Subject: France18
Date: 10 December 2009 7:03:30 AM

Bonjour tout le monde,

It has been an eventful couple of weeks.

The spectacle went off well last Saturday after some last minute hitches - eg. in the scene featuring the oldest class of children playing the role of adolescents all the children were sick and absent from school except one boy. We co-opted a previous student from the school (son of one of the teachers) and a friend of his to play some extra roles and at the last minute we found that two of the many sick adolescents turned up to the performance in time to play their part but without the benefit of either of the dress rehearsals on the Thursday and the Friday.

With last minute stand ins and recuperating actors the scene went better than ever it had done.

We had had similar troubles with sick children in the other classes but not to the same extent. I guess that is one of the difficulties of producing a show where everybody has a part to play - you really notice it when not everybody is there and there are not people left over to call in. For one scene we had to bring in a student from a different class (from another scene) to quickly learn the lines of a boy who had taken ill. He did a marvellous job.

The children sang a treat but with the poor acoustics in the building it was difficult for people to understand everything that was sung or said. This is not unusual for a primary school production because of the very young ages of the actors and certainly not unusual in the kind of building we were using. Nonetheless the message was very clear as it was portrayed visually as much as anything with the good shepherd seeking and eventually finding his lost sheep. (see pic. of dress rehearsal)

The children got a big kick out of doing the production. I am hoping it has increased their confidence and I am sure it has improved their public speaking.

 

The director (Ludo) has really appreciated our visit and he feels it has really helped them to remain positive and to continue to be proactive (rather than reverting to survival mode) in the face of the very difficult time they are going through as a school. We have seen so many answers to prayer and even now proming signs of support are starting to come from diverse areas of the globe. This has been a great encouragement to the school.

After putting on the show we moved house because our time in the flat was up but we had organised to stay in the ICCP office which also has a back bedroom, for a modest fee. It is a great place from which to organise things as it is in the centre of the town, a few steps from the Post Office the town hall and not far from the cathedral. It is fitted with a phone and an internet connection so it has made the logistics of running the Carols so much easier.

It has been pretty full on with the lead up to the Carols as we still have been fitting in visiting with new friends for a meal here and there as a way of saying our goodbyes. It was a privilege for Chris once again to be asked to play at the French church the Sunday morning of the Carol's service. He played a borrowed guitar and provided vocal support for the leader. We went straight from church to lunch with a French friend (Henri, who had played the Good Shepherd) and his family. It was wonderful to be part of a big family lunch, and it was special for them as they had not had all their family home for a long time. (see pic.) One of their sons had been in Australia for about a year and had only got home three days earlier. His sister had a day later arrived home from a stay in Ecuador. Doubtless to say we had to leave the meal a bit early to be in time for the choir preparations.

The Carol's service (see pic.) was a wonderful occasion with a full cathedral (about 1000 people) assembling quite early as they have been doing this service for many years and people know that they may not get a seat unless they come early. For this reason we have prelude music starting at 3.30 before the service at 4pm. Even so it seemed that the majority of people were there by 3.15pm.

The prelude music consisted of a 40 voice gospel choir singing gospel soul as well as the French Carol 'O Holy Night' (Minuet Chretien) including a verse in the original French. It was a very moving rendition of the song with some amazing soloists and a very strong choral backing which was gentle yet grand. Two young girls sang 'His Eye is on the Sparrow' much as it was done in the movie Sister Act.

The Carols choir was about 60 voices strong and so, for an hour or more, the sound of carols filled the huge cathedral. The impact was augmented by the additional 1000 voices, at least half of which were French nationals. There was an 11 minute address (including translation) which was short but impactful. The children’s handbell choir was a hit despite limited rehearsal experience for most of the children who turned up. So many people have been generous in their feedback of how much they appreciated the service especially many of the French people who host foreign students. It was a great privilege to be part of something as wonderful as this. Not unlike Warrnambool’s Carols by Candlelight (which last year was indoors) but much more cosmopolitan and a bigger choir!

At present we are saying our goodbyes and Liz has made some lovely presents to give to people including cushions and rice-filled frogs for some special children (see pic.). We are also trying to give away some of our stuff (or send it home by post) so that we can travel lighter on our way back to Paris and eventually not be over our baggage allowance when we get on the plane. It is possible that we will fit in some outdoor small group carolling on the couple of evenings before we go. It is very beautiful here at night with all the Christmas lights as you can see in the attached photo of Liz and a friend.

We have really loved it here and if it were not for the anticipated joy of seeing our family again we would be a good deal sadder to go than we are.

 

 

Thankyou to everyone for your prayers and thoughts and occasional correspondence.

 

It shouldn’t be long till we see each other again.

In Christ
Chris and Liz

 

Subject: France16
Date: 1 November 2009 7:50:09 AM

Hi everyone, 31/10/09

We haven't written for a while so here is a bit of an update:

Before the school holidays (6 school days off) we have been madly practising for the musical at school and the kids are enjoying singing the songs they have written with Chris. We stayed in a chateau on the weekend prior to the holidays with the English speaking church and although cold was such an awesome experience. It is owned by Monsieur Cazenove who lives there by himself but occasionally renting it to church groups on the weekends. It is as you would expect a chateau to be, 40 rooms, wooden doors old floors, not all the showers work and fairly run down - but great all the same. (See the attached photo of the top of the chateau as viewed from the road below)

We did a museum tour "Musee du desert" which focussed on the experience of protestants in the south of France during the period 1685 - 1787 when there was significant persecution. Many laws were passed at the beginning of this time period which made it impossible for protestants to exercise professions, or marry (as protestants), or to gather for worship or prayer. Protestants were expected (and were being strenuously coerced) to renounce their beliefs and move back into the Roman Catholic church. Preachers were arrested and executed, women were confined to prisons, men were either executed or sent off as galley slaves (rowing not cooking) where most of them only lasted 3 years or so. The children were sent to convents for re-education. 102 years was a long time, several generations knew nothing but persecution and yet protestants still continued to meet in secret and to grow in numbers, many escaping to other countries. (See the attached photo which shows a portable preaching platform which folds-up into a barrel so that it can be transported clandestinely). This helped us to understand the spiritual viewpoint in France where protestants are still regarded as belonging to a 'sect' or a 'cult'.

