Lisbon

Bordeaux took the title in 2015 but the winner of the European Best Destination vote in 2016 went to Lisbon. With so many low-cost airline options direct from home, it was only a matter of time before we made it to Portugal and with an endorsement like that, it was hard to resist the call of the capital city.

We stayed two nights at a quiet but delightfully modern hotel right in town, Feeling Chiado 15. The staff helped us decide on a few things to see/do while in town and we mapped out an itinerary: Get a great view of the city from the Santa Justa lift, Time Out Market for dinner and drinks, a stroll around town in the evening, check out the castle the next day, eat some bacalão, ride the cable car. I think we can handle that.

The market was a bit swankier than I was expecting, but the food was so good, I didn't mind feeling a bit like a hipster with my spinach and bacon croquettes. You can get everything from traditional Portuguese specialities to African-Asian fusion tapas, all with a nice draught beer or or local wine to wash it down. Get pastels de bacalão (cod fritters) whenever you can. You will not be disappointed.

Day 2 was all about exploring the city. We hopped on a ferry to cross the river to Cacilhas in the Almada neighborhood and had a delicious sea-feast for lunch, complete with amazing views of the main part of town from across the water. I was a bit horrified when we saw a fisherman slamming the octopus he caught into the pavement repeatedly (pretty sure he punched it a couple times, too) but apparently this is a thing that you have to do??? Still skeptical.

Back on the mainland, we wandered around town and took the iconic cable car up to the São Jorge castle. This was definitely the highlight of the trip because you can enjoy a stroll around the castle grounds and when you need a break, they sell bottles of wine that you can enjoy inside the walls while watching the sunset. I dig your style, Lisbon.

We finished the evening with a meal at a traditional restaurant where they were playing Fado music. It's sad and soulful and if you listen to too much of it, you'll want to pitch yourself into the ocean like all those lost sailors that never came home, but it is such a part of Lisbon culture, we couldn't possibly miss it. The food wasn't great but the music was so it all evened out. The night was cool and crisp but still mild, with only the Christmas light displays reminding us that winter was on its way.

Te vejo novamente em breve, Portugal.

My Brief and Wonderous Life as a Gaelic Footballer

Ever wonder what it would look like if soccer, rugby, and Aussie rules football all got together and had a baby? That biologically impossible child would probably look a lot like Gaelic Football.

The Bordeaux women's rugby team was a bit too intimidating so when I saw a poster for Burdigaela, it seemed like a perfect fit. Of course I would transition from Ultimate to Rugby and then to Gaelic Football. Obscure sport that no one has ever heard of/is not typically played in the place where I live? Check. Running around in a big field? Check. Co-ed? Bonus check! Let's play.

I joined in October last year when my Kiwi friend Laura and I decided it was time to meet some French people and get some exercise. I had gone to a pick up session with the local Ultimate team and found them to be strangely standoffish and not really that good for how serious they seemed to be about the sport. The Gaelic gang, however, were ridiculously welcoming, inviting us for beers and snacks after practice and offering us rides back to the tram so we wouldn't have to wait hours for the bus. It was also really encouraging that no one was super great at it. Of course we had a couple folks that grew up playing it in Ireland but most players were new to the sport just like me so I wasn't alone in mishandling the ball every 10 seconds.

If you have any sport sense at all, it's actually not very hard to understand. "Get the ball in the net/through the uprights" is pretty much the objective for any field sport, and they are both true for Gaelic. The tricky part is moving the ball around but again, once you get the hang of it, it's not so bad. Every four steps, you have to do something with it: kick it back up to yourself (called a solo), dribble it once (but not two times in a row), kick it to a teammate or hand pass it to a teammate by striking the ball with one hand WHILE IT REMAINS IN THE OTHER HAND. On defense, stop the other team from doing all those things.

Rain or shine, I was at practice almost every Monday and Thursday. I have never been very good at doing fitness on my own so the team really held me accountable for staying in shape. There is nothing better than hanging out with friends and getting a solid work out at the same time. Plus, it was nice having girlfriends again. There is something truly special about the bond that forms between women who play sports together and I was surrounded by a really fun, international and dedicated group of ladies. (The guys were cool, too!) Life was good.

