Hello Again, We're Back in Business

Ok....it has been about 8 weeks since the last update here. This is because, beginning on March 1, Theresa and I went back to the States for about 7 weeks on a business trip. We are now back in Strasbourg for about a week and a half...which means I have some serious catching up to do.

So, over the next several days I'm going to try to go through things chronologically. This means that there will be some seriously old news....sorry bout that. C'est la vie.

The Strasbourg we left on March 1 is not the same that we are living in now. Spring has come. When we left, the winter had everyone in a siege mentality caused by day-after-day of grey skies, cold, sometimes rain, and somtimes snow. People trudged through the streets as if on a forced march between warm spots. Now, things have returned to the ville vivant that we came to last September.

The air here stinks of springtime - that smell of hot sun on the new leaves and cut grass and magnolia blooms and lilacs. The parks are full of children and grandparents again. The restaurants have put the tables back on the sidewalk so that the people can sit and drink and watch other people stroll by. A more sure sign of springtime than the robins, the tourists have begun to return.

By best count, we have about 6 more months to go before our time here is up. I will try not to allow any more 8 week gaps. I promise.