It also helps us understand the supreme effort that protestants here continue to make to keep the school going despite lack of financial support with so many of the teachers volunteering their time. And it helped us appreciate the freedom we have in Australia.

Aside from the school we are involved in two churches, the French Protestant church called Le Chemin ( The Way ) and ICCP ( International Christian Church Provence ). It is good to feel a part of both these works of God here.

Chris has filled in a bit with piano at the French church and a couple of weeks ago I sang up front for a couple of songs with the English version of the words, same tune. This week Chris was asked to play and me to sing as it is holidays and many people are away. This involves me learning all the songs in French and singing them in French and not a well known one among them even though some are originally written by English people like Graham Kendrick. The slower songs are easier as it gives you time to fit in the words.

We will practice some more today as we have borrowed a piano from an American girl who has gone home on furlough. Chris has taken over teaching one of her students, what is called a master class in piano. He is helping to extend the student in the area of improvisation and composition.

With the French church we have also started a course for couples called ˜Elle and Lui" This is a reworking in French of ˜The Marriage Course", which I think comes from England.

We missed the first session (being at the Chateau) but greatly enjoyed the second. The church foyer was set out with individual tables, candles etc. and the tables partitioned off from each other. We had entrees of individual quiches and salad, then main course of duck and sauerkraut. All very yummy, well the sauerkraut wasn't quite to our taste but it was a big meal.

We had a teaching session after that which Chris translated for me and exercises to do during dessert. The dessert consisted of individual pots of lemon mousse and meringue with strawberry sauce. The organisers had gone to a lot of trouble and we felt blessed to be there and have time to talk, which is the whole idea. Yes we do spend most of each day together and we do talk to each other, this is just more focused. I do often ask Chris where we will be living when we return to Australia. That topic is still on the table!

With ICCP we went off to a real live chateau and stayed the weekend. It was great to live in community and get to know everyone a bit better. There was another Australian family there and I have met up with the mum Nathalie since for lunch. We talked about the things you can't get here and how tricky it can be to cook your normal dishes, also the French school system and how formal it is.

ICCP is a community that reaches out to the many English speakers that come to Aix. Many universities around the world seen to have an arrangement where students can come for a semester and study either French or their related subjects. We are in a bible study on Tuesday nights and when asked, over half of the people in the room (half of 18) said they would be gone by January. The people staying were either French nationals, Nannies or long-term missionaries.

ICCP provides a caring place in the midst of a foreign city and a small taste of home. Everyone is encouraged to make the most of their time in Aix with regard to growing in their relationship with God and then continue to grow in and share from that relationship wherever they go to. People get involved and I can see change and growth in people I have met only weeks ago.

One girl Charlotte is from England and had her trunk sent over with all her particular tea and teapots and cups. Her catch phrase has become "It’s because I’m English". She is over here doing a gap year as a nanny because she didn’t get into the university she wanted and was planning to apply again next year.

She has said she feels she has drawn closer to God in her small time here. She found it very difficult when she arrived and prayed in the cathedral for friends and a church and within an hour had walked past the place where we have church in the evenings and found both answers to her prayer. She was on the chateau trip after being in church 3 weeks. She can also see that it was God’s plan for her to be in Aix and she is open to the idea of staying longer. She has also been able to help another nanny settle in.

We are helping organise the English Carol Service in the cathedral, which apparently is the only time the cathedral is full all year. This is a big job and requires co-ordinating many volunteers. This is on the 6th of December, so please pray all goes well.

We received our letter telling us we had to go to the immigration department and have a medical in order to get our long stay visa validated. This required another 300 euros each! We were annoyed that this was right in the middle of the holidays and meant we could not go away for an extended time. Chris decided that Italy was only a few hours away and so we could go there and still be able to return for our appointment.

We drove about 5 hours to a place called La Spezia, near the top of the west coast of Italy, in Tuscany and stayed at a bed and breakfast where Chris could just make himself understood with the few phrases he had downloaded from the internet and the occasional made up word (kind of italianised French). We drove the 15 kms to Cinque Terre the next day where we had to leave our car outside the National Park heritage area. In this area there are 5 towns that are only accessible by train or foot. There were still cars around but limited to locals in order to protect the area. We each bought a ticket that enabled us to use the train all day and the paved paths that had been built between towns along the coastline. The weather was gorgeous and the walks and scenery stunning. Each town had it's own marina, with fishing boats pulled up onto the street and lots of charm. The houses were colourful, lots of washing hanging out the windows and often built into the rock. We ate wonderful focaccia overlooking the Mediterranean and then enjoyed a magnificent sunset as well. (See the photos of Vernazza and the sunset over the Mediterranean). We also tried Italian pizza (a lot plainer than ours ) and pasta.

We had fun picking out different sorts of Italian pastas and sauces from an Italian Supermarket, aiming to try them back in Provence.

