June 30, 2026. Our last full day in France, for now. We had booked a small group guided tour of Versailles along with pickup in the city. Well, “pickup” is generous: we met our guide, who distributed train tickets and chatted with us on the 30-minute train ride. But that was OK. Sometimes you just want somebody else to figure stuff out. And now we … Continue reading Paris, Part II
After more than a month (for me) in Marseille, my husband Dean and I said goodbye to our spacious rental in the Castellane neighborhood , thanks to our wonderful Airbnb host Diane. We took an Uber to La Gare St. Charles and figured out how to watch for the voie, the boarding platform for our SNCF train to Paris. (Travel tip: allow extra time to … Continue reading Paris, Part I
Bonjour! I have been patiently waiting for the opportunity to visit La Bonne Mère (literally “the good mother”), the Marseillaises’ designation for Notre Dame de la Garde, the basilica that oversees the city. It was built in the 19th century on the site of a fort erected to protect the city in the16th century. It is the most visited site in the city and is … Continue reading Les Arts, Old and New
How do you keep a toddler from wigging out when you talk about going to the beach? You speak in code, or in this case, in French. So we prepared to go à la plage on Friday morning (June 19). We boarded the M1 bus to the Old Port, then caught the 83 bus for the remainder of the trip. Prophète is a great beach … Continue reading Plage du Prophète, Le Panier and Paradigms
On Monday, June 15 I joined the Cru group from Marseilles on a day trip to Nice. It was planned as a mid-mission break and time for reflection for the group. I was on my own, since I am not directly involved in the mission project. My role is to support John and Karen as staff. We boarded the train in the morning for the … Continue reading La Côte d’Azur
It has been several days since my last post, since I had two very special experiences, and I needed to take my time curating and adjusting photos. I am happy to share them with you! On Sunday, June 7, I met Christine and David at All Saints Anglican Church here in Marseille. Christine and I had a lovely conversation that I was reluctant to bring … Continue reading Le Luberon
The joys of travel include the unexpected delights of meeting interesting people and accepting their invitations to see and do things that were not in the itinerary. This week I exchanged texts with Christine, a woman I met at All Saints last Sunday. I asked if we might meet for coffee or lunch, while aware that she and her husband live north of the city. … Continue reading Une Petite Galerie
There is not much to tell about the past few days, since we have been just doing normal life. John is gone most days and some nights, working with the students to help form them as disciples of Jesus and evangelists. Karen works on her computer a few hours a day, doing her graphic design work and sometimes meeting with other designers online. I busy … Continue reading Finding Beauty in People…and On the Walls
We’re two weeks into this adventure. Le temps passe vite–time flies! On Saturday, June 6 we took a long walk to Parc Longchamp, where centuries ago an engineer devised the means of bringing fresh water to the city. There had been a plague due to unsafe water, and he solved the problem with his ingenuity. It was breathtaking to turn the corner and see such … Continue reading Les églises
What is life without beauty? It would be very dull. But what is beautiful is all about perception. It is in the eye of the beholder, we say. So that is where we begin today. What is more beautiful than the faces of those we love? So please indulge me as I share a photo of my breakfast partner on Wednesday, June 3. Mama and … Continue reading The Most Beautiful Sights
saint sinner seeker 