Back from France

Spent four days in meetings planning for our implementation in Nantes. Great folks and a wonderful area. The deal is done. I'll be moving there in mid-January.

We left Nantes on an Air France flight about 7:20pm flying into Charles DeGaulle Airport in Paris, arriving about 8:20pm. By the time we got luggage and checked into the Airport Hilton it was 9:30pm. No opportunity to see Paris this trip but I've got time coming.

One note about the Paris Hilton (the hotel, not the waste of air in Hollywood). Wanting something to eat a couple of us went to the bar. Are you ready for this? Hamburger 19 Euros. For those unfamiliar with the current exchange rate, that's a whopping $28 hamburger. Couldn't make myself order it. Ended up with a small pizza for only 16 Euro (only $23.50).

The Nante plant.

France - October 2009

Rita Rudner, discussing childbirth and labor, once said she didn't want to do anything that was fun for thirty hours. I feel the same about nine hour plane rides. But I sucked it up and made it over. As flights go, it was easy and comfortable as sitting on a brillopad for nine hours can be.

Connected in Paris to Nante on Air Chance. Made that one too. Nante is a great town. I just love the old, narrow streets.

(Click to enlarge)

Great old church with wonderful gargoyles.

Wonderful old square.

With heroic centerpiece statue.



Off to the side of one of those narrow streets I spied a small portico with a sign pointing upward indicating some kind of shopping area. Intrigued, I walked up the stairs and into this. (You can see the door through which I walked at the bottom of the stairs.



On each side were all sorts of stores. Heavily Catholic, most stores were closed seemingly leaving only those dealing with decadence open on this Sunday afternoon. There were chocolate and pastry shops open everywhere. All doing a brisk business.


And the food!
Wow, the food.

Sunday night - escargots et de moules (Snails and mussels) with a nice local Muscadet

Monday night - coquilles Saint-Jacques Fettucine (Scallops with fettucine) with a nice Chablis

Tuesday night - Kangaroo, med. rare....very lean and tasty.