These are the images from my parents’ and sister’s visit back in February.  It was a week-long visit, and if you know my family that means thousands of images.  🙂  We have pared it down to 55, but I’m including them all in a single post.  In order to break it up, I’ve identified the main destinations and three days of traveling we did. Also, the images are a mix of mine, my mother’s and sister’s.  Unfortunately Mike (Julie’s husband … the precision is necessary since there are so many Mikes in the family) wasn’t able to make the trip.  The poor guy had to stay home and work.  He was kind enough to send music as a present, so we thought of him often.

On a different note, I am going to use this post to return to my old format of citing the images from above.  I think it’s a little more logical way to present the story.  I hope it’s seamless for you, the reader.

Ok, off we go…

Aix-en-Provence:

This is Anna buying some mimosa flowers.  They are typical of the region and very pretty.  There is one city nearby (Bormes-les-Mimosa) that has so many flowering mimosas that they have a festival each spring.

Anna, Alexander and I walking down one of the streets in central Aix.

More mimosa … a very interesting genus of plants.  Like the Venus Fly Trap, certain species of mimosa are able to rapidly fold their leaves.

Mom and Dad Gingras (AKA Nani and Papi) in front of the La Rotunde fountain in Aix.

Papi and X playing on the couch.

Julie and I buying some fresh vegetables at the Pelissanne market.

The three generations of Gingras males.

Anna and Julie.

Although very cute, Alexander isn’t a big fan of his shades.

Nani and X about to get in the car for our first big loop with everyone.

Provence to the West – Nîmes, Aigues-Mortes, and Arles:

This is the magnificent Roman building called the Maison Carrée.  It was the center of the Roman Forum of Nîmes and built about 16 BCE.

As you can see, it’s sitting on a raised pedestal of 2.85m.  The building has been used for various functions throughout the centuries.  Once Christianity became the state religion of Rome, the Maison Carrée was converted to a Christian Church, which likely saved it from destruction. In 1785 when Thomas Jefferson was the US Minister (Ambassador) to France, he had a model made, which presumably influenced his later design of the Virginia State Capitol.  Shortly after, when churches became state property during the French Revolution, it housed the revolutionary government’s horses.  Since 1824 it’s been a museum.  Unfortunately, today there are no decorations from antiquity.

Fortunately, we can admire the exterior and marvel at the history that this building has been witness to.

X and I hanging out on the portico.

We also visited the other immense Roman building … the amphitheater.  If you’d like more images of the outside and little of its history, here’s my earlier post:  Nîmes Part 1

I love Europe’s acceptance of parental responsibility.  Here, there is an open ledge, which the sign very aptly describes.

Julie on top of stadium.

X and I enjoying the view.

For lunch, we followed a recommendation by the Michelin Guide which was (as expected) delightful.  Then over to the Temple of Diana (Temple de Diane) from about the same era as the other Roman sites … second century of the current era.  Unfortunately, my images weren’t very good, so they didn’t make the cut.  But, if you’re interested in visiting, its Roman arches were definitely the highlight for me.

This canal cuts right in front of the garden and temple.

Next, we drove down to Aigues-Mortes (literally Dead Waters).  As you can see, it is another ancient city.  It’s origins are a bit murky, but at the latest, it was built in the 10th century CE.  Although it’s not quite on the sea, it was re-built as a port city by King Louis IX (AKA, Saint Louis) in the 13th century.  It was from Aigues-Mortes that he launched the 7th and 8th crusades, two of the countless ignominious acts in the name of religion.

Nani and Julie in front of the Constance Tower built in 1248.

Nani and Papi.

The colorful candy stores La Cure Gourmand are becoming ubiquitous in French cities.

Nani was loving it.

All the piles of delicious candy … a child’s dream.  Well, at least Alexander’s dream!

Vestige of the city’s medieval past.

We finished our whirlwind western tour with a quick walking tour of Arles.  Since Vincent Van Gogh spent some of his brief career in Arles, we decided to focus on his art.  This image is the basis for Van Gogh’s The Café Terrace.  It was the first in a trilogy of (perhaps) his most famous paintings … all featuring a starry night sky.  Although he painted his image in 1888, the café looks identical to is painted self.  Of course, that’s because in 1990 it was refurbished to look exactly like the painting.  Consequently, about the only people we’ve even seen there are tourists.  Nonetheless, it’s still nice for a coffee.

Here we are at Café Van Gogh.

Anna and X enjoying the night sky over the Rhône (minus stars).

