An Unexpected Sighting of Spring

I need spring to be here.  Now.  I think that I have been pretty patient all winter long but I am at the end of my rope.  It is time.  It's time to put away the heavy sweaters and break out the sandals.  It is time for sunshine, flowers, and the storks to make their spring appearance.  It's time to sit outside at cafes, sip a cool drink and watch the tourists flock around the cathedral. 

I have been feeling antsy today but not sure how to use my energy.  I am tired of being stuck inside but yet the weather isn't nice enough to be outdoors for long periods of time.  I had just decided to brave the wind and looming clouds and take a walk anyways.  But in the time that it took me to put on jeans and pull back my hair, the baby fell asleep.  No walk in the world is worth putting her through the anxiety of a coat, hat, and shoes when she would rather be sleeping.  (Or maybe I should say no walk is worth putting me through the anxiety of forcing her to do that.)

I was  hoping that I would see some sprouts of spring while out walking.  Instead, I am stuck in our apartment.  I went out onto our balcony to get a breath of fresh air.  Low and behold, spring had arrived at our place and I hadn't realized it.  The tulip bulbs that I planted in our window boxes are starting to come up. 

I am very pleased that they are making an appearance at all.  My husband very thoughtfully gave them to me after he had an autumn business trip in the Netherlands.  I have always wanted tulips that were actually from Holland.  I didn't get around to planting them until after Christmas.  I thought that might be too late.  But apparently my timing didn't matter very much.  I just hope now that the weather cooperates and encourages them to bloom.

Thanks, Spring, for making a much needed house call. 

A Lesson Learned from Snow

I have spent most of my life hating snow.  Not just disliking it but downright despising the stuff.  I have always thought of snow as an inconvenience.  It slows things down and makes you have to watch your step.  There is nothing that I find more uncomfortable than being cold and wet. 

Thankfully (in my opinion), Strasbourg doesn't get much snow.  How much is much is all relative, of course.  The natives of Strasbourg feel that they get a lot of snow.  In comparing Strasbourg's snowfall total to Nice or Provence, there is definitely more here than in those places.  But when I compare the amount of snow here to southwestern Pennsylvania it isn't much at all.  It is February and signs of spring have already been appearing in Strasbourg.  There are even daffodils blooming and tulips coming out of the ground.  It hasn't snowed here for a couple of months.  I don't think that it had snowed at all in 2011.  Up until yesterday, that is. 

After waking yesterday morning, I happened to glance at the living room windows.  Through the corner of my eye I could see that something strange was going on with the quality of light coming through the curtains.  I went over to check it out and voila there was snow.  The trees and grass were covered but the sidewalks and roads seemed fine.

I probably wouldn't have chosen to go out in it but I had to take my daughter to the pediatrician.  It is a fairly long walk to the office.  After walking outside for five minutes I was starting to get discouraged.  The snow was falling at a fast pace.  I was starting to become cold and wet and the sidewalks were slippery in some places.  But I gave myself a pep talk reminding myself that I hadn't had to put up with much bad weather this winter.  Besides, the snow made this usually routine walk into a new adventure.  Everything looked different.  The Parc du Contades was a winter wonderland.  Statues were draped in white finery.  The snow had even given parked bicycles a new beauty.

On our way home from the doctor's office I dawdled.  The snow had stopped falling and the wind had died down.  The baby was bundled up and had fallen asleep in her stroller.  I took the opportunity to slowly walk home, taking a few side streets that I don't normally go on.  I noticed how the fresh snow seemed to soften the hard edges of the buildings and freshen the grayness of winter.  There was a hushed feeling to the city, like the snow was absorbing the sounds.  The walk home gave me a greater appreciation for the frozen precipitation.  Maybe snow isn't so bad when I am not scurrying around trying to do a million things at once.  Maybe it is an "inconvenience" for a reason.  It is possible that snow is a reminder to slow down, tread more carefully, and take time to really look at the surrounding beauty. 

A Conversation at the Check Out

I am really excited!  I just had a successful conversation with a clerk at the neighborhood grocery store.  I know big deal, right?  But I have gone for over a year without being able to do that.  My French is... how to say it nicely.... below basic.  That's probably giving me more credit than I deserve. 

