Okay, one more non-France post

I'm watching SyFy (although I still don't know what was wrong with calling the channel Sci-Fi). There's a Star Trek movie on; granted, the crappy first one, but it's nice background while I do other things around the house. By the way, did you know that the woman who played Lt. Ilia (the bald hottie--for you pervy boys who like girls--in the movie) died in the late 1990s at the ripe old age of 47? Sad. Way too young to die!

But this isn't supposed to be a sad post. This post is about a commercial that has been running during breaks in the movie. It's for a show on SyFy called Merlin. More specifically, the post is about the guy who plays Arthur, because he is what got my attention. He's a British actor named Bradley James, and any time you want to get a present for Marc and me, feel free to tie a bow around this young man (or some part of him) and leave him here at the house, preferably in the bedroom, although "in front of the fireplace" wouldn't be a bad location either...






With his boyfriend? Okay, maybe not.

Some snowstorm photos

I'm taking a break from the France photos to share a few shots I took after one of our recent snowstorms. For this late January storm, I got up early and was out with the snowblower a little after 6am. I cleared our walks and the walks of our neighbors on either side. I also started our cars, so they'd warm up and the windows would be easier to clear. Then I went back in and got the camera as Marc came out to clear the piles of snow off of the cars. Here are a few of the photos I shot:


You can see how deep the snow had gotten


Here, you can see my path continued out to the corner--and I also went up to the steps of the neighbor's house


And off towards the neighbor on the other side





And my favorite photo is the last one. Not because it's Marc cleaning off the cars, but because of the mood and lighting...


I really think this one's worth clicking on!

Okay, back to the nice, warm south of France for the next post! :)

A good book

Okay, I'll admit that I was leaning more towards 4 stars instead of 5, but it is a very good book. I went with 5 after thinking about this book as compared to others of this genre. (Okay, plus I know Alex and helped edit the final version of the book. There, I admitted it!) :-)

The Secret Soldier by Alex Berenson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Alex Berenson keeps getting better as an author (and I already liked his work)! In a genre not known for its subtlety, Alex Berenson brings us an introspective but still very tough leading man, a tough-as-nails hero who can see his own flaws. There's nuance and subtlety in his story, and that's what makes this book special. It's not the simplistic good guy-bad guy story that usually dominates this genre; instead, we feel the complexity of the real world and the difficulty of truly deadly situations. The good guys don't always come out on top, and the heroes aren't perfect, but there's plenty to cheer for in this terrific book!



View all my reviews

The Sunday Flower Market in Nice

One of the delights of our stay in Nice was the Sunday Flower Market. It was half a mile or so from our hotel to the flower market, so we set out by foot, determined to visit the market before leaving for our next stop (Lyon) which was scheduled for that day. Had I planned around the flower market, I might have made the Nice-Lyon trip a day later.

Anyhow, in a trip that I've already milked for months of blog posts, I'll be splitting up the photos from this one market into at least two, so this post isn't too long.

I could add comments to these photos, but I think most of them speak for themselves. The one thing you may not get is how big this market is. It's huge, running for blocks, and it's wonderful. Anyhow, let's take a look at some photos.





















Before we went to the flower market, we'd already decided that we loved Nice. This market just cemented that feeling. We've since discussed the idea of someday renting an apartment in town for a month (this would be well in the future when we can take such amounts of time), and it really is such a nice thought. Sometimes I imagine how great it would be, taking day trips from Nice and making meals from items we bought at the Sunday market. One day!

Nice, France

I was going to title this "Nice is nice" which it is, but I typed it and even I found that to be a groaner. :) Still, Nice was a lovely town, and I know we'll go back there. In fact, we've talked about renting an apartment for a month at some point in the future. That may be a pipe dream--certainly it won't happen while we're in the middle of our careers, since no one's going to give us a month off--but it's a nice thought.

In an upcoming post, I'll share photos of some of the older parts of town and the flower market, which really is terrific. For now, I want to show you our hotel and a stop we made during our side trip to Monaco. From our little bed & breakfast in Aix (where we met the lovely Espelette, introduced to you a few posts back), we changed gears and checked into a very fancy hotel in Nice.

The main drag in Nice is the Promenade des Anglais, and our hotel was right on the Promenade, facing the beach. It was quite a sight, particularly once the sun went down. Hotels are usually just a place to rest, but this one needs a place in the trip photos:



The hotel building is in the shape of a horseshoe going back from that columned facade. The space between the columns is open, so we had a view from our room right out onto the promenade and the beach...



I understand that there are large shutters that can be lowered between the columns, in case a storm comes up. While we were there, they stayed up, but each room had a powered shutter that dropped down to lock out any noise, so the room became dark and quiet when we wanted to sleep. The rest of the time, we could open the glass doors and go out onto the balcony.

That area down there (in the above photo) contained a pool, as well as an outdoor dining area. It was very nice.

At night, the sidewalks were alive, thanks partly to the casino downstairs...



From Nice, we drove east for a trip to Monaco, driving through the famous city of Monte Carlo. Along the way, we drove along the legendary Grand Corniche. During our drive, we stopped for lunch at a little local restaurant and ate at an outdoor table with a lovely view...



Here's the appetizer...



And the entrée (which isn't the right word in France, as the entrée isn't the main dish there)...



And finally dessert...



Everything was as tasty as it looks! Truly, a wonderful meal in a stunning setting!

I know it's winter, but this is ridiculous

The weather forecast says tonight's low temperature will be 2 degrees Fahrenheit. That's horrible. And dangerous for anyone caught out in it.