Provence to the North – Gordes, Sault, Mont Ventoux, Baumes de Venise and Châteauneuf-du-Pape:

Here is the very quaint village of Gordes.  Although we’ve visited a few times before, this was the first with a shroud of mist.

Papi and his kids.

Nani and Papi.

We also stopped back in Roussillon for the ochre and a lunch break.  Alex liked having a whole bowl of pasta to himself.  His mom liked having a piece of pasta on his head.

This is the view of Sault before the lavender is in bloom. We are planning a return trip in July to see it in all it’s purple splendor.

Our trek up the Mont Ventoux was stopped by the still present snow.  So, we got out and had a (little) snowball fight.

Ok, so I don’t have images of Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Baumes de Venise … mostly that’s because we went for the wine tasting, not the sights.  So, suffice it to say we have some great bottles, but no images.

Provence to the East – Menton, Monaco, Nice and Grasse

We started our longest day (at least in terms of driving) with a visit to the Lemon Festival held in Menton, France (near the Italian border).  They used millions of lemons and oranges in their celebration.  There are parades with the floats made from fruit (think Rose Parade), in both the day and night.  Apparently, it’s quite a sight to behold, but since we were only there during the day, we were limited to the static display which was also impressive … if slightly campy.

Some of the oranges spared from use in the festival.

Lemons not spared … but here you can see how they attach the fruit and why they use a huge number of rubber bands as well.

This was my personal favorite display … at nearly life size.

The seller was watching Julie like a hawk.  Of course, it was because I asked Julie to go back and check out the fruit, without telling her the cultural taboo against touching the merchandise.  Oops.  Sorry, Jewls.  But, it’s a pretty image, right?

Hanging out and checking out some transformed fruit.

Sweet oranges for sale, in case the need to eat the display strikes.

The fam by the sea … less Julie, who’s taking the picture.

After we had our fill of fruit, we drove along the sea to Monaco for a great lunch in the harbor.

Not too bad.

I wouldn’t mind one of these boats.  Ok, I guess they’re more accurately ships.

Then another drive along the sea, through Nice and up to the “Perfume Capital of the World,” Grasse.  We managed to catch the last tour of the Fragonard factory to see how the perfume is made.  Unfortunately for the grandparents and Julie, it was in French. Nonetheless, it was interesting (so they told me).  After we had the “opportunity” to buy some of their products.  Although expensive, they are worth it.  Anna smells great … almost all the time.

After our frantic tours of Provence, we returned home to enjoy a little Alex time before everyone left at o’ dark thirty the next day.

Alex loves his pool, er, bathtub.  It’s one of his favorite times of day.

OK, so that covers the (partial) family visit to the farthest reaches of Provence (and a little into Languedoc-Roussillon).  It was great to have everyone here.

Up next will be more images of Aix, Andorra, Carcassonne, Paris, and our latest trip … another Mediterraen cruise to Italy, Sicily, and Spain.

So, until the next adventure…

–Jim

So, our trip over the holidays was part vacation and part work.  However, most importantly, we got to spend it together.  Half of our time was spent up in Germany and the other half in France.

For the German portion, we began with a short stop in Munich … one of our favorite German cities.

We stayed at a great little bed and breakfast that was more like staying with a family.  Very homey.  We began our visit with the Deutches Museum.  It’s a huge museum and Munich’s version of the Smithsonian.  It was lots of fun and I can’t wait for Alexander to be old enough to truly enjoy it with us.

OK, so he wasn’t a fan of the food…  But, the museum was great.

After the museum, we headed over to the always magnificent Marien Platz.  If you recall earlier posts, we’ve been here a few times before.  If you’d like to see some of those images, here’s a link to an old post:  http://jimanna.com/2007/03/munich-bavaria-and-salzburg-family-visit-part-one/

This is the Glockenspiel, part of the clock tower on the mayor’s office.

I particularly liked the contrasting expressions … too bad the girl in the back is not real.

Then it was a short walk over to the Hof Brau Haus.

The music was still great.

Although fascinated, don’t worry, we didn’t let X have any beer.

He was having a good time though!

Back through the center of town to see the tree lit up.

Next, we hopped on the train and went out to the Oktoberfest grounds where there was a huge Christmas Market.

I loved the colors of the market.

Yummy, meat.

Anna and Alexander strolling through the market.

Anna browsing behind this little guy…

After a quick dinner, we stumbled upon these two guys in crazy outfits who offered to do people’s hair.  Two brave volunteers got on stage and these guys went to town.  The girl wasn’t having so much fun…

After a festive evening, we had a somber following day.  We went back to Dachau to see the concentration camp again.  It’s notable not for being the biggest, but the first.  There wasn’t much left (it was torn down before the idea to make it a memorial took hold).

