots in the kitchen, potted geraniums and hydrangeas everywhere--plus, Monet's wonderful collection of Japanese prints adorning the walls in every room. But of course the gardens are the best part of the experience, and delightful to see and photograph. The Impressionists very greatly influenced by Japanese art and used ideas gained from it in their new art form. One of Monet's gardens is a Japanese garden with the famous lily pond and bridge.




















After the bus ride back into Paris (with a stop at Versailles to drop some people off), Claire went to the Museum of Decorative Arts (not Bill's thing so he returned home and published yesterday's blog). The museum covers the history of interior design from medieval times to the present, of course with an emphasis on the French influence.








For dinner, we went to Cafe de Musees on rue de Turrene (just off rue St. Antoine & St. Paul, a ten minute walk). It was recommended by a good friend, Charles Mills. We shared a gazpacho and both had sea bass; it was excellent. After a nice dessert, we walked home in the warm evening past numerous cafes that were still going strong.

Slow Day

Friday, July 25

Being tired from the frantic museum trips and all the walking, we decided to take it easy. We had a very nice lunch at Le Framboisy, a small cafe two blocks from St. Paul on rue de Charlemagne.











During lunch, we got a display of street drama. We assume that someone was moving into a flat on an upper floor of the building across the street from the cafe. Five trucks showed up (one with appliances), one which had a telescoping power lift. They completely blocked the intersection for almost an hour, standing around waiting for something. The guy in charge (you could tell by the clipboard and cell phone) kept waiving his arms around and talking on his cell phone, giving the occasional "Gallic shrug". Then suddenly, they all left. How French!

We did some shopping at the local supermarket, Monoprix. This interesting when all the products are labelled in French and very few of the employees speak English (or don't admit to it). Then home for some rest (eating a good lunch and watching street drama tires us out).

We then walked to Pont Neuf (new bridge, although it's the oldest bridge in Paris; the first bridge without buildings on it) on the tip of Ile de la Cite to catch a boat tour on the Seine. On the way, we walked along the Right Bank and saw Paris Plages; they bring in sand every summer and dump it along the promenade on the banks of the Seine, creating a beach. There are cafes selling food and drinks, tables for sitting and watching, playground areas for the kids, and sun bathing areas. Families were in great abundance. And we were exposed to French girls in bikinis; disgusting!


We decided on the Vedettes du Pont Neuf based on location and price. The tour took about an hour and went from just East of Ile San Louis to just West of the Eiffel Tower. There was narration from a tour guide in French and English, but her accent was pretty thick and hard to understand. We saw many of the sites we had already walked by, including Notre Dame.

Musee Carnavalet and return to Notre Dame

Thursday, July 24

Musee Carnavalet is a five minute walk from rue St. Paul. The museum is housed in two Marais mansions and was opened in 1880. It's purpose is to exhibit the history of France, but realistically provides an excellent overview from Louis XIV (that's him in the picture) to Napoleon and the Commune. Admission is free so it is poorly funded; shortage of staff causes some rooms to be closed. The exhibits are quite good and you learn how the nobility lived, especially the opulence of the Louie kings (XIV - XVI). The authentic decor in the lavishly furnished rooms is like a gorgeously illustrated course in French interior design through the ages. Unfortunately, the building housing the exhibit of the Revolution and later was closed, so Bill missed the part he really wanted to see.






After lunch, we walked to the RER station to get tickets for a trip to Versailles tomorrow; unfortunately the station is closed for repairs and we might not make that trip. But we did get some posters from a Left Bank stall and some delicious gelato on Ile St. Louis. There were lots of people sun bathing and children playing under these odd "misting hoops" (for want of a better term) along the Seine on this beautiful warm day--can't imagine more perfect weather!
















We then walked back to Notre Dame. The crowds were quite dense but we did get to enter some spaces that were forbidden during the mass on Sunday. This is one imposing edifice! When we asked our nine-year-old granddaughter what she liked best about Paris, she said Notre Dame. We think if we could be here in December as she was, without the summer crowds, we'd agree.

We have been chasing museums non-stop for five days and are really tired; some down time is called for. We had grilled cheese sandwiches in the studio for dinner and are planning on a slow day tommorow (we did buy tickets for a bus tour to Giverney on Saturday).