It was snowing back home on this day. I was in shorts and a T-Shirt.

The best and worst thing about Gaelic Football is its obscurity. Since so few people play it, if you have decent hand eye coordination and stamina, you can get pretty good pretty quick. Unfortunately, that also means that playing in real competitions against other players doesn't happen very often. While my class schedule left me plenty of time to attend practices, I was often working on Saturdays when our rare matches were held.

The first match I played was at home in Blanquefort and it was an amazing day. If I had not twisted my ankle in the first match, it would have been even better. We played well, earning second place after Rennes, a team comprised almost exclusively of girls who play for the French national team. (All that Celtic heritage is what makes them so damn good...) That evening, there was a giant party for all the players that attended the tournament. Imagine a beer hall at Oktoberfest and that's kind of what we had going on at this restaurant. Endless food and booze, with singing and dancing on the tables. When we started to get too rowdy, we hit the club for the after party. We danced 'til close and thankfully the booze kept the pain in my ankle mostly at bay until the next morning...

Tchu tcha Burdigaela!!!

I know my body well enough to know when something is just general day-after soreness and when something is really wrong and this was definitely the latter. I once walked around for three days with a broken leg before seeing a doctor and I was not trying to repeat the same mistake. I limped over to the hospital (It was Sunday. Nothing else is open) and had the doctors check me out. At the time, the most intense pain seemed to be coming from my right leg and was awfully reminiscent of how I felt with my fractured fibula. They did an x-ray and luckily nothing was broken. They prescribed crutches and pain killers, anyway, neither of which they could give me there at the hospital (??) and sent me home. Is it weird that I was disappointed that all my bones were intact? If nothing's broken, why does it hurt so bad???

Within a week or so, my leg felt fine but my ankle was only getting worse. I broke down and borrowed some crutches from a friend (the ones with forearm support, not the ones that go all the way to the armpit) but I was so unstable on them that I gave them up for fear that I would bust my other ankle on all these damn cobblestones.

There was another tournament in April but I had to miss it because of class. It was probably for the best since my ankle was still pretty banged up. By May, it was still not great but I really wanted to go to the tourney in Niort. Again, it was an excellent day. I love competing and it proved to be a day of high level play with lots of excitement. I scored a bunch of points and finally felt like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing. Everything was starting to click, not just with me but with the rest of the team, too. We played as a unit. We ended up losing to Rennes in the final, and it was a bit sad because we gave them a much better fight in pool play; injury and fatigue were our biggest adversaries that day.

The finals were held in Paris but I was in the US for Jenna's wedding. When I got back, it was visitor season so that kept me from going to trainings very often, coupled with Jason's insatiable wanderlust and getting ready for all the weddings at the end of the summer. Once I stopped going regularly, it was easier and easier to find an excuse to keep me from going back.

September was upon us before we knew it and I was working extra hard to make up for all the time that we were away. I accepted every course they would give me, which meant classes on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Although that still left me with Thursday evenings free, I was so tired by the time it rolled around that the last thing on my mind was spending another four hours running around out of the house. Also, there's this man that lives with me who I actually kind of like and it was surprisingly hard not having evenings together half of the week.

The final nail in the coffin was the fact that 90% of the people I was closest with on the team had left for bigger and better things in other corners of the world. As is usually the case, the team is the thing I like most about playing a sport and the team that I knew and loved just wasn't the same. There was also some drama between a few players and I didn't think it was handled very well by the executive board which left a bad taste in my mouth about the whole thing. In short, it was no longer a group I really could (or, honestly, wanted to) be a part of.

I can't say for sure that I'll never go back but it's just not in the cards for the moment. Maybe I will finally grow a pair and go check out the rugby team or try the Frisbee team again on a non-pick up night. Or maybe I'll find some other obscure sport to whet my fitness appetite. Anyone for a quick game of netball?

Come and Rocamadour

Pre-historic cave paintings, underground caverns, quaint riverside towns, castles built into cliff sides, dirt cheap foie gras... This is south-central France.

