Tchaikovsky at the Bowl

 Took in the Bowl fireworks extravaganza, being thankful for the warmer evening, after a cold spell, and good company.

Everyone was back from somewhere: Elle from back East, Smiths from the Northwest, and we, as well from summer travels.When you're feeling funky about being in LA, you need to go to the Hollywood Bowl - just an hour to this historic venue in the Hollywood Hills and an hour's commute to an earlier time, when my folks used to run an apartment, where we'd spend Saturdays painting, cleaning, saving on upkeep with family labor.  

 Picnic-ing & watching the nutcracker band, while anticipating the fall term for Carolyn, who'll be teaching art at Beacon and me at Pepperdine, after a two year break from Malibu, counting the sabbatical + the year abroad.

 Renewing friendships, while facing uncertainties at church...but the school not only intact, but growing (over 30 new students from last year!) Loads to be thankful for, between Devin & Amy at Beacon Hill and Elle's teaching for starters.  

As the Preacher says, "I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.

Surf's Up!

Mondos Beach, the end of the road off the State Beaches exit in Ventura, was the site of Denny's surf camp. 
Nostalgically reminded me of South Bay communities - Redondo, Hermosa - although I loved Ventura's less commercialized strip with campsites running as well.Denny began each day around a circle and prayer - his energy and goodwill infectious - dedicating the morning to God.

 Michael began getting on waves all by himself, riding them to shore!

Jack kept up, breaking out in ecstatic squeals of joy when he and a friend rode a wave together.

We returned to a cooler SoCal summer - no complaining from us!  Cooler evenings and no tandoori oven experiences.

More Reformation Tour, Lausanne, Avignon

Summer Snapshots: Paris

These beautiful old Citroens, named "Deux Chavaux" (two horsepower) paraded past our ice cream stand near Notre Dame.

Laura, our cheerful, British art guide at the Louvre.

Carolyn loved this purple floral arrangement at the front lobby of our hotel.

David and Teresa on the early part of the trip in Paris.

 

 

From the top of the Eiffel.
Not only the City of Lights, but the Isle City ( Île de la Cité), the medieval center being one of two natural islands; thus nautical images as main symbols for Paris seen everywhere: boat, oar.

This dad kicking a soccerball with his son caught my attention at the Cluny, Paris' medieval museum.

Noyon Cathedral, Jean Calvin's hometown.

WWI memorial in Verdun. Unidentified bones piled and visible in a cellar-like crypt.

Bright yellow fields of rape seed, from which canola oil is extracted.

not sure?

Michael and I took an early morning walk around this castle - a favorite memory of mine. An uneventful, picturesque town where we stayed the night.

Strasbourg Cathedral. For 225 years until mid-1800s, the tallest building in the world.

Heidelberg from the old castle at the top of the hill, noting the 450th anniversary of the Heidelberg Catechism, with its remarkable - especially given our modern autonomy:

Question 1.

What is thy only comfort in life and death?
Answer.

That I with body and soul, both in life and death am not my own..

The various German sites traced Martin Luther's legacy. I picked up a Luther stein at his museum, impressed at the musical notation he emphaszed to popularize Reformation doctrine.

Lunch in Geneva at an historic church, where the children ran around in the medieval center.

 
We headed to Lausanne, where we visited Pepperdine friends and M&J&C's school community during their final week of the year. This marks a transition for them, as the older siblings promote elsewhere in the fall, some attending different schools entirely.

A city office entirely covered with greenery.

Gelato. Holy Cow burgers.

Picnic by the water in Lutry

Jo and Pete's baby, Naomi!

Europe had moved from unseasonably rainy to unusually hot.

Then, trained to Avignon in Provence, where we'd never been, meeting the Bonds for a tremendous 5 days in Maison La Roque in a village 40 mins away from the station.

Check out these olive shutters!

Natural pools, falls, lazy river, diving rocks, etc nearby were the featured attraction...

Along with, near Avignon, where Carolyn discovered the Roman aqueduct she'd used as a background motif last year in BHCA - 6 inches shorter than the Coliseum!
whose channel you can walk through!

Colossal macaroons at Avignon

and Papal Palace,an unexpected bit of history - the Roman Catholic papacy had a competing palace in France; the interior long-since stripped of its rich tapestries and art. Avignon itself is a European center for its street theater.

A nearby region famous for its wine - Chateauneuf du Pape (pope) - 3rd ranked next to Bordeaux and Burgundy.

C and I took a 2 hour excursion to hit a Provence market on the morning out. 

Soaps

lavendar seemed deeper in color, more pungent than WA or Ojai varieties, used in cooking, as well.l

This rich, hot climate - the cicada as symbol -

Beautiful vegetables and I found mackerel! - a favorite among Japanese as grilled with grated daikon.

impromptu daily winetasting

  and stumbled onto Chartreuse, which we discovered was home to the flavorful herbal liquor.
We flew back to Paris to fly out to WA, staying on Whidbey Island while the boys attended a Suzuki Music Institute in Langley BC.