The Maddux clan reunites in Paris

The last week Scott and I were in Paris, we were joined by Scott's parents, Dave and Jana, and his little sister, Caroline. After two weeks in Paris by ourselves with no other English speakers this was a welcome change. Hanging out with family is always good. It also happened that sight seeing wasn't even the top priority for family activities. Scott was born in Paris, France, and it was Caroline's third time visiting, so none of us had a sight agenda. We were just there to be with each other. We did, however, go and see their old apartment, and the hospital where Scott and Steven were both born. We had lots of yummy food, and there was much girl time chatting with Jana and Caroline. (first pic: Scott on his old street; 2nd pic: Scott and I in front of the hospital in Paris where he was born)

On our last day together, Dave was feeling under the weather, so Scott stayed at the hotel with his dad, and us girls went out to see what we could see. Jana wanted to spend some time shopping, and Caroline and I wanted to see more Paris, so we parted ways temporarily, and Caroline and I headed to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees. We climbed to the top of the Arc for a fantastic view of the city, and then headed to the Luxembourg Gardens. The hours we spent at the Luxembourg Gardens were all too short. That was the very definition of vacation. A beautiful garden so big it can hold Parisians and tourists alike, without feeling crowed or stuffy. We found a few chairs, put our feet up and commenced with our relaxation activities. Caroline read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, that she picked up at the Shakespeare and Co. book store just before, and I started a new lace knitting pattern for a scarf. We could have spent many more hours there, but alas, we settled for two, and then headed back to meet everyone for dinner.(pictured above: the view from the top of the Arc de Triomphe)

After dinner, we all headed to the Eiffel tower to see it sparkle in the last rays of the evening light. It was at this picturesque moment that we all had to say good-bye. The next day Scott's parents, and Caroline were headed back to Moscow, Russia, and Scott and I had a train to catch to Les Eyzies, France. What a great way to end our time in Paris, with Scott's family where there family first began.

Where we all said good-bye.

Having some lunch.

Paris again

Ok, so after two weeks in Paris, I have done tons of stuff! Here is a list.

Museums visited -- 10: Louvre - art, Versailles, Pompidou - modern art, Jewish Art and History, Orangerie - late 19th and early 20th century art, Rodin - sculpture, Cluny - medieval art, Orsay - art, Natural History, and the Museum of Evolution.

Other sights and activities: outside of Notre-Dame (too crowed to get in, but don't worry I have a whole week left), Rick Steves guided walking tour around the Left Bank, relaxing in the Luxembourg garden, shopping at an open market, and eating lost of rich and tasty French food.

Since I can't possibly do tell you about all of it I will just show you the highlights of my pics.

First dinner at the Louvre, which is the first picture on this blog. I had a lovely cheese plate as you can see above. I also like the second pic directly below it, because you can see the top of the huge pyramid in the background marking the entrance to the Louvre. I saw such great works as the Venus de Milo, Winged Victory (my favorite), and the Mona Lisa. Why are there no pics of this you ask? Well, photography was allowed without a flash, however...everyone completely ignored that rule, and millions of flashes were going off all around me damaging the art more and more as the minutes rolled on!...so I decided not to add to the rape of the artwork with my camera in any way shape or form. I was too disgusted. Aren't you glad you asked?

The third pic is me in front of a large statue in front of the Muse de Orsay. There are six of these representing different areas of the world; I am in front of "Africa." You'll notice that I am a wearing a large black boot on my right leg. For those of you who may not know, about 10 days before this trip I found out that I had a stress fracture in the 3rd metatarsal of my foot. I got this stress fracture from changing the way I run. I blame "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. I loved loved loved loved that book and I will continue to go back to the running principles I learned from this book as soon as my foot heals properly. Anyway, the fourth pic with Scott and a giant version of on of Van Gogh's self portrait is one of my favorites because, *smirk,* Scott looks like Van Gogh.

Fifth we have the beautiful pic of me...and the Notre-Dame cathedral. :) Next...


The last two pics (6&7) are from the Rodin museum. Guess what?! Rodin is considered the best sculptor since Michelangelo! That's quite a compliment! I do LOVE his sculpture, so I took a few pics outside in the gardens, and a couple inside too, sans flash. He is considered an impressionist sculptor, so his works look unfinished on purpose. He was looking to create the feeling of energy movement and life in his statues. If you'll notice, there is a feeling of restlessness and tension in his work, and I think that is so cool! Rodin's art is my new art "discovery" on this trip. I always have room to love some new art!