Halloween isn't really a big deal in France but Jason had heard that they had a pretty good celebration for it in Limoges, a city about 3 hours north east of Bordeaux, best known for its porcelain. After doing a bit of research, he decided it would be much more interesting to check out some of the small towns in the area surrounding Limoges instead. So much for the pottery museum tour. Jason was chatting about his plans for the weekend at work and suddenly our romantic countryside getaway involved Rick, Fabrice and a 3-months pregnant Elodie. The more the merrier, though, and we were off for our adventure in the Lot/Dordogne/Corrèze area.

At quitting time on Friday afternoon, we hit the road and arrived at our countryside gîte in Baladou just in time to drop off our things and head into town for some dinner. While much of French cuisine is based on delicate techniques and careful presentation, this region is known for hearty, rustic dishes like duck confit and cassoulet. They also make some delightfully stinky cheeses that are impossibly creamy, as well as foie gras that will knock your damn socks right off. We were not disappointed with our meal.

On Saturday morning, we had a very nice breakfast with our gîte host before heading off to the Gouffre de Padirac: a massive 75m deep hole in the ground, formed by the collapse of an underground cavern in the 3rd century or so. A series of winding staircases takes you down to the bottom of the pit, where you can find a sprawling network of caves, only accessible by a boat ride along an underground river. It would be impossible to fully capture the magnitude and majesty of this place, but I tried my best.

When we had had our fill of spelunking for the day, we got back on the road. We stumbled upon the adorable town of Carennac, where we had a fantastic 4-course meal for a 17€, a delightful stroll along the Dore river and some truly charming old houses to look at. Highly recommended if you're in the area. Alas, there were many more things to see, so we made a quick stop in Curemont (skip it if you're short on time) before reaching our final destination for the day, Collonges-la-Rouge. As the name suggests, most of the buildings in town are made of red sandstone, giving everything a rosy hue. As if it weren't enchanting enough, it was Halloween night and all the kids in town were dressed up for the municipal party in the town square, sipping hot chocolate, mouths stained red from candy apples.

On Sunday, we made the trek out to Rocamadour, known for its stunning views of the valley and cliffs below, as well as its Cité Réligieuse, home to all things Jesus. The name was also given to a tasty cheese that's made in the area. It smells like the goats it's made from but is actually really delicious. Jason delighted us all with his remix version of the Three's Company theme song, which he sang non-stop the entire weekend. Come and Rocamadour!

After the splendor of a town built into a cliff, I wasn't sure much else could impress me but then we went to Pech Merle. You're not allowed to take pictures inside because the site features cave drawings from 29,000 BC and you know, that stuff's fragile, so you'll just have to trust me when I say it was incredible. The size of the cavern and the intricate rock formations are amazing in and of themselves and then you realize that the drawings on the walls were some of the first pieces EVER to depict motion. The techniques that the artists used were revolutionary and surprisingly clever, making our prehistoric ancestors feel much less removed from our modern times.

Fabrice and Elodie decided to head home but Jason, Rick and I decided to stop in Cahors for a stroll and a glass of their delicious wine before hitting the road back to Bordeaux. There's not much to see or do there aside from the Pont Valentré, but that's enough to sate your appetite for 14th century infrastructure.

We never did make it to Limoges but I don't think anyone was disappointed.

Stiches in the Sud-Ouest

My father never had a passport. He has lived and worked his entire life in the same city and although he has traveled a fair amount, even to exotic lands such as Canada, he never felt the urge to venture too far from home.

Until now.

A sneaky hidden benefit of living abroad is that it encourages people to visit who would otherwise never make the trip. My grandfather's failing health kept my father from taking the plunge sooner, as he and his siblings took shifts providing round the clock care for Grandpa these last two years, but now that he's at rest, it has given Dad the time he needed to cross the pond.

October is the perfect month to visit Bordeaux. It's just after harvest time, so the wineries are abuzz with activity. The summer tourists have all gone back to work and the regular staff is on duty at all the restaurants and shops so you get a much more authentic experience. Probably the best part is that the weather is almost always good. The days are still warm but not hot and the nights are cool but not cold. Rain is rare. We have had visitors for three Octobers in a row and we have yet to get more than a light afternoon sprinkle (touche bois).

