Liberation celebration and Thanksgiving

The Sunday before Thanksgiving David was invited to take part in the 70th anniversary Liberation of Lipsheim Fegersheim.  These are two villages that are about 20 minutes south of Strasbourg.  Fegersheim is the city where Lilly France is located.  We thought it would be a standard "formal/political" event and were not looking forward to spending 4 hours outside listening to French politicians speak.

The weather was awful.  About 39 degrees and misty.  I forgot my black dress coat in the states, so a long sweater would have to do.  Can you say FREEZE?

We arrived and were greeted by the Mayor of Fegersheim.  He spoke English for my benefit. While the dedication speech was in French, I was able to understand a large portion of the content.  They were honoring the fallen soldiers and thanking the American and Moroccan soldiers for their part in the liberation of the villages on November 25, 1944.  The speech was over and now it was time to walk over to the next location.  Imagine our surprise when we were actually participants in the parade!

After the 15 minute walk we arrived at the old hospital, now a restaurant, where General LeClerc made the official announcement of the liberation.

We heard a Frenchman speak of his memories from that special day 70 years ago.  Benoît Meyer was then 14, now 84 and the crowd loved him.  (His speech can be found on-line)

They presented all of the military veterans a commemorative medal and then it was off to the reception.  I asked if it were possible to photograph one of the medals….the mayor gave us one as a memento!

Again, we were surprised to find that we would ride in the parade (in the Mayor's car) to the ending point of the parade.

They had to push start our car!

 It was so moving to watch the American military vehicles drive down the French streets announcing that freedom had come….just as they did 70 years ago in 1944.  I wish that I would've paid more attention in history class!  Michael, I wish you could've been here this weekend….we thought of you and your love of history.

Moroccan soldiers

Our car in the parade

American Navy

Next up was Thanksgiving. We planned to share our feast with 3 other couples.  Shopping for traditional Thanksgiving food in Europe can prove difficult.  I spent 3 days in two countries (Germany and France) looking for sweet potatoes.  You can't buy them in a can here, so I was looking in the produce section.  Finally, after visiting 4 stores, I found them.  Imported from Israel.  Cranberries can also be difficult to find….those I scored in Germany.  You can't find "stuffing/dressing" here, so I made my own from scratch.  Pumpkin pie?  Have to either bring the pumpkin with you from the states or purchase it from "My American Marketplace". (Of course you could use fresh pumpkin, but I am certainly not that dedicated)

Turkeys can be found in France in mid to late December.  It's considered a Christmas dish.  I had ordered my turkey from the butcher in early November so I was set.  Or at least I thought.  I ventured to the market with my little wheelie cart early Wednesday morning.  I knew something was wrong when my butcher, Cristine, started shaking her head when I approached.

She gave me a 20 second explanation in French. All I caught was "problem with my order" and "tomorrow by car".  I initially thought she was telling me that I would have to come and pick up my turkey at her shop.  I explained that I wouldn't have the car until 7PM.  She looked exasperated and I was certainly NOT happy.  Fortunately, another customer happened along and Cristine knew that she spoke English.  A translator….praise God.

"Sylvie", my new best friend, is French and has a husband (Anesthesiologist) who is working in Quebec.  She explained to me that Cristine's turkey supplier was not able to deliver my turkey on time.  It could be delivered (by car….I had that part right) to my apartment by 10 AM on Thanksgiving day.  WHAT??  If you've never prepared a fresh turkey, you need to brine it.  That process takes at least 12 hours.

Sylvie understood my dilemma and explained it to Cristine.  Cristine made 2 calls to other "suppliers" but was unable to find a turkey.  I left the market with a "promise" of a bird being delivered to my apartment by 10 AM the next day.  At least I hadn't PAID for the turkey yet.  She told me to pay the next time I came to the market….

What to do??  I had 6 people coming to my house for turkey.  I left David a message.  I needed him home early so that I could scour Germany for a frozen turkey.  (You can't find them in France)  I texted one of the guests, Katie, and asked if she had the car….nope.  I sent a text to the other guests to see if they had their car.  SCORE!  Brittney and Allyson were my heroes.  They went to Germany and picked up two birds.  Why 2?  Because they only weighed 3kg each.  That's only about 6 lbs each.

