Raaaaaaaaaaaaain

Ever tried eating a sandwich with gloves on and carrying an umbrella all at the same time while walking on cobblestone streets?? Well if you are looking for an adventure I dare you!!

From the moment I arrived here I have loved being able to walk anywhere and everywhere I want to. It's funny how much my walking speed has increased over the last three days of straight rain and wind. Yesterday I actually broke down and pulled out the hats and mittens. I know it maybe a bit early but when your only source of warmth is once you get into the Metro - and yes for once since I have been here am I happy to get on to a warm metro car - you need to be seriously bundled up out there. Maybe that sounds whiny for a New England girl but I swear your blood adjusts easily!!!!

It's the Real Feel Temp that will get you every time.....

Pumpkin Festival

DISCLAIMER: I am writing this while waiting for my plane to take off. So any typos are the fault of my fat fingers on the little iPhone keys!!

With that said I probably have no right to complain as I sit in a plane to Italy but I'm so sad about having to miss the annual Pumpkin Festival at home this year!! To me the Pumpkin Fest is the true sign that fall has begun and just such a reminder of why I love New England. To those of you who aren't familiar the Keene, NH Pumpkin Fest has been an annual occurrence for the last 20 years. The city center (which sounds funny now that I live in a "real" city) is shut down to traffic and is transformed into a gallery of creatively carved pumpkins!! For many years Keene actually held the World Record for the most lit Jack-O-Lanterns. Jumping from 600 carved pumpkins in 1991 to a record high of 29,762 pumpkins in 2009 the festival attracts people from all over.  I am fairly sure that we are no longer the proud owners of the World Record, as places like Boston have also started a Pumpkin Fest, BUT we still carry on with the Pumpkin Fest spirit. Now I have never been a very talented pumpkin carver, sometimes just scooping the guts from the pumpkin really is enough for me but when you are surrounded by friends and family with drinks and food, it really creates an atmosphere you just can't beat. I suppose this year I will live vicariously through photos and friends and Facebook as it is time to take off to Italy!!

PS. I published this post a few days after I wrote it as the Air France flight attendant reminded me that it was time to shut down all electronics...  so I was able to add some pictures from past Pumpkin Festivals!!

Holidays......

Ahhhh:: just returned from back home in good