Mom and Dad arrived on Saturday the 17th and I took them on the typical walking circuit of the city. There was a rugby match on that night so we went to the Black Velvet to watch it with some friends, but mostly it was a ploy to keep them awake long enough to break their jet lag.

On Sunday we were off to the Portes Ouvertes in the Graves, the same wine event that we do every year when our parents come to visit. It's a great way to see a little bit of the countryside and try a bunch of Bordeaux wines all at once. Plus, there are some awesome châteaux in the region, which is hard not to enjoy. We drank lots of wine and brought a bunch to take home, too.

Château Cérons

Don't think that will fit in your suitcase, guys.

It was fall break at Kedge so I only had to work two days out of the week, which meant I could take my parents somewhere fun with the rest of my time off. Since Mom had already been to the dunes, we decided to head east the Dordogne Valley. We took the scenic route getting there because I inadvertently programmed the GPS to avoid tolls and it took us through every tiny little town between here and Sarlat. The countryside is beautiful, though, with rolling hills and valleys, winding rivers and craggy cliffs.

If I were a more confident manual transmission driver, this might have been an enjoyable drive, but alas, I am not and it wasn't. I don't know if I have ever been more stressed in my life. Why did I think I could do this? I was supposed to learn to drive stick this summer to prepare for this trip, but it didn't happen between all the weddings and traveling that we did. Dad took me out driving a few times but I just never got enough practice. I don't know why I thought meandering around rural France was the time to learn but we can't always choose these things, can we? We made it in one piece but my nerves have certainly seen better days.

We explored Sarlat a little and had dinner at a nice little place serving local specialties. This region is literally out of a fairy tale; the movie Ever After was filmed at several locations in the vicinity. The medieval towns are living history books and the castles will leave you gobsmacked. It's an absolutely incredible part of France, one that we find ourselves drawn back to time and time again.

The next day, we drove to Castlenaud, a museum/castle perched high atop a cliff, overlooking the Dore river. If you're in the region, you really should check it out. It's impressive both inside and out, and the views of the surrounding area will take your breath away. We ran into an American woman that has been living in France for 20+ years and she told us that it gets harder and harder to go back home the longer you're abroad. "After five years, you're settled in." My mother didn't seem to appreciate this comment. I suppose we will see about that when the time comes.

Château Beynac

With the previous day's 3.5 hours of intensive training under my belt, I was already feeling a bit better behind the wheel and I made sure to take the highway back to Bordeaux. Thank you, Dad, for being so patient with my terrible driving and never getting stressed out even when you had every right to be. 1000 Good Dad Points for you.

I left Mom and Dad to their own devices on Wednesday while I went to work and they had a mostly relaxing day of wandering around town and catching up on their sleep. We had been running around non-stop since the very first moment they arrived so I'm not surprised they were tired.

Thursday was tourism day. We took the Petit Train tour around town and learned about the history fo Bordeaux. They seemed to get a kick out of that. Then, we hopped on the BatCub and took a ride over to Lormont. We strolled around the park, saw some random goats, checked out the quarry lake and headed back into Bordeaux for dinner.

I had two classes on Friday morning but I was finished by noon so we all met Jason out at his work (where we had been parking the car for free) and hit the road for San Sebastian. This is quickly becoming our favorite weekend getaway spot. The food is good, the weather is perfect and it's simply beautiful. It's impossible to take a bad picture in this place.

We drove through St Jean de Luz and Biarritz on our way back to Bordeaux, both of which are adorable little towns in the Pays Basque. They really do have their own culture that is very distinct from the rest of France. And just think: all of this is about 2.5 hours south of home. Two hours south of Rochester will get you to... Corning. (Dat museum of glass, doe)

Mom and Dad had an early flight back to America on Sunday morning so we packed the car and I drove them out to the airport. (It's much less stressful to drive at 5am when there's no one on the road.) It was such a whirlwind that if you blinked, you missed it but could see in my father's eyes that he had caught the bug. He was not the same because that's what traveling does to you. It shows you things that you never knew were possible. Little things that you didn't even realize were a part of your culture are suddenly painful obvious. And it's weird and it's hard and it's confusing, but that's what makes it so good.

