End of year travels

We have been back in France for nearly a week now from our trip to the ranch for the Christmas holidays. As usual we had a great time with family and friends, but there is just nothing like coming home. Not only are we back in Bijou, but we are also at our favorite little aire in Sens. That is about as close as we come to having a “home” and once we get here we tend to just lollygag around, recovering from jet lag and doing pretty much nothing else. We’ve made a couple of trips out, but in addition to our jet lag and laziness, the rain is also keeping us inside. We’re actually fine with that, up to a point.

We will soon get our 2023 travels started and depart for the south of France. But before that happens, I’m sharing this post with you to get completely caught up with our 2022 travels. It’s a bit late, I know, but I can’t move on without catching up. I am loath to skip over stuff. This is mainly because in a couple of years from now one of us will ask, “Where the hell were we in November 2022?” and if we haven’t written about it, it’s like it never happened.

I already can’t remember half of it, so instead of wracking my brain, I’m going to let the photos fill in the blanks. Enjoy!

Canterbury, England

Canterbury Cathedral is one of the oldest churches in England and is the starting place for the Via Francigena. This is where we would have started walking if we had had the slightest desire to walk across France, which we most assuredly did not.
Our main reason for visiting Canterbury was to meet up with Steven’s aunt Anne and her husband Martin. We always enjoy their company, but since we had recently tested positive for Covid, we kept part of our visit outside.
The famous White Cliffs of Dover. We had originally planned a cliff walk here before getting on the ferry, but we ended up not doing it for some reason neither one of us can remember. It was a stunning day for our ferry crossing from England into France and we could see the cliffs for the entire crossing.

Sens, France

Home Sweet Home at our aire in Sens. When we arrived we were surprised to see a motorhome already parked in our favorite space, the one where we spent our entire lockdown! Grrrr! So we made do with another. The following morning we noticed they had left and we wasted no time moving and getting settled in for the next two weeks. Later that day, the motorhome returned!! It is easily recognizable because it is covered in sunflower stickers. I suppose the nice thing to do would be go talk to them, but you know, we feel such ownership of this spot! Roman is there! And they don’t actually drive onto the concrete spot, they park in the road in front of it, probably because their electrical cord isn’t long enough to reach the pedestal. As it turns out, they came and went every day we were here, and when we returned last week, they were STILL HERE! Only not in our spot. 🙂 They were gone when we arrived.
Isn’t this a pretty shot of Bijou? This place is covered in trees so in the fall it is covered in leaves. Another thing about the Flower Power People, as we refer to them, is that all they really want is to be on the hard and not in the soft grass. Yesterday, for the first time that we’ve seen, they pulled up onto an actual grass space and immediately got stuck. A little later a big tractor showed up to pull them out. They will probably be happy to see us go.
This is my BFF Cindy. I’d been really wanting some girlfriend time so I emailed her to see if she wanted to come meet me in Paris and hang out. As it turned out, she was already in Europe on an extended trip and would be arriving in Paris with her daughter in a few days! Perfect timing! Steven and I met them for lunch and a lovely walk. It was so good to see her. I don’t get to very often, but while we were together I invited her to walk the Camino Portugues with me in April. At first she didn’t think it would work out, but after she thought about it a while she decided it was now or never. I am so thrilled!

San Diego, USA

In early November we flew to San Diego to visit Tara. What fabulous weather they have in San Diego! We got in lots of walks and while Tara was working, we spent a lot of time shopping!
My main shopping goal was REI, I needed some new gear for my upcoming Camino! But wow, REI is expensive! A few pairs of socks and two shirts was over $300! I came home with all of it anyway, but when we got to the ranch for Christmas, I sent the shirts back! For the kind of money I paid for them, I wanted to LOVE them and I just didn’t. If I had bought them at Walmart, they’d still be in my closet.

Paris

When we returned to Paris we liberated Bijou from storage. This time we decided to stay at a campground near the city rather than drive back to Sens. We really wanted to spend time in Paris and needed a change of pace. We spent five weeks there and we really loved it. The best part for me was the great walks in the area. We were actually in an area called High Island, where the canal flows into the river Marne. We had the canal on one side and the river on the other. It took us about 30 minutes to walk to the train station, then 20 minutes to arrive at the Arc de Triomphe. It was a great campground and one we’ll return to, unfortunately it isn’t open all year.
These are a type of BBQ called “Cooxy”, which I think must be pronounced “Cooksie”. If you want to use one, you must first download the app because the temperature is controlled from your phone. It was too cold for us to try one, and besides, Steven just got a new little grill that he really likes. 
Scenes from Paris, gorgeous as always.
We met up with Dan and Betsy Sullivan, American travelers who have recently purchased a motorhome. We had been chatting for a while, so it was great to meet them in person. We went on a cruise down the Seine, but Betsy and I sat under the canopy of the boat and yakked the entire time. We saw nothing! When we went for lunch, we all tried the bœuf bourguignon. It was a little different than what I’ve had before, but sooo tasty!
Steven visited the Musée d’Orsay a couple of times. One of the attractions inside is a huge clock that dates back to 1900 when the museum was a railway station.
Since we are not night owls, we have to make an effort to be in a big city after dark. But since it was Christmas in Paris, we made the effort and it was well worth it. The lights were beautiful and the Chocolat Chaud was luscious!
Christmas in Paris!
After five very enjoyable weeks at Camping le Rives de Paris, we packed up once again to fly to Texas. This time we had a direct flight to Dallas and then a short hop to Abilene. We took only carry-ons and did not check any bags. We had packed up all the gifts we had collected over the year and we didn’t want to lose them! It is such a timesaver, too! We put Bijou back in storage where she had been just few weeks prior, at a place about 8 kilometers from Charles de Gaulle airport. We checked into a nearby hotel and then got an early morning shuttle to the airport. So convenient!

