Sunday, July 4: Happy 4th of July, Happy 29th Anniversary, and Happy Birthday Jody!
John detailed our scenic hike (that included the American Church on our way to the American Cathedral), and he mentioned that he had to go forage for food for two starving, cranky choristers. What he didn't know was that during practice, our choir director chose that particular time to give us an impromtu homily on sweet manna and how it tastes so good in our mouths. He was speaking metaphorically, but Antonia and I didn't see it that way. It seemed a cruel twist of fate.
But John came through. Before our practice was completed, croissants and juice sat on the table awaiting us.
Our hotel Le Parvis was not only lovely and well-located, but it boasted excellent food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As our waitress brought the dinner plates, mine was the only one that featured a small, periwinkle box balanced on the rim--the delivery mechanism for my anniversary gift. The waitress seemed tickled to be the bearer of a surprise gift--a hand painted, 5 kr Icelandic coin. Check out Manny Zeevi and his hand painted coins from around the world wearable art.
We sang at Chartres on Sunday, and on Monday we had time to tour the cathedral. While John and Antonia napped I climbed the bell tower. It was high. I was scared. I decided to let my red Sigg water bottle rest, halfway up the tower on a balcony ledge. That would free both of my hands to grip the walls as I climbed the rest of the way up, and back down again. (Most people climb stairs with their feet; I like to use my hands.) Sadly, my bottle had traveled on without me when I returned. I finally found a replacement 4 days later: red, pseudo-Sigg, with a great design: Disney's High School Musical.
On to Rouen on Tuesday, again wearing our invisibility cloaks on the choir bus. In the cathedral, when we encountered the tomb of John, Duke of Bedford (not John Duke of Bedford) within minutes after the discovery word started to spread through the choir that an illustrious ancestor of John's was buried there. Good example of how rumors start and how quickly they travel (I might have had something to do with that). We liked to refer to the other fellow as Johann Dux.
Back to our fashion conscious daughter. As you recall, she purchased a fascinator ("hat" to you crude Americans), and it needed a box in which to travel across France, Iceland and on to its new home. As Antonia visited various boutiques searching for a free "hat" box she found herself a bit language challenged. At one point she was in a boutique ("shop" to you crude etc. etc.), and the shopkeeper (we'll call him Jean Luc, because that was his name) spotted us outside. Jean Luc came out to inquire if we might help in the translation process. We mightn't--but we were mighty pleased to be asked.
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