Did I mention that in the middle of this fiasco I had already planned to meet an out of town guest?  My California friend, Tammy, had let me know that HER Colorado friend, Jill, would be coming through Strasbourg sometime Thanksgiving week.  I had arranged to meet Jill at 1:30 to show her around the city.  I couldn't have changed things if I wanted to because I didn't have her cell number.  So, at 1:30, while I had no turkeys, I was meeting a new friend.  We had a great afternoon, so I was most happy that I did.

Taking Jill around Petite France

Had to take her by Tammy's favorite bakery.

Allyson and Brittney dropped off the birds just as I was getting ready to take Jill to her meeting point.

Jill was in Europe on a boat trip with her mom.  The leader of her trip gave her the meeting spot and told her it would be about a 30 minute walk.  Yeah, right.  I took Jill on the tram and it took us 30 minutes!  Of course, we got off one stop too early and had to walk quite a way, but we made it just in time!  Thanks for your visit Jill!!  Can't wait to do the Amalfi coast next summer to celebrate your and Tam's 50th birthdays!

Back to Thanksgiving.  Both birds were defrosted.  I had already prepared my brine, so in they went and they spent the evening in the fridge.  Early Thanksgiving morning I took them out to "flip them".  This is what I found.  It made me laugh, so I had to snap a photo.

10:00 came and went, so did 10:30 and 11:00. No turkey delivery.  I texted my husband to tell him to call and cancel the turkey.  He ignored my text.  At 11:40 my door buzzed.  Yep, my turkey had arrived.  It was almost 11 lbs….how the heck was I going to store it in my "mini fridge" with all the other food?  To make room, I had to literally take out all of the drinks and put them outside the kitchen window in our rain gutter.

A funny surprise when I logged onto FB during my short break at midday.  I spotted this post:

Tapas Café

November 27 at 2:49pm · 

A toutes nos clientes et tous nos clients américains nous souhaitons un bon Thanksgiving et plus

particulièrement à Teresa et Dave

! Que cette journée vous soit très belle!

Yes, we were wished a happy Thanksgiving from our favorite Tapas restaurant.  I think that we may go there a little too often!

The rest of the day went like clock work. I was super happy that both turkeys would fit not only in the roasting pan, but also in my small oven.

 Our guests arrived laden with a lot of food.  So much food, that we had to do the meal buffet style.

 

We spent the evening laughing and eating and laughing some more.

L to R Allyson and Tony Dobbins, David and I, Kevin and Katie Noone, Matt and Brittney Howard

The gang headed home around midnight and David fell into bed to get up for work before 6 the next morning.  We stayed in Friday night….even though that was the opening night of the Christmas market and the tree lighting ceremony.  Saturday was yet another Thanksgiving celebration hosted by the AIA.

Poor kid….his dad put this sticker on him…he wandered around the event and made people smile.

What happened to that 11lb turkey?  We roasted it on Saturday evening and took it to church for our potluck dinner.  (Did I mention that I haven't actually PAID for that turkey yet?) That was 3 turkey dinners in 4 days….I don't think I can eat turkey again for a month.  

Hope that my update on the last week or so wasn't too boring.  My bff Lisa arrives on Saturday.  We head to Marrakech on Monday and I'm certain I will have some funny stories to share with you when we get back. 

Enjoy your blessings and be thankful :)

Hellmann's vs Miracle Whip, what's your preference?

Wow.  I just realized that it's been 3 weeks since my last blog.  There hasn't been anything crazy or too funny that has happened, so that is probably why I haven't sat down to make an entry.

I did try to help "push start" a car the other day.  Yes, this poor Ky girl has had to do that before, both for herself and friends/family.  Of course the last time I did that, I could speak the language of the person who needed the help.  I also wasn't doing it for a car that was blocking a well traveled road and yelling "regardez" as the sweet young lady at the wheel was so intent at turning the car over that she didn't see the delivery van zooming up on her. Ultimately, the battery was just too dead to start this way, but my dear dad would've been proud of me for trying, not to mention the fact that I knew "why" they were trying to start it in this way.

I may have complained about this before, so if I have, please forgive me.  You can't buy HELLMANN'S "REAL" Mayonnaise at the grocery here.  I have found Miracle Whip…that stuff sucks…and I've also tried several of the French "mayos"….they suck too.  Yes, I am a mayonnaise prude.  Consequently, the TSA agents will ALWAYS find squeeze bottles of Hellmann's in my luggage.  If you are coming for a visit (LISA), you will be asked to bring some….plan on it.