Shadows of the past…

Many men women and children were held and murdered here … under the guise of a normal “prison.”

The communal toilets.

Bunks for entirely too many people to sleep on.

An image of the barracks next to the foundations that are all that remain.

On a happier note, we next went up to our German family’s house, in the northern part of Bavaria.  Here is Santa’s Little Helper, Alexander.

Hey, Ronja, do you know we are getting presents??  It’s going to be soo cool.

Somebody was happy!

In spite of the white blanket outside, Rinehardt and I decided to go out and feed the deer.

So, he let me borrow some of his serious cold weather clothes and we headed out…

Not to worry, thanks to the great driving and unstoppable 4WD Mercedes truck, we made it back.

The tree was amazing, as always.  Complete with real candles, it sets a very festive mood.

Although Alexander LOVED all his presents (thank you everyone).  He was a little tired by the end of the night.  Unfortunately, nearly everyone in the house got the same bug and was violently ill for a couple days.

Nevertheless, we had a great time and ALWAYS appreciate and enjoy the hospitality.

The rest of our trip was filled with physical fitness and military tests … not nearly as much fun as the beginning.

So, I will leave it here and wait for the next adventure.

Until then…

–Jim

We began our tour of Normandy appropriately, somberly.  After a visit to the museum in Caen, we hopped on the bus and went out to see the locations in person.

This is the La Cambe German military cemetery.  It was a sobering place to begin.  There are over 21,000 men and boys buried here.

These crosses are center pieces and not grave markers.

The rose is a fitting metaphor.

Here you can see the expanse of the site, with the sea in the background.  Each of the simple, small plaques represent 2 people buried in the same grave site.

An interesting fact about the German Cemetery is that it’s entirely funded by donations.  Unlike the US Cemeteries (and UK/Canadian, I believe), which are publicly funded.  Although there was no one at the site when we visited, our guide informed us that there are regularly students taking care of the grounds.  Talk about a poignant community service.

Here’s the bus we spent MANY hours on.  It was great to have a bus just for us, but at the same time, we spent a lot of time inside it.  Plus, when the heater went out for a day and a half, it got a bit chilly!

This is sea and cliffs of Pont du Hoc.  It was the site of one of the most difficult missions on D-Day (although they are all pretty unimaginable).  There were around 220 US Army Rangers who were given the task of scaling the cliffs and knocking out the guns on the top.  This was to secure the other landing beaches, since this point was right in the center.

This was the site of one of the guns the Rangers were trying to take out.  However, apparently two days before the assault, the German forces moved the guns back into the woods.

This is an image from the operation.  They used firefighting equipment to scale the vertical cliffs.

Although I have experienced some pretty horrific things, I can’t truly imagine how either side felt.

Maggie was looking out at the vast scene as well.

This is another image of the cliffs.  Normally, there is a large stone dagger to commemorate the sacrifices made by the Rangers.  Out of the 220 who began, only 90 were left in fighting shape after taking the cliff, destroying the guns that had been pulled back and defending repeated counterattacks.  It truly is an amazing story of courage and sacrifice.

Kaeli with the cliffs in the background.

Margo and Maggie standing in a crater left from the attack.  Although the other locations were repaired, the ground around Pointe du Hoc was intentionally left untouched.  It left a very physical reminder of the horror of war.

Moving down the beach, we came to the well manicured lawn of the American Military Cemetery.

The beach directly below the cemetery is Omaha Beach, where 3,000 people were killed or wounded.

Our guide giving the group background information on of the grave sites.

We were fortunate to be able to take part in the cemetery’s evening retreat.  The cadets were asked to lower and fold the flag.

Laura, Scott and Margo folding the first of two flags.

Dustin, Kaeli, Nancy and Maggie folding the second flag.

Rendering honor to the flag and all those who fought for what it represents.

This is the whole group.

The USAFA cadets with the flags after the ceremony.

A long row of American grave stones.  The grounds cover 172.5 acres (~70 hectares).

One of the 307 unknown soldiers buried here.

There are 9,387 men and women interred here.

General Roosevelt (son of President Theodore Roosevelt) died shortly after the battle from a heart attack, but was buried here with his men.  He successfully petitioned his uncle, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, to be in the first waves ashore.  He is also one of three Congressional Medal of Honor recipients buried here.

