PREPARING TO LEAVE FOR FRANCE


Right now we’re busy getting ready for our trip.  There are a million details closing down a home for three months.  Most are really mundane and not worth mentioning but still time consuming and sometimes a source of worry (what if a pipe bursts while we're gone -- like it did last Christmas).  But, we've done this before and we have a 3 page task list that we work from.  We pride ourselves on being organized.


Here's a bridge from our dedication in the last entry to the excitement of getting on the plane:  


Where/Why.  France.  Because it’s a beautiful place.  Because we like it.  Because we speak some French.  Because we’re familiar with it.  Because we have very close friends who live in the South of France and whose door is always open to us.  Because the food is amazing.  And the bread and cheese are great.  Because it's relatively easy to do.  Because Paris is a walking city.  Because we're never bored there.


Who.  Us.  And Emmy, our dog.  Because she's been before and handled it just fine.  Because the French like dogs, and because of her they like us more.  Because having her there and walking her 3x/day makes it feel like home.  And, because we're going to be gone for 3 months and can't conceive of being without her for that long.


When.  Mid-September through mid-December.  Because in Portland where we live summer is the only season you can't miss.  Which leaves us with fall.  And maybe spring next time.


What.  That's going to be the bulk of the blog -- what we did with our time.  One thing we know already, in this sort of trip it's impossible to run at a sightseeing pace.  We have to act as if we live there.  There's laundry to do.  And house cleaning.  And remote bill paying.  And writing this.


How.  By airplane.  PDX-ORD-CDG-EWR-PDX with a long layover in Chicago for Emmy.  We wish there was another option. 


Here's a picture of Emmy just after we arrived in France 4 years ago: 


Comments

  1. joyceSeptember 9, 2018 at 2:25 PM

    I love your joie de vivre. Enjoy France, enjoy life... what a fabulous idea to bring your dog. I just love it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MelSeptember 9, 2018 at 7:31 PM

    That photo made me smile because Tom looks tentative but hopeful and Emmy looks like she's not having it. I know there were better moments ;) It's so cool that you do it with her. She's one lucky dog to get to see Paris with her people!

    ReplyDelete

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