Change Begins with Me!

My mind has been going 24/7 for the last few weeks.  So much is going on in the world.  You read this and you hear that.  What is happening in our world?

I realize that we live in a time when you find out information as it happens.  When President Lincoln was assassinated there was not any one filming it as it happened or captured John Wilkes Booth as he shot Lincoln.  There were probably telegrams that were sent to one town after another.  Then there were the newspapers that printed the information.  People had time to process what was going on.  We now react instantly to situations.  Is that good or is it bad?  I am not for sure.

But the one thing that I have walked away with is that "change can only begin within myself".  Until I respect , love and do something, nothing will ever happen.

Matthew West sings a song "Do Something".  These are the words:

      "I woke up this morning saw a world full of trouble now,

        Thought, how did we get so far down, and how is it going to get turned around.

        I thought, "God why don't You do something?"........

        He said, "I did....I created you!...."

God created me.  Life begins with me  There is so much being said..."don't judge", "we need to tolerate", "don't tolerate".  Where do I begin?

The eyes of our hearts need to be opened.  Jesus' eyes were opened to the woman at the well.  The Jewish leaders were trying to trap Jesus with the adulterous woman.  If Jesus said the woman should not be stoned, they would accuse him of violating Moses' law.  If he urged them to execute her, they would report him to the Romans, who did not permit the Jews to carry out their own executions.  Jesus said to them "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."  Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground.  The Bible doesn't say what he wrote.  He was silent and took time.  He didn't react immediately.  The silence convicted the others.  John 8:9 states "Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last."  Jesus looked up and the only person there was the woman.  He asked her where did everyone go.  No one had condemned her.  "And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."  He did not condone her or ignored her sin.  Our change in life begins with confession and repentance with a changed heart.

Only with God's help can we accept Christ's forgiveness and to change our life.  Where does peace and tolerance begin?  It begins with admitting what the wrongdoing is and that we go and sin no more.

I am the first to admit that I am a sinner.  I will live with the consequences, but I don't have to dwell in it.  I have Jesus in my heart.  May He live in me so that I don't judge others and that I can make a difference.  What is piercing your heart?  Each one of us is a creature of God and He created us.  The change starts with each of us.

May God's Spirit sweep across our cities, states and country and that our hearts will be pierced to know that Jesus lives in each of us!

Day 12 - Au Revoir

Today has come way too fast!  I never thought I could have so much fun on a virtual/fantasy tour. Thank you for coming along with me and enjoying the trip that was suppose to be.  If we had so much fun on our virtual tour, think how much fun we will enjoy when we are actually there.

So as I wrap everything up, just let me tell you how our last night in Paris ended.

As we sat there at Angelina's, there was a table of three young French men sitting next to our table.  They were so enthralled with our conversation and of course our American accents.  One of the young men men walked up to our table and introduced himself and his two other friends.  They live in Lyon and work for a bank.  They had caught the train to Paris that morning.  They were even on the same train as we were.  Their names were Gabriel, Raphael and Alexandre.  Becca told them that she lived in Lyon as well.  To find out, they live in the same area.

The young men had been learning English for the past year.  They wanted to know if they could sit with us and practice their English.  Three young looking guys!  How could we say no?  We found out that they are roommates and work at the same bank. They were in Paris for the weekend!

About an hour later, they said that they were going to a music venue that played jazz music, and wanted to know if we would like to go.  We all looked at each other and said that it was our last night in Paris.  Let's go and enjoy it!

We got a taxi to "Jazz Cafe Montparnasse.  It is located on the legendary Left Bank, near Montparnasse Tower.  This mythical jazz venue in Paris has over 30 years of history.  When we arrived we found a table for our group of "13".  We ordered wine, prosecco and champagne.  The music was fabulous!  There was a young lady who sang and sounded just like Norah Jones.

It was a great way to end our evening.  We said good-bye to our new friends and wished them well. They got Becca's number.  So hopefully, they will call her.

