Summertime and the living's... busy.

Every summer, we say to ourselves, "Selves. When people come to visit this year, it's going to be so much easier than last year." Unfortunately, this is always a lie. Summer is always wonderful, but it has yet to be easy.

After Jenna's wedding, I was doing a lot of entrance interviews for the incoming students at Kedge. It pays pretty well and it's cool getting to meet some of the students that I could potentially have in the fall, but it's exhausting. Sometimes you have nine candidates back to back. At 20 minutes each and only 5 minutes in between to evaluate them, it gets very tiring very quickly. Lucky for us, we had free buffet lunch (with wine!!) everyday so I guess it sort of balances out. Having four course meals everyday is maybe not so good for my waistline but it sure is good for morale.

In mid-June, Kim, an old friend of mine from high school, and her husband Kyle stopped in Bordeaux on their way around the world. They left their fancy jobs in Silicon Valley, sold their house, packed a bag and just decided to spend a year traveling. In some ways, I envied them. Just think of how many different places you can see in a year. It was mind boggling. On the other hand, I couldn't imagine living out of a suitcase for that long. As much as I love seeing the world, the feeling of coming home is pretty awesome, too. They told us all the ups and downs, the highlights and lowlights and honestly, it is a pretty incredible story. You can read all about it on their (much better looking than mine) blog!

They spent just a few days with us, most of which Jason and I were working so we only really saw them in the evenings for dinner. We had one nice day up in Lormont, taking the boat across the river and napping out by the lake. I suppose when you've already traveled halfway around the world, sometimes you just need a few days to do nothing.

At the same time, Jason's old boss Natalia was in town, doing a little guest appearance at the lab for a couple of weeks. This woman is my hero. She is a badass scientist, at the top of a male-dominated field, and she looks damn good doing it. She's a no nonsense kind of woman at work but is the first to let her hair down when it's time to play. I want to be her when I grow up.

Dinner at Miles. So delicious.

Having a glass of wine at Bo Bar

Not long after we said goodbye to Natalia, Kim and Kyle, we were saying hello to Jason's family. Jackie, Jeremy, Jenny, and Dave had just finished a week-long tour around Iceland and were doing the next leg of their adventure with us in Bordeaux and the surrounding area.

Dinner at Les Voûtes, our new favorite for big groups.

We rented two cars and drove down the coast, stopping at the Dune du Pyla on our way to San Sebastian. A bit of advice: When it's 40°C outside, that means that the sand will be even hotter. If you decide to run barefoot down the dune, you WILL feel like your feet are burning off. Both Dave and I nearly vomited from the pain. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced. Also, taking a long walk in desert-like conditions is not a good idea if you don't have any water with you. Jackie almost passed out and was not well until she got some fluids in her. Perhaps climbing the dune was not the best idea on the hottest day of the year...

Once we arrived in San Sebastian, we had slightly more reasonable weather and the view is still unbeatable from Hotel Monte Igueldo. It is becoming our go to spot when people decide they want to come to Spain. We even got to visit the amusement park (it was closed when Jason's parents were here in October last year), including la Casa del Terror. It was a little light on the terror but I am a baby and was still scared.

We got tapas at four different places, each one offering more delicious snacks than the last. Jeremy was really leading way on the hunt for good food and I was simply doing what I could to help with the language barrier. Still, there are a lot of specific food words that I don't know, mostly because I was too poor to eat out when I lived in Sevilla or even in Salamanca. I guess I am making up for it now.

I don't know what any of this is but it was all delicious.

After a lovely evening in Spain, we got back on the road to the Pyrénées. We stayed at this adorable little gîte called Domaine Du Sauveur in Luz-Saint-Sauveur, smack in the middle of all the best things to see and do in the region. Jason and I had just been to Gavarnie in February for a ski trip but the hiking trails were closed for the season. The Cirque de Gavarnie is supposed to be pretty incredible so we planned that for our first day. It certainly did not disappoint, with beautiful waterfalls and impressive views the whole way.

It was the 4th of July so we had a big silly American party. Jackie carried the party supplies all the way from the US, across Iceland and to the mountains, just so we could celebrate properly. It was pretty awesome.

The only downside was that I was suddenly feeling a little strange. I started coughing and couldn't stop. I was up all night with a fever and intense body aches, completely incapable of finding a comfortable sleeping position. I was a wreck the next day and couldn't move from the bed. I had to miss all the fun of the adventure to the Pic du Midi, which was doubly disappointing because I hadn't been there yet and really wanted to go. Usually, a little cold wouldn't hold me back but I couldn't breathe. It was a little scary and I had no idea what was wrong with me because it came on so suddenly.

The next day, the gang went off to Cautrets and I spent another day in bed, trying not to die. I didn't feel quite as bad since Jason and I had been on this hike up to the Lac de Gaube before so I wasn't missing out on anything new. I was feeling moderately better by the time they got home but I was still having trouble breathing. 