I placed an order from a French company called "My American Marketplace" last week.  The box arrived and this is what $125 will buy a gal living in France.

No, I didn't hide half of the items, this was the whole order.  That 8 oz jar of Hellmann's?  It cost $6.23 (plus shipping). That 6 oz bag of Nestle morsels? $5 a bag. 2 lb bag of brown sugar? Also $6.23. You get the idea.

If you are one of my French friends and you are reading this, please know that I love you A LOT when I make you chocolate chip cookies, or bleu cheese dressing (American ingredients required).  

Okay, I feel better getting that off my mind.  Sorry, but I was fresh off of opening my box of goodies and doing the "what would I have spent at Kroger's" calculation….very depressing.

Next up….are you aware of your "personal space"?  You know, the "how close" can someone be and not make you uncomfortable space.  I have a fairly large personal space. I don't get too bothered by people who get too close to me when they are talking to me.  I have noticed, however, that I do feel territorial when I am in line and YOU should be BEHIND me.

Europeans apparently do not understand LINES.  If I am already standing in place when you walk up, you should stand BEHIND me.  Just because I left a small amount of "personal space" BETWEEN the person who arrived BEFORE me and myself does NOT mean that I saved you a spot in line.  (You can ask David's family about my typical reaction to this type of behavior when shopping the day after Thanksgiving)

This has not only happened once while living in France.  (Asian tourists are even worse….they will not only cut in, but they will bring along the 7 other people with whom they are traveling.)  I asked my French friend, Isabelle about why the French consider this to be proper behavior.  Her response?  "They are just stupid."  Well, okay then, what do you say to that?  I think that "I" will say something with my pointy elbow the next time it happens to me.  I'm sure there will be a blog post when it does.

The "gray" season has settle upon the city of Strasbourg.  Instead of my usual lovely view of the Cathedral every morning, all I can now see is a cloud of fog.  It feels damp and like it could start raining at any (and every) moment.  To combat the start of this lovely time (sarcasm), David and I took a quick trip to Cyprus last weekend.

Where is Cyprus?  It is in the Mediterranean, south of Turkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel and North of Egypt. WOW….can you say terror threat?  Sorry family!  We were only searching air flights that would take us TO someplace warm on a Saturday morning and bring us back to the gray land on Tuesday.  We had NO idea how close Cyprus was to these countries until we had actually booked the flights.

It was BEAUTIFUL!  Sunny and 75 degrees every day that we were there. The only "bumps" that we encountered were the road signs,

  

                  

that the driver's seat AND the gear shift happened to be on the WRONG side of the car,  and that we had to also drive on the other side of the road.

I was the navigator and David was the driver. He did a fabulous job and let's just say that the navigator struggled with the map a bit.  In my defense, you try reading road names in Greek and then change your map scale from 4 km to 500 m within 1 minute and see if you don't miss a turn or two.

The country is very interesting.  We didn't realize (again, until after we booked our tickets) that the northern portion of the island is Turkish and the southern portion is Greek.  This happened in 1974 when the Turkish military invaded the island and forced the relocation of over 25% (200k) of the island's 800k population. 

There is a region, now located within the Turkish border, named Famagusta. It was once the most visited resort area in the Mediterranean.  It now is a literal ghost town. No tourism, only Turkish military patrolling the area that is comprised of bombed/abandoned hotels and apartments, and streets of looted shops, restaurants and mansions.

We were told by a very nice Greek Cypriot (sip-ree-et) that many of the Turkish Cypriots would like to leave their "part" of the island but the military prevents them from doing so.  No, David and I did not go anywhere near the border.

November is not "in season", so we were only two of a handful of people staying at our resort.  

Yes, if you look hard, you can see ONE person on the beach. 

At one point as we were leaving the beach for the day (at about 4:30PM) we saw no one….not at the pool, not at the beach.  I turned to him and said, "Did the Rapture happen?  Have we been left behind?" (A little Christian humor for you)

The sun was setting about 5:00 each night.

 We were sad to leave and may even try to go back before our assignment here is over.  (Yes, we realize where it's located now)

Stay tuned…Thanksgiving is around the corner and I'm cooking…that sounds like a blog post to me!!

Sneezes, cats and pastries.

