It was hard on me to see the signs to Lyon where Kari and Jonathan live (for one more week) and not be able to see them. We last saw them in May, not so long ago, but the thing that made it possible was knowing that I will see them in 3 weeks in America!
Right outside Jerry and Kathy's apartment was an African grocery store! We wondered if it would have foods that we were familiar with from our days in Ivory Coast...
...and as soon as we walked in the door and saw these African toothbrushes (fiberous wooden sticks that they chew to get their teeth clean), we knew it was the REAL DEAL! We were able to buy two bottles of African hot sauce made from Scotch Bonnet peppers, the kind we ate in Ivory Coast!! What a nice surprise!
Glenn and I actually arrived a day early in Gentilly by mistake and Jerry and Kathy were not even in the country. Fortunately, someone else had a key to their apartment and could let us in. Kathy already had a fully stocked refrigerator, clean sheets on our bed, etc., so we just made ourselves at home and enjoyed a quiet night. It was wonderful! The next morning, we went for a walk about the time they were to arrive so that they could have an hour or two of peace and quiet to unwind from their trip. We loved the beautiful flowers that were in full bloom throughout their little town.
As we were walking around, we came upon this sign that indicated we were entering the city limits of Paris. Very cool!
The second day we were in town, the four of us went into Paris for a little sightseeing for about 6 hours. Glenn and I have already been there quite a few times, but hey, if you are that close to Paris, you ought to take advantage of the opportunity to go again, right???
Interesting view of Notre Dame from a tunnel.
Books, prints, watercolors, drink coasters, key rings, post cards, etc. for sale along the Seine River.
Closer view of the backside of Notre Dame.
Paris was packed with TOURISTS! We almost had one little mishap with a pickpocket, but because I was vigilant, I was able to intervene!
Our goal was to take a one-hour boat ride down the river so we walked across Paris to get to the boarding area. We were boarding just below the Eiffel Tower, so we got to see it "up close" also. I loved seeing all the Senegalese that were selling things on the ground around the Eiffel Tower.
The river boat rides were temporarily discontinued because someone had jumped off the bridge at the base of the Eiffel Tower shortly before we got there. The divers were searching for the body so river traffic was at a standstill for about 2 hours. We walked across the bridge to the other side to get this beautiful shot of the sun reflecting off the tower.
In case you need perspective on how big the Eiffel Tower really is....
We boarded the river boat at 10 pm (it was still daylight) and went under 22 of the 37 (if I recall correctly) bridges that cross the Seine River. Each bridge was different and had its own interesting story behind it. If you ever get the chance to take the river boat tour, I'd highly recommend it!!! Well worth the $15!!
On the morning of the 4th, Jerry and Kathy drove us to a metro station in town where we caught a train to London. (The train went under the English Channel.) From the train station, we caught a smaller train to Gatwick airport.
Annette, a friend who previously lived in our neighborhood in Budapest, picked us up at Gatwick to take us to the Brompton House (a B & B in Redhill, south of London).
We are here to meet with Bob (our boss) for our annual evaluations, go over our goals for next year, and for Bob, Delana and me to work on the TCK education budgets for 2011.
When Annette picked us up, it was a typical day in the UK. COLD, grey clouds, windy and rainy. I brought all summer clothes because the weather report called for temperatures in the mid-70's. More like mid-60's!
This is the Brompton House, a quaint little B & B with the most fantastic full English breakfasts! It consists of fried egg, sausage, potatoes, stewed tomatoes, and toast with butter and jelly. They also have a wide assortment of cereals and fresh fruit!
I believe there are 8 rooms for guests of varying sizes. At any given day, there have only been one or two other rooms occupied, as far as we could tell. Nice place, and the Pearse's are a very friendly couple.
In the dining room, there is a "secretary" that dates back to World War II. Glenn's dad bought one just like it, only out of cherry wood, when he was stationed here in England during WW II. It has been passed down from Glenn's dad to Glenn, and it is "on loan" to our son Chris for the time being. A family heirloom, for sure.
Our first evening in town, Annette drove us out to the village of Horsham to visit with Robert and Elaine and their two boys. They used to live down the street from us in Budapest also!
We walked around their little town for about an hour before we went for dinner in a restaurant.
This church, St. Mary's Church of England, is where their two boys attend school, and is within a short walking distance of their house.
On the sidewalk that goes around the buildings and through the grounds we found many popular Bible verses engraved into the stone walkway! I took pictures of about 10 of them, but didn't think you'd want to see all of them.
The day before our meeting with Bob started, we met Andy and Kaye, who also do member care with us, for a couple of hours in Redhill. We didn't have a lot of time with them, but it was good for us to get caught up on their news. They walked us around the "downtown" area of Redhill, which is quite lovely.
Gardens and window boxes full of flowers.
While in town, we got to experience the typical "fish and chips" meal. Truly British. It was quite delicious.
And, of course, I had to take a picture of the famous "double-decker" buses for which England is so famous.
We head back to Budapest on Monday morning, and then I start a 2 week training seminar on learning disabilities out at the local Christian school nearby. A week after that, we head to the States. Oh, but I get ahead of myself.
The couple that manage the Eden House are having to go immediately to the States for a family matter and Glenn and I, along with the Doyles, are going to be taking care of the Eden House during their absence. Well, we're going to help until we leave for the States, and then it will be left in the hands of the Doyles until the Stevens' return.
Glenn and I have a lot that needs to be done during the next three weeks. Please, please pray for us. Pray that our days start with the Lord, and end with each other. Pray that we focus on what needs to be done and not be distracted by unimportant things.
I'll try to update next week, but I can't promise it. Since I'll be sitting in a conference all week, there just may not be anything to report!
2 comments:
Hey!! Some of these look really familiar. Based on Dad's (very good) suggestion, we took the boat tour too!
So glad you guys got to try a full English breakfast and some fish & chips! I ate a ton of both...
See you in 17 days!!
Thanks for such great posts - love seeing that you're up to. We really miss you guys. And since in the near future we'll actually be in the same time zone and we won't be traveling, we look forward to catching up :)
Lots of love,
Kate
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