Diary of an adult runaway

Escape to the countryside!

Ok, remember last week when I said I was going somewhere and I'd post photos the next day? Let's pretend that today is that next day, shall we? Okay!

So, there were 5 of us: 2 French, 1 Italian, 1 Kiwi-when-it-suits-her (IOW, Kiwi when it comes to the Rainbow Warrior and women's suffrage/Australian when the Embassy party invites come out) (yes, missy, I know you're reading!), and 1 Australian-with-suspicious-American-tendencies. 3 of us jumped a train to Rueil-Malmaison, the other 2 picked us up and then we were off, laughing and shrieking, much to the consternation of the quiet Italian in the back seat, who was promptly told to cowboy up.

First we came across this (Notre Dame de whatever-town-we-were-in):

Then this:

 

And then this:

A closer look at the church:

A chateau, with the ruins of an older one looming on the hill (30 clicks out of Paris and it feels like 1000 away):

I wanted to pick some of these:

 

But instead we had lunch here:

  

Then we wandered down a lane and saw this--because of course, when you think of France, you instantly think of macaws:

 

Finally  we arrived here:

No photos were allowed inside but here's one from The Master's bedroom (it doesn't look like a great day weather-wise, but it was, about 30, with the scent of greenery and earth heavy in the air):

Bright inspiration alongside the famous lily ponds:

  

Green, green, green! And a bit more pink:

I told Elma my day would be perfect if I saw a blue dragonfly and hello! 2 of them!:

 

A long shot of the pond:

 

The last of the poppies:

This way to Chez Monet (and his loos):

We left Giverny with the parrots happy and 5 humans pleasantly tired from a day of art, sunshine, good food and great companionship. Zee life, she ees good!:

 

One of the many reasons I adore my brother

He loves and respects our furry friends and they know it:

Ooh, fun!

 

You know when you meet someone and you immediately like them and you blah blah blah the night away? In this case, it was Aaron, who came along to our regular curry night last month and who sent out the invite to his annual garden party:

Dear All / chers tous et chères toutes
Sorry to be brief / désolé d'être si bref
Too much to do / trop à faire
Like garden partying / pique-nique au jardin, par example
Saturday / samedi, 28 June / juin 2008
From 7 p.m. / à partir de 19:00
 
Palais de Tokyo
Métros:  Iéna, Alma Marceau / Bus 32, 63, 82, 92, 80....
 
Do not RSVP / merci de ne pas répondre
Friends of friends:  fine / ami(e)s d'ami(e)s:  super
Food and booze:  even better /  bouffe et boissons:  encore mieux

Somewhere near the building above (the Palais de Tokyo~that's a temporary hotel on the top) there are little plots of earth where you can potter around, grow your own produce, get yourself dirty and happy and sun-kissed. And drink!

And thus, I will say it again: hot damn, do I love summer!

What? WHAT?! Now how the hell did THAT happen?

Proof that something went wrong over the weekend:

Comedian George Carlin dies at age 71

Wow. Irreverent, profane, insightful, politically incorrect, genius, FUNNY AS HELL. Thanks, George, you will be missed.

Why I got very little sleep Saturday night

The summer solstice. When all of Paris, France, and most of Europe celebrate the longest day with free music in the streets. Still a little light in the sky (check the end of the video~sorry the rest is shit but you can hear them) when this mob capoeira'd their way past at 10.47. Turn the volume up to 30 and that's what it really sounded like. My doors were shaking, and so was my ass, up on my balcony. I love this music, especially when the whistle stops everyone, there's a pause, then they start up again. Magic!

From way down at Place des Abbesses wafted the scent of merguez on the barbie. Mobs and mobs and mobs climbed the hill and partied well into the wee hours. Sometime after midnight, I closed up my place, turned on the fan (that 26-degree day? Turned out to be 34) and turned off the lights. At about 7.20 Sunday, with people still running around, the rain came and so I opened everything up, climbed back into bed and watched the rain fall over the windmills. Sweeeeeeeeeeeet.

Hot damn, do I love summer.

The first day of summer

Paris, 6.37 a.m.

It's going to be a beautiful day and a long, long night. I'm heading out of town for the day to a place I've always wanted to visit. Photos tomorrow.

Have a beautiful one!

This reminds me...

...of a time when I was at Taos Pueblo and an elderly gentleman asked our guide if he had to use a passport to go off the res. The guide was very polite and said that he, too, was an American citizen.

From overheardintheoffice:

CSR, on speakerphone: And where would you like this order shipped?
Secretary: 123 Main St.*, Los Alamos, New Mexico.
CSR : We don't ship out of the country.
Secretary: That's fine, but this address is in the country.
CSR : No, you said to ship it to New Mexico.
Secretary: Yes, New Mexico is a state in the US.
CSR : Sorry, but we can't ship out of the US.
Secretary: Do you have a supervisor I can talk to, please?
[Long pause.]
CSR supervisor: This is Tim. Can I help you?
Secretary: I hope so, Tim. Your employee doesn't seem to understand that New Mexico is a state in the United States, and so refuses to ship me your product.
Supervisor: Well, that's true. We can't ship out of the country. I'm sorry ma'am.
Secretary, raising her voice a little: Have you never even heard of the state of New Mexico? It's one of the big, square ones? It's right between Texas and Arizona? It's one of the 50 United States?
Supervisor: I'm sorry, it's just our policy not to ship out of the US.
Secretary: Tim, let me get this straight. Your company is going to lose a $14,000 order because the people in your customer service department are too moronic to know or comprehend that the state of New Mexico is a part of the United States?
Supervisor: Yes, ma'am. That's our policy.
Secretary, completely exasperated: Well, I guess there's nothing more to be said, is there?
Supervisor: No, ma'am. Have a nice day.

Los Alamos, New Mexico

Meme: pet peeves

I have to admit, when Keris tagged me, I was in such a mellow mood that I couldn't think of any pet peeves. Oh, I was sure I had them~I just couldn't remember them! Then I read hers and Ms. Mac's and I was all "Me, too! And what about this!" (especially the hypocrisy but obviously not the cat one ;-) )

But right now I've got so much to do in such a little time that I will leave you with today's pet peeve:

When a certain president comes to your office and forces the closure of the restaurant so you actually have to buy lunch somewhere else.

Yes, the chatter was right: George Bush is dropping by the chateau this afternoon to say a few words about the Marshall Plan on its 60th anniversary. Actually, the press release is calling it a "major speech," one that I will be missing because it starts at 3.15 and I have an osteo appointment at 3.30. It'd be worth it, just to see the Secret Service in action. The advance team arrived yesterday afternoon and it's been a bordel trying to get around ever since~I can hear the sirens and hubbub now.

But you know, regardless of my personal feelings, I would have liked to have seen the speech. When else am I going to get that chance? Lordie, it certainly makes a difference from working in Doncaster, where the most exciting thing was the kebab place in the Westfield across the road!

For all those who need a hug

I have some friends going through tough times at the moment, so this is for them and for anyone else who needs it:

For all you Australian gardeners interested in sustainability

My mate Karen, of Edible Eden Design, is going to be speaking about produce gardening on Radio National's Bush Telegraph program this Friday (tomorrow!) at 11.30 am. If you don't happen to catch it live, you can always check out the archives.

Karen's a little wiz in the garden~her own in Melbourne is fab, and she spruced up Jenny's last time she was here. So if you need someone to help you out, she's your girl.