Sunday, January 26, 2025

Enjoying Pau - everyday life…

 

Good Morning!

Waking up to this makes the days a pleasure.


Living on the 4th  floor has so many beautiful views.









***

Eglise St. Martin is always something to look at



The late morning sun

Close up of a griffin and the windows

 
Saint Martin
helping the needy




Window view from the couch


***

-Walks around Pau-


Promenade Verdun






Parc Beaumont



Palais Beaumont




Université de Pau





Centre Ville Pau













Parc du Chateau











*

-Bon Appetit-

Meals at home, at the park, Restaurant M and from the traitor


Empanadas at the Park

Canard a l’orange,
pomme de terre au gratin
and haricots verte

At M Restaurant


Chicken vegetable soup
Empanadas and other stuff

Friday from Le Halles

Stuff from Carrefour


————


Every-day Life in Pau is lovely from sunrise to sunset

Bon Soir


Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Here’s retrospective of our year of 2024 because………. there’s not much to report this week



*The Year of 2024*

This year was mostly about family and home.
Some changes and celebrations


A new day greets the year of 2024


—-JANUARY—-


We celebrate John’s 77th birthday in Sierra Madre at Monsieur Crepe
with Anthony and Daniel








We also went to Luna Luna  - 6th Street, Los Angeles




Eric Breuer Carousel

Keith Haring Carousel

Our Angel Daniel

Andre Heller - Dream Station




Then Afuri for Ramen!

Birthday Boy listening …


The Grandsons listening

——



Christine comes to visit and help Laurie with the Family home in Sierra Madre, then Melinda and I get to play with our Friend at the Norton Simon Museum.

Christine and Laurie
The DeVault Sisters at East Highland Home



At the Norton Simon

——-

The Rangpur lime tree was prolific. I set the box out front and still was able to have enough juice for limeade and lime curd for lots of friends and relatives.



——

Work begins installing a supporting beam in the living room and repairing the sagging ceiling.
We also had to put in new flooring and paint the ceiling and walls.





Thought I had a finished picture - guess I was so tired of the work involved in cleaning after the repairs I just didn’t think or have the energy to appreciate with a photo.

———-

In February, Stephen Cherry comes to visit his mother, Ann, after Dale’s passing.
So she has a family dinner.



Stephen, Nicole and Ann


Alex, Kristian, Tim and Stephen



Miyako, Nicole and Jackie












———--


March brings poppies in the yard, birthdays, Persian New Year Celebration and 
a Wedding Ceremony!


Poppies starting to bloom
John enjoys the poppies




_______


 Happy Persian New Year at the Persian Household.

Anthony, Daniel, Chelsea and Cat

Susie, Anthony, Naomi and Daniel

The Grandparents

———-
Birthdays…
Happy Birthday, Anthony and Taylor!

Taylor, Daniel, Anthony & John


__________


The big event…
The Wedding Ceremony for Yayoi and Dave


Exchanging vows

Anthony charming Yayoi

Father and Son

Daughter and Father


Chelsea, Dave, Taylor & Emma

The Family
John, Dave, Taylor, Susie, Chelsea, Daniel and Anthony


____



April and May

We gather as a family
Firoozi/Berteaux family, that is.

Naomi, Fabian, Daniel

Anthony, Taylor and Grandma

This Family…
Naomi, Fabian, Daniel
Anthony, Taylor, Susie & John

______

For Mother’s Day
The grandson’s take Grandma to TEA!

Grandma and Daniel

_______

June brings…


A Reunion with Billie Jean!
Billie was my college roommate.
A colleague of her’s had a book opening at Vroman’s 
So she invited me to join her and her friends.


Billie’s book club friends and me

—-

Then Diane comes for nephew’s UCLA Graduation
She invites me to spend the afternoon at 
The Huntington Hotel


____


***JULY***

It’s the…


Christine comes to Sierra Madre with her granddaughter.
We go to Japantown for lunch…


——

End of August
We have a Birthday Party for
Ann’s 70th Birthday
(At her house)

Daniel and Anthony
Susie
Taylor
Miyako

Birthday Girl, each candle = 10 years

——

Kevin McCarthy comes for a visit from Wisconsin


It’s been about 20 years since we’ve been together

——

It’s September
I get to go on a trip to
Brithish Columbia

Vancouver, BC


Not sure how it happened, but Cynthia and I are included 
in the “Phillips Sisters’ Travels”

Travel sisters
Susie, Meredith, Cynthia & Diane

Vancouver, BC


From Vancouver, we go to Nanaimo to catch the Lady Rose
To Bamfield



Cynthia has boarded

We are on our way…

It’s windy and brisk

Unloading on the Westide of the river

Loading an electric truck that couldn’t go up
the hills of Bamfield West


Check in to the Hacas Inn

On the Eastside of the river











To eat, we need a water taxi
to the Westside

At Floras - the best food in Bamfield
(The only restaurant, so it has to be best)


Expoloring Bamfield…East and West

Looking to the west over the river
















The river walkway - lovely

Cynthia pondering


After a full day in Bamfield,
We wait for the Lady Rose 

On our way back to Nanaimo


——


After landing in Nanaimo
We go to Victoria



A highlight of Victoria…
The Empresss Hotel





 
The drinks…



Empress Martini

Victoria gin and tonic




The Empress Gin

Victoria and Empress Gin

Walking back to our hotel

Looking over the bay
Victoria Harbor

Taxi in the Harbor
Leaving Victoria…


——-

We Ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles



Ferry to Pt. Angeles


Then…

Lavender Fields in Sequim

Port Townsend for a rest

Over the Hood Canal Bridge

We overnight in Paulsbo


SeaTac to Burbank with Cynthia

——-

Back in Sierra Madre, Cynthia, Ann and I go to the Library Dedication



_____

October

Meredith and Bob come for an afternoon visit 
On their way cross country

  
With Bob and
the Fire Chief

Meredith and me
At Kersting Court



——-


   Party at Ann’s because Stephen stops 
on his way back to North Carolina
Nicole, Stephen, Kenji, Steve, Miyako, Tim, Nancy, Kristian
Ann, Susie, Alex


————-—-

 
Remember these mountains


—————-

It’s October 25 and we are off to France!

John with luggage waiting for the Uber


The Travel Blog now Begins!
S & J’s Big Adventure(s)