Wow!  Frankfurt, Germany to Strasbourg, Paris, Struthof, Orschwiller, Colmar, Equisheim and Veckring, France then on to Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen Switzerland.  We packed in as much as we could during the 10 days that I had my "California sunshine" here.

We had some great conversations and lots of laughs. I've picked some of my favorite moments of the week to share:

We traveled by metro while we were in Paris.  During the non-peak hours, it is a fairly easy to navigate.  You get on, you find a seat and then you wait for your stop and get off.  Unfortunately, we had to travel during rush hour to catch our train (TGV) back to Strasbourg.

We allowed ourselves a little over an hour for a 20 minute trip.  We boarded and made our way to our transfer spot.  (Insert grinding brake noise here)  There was a "stoppage" on our line at the next station. The tram we had boarded was going nowhere.  An announcement (in French) was made and was followed by passenger groans and about half of the people getting up and walking off.  (What the heck did he say??) David clarified the message with another passenger.  Should we stay or should we go?

We decided to go.  We figured out an alternate route and now we were going to be cutting it close on time.  We ran through the station, down the steps and flung ourselves onto the alternate tram.  This one was very full and we had about 15 stops and one transfer before our final destination (the Paris Est Gare).  We made our way (with luggage and backpacks) to a lesser crowded spot.

As we continued to countdown our stops, travelers continued to board.  Soon, I was smashed up against the back of the tram.  Tammy's eyes kept getting bigger and bigger.  She isn't a fan of being in the midst of a crowded area.  We were packed in like sardines and would need to get off soon.  I had no hope of moving, but watched Tammy weave her way toward the door.  Suddenly, The lady next to Tammy sneezed.  It wasn't a daintly lady-like "achoo" it was like a trucker….complete with spittle flying through the air….yep, you guessed it, all over my claustrophobic, germaphobe friend. (Yes, she walks around with packets of Emergen-C  in her pockets.)

The lady in the white coat is the "sneezer"….

Well, I have to tell you, this tickled David, Tom and I to death.  I began snickering to myself (as did the guys),  however, it soon turned into an all out laugh fest….complete with tears streaking down our faces and our fellow passengers wondering what the heck was wrong with us.  I had to capture our moment on film, so here we are just before getting off at the Gare.  (yes, we made it on time)

After the 2 hour train ride back to Strasbourg we took our friends to a restaurant that serves traditional Alsatian food.  (It's a combination of German and French cuisine)  We all ordered something different in the hopes of sharing bites of each dish.  I ordered a Bibeleskas.  I've had this dish before and enjoyed it immensely.  The first time I ordered it, it was a dish of hash browns and it was served with a soft white cheese ("fromage blanc"), chopped bacon, chives, garlic and onions.  YUMMM, what's not to like?

As the waitress took my order she asked me what I would like "with" my bibeleskas.  Knowing that my husband loves french fries, I ordered those.  Out came the dishes.  Tom ordered sausage and sauerkraut, David ordered a jamboneau (pork knuckle) and Tammy ordered bouchée a la reine (think chicken pot pie in a flaky "crown").  They all looked delicious.  Then came my "bibeleskas".  The waitress brought a "vat" of french fries and a plate that contained a few slices of cold ham that someone "threw" onto it, some chopped onions, garlic, a bowl of sour cream and a few chives.

This is NOT what I was expecting.  Thank the good Lord I didn't ask for a SALAD as my side!!  Tammy was so tickled by my reaction that she laughed throughout the meal.  French fries can be dipped into sour cream, however I'm not sure how the HECK you are supposed to top them with a hunk of sliced ham.

We ate fresh pastries almost every morning and walked every calorie off before bedtime.  (NOTE:  if you plan to visit us, bring good walking shoes and you might want to get in a few practice steps before you come)

We probably averaged 5-7 miles most days and those included a lot of steep inclines and steps.  Kudos to Tom for making the trip up the Eiffel Tower (2nd platform) for a total of 1338 steps in all.  He has assured me that after this week, he is in the best shape that he has been in for at least 10 years.

I did catch these three trying to "schmooze" their way into First Class seats while in Switzerland on our boat cruise of Lake Brienz.

We were promptly "booted" down with the "regular" people as soon as the ticket taker came and saw our tickets.

The CRAZY moment of the week happened last night at dinner.  We were enjoying our meal when David looked over at the table behind us.