I already can't wait for them to come back.

In Sunshine and In Rain

"Nicole and Jason: Bringing two families together at a storm inspired wedding in a funky Rochester art gallery."

Lucky for you, this isn't a corny wedding blog so we'll skip right to the good stuff.

Jason got into town on September 14. His suit was mangled by the tailor in Waynesboro (not 100% his fault but still really inconvenient) so we had to find him something else to wear. Commence intense shopping quest. Got a suit. Where is the nearest tailor? Found one. Why is he caressing your calves like that? Whatever. Just suck it up and let's get out of here. I hope this comes out looking halfway decent...

Jason's family started coming to town on Thursday. Since they were traveling from PA to be there, many of them decided to make it a full blown vacation. Spend some time in Rochester, check out Niagara Falls, go to the Finger Lakes... Why not? NYS is beautiful in September so I was glad they decided to take advantage of it. My mom and I had nail appointments that afternoon and Jason took his family somewhere to eat.

On Friday morning, Uncle Craig and Aunt Anne invited us for brunch. Uncle Michael and Aunt Deborah were in town for the first time in years and we thought it might be a nice way to introduce some of the family. Julie, Jackie and Jeremy were there representing the Bayer crew, my parents and I were there, and Josh and Stefanie showed up at some point, too. It was a great way to start off an amazing weekend. The food was good, the conversation went smoothly and everyone was getting along swimmingly. This is a good sign.

We had our rehearsal at 2:00 followed by nail appointments for the ladies at 3:00. I cannot stress enough how much I appreciated the staff at Park Ave Salon and Spa. They really went above and beyond for us. Please go there and give them all your money.

Jason was in charge of the rehearsal dinner, which was being held at the Genesee Brewhouse. Slightly better than average pub grub, tasty beers brewed in house, amazing roof deck with a view of High Falls. This place was perfectly us. Their reservation policy was a little weird in that you can't reserve a table ahead of time but you can call an hour before and say how many people you have in your party and they will get it set up for you. We were aiming for 6:30 dinner time but people were still lingering in the tasting room or driving over from wherever they were so it was at least 7:00 by the time we actually sat down, much to the wait staff's chagrin. Oh well! Take all our money!

We gave toasts, distributed gifts to our bridal party and parents and everyone had plenty to drink. Jay and Aunt Deborah were BFFs by the end of the night and I don't exactly know why but I am not complaining. The one thing I was slightly nervous about was our families getting along and all those fears were put to rest that evening. Relieved doesn't even begin to describe it.

And then it was our wedding day. I spent the night at Josh and Stefanie's so that they could take me to my early morning hair appointment. Jason was getting liquored up and smoking cigars with his friends in our hotel suite. I must admit, I was a little jealous. But then again, I am getting too old to have multiple wild nights in a row so it was probably for the best.

The ladies and I got all glammed up and were ready to roll by 1:00. I was putting my dress on at 2:00 so everyone else went back to the hotel to get ready and Mom and I went for lunch at Wegmans. The butterflies were starting to kick in, which is strange because we're already married, but I think it was just the gravity of it all. There were about to be a whole lot of people looking at me all night and that was a little intimidating.

It suddenly seemed so real. All of the work, all of the money, all of the time. It was all for this.

I could try to describe every tiny detail of the evening but no one really cares and quite honestly, pictures do it better. So I will leave you with the important details and let the pictures speak for themselves. Please contact these people if you are having a wedding in Rochester. Our vendors were absolutely incredible.

Photography: Lisa Barker. See all of the photos here
Venue: ArtisanWorks (Wedding Coordinator: Victoria Benz)
Food: Madeline's Catering @ ArtisanWorks
Dessert: Goodness Cakes Bakery
Dress: Vera Wang
Beauty: Park Ave Salon and Spa
Transportation: Esteem Limo
Accommodation: Hyatt Regency
Invitations: PhiloSophie's
Table number postcards: Jackie Bayer
Other stationery: N+J
Lantern Centerpieces: Recycled Revival
Flowers: Becky Stidd
Music: Aaron Celentano
Nicole's ring: Gabriel & Co.
Jason's ring: ???

