Le retour

Back in the USA...

Well, our little adventure has come to an end.  It was a fantastic time.  We loved everything (well almost everything) and everyone (really!).  We had fair warning from other expats that re-entry would not be easy.  They were right.  It's not that we didn't miss some things about the U.S.  Certainly we missed our family and friends enormously.  But living in France was really an adventure.  Every day.  We were always the strangers in a strange land.  A British friend (living in France) told me years ago that there is also an extra grace that goes with being an expat.  Yes, it is challenging to do just about anything but the French are so understanding when you screw up and literally amazed that you tried.  

We made many good friends in France.  Again, something about the fact that we were more vulnerable helped.  We really sought out new friends and were grateful for their attention.   And how fun to meet people who often see things quite different.  It is so enlightening (and often humbling) to hear the observations of the U.S. (and Americans) from folks in another country.  Most people are cautious with this information and it takes awhile for them to trust you enough to really say what  is on their minds.  The French are great people. Friendly, generous, and fun.  I am missing them terribly.

Of course the countryside is a slice of paradise.  The south of France (or "Midi" as the french refer to the region we were staying) has so much natural beauty: the sea, mountains, vineyards, olive trees.  It has also has excellent roads and trails to appreciate them.  Cycling and hiking will never be the same.  It's timely that we returned when Le Tour de France was in progress.  It transported me to watch every day.  And the weather…oh, the weather.  Almost always sunny, cool nights with the windows open and a breeze blowing over our heads.  What a way to sleep.  I really don't know how I will bear the coming Minnesota weather.

The french are, of course, famous for their cuisine and wine.  The wine was, as advertised, amazing.  Five euros can buy an awesome bottle (not always though…I found that only 1 out of 4 tries yielded a good wine).  The beer is awful.  It has been wonderful to get great beer again in Wisconsin and Minnesota.  When I was younger I was always embarrassed about American beer.  Schlitz, Miller, Old Milwaukee: those beers were so inferior to European beer.  Now, however, U.S. microbrewing has brought beer to a new level.  My newest fantasy is opening a bar in France:  Jimmy's Microbrews. 

There is so much more to say about France, the French, and our experiences but I can't hope to sum it up now.  Stay tuned for more posts with photos and advice on having one of these adventures yourself.

For each post in this blog I've struggled to find the right photo(s).  For this post I could not imagine anything that would represent all of my feelings so I chose a photo of Jane and I in front of our apartment on our last night in Aix.  My heart breaks just to look at it.  

Au revoir à tous.  On va retourner!