Home for the holidays

So after travelling for 2 days (in the name of saving airline miles...) we got back to Raleigh yesterday. "Just flew in from Europe, and boy is my butt tired." Anyway, except for the broken plastic bottle of candy inside our nicely padded suitcase, there were no problems, no lost luggage, etc. It takes talent to break a plastic bottle, so I have to hand it to the fine folks that handle the luggage.

On the way from the airport we got to stop by our townhouse and visit Kosmo. He now has a cat for a roomate. Right after we left for France he stayed with my parents' neighbor in a fenced yard with their dog. I think that or having a cat buddy has really calmed him down. It took him a few moments to realize who we were, and then he was his usual, neurotic self again! Who knows what 6 months of separation from us will do to him. It makes me sad almost.

At the moment we're staying with Elizabeth's brother and sister in law, and our six month old niece. She's such a fun baby.

It is good to be here enjoying the late-summer weather. If only I had brought some shorts back with us! I guess a White Christmas is out of the question, as usual. Bojangles was as good as when we left, although, my usual chicken supreme meal was rather filling. I think my stomach has shrunk (even though the picture of us at Thanksgiving would indicate otherwise). Or maybe the big drinks we have in the states are just too much for me now.

Hopefully we'll see a good bit of you all over the next 2 weeks. Have a Merry Christmas!

Christmas in Strasbourg

Spending seven hours on a train was certainly worth the visit to Strasbourg, France this past weekend. Strasbourg (in Alsace-Lorraine which belonged to Germany prior to WWI) is a charming city, now home to the European Union Parliament and the largest Christmas market in France.




















We were two among THOUSANDS who also decided to spend their weekend visiting the Christmas market (which means street vendors selling overpriced crafts from glass-blown ornaments to delicacies such as goose liver pate). Hot wine (the french version of hot apple cider) is the beverage of choice to face the chill. And you can find chestnuts roasting on every street corner. Quite tasty, by the way!

















Here are some of the interesting things we did:
*Climbed a gothic church tower
*Visited a medieval castle
*Rode a boat through the city canals
*Drank hot wine (an acquired taste)
*Saw a baroque Christmas concert
*Watched Casino Royal (my first Bond movie!)



















Taking the overnight train back to Angers was my least favorite thing of the whole trip which means arriving in Paris around 6:30am after having not slept at all and then rushing through the metro station to catch another train back to Angers...but all in all, it was a great trip and I HIGHLY recommend a visit to Strasbourg if you want to get into the Christmas spirit!