On returning we stayed up in the hills near Nice in a cute Auberge where we ate one of the best meals we have had out in France. Beef Adobe ( Bourgignon ) in individual casserole pots and field mushrooms. The meat was very tender and full of flavour. Also nearby there was a suburb called André de la Roche, naturally we thought of André our nephew and said hello for him. We also visited the leaning tower of Pisa in Pisa and were suitably impressed.

In Marseilles our medicals went well and we now have chest x-rays as souvenirs but when we got to the paperwork they decided we needed our landlord’s card of identity on the rental contract. We had to contact her and get her to fax it to the office. She was not able to do it that day so we had to return on Friday to complete the formalities. There is always something extra you need with the French. When we returned on Friday the fax was nowhere to be found so we had to ring again and ask her to fax it. She was able to do so quickly but when it came it was unreadable! We thought we were going to have to come back again but the girl decided to process us anyway.

If we come back again for longer than 3 months we have to do the whole process again. We think that when we return it will be for just the 3 month period, as it is a lot less hassle and considerably less expensive.

We made use of the Friday in Marseilles and had lunch in the old quarter of town, outside in the sunshine. We went to a patchwork exhibition displaying a variety of beautiful quilts. They had one that was 4 metres by 4 metres. Each square was made by different patchworkers from all over France, from a design by Christian La Croix. It was then put together by a team, a huge job as it weighed over 20kg. Patchwork is being promoted in France, but there are not many patchwork shops, only one in Marseilles. We did find it.

We hope to take off somewhere else 2nd - 4th Nov before school goes back and we are into it again.

We have been in France 4 months and it has flown but for me 2 months till we get back seems a long time so any news from home would be good to hear.

Last day of term at school they had the Fete de la Vie - or, translated, the Celebration of Life - which was a sort of Christian response to the recent rise in Halloween celebrations in schools in France. The children dressed in costumes celebrating creation and our life in Christ. We mostly had princesses and princes celebrating our standing in Christ (see the attached photo of A young French national and an American missionary's daughter).

The children wrote out Bible verses and wrapped them with lollies which they distributed to all the neighbouring apartments and shop along with copies of the New Testament (in French obviously). They were well received and the children delighted in giving. Some of the neighbours were initially surprised that they were not being asked for treats (or money) but rather that they were being given something.

Please continue to pray for the school. We have had one new enrolment which is great but not enough to help out much financially. The school principal recently heard that both his mother and mother-in-law have broken bones in their legs and the school issues continue to weigh heavily on him. Please pray for Ludovic and his family.

If you want to support the school financially as well, contact King's College Warrnambool. We believe Kay Rees, a mum there, is organising something!

Lots of Love Liz and Chris

Subject: France 12
Date: 10 September 2009 2:54:03 AM

Hello Everyone,

I thought it was time for a letter from Liz that I typed with my own hand. Chris is out at a prayer meeting at the church where Ludovic the principal of Nouvelle Alliance goes, hence I have the computer to myself. We have been twice to the church and it is very similar to Warrnambool Church of Christ, in spirit and service style. It is all in french of course and I am gradually learning to fit french words to english songs, many I know which helps e.g. At the cross I bow my knee. Sometimes I think if I sing the songs in English do they think I am singing in tongues. I know this isn't true because there are many english speakers in the congregation. I could have gone to the prayer meeting but it would be hard to translate peoples prayers, which is what Chris does for the sermon. Chris finds it hard to translate word for word as people don't stop for you and you miss the next bit of what they are saying. So often I get a summary and I often ask for clarification later.

We arrived in Aix-en-Provence and stopped sight -seeing. It was good to settle down and get back to work. Both the school and ICCP have been happy to have us help. School has only gone back this week and we have been getting into a routine but not a rut. We went on Monday to see how everything works and we helped settle the "Maternelles"- 3year old Kinders to Preps. There were two boys, twins who were not happy to be there. There is always someone. They did eventually settle but I think they kicked up a fuss the next day too and have been pulled out which is hard for the school. They had thought at the beginning of the year they would have 41 students but it looks like they are down to 37 students. There is the Maternelle class, then three other classes grouped according to age. They only have TWO paid teachers and the rest are voluntary. There is no assistance from the government at all. Ludivic explained that in order to get funding they would have to accept any teacher that the government sent them. Even in the catholic system they don't have to have a faith. These are people who believe in what they are doing and desire to serve God by teaching from a Christian world view.

Natalie who I worked with in the Maternelles, works 2 days a week and another lady takes her place on Thursday and Friday. There is no school on Wednesday. Three teachers take three classes in the mornings then there is a swap around after lunch-recreation. This enables different teachers to come in and teach specialist subjects, one of which is English. Chris and I helped Genevieve Mewton with this subject this afternoon. It was the first lesson, remember it is the start of their year and all that settling in and relearning rules etc has to take place. She taught about non-verbal communication, how animals communicate and why it is important. We had fun miming a couple of expressions of communication. Thursday we have to act out the story of the Tower of Babel. Genevieve is hoping we can run the three English classes when she is unable to be there.

The school is in an apartment building and the room are slightly bigger than offices. There is enough room for the children but the playground is a grassy area with trees at the back of the apartment block. The children all have to line up like they are going on an excursion with partners and quietly, so as not to disturb anyone else in the building, and walk to the playground. The boys love playing soccer or football as it is called here but if someone falls over, the game stops as the stones on the ground can be brutal. The smaller children play around the trees, swinging on branches and running in and out. There is none of the luxury of asphalt or play equipment. When I think of all the luxuries King's has in comparison, like plenty of photocopy paper and paper towel. Thank-you King's for the money you sent from French day, it will be well used.

