France, August 8, 2010

After departing Geneva, our first night's stop was in the town of Bourbon-L’Archambault, dating back to the time of the Romans. Buildings of the hotel were originally houses built in the 16-1700's. It was quaint and delighfully charming.


It was hard to decide whether to eat breakfast in an inner atrium or in the hotel courtyard.












At the end of the courtyard was a tree planted in 1529 by capucian monks, and it's still going strong.







Here what the tree looks like after 481 years.

We can no longer stand looking at the same picture when we open our blog to check other family members' blogs. So we've decided to add three or four pix each week, with very little writing. These will be taken first from our post-mission trip with Heidi and company, and then from our trip with Paul & Connie, and eventually from our trip back to Europe this past summer.

Here's the first set:
Dede has been waiting a long time for this to happen. (Here she "sits," in front of the Einstein House in Grand Sacconnex, a Geneva suburb)

The boat brings the family in from their trip on Lake Geneva. The Cathedral of St Pierre (St Peter) highlights the skyline.

The entrance to St Pierre Cathedral.

In the plaza, the Reformer John Calvin burned some of his opponents at the stake (times were tough in the 1500's)