6) Me and The Thinker











7) Does anyone else think these guys need to be in a Beyonce video? "oh oh oh...if you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it..."

Maddux OUT!

Paris reflections

What to say about Paris....I love it here. I have to admit that it's taken me this long to post because I've been reluctant to come out of my fantasy land and admit that I'm not staying. Don't get me wrong, I really miss my friends; it's an odd dichotomy to want to be with your friends and a part of your community, but wish to utterly escape your life at home at the same time. I love the people here, I love the language, the art, the food...I am at home and at peace here. However, that may just be because I do not have the same responsibilities and demands on my time here as I do at home. Is this what vacation is like? If so, I am totally spoiled. To disappear into a totally foreign experience - a whole new culture, is so liberating. I find myself less afraid to be myself.

So what have I seen so far? Well, many many sights, and museums, which I will list in another post, but my favorite things are always just sitting in a cafe enjoying an espresso while people watching, or trying to talk to someone who knows less English than I do French, or just sitting in a shady spot in a garden reading or knitting. Is it okay that I'm not including any pics in this particular Paris post? I will post pics and get into what touristy things I have seen, but in the mean time I am loving just blending in to Parisian society -- buying fresh fruit at the open market, going to the local organic food store for breakfast or lunch, doing laundry, and smiling when someone starts to talk to me in French. (That means that they don't know I'm not French *smile*)

Scott and I eat at least one meal at the same restaurant, Le Diplomat, every day. The wait staff there already knows our faces and greets us warmly when we walk in the door. (No, it's not a sushi restaurant...I know it's shocking) We walk down the same streets every day, away from the tourist crowds...I love coming "home" to that every night. I do wish I could live here. More later...

Events of note

So what happened after my world travels? I went back to work (duh), learned a new hobby, got a new kitty, visited with my dear friend, Jill, and her family, and turned 30!

My new hobby is knitting. I am so addicted! To use a popular term right now, it's very "zen" for me; it's relaxing, and allows me to slow my brain down and be productive at the same time. One of my very close friends, Hanna, taught me a few weeks before my birthday, and I was hooked. She very generously bought me my very own knitting starter kit as a birthday present, and I haven't been able to stop knitting since. Unfortunately, I don't have any pics of my projects at the moment, but there will be time in the future.

My new kitty is all black and his name is Angus...(pause for chuckling). I fell in love with him and took him home on the same day. Ever since we brought him home he has been the best cuddler, and one of the most annoying cats ever. It really is one way or the other. I am either calling him my favorite kitty or trying not to strangle him. He is into EVERYTHING! My friend Wendy, who is a long time cat lover, said, "Oh yeah, well he's a kitten." No...that's not it...he consumes or tries to consume EVERYTHING. If I had a nickle for every time I have yelled a sentence that starts with, "Angus! No kitties in the..." I wouldn't need to work. Wendy very kindly volunteered to watch our cats while we are gone on our European excursion (sucker), and has since informed my that my cats are crazy...I tried to tell her.

"Angus! No kitties in the dishwasher!"


"Angus! No kitties in the trash can!"

Not too long ago we had a much anticipated visit from our friends the Grahams, Marc and Jill, and their two boys Desmond ("the Bruce" as Scott and I like to call him), and Jaxter. It was a whirl wind of a week, but a total blast. There were reunions with other friends that had moved away, a grand girl's night, some quality Jill-Tressa bonding time, and much playing and laughing with small children. For more information on this topic I suggest you take a peek at Jill's blog. She has recorded the excitement very well. (jill-log.blogspot.com)

...Yes...I am now 30. Some people are sad when they reach this birthday, but seeing as how I plan on living to at least 100, I decided that I didn't want to spend the next 70 or more years being sad that I'm no longer a 20-something (for various reasons involving lack of youth and fantastic skin). Therefore I say bring on my thirties! Good bye fast food and tee-shirts, hello sophisticated adult beverages, and fabulous dresses! To celebrate this milestone in my life I, of course, got a fierce new haircut, and threw a party at my house that included Scott's homemade tacos and devils food birthday cake! Scott worked so hard on the food and it was all fantastic! Thanks Babe, it was a blast and one of my favorite birthdays!

A few weeks after I finished my 6th school year at Strawberry Hill, Scott and I then embarked on another European summer adventure, this time for six weeks...let the art gluttony begin!

Sydney

Last but not least on our winter trip was Sydney, Australia! This bustling city had tons to do, and since the museum there backed out on Scott, it was 100% fun. We took so many pics in Sydney that I'm just posting pictures and I'll let them tell the story.

