Road Trip

First of all, this blog was suppose to be to who I was dedicating my second year to.  I have tried to write it at three different times and just couldn't finish it.  I was getting too emotional.  So I will eventually do it, when I feel stronger.  But just so you know, it will be to my sister Diane and my brother Philippe.  I just have to find the correct words to share with all of you how they have affected my life.

Anyhow, last week I had to go on a mission.  I'd like to call it my secret mission should I wished to accept it and I did.  Well I had the greatest time.  My mission was to pick up one of our cars and drive it back.  Ha, me, drive back on the highway.  Not in this life.  Did they really know who they were asking.  They trusted me.  However, I didn't want to disappoint anyone and I aim to please so I accepted.  Took the train from Arras to Paris and then Paris to Caen.  About a 2 hour trip from Paris.  Got to Caen and figured that it couldn't be too far from the train station to the hotel.  Oh yes, I was staying overnight.  Me, in a city I didn't know.  After someone telling me that it was only about a 20 minute walk to the hotel, 1 hour later, I finally found it.  I also found all the back, narrow streets that I'm not sure anyone should be on.  See the view I had from my hotel.

It is a beautiful city.  Philippe would love it because of all the sailboats.  I took a few other pictures while I was looking for my hotel.

This is the castle of Caen, now used as the Musée des Beaux Arts, (Museum of Fine Arts).  It is within walking distance from the hotel.

Then I had to find the reason I was there.  Can you see it.  It was like finding Waldo.   Nobody hides from the Bird girl.

I had a beautiful room.  They even left me a personal message.  I'm sure nobody else gets those.

I checked in then ventured about the city.  I found a pub.  It wasn't hard to find.  It said PUB.  Then I found a nice restaurant and had the best chicken ever.  Sorry, it was almost as good as Lise's chicken, just in case she is reading this.  Now I had to convince myself that I could drive back.  It is about a 4 - 5 hour drive.  I had Tom Tom with me and him and I got along great.   I left and went to visit the War Museum of Caen.

Ah, there we are.  Oh Canada, our Home and Native Land.....

After I left Caen, I thought well, I'll make the best of this road trip.  I'll stop wherever I want.  Nobody was waiting for me at home so I had all day to make it back....in one piece.....I was thinking more about the car.  I found a winery so the car automatically turned there.  It was the Chateau du Breuil.  Cute little place, very friendly and I bought Calvados.  Of course I had to taste it before but just a sip as I was driving.  It was really just a sip.  With only that sip, I knew that I would love Calvados.

The way in to the Chateau du Breuil to go taste the Calvados.

Don't know why they put a gate.  It still didn't keep me out.

I could see myself live there.

Where you tasted the calvados.

I tried to fit this in the car but there was not enough room.  I put it back.

The little bridge that you pass on going to the Chateau.

I continued my way.  I loved it when Tom Tom would say:  TAKE THE RIGHT EXIT AND TAKE THE MOTORWAY.  A nice British accent.  I was not on the highway or Trans Canada, I was on the Motorway.  Sounds pretty darn important.  I didn't even have to drive in the slow lane.  I was impressing myself.  I was driving in France, not on the little country roads like I use to go to Beaumont-Hamel, but the real deal with speed limit of 130 km and alot of other cars.  Ha, there I was wearing my new sunglasses, looking pretty cool.  A few cars honked at me but it's because of my new sunglasses.  They noticed me, I'm sure.

Then my other stop was in Lisieux which is where Sainte-Thérèse de l'Enfant-Jésus was born.  This was a highlight for me.  I had gone there last year with Diane but we had just stayed about 1/2 hour.  I stayed for about 2 hours.  I saw where Sainte-Thérèse lived, where she went to Convent and the Basilica.  My time there was special and peaceful and I wished that my good friend Thérèse was with me.  I have known Thérèse since I was 2 years old and she was named after Sainte-Thérèse, so I was taking everything in for her.

OK, I just noticed this as I am posting this, and it is a beautiful picture but just one thing wrong with it.  The thing over Jesus' head looks like a spider.  I'm sorry but it just kind of ruined it.  I must crop it.  Help us all when spider season arrives, which is in about a month.

And of course as always, I burn candles.  These 3 are burning for special people.  The middle one is for me, the one on the right is for Thérèse and the one on the left is for a special person.  She knows who she is.

Well my trip is not quite finished, but it's late so tomorrow I am off so I will continue with Road Trip, Part 2.

Sorry for not blogging sooner, I was going through a few rough patches but I'm doing better.  I'm still loving being here and living the life.