Today I cleared a space of weeds against a concrete wall so I can teach some of the children how to play wall-ball. I also want to create a four square court on a relatively flat stony area. It is too hard to draw on so I am going try rope and pegs or maybe spray paint. I also hope to make a game of hopscotch. If anyone else has any ideas of games to play outside with very little equipment let me know!

We are set to introduce the idea for a "Spectacular" ( the French word for production which is rather daunting in itself ) on Friday. It is to be based around the Parable of the lost sheep with hopefully a lot of student input. We have a loose outline and we hope each class will come up with their own ideas to add to this.

I have enjoyed being with the littlies and as Natalie has little English and I have little French it is fun. She looks me in the eyes and believes I understand and I usually get the jist, I think! But then you sing the songs about getting ready for school naming all the clothing, do puzzles, read stories (well sort of, picking out things you know and having the children help) you are learning!

I know more and more words but speaking to people is another matter. I now know how hard oral French is and will not hold poor tests in this area against anyone. The French think it is easy though. "Oh once you start all the sentences are the same"! Really!

We are still fighting mozzies in our apartment but I bug spray myself at night and are only then bitten a couple of times.

We now have a fidelity card at the local "Casino" supermarket. It is a bit like a flybys card and we get "smiles" for shopping there. Isn't that nice. Chris finds all the bargains, where if you buy two you get the same back for next time. One day we had 13euros on a voucher, we bought stuff and got more vouchers. Every little bit helps and this does make some things more reasonable. Chris always stocks up on chocolate mousse. For Fathers day I made creme brulee from a packet mix. I didn't boil it for long enough and so it was still partially runny but it was still yummy. There is another half to the packet mix so I hope to get it right next time.

There is a market outside our door Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday but now with us helping at the school on Tuesday and Thursday we will only be able to go on Saturday. It has all the Provencal specialties, fabric, soap, paintings, lavender and other marketables. We have loved the fresh fruit and bread from the market, the pink grapefruit especially.

I think we are becoming more French with our daily baguette, pure butter, creme fraiche, cereal with choc chips and brewed filtered coffee (Not Chris) We did get a surprise when in Church the little cups for communion contained straight red wine. We realised this after we swallowed it. Next week we were told us that if you preferred the grape juice was in the middle!

Our friends in Tarbes ( Max and Sabine ) said they had to have a gas bbq after using one in Australia, the French think a bbq means using wood! But Max said he still couldn't bring himself to eat vegemite on his toast in the morning. I brought two tubes with me as I only use small amounts it is lasting quite well.

Chris bought a printer in Paris and it has been great to be able to print out crosswords to check them for his business and print out information sent to us or the play Chris wrote. He downloaded a music notation program which he has used already to print out the "Look for me" song in French. He will use it to translate some of his other songs.

We are getting together with some of the uni church people tomorrow night to discuss the idea of having a team go into nursing homes with the arts in mind, perhaps researching peoples "stories" and dramatising them. We will see where this idea goes.

Our first Sunday at the uni church they talked about transitions and how it is often hard for them to see people come and go but how important it is to love people no matter how long they are around for. Yes we are the couple who are only here for 3 months but we feel God has already prepared the way and prepared peoples hearts so that they can welcome us and our skills, if only for a short time.

Chris will often turn to me and say "Hey were in France". It is still quite amazing and we are blessed to be where we feel we should be at the moment.

Last Friday we went to our car, remember 2 kms away, and discovered the back passenger window had been gemmied off. This was a bit of a shock and we checked through the car to discover nothing was missing, this included the navman which was attatched to the front windscreen. We usually take it with us when we leave the car but must have forgotten this time. The window was intact on the boot floor, with the rear seat pulled forward. We could see the marks where something metal had been used on this small window. We read in our manual that we needed a police report in order to claim any accident on insurance. Finding and parking at the police station seemed to take longer that getting the report. Chris spoke to the lady Chief Brigadier who was very easy going and efficient. He said it was like being in a cop show where the detectives wear casual clothes, the boss is a woman, the engaging young lady officer at reception wears uniforn and is greeted by the hunky french male detectives with kisses on both cheeks as the French do. In any case the Brigadier said we could park in the police car park for safety over the weekend. On Monday the Europecar people rang us and it was fixed by Tuesday.

So please pray for the safety of our car, but God's hand was in it because they usually break windows and cause a lot more damage. We had seen the Renault garage on our walks to school.

I have discovered action movies are the best to watch because the plot is usually evident and I can do embroidery at the same time. Every movie and series is dubbed into French, old E.R episodes with George Clooney, English murder mysteries with Peter Ustinov as Poirot, City Homicide from Australia and C.S.I Miami and Horatio. It is particularly funny with the English dramas with their stiff upper lip all done in French. They must have a huge bank of voice actors. Chris has enjoyed some of the game shows that are about numbers and letters and funny turns of phrase that only the French would know.

I hope this is not too long a letter but it was fun to write even though Chris has been home for a while now, cos I type so slow. I had a mum today say she would like to improve her English and I said I needed to improve my French so hopefully we can help each other.

The school has holidays in October for two weeks so maybe we can do a trip or two, or if we have Friday and Saturdays free for some small trips. I hope to go to Marseilles soon. We are still in t-shirts but it is cool in the mornings and evenings, although I hung out sheets at 5pm the other day and they were dry to sleep on an hour later.

