Sonia & Jim, Vaivre, Beaubery
Even before the Landcruiser has made it back to the UK we are off on another jaunt. This time to visit Jim’s relations in the US. The journey is not straightforward as we have not yet made it back to London from our Silk Road Trip and have spent the summer months, so far, in our house in Burgundy. Luckily our children had arrived to visit us in France and we got one of them to take us to the station in Macon.
Here we travelled to Paris on the TGV and spent a happy evening wandering around the Eiffel Tower and eating at Le Bon Acceuil, a well reviewed restaurant with fab views of the Eiffel Tower.
The following morning we took ourselves off to the Charles de Gaulle Airport to catch a flight to New York. We were doing quite well before we were challenged at the Airport ticket barrier and were forced to pay a fine of 35 euros each for failing to purchase a ticket for the airport leg of the trip! Whoops. Something to remember next time. Pop up for a new train ticket for the airport leg of the journey!
The airport itself seemed quite straightforward and getting a bit over confident, I decided to have a pedicure whilst waiting for our gate to be called. This was not a great plan.
The beauty therapist kept stopping to deal with customers and never got close to finishing my pedicure. I then managed to speed off to the gate with unfinished toes, without my suitcase and with no minutes to spare. I arrived suitcaseless and sped back again (or limped quickly as I also had a bad back) and found my suitcase and the therapist had both vanished. She had decided to take my suitcase and visit random gates in the hope of finding me! No chance.
Another few minutes elapsed and any benefit gained from the therapy had vanished and I had visions of Jim trying to hold up our flight and me missing it.
Finally she reappeared. I was less than gracious as I grabbed the bag and weaved back to the gate breathily. Luckily they still let us through. I felt more like an idiot, than a well seasoned traveller. Jim wisely said very little!
Luckily things improved. Following the long flight to JFK, we arrived on time and met a nice immigration officer who quickly spotted our Iranian visas but on hearing about our drive from London to Australia sped us on our way with a cheery “I’m proud of you!”. We picked up the booked rental car quite quickly and we sped off for our first rendez-vous in Great Barrington, Massachusetts some 4 hours drive from JFK.
Closing in on Great Barrington, a small Country Town reached on small secondary wooded roads, we were startled when a huge deer nearly passed in front of the car in the gloaming.
Serious damage would have been done to car and beast had it not stopped. It was much bigger than those around our fields in Burgundy and bigger than those regularly seen in Knole Park in Kent.
We arrived in Great Barrington before 10pm, but to us it felt like 4am so we were glad to fall into bed and take stock the next day.
Jim’s cousin Alison had arranged to take us to lunch with their Agnew Cousins (Meg and her husband Merlin) who lived in a wooden house they had built themselves, nestled in the beautiful countryside surrounded by well tended but wild looking flower and fruit gardens, surrounded by woods.
They were being visited by Missy Agnew, Meg’s sister who had previously visited us in London. Their beehives were protected from roaming bears by electric barriers and two brave dogs game for the chase.
Big and little bear incursion stories were plentiful. Lunch was fresh, healthy and home-cooked, served with welcoming chilled Prosecco.
The reason why everything is so green is that it rains! Obviously more-so than in Burgundy this summer, where our lawns have become brown, scrubby and spare.
Still nursing sore hips and back, Meg and Merlin, both therapists with a knowledge of musculoskeletal problems, offered helpful advice and lashings of sympathy as I hobbled around.
We met them several times over as we went to a modern dance event at Jacob’s Pillow, a vast site with multiple stages and facilities for dancers. Then again for a folk concert at the Guthrie Centre. An intriguing community centre, heavily supported by volunteers and founded by Arlo Guthrie, which provides a whole range of musical events including a small stage for touring performers.
On Sunday morning, we leave for the Adirondacks and specifically, Lake Saranac to meet up with Jamie Stuart and family who are holidaying by the lake. Jamie and his brother Alf (who died young), were close to Jim and his family growing up. Jamies’ mother Neale nee Gilkyson, was a good friend to Jim’s Mum, Nonie and also the two of them shared a grandfather as their parents were siblings!