Musee D'Orsay

Wednesday, July 23

The Musee D'Orsay picks up where the Louvre leaves off; they exhibit French art from the nineteenth century (actually to 1914). This is the largest collection of impressionist art in the world (Monet, Manet, Renoir, Pissaro, Sisley; Van Gough, etc.). The building is an old railway terminal that was slated for teardown in the '70s. It was renovated into a large museum and exhibits from around Paris were collected in this one place. And it is impressive. If you like impressionist art, this is the place to be. We got there on the #69 bus, which was a pleasure for sore feet. After lunch we decided to treat ourselves to a taxi home.



We had dinner at Au Bouquet St Paul, a very nice restaurant on the corner of Rue St. Paul and Rue St. Antoine. This was our second meal here and we will surely return. We also discovered that this place has a Wi-Fi (pronounced wee-fee) signal for customers to use.








Paris has a system of public bicycle rentals called Velib (you might call it "city bike"). There are racks of bikes all over the city. You take one (after inserting a card in the rack) and drop it off at any other site. The first twenty minutes are free. You see people riding these bikes all around; they may be slower than motor scooters but they sure are quieter and there's no problem with parking.

Tall Structure, Quay Branly, Rue Cler, Rodin and Concert

Tuesday, July 22

Paris is a happening place. Going out early, you can observe the city waking up. It's vibrant and everyone is hustling; great energy. People are sitting at sidewalk cafes having their morning coffee; at lunch time, those same cafes are jammed when the weather is nice (and it has been every day so far); in late afternoon and early evening, they are back again for after-work socializing. In the evenings, the streets are crowded with people walking around enjoying themselves; restaurants are packed until late at night. The people-watching is fabulous.

When we visit large cities, we usually walk everywhere; not just for the exercise but for the experience of getting a feel for the city. We've done this extensively in London, Rome, and New York. But this time, it's more difficult; we guess our age is starting to show. Also, Bill is dealing with a heel injury, so we'll need to cut down on the walking and check out the public transportation.

The #69 bus runs from the Bastille to the Eiffel Tower and goes past just about everything. The trip took us longer than expected because we had to learn the system and buy a book of tickets. The tickets are good for the Metro and the bus system, but this morning we decided the bus would be best.

We took the bus to the Eiffel Tower. By the time we got there, the lines were such that the wait would be about an hour and a half. With a wait like this, viewing it from below was just fine with us. Our daughter-in-law and grandchildren visited it in December and didn't see lines like this. There is an excellent restaurant at the top; dinner is 200 Euros per person and a reservation is required three months in advance. Maybe next time.











We walked to the Musee du Quai Branly. This is a modern museum exhibiting art and artifacts of primitive cultures from Oceana, Asia, Africa and the Americas. It's very extensive and you could spend days inside the place. Very impressive.

In walking to our next museum, we strolled down the Rue du Cler. This is a market street, with many vendors of produce, meats and food in general. It also has many cafes. We had an excellent (if overpriced) lunch and observed the people passing by.

After lunch, we walked to the Musee Rodin. It's located in a large eighteenth century house (in which Rodin once lived and worked) that has been converted to the museum. Inside are a number of his smaller creations and studies for the larger ones. These include Eve, The Kiss, and The Hand of God. The gardens outside the house are extensive, beautiful and very relaxing, filled with paths, sculptured shrubs and roses. There we saw the full size Thinker and The Burghers of Calais, amoung many others.




















We then started the long walk toward home. Our feet and backs were pretty tired but we had concert tickets, so off we went. We walked to the Left Bank and sat in a cafe for refreshments, then took the short walk to Sainte-Chapell for a concert of Pachabel's Canon, Vivaldi's Four Seasons, and a few selections from Mozart. This was an excellent concert in a beautiful place, the sounds echoing off the surrounding stained glass windows (and a pigeon that entertained us by flying around during the performance).

Then it was a relatively short walk down the Isle de la Citie and Ile St. Louis back to Rue St. Paul, where we had dinner at L'Enoteca, a good Italian restaurant just a block from our studio.

The Louvre and Musee L'Orangerie

Monday, July 21.

For museum junkies, the Louvre is where the action is; the world's largest museum. You just can't see it all in one trip.

The building is huge. At one time, it was the palace of the kings (built by Louis IV). The British built some spectacular houses but they had nothing on the French nobility when it came to opulent excess; however the Revolution stopped that and started a new chain of excess. The revolutionaries took it over and made it into a public museum, a rarity at that time. Napoleon looted Europe and the Middle East to supplement the king's treasures. The addition of American architect I.M. Pei's glass pyramid was controversial (Parisians are said to hate it), but it washes the entry area with light and Claire thinks it's pretty cool.





















