LITTLE PUMPKIN

My parents love to tell the story about how I used to hate going to the pumpkin patch.  Supposedly, I would mope through the field, find a pumpkin, sit on it and pout.  I don't remember doing this, but I vaguely remember being unbearably hot and feeling dusty and dirty which leads me to believe the story is very much the truth.  Although October in Southern California is still incredibly warm, the pumpkin patch is a far cry from what it used to be.  Last week Adrienne, Nathan, Nani and I took Annabelle to Tierra Rejada for her first visit to the pumpkin patch.  The patch has been "enhanced", so to speak, with a petting zoo, a corn maze, a singing chicken puppet show, a playground, haystacks, hayrides, pony rides, pig races, and even a gold panning station.  Wow.  If they had that when I was a kid, you can bet there would have been no pouting from me.  Even though it was a bit commercialized, we all enjoyed our visit to the patch and left with some farm fresh produce and some beautiful pumpkins to carve in time for Halloween tomorrow.

For more pics click here.

THE PARK WITH POPS

HEADING BACK TO THE WEST COAST

On Sunday afternoon we pulled away from Lucia’s farmhouse to begin our journey home to California.  As we drove down the dirt road leading away from the house tears sprung to my eyes.  I was suddenly overcome with sadness that this amazing part of our lives that will always live in our memories, was coming to an end.  I reached for my sunglasses to hide my welling eyes and concentrated on appreciating the brilliant views of the French countryside for the last time.  I wanted to fully capture those final moments road-tripping in the Puegot (a.k.a the Puge) with the man I love and the wonderful miracle-of-a-toddler riding in the back seat.  Appropriately, we listened to the Coconut Records album that has sort of become our theme album since we began packing to leave New York in June - in particular the song, HeadingBack to the West Coast (for obvious reasons).  I love how music can bring you back to a specific place and time, and already hearing the beginning notes of this song play I picture our European road trip.   I see us driving on the toll roads, heading to Hossegor for a beach day with the tall skinny pines lined up out the window.  We are in summer traffic, cruising through roundabouts, driving from the market in Biarritz back to Bidart.  We are threading through Pyrenees heading for Spain, catching glimpses of the Atlantic to the east.  We are searching for castle sightings amongst the farmland in Portugal.  We are amazed by the endless Spanish desert and ruins in the distance.  We are relieved to see the lights of Barcelona, arriving in the night.  We marvel at the topography change as we snake along the switchbacks through mountains of Andora and back to France.  Eventually we are in the central southwest of France looking out at amber fields, rolling hills speckled with the richness of autumn, catching glimpses of stone walls and farmhouses that have been there for hundreds and hundreds of years.

Map in my hands, feet on the dash, we are tracking.  Then we are not.  We are lost, we are found again.   We are constantly finding our way, reading the road signs in our terrible accents, counting Euros for tolls.  Sometimes we are tired, other times silly.  Sometimes we are chatty, other times alone with our thoughts.  Occasionally we are frustrated (mostly when we are lost), but mostly we are happy.  I could not think of a better way to be spending these moments while our lives are in limbo, just counting the miles, dreaming out loud, anticipating our next destination, and imagining the lives of the local people so different than the American life we lead. Sometimes I ride in the back with Annie E, playing games and reading books and on the very rare occasion will take the wheel, provided there are minimal hills and traffic (I’m still not great with a stick shift).  Mostly, however, I hold court in the passenger seat assuming the role of co-pilot/navigator/observer/snack administrator.

Between our destinations, we spent quite a bit of time in the Puge.  Overall we drove about 8,000 kilometers – along with the sand, Cherrios and croissant crumbs collected along the way.  We said adieu to the Puge in the wee early hours of Monday morning just before our flight from Toulouse to London and then on to LA to head back home to the West Coast.  When I think back on our trip I will always think fondly of our moments in that car - just the three of us, a little voyaging unit -sticking together, discovering the world.

LOVE-LY

Happy Anniversary, my love.  Cheers to 4 amazing years and all of the rest to come.  I look forward to everyday with you.

Mexico, 2007

CHECKING IN

It has been quite some time since my last post.  Between visitors and traveling to new places I have found very little time for updates and often when I did have the time we were unable to get an Internet connection. Since we are now well into the third leg of our trip, I foresee having to do a lot of catch up in the days to come.  It is sad to think our travels are almost over, though Nathan and I both feel the slightest itch to return home and get back to real world.  I can not believe how fast the time here flies and am so grateful to have made so many amazing memories thus far.

The remainder of our time in Portugal was absolutely wonderful spending time with the Teter's, Chenard's, Diane, Bryan and Carol.  From Portugal we took a few days to cross the Iberian Peninsula through Spain and now we are back in France staying at Aunt Lucia's farmhouse about two hours outside of Toulouse.  On the 5th, the entire Ellis-Caruana crew came together at a hotel near the Toulouse airport so we could caravan out to the country together.  Nathan, Annabelle and I arrived from Barcelona, Diane from Portugal, Michael from Virginia, Bryan from Ukraine, and Nathan's step-brother Matthew and his fiance, Steph, from South Africa.  It was quite a reunion and lovely to see our ever-expanding family.  Autumn has definitely arrived in France and we are bundled up, enjoying meals fireside and brisk walks through the country.  The swimsuits and sand toys are buried deep in our suitcases and we do not anticipate pulling them out until we are back in California.   Right now it is looking like we will start out trek home this coming weekend, but we still have some travel details to work out in regards to our car lease and flights back.  For our remaining days abroad we hope to relax, enjoy our time with the family, take long walks, and pick apples and walnuts and just enjoy the beautiful French countryside. More on France and the past 20 or so days to come!