First stop, Sydney Aquarium:

I like the sign...you'd think that no one would WANT to jump into a crocodile enclosure, but...?

...anyone have melted butter?

Next stop, Manly beach via ferry past the opera house!:

*singing* Ahhhh...

Lunch on the way to the beach. A half and half pizza of seafood, and kangaroo loin. Yumm.


Eating the baby octopus on my pizza

Scott at Manly beach

Our last stop was the Taronga Zoo. It's probably my favorite zoo because guests can be part of so many enclosures, minus the dangerous animals of course. I don't have room for a whole lot of pics, but Scott got to pet an Echidna, and we both got to get close to the kangaroos. (Shown below)

Adelaide, Austraila

After such a harsh experience at the end of the China portion of our journey, landing in Adelaide, Australia was like landing on a different planet. We could understand what people said, and they smiled. The weather was much improved as well with the sun shining, and temps hovering around 100 degrees F. In those small ways, it was like coming home.

Adelaide was a near perfect match for me: sun...check, warm/hot most of the year...check, big city that feels like a small town...check, green...check, culture...check, foodie places to eat...check, WINE COUNTRY...double check! Scott and I really like Australian wines, and the National Wine Center is there in Adelaide. Naturally we had to pay it a visit. Of course we picked the day it got up to 115 to make the 40 minute walk from our hostel. Not our smartest move, but we learned a thing or two in the museum there and had a very tasty tasting of premium wines that we probably won't ever be able to afford...good times.

There weren't a ton of sites to see in Adelaide, it was just a nice place to be. We stayed in a very comfortable hostel, so we made our own food in the community kitchen. That meant that I got to spend some of my time during the day a giant market of fresh food. In my opinion, it was every bit as good as the Nashmarkt in Vienna.
We also went to a local church on Sunday morning, and we were greeted warmly by the members. We stayed after the service and had some coffee and conversation with the nice people we met.

Last but not least, Adelaide's best feature...beaches! Our most memorable evening was spent on Gleneg beach. We witnessed an absolutely breathtaking sunset. When I am trying to close my eyes and relax, I remember Gleneg beach with Scott. It has become my happy place!
Adelaide has been added to our list of places we would like to live overseas if the opportunity presented itself. I realize that this post could be a bit boring for the reader, and I'm sorry about that. I have to admit that I have had a hard time communicating in writing how fondly I remember our time in Adelaide. Enjoy the rest of our beach pics!

Beijing, China

Hmmmm...what to tell you about Beijing. This vast, historical, and polluted city holds both my best and worst memories from our trip.

Best: climbing the great wall at the turning of the 2010 new year :)

Worst: stuck in the worst blizzard in Beijing in 60 years unable to leave the country :(

The pic to the right is the Temple of Heaven. It was the first sight that Caroline and I visited. It was soooooooo cold! Beijing basically felt like Iowa with less heated buildings. All the cool sights were outside, so we spent every day outside in temps in the single digits or teens. Not my favorite way to go sight seeing. The temple of heaven was fun despite the cold. Caroline and I made the best of things and took some fun pics. I am so glad she was with us!

This is Caroline and I at the Forbidden City. We were so cold (is there an echo in here)!! We couldn't stand to have our faces exposed to the open air.

This pic is from the Forbidden City. I just like all the zig-zag lines in the picture.

On this part of the trip we got to see a jade factory, a silk factory, and the pearl market. I enjoyed the pearl market because I was able to purchase a Tahitian black pearl as a birthday present. I call it "My Precious." We also got to visit with some friends from Texas that were in Beijing with Lets Start Talking. It was nice to see friendly familiar faces.

And now here are some pics from my favorite part of our China trip...The Great Wall of China.

On our way up to The Great Wall in a "lift" that was "made in China." Thus my nervous smile. I wonder how much lead is in the paint?



New Year's kiss on The Great Wall of China



Caroline, Me and Scott

Some places on the wall were really steep :)

All of The Great Wall of China pics are Caroline's. Hers were far superior to mine.

The day after these pictures were taken we were scheduled to go our separate ways, Caroline back to the states, and Scott and I to Vietnam. However, Beijing was hit with their worst blizzard in 60 years, and Scott and I did not get out of Beijing that day. We missed Vietnam completely, our travel agent worked some magic for us, and we left Beijing two days later for Adelaide, Australia.

(BTW, Caroline did make it out of Beijing on her original flight date, however, it was about 10:30 at night.)