We arrived early to avoid the lines (yeah, right). The Museum Pass helped out so at least we got in faster then the "great unwashed"; security is very tight, including soldiers in camo with automatic weapons. Once inside, we (and 100,000 of our best friends) viewed as many works of art and bits of history as we could manage, given the crowds.

We did the ancient Greek statuary, then Roman. Venus de Milo is a big hit, as is Winged Victory. We also saw the Renaisance sculpture (Michaelangelo, etc.) and paintings. Mona Lisa is in a big room with many other period paintings. Nobody looked at the other paintings so several thousand people jockied for position. Bill, being taller than average, got a good look (albeit from a distance); Claire needed a pogo stick. We left after about three hours, possibly to return on a less crowded day or in the evening, which we understand affords a more peaceful experience.









In the basement of the adjoining building, we hit a food court and got burgers. We recommend you do not buy American food in Paris.

We strolled through the Jarden Des Tuleries, a VERY large garden or park. At one time there was a palace here, connected to the Louvre but it burned down and the park was created, with fountains, trees, statuary, benches and cafes.

At the far side of the park, we entered Musee De L'Orangerie. Here we found many examples of late 19th and early 20th century paintings, including Monet's

Water Lilies and works by Utrillo, Cezanne, Renoir, Matisse and Picasso, plus others. What a contrast to the Louvre, in terms of being much quieter and more relaxed. Seeing the Water Lilies installed as intended is a lovely experience and provided a relaxing contrast to the frantic crush of every Japanese tourist in Paris snapping themselves and each other in front of all the "famous" pieces in the Louvre.

We then walked back to our apartment, going through the Jarden Des Tuleries again, stopping for a Tarte Tatin (upside down apple tart) and coffee/tea, and strolling through a carnival that reminded us of the Atlantic City Boardwalk (no ocean but the Seine is nearby). Another day with miles of walking and sore feet, but we saw lots of good stuff.

Ile de la Citie and the Left Bank

Sunday, July 20

Today we started our Paris experience. We decided to follow a tour from Rick Steve's book, what he calls Historic Paris. This encompases the Ile de la Citie (Island of the City) and part of the Rive Gauche (Left Bank). First we had to get a museum pass. This lets us into most of the museums for free and also lets us jump to the front of the queue. We got passes which give us museum entry for four consecutive days, starting today.

We started at the Archaelogical Crypt. Since the Romans first settled on this island two thousand years ago, accumulated dirt and debris have raised the ground level over thirty feet, burying a lot of the ruins from that time plus lots of midieval ruins. This museum put a roof over the digs (some of which are still being discovered) and it gives a great example of what has happened over the centuries.

While Italy and Britain have many beautiful cathedrals, when it comes to Gothic style France is the leader. And of all the cathedrals in France, Notre Dame is a must see. The soaring, vaulted ceilings and flying butresses are breathtaking. You can picture Quasimodo in the tower ringing the bells. This is a Sunday and mass was going on, so there were places we weren't allowed to go; and the crowds were overwhelming. Admission is free so we will return in a few days.


















The Deportation Memorial is a small monument on the tip of the island from which the Nazis sent captives (Jews and dissidents) off to the camps. You enterdown a narrow passage, heading down, and you get the feeling of doom. "Despair ye who enter here"! There are 200,000 lighted crystals embedded in apassage wall, one for each of those who were sent away never to return. Walking along the Seine on the Left Bank on a nice day is a joy. The quay is lined with booksellers in small stalls (also posters, etc.); a quintessentialParis feeling. Off the Quay, streets are mostly narrow, with buildings crowded against each other, with the occasional wide boulevard and small parks. There is no shortage of cafes and shops; it's definitely not the Left Bank of Hemingway and friends.

Shakespeare and Company Bookstore was founded by Sylvia Beach and was home to the literary crowd in the 1930s; she published Ulysses when nobody else would. (If you ever visit Newport, Oregon, stay at the Sylvia Beach Hotel for a unique experience). This bookstore is piled high and low with stacks and stacks of books, many very old; they're just everywhere so you can barely walk through. "Funky" would be a good description.