On our way out of the Pyrénées, we stopped by this castle on a hill. I don't even know what it's called because I was too busy gasping for breath while we were climbing up to it. It was lovely and all but it would have been lovelier if my lungs were working at the time.

We bade farewell to the Pyrénées, packed up the cars and headed back to Bordeaux. We were all pretty tired from all of our adventures but happy. We had a day to unwind back in the apartment before the crew took of for the US. As always, it was a lot of work and preparation to get their trip together but we were so happy to have them. Even when it's hard, and annoying and people get on your nerves, there is nothing like family.

P.S. It was pneumonia. Who gets pneumonia??

Bayer Bookings, Bed & Breakfast

Most people in France take their holiday time in July or August. As we learned this year, most Americans do it in June. This is the story of how we ended up running a tour service/bed and breakfast out of our apartment for a solid month.

Starting in January, we were getting requests from people who wanted to come visit. As far as I knew at the time, I was not going to be working after May, so when everyone said they were interested in June, I was thrilled. It's a great time to be in Bordeaux: lots to do, great weather, and the English-speaking staff at restaurants will be on duty.

It was going to be a busy month, for sure, but nothing crazy:

June 4-11: Kelly and Kate (our friends from Baltimore)

June 16-19: Jere and Joyce (Jason's aunt and uncle)

June 23-26: Drew and Kristen (my friends from college)

As time went on, though, I was offered more classes and more things to do at work. They needed people to interview the new students for next year, I had another sequence of my seminar to teach, my evening class ran through July 1. Suddenly, I was no longer as available as I had originally thought. Jason was equally tied up with things to do at work because, you know, he has a full time job. Adding to the madness, we had two more additions to the lineup come in at the end of May/beginning of June:

June 4-11: Kelly and Kate

June 16-19: Jere and Joyce

June 21-23: Alyn (our friend from Baltimore)

June 23-26: Drew and Kristen

June 28-30: Jenna and Ben (my friends from college)

I do not want you to think for one second that it was not AMAZING seeing everyone. It is really cool to share your new life with people from your old life. I find that friendships often exist in a specific place and time, and when you no longer share that space, many of your friendships change or fade away completely. It is truly special when a friendship can 1) last despite the difference in time and space and 2) exist, even in a small way/moment, within a new situation. It's more obvious when the time and space is greater, like moving to another continent and not seeing each other for over a year. Also considering that we don't have a ton of close friends here, it was wonderful to spend time with people that we know well and that know us. Refreshing.

All that being said, I must admit that it was kind of an insane endeavor, now that I have the time to reflect on it a bit. Trying to balance work, touring around, catching up with people and just living was a lot more challenging than we had anticipated. Even more so when you have to do it five times in a row with very little (sometimes no) break in between. Little things like eating and getting places take much more time and energy than normal, and you start to feel like a kindergarten teacher: "Is anyone hungry? Who has to use the bathroom? Did everyone get a chance to see that? Okay, let's keep going. Stay together!" I felt like I didn't talk to Jason for the whole month, partially due to our tag-team work-guest routine, and also because we were so busy talking to everyone else. It was all such a blur and I wish I had had more time to just sit and enjoy the company of our friends instead of running from pillar to post, trying to see and do everything.

But how do you really balance the two? When people are here, maybe for the only time in their lives, it would be a shame not to explore the city and the surroundings. Seeing as I live here, I do know some things about Bordeaux and I was really happy to get to share that knowledge with everyone. There are so many things that I love about this place and it's hard to do them all in two or three days, so you almost feel obligated to run around a bit.

What have we learned from this whole experience? First, that there is no substitute for good friends and family. Even under somewhat stressful conditions, there's love there and that makes it all worth it. Secondly, planning and anticipating are paramount. If you can check it out ahead of time, do it, so when you arrive, the only thing you have to worry about is having a good time. We have also gotten pretty good at knowing how long people are able to walk around before they need a rest, a bite to eat and/or a bathroom break, and you can't count on them to ask for any of those things before it becomes urgent. Lastly, it's okay to not know everything. I know I'm supposed to be the resident expert on all things European but that fact of the matter is that I still have a lot to learn and figuring them out together is not so bad.

Thank you everyone for coming to see us! We love you!!

I didn't have time to take a lot of pictures but there are a few good ones I managed to snap throughout our crazy adventures:

With Kelly and Kate: Cognac-Bordeaux-Biarritz-Pamplona-San Sebastian-Bordeaux. I learned that cognac is delicious and re-learned that Spain is awesome.

At Rémy Martin in Cognac

 

Biarritz

Pamplona

San Sebastian

With Jere and Joyce: They kind of did their own thing so they took their own photos. Thanks for being so independent!

With Alyn: Fête de Musique in Bordeaux and St. Emilion. The best way to do an outdoor concert is to have performances everywhere and to be able to drink in the street.