Getting Ready

Something borrowed and old: Julie's vintage jewelry

Bridal Party and Family

All of our significant life events involve rain and snow so this was no exception

Ceremony
"Should you ever seek an example of how to make a marriage last a lifetime, look no further than your own parents."

"Do you Jason choose Nicole to be your partner in life, to support and respect her in her successes as well her failures, to care for her in sickness and in health, to stand by her in sunshine and in rain, and to grow with her throughout the seasons of your life together?"

“I do”

"I give you this ring as a symbol of my eternal love and affection. May it serve as a constant reminder of my commitment to respect you, cherish you and love you for the rest of our days."

Look at those smiles

Reception
Each table had a little mini recipe booklet as the favor (Recipes for a Rainy Day) that I had designed and assembled with my parents. The table numbers were postcards that Jackie created and printed for us and the bases were made from corks of wines that we actually drank in Bordeaux. Jackie, Julie and I made the place cards.

There was also a little game that we wanted our guests to play. Each person had a quiz and the questions were all about us. Some people may have known some of the answers but in case they didn't, the number of each question corresponded with a table number and you could find the answer there, written under one of the guests' places cards. The whole reason we had this wedding was for our families so it was important for them to talk to each other. The first table with all the correct answers got a prize. We had a tie so Jason had one person from each table chug a beer for the tie breaker. Patrick totally won (there is photographic evidence!) but Jamie Pratt was declared the winner because Jason doesn't give clear directions. In the end, they both ended up with prizes so it was okay.

Cocktail Hour

Waynesboro Boys

Little Calliope is only 5 weeks old in this picture

First Dance: Come Rain or Come Shine - Ray Charles

Toasts

Josh: Man of Honor

Paul: Best Man

Jay: Father of the Groom

Bernie: Father of the Bride

"I thought weddings were a big waste of money. But I was wrong. This is a great night."

Dinner and Mingling

See? Paul knows that Patrick won.

Putting some stars on our map

Mother Son Dance: What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

Father Daughter Dance: Isn't She Lovely - Stevie Wonder

Anniversary Dance: Forever and Ever, Amen - Randy Travis

Dance Party!!

Didn't miss the cousin photo this time

We played the Shoes Game but without having to take off our shoes. Ama made little signs for us to hold up, Rick was the "host" and the bridal party came up with questions to ask us: Who is a better cook? Who is more likely to start a fight? Who said I love you first? Who do you love the most right now?

Totally winning the award for best grandson

This is why I love my brother.

I will remember this moment as one of the happiest of my life.

Best. Night. EVER.

The after party was at Temple Bar and Grille where some random girl KILLED IT at karaoke, serenading us with Celine Dion and a random chick on her way out of the bathroom stopped to re-bustle my dress. Everyone was buying us drinks and wishing us well. If I'm ever having a bad day, I'm just going to put on a wedding dress and wander around town because people will go out of their way to be nice to you.

We stayed until close and then staggered back to our suite at the Hyatt. We invited folks in for a quick drink but made it very clear they couldn't stay because we had *ahem* other plans for the evening.

Jason and I stayed up drinking complimentary champagne and eating chocolate covered strawberries, recounting our favorite moments from the night. In the morning, we packed up our stuff and headed out to Ontario Beach Park for our farewell picnic. We had Dinosaur BBQ and drank leftover beers from the wedding and it wasn't until about 5:00 when the high started to wear off and I crashed. I think we were all exhausted at that point. 

It was a long and tiring weekend but it was far and away the best three days of my life. I can't emphasize enough how amazing it was to have all of our closest friends and family at hand to help us celebrate our love for one another. I have never felt more beautiful, more fortunate, more loved. None of it would have been possible without the incredible generosity of our parents, who funded a very significant part of the events. We will never be able to thank you enough. Our fantastic vendors made the day run so smoothly and we really appreciate all of your flexibility and understanding even when things weren't exactly as planned! Of course my biggest thank you is to my wonderful husband, for being the reason we did had this whole party in the first place. I still can't believe how lucky I am to have you. 

I love you now and forever, in sunshine and in rain.