Morning came early.  Jackie, Erin and I had a 12:30 pm flight to Dulles Airport and then to our destinations.  The others were flying out around 3:30 pm to Dallas. We should all arrive at our homes by 8:30 that evening.  Everyone had a great time!  THE END!

Becca, thank you for all that you did to put this trip together.  We do look forward to when we all can come together and can actually experience these places.

Also, everyone, thank you for allowing me to fantasize this trip.  In the meantime, I will continue to practice my French.

Au Revoir!  A Bientot!  (Goodbye, See you Soon!)

My virtual cigarette!  What happens in France, stays in France!

Day 11 - High Speed Train

Is it already Day 11 in France?  I have tears in my eyes, as I am not ready to end this trip.  I could spend several more weeks enjoying the countryside and the people.

We are taking the high speed train to Paris.  Should be in Paris around 11 am.   The train station was busy this morning.  It is Friday and seems like everybody is going somewhere.  People taking the train to Paris and then changing trains there to go somewhere else.

There is an average of 43 trains a day between Lyon and Paris, leaving approximately every 25 minutes.   The high speed travels at a speed up to 200mph.  When I was in Japan last November, we took the high speed train.  The ride is so smooth as you sit there reading and enjoying the countryside pass by. 

As soon as we arrived in Paris, we got a taxi and then checked in at Hotel Leopold.  After we got settled in, we were off to Angelina's.  I thought it would be a nice way to end our stay in Paris. 

Angelina was founded in 1903 by the confectioner Anton Rumpelmayer and his son, Rene.  It was named after his daughter-in-law.  The location's charm and Rumpelmayer's skill and expertise with pastries, made this tea room the place to be.  Coco Chanel would come daily and also well known French fashion designers gathered at the tearoom, as well. 

The weather has not been the best for the past several days and today was no different.  When we arrived at Angelina's, people were standing outside with their umbrellas waiting for a table.  I was so glad that I had asked Becca to make us a reservation.  We walked right up and they seated us at table "45".  The table that Coco Chanel would sit at daily to watch the people and drink her hot chocolate.
Angelina is famous for their hot chocolate(le chocolat chaud en francais), and is often cited as the best hot chocolate in Paris.  The cost is approximately 10 euros for the hot chocolate.

When you walked in, you felt that you were in a palace.  The elegant and refined decor is the work of the Belle Epoque architect, Edouard-Jean Niermans.  You felt as if you were walking back in time to the early 1900s.  It was well preserved with the plethora of mouldings, cornices, bevelled mirrors and paintings from Vincent Lorant-Heilbronn. 

With the hot chocolate, we ordered Angelina's signature pastry, which is Mont-Blanc.  It is a crispy and dry French meringue under a smooth creamy dome of light whipped cream, covered by chestnut vermicelli.  Of course, none of these had calories.  I can't even begin to describe the taste.  It touched your tongue and the taste was fabulous.  Not too sweet or too bitter.  The perfect chocolate.

Due to the rain, it was nice to be in doors.  We sat there several hours, reminiscing about our trip.  Everybody went around the table talking about what they enjoyed the most.

The evening was spent packing and getting ready to fly back to the U.S. tomorrow.

Day 10 - Annecy "Venice of the Alps"

We woke up with it raining outside.  The past week has been beautiful and it looks as if it is going to be raining for the next few days.

Becca showed up with the van and the driver, Victor.  We gathered our umbrellas and jackets and boarded the van.  Today was going to be a good day even with the cooler temperature and rain.

On the 2 hour drive to Annecy, Becca talked about the area where we were going.  It was nice driving through the various villages.  People were walking in the rain and running from shop to shop.

Let me tell you about Annecy.  It is an alpine town in southeastern France, where Lake Annecy feeds into the Thiou River.  It's known for its cobbled streets, winding canals and pastel-colored houses.  The population of this quaint town is around 130,000.

Why should you visit Annecy?  It sits at the tip of the picturesque Lake Annecy(which is one of the largest lakes in France) and overlooks snow-capped mountains.  In the summer, there are plenty of sandy or grassy beaches.  You can paddleboard, scuba dive and also enjoy sailing on a catamaran.  It takes about an hour to walk around the lake.