Lots of love to everyone Liz and Chris

Subject: France 11
Date: 29 August 2009 4:42:13 AM

Bonjour tout le monde,
We have had fun settling in to our appartment in the centre of Aix-en-Provence which is about 4.5 flights up and it remains quite hot. The appartment is very cute having its origin in the 17th or 18th century and having been renovated somewhat using reclaimed materials. It has six windows in the main room which we open at night for the cool air. With the open windows come mosquitoes. They haven't cottoned onto the idea of flywire screens here. Our bedroom is essentially a wedge shaped room under a slanting roofline and we cannot stand up in it. Neither of us sleepwalk so that is not a problem. There is a bathroom half way down the internal stairs and a washing closet at the landing of our private stairs.

We are very fond of the terrace which juts out from a corner of the main room and which is accessible through a window with steps (not big enough to call a door and you have to watch your head).

We have had to park the car 2km away as there is no long term parking in the city. The paying car parks are about 1km away and the prices are exorbitant. To utilise the car is still problematic as there are pop-up bollards called 'champignons' which block off many of the inner streets after midday. If we want to go shopping to the big supermarket we have to get it all done before midday to enable unloading groceries and getting he car out again to its long term park. So now nearly everything is in walking distance. School is about 20-25 minutes walk - church is about 10-15 minutes walk. There is a market just outside our window three times a week - so not far to walk at all - just all the stairs.

We don't have regular access to the internet yet and it looks like it is not as simple as first thought. For the moment Chris wanders down the street to either of two local restaurants which have free wifi internet.

We caught up with the sister school to King's College today (La Nouvelle alliance) and guess what? It looks like we will be utilised here helping to write and run a school musical. They have done musicals in the past but have lost some of their main people so they are looking forward to seeing how we can be used. It does appear that we have turned up at a propitious moment and we praise God for His leading and for giving us this opportunity to serve in France.

Please pray for Chris as he puts together an example of a dramatised parable with a song (all in French) to help the school teachers and students have an idea of what they could produce. The idea is to inspire the three class groupings to produce a couple of parables each that they can then be woven together into a musical for presentation to the public, churches and even retirement homes (in the latter cases the presentations can be easily shortened). This idea is the vision that God has given the principal just in the last few months and resonates well with both of us. The principal has lent Chris one of his own guitars to help in the process as, with baggage limitations, we did not bring any instruments with us.

Love in Christ,
Liz and Chris

Subject: France 10
Date: 22 August 2009 7:18:15 PM

Bonjour everyone,
Prior to leaving the Perigord we had the privilege of visiting Rocamadour, a city which almost appears to come from the set of a fantasy movie. Seeing it on our approach, built into the cliff face with its tall spires silhouetted against a westering sun, was quite impressing and gave one an otherworldly feel. Eventually our legs took on an otherworldly feel after scaling endless ramps and steps from the carpark at the bottom of the cliff to reach the cross that watches over the city from the top of the cliff. We joined a group of pilgims who were doing a guided tour of the seven chapels of the cathedral there and it was most informative. The young priest leading the tour was most entertaining and there was live music - guitar and flute - played while we progressed from chapel to chapel.

We have often found ourselves falling upon favourable opportunities like this which would be of no use to non-French-speaking people so Liz has been glad of Chris's translations and the opportunity to do things that many tourists would miss. To give another example, the next day we visited a patchwork exhibition in a very small town about a half hour before it was due to close. Patchwork is not very big in France so one must look hard to find it. There were five people manning the exhibition and they had not had as many visitors as that all day so we were most welcome. We had a wonderful time chatting with them and were invited to share celebratory drinks and snacks with them complete with home grown produce, home-made pinot (wine mixed with fruit juice and sugar) and lively banter. It was they who told us about an exhibition of scarecrows which we visited on leaving the Perigord.

We spent a wonderful few days with Max and Sabine in Tarbes and ate a lot more bread and pastry than usual. We were very impressed with Max's new bakery which has a window behind the service counter which allows people to see the baker at work behind the scenes.

We particularly enjoyed their son Paul who is just a few weeks older than our grandson Joshua and who made us more than a little bit homesick. Paul is a very bright and sociable fellow who wanders about the house chatting to himself or his toys and seems perpetually amused with life. He even enjoyed Chris reading him some children's story books. It was hard to take our leave with such a wonderfully welcoming family.

We are just about to leave Carcassonne where we stayed at a b&b underlooking the walled medieval ciry. We were able to walk in each day and enjoy the battlements and cobbled streets. We toured the chateau and treated ourselves to a Tournament of Chevaliers. We had the works; falconry, jousting, sword fighting, knights in armour and very clever horsemen and horses. All in period costume. Chivalry is not dead at least in theatre!

There was a Spanish fiesta in town with about 8000 people crammed into one of the city's large squares. We ate tapas and listened to the The three Gypsys, (two guitars and double bass) whose skill was a delight to the ears and eyes.

Love to everybody,
In Christ
Chris and Liz.

Subject: France9
Date: 16 August 2009 1:43:05 AM

Bonjour everyone,
We have spent a relaxing 4 days with our friends near Rochelle - actually the Ile d'Oleron where we were absolutely pampered, chauffered, taken on guided tours and offered the best in home cuisine with fresh produce from their own extensive garden. Their swimming pool was a bonus! I pray that we were a blessing to them, even half as much as they were a blessing to us would be a mighty blessing.

We had some wonderful conversations into the night. Please continue to remember them in your prayers. Oleron is a very old island with the major commerce (aside from tourism) being the oyster trade and salt production. Of course there is also a lot of fishing done here. We were taken on guided tours around the marais where the oysters are housed from time to time when they are not out to sea and also to the salt production facility.

