Sunday Oct 26 Paris

I got to my hotel in Paris late yesterday afternoon, got settled, then had a bite to eat. I researched options for what to do today but went to bed undecided. This morning it was clear to me: to use the rail pass I bought ( which was good for 7 days of travel but I'd only used it for 4 ).  I could travel freely with it so I decided to go to Versailles. Unfortunately the entire population of the north of France  also decided to go there today!  Mon dieu!  I found it would be an absolute pain to fight the crowds inside the palace, so I decided to just get the ticket for the gardens. ( I've seen the inside several times before so this was Ok). It was a good way to spend a few hours of a Sunday afternoon. I wanted to beat the din of people getting back into Paris, so I left early and returned to the Latin quarter to have a late lunch --or early dinner of raclette!  From there I walked back to "my" neighborhood by the Gare de Lyon via the promenade along the Seine river. There were the booksellers etc along the sidewalk, reminding me I was in Paris, then at one point I walked down to the riverside where there was an area of sculptures en plein air.  Suddenly I heard music and saw a group of people gathered next to the river , and they were dancing the tango!  I recall that Joan, Jolene & I saw this in the south of France before: some locals get together on Sunday afternoons to practice their tango. It was wonderful-- the highlight of my day.

I returned to my hotel, turned on the tv & found a concert with French classical music ( Ravel & Bizet) so I got a private concert to accompany my writing .😊

The clocks changed here today so it got dark an hour earlier, but that was ok. I walked all day except for the train time, so returning to my room was fine.  

Tomorrow afternoon I'll go to the airport Sheraton where I'll stay tomorrow night, so my trip is almost over.  I've packed a lot in and feel very satisfied with all I got to do. And it will be good to get home again to see my Swedie and puppy!  

This is probably my last posting from my trip to France & Switzerland.  Thanks for letting me share it with you.  😊

Jane 

Friday Oct 24 in Switzerland

Well, it's Friday evening & I'm back at my hotel in Lausanne after a very scenic & busy 2 days. Yesterday morning I took a train from Lausanne to Fribourg, Switzerland. It's the closest station to my friend Jane's chalet in Charmey. Jane & her friend Ella picked me up at the station and gave me a city tour of Fribourg. It's a very nice city with an old town & new, as you' d expect. The cathedral was especially beautiful. After touring the city & stopping by Ella's main home in Fribourg, they drove us into the "pre alps" ---which was still mountains to me!  We went to Gruyere--- a place Roger & I visited before & loved for the cheese, cream, etc.  The day was gorgeous and there were not many tourists there so it was a lovely walking tour of the town before a big lunch of fondue! 😀
The foudue here was special and certainly the best I've ever had except for in Switzerland before.  Yummy!!  The restaurant had an idyllic Swiss ambience.
 
Driving through the mountains I was overwhelmed with the beauty: GREEN like Californians haven't  seen in a very long time; cows grazing, and, well, the alps!

We drove to their village of Charmey and stopped at the local cheese shop & ordered Gruyere and raclette for me to pick up the next day ( vacuum packed). Then we went to their co- owned chalet ( had for 30 years). The views from their windows and balconies were million dollar views!  Next to their property the cows grazed & I got a video complete with bell sounds!  I have lots of pix to share after I get home.

This morning we found a very cold car and I was told the temp last night was likely -2C. Brrrr!  Glad I had sweater, coat, gloves which I did not need in the south of France where it was hot!

We picked up my cheese and started a beautiful drive through the countryside: via Gruyere, Chateau-d'Oex, Saanen and finally Gstaad-- now in the German part of Switzerland.  Suddenly the signs were in German.  ( crossed the River Sarine or Saane).

In Gstaad I got a quick sandwich and boarded the panoramic train to take me back to Lac Leman ( which some people call Lake Geneva but it's not its real name). The train walls were mostly glass & the panorama was spectacular:  trees turning color, cows & their paths on the slopes, snow capped mountains, GREEN, tunnels.
I had to change trains in Montreux, which looks to be a popular, ritzy spot on the lake.  Returned to Lausanne, dropped off bag at hotel & took the metro down to lakeside to enjoy the views.  I would've loved to take the boat across the lake to Evian- les- Bains---- for old time's sake, but the day wasn't long enough.