It poured all the way to Annecy.  As we got closer, we could see a little bit of sunshine coming from that direction.  The closer we got, we were in awe of the beauty of the alps and the lake.  Victor headed to the marina where we would get on a cruise boat to have lunch and to cruise around Lake Annecy as we ate.

As we got to the boat, there were other tourists waiting to board.  Our group had its own table reserved on the inside of the boat. For lunch, we enjoyed "Tartiflette".  This is a baked dish made up of sliced potatoes, cream, lardons and onions topped with heart stopping amounts of cheese and baked in the oven.  It was served with salad and a baguette to mop up what is left on the plate.  Doesn't it sound delicious?  With the meal, let's not forget the wine and macaroons.  I am on a virtual tour, so I don't have to worry about the calories. 

Panoramic view of the mountains were breathtaking.  It is hard to imagine that the lake was formed by the melting of the Alpine glaciers, more than 18,000 years ago.  On the cruise, we passed by the Pont des Amours(the love bridge).  There is a myth that says that if two lovers kiss on the bridge, they will stay together forever. 

The flowers were spectacular.  Annecy has earned the "Golden Flower" award in 2015 for being one of the nine most-flowered cities in France.

After about 2 hours on the lake, we docked and unloaded.  Some went shopping, some wanted to sit on the beach and look at the mountains and the others decided to go tour some museums.

Around 5 pm, we loaded back up and drove back to Lyon in the rain.

Tonight, we needed to pack so that we could take the high speed train back to Paris in the morning. We will be flying out in 2 more days.  It is hard to believe that our trip is almost over.  We have been planning this trip for months and now we are at the end of it.  Life is all about planning!  If you never plan, you never do anything.

Bonne nuit!(good night)

Day 9 - The Chocolate Factory

Bonjour (good morning) to everyone!  I want to share some fun facts about Lyon.  Earlier, I had stated that Lyon is the gastronomical capital of France.  Lyon currently has "14" Michelin Star Restaurants and is home to "22" of the best places to eat in the country.

Did you know that Lyon was the birthplace of cinema?  The Lumiere Brothers created the first motion picture in 1895 and without them, it's unlikely that the film industry would be what it is today.

The best way to traverse Lyon is by bike.  A fact is, that Lyon is where bike rental service was invented.

An artistic fact about Lyon is that New York and Lyon have this in common, both cities feature statues designed by the same sculptor.  Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, who created the "Statue of Libery", also designed the "Fontaine Bartholdi".

Enough of "Fun Facts", let's get on with the tour.

With the sun shining and the temperature in the 70's, it was going to be a great day to go to the Bernachon Chocolate Factory.  Who doesn't love chocolate?

As we approached, the aroma of chocolate lured us into the small shop.  The smell alone made our mouths water with the anticipation of purchasing the various chocolate bars.

Berhachon makes the chocolate itself.  Most shops sell the chocolate they buy, but they don't actually make it.  There are very few chocolate-makers in the world, only 14 exist in the United States.  Bernachon is a small shop, but it is amazing in what they are able to produce.

Their most famous bonbons are the rich, ganache-filled palets d'Or flecked with bits of real gold.  They can barely keep these in the showcase.  One chocolate bar is called "Nuit et Jour(night and day bar, where one side is bittersweet dark chocolate and the other side is smooth milk chocolate).  Moka is made by grinding roasted coffee beans along with cocoa beans for a double-buzz, and Extra Amer is a super-dark bar of chocolate with very little sugar.

After the tour, we all had to have "chocolate".  I hope that the extras that we bought for family and friends make it back to the U.S.

Our next stop is "Les Halles Paul Bocuse".  It is only about a 5 minute walk from the Part-Dieu train station.  It is Lyon's mythic indoor food market with an international reputation for offering the very finest gourmet food.  Paul Bocuse is one of the reasons that Lyon is dubbed France's capital of gastronomy.