The Left Bank is home to what was once the Latin Quarter but it's better called the Greek Quarter today. We ate lunch at a Gyros cafe.


The Cluny Museum is a display of medieval France, with artifacts from all facets of that period. It deserves a lot more time than we could give it.















Then it was on to Sainte-Chapelle. What Notre Dame is to soaring ceilings, Sainte-Chappelle is to stained glass. The ceilings are high (not as high as Notre Dame) and the windows go all the way to the top. Notre Dame took over 200 years to build; Sainte Chapelle took five. This is magnificance.













The Conciergerie was the home of kings, first build by Hugh Capet, the founder of modern France and the dynasty that ruled until the 1789 revolution. While not as impressive as many later palaces, it is still a fine example of gothic architecure. The revolutionaries took it over and used it as a jail and court during the reign of terror. Marie Antoinette spent her last days here, as they let you know quite vividly.

We also saw along the way, a number of other impressive sites. These include St. Severin church, Boulevard St. Michel (arts area), Place St. Andre-des-Arts (cafes), Place St. Michel (fountain), the Palais de Justice (courts), the oldest Metro stop in the system (art deco), and Place Dauphine.

This was a long day and we have very tired feet. It will be dinner and early to bed tonight. Tomorrow is the Louvre.

Marais and Ile St. Louis

Saturday, July 19

We got off to a late start, so wandered around some more, then had lunch at a great little place on the corner of rue St. Paul and Rue Saint Antione. While walking around, we checked out, but did not explore, Place de Voges and Hotel Sully. We than did a walking tour around the Ile St. Louis (which is mostly shops) and had some great ice cream at Berthiollon's. On the way, we saw the gardens at Hotel de Sens. Paris is a big city with lots of noise and traffic. The cars whiz by at a high speed (Paris drivers are known for their aggressiveness) and the scooters are loud and obnoxious. The number of scooters is amazing. With gas prices so high and parking spaces at a premium, it seems like they make a lot of sense. People-watching is lots of fun. Our section of town, the Marais, is great for that. Every English language bookstore we see has an OBAMA sticker in the window; he is so popular here that if the French could vote, he'd win in a landslide.



















Paris is expensive. Of course large cities tend to be so. The last time we were in Europe, the Euro was at $0.96. If it were that today, most prices would be OK to high. But at $1.60 they are VERY high.

The debit card we've been using all along that has almost melted from overuse bit the dust today. I tried to get some cash and it was rejected. I called Schwab and was told that a $200 charge was attempted in Florida and they shut the card down. Fortunately, we have a debit card on another account, so a disaster was avoided.

Catslip to Paris

Friday, July 18

We left Cherry Cottage in Catslip and went by taxi to St. Pancras Station, where we caught the Eurostar train to Paris. The train goes over 100-mph silently, spending about twenty minutes in the "chunnel" out of the two-hour-fifteen-minute trip. We were met by a Mercedes limo we had hired and were driven by a very nice young man who helped us a lot with our large amount of luggage; he even spent twenty minutes with me trying to find out where to return the baggage trolley.

He drove us to our studio apartment at 32 rue St. Paul in the Marais district, 4th Arrondissement. This studio is SMALL, the smallest place we've ever stayed, with amazingly efficient use of space. But it is wonderfully located and we plan on being out and about most of the time.



















We spent the remainder of the afternoon and the evening wandering around the Marais, visiting shops, scoping out eating places, and just observing Paris life. There is an English language bookstore, The Red Wheelbarrow on our street and an excellent supermarket right around the corner. Unfortunately, the bookstore charges the published list price, but in Euros; thus making it 70% more expensive; won't make that mistake again.





We had dinner at Le Rouge George on rue St. Paul. We also had to locate an Internet signal as the wi-fi in our studio is not working. This area is restaurant heaven! Every other establishment is a food place. Unfortunately, the first place we saw (on exiting the Gare du Nord) was a McDonalds.

Final day at Cherry Cottage

Today is our last day in Cherry Cottage, Catslip, Nettlebed, Oxfordshire, UK. Time has passed much too quickly, but it's time to move on. Next stop is Paris.

Yesterday afternoon, we noticed an elderly couple standing in front of the cottage doing a close inspection. Bill went out to talk to them and discovered that the woman's grandmother used to live here many years ago. Her aunt lived in the attached unit and another relative lived in the house next to that. This was all a long time ago but she remembers visiting here often. They currently live in nearby Cholsey and pass by this way occasionally. We invited them in so she could reminisce and tell some stories about the house.

