10/12: C'est Comme Ça

TUESDAY, 10/12:

I have a feeling this is going to be a strange blog entry. I just found that while we were enjoying our day in France, my mom was struck by a hit & run driver while walking on Bluff Street back in Marquette.  From what my dad knows for now, she has a broken arm, 12 broken ribs, a punctured lung, a concussion, and possible bleeding in the brain.  She’s awake and lucid, which is good, but also in lots of pain, which is bad.  They seem hopeful that she’ll be okay, but whenever you hear something like “bleeding in the brain”, your mind automatically assumes the worst, at least until the tests come back and the doctors know something more definitive.

That’s all I know for now; if there are any updates, I’ll try to post them.  They may also appear on the Twitter feed that’s above the blog.  Just think good thoughts, if you would.

Thanks.

Okay...I suppose I might as well write about our day.  After all, that’s why these blogs keep popping up, right?  For us, it was just a day of driving around and visiting a bunch of towns that played a part in the war, although no place where someone Loraine’s studying was killed.  Mostly, we just enjoyed the scenery, and found ourselves “oooh-ing” and “aaah-ing” every time we went over a hill or a curve and saw sights like this—

We also visited a lot of little towns like this one, Tessy-sur-Vire...

Needless to say, we did a lot of “oooh-ing” and “aaah-ing” in those little towns, too.

Now, on to a few other things.  This is the hotel we’re staying at here in Ducey, the Best Western Le Moulin de Ducey.

It’s an old wind/watermill converted into a hotel, sitting on Le Selune, a little river in this part of the country.  It’s a wonderfully cozy place, with an amazing, helpful staff and a great location.  Not that you’ll ever be in this part of Normandy, but if you ever ARE in this part of Normandy, now you know where to stay!

We had several comments about our “date” last night, and here’s the scoop behind it.  The first time we went to Europe, back in 2004, we were in Germany and Loraine decided she wanted to take me out to dinner.  One of the only restaurants open in the small town was an Italian restaurant, so since then, every time we’ve come to Europe, we have to eat dinner at an Italian restaurant.  Dorky, I know, but then what do you expect, right?

Anyway, here’s the restaurant, “La Marionette”—

And yes, they DO have puppets inside.  Here’s the dinner we both had, a pasta dish with ham & gorgonzola/cream sauce—

By the way, the dish WAS as big as it looks in the pictures, and it was just as delicious as you think it was.  We weren’t the only Americans in the restaurant, and I had been planning on using those Americans as an example of what NOT to do when you’re visiting someone else’s country, but after everything that’s happened today, I think I can save that for another time.

Finally, aside from taking the usual pictures of animals, I’ve also been taking a few pictures of French flowers, as well.  I had been planning on posting this picture for daily blog reader Cyndy of Au Train, because I know she likes looking at them, but maybe I can use it as a way to send flowers and my love to my mom, as well.  Mom, I wish I could be there with you, but based on what you say every day when I call you and tell you what we did over here, I also know that you wouldn’t want me to miss out on a second of what we’re doing.  It just sucks that I can’t be in two places at once.

Be safe, everyone.

(jim@wmqt.com)