Last night, when I put the dogs out, it was 11 degrees, and even that was too cold for them. We went out when I got home from dinner with friends, and one of Bernice's back legs cramped up so severely that she did a 3-legged hop back in. I massaged it for her as soon as we got inside, and she was okay.

Later, when we did our last outing of the night, Dodger went to the back of the yard to do his business, but when he was done, he stopped partway back and was panicked. He was holding up one front paw, trying to put it down repeatedly and looking at me to clearly convey that touching the ground was painful (and he was scared and confused, which is something no doggy ever should have to endure!). I felt so horrible and was somewhat panicked for him. So I ran across the yard, scooped him up in my arms and carried him back in. Then when we got inside, I told him it was okay (and it was--he seems none the worse for wear). I felt so bad for him! He really didn't expect what was out there or know what to do.

Anyhow, I'm being extra careful with them tonight, and I shared what happened with Marc (he was out of town for a few days and is back now), so he'll watch them, too.

The first day of the rest of my career

Today was a big day for me. My job had lost some of its luster in the past couple of years. I won't air dirty laundry, but I wasn't happy with how my skills were being utilized (or, in some cases, weren't being utilized). There's far more I can say, but there's no point in that. The bottom line is that I really wasn't happy. The important part is that this story has a happy ending!

A job came open in one of the other hospitals in our network. Their recruitment process took a few months, but it's a high-level position, so that's to be expected (not that it reduced the stress I was feeling). In the end, I got the position and today was my first day. (Well, I had a couple of split weeks between the old and new during a transition period, but this was the first regular, full-time day there.)

The new place is a good hospital with very friendly people who are happy to have me there. Plus, the new job is a promotion. So it's all good. Can't wait to really make a positive difference there!

Happy Birthday, Bernice & Dodger!

Today, Bernice is a teenager. At one point, not too long ago, we weren't sure she'd be with us through December, let alone for her birthday. But she has powered on through, and she's still going strong. For a girl whose life expectancy (according to her vet) was 10-12, making it to 13 is pretty good, and it certainly calls for a celebration!

Dodger also reaches a milestone today, but we're less certain of his age. Bernice's birthday is a guess, but it's pretty close, since we knew her rough age when we adopted her, but Dodgie was a stray off the street, so this is more of a guess. His designated birthday is January 1, 2001. So he's officially 10 years old today (although he may be just a touch older).

Marc provided homemade cake for the kids, and the celebration was on!

The crowd gathered...



And the candle was lit...



Marc explained that they should make a wish and then blow out the candle...



Dodger listened carefully and agreed to blow it out for all of them...





The candle was blown out...



And Marc cut pieces for our honorees and their sister Mandy...



First up was the senior girl, our teenager, Ms. Bernice. Note how she's wearing her best t-shirt, and see how she has a very ladylike eating technique...



Next, Mr. Dodger. You may also address him as "Your Majesty"...



Last but not least, Ms. Mandy (also known as "The Divine Miss M"). She ate her cake so fast that I didn't get a shot of it going down...



So happy birthday to Bernice and Dodger! May the year ahead be a healthy one, and may you have many more happy ones!

A book review (and then maybe we'll head back to France)

Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


When I was in college, I read a book called The Hunt for Red October, and I loved it! Then came Red Storm Rising, another terrific book. In fact, I'm getting ready to read that one again. More great Tom Clancy books followed.

For years, Tom Clancy turned out great, thrilling, tightly written books. Then he started to slide. I gave up on him a number of years ago. His writing style had suffered, and he couldn't keep his political views from making blatant, ham-handed appearances in his books. Sharing the writing with others hasn't helped.

I saw halfway-decent reviews of Dead or Alive, so I thought I'd give him another try. Sadly, things aren't any better. The writing is plodding and in need of a good editor, and his political views aren't at all subtle. I might be able to live with him espousing his political views (even though this is supposed to be fictional entertainment, not a political work), if the rest of Dead or Alive were a taught, entertaining read. It's not.

For my money, I'll stick with newer authors like Alex Berenson and Vince Flynn. They're far better!



View all my reviews

Cap d'Antibes

On the day we drove from Aix-en-Provence to Nice, we traveled along the French Riviera and stopped in Cap d'Antibes for lunch and a little look around. Cap d'Antibes has been a resort town for a long time.





See the fort on the more distant point in that last photo? Near where I took the photo, there was a reproduction of a painting of the fort that Monet had done in the 1800s, so one could see the painting from the view where the artist stood. There were a number of reproductions like this around the waterfront, as a number of great artists have painted parts of Antibes.


This plaque commemorates a British agent having been put ashore there by a submarine during World War II

If you click on that last one, depending on your screen you may be able to read some of the text.


This was part of the park area across from where we had lunch




Around here in suburban New York, people of Italian descent played a game like this called bocce. In France, it's called boules.


A fountain in the waterfront park

Next up, Nice!

Espelette

I know what you're thinking. Espelette? Like the pepper? Yes, just like! (Okay, maybe you don't know those peppers. That's okay.) But in this case I'm actually talking about a Beagle puppy.

In Aix-en-Provence, we stayed at a B&B called Villa Valbelle. The owners have a puppy whose name is Espelette (actually, by now, I suppose she's not a puppy anymore). She was adorable, and she was thrilled to have guests who were happy to play with her!

Before we left, I went looking for her, so I could take a few photos. When I spotted her, she was at the other end of the property. So I called to her, and she came running.








What a face!


The puppy at rest


Espelette having a word with someone

Before we leave Villa Valbelle, I have one more photo. We went out for some great food in Aix, but we also decided to hit a local market and have a more modest couple of meals. Here's a shot of some of the food...



It was simple stuff, but the tomato and that salad were fabulous. The bread, from the boulangerie next door to the market where we bought the other food, was wonderful!