As Chris said above, we had a wonderful time with our friends the Brouillets who gave us the grand tour every day around the island of Oleron. It is a fascinating island with light house, forts, harbours, salt producers and oyster farmers. It is a pity neither of us like oysters or mussels as there were plenty on the menus. The Brouillets had a pool which we loved in the heat and they fed us extremely well from their own garden plus extras - making us feel very special. The last day we were there we took them out to a restaurant that they had recommended and Liz had the best melt-in-your-mouth Calamari ever.

They had given us info on the Perigord Region and we booked a chambre d'hote from their place. It is a cute 'bourie'- an old shepherd's stone hut down by a lake with white swans. So we are now in the Perigord region of France enjoying all the region has to offer including Belle Cites of France, many historic sites and hot weather.

In the market in Sarlat today it was very hot but Liz found some Lagoile knives, which she had been looking for, for a good price. Yesterday we went to Roche St Christophe which has been the site of many homes, a city in fact, built into a massive cliff rock-face. It was well fortified in the middle ages. It was fascinating to see the holes in the rock where beams had been placed to support buildings. There were sinks with drainage in the rock and shelving - even a safe. The city had been built on five levels - five storeys if you will - with many communicating staircases hewn in the rock. We are able to cook at the 'bourie' which is a cost-saving and we are still eating some food that the Brouillets provided for us on our departure. Very generous and thoughtful people.

We will be meeting up with Max and Sabine and Paul on Monday night in Tarbes. (Max and Sabine are French nationals who used to live next door to one of Liz's sisters in Melbourne) Max's new bakery opened just last Tuesday so they could be a little stressed right now. Hopefully a visit from some Australians will be a welcome change.

Love to everybody,
In Christ
Chris and Liz.

Subject: France 8

Date: 9 August 2009 12:08:05 AM

Bonjour everyone,
We are about to meet our friends in La Rochelle after having had a restful time on a farm in La Chapelle St Florent not far from the Loire and Angers. We used that place as a base for exploring local sights as well as distant castles (like Villandry, Azay Le Rideau , Brissac, Martigne de Briant, Saumur and Angers). On the local front we were introduced to a natural amphitheatre where the locals had produced a similitude of the grotto at Lourdes.

Nearby was a town that had been inhabited till about 50 -70 years ago but which was left to ruin and is now in ruins and overrun with jungle - like something out of an Indiana Jones movie. Even the not so old things here can look powerfully old very quickly!

At Angers we were amazed at the incredible work and message involved in the 14th century tapestry called the Apocalypse (the Revelation) based on the visions of St John as recorded in Revelation and faithful to the text - a visual bible in some 66 scenes - each scene being the size of a lounge room rug. The lady providing the commentary was very impassioned and brought out a lot of the meaning of Revelation to an ostensibly secular crowd. It was heartening to see the impact of this biblical testimony in fabric continuing to ensure that God's Word goes forth. We enjoyed checking out a troglodyte settlement which had long ago (500AD) been a major quarry for the making of stone sarcophagi. The owner was very passionate about this subterranean network of rooms and it was an intriguing visit with a lot of history thrown in. We also discovered more about the civil wars in France - particularly in the area of the Vendee where local Christians (Catholics) were outraged by the French Revolution (Rebellion) and their treatment of the clergy and the church. They honoured God and the appointed authority (the King) and sought arms to fight the revolutionaries. They did not succeed obviously. It was not until later, when Napoleon took control and admitted that the church had some validity, that the civil conflict ended.

Liz has been doing the major part of the driving after learning/ practising in a car park because the whole left-right thing is a bit taxing and takes two pairs of eyes no matter who is driving. This has allowed Chris to continue to write some puzzles during the long stretches of road where intersections are less frequent. The TomTom is very useful but occasionally comes up with some bizarre advice and sends one round in circles.

We had two memorable nights eating outdoors whilst watching the sun go down over the local chateau (at Brissac and at Saumur). It is hard to beat.

Love to everybody,
In Christ
Chris and Liz.

Subject: France 7
Date: 3 August 2009 8:17:25 PM

Bonjour everyone,
We have had a wonderful few days just south of Le Mont St Michel and enjoyed walking the battlements of St Michel both in the day and at night.

Liz had a long walk across the sand to a nearby island. There was to be no high tide during our stay so there was no particular danger walking across the sandy expanse other than avoiding quicksand! We also enjoyed St Malo, well known for it's history of pirates and the like. A very picturesque city indeed with street entertainment in the evenings such as a men's choir singing sea shanties, a jazz trio, a troupe who excelled at music and comedy as well as the odd bit of juggling thrown in - they were most entertaining.

We enjoyed the pink granite coast which draws as many tourists as Warrnambool it seems - spectacular coastline. Correspondingly there are many lightouses on this edge of the world and we could see three of them from Ploumanac'h. We have appreciated the 'oldness' of so many of the towns and were fortunate yesterday to have a private guided tour of the cathedrale at Dol de Bretagne. This cathedral dates from about the 1200s but incorporates some vestiges of the previous cathedral which was of Roman architecture and much, much older. It was interesting to learn (and see) that only a week earlier they had discovered a well within the cathedral, underneath one of the floor stones, which had been forgotten for a long time (centuries?).

We are about to head towards the Loire as a stage toward meeting our friends in La Rochelle.

Love to everybody,
In Christ  
Chris and Liz.

Subject: France6
Date: 30 July 2009 11:26:01 PM

Bonjour everyone, Since we left Paris we have had fun finding a different B and B to stay in each night. They are cheaper than hotels and much more personal. We are now at Beauvois which is right near Le Mont St-Michel and we will stay a few days and use this as a base of operations as Liz has been able to do some machine washing instead of washing by hand, and we have a kitchen and a view of Le Mont St Michel 4ks away.