Whew!  A very fun detour to Switzerland. Tomorrow I'll train back to Paris where I'll stay till I come home Tuesday.
I have no more room in my suitcase and feel I should probably throw something out, in order to close it to go home!  I'm not good at packing light 😉
I'll say night night now and may write one more time from Paris.
J

Wed Oct 22. En route to Switzerland

I had to say adieu to Joni, Tom & Montpellier today. I had a wonderful visit in the south of France. Of course it was too short, but I'll have to return.
Got on train from Montpellier to Switzerland. Unfortunately the train was late getting to Lyon so I missed my connecting train to Geneva. Had to wait 2 hours for next train.

Soon after Lyon we began getting into the Alps & it started getting colder & looking like the Alps. In Geneva I had to buy next legs of train tix--- first for Lausanne, which was my destination for today. Tomorrow I'll train on to Fribourg where I'll be met by my friend (also named Jane).

Ok, so here' s how this happened.  Jane lives near me at home and we became friends walking our dogs.  She has a chalet in Switzerland and our timing coincided --- she is in Switzerland while I was in France-- so she invited me to visit the chalet.  Besides that being interesting in itself, across the lake ( Geneva) from Lausanne is Evian where I spent 3 weeks one summer in high school. So this region has special memories for me.  I decided to go to Switzerland instead of touring more in France.
I need to explain why I am more chatty in this message that I was in France. It's because when I was in France, I was with Joni & Tom & we were constantly busy so I had no time to write. Here I am alone.
So tomorrow it's off to the chalet in the Alps in a village called Charmey.
I likely will not have Internet again till late Friday when I return to Lausanne.
Bon nuit!
J

Tues Oct 21

We have been very busy. Today we drove to Provence again to see Arles, a charming town with excellent Roman ruins. That was very special for me to see-- especially cuz I had hoped to go to Italy this fall!  Again it was wonderful weather too.  I took a lot of pix I'll share when I can.
It's my last day with Joni & Tom. They have been wonderful and I'm really happy I got to come here.
Tomorrow I'm off to Switzerland. I hope to be able to write more tomorrow night & explain why I'm going to Switzerland. Fun!

Somewhere in the south of France...

It's Sunday Oct 19. The weather has been fabulous the whole time here which is perfect because we are doing lots of outdoor activities. Today we drove to Provence-- to les Baux de Provence to see the medieval chateau and quarry nearby. The chateau had beautiful views of the valley & mountains as well as artifacts like catapults-- showing some aspects of their lives. The quarry was a most unusual place as they put on an amazing visual presentation of art on all the walls of this indoor quarry. I cannot explain it well. . . Just very unique.
I got a taste of Provence on this lovely drive. (Montpellier is not in Provence so the drive took us east into this different region. ) I got a feel of how much more touristy Provence is and the landscape is quite different. It really did feel like what I expected Provence would be--- just a taste of it in one day of course. Really picturesque. Tomorrow we are going to take it easy as we've been going at a high speed so far..
JP

Day 4 ( ish)

It's just after midnight Sat ( really Sunday). I didn't think it would be this hard to write updates but I've had precious little time with wi fi. I arrived in Montpellier yesterday afternoon and it's been a whirlwind since then. Joni & Tom have a wonderful apartment & because they've come here 7 times before, they know the region & people. So last night we went out w an Irish couple they're friends with. Very fun & entertaining. Today we began by going to the local marche ( farmer's market). Then we went in a 3 hour walking city tour which was wonderful. The city has a 1000 year history & architecture. Most interesting. Then after a dinner of crepes, we met some French friends for a movie--- Ben Affleck's Gone Girl in English, followed by drinks. Both nights we didn't get home till after 11:00. So I've just not been able to write here!  I'd thought the train yesterday for 3 hours might have wi fi but it didn't so I wasn't  able to research & write as I'd hoped.
Joni & Tom are perfect hosts & I could not feel more welcomed. I'm still not certain when I'll leave here-- Tues or Wed-- nor where I'll go next but I'm narrowing the choices & am not stressed about not knowing. It's all unfolding beautifully.
I hope to be able to write more tomorrow but no guarantees.😊. It's a wonderful trip!  Very glad I came!
Jane

