Postcards from Europe, #16

Mademoiselle is the first in our family to visit Ireland. She flew to Dublin via Carcassonne and Paris, connecting there by train, and in Dublin she stayed with Conor, the son of family friends and former (Irish) neighbors.

Sounds like he and the Irish showed her the city!

Greetings from Dublin!

Things to know about Dublin: the pubs are plenty, the food is cheap, there is a Guiness AND whiskey distillery, and the museums are free! We got pancakes for breakfast, saw the book of kells, roamed around the Temple Bar district, saw the Dublin Castle, and had lunch in an old bank building. On Sunday, we got a fantastic brunch, visited the Oscar Wilde statue, the Ha’penny Bridge, and all saw the Whiskey Museum. Sunday night we had dinner with Conor’s grandma and sister and it was so much fun. All in all, Dublin was one of my favorite places to visit, even if we have to take a flight out at 5 am.

Love,

Mademoiselle

29-11-2015

December 16, 2015 0

Postcards from Europe, #15

Mademoiselle is studying in the south of France, but she happened to be in Paris on November 13, 2015. She returned safely to the city where she lives that weekend, and the following week, her father and I hoped that she would cancel her final trip back to Paris, scheduled for the following weekend. She had planned to celebrate Thanksgiving with two American friends in Paris. But she didn’t cancel the trip, and she decided to go.

We were worried about her, but also glad – especially because she stayed safe and all went well. She did get to see quite a lot, and without crowds of tourists making things difficult.

I am thankful for the French army and the gendarmes.

“Bonjour!

I made it back to Paris one final time! I’m so glad I came back, there was a notable increase in the number of gendarmes and army, but we saw all of the big sites, went to the catacombs, saw the Eiffel Tower lit up in tricouleur, and the Christmas markets of the Champs-Élysées! Also we had a fantastic Thanksgiving of rotiserie chicken, bread and cheese, green beans, stuffing, and mashed potatoes! And an apple tart, and champagne. This was a fantastic weekend and I can’t wait to see you soon!

Love,

Mademoiselle

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December 14, 2015 0

Postcards from Europe, #14

Mademoiselle went to Paris for 3 consecutive weekends in November: the 6th-8th, the 13th-15th, and the 20th-22nd. This carte postale is from her 1st trip, when she stayed with family friends.

Their daughter Petronille stayed with us as a teenage summer exchange student for 3 weeks one year, and Mademoiselle stayed with them on the same program a year later. That was Mademoiselle’s very first trip to Paris (they live in a suburb, Montrouge), and it was before she had taken any French classes! But ever since, we have always credited Mademoiselle’s fabulous French accent to Petronille and her family.

Merci beaucoup!

“Salut!

I visited Petronille and her famille this weekend and it was charmant! We walked around the 6th arrondissement, went shopping, went to the Monet museum, and got sushi for dinner in Montparnasse with her friends! It was so cool to see them all and be able to speak French with them. Plus I forgot how good their cooking was! Both lunches were the most French things I’ve ever done!

Love,

Mademoiselle

In case this arrives very late, HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Love you all and miss you! CONGRATS JACK!!! YOU ROCK! *

8-11-2015″

*Mademoiselle’s brother Jack (whose journey with cancer is told in ALL THE ABOVE) had just been offered and had accepted a job in NYC, to start next year!

December 10, 2015 0

Postcards from Europe, #13

Berlin is one of the many places Mademoiselle has visited that I’ve never been to. She doesn’t seem to comprehend fully that it was once East Berlin and West Berlin, or what that was like.

I imagine she was very tired here, with it being the last stop of her Fall Break tour, but it sounds as if she gave it the old college try. But, there’s no place like “home,” n’est-ce pas?

“Bonjour!

The last part [or best part, or best stop – I can’t read Mademoiselle’s handwriting] of Fall Break! Needless to say, we were exhausted when we arrived, but immediately got a bottle of wine with dinner to cure our aching feet after checking in. We visited the Berlin Wall, the Holocaust Memorial, Museum Island, and the Brandenburg Gate! (Where Kennedy and Reagan gave their speeches!) The last day we lounged in the park all day, saw the Reichstag (aka Capitol Building) and hung out in a pub to watch the Rugby World Cup until our train left. I’m so happy to have a good shower again!

Love,

Mademoiselle

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December 8, 2015 0

Postcards from Europe, #12

I’ve never been to Copenhagen (or Denmark), but I hear that visiting it is in vogue. One thing Mademoiselle and I have in common is that we both love royalty, and jewels – well, me more than her on that last one, possibly.

I was a bit troubled by the commune visit, but I trust that visiting Copenhagen has been educational for Mademoiselle. As I keep telling her, “Have fun, but stay safe, and well!”

“Bonjour!

We have so far walked 9 miles and it is only 5 pm. We woke up, got much needed coffee and pastries and ambled around Amalienborg Palace until the “changing of the guard” at 12 pm (apparently they have a queen!) We walked by an old military compound, walked through Rosenborg Slot Gardens, and explored the palace and CROWN JEWELS!