We spent time on Thursday cleaning the cottage, packing, and getting ready to leave. We then went to dinner at the Crown Inn in Pishill. This was our second time eating there ans we had another delicious meal. Our taxi comes tomorrow morning to take us to St. Pancras station and the Eurostar to Paris.

We've had a wonderful time staying at Cherry Cottage and we'll miss it. But it's time to move on. But first some observations from each of us about our stay in the UK.

BILL'S OBSERVATIONS

The UK is a wonderful country. The countryside is beautiful and the towns are very picturesque. And the people are great; very polite and considerate. So polite that sometimes it seems too much when you constantly hear “sorry” (or excuse me in US-speak). The service people are very friendly and sales clerks act as if they really enjoy waiting on you.

England is small (half the size of California). While we are used to long distances between towns, everything here is close together; every few miles you hit another village. And there are a myriad of tiny hamlets and villages. In each place, you can feel the history.

Language is interesting. In the US, we have only a few regional accents and they are, with few exceptions, usually understandable by all Americans. In the UK, it seems there is a different accent on each block. People from Cornwall and Yorkshire have trouble understanding each other. Winston Churchill once said “England and the US, two great nations separated by a common language”. Accent is not the only problem. Terminology is also an issue. The Brits and Yanks just have different terms for things and it takes some getting used to. I’m afraid that when I get home, I’ll be using British terminology all the time.

The beer is Fantastic. The best to be had anywhere. And the low (2.4%) alcohol content in draft beer makes it possible to drink without getting a buzz (we won’t discuss the calories).

The UK is a country in transition. A way of life is disappearing. Like the US, all the towns are getting the same stores and are starting to look alike. Every town has a Boots (pharmacy), Marks & Spencer (food & clothing), Tesco (food) and W H Smith (books). Also, McDonalds and Starbucks are appearing everywhere. In the small towns and villages, the local pubs, shops, post offices and surgeries are shutting down. Cars are pervasive and don’t fit well with the old, narrow roads (one of my neighbors thinks cars have ruined Britain). In the last twenty years, the UK has undergone enormous change; in the next twenty, life as they know it will be completely different. Things change everywhere, all the time. Still it will be a shame when this disappears.

At this time, the UK is in serious financial trouble. They have the same problems as the US (housing bubble, credit crunch, recession) but even worse. And as it gets worse, they will have trouble getting out because of the enormous costs involved in maintaining their social programs. Gordon Brown is in deep trouble. But one wonders if the Tories have a solution.

British politics are interesting with many parallels to ours. The newsmedia does not dote on trivial inanities like in the US. They ask direct questions and the politicians actually answer the questions. US politicians please take note of this and emulate it.

Overall, we have greatly enjoyed living here for several months. It is basically an expensive place to live and the value of the dollar against the pound makes it even worse for Americans to live here. But it has been a great experience and we’re glad we did it. We'll miss it when we're gone.

CLAIRE'S OBSERVATIONS

Things I will miss about England:

1. The Channel Four Evening News with John Snow. The thing that is most interesting to me about this newscast is that I watched it for a couple of months before I found out that it's a "conservative" newscast. Now in order to understand this, you have to know that here in Britain both the Conservative and Labour parties would fit, idealogically-speaking, pretty comfortably into the US Democratic Party. The Brits don't really have anything to compare to the loony-bin right wing conservatives in the US. Well they do, but here they are actually IN the loony bin and not living in the White House or running a cable news channel. So I guess that's why I didn't recognize a "conservative" newscast when I saw it (plus the fact that they are very smart and incisive and not constantly all fraught and frantic-y and trying to scare you to death). Besides, he (John Snow) wears the most incredibly cool and colorful ties and socks--I can't wait to see what he'll come up with each night!

2. British TV in general, which (most of the time) seems to assume that its viewers are thinking about what they are watching as opposed to mindlessly flipping through channels and eating Doritos.

3. The Saturday Times, which has as many magazines and special-interest inserts (and not nearly as much advertising as at home) as the Sunday Times. So that gives you one more day a week to loll about reading the paper, guiltlessly wasting whole mornings secure in the knowledge that you are keeping up with current events and learning about another culture.