Oct 16. La France day 1

Bonjour from Paris!
I arrived yesterday after a not-as-bad-as-I- expected flight!  The cheap seat section 😊 was 1/3 full so I got 2 seats separate from anyone else. And I didn't even get sick!
My hotel room is perfect & is actually one shown in their website.  I feel very comfortable --- with the lovely hotel & the neighborhood.
Visited Notre Dame ---across the street 😊 and walked around Isle St Louis & Latin Quarter. For dinner I had raclette  & a Stella!  Quel surprise!
At each turn I recall my past trips here with Roger, Jackie, Michelle, Joan & Jolene & high school classmates.  Beaucoup de souvenirs/ memories.
I managed to sleep 10 hours last night and am amazed at how easy the adjustment is this time.(I guess 10 hours of sleep helps. )  Today I Decided to visit Musee d'Orsay again cuz I just love the impressionists.
Tomorrow morning I'll take the train 3.5 hours to Montpellier and Joni's.  Le voyage commence!
Jane

Tuesday after thoughts

I now see that I forgot to include the Jon Stewart movie Rosewater in my list of favorites but meant to.
I need to stress that none of the movies was awful , but my top ones are the ones I listed. Some of the others might well have been in your top list and some of the others I would indeed recommend you see. I only listed those I really liked. Just personal preference.

Last dayTelluride 2014

I am always sad on the final day, but this was a good one as we got to see 4 more movies. In total I saw 23 however 6 were shorts, so 17 full length. This is by far a new record, as last year I saw 14and previous   years it was about 13. One reason was that this year the timing of films ( schedule) was much better, with minimal down time. Here's the list.

1. 99 Homes was a frightening tale set in Florida --2008-- during the foreclosures of millions of homes. The  focus was on a few of the slimy characters who capitalized on the tragedies of individuals. Strong acting. Definitely worth seeing.

2. 50 year argument was a documentary about celebrating the 50 year anniversary of  the New York Review of Books.  In it were clips from many interviews with interesting persons over the decades.  It was interesting for about 1/2 of it .

3 Diplomacy, was set in 1944 Paris under Nazi control & consisted mostly of a diplomatic discussion between a French diplomat and a German General. The Frenchman was trying to convince the German not to destroy Paris.  My Francophile friends will like this one.

4 Seymour  was a documentary about a famous pianist, Seymour Bernstein, discussing his philosophy of music & life. The actor Ethan Hawke  directed this. I very much liked the piano master classes & his reflections about music in our lives.

It was a very fulfilling festival.

At the top of my list:

The Imitation Game ( which seems to be everyone's favorite)
Merchants of Doubt-- documentary
Birdman
Foxcatcher
99 homes

But there are others that are good & that some of you will like.

Shorts we saw:
Lava
Lift you up
Box
Alissa
Don't hug me
Feast

So sorry it is over! :-)

Sunday day 3

This will be brief because I broke my past record by seeing FIVE feature films!! Whew!

1. Birdman-- will appeal to my theatre friends.  Michael Keaton as an aging actor and Ed Norton along with an excellent supporting cast.  I can't wait to see it again. Filmmaker was Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu-- who did Babel-- and I like his twisted sense of humor and some priceless lines. Festival goers really like this one too.

2. Escobar about Pablo Escobar' s demise.  Fiction, but real in that Escobar was a monster. Well done.

3. Merchants of Doubt-- documentary about the science- deniers--- who have convinced a public that there is doubt around issues such as global warming.  The film shows how the deniers have developed clever strategies they use over & over.  This would be excellent for a college class discussing propaganda or faulty reasoning or, of course, any science class.  Super job.

4. Dancing Arabs-- a love story about an Arab boy who falls in love w an Israeli girl. Very well done.

5 Wild Tales. -- a wild ride through 6 short tales of coincidences & vengeance. Set in Argentina -- very funny!

No time for detail but please ask me for more about any you're especially interested in.
Goodnight.

Saturday day 2

We got in 4 movies today beginning with The Foxcatcher. It was starring Chaning Tatum as an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling and a very against- type casting of Steve Carrell as an eccentric coach wanna-be.  Mark Ruffalo also in it.  Outstanding acting!  This one will get a lot of attention. Based on true story. I do not want to spoil this one & I advise you not read about it in advance. Definitely recommend this.