Yes, my friends.  This is a table that has a CAT sitting on it whilst it's owner is cramming a sandwich into her face.  This has put me over the edge.  Dogs sitting quietly under the table on a leash, yes.  Cats on the eating surface, NO.

My last chuckle for the week came late last night as we were arriving home from dinner.  We've walked into/out of our apartment at least 15 times over the course of the week.  Tammy just realized what sits adjacent to our front door……

One last elevator ride to the apartment…no one could bear to walk the steps one last time, so we all crammed on.

I won't bore you with the minute details of our week, but will just say that it was great.  I'm so thankful that God allowed our dear friends to make the trip.  27 years ago this month I met this girl and we've been forever sisters since.  Sad to see them go, but I know there are a few people in California looking forward to their return.

Weekend in Germany and the art of RSVPs

A rescheduling of a Pro basketball game allowed us to take a quick weekend trip.  David had his own basketball game on Friday night, so we couldn't leave until Saturday morning.  Where could we go for 36 hours?  We decided to make a quick drive to Germany and visit an adorable little castle called Schloss Lichtenstein. Unfortuantely, they didn't allow me to take photos inside the castle, so I can only show you a few shots from the outside.

After our 30 minute tour, we hopped into the car and headed south to stay in Lake Constance for the night.  We stayed at the Steigenberger Inselhotel, which is a former monastery that sits on a small private island on the edge of Lake Constance. Nothing like walking down the hallway to your room and seeing 13th century wall paintings!!

After a couple of hours lounging along the lake, we headed out to explore the city.  We walked to the harbor and took the obligatory photos of the Imperia, which is the city's most famous landmark.

Then we continued along the lake. We kept seeing LOTS of people dressed in traditional German clothing, you know, men in lederhosen and women in dirndls. Finally, it dawned on us that it must be Octoberfest!

We enjoyed some authentic German food (I would've said great German food, but only David enjoyed it) and headed back to our hotel.  Breakfast by the lake the next morning was fantastic.  We did happen to notice that there was a couple a few tables over who seemed to be taking a long time getting situated.

They each would bring something to the table and then the other would head back inside to the dining area.  A large basket of bread, assorted meats and cheeses, coffee, juice, hard boiled eggs, pastries, oops, forgot the butter and jam, could we have tea please?  David and I were exhausted watching them.  As we were leaving, at least 20 minutes after they started to get situated, they were finally both seated and seemed to be starting their feast.

Not bad for a hastily planned trip.  Also, I have to put in a good word for "HOTWIRE".  We have now  used their "top secret" hotel deals three times and not only have saved at least 40% off the published room rate, but have been able to research the areas well enough that we were nearly certain of the hotel we'd get.

THIS weekend, I have the privilege of co-hosting a baby shower for a sweet couple from Cleveland.  They are here in France with "dad's job" and are active members of the AIA.  (Americans in Alsace) For those of you who know me, you know that I love having people in our home.  It makes me happy.

Something that doesn't make me happy is the absolute rudeness (or is it ignorance) of people who do not RSVP or do so well after the stated date.  Ok people, I'm living in FRANCE….you know, the place/language where RSVP comes from?? (Répondez s'il vous plaît)

Now, I guess, because the LITERAL translation there is "Reply if it pleases you", that I shouldn't be too hard on people, but really, the invitation was via email (don't tell Miss Manners) and had the link for guests to reply right there.  The RSVP date was last Sunday (9/28) and yet I was still getting replies as late as 9PM last night (10-2). Again, is it rudeness, or do people in today's society not actually know what those four letter mean?

Why does that matter, you ask?  Well, because most hostesses like to have enough food, drinks, party favors and seating for their guests.  They give you a date for your reply so that they can SHOP for YOUR refreshments and PLAN for your enjoyment.  It's not so that they can control your life.  If you are waiting to see if something "better" comes along, then perhaps you should just RSVP "no" on/before the date given.  (RSVP is different than "Regrets only"…maybe I'll tackle that later!)

Sorry for the venting, but now I feel better and just in case you were one of "those" people who didn't understand why it's important to RSVP, now you know.

So, if I invite you to something, know I will expect your RSVP, elsewise, Reckon Someone's Very Perturbed at you.

Á Bientôt mon amis.  (See there, I am improving my French!)