It was in 1859 that Lyon opened its first indoor food market in a large metallic structure located at Place Cordeliers in the centre of the city, known as the "Presqu'ile".   In 1971, Les Halles was opened.

There are fruits and vegetables, dried meats, poultry, truffles, spices, flowers and more.  There are also several bars and restaurants.   This was the perfect place for lunch.  Something for everyone.

With full stomachs, we headed to "Parc de la Tete d'Or".  This is a large urban park with 290 acres.  We observed the joggers, cyclists and families and couples boating on the lake.  Walking through the park, we noticed a small zoo with giraffes, elephants, deer, reptiles and other animals.

The sky started getting dark and we could hear thunder rumbling.  We decided it was time to get a taxi and head back to the hotel.  As we were getting our taxis', the rain drops came.  Just as we shut the door on the taxi, the sky opened up and it began to pour.

After eating all day, most of us were not really that hungry.  We decided some cheese and wine would be perfect for our evening meal.  It was going to be an early evening, as we would be traveling to Annecy tomorrow. Annecy is the "Venice of the Alps".

Bonne Soiree(have a nice evening)!

Bernachon's Signature Cake - "Le President"

Parc de la Tete d'Or

Day 8 - Cooking Lesson and Silk Tour

Our hotel served petit dejeuner(a light breakfast).  I do like to have my eggs(protein) in the mornings, but the French prefer a rather light breakfast.  The light breakfast normally consists of du pain(bread), le beurre(butter), la confiture(jam), le miel(honey), le cafe(coffee) and/or le the(tea).  So when you are in France, you eat like the French. 

Do you remember the book that came out around 2005 "French Women Don't Get Fat"?  It was all about how French women eat bread and pastry, drink wine and enjoy three course meals.  We shall see after this trip, if all of that is true!

Speaking of food, today is our cooking class.  I am very excited about it.  Today on Facebook, memories of three years ago popped up.  Three years ago, I was in Tuscany and I was participating in a cooking lesson.  Here I am three years later, learning how to cook the French way.  Now what is really humorous, I don't really cook.  I cook basic meals, but I am not into all the spices and the steps of creating a masterpiece.  My sister, on the other hand, LOVES to cook.  It is therapy for her.  And yes, I love it when she cooks.  All her meals are so divine.  The others in the group were very excited about cooking a French meal, especially Cindy.  Cooking is therapy for her, as well. 

As we arrived at the cooking lesson, our instructor, Gabrielle, took us to a classroom where we each would have our own individual space with household appliances, as well as all the utensils needed to make the recipes.  The meal that we were cooking was lunch and we would enjoy the delicious meal that we cooked. 

A typical French lunch consists of a starter(une entree), such as a mixed salad, soup or pate.  The main course(le plat principal) is typically a choice of meat or fish with potatoes, rice, pasta and/or vegetables.  After your meal, you could enjoy a cheese course and/or a dessert.

Gabrielle said that we would be preparing a salad, quiche and a dessert.  While us westerners prefer to have quiche for breakfast, the French prefer to eat it for lunch.  For our dessert, where the real baking would take place, we were going to each create our own creme brulee.  Yum!

As we put on our aprons, we were each given a task.  One person prepared the salad.  One group worked on preparing the crispy pastry base and another group prepared the quiche.  The quiche had bacon, milk, heavy cream, eggs, cheese, chives and seasoning(salt, pepper and nutmeg).

Then there was the group that began the preparations for the creme brulee.

As the quiche baked, we all participated in the creme brulee lesson.  Creme brulee is one of the most raved about French desserts.  We each had our own ramekin(small glazed ceramic dish).  We each created our own custard and then we poured it into our ramekin.  The pan that the ramekins were on were placed into the oven until the custard center was jiggly and the edges were set.  We then topped the brulee with a texturally contrasting layer of hardened caramelized sugar.