I don't have any good excuses for why it is not better.  I took two years of French in high school and four semesters in college.  My excuse then was that I would probably never have to use it.  Well, life shot that theory down, didn't it?  After living in France for almost sixteen months I am slowly, slowly, slowly getting better at it. 

Anyways, I went to our local grocery store this afternoon.  It is just a tiny one but has all of the basics.  I was putting my items on the conveyor belt and the cashier was oogling my daughter who was sitting in her stroller.  I didn't catch all of what the lady was saying but I did understand when she asked me what the baby's name was.  I replied which didn't require any French.  She told me that she was beautiful and I came back with the proper thank you in French which is not hard at all.  After the clerk rang up my items I did get a bit confused with the total price.  I heard ten euros something something.  I am still not too sure how many cents I paid.  Thank goodness for debit cards.  You just hand them the card and you don't have to count out specific change.  The lady told me to have a nice day.  I told her, "You as well", which I always seem to mess up but got right this time.  Then au revoir and out the door I went.  It was fabulous!  There is nothing better than understanding what the cashier says.  It made my day.

Tamed Trees

There are these interesting trees that grow in Strasbourg.  I wish that I knew exactly what kind of trees they are.  It would make this post much more informative.  But since I don't know, I will just describe them.  They have gray bark that is scaly and sometimes peels off the trunk showing a lighter colored bark underneath.  Their leaves are large, have jagged edges, and turn brownish yellow in the fall.  That is the extent of my non-botanist observations.  When the leaves come out this spring I will take more detailed notes.

Anyways, these trees get pruned back in Strasbourg.  No sauvage (wild) trees around here.  After trimming, the trees seem more like sculptures than plants.  Last year I worried that they might not be able to bounce back after such treatment.  Never fear, by May there will be lots of little green leaves. 

The air was sharp with the smell of sap.

I love the starkness of these sculptural beauties.

P.S.  Does anyone know what kind of trees these are?

Since originally writing this I have found out that these are sycamore trees that have undergone the process of pollarding.  Thanks Mike, Amanda, and E. for the great information!  Check out this interesting link that talks about pollarding: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollarding

In Honor of Love

Someone left this rose on a windowsill.  I don't know who left it or if it was intended for any specific person or purpose.  It made me happy to see it though.  May you find love in unexpected places today and always.

A Winter's Trip to the Farmer's Market

Saturday was warm.  We celebrated by breaking out the baby backpack and going to the farmer's market.  There are several open air markets throughout the week in Strasbourg.  Our favorite is on Saturdays.  The vendors actually grow or make their own wares, as opposed to buying them and reselling them.  The stalls are a little scarce in February, relying on root vegetables, meat, cheese, and canned produce.  Even though the choices aren't as abundant as the rest of the year it is still a nice place to get delicious fresh food and take in interesting sights. 

On our way to the market we noticed some daffodils that have started to bloom. 

One good thing about winter is that you can sit or even dance in a fountain without having to take your shoes off.

Fog

Why is it always easiest to start out talking about the weather?  Today was one of those days in Strasbourg that never fail to amaze me.  It has been foggy all day long.  Instead of burning off, it has actually gotten thicker.  This type of fog is new to me.  The kind that I am used to is only in the mornings and is gone by the afternoon.  Today's air is humid, yet very cold.  I wonder if I stayed out long enough in it would my hair and coat become saturated?  It is surreal, like something out of a fairy tale.  I can imagine magical creatures or monsters hiding out there.  This kind of weather would make it easy for Hansel and Gretel to get lost in the forest. 

Home is Where the Heart Is

The bells of the Strasbourg cathedral are tolling while I am looking at online real estate listings for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Have you ever wanted to live in two places at one time?   I have that push and pull feeling every single day. 

 

I am blessed to have two homes.  One home, Strasbourg, France, is where I spend the majority of my time.  My other home is southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States.  That is where I grew up, where the majority of the people that I know reside, where I wish that I could be when my life in France gets particularly difficult or lonely.  But I know that if I had been in Pennsylvania this whole time I would have missed out on all that living in France has taught me.  My heart truly belongs to both places.

 

I am missing familiar companionship at the moment.  When we move back to America, I will be missing the quiet flow and beauty of my life in Europe.  Cherish the moment, they say.  Be present in the now.  Bloom where you are planted.  I am really trying.  Once in awhile I actually succeed.