I am lucky in travel. Most of the time I've had good outcomes. Even when things go wrong, they don't quite reach horrible levels of misfortune. I never come home thinking - that was one awful trip! Nothing went right!
Right now, I am also thinking that I am lucky when I choose not to travel. For the past couple of decades, I've always gone to Poland and France in December. Initially it was to see my father, with whom I had little other contact. When he died, I continued my winter travels. I wanted to spend time with my sister and with my Polish friends. Stopping in Paris on the way back was routine: Paris is delightful before Christmas. This year, I decided not to go in December. And that is such a good thing! The travel chaos in France right now is of monumental proportion. It may well have been the trip that would have had me come back thinking - that was one disastrous set of days!
So here I am, in south central Wisconsin, sipping a cafe au lait and eating a pain au chocolat, while the TV in the background lets loose a torrent of French words.
I'm at La Baguette, a cafe bakery that I used to come to when I lived closer to it (and when Ed and I had a greater bread addiction). It's run by a French family and it is really simple, homey and, well, kind of nice. The buche de Noel wouldn't catch your eye in Paris, but it's the kind of cake you'd find at this time of the year at your local bakery down the road, in a small French town.
Despite the fact that the owners have lived in Wisconsin for probably upwards of a decade, they haven't lost their Frenchness. And they speak French to each other and anyone who wishes to join in and so I am having my December French moment. In Madison.
It's very cold outside. The Arctic blast may be a few degrees tamer than the one we had in early November, but still, when I went out in the morning to feed the animals, we were at 12F (-11C). I had early morning errands and so I skipped breakfast (sacrilegious but necessary) and this is how I found myself at La Baguette in late morning.
In the afternoon, of course, the kids are at the farmhouse. Again, I am lucky: Snowdrop and Sparrow are in good form right now.Today was a great example of their best. He let me zip through a whole bunch of books that she wanted and he couldn't possibly understand. Then she created stories out of the most extraordinary nothings while I played happy games with the little guy.
We hardly noticed that it was a super cold day today. Hardly.
Right now, I am also thinking that I am lucky when I choose not to travel. For the past couple of decades, I've always gone to Poland and France in December. Initially it was to see my father, with whom I had little other contact. When he died, I continued my winter travels. I wanted to spend time with my sister and with my Polish friends. Stopping in Paris on the way back was routine: Paris is delightful before Christmas. This year, I decided not to go in December. And that is such a good thing! The travel chaos in France right now is of monumental proportion. It may well have been the trip that would have had me come back thinking - that was one disastrous set of days!
So here I am, in south central Wisconsin, sipping a cafe au lait and eating a pain au chocolat, while the TV in the background lets loose a torrent of French words.
I'm at La Baguette, a cafe bakery that I used to come to when I lived closer to it (and when Ed and I had a greater bread addiction). It's run by a French family and it is really simple, homey and, well, kind of nice. The buche de Noel wouldn't catch your eye in Paris, but it's the kind of cake you'd find at this time of the year at your local bakery down the road, in a small French town.
Despite the fact that the owners have lived in Wisconsin for probably upwards of a decade, they haven't lost their Frenchness. And they speak French to each other and anyone who wishes to join in and so I am having my December French moment. In Madison.
It's very cold outside. The Arctic blast may be a few degrees tamer than the one we had in early November, but still, when I went out in the morning to feed the animals, we were at 12F (-11C). I had early morning errands and so I skipped breakfast (sacrilegious but necessary) and this is how I found myself at La Baguette in late morning.
In the afternoon, of course, the kids are at the farmhouse. Again, I am lucky: Snowdrop and Sparrow are in good form right now.Today was a great example of their best. He let me zip through a whole bunch of books that she wanted and he couldn't possibly understand. Then she created stories out of the most extraordinary nothings while I played happy games with the little guy.
We hardly noticed that it was a super cold day today. Hardly.