With Drew and Kristen: Bordeaux and Arcachon (w/ Nicole). Crowded transportation + climbing a giant sand dune + eating your body weight in mussels = epic nap on the beach.

With Jenna and Ben: Bordeaux Wine Festival and St. Emilion (w/ Jason). A diet comprised solely of wine and cheese is a pretty good diet.

This is made completely out of corks

Adventures!

Somehow, the entire month of June slipped away from me. It was indeed an eventful month. Here's what we've been up to!

End of May: Jason returned from the US and it was glorious. I keep thinking I'll get used to being without him for however long he goes away but I never do. It's definitely harder being the one who's left behind. I don't know how military families do it. I have so much respect for you!!

Ema's mom had her baby and my young friend was NOT thrilled about having a little brother. On top of the new addition, they moved into their new house, which is still very much under construction (even now, a month later) and there are several Polish men running around, making loud noises all day long. It would be a lot for me to handle and I'm not 3 years old. She lashed out at me for a bit there and I was not in the least bit impressed with her antics, but we had a talk and she's been getting better ever since. Kids: I get them.

June 8-9: Jason planned us a trip to St. Émilion, a medieval city about 45 minutes outside of Bordeaux that makes some pretty baller wines. It was, in a word, stunning. It's this tiny little town, nestled in a rambling hillside, surrounded by vineyards as far as the eye can see. The buildings are just sort of sprinkled about, with no real rhyme or reason, and it makes for a beautifully asymmetrical skyline. It poured all day Saturday and we had to hide out in the limestone caves and the monolithic church to stay dry before checking into our quaint little hotel that appeared to be some man's house (in a good way). After a lovely dinner on the steepest, cobblestone-iest street I've ever seen in my life, we drank a bottle of AMAZING wine in the hotel and listened to the rain. On Sunday, a bunch of Jason's co-workers came down for the afternoon and we had a very typically French lunch, lasting three hours and consisting of several dishes and multiple bottles of wine. We hit up a few more wineries for some tastings before watching the sun set of over the city and heading back to Bordeaux. Fantastic.

June 14-16: On Friday, we took a school trip to Arcahon, the city on the bay, just west of Bordeaux. It's known for it's colorful houses and oysters, both of which totally exceeded expectations. We probably walked a good seven miles over the course of the day but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

 

That evening was Ashley and Guillaume's last night in Bordeaux so we took them out for dinner and drinks. We met their friends Isabelle and Thierry, an older couple with the heart of teenagers, who raged with us until close and then joined us for kebabs at our place until 2:30am. It was epic.

The next morning, our new washing machine arrived, and the delivery guys tried to dissuade me from taking because it wasn't in its original packaging and there was some sort of scuff on the side. Look, sirs. I ordered this thing in April from an online company whose name roughly translates to "Buy Things on the Cheap." Unlike the last machine, it has all the pieces still attached and nothing it falling apart so I'm gonna just take it and hope for the best. Also, I am hungover and I don't feel like arguing with you in the street at 10am. Let's get this bad boy up the stairs. P.S. It works fine.

Later that day, we were off to the country to see Ed and his family, including his mother, who was visiting from Canada. She certainly gave my ears a work out but I am certainly not going to complain when there's endless amounts of wine and cheese to help keep me focused. Yes, please tell me more about your neighbor's sister's cat. Fascinating!

On Sunday, I was back at Arcachon, this time with Jason, Rick, Fanny, and Sarah, who is visiting for the next couple months. Since there were no academic objectives to meet, this trip consisted of way less walking, way more napping on the beach. We also stopped at the Dune du Pyla (or Pilat. Spelling doesn't count in France) at the end of the day. It's the tallest sand dune in Europe and I had heard that it was pretty massive. Much like my trip to the Grand Canyon, I knew it was going to be big but you can't really imagine how big until you actually see it. It was a big ass pile of sand, that's for sure. Since the sun doesn't set until after 10pm these days, and 4 out of 5 of us have real jobs, we headed home around 8, with sandy toes and glowing tans. Not a bad way to spend the day.

Rest of June: Still working with the kiddos, still going to classes, still looking for a job for the fall. I have a somewhat promising lead on this teacher trainer position, but it's still only 20 hours a week. Some plans are brewing to get me to stay in the country after September, but I'm going to keep my mouth shut until the paperwork comes back approved so I don't jinx anything. I have been busying myself with giving Jason French lessons, which has been fun, because it's almost like being back in the classroom. I write lesson plans, create/find assessments, assign homework... It's kind of nice! And Jason is learning a lot very quickly, so that is encouraging.

Up next: Barring any floods that might complicate our plans, we're spending this weekend in the Pyrenees! Lourdes and Cauteres are on the list, both of which look like mountain paradise to me. I'm amped about hiking and fresh air, though I must admit that I am also doing some recon for next ski season. Gotta use this snowboarding jacket for something.

Beaches, mountains, and medieval villages? June is a winning month.