This statue is entitled, “The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves.”  Behind the statue, the semi-circular post and lintel with the inscription: “THIS EMBATTLED SHORE, PORTAL OF FREEDOM,
IS FOREVER HALLOWED BY THE IDEALS, THE VALOR AND THE SACRIFICES OF OUR FELLOW COUNTRYMEN.”

The first time I visited this cemetery, I had just graduated from the Academy and was in a very similar place as the cadets I was accompanying.  It was a completely different experience to come back a decade later with several trips to the wars of our generation.  Although both were poignant … I feel like I connected more with my comrades in arms on this visit.  I hope future generations are able to avoid the horrors of war.  These monuments are silent sentinels to guard against that repetition.

It was a fitting end to our time in Normandy.

Up next, I was honored to be selected for promotion to Major.

Until then…

–Jim

After our brief stop in Champagne, the tour of France with the cadets moved into Paris for its cultural bounty.  Since it was December, the city was all decked out for the holidays.

Fortunately for me, Anna and Alexander were able to hop a high speed train and meet me in the city.

Au Printemps is one of the largest department stores in Paris and very well dressed, as you can see.

We spent the day touring museums and Christmas Markets.  We ended up on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, with the largest market.

Here we are enjoying some hot wine.  Unfortunately, we only had the small camera, so the picture quality isn’t the best.  Hope you don’t mind too much.

We didn’t try the Ferris wheel (Grand Roue), but it was very tempting…  Perhaps next year on the next trip.

Looking back at the Arc de Triomphe.

This was the view from our hotel room.

Two French icons…

This is the St Augustin Church, also from our hotel room.

After an all too brief weekend in Paris, the bus moved out again, and Anna and Alexander headed back south.  Next stop the group was Normandy.

Until then…

–Jim

So last month, the exchange cadets (US, Canadian, Italian, and Japanese), myself and some French officers spent a couple weeks touring Air Force bases.  It was an amazing opportunity for all of us.  Every day we visited a different base (or two) and had the opportunity to learn and see a ton.

As part of the tour, we also had the occasion to see some cultural sites.  In fact, all my posts will focus on that.  While I found both aspects completely fascinating, I expect you would prefer to see the cultural experiences.  So, I will start out with our stop in Reims (pronounced, Rance … rhymes with France, with a rolled R), which you may recall from earlier posts.  However, this visit was unique and the only downside was that Anna and Alexander couldn’t be there to enjoy it with me.

We began our visit with a guided tour of the Pommery Champagne House.

This is a serious barrel!

Down into the chalk caves…

Madame Veuve (Vve) Louise Pommery was in good company.  Seems that she was the first in a long line of widows in Champagne who turned to the sparkling wine after their spouses passed away.  Mme Vve Pommery was the first.  She bought a lot of underground chalk caves that hold seemingly endless bottles.

This is our guide (in the suit), explaining the company.  Each main room had a piece of art.  This particular room was clay statues.

A few bottles.

A few more.  In fact, there are around 22 million bottles in the caves.  Yes, 22 million.

Dustin on his way out.

I enjoyed this sculpture carved into the cave wall.  This is Silene…  He was the godfather or mentor of Dionysus, who happens to be one of my favorite characters from Greek mythology.  Fittingly, he is sitting over a large number of Champagne bottles.

Nancy, checking out the video art in another chamber.

Ready for a quick dégustation.

As you can see, these bottles survived both world wars (Reims was heavily affected by WWI).  I’m not sure if I would want to drink it, but it’s there.

These look like they’ve been untouched for a long time.

A few more vintages with the number of bottles for each year listed underneath.

Scott hanging out by the indoor rain (which was another art exhibit).

Raining, inside.

The shiny disco ball… This one was in preparation for the 2002 vintage release which was happening later in the evening.

Of course, at the end of any winery (or Champagne house) tour, there is the obligatory tasting.  It was quite delicious.

The girls enjoying a glass of Pommery.

Here are more of those shiny disco balls.

After Pommery, we headed into the downtown for a tour of the famous church.  Since I’ve already described it in an earlier post, I won’t belabor the point, but suffice it to say, the church is still just as impressive.

An image of the church with some of the cadets walking toward me.

Just after this image, we were fortunate and came across a great little wine store.  Inside, they were having a Champagne tasting.  Not only was it a free tasting, the owner and head vintner were there to talk to the 15 of us who showed up for the tasting.  Even though it didn’t seem like a very big crowd, they brought out the good Champagne.  As you might imagine, it was very tasty.

Well, that does it for Reims.  Next up is a short post on our weekend in Paris.

