Arrival in Dallas

Just a quick note to let our blog followers know that we arrived well, but tired and jet lagged at our campground in Dallas. Will post again soon after a few good nights of rest and when we have something to post.

The Holidays

The Chili

We finally finished our roofs after 7 weeks. Yes we re-roofed both houses so we should be leak free for the forseeable future. Before, during and after the work we hosted 4 chili parties with some homemade meat and vegetarian chilis, and margaritas. It went well with very little leftover. In all we made about 20 kg(about 44lbs) of chili and invited almost 100 people.
Once the chili was finished it was time to prepare the holidays with the family. Gisele and her sisters planned the meals and decor, spending the first night at sister Christiane's in Alleins, the second in Avignon at their mom's, and the third in Rognonas with their cousin Jacques and aunt Irene. All went well and the meals were incredible.

Christiane's table for Friday before Xmas

We're now into out preparation for the return to the USA. We leave from Marseille Jan 9, spending 1 night in Frankfurt and continuing on to Dallas the following day.

The day before Xmas in Avignon

Jacques and Irene's table for Xmas day

Autumn in Uzes

After a full summer rental schedule we happy to be back home in Uzes. The weather's been very nice and although I closed the pool at the beginning of October, there were a few days when I would have been tempted to jump in.

We've had some small leaks the last couple of years in the Mas due in part to the fragility of the old roof. We'd patch one spot a leak would develop in another spot. Instead of maintaining that course we decided to completely redo the roof this year. We hired a company last spring and they started work about 2 weeks ago. They start at 7:30 in the morning so we've temporarily placed our alarm clock in storage. They expect to finish in about 3 more weeks and then we get our house back.

Alsace in eastern France

During the week of June 11-18, while our house in Uzes was rented, we decided to take a trip to a region of France which is very unique. Alsace has been sometimes French and other times German territory, depending on who won the last war. It has always had a large German influence due to its proximity on France's eastern border(front?).

Sightseeing in Strasburg

We began our visit traveling along the "Route des Vins d'Alsace", the wine road between Thann in the Haut-Rhine in the south to Marlenhein in the Bas-Rhin to the north stopping occasionally at interesting villages of which there were many. We spent most of our time walking throught picturesque villages with beautiful homes and gardens with windows surrounded by all sorts of flowers in vibrant colors. It was quite a change from the south of  France as was the cuisine which consisted mostly of sausage, sauerkraut and various meat dishes in addition to "flammekueche" which is a sort of thin crust pizza with cream, onions and bacon bits.

Another Party... or 2 ... or 3!!

Brad and Arielle at Susie's

Rachel and Jessa at Brad & Arielle's engagement party

After putting our RV back in storage in Texas. We flew to New Jersey to stay with Bill's sister Linda & her family. Linda's son Brad had recently gotten engaged to Arielle and we were overjoyed to be there for their engagement party. What a wonderful couple!
One of our favorite restaurants in NYC is Susie's Chinese Restaurant in Greenwich Village. They serve a delicious and crispy Peking Duck, putting it our our agenda when we're in the Northeast. We introduced Linda's family to Susie's several years ago and they've also become regulars.

Bill, Gisele, Larry & Linda in Atlantic City, NJ

We took a trip down to Atlantic City NJ staying at the Harrah's Casino Hotel where we wound up paying the electric bill, theirs not ours.

Friends and family at my birthday party at Deb's

As per every time we're in the area we headed up to CT to visit with friends and family there. We stayed the first nite with Carol in her home in Westport and then with Deb & Emily at their's in Trumbull. Deb & Em offered their house for us to host a wonderful party to celebrate my ongoing 60th with many friends and family. It was a great seeing everyone again and catching up, as well as 2 delicious birthday cakes from the 2 Marys - Janocha and Dunn.
Despite having such a wonderful time in the US it was time to return to France, which we did on April 4. We landed in Marseille on the 5th and proceeded to put our home in Uzes together at a feverish pace due to an early rental 4 days later. We managed this feat with the pool taking it's last filling drop 10 minutes before their arrival. Gisele spent the next week in Lourdes while I went to Carry-le-Rouet near Marseille to catch up on my sleep and reading. We met again on the 15th when I picked up her and 2 friends in Nimes, bringing all of us back to Uzes.

Bill with mother in law Therese celebrating his 60th
(Note the birthday cake in english)

We spent the next 2 weeks getting together with friends and family with the arrival of Gisele's niece Betty, sister Claudette and mom Therese.

Celebrating Bill & Georges' 60th and Gisele's ???? with french friends

May 1 was the next birthday event with a group of French friends to again celebrate mine and Georges' 60th as well as Gisele's much much younger and lower number with the actual day being May 8. New York Cheesecake was served.

Regina admiring the candle on her birthday cheescake

Jeremy, Malcolm, Fiona & Robin at my English surprise birthday party

May 8 was the next birthday event with a group of mainly english speaking friends. This being Gisele's date of birth as well as our friend Regina's, one would naturally assume that it was their day, but NO! it was another party for me! and a true surprise. Two New York Cheesecakes were served and my supply of Philadelphia Cream Cheese is disappearing quickly.

The Road home

Gisele with Bill's homemade margaritas

Gregg, Gisele, Muriel and Bill

The multi-talented Don Hart playing guitar at my 60th

We spent 4 wonderful weeks in Phoenix under warm sunny skies. Played golf once, but not very well, and the other members of my foursome were very patient. It was very relaxing and now that the month here is over I'm not really sure what I did. I guess that's vacation!

Bill on the golf course

Gisele organized a party for my 60th which was wonderful with good friends and excellent music by Don Hart. Our friends Muriel & Gregg offered the use of their home in El Mirage and I made a gallon of margaritas for the 35 guests. There must have been a hole in the pitcher since it disappeared quickly. I had a great time and look forward to 61.

Gisele saddled up at the bar in Tortilla Flats, AZ

The day after we took a  trip to Tortilla Flats, a stagecoach stop in the early 1900s and possibly the smallest community in the US with a Post Office with a population of 6. This was followed by a short visit to Goldfield which is as the name suggests, an old gold mining camp.

Muriel, Gregg and Gisele in Goldfield, AZ

It was my Birthday!

The evening was topped by an evening at the Arizona Opry which is a dinner theatre in Mesa with live country music & entertainment.

The stage at the Arizona Opry

We left Phoenix on March 13 for a 4 day stay in Sedona, Arizona a picturesque village in the red mountains 2 hours north of Phoenix. It's a beautiful town with many tours to view the red rock formations as close as possible. It was a very nice place to take down our motorcycle from the RV and tour the area.

The red rocks of Sedona, AZ over the motorcycle windscreen

Sedona, AZ surrounded by red rock mountains

Sedona Pines RV Park

We left Sedona on Wed. March 16 for Albuquerque, New Mexico to visit our friend Margaret. She took us around Albuquerque and up to Santa Fe. It was a wonderful visit and from there was the return trip of 3 days to Dallas to prepare the RV for storage before out trip east to visit with Bill's sister Linda in New Jersey and friends in Connecticut.

Gisele & Bill in Bruno's Restaurant in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Sunny & Warm in Phoenix

We arrived in Phoenix, Arizona on February 14 for a 4 week stay northwest of the city in Pueblo El Mirage Golf & RV Resort. There are approx. 1000 sites with an 18 hole golf course plus many activities and including a heated Olympic size pool. We've been swimming and bicycling every day, with Gisele doing her pottery and country dancing and me relaxing and reading.