We were now ready to set the table to enjoy our salad, bread and quiche and creme brulee.  Of course with our meal, we had wine.  The French don't really like to indulge in a meal without wine.  What a great way to enjoy the meal!

Lots of photos were taken during our class and everyone looks forward to sharing them with family and friends.

It was early afternoon, as we kissed (bisou) and hugged our goodbyes to Gabrielle.

Next stop is "Maison des Canuts".  The 1 1/2 hour tour of the 19th century building with displays tracing back to five centuries of silk production.  We learned about how the silk workers shaped Lyonnais culture, as well as how silk gets made.  The tour ended at the lovely boutique where we were able to purchase a chic scarf to remember our visit.

As we left the boutique, we toured through "La Croix-Rousse", which has a unique atmosphere compared to the rest of the city.  The appearance of the neighborhood is influenced by the central role that Lyon played in the silk industry.  The majority of the buildings in the area feature large vaulted ceilings with exposed wooden rafters.  These large buildings were necessary to house the tall silk looms, that were operated in the area.  The name "La Croix-Rousse"(the russet/red cross) comes from a reddish-brown stone cross erected there in the 16th century.

The day ended by Hotel de Ville, which is the city hall of the City of Lyon and one of the most historic buildings in the city, located between the Place des Terreaux(the square) and the Place de la Comedie, in front of the Opera Nouvel(opera house).

We enjoyed another exquisite meal and then located a music venue that catered to all our tastes in music.

It was a long day and we enjoyed every minute of it!  Until tomorrow, when we discover the chocolate factory.

Day 7 - Caen to Lyon

It was an early morning as we were taking the train from Caen to Paris and then transfer to another train in Paris and then on to Lyon.

The early morning was beautiful.  As I walked out of the apartment, I looked to the west and I saw a beautiful rainbow.  It had been raining when we woke up.  Seeing the color and the fullness of the bow, I knew that today was going to be a great day.  The rainbow reminded me of the story of Noah and the hope that God promised him and his family.  It also reminded me of the people who lived during WWII and all the pain and conflict, struggle and darkness that they endured.  To hope is to know the God of hope and to know that He takes us out of darkness into the bright shining light of encouragement and strength to handle each day.  Traveling always makes me appreciate what I have.

I walked to the bakery thinking of all that God has given me and how blessed I am.

The aroma, the smell of pastries, could be smelled from a block away.  The bakery was very busy.  I got my two cafes and pastries and headed back to meet up with everyone.

It was Monday morning, so the train was busy with people heading to Paris for the day.

We all found our reserved seats and settled in for the next couple of hours.  People were reading books, watching movies on their I-pads, scrolling through their phones or just sleeping.

When we got to Paris, Becca gathered us all together to make sure we all got on the train to Lyon.  It was going to be a 2 1/2 hour train ride.  We all looked for a bakery to grab a sandwich to take with us.

The train ride was very pleasant and the countryside was spectacular.  The weather was still nice, so the terrain was green and lush.  Seeing the rolling hills, you wanted to be out driving or riding your bike through the lovely villages.

On the train, we were all sitting together.  The people around us knew we were not from there.  Some people were curious about us and spoke some English.  They enjoyed practicing speaking English, as we enjoyed practicing our French with them.

About 2:30 p.m, the train pulled into Gare de la Part-Dieu Station.  We gathered our belongings, got a taxi and headed to Hotel Globe et Cecil to drop off our luggage and freshen-up.

We had finally arrived in Lyon, the capital of gastronomy and where Becca has lived for five years.  Becca was excited that for the next few days she would be sharing Lyon with us.

The afternoon was spent taking a tour bus and seeing Lyon.  Lyon is a town of about 550,000 people and the metro-area is about 1,700,000.  Lyon is a major center for banking, as well as for chemical, pharmaceutical and biotech industries.  Historically, Lyon was known as an important area for the production and weaving of silk.  Lyon is the gateway to the Beaujolais viticultural region and it also has the Alps nearby.  The next 2 days we will be learning a lot more about Lyon.

We ended the day with a wine and cheese tasting!