Until then…

–Jim

The weekend before Thanksgiving, I decided that it was high time I got up to Brussels and hang out with Tom.  Although we had seen each other at Halloween, I wanted to make it up before he left.  Anna and I had planned on going up several times, but things kept getting in the way.  This time, I was determined!

So, Tom was gracious enough to offer his place to stay and Lauren (one of Tom’s friends who is living in Sweden) was kind enough to share Tom with me for the weekend.

When I flew in, we decided to head over to the Atomium.  It’s one of the landmark sites in Belgium and truly sits over Brussels.  It was built for the World’s Fair in 1958 and like the Eiffel Tower, not intended to last.  However, the 100+ meter behemoth has endured.  What is it, you ask?  Well technically, it’s the shape of an iron crystal … magnified 165 billion times.  However, it was intended to represent hope for the future, peaceful use of nuclear technology and a faith in science and technology.  Today, 52 years later, it is still inspiring.

Here are a few images from our visit.

A street view of the structure.

The postcard view.

Tom and Lauren, gliding down the escalator from one sphere to another.

Here we are hiking it down to the last sphere … and trying to avoid a traffic jam!

Tom and Lauren by an original Starbucks logo.  Apparently, it’s pretty rare to see the original design … but I’m no expert.  Lauren and I also sampled coffee from 67% of the Starbucks in Belgium in one day (Tom’s not a coffee drinker).  However, before you start getting impressed, or distressed (dependent on point of view), there are only three locations in the country.

This image is from our day trip to Antwerp … a highly underrated city.  I believe Lauren made this image, but I can’t say for certain.  For this trip, I didn’t have my big camera (weight restrictions), so she was very accommodating and allowed me to borrow hers … which I did, to the point of hogging it.  Thank you, Lauren!  These next few images were made by her as well.

Tom had the eye to catch this hilarious moment (if you know the song).

This is a statue of a little piece of Antwerp folklore.  This giant is the Lange Wapper who, apparently, used tricks to appear as a young child and steal/take breast milk from women.  Conversely, he was used as an excuse for men to stay at the bar … presumably the only place they were safe from the Lange Wapper.  In any reading of the story, he is an interesting, if unsavory, character.

One of the boats from outside the national maritime museum.

Another boat… I’m on a boat!

This is an elevator from the early 20th century.  The timing was a little off on the hand rail and stairs.  So, Tom decided to try and remain attached to both for as long as possible.  This is about at the end.

Since it looked like so much fun, I decided to give it a try.  I didn’t do any better than Tom.

This final image from Belgium was homage to Tom’s Halloween costume.  He was Chiquita.  So, when we came across the store … I had to had a photo.  🙂  Tom was, as usual, a good sport.

That wraps up the images for a great (albeit too fast) trip to Belgium.  Tom has moved on to a new location.  Fortunately, he will be much closer to his girlfriend Olga.

The important task Anna gave me while I was in Brussels was to buy more chocolate from Mary’s.  I accomplished the mission and maintain that Mary’s Chocolate is the best in world.  However, Tom, Olga, Lauren and the Belgian Royal Family all contend that Wittamer is the best.  I guess we’ll have to buy more and continue to evaluate.

So, that does it for this trip.  Up next will be the Thanksgiving celebration for the base.

Till then…

–Jim

A work trip took me up to Lyon.  Since it was pretty close, I could drive, which meant that Anna and Alexander were able to come too.

Although I had to work most of the time, we were able to enjoy a little of the city.  Enough to know we need to come back!  It’s known at the gastronomic center of France… we had a great meal the first night, but missed all the Lyon specialties.  While I was working, Anna and Alexander were able to explore the city.  The pictures in the post are all Anna’s.  I didn’t even have a camera with me.

They took a boat ride on the mighty Rhone.

Lyon has all the big city feel, but not as many of the problems.  Overall, it feels like a nice place to be. On the hilltop you can see the Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourvière.  It was built shortly after France’s defeat by Prussia in 1870.  Some would say the Roman Catholic church built it simply to emphasize their strength.

A better view of the basilica.

On a boat.  They’re on a boat.

If you look close, the windows on this building are merely painted on … classical figures, artists and explorers.  Oh and a camera man toward the bottom.

The hills surrounding the Rhone valley and central Lyon provide great vantage point and make the city feel a little smaller.

The Man of the Rock, Jean Kleberger.  He was known as the “Good German.”  He was born in Germany in 1486, citizen of Geneva and Bern, Switzerland and died in Lyon in 1546.

So, that covers our brief time in Lyon.

Until the next time…

–Jim