After a short taxi
cab ride through Paris from one train station to another, I wanted to give you
a glimpse of Paris in the summer. A very
different view of Paris from the backseat of a taxi…
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| Notre Dame |
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| Notre Dame |
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Starbucks while waiting for the train
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Upon our arrival in Franceville, we were greeted
by the small town very full of people celebrating France’s Bastille Day
(equivalent to the 4th of July in the US.) We had not ever been here at this time and seen
the town so alive and so crowded! The
firecrackers seemed to be exploding all night.
(It seemed so anyway as our 2nd story window opens onto the
main street in town and the sun does not set until after 10 p.m. The mind has a hard time comprehending what
time it is when there is daylight so late!!!)
We were awakened early the next morning to the sound of a small John
Deere tractor with a large water tank on the trailer behind, and city workers carefully and patiently watering each flower box down both sides of the street. Hmmm, not in California anymore!?!?
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| (Note: the Ministry Center is the tall beige building at the end of the street.) |
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| Sunset in Franceville at 10:30 p.m. |
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| Quiet morning after |
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| running/training of the horses on the beach |
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| the ferry waiting to head back to Portsmouth |
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| and... from our window, watering the flowers that abundantly grew along the streets in boxes and baskets |
We were also greeted
by a group of people we have come to love and admire greatly. S, E and D at the Jaques LaFevre Institute (www.jaqueslafevreinstitute.com). The four story Maison is now a place of
learning, service and hospitality, and is on a busy summer schedule housing,
educating and feeding a group of North American college students and professors
here for several weeks at a time to study and experience France.
Even in the midst of
their busy daily routines, S, E, and D have carved out time to visit and share
their hearts with us over coffee and take us on various outings. The time and service they give to the
students, professors, interns and visiting friends like us is more than valuable. My heart is touched!
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| S & P |
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| D & E |
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| French twins??? |
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| L and K (wonderful summer interns at the center) |
We had the honor of
visiting a renovation taking place near the ministry center with Mr. G as our
guide. He is overseeing a project of
restoration of La Redoute De Merville, part of the “Atlantic Wall” originally built
by Louis the 16th and
expanded by
Napoleon to protect
against the English invasion. The Redoute (fort) was taken over by the Germans during 1940’s, becoming part of
the “Atlantic Wall” to thwart the allied D-Day invasion forces. It is now being restored literally brick by
brick by volunteers, mainly engineering students that come and give of their time
for several weeks. It is truly a labor
of love by Mr. G and these students.
Come see the stones and restoring of an amazing place.
Conversation and
hearts are opened over coffee in the afternoon together. S took us to an estuary with a little café
overlooking the water. As we arrived and
parked, the water was at very low tide and the small boats all were sitting on
the sand, which was very strange to us.
After a cup of coffee lasting about 1 ½ hours, the tides had come in
significantly. The boats were once again
afloat.
During a break in the
afternoon, before the preparation of dinner for the students at the center, E
& D were able to take us to the most adorable little town of Beuvron en
Auge. The town is built in the very
typical Normandy style architecture.
Every step further produced a picture or two. Come walk through the streets with me… I absolutely fell in love with this town!
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| R and his new friend (we still love you, BT!) |
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| always time for coffee |
Upon leaving this
magical, beautiful place, D suggested we take a drive abit further up the
winding road to a chapel she loves to come to for times of peace and
prayer. Eglise Saint Michel chapel was
located upon the top of hill overlooking the tiny town we had just visited in a
lush green valley. The haze gave the
valley a very quiet serene feeling. One
could spend hours thinking, praying and seeking God in a place like this.
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| walk up the hill |
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| view from the top of the hill, beside the chapel overlooking the valley below |
R and I were able to
spend a short time walking through a local market in the nearby town of
Cabourg. Cabourg is a town located on
the coast that houses many tourists and French from inland areas coming to
escape the heat. Once again the market
was a beautiful display of produce, meats, flowers, cheeses and colorful
wares.
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| jams and jellies |
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| what would a market be without French breads and pastries!?! |
We ended our time in France with a picnic overlooking the sea... Can you tell we are sitting atop a German bunker looking toward the British D-Day invasion beach?? Then to the cafe for one last coffee together before driving back to Paris to fly to Portugal ...
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Sunset over the sea in Franceville (at 10:30 p.m.!!!)
A wonderful time in France with great friends old and new! I am so grateful to have had this time together.
May you, our dear friends, be blessed and kept safe until we meet again. Merci, merci, merci.
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You are doing a wonderful job of bringing your journey into my home and my heart! I hope you come back, not sure I'd want to leave such beauty!
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