Mommy was a poignant story of a son with major behavioral issues and his mother.  Very well done but likely not for a wide audience.  Directed by a 26 yr old Canadian who clearly has a bright future.

The imitation Game --- my favorite so far staring Benedict Cumberbatch as the man who led the work to decipher the Enigma code inWWII. Riveting and real. I expect to see awards for this one.

The homesman starring Hilary Swank was the last tonight. Directed by & also staring Tommy Lee Jones. A good movie but by far not a best one. A period story about a frontier woman. Swank was honored by the festival in a ceremony we saw, as well as a retrospective of her career.

A very satisfactory day!  I got pix of Carrell & Tatum but can't post. Oh-- and during the last movie Jon Stewart sat at the end of my row-- about 10 seats away!  This I love about Telluride---People are respectful & give people their space.

Gotta get some sleep now..
Jane

Friday at Telluride day 1

Today began with the brunch for festival patrons.  As always the food & locale were spectacular. It didn't seem that many of the film makers or actors were there but then we saw Ken Burns and then Jon Stewart arrived!  I got a great pic of him but cannot figure how to post it here now.

Then after I took his picture I had a private moment with him !
Jane. "we are all really excited about your film"
Jon " oh thanks. I hope I don't disappoint everyone"
Jane " I am sure you will not".
Fun! :-). Fortunately we also got to see his film tonight.  But I get ahead of myself.

After brunch we saw the Reese Witherspoon movie based on the book Wild. It was enjoyable.  She's here.

Then we went to a very artsy film Mr Turner --about an English artist. Unsure whether it would reach a very wide audience, but you can ask me more if interested. Cinematography was beautiful.

Finally we saw Jon Stewart's Rosewater. WOW!  He introduced the film before then had a panel with him, the lead actor and the real Mazier Bahan on whom the story was based.  I want to be sure to watch Daily show in coming weeks to hear what he says about Telluride!
All 3 films today were based on real people/ events.

It's 12:45 am and I'm too tired to write more now. Sorry!

Telluride Film Festival 2014 Thursday

It's the day before the festival starts. We arrived last night. This morning we were shocked to discover they gave out the programs today! A first! How wonderful to be able to read the schedule  early. So at this time, we know most of the movies and a lot of the actors & directors etc who will be here-- not just their movies but them in person.

No telling who we will personally see but here's the list so far: Jon Stewart with his directorial debut; Steve Carrell; Channing Tatum; Hillary Swank who will be honored; Reese Witherspoon; Benedict Cumberbatch; Laura Dern.
I imagine a number of them will attend the Patrons Brunch tomorrow.  Photo op.

Besides a tribute to Hillary Swank, there is a tribute to Apocalpse Now on the occasion of its 35th anniversary. Coppola will be here with others to reflect on this landmark film.

In addition, typically there are surprise people & films that will be TBAs announced in the coming days.
Besides getting acclimated today Michelle looked at some condos for possible purchase. That was fun!
I hope to be able to post more about our experiences tomorrow. So far, so good.

Oh-- I just saw the full list of films so far  is on the website for Telluride Film Festival. So I won't list them now , but you can check it out if interested.
 Again-- that's a first-- to be posted already.

-- Jane

Aug. 12, 2014

Hi friends,

Today is Aug 12th; in 15 days we leave for Telluride.  (We go early to get acclimated to the elevation). The Festival begins Friday, Aug 29.  I hope to do my first posting that day, or if not, on the 30th.  We'll then see films each day through Labor Day, and we head home on Tuesday Sept 2.  As always, we will not know which films will be there until they are announced on 8/29.  Michelle & I are being joined by several of her family members and there will be 4 other people with us in the 4 bedroom condo we rented (a new place this time). As before, I will not attempt to write any kind of reviews but instead will list the films and any interesting people we come across.  Please feel free to ask me later if you'd like more impressions of any of the movies. I cannot predict when my postings will be written, as it all depends on time.  Squeezing 4 -5 movies in a day is pretty consuming!
 I can't wait!! :-)
--Jane