Traveling With Judi . . . .

Enjoying short sleeves and sunshine on Christmas Day! Merry Christmas everyone, and I hope you are all enjoying the Holiday Season!! Some of you may have already seen this information (and pictures) on Facebook, but I wanted to make sure I posted something for my non-Facebook friends and family!! Yummy mince pies and latte in the sunshine! I thought I'd just give you a little insight into my day thus far in France (in case anyone was worried that I'm feeling bored or sad all alone here on the other side of the world)!!  This morning (not too early, of course) I enjoyed a warm, flakey, buttery chocolate croissant and latte in the sunshine (in short sleeves no less!!) as I enjoyed the morning sun on the patio! (My "temp app" says it's 50 degrees, but it feels like 70 to me in the sunshine!) Who knew that if you take a slightly soggy croissant and put it in the oven for 5-10 minutes that it tastes fresh out of the oven - now I do!!  Outdoor French Chris

The kitties napping in their basket - so sweet!! It’s a beautiful day here in the south of France – the sun is shining, the temperature is in the low-70s, and the sky is bright blue with only a few wispy clouds dancing across the sky like cotton candy!   The cats were sunning themselves (until I came in the house to write) – and now they are tucked away in their basket napping together!   Zelda (the dog – who, I found out, was bred to be a watch dog and “herder” and follows me around EVERYWHERE I go) is ever-watchful for any intruders (yeowling like a hound and startling me with her VERY loud bark every time she hears the slightest sound outside – and sometimes an imaginary knock on the door on the television)!! I can’t believe I’ve been here almost two weeks – where has the time gone and what have I done with myself?!?!?  I’ll tell you what…I’ve enjoyed the peace and quiet, done lots of meditating/reading/thinking (staring at the beautiful garden pondering life); I’ve watched

This is the peaceful back porch area, a lovely space to enjoy the beautiful view!!   I made it to France a couple days ago and oh my goodness - what a beautiful place I will be staying in for the next few months!! The back yard is like a park with beautiful trees providing privacy and birdsong throughout the day, and I can already feel my soul settling in for a good rest!! My cozy room with morning sun streaming through the windows Gotta watch out for the "concussion beams" on the way to the bathroom - especially at night!! I had a wonderful time getting to know the homeowner and her brood (one very sweet and sometimes rambunctious dog and two darling kittens who sleep together in a basket – so cute).  As she was showing me around the property, she showed me two darling guest cottages and said "because of course you may want to have guests come visit you, yes?" What a lovely, generous woman she is! One of two "guest cottages" for any

The other day before leaving London, I decided to take the bus that leaves not far from where I was staying (just to see what sights I might be able to see along the way), then walk “a little bit” from where the bus ended to Buckingham Palace.  I saw a lot of beautiful architecture while riding on the bus and even passed St. Paul’s Cathedral and park – very beautiful and very old!!  After “alighting” from the bus (I love that British word they use on the bus recording – “please alight here for” ….whatever the station or stop is) – anyway after getting off the bus, I headed in the direction of Buckingham Palace and walked…and walked….and WALKED!!! St. James Castle Somehow in the maze that IS the center of London (amidst all the chaos of tourists milling about everywhere!!!), I wandered almost 4 miles – at first looking for Buckingham Palace, then searching for my return bus (which I finally found – next to a Starbucks – whew)!!  It probably would have been helpful to have a map

I can’t believe it’s been over a week since I left Portland – seems like much longer than that (and yet time has passed so quickly), and I’ve hardly written anything other than a few “here’s what I’ve been doing” emails to a few people!  So I thought I’d post a quick update… I had a pretty eventful flight – RUNNING through the airport at JFK to catch my flight (the last one of the evening)!!  Missing it would have really messed up all my scheduled planning so I was feeling pretty stressed on my flight from Minneapolis to New York, but I did my best to just BREATHE and trust that all would happen as it was meant to (and maybe I’d meet someone unexpected or learn some lesson if I missed my flight)!!   Fortunately I made it onto the plane and arrived into London Heathrow in plenty of time to catch my transportation to Worthing, England (on the south coast not far from Brighton).  I had a wonderful week in Worthing –  enjoyed walking along the sea and visiting the pier/shopping area (o