Texas, USA

This year we actually had snow at the ranch, albeit not on Christmas Day. We all enjoyed it anyway.
It was so good to have our little Toadie Hopper again. We gave her quite the workout while we were there with near daily trips into town. The ranch is actually about 45 minutes from Abilene, so it’s a hike to get there. That sunrise is taken from the breakfast table.
The Christmas tree is always up, always decorated. It is in a big room that my parents rarely use unless they have lots of company, so we decided just to leave the tree up all year. Talk about convenient!
Ah, what is this, you ask? Well, as of December first, yours truly is on Medicare. So I went for the works! Annual exam, bloodwork, colonoscopy (see above), mammogram, dermatology appointment, you name it, I went for it. The full Medicare deal and two dental appointments that were not covered. I added a lot of miles to little Toadie.
You don’t see many photos of my son, Zac, but I managed to get him to take this one with me at the airport as he was leaving to return to Washington state. A couple of days later, Bill and Kelly arrived at the ranch where we rang in the New Year with Irish Coffees and went to bed early. Late nights are nearly impossible these days!
This is Buddy, a big oaf of a dog who is as sweet as can be. All 111 pounds of him.
And this is the litter of Australian Shepherds that my sister’s dog had. Seven of them! They were so tiny when we arrived, just days old, but they really grew over the four weeks of our stay. They kind of took over Shannon’s life! We got word yesterday that all but two are spoken for. We tried to get Billy and Kelly to take one. Steven put together a little video of the puppy they liked best with Sarah McLachlan music but didn’t work.
We managed to get in a couple of walks while Bill and Kelly were here. The thing about walking in West Texas is that everyone who passes by thinks you’re having car trouble and stops to give you a ride. They can’t imagine being out there and walking on purpose! The picture above, with the windmill, is our usual starting point, but we cut it down a bit on windy or cold days. You can see how desolate it is out there.
Kelly surprised us with homemade scones and a jar of clotted cream and jams she bought in Scotland! What a lovely sweet treat!
This is the latest addition to our family of farm animals that we travel with. My daughter Zoe gave her to me for Christmas and I think she is adorable. Her name is Birgitte Nyborg.

So there you have it, the last of our travels in 2022. With this now documented we can move on knowing we will always have a record of where we’ve been and who we’ve seen, just in case we forget. Happy 2023, everyone!


Up next: The south of France…


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12 Comments

  1. Eric

    I remember you guys being in Sens during lockdown and was able to find it on Google Earth back some time ago. Now that you are back I couldn’t remember so I looked it up again and I swear I think Bijou may be in the picture! Lol, not sure of the date of the photo but if it is, it is the only RV there! Happy travels to you for 2023!

    1. 2chouters

      OMG, I think you are right! We can’t tell the date of the photo, either, but here are a few confirming clues. First, the bike cover is a lighter color than Bijou. Second, the roof accoutrements match what we had during lockdown, although we later removed the satellite dish. Third, the parking position is spot on. And finally, and this is the most important, the shadow cast by the sun is an exact match for Bijou’s profile. Just look at that rounded front! Good eye, Eric, and thanks for sharing. This is exciting! .

  2. Georgette Ford

    Thank you for sharing your year end wrap up and lovely photos. I enjoy your writing and always look forward to your posts. Can’t wait to follow your 2023 adventures!

  3. Rita from Phoenix

    Yes, you filled in the blank spaces in the calendar lol. Loved it. My niece still in hospital since early November from getting covid. She has lung damage and slowly recovering. She still can’t talk, walk, or sit up yet. She’s alert and communicates with a tablet. She’s in long term care now and out of critical care. Yep, covid hits folks in different ways. Stay safe.

    1. 2chouters

      Oh, Rita! I am so sorry to hear about your niece and her struggle with Covid. This has been such a devastating disease for so many. I hope she is able to fully recover. We try to be very careful in our travels so that we don’t get Covid again. I don’t know if the effects are cumulative, but I’d rather not find out! Happy 2023 to you!

  4. Kelly

    So happy to once again be in pics in your blog because that means we’ve spent time together! YAY! (p.s. the puppies are Australian Shepherds!) and it was terribly hard to leave without one. They were so adorable!

    1. 2chouters

      GAH! I changed the breed of the puppies. I can’t keep it straight in my mind! As always Steven and I are so happy to have time with you and Bill. At this point, we’ve created so many wonderful memories together, and we are so grateful for that. Let’s make some more! 🙂 Love you guys!

  5. Carmela M Gersbeck

    All the time I’ve been reading your wonderful blog, I thought you were around 50! To hear you just went on Medicare totally surprised me!! You and your husband look fantastic.

    1. 2chouters

      Awww, you are so sweet! To be honest, one of us is in our 50s, upper 50s to be more precise, but it ain’t me! I suppose if there is a silver lining to being 65 (66 in March!) its Medicare. Of course it doesn’t help me one iota here in Europe, but you can bet I’m going to get my money’s worth each and every time I head back to the states. 🙂 Good to hear from you, Carmela, happy 2023!

  6. Jodee Gravel

    The cathedral is stunning – that light!! Five weeks in Paris during Christmastime – how perfect. Yes of course the flower power peeps should not be staying in your spot when you are in the area. Not sure what they were thinking :-)))) Smart to get all your med stuff caught up on Medicare, we’ve been doing the same thing since October but it’s taking forever! LOL at keeping the tree up year round. Always there waiting for the family to return 🙂 Kelly is a great friend! Glad you’re back safe and ready for your new year of travel, complete with a new chicken.

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