un californien à paris

Colorado License Plates, l'autoroute Française

Yesterday, I went to the port town of Le Havre to pick up our car and the rest of the things we shipped to France.  The looks I received from other drivers were amusing as I drove Southeast from Le Havre to Paris sporting Colorado license plates and a Santa Cruz Mountain Bike on the rack.

My colleague Jeremiah Martin helped me truck the rest of the stuff down in our other colleague's mini-bus.  Jeremiah took a picture of me pumping my first 80 euro tank of gas.    At todays exchange rate, that is $110.69 !!!!!!    Don't ever let me hear you complain about gas prices in the USA again !!!  I'll post the picture here as soon as Jeremiah sends it to me. 

Embedding our USA stuff in French space is a good metaphor for the way we feel when  crossing cultural boundaries.  Here's what it looks like from the upstairs window of the OIKOS house, safe and sound in the garden after a voyage by land and sea that included a passage through the Panama Canal.   

Au Revoir la Californie

We said our Aurevoir to California with a long slow drive down the coast on hwy 1 from Santa Cruz to Los Angeles.   You can see a few of our adventures along the way here (like eating an 8 pound spider crab) .

On July 1st, I had the privilege of performing my cousin Tyler's wedding to Amanda at a country club in Orange County.  It was a festive way to say goodbye to my extended family.  Check out the slide show here.  It's probably the only time you'll ever see me on this blog wearing a suit and tie.  Look for the picture of Karen framed by parasols and sunlight and you'll get a glimpse of why I married her.  That was my view from where I stood presiding the ceremony. 

We arrived safe and sound in Paris on July 5th as planned, though bomb threats at Heathrow airport in London added 8 hours to the voyage.   It's good to be home.  I will begin to blog again as I have in the past to the rhythms of life in France.  This means you should expect regular posts beginning at la rentrée, the true beginning of the French calendar is the first day of school.   I've got lots to tell, including a big secret... so look for me in your web reader.