All this for 32 Euros per night and including breakfast.

Last night we walked around the battlements of Mt St Michel with the battlements and the church all lit up. Truly one feels like one is in a castle and well protected (especiallly from the driving wind and cold) We looked out over the sands which had been such a problem to many invaders with their cavalry getting stucj in the quicksands etc. We are heading to St Malo today - a pirate town. We are enjoying being beside the sea and will visit Mt St Michel during the day tomorrow.

We went to Giverny - to visit the garden of Monet one of our favourite painters - a few days ago and it was a wonderful experience with all the flowers in bloom and the fabulous water garden. It was a powerful reminder of the transcendence of Godâ's living Art palette over the usual palette used by painters. I suspect that Monet realised that the best of art was to be found in creation and he was ever trying to capture it - if not on the canvas then how better than in a living garden. In this garden he has skillfully used Godâ's palette to produce a 3-dimensional artwork of phenomenal beauty which is living and changing. His labour and vision has been handed down through the generations and the beauty persists thanks to the continuing work of the Claude Monet foundation.

We also visited the Bayeux Tapestry and learned heaps about 1066 and the Norman invasion of England. It was a huge experience. We then went on to Omaha beach where a division of the American armed forces landed on D day to help liberate occupied France, and we hope to see a recently released documentary film on the D-day landings tomorrow night. It is an amazing beach with a huge distance of sand to cover from sea to the hills and cliffs where the Germans lay in wait in fortified positions - not unlike the Gallipoli experience. There were many memorials including one from 2004 commemorating the 60th anniversary.

We have to go to McDonalds to get free unlimited internet access and that is where this is coming from. There are thousands of McDonalds in France - we probably have'nt appreciated McDonald's as much before.

Love and prayers from the voyagers, Chris and Liz

Date: 19 July 2009 9:04:51 AM

Dear Everyone, We have only just tuned into the Tour de France after a letter from Nana reminded us it was on tv. It is all in French so dont get the updates on the local Aussies. We wiil try to be on the Champs Elysees to watch the finish though. Mum and dad gave us some walks of paris and I am pleased to say we have done them all. This includes Parc Monceau, Buttes Chaumont, Along the canals of St Martin,  Viaducts de Arts, Ile de St Louis and Butte de Callies. These have included beautiful parks and quaint streets with hidden housing treasure. My Camera is kept busy taking photos of cute doors, houses and cobblestone streets. Sometimes our feet are quite tired at the end of the day.

The front of Hillsong Paris - they use a conference centre which they hire each week - requiring hours of lugging gear in and out of a storage facility each Sunday morning.

One day coming home from Hillsong Church we came across a local food market closing down for the day. One vendor was trying to get rid of his produce for 'cheap price' rather than throwing it out. We ended up coming home with nearly more than we could carry back on the metro. Food is expensive so it was cool to have fresh veges and fruit which we are still using. We brought back a box (35cm x 15cm ) of strawberries, 2 boxes of potatoes, a big bag of mushrooms, a box of chillies ( opps not for us ), a bag of beans and a lettuce, all for 6euros with stuff thrown in free. Meat is expensive but found veal and pork to be the cheapest. I tried to make Spag bol but not quite the same. Have made some interesting meals with few ingredients but all fun. Bread is the staple diet for lunch and we have museli and special k for breaky. We had the most amazing sandwhich at Montmarte the other day because we had not bought bread that morning instead taking tomato, ham and cheese ( for me ) to make up later. We had to wait for the bread to be ready at the bakery and it was sooo good that fresh.

We went round the back way to Sacre Coeur and cme across all the artists displaying their version of art. Many were drawing portraits of tourists, some of them good. We bought a small postcard sized painting of a boulangerie, quite naive but with a cute feel.

Bastille day was lots of fun, getting to the Champ de Mars early to get a place on the grass. Thers was a great feel as people waited for the concert to start which was a young guy called Jean Phillipe then the main attraction Johnny Halliday. The firewoks after that were amazing with the whole of the Eiffel Tower used. They projected images onto the tower and counted down from when the tower was built till now -120 years. Each era had its own set of projections and fireworks, eg bombs dropping off the tower during the war and flower power motifs for the 60's. When they were over everyone took over the streets and cars just had to wait, don't fight 700 000 people!

Earlier we had been to free retrospctive about Gustuav Eiffel and his work as an engineer. He built many bridges before the Eiffel Tower and in fact sent them all over the world with instructions so that places like Panama could buld their own with their own labour. It was the cheaper option. The Eiffel Tower was built as a doorway for 1889 Exhibition and was to be torn down afterwards, and we saw plans of what they were going to build over it but when it was discovered that morse code and then radio waves could be sent from the top they decided to keep it. I think they are glad they they kept it now.   

We had a great meal meal the other night at 'Petite Marcel" run by the owner of our studio, Philippe. He and another waiter ran this busy cafe chatting to everyone and bringing meals out fast and furious. It was full of great french atmosphere and the food was good too. We have done a few flea markets the latest being sat at Porte Vanves which was a antique and furniture bric a brac market. Liz picked up a broach, an antique art deco button and some pages out of books with illistrations on them hopefully authentic, mum would know. We havent done a huge amount of museums.

We have been to a Jewish owned house called Camondo house, The Arts Decorative attached to the Louvre and the modern art at The George Pompidou centre. We were going out to Giverney, Monet"s Garden but found catching the train out there tricky. The station was like Southern cross and sourcing tickets was difficult, with it costing $100 to go 45mins. We decided to do that in our car once we leave Paris. There is an extra exhibition of Impressionist painting out there at the moment. so we will see that as well. One day next week we will go to the Louvre and few smaller museums.