After, we made our way over to Christianshavn and walked through the commune Christiana (so many hippies, so much weed, so little time). Tomorrow we plan on going to the National Museum and Tivoli Gardens! 3/4s of the way done with fall break!

Hope all is well,

Mademoiselle

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December 3, 2015 0

List Post: décembre 2015 + HOLIDAY POEM!

It’s a very short list, and I love it!

Write
Seek/plan/look forward to the publication of my next Suspense novel
Go to France (read on…)

Here’s my holiday poem, two thousand fifteen.

A year filled with suspense, and yet, sometimes, serene.

Underwater was published in German*, last winter.

After months of translation, it went to the printer.

Then in March, I released the book, All the Above,

a true story of hope, and of courage, and love.

It took 2 years to write, lots of blood, sweat, and tears,

and it’s my “open book” of my son, and my fears.

Just before, with my husband, to Texas, I flew.

We visited fam’ly, gave them a preview.

Since fall of last year, I’ve been writing “Book 4.”

I am finished, and, of it, I soon will say more.

In the fall, to a conference in Raleigh, I went.

Then to Nashville, another, and at both, time well spent.

At the end of the year, it’s to France I’ll vacation,

Besides this one, the French one’s my favorite nation.

I send you my holiday wishes for peace

For joy and for laughter, and for troubles to cease.

I hope that you’ll find, as gifts, under the tree,

A book that I’ve penned, or two, or even three!

*Unter Wasser in German

December 1, 2015

Postcards from Europe, #11

Before Mademoiselle sent this postcard, we talked via Face Time Audio, as we have done several times this fall. She knew that I was going to be at the Killer Nashville writers conference during the last weekend of October, and that I was going to be on a panel there. She’s been a strong supporter of my writing and my books, but so far she’s only read one of the three I’ve written.

Guess which?

Oh, and her birthday is this Sunday, December 6, the feast day of St. Nicholas. Her middle name isn’t Nicole, but she says she loves it. Three guesses on what that is, too!

“Bonjour!

Surprise postcard from Amsterdam! Only sending you this because we stumbled upon the Basilica of St. Nicholas (aka my birthday) just a hop skip and a jump from the Red Light District, haha. Basically Amsterdam is a city full of contradictions, also foodie heaven. I hope you had a great time at the Nashville conference!

Love,

Mademoiselle

26-10-2015″

November 30, 2015 0

Postcards from Europe, #10

I think Mademoiselle knows this (and I’m not sure she cares), but when I visited Amsterdam in late 1979, I stayed on a boat in a canal with about 20 other “students.” It was cold and wet, but there was plenty of beer. One thing I did in the city was visit the Heineken brewery; another was seeing the place where Anne Frank and her family hid during World War II. I think Mademoiselle told me on the phone that she and her friend (the other “grandma”) did the latter.

What a cool city.

“Bonjour!

There are two ways you can do Amsterdam: Sampling cheeses and seeing the sights, or going to the Red Light District and getting high. Us grandmas chose the former. Our meals included a beer tasting and appetizers in the dark, hamburgers at a secret speakeasy, sandwiches at a former pirate radio station, and Indian food. All things aside, Amsterdam is awesome. I’m never going to be cool enough for this city, but it was fun trying.

Happy early Halloween!

Love,

Mademoiselle

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November 27, 2015 0

Postcards from Europe, #9

A friend of mine visited Bruges, Belgium last year with her daughter; I’ve never been. Evidently, it’s quite charming, and there’s lots to see (and to eat and drink) there.

It was the first stop on Mademoiselle‘s week+ long “fall break” tour of Europe at the end of October, and she went with another jeune fille from UNC. Stay tuned for their other stops.

“Bonjour!

Things we did in Brugge*:

Boat Tour
Visited Basilica of the Holy Blood
Window shopped
Walked along canals
Climbed the Belfry

Things we ate in Bruges:

waffles!
chocolates!
mussels!
fries!
BEER!

In conclusion, Bruges is the most lovely town and Flemish sounds like Old English.

Love,

Mademoiselle

26-10-2015″ **

*spellings vary

**not sure of the date, I couldn’t make out her writing. But it was in late October.

November 24, 2015 0

Postcards from Europe, #8

You may notice that I’m posting the “Postcards from Europe” series frequently….That’s because, so far, I’ve received 14 cartes postales, and I don’t know how many more are on the way. I want to make sure I get them all published before I leave for France myself, soon…

Mademoiselle had planned 3 more trips to Paris (in November) when she wrote this postcard (two days before my birthday in October, haha).

This past weekend, November 20-22, she took her third trip to Paris to celebrate Thanksgiving with two American friends.* She posted a photo of their table on instagram and commented, “Frenchgiving (noun): when three Americans meet in Paris in late November.”

“Bonjour!

This is from my first trip to Paris, haha. We went to the Sacre Coeur, saw the sights, explored small neighborhoods, and had Moroccan food! I hope you have a fantastic birthday week!

Love you lots!

Mademoiselle

18-10-2015″

*Mademoiselle in front of La Tour Eiffel:

November 23, 2015 0