4. Sonning Common News Agents, who seem to have trained their delivery persons to actually place the paper so close to the door you don't even have to go outside to get it.

5. "Indeed," as in thank you very much indeed. The British are so polite that they not only thank you very much, they thank you very much INDEED.

6. Learning a new word or phrase just about every day. Today's word is "chav". It means, I think, the underclass, the riff-raff. We've actually taken to calling the garbage can the "bin". Other particular favorites are "fancy" and "bolt hole". Yes, of course I knew about fancy before coming to England, but it's just so charming when you actually hear/see it in everyday use. Like the other day I saw a sign at the gym: "If you are tired of your programme and fancy a new one, leave your name at the desk." See? Charming.

7. Gordon Brown. Especially as Heathcliff (you don't want to know). In a misery-loves-company sort of way, it's nice to know that another once-great country has totally screwed up choosing its leader.

8. The accent. Or, actually, accents.

9. Knowing that I could be in London in an hour.

10. Aga toast. Toast is the main dish that I have perfected on the Aga. You put the bread into the snowshoe thingy, tuck it between the simmering plate and the lid, set the table and fry up the bacon, flip the snowshoe thingy, cook the eggs and pour the juice, turn the eggs out onto the plate, raise the lid on the simmering plate, open the snowshoe thingy, and voila--your toast is uniformly brown and crisp and ready for the Irish butter.

11. Irish butter.

12. Cook. "Cook" is the name of a wonderful shop in Henley that sells delicious, expensive frozen gourmet ready meals . They heat up beautifully in the broiling oven--the other thing I have perfected in the Aga.

13. Calling dessert "pudding." Especially Sticky Toffee Pudding.

14. Calling cookies "digestive biscuits." It's so much more civilized to say to oneself, "I think I'll have some digestive biscuits" (which sounds positively medicinal) as opposed to "I think I'll stuff my face with cookies."

15. The English countryside. It's as glorious as they say. Rolling hills with little villages tucked down in. And the skies.......

16. Thatched roofs, brick-and-flint, half-timbers, cottage gardens.....sometimes all in the same house.

17. Houses with names. In our neighborhood alone, we have Bluebell Cottage, Aranza Cottage, Cat Cottage, St. Swithin's, Wisteria Lodge, Catteslip House, The Old Laundry, Solar House (a squarish brick, wood and glass affair that's totally out of character with the rest of the neighborhood--where is the Design Committee when you need them?--but whose occupants always wave cheerfully as we pass by), Gorse Cottage and, of course, our own Cherry Cottage. Yes, I know you can name your house in the states, but over there it seems so pretentious. Here it's a bona fide means of identification, recognized by the Royal Mail.

18. Day trips to ancient historical sites.

19. Day trips to stately manors with fabulous gardens.

20. Living with history. Living IN history, considering the age of Cherry Cottage.

21. Life on a human scale. Here everything is not "bigger and better," or culturally homogenized (although there is a Starbuck's in Henley and those Land Rovers are pretty humongous). Our neighbor tells us that until fifteen years ago there was a pub in Crockers End. Crockers End is a small neighborhood of maybe a dozen houses across the field from our cottage. Distances between towns and villages (and even major cities) is much less than at home. Just feels cozier, somehow.

In short, I have loved every minute of my time in England--even the white-knuckle, death-defying journeys down single-track roads. Now if I can just get that picture of Gordon/Heathcliff out of my head........

Happy St. Swithin's Day

St Swithin’s Day, if it does rain
Full forty days, it will remain
St Swithin’s Day, if it be fair
For forty days, t'will rain no more.'

Today is St. Swithin's Day which, it seems to me, is kind of like Britain's answer to Groundhog Day (and just about as accurate, according to this morning's Times) in that it tries to predict the weather some distance into the future based on what is happening today. Except a saint is involved, as opposed to a groundhog. Today was gorgeous, sunny and warm with a slight breeze. It'd be great if this did continue for forty days.

We went back to Wallingford today (for Claire to get her hair done and for Bill to wander around) and lo and behold there was another market going on. This was the regular monthly market and featured lots of great stuff including hand woven baskets, various ostrich-related products and a real roasting pig.















After returning home, we took a walk around Crocker End and we marveled at how green and lush everything is, comparing it to how brown and dead it all was when we first arrived. The bushes and hedges are so tall and thick, walking down a road is like being in a canyon. It's a shame we have only two more days in England.