Well I hope this is enough news to keep you happy for a while. We did have a big storm here the other day and all through France I think with big golf ball hail stones! We also bought a prep french book and liz is learning the sounds! So it is back to School for little and big people, lots of love Liz  and Chris

Sent: Sun Jul 5 6:20 Subject: Fwd: Report from France

Hello everyone, We have just got back to our studio after spending an evening in a park (cnr Rue Carpeau and Marcadet) at a free concert featuring a kind of jamaican reggae meets zydeco meets bigband meets jazz rock fusion band. Very entertaining and very eclectic. Consumate musicians. It was nice to sit and Liz read her book while Chris wrote some crosswords on his laptop all the time enjoying the music. Prior to that we had had lunch in a different park (near the forum) at Les Halles after taking a bit of a walk through the cobblestoned streets including the famous Rue Montergeuil. It is rather remarkable to walk past one eatery after another all with people spilling onto the footpath (seated of course at small tables - usually under canopies/awnings). I guess everyone needs to eat sometime but there seem to be so many people eating all of the time here in Paris. That withstanding it is rare to see anyone overweight here, everyone looks in such good condition - must be all the walking.

We have been walking 5-6 hours each day and the feet notice it. We climb up and down 5 flights of stairs a few times each day just to get to our studio not to mention other stairs round about the place. We had a nice night out last night as the weather had cooled somewhat and we decided to go out for our second night meal al fresco. We parked ourselves next to an american couple with whom we had a lot of conversation. The waiter thought Chris was French until Chris started helping translate for the american couple. The waiter continued most of the night in English then. Chris asked him later whether he preferred tourists to try out their french or whether he just liked to practise his English. The waiter commented that it was the first time in two years that he had come across a tourist who actually spoke French so the reason he used English around English -speaking people was due to practicality - it being the language of commerce with tourists.

Liz has enjoyed lots of shopping, from clothing to kitchenware - the knife in the studio was pretty useless so we picked up one quick smart at a department store and it is a beauty. We even checked out a few markets including a flea market which was quite an experience. You will have to wait and see all the clothes that were purchased thus far. The latest style seems to be straight shift dresses 20's style with a low waist and not much shape. We both visited the office of immigration and integration yesterday to hand in some forms that we were sent to us to complete on our arrival by the French consulate in Sydney. They wouldn't take the forms because they have to be posted by registered mail, but they did take the time to explain what else we needed to provide with the forms - something which neither the sydney-based nor melbourne based French embassy would tell us. It will take us a few more days to get the papers together and then we have to send them and wait for them to call us for a medical examination (this is an expensive service). It could take weeks for them to call us, and even if we are in Provence they said we would have to come back to Paris for the examination. This would be even more expensive in time and fuel. Please pray that they either decide a medical is not warranted or that they schedule the examination very quickly.. (asking a French government agency to do anything quickly (like taking our form for instance) is like asking for a miracle.. so please pray for a miracle)

The freezer bag is working well to keep things cool as long as we put a frozen bottle of water in there. Liz has bought balsamic oil vinaigrette and is happily making good fare here in the studio. The price of groceries is more than in Aus but there are the occasional bargains so you look for them - it is still cheaper than eating out. Eating out, however, is not particularly more expensive than eating out in Warrnambool if you are careful what you order and where you eat. If you want water for free you have to ask for 'eau de Paris' otherwise you will paying $6 for 500ml of water or thereabouts. We had a great feed of duck at the Gastronomie - foie gras 3 nights ago. Chris had Magret and Liz had Parmentier of confit of duck. Thus far the best restaurant meal ever.

Yesterday we enjoyed a long walk along the viaduct to the east of the bastille - it was originally an elevated train line poised on a long bridge like structure supported by arches. In the arches are all sorts of tradesmen/artisans and on the top is a walkway bordered and embellished with shrubs, trees and flowers of many sorts. it was a long walk but most gratifying. It goes all the way to the woods of VIncennes - but we didn't. We had a snack in the park near Dumesnil station where many French families were picknicking - the French seem to really appreciate their parks and gardens. Considering the small size of most dwellings one can understand the need for people to come out and enjoy the open air as much as possible.

We send our love to everybody in Aus and we look forward to catching up with Hillsong in Paris tomorrow morning, after which we may be fortunate enough to still have time to see a museum or two as it is Free Sunday (the first Sunday of each month). Love Chris and Liz

Sent: Tue Jun 30 6:28 Subject: Fwd: arrival in Paris

Hi all we are finally here and I am sitting in our small but very cute room five narrow flights up. I have a view of roofs and other balconies and flowerpots. It is a steamy 28c and so I am very sticky after a very crushed train ride from the airport. We marvelled that people just kept getting in. It was a short walk to our apartment where the owners were waiting for us.The apartment has everything and every available space is used, with a cupboard outside the room to store our suitcases and things we didn't need. Phillipe the owner works at 'Petit marcel' a restaurant that I thought would be good to try. I saw a gelato place on the way so i think that is in order after a shower.

Finnair was fine from Hong Kong  (where we spent a night and chris bought a backup computer) but I think a bit smaller than Cathay Pacific and they did have trouble with their entertainment system. In Hong Kong shopping centres are tiny corridors with tiny shops off them and crowds of people, ate chinese that night of course. Feeling rather seedy at the moment think it is the middle otf the night back home, so plan to unpack and find somewhere for everything i hope. For family the room is about as big as Papa"s office but not counting the desk or as big as Lyndell's office at school. Internet access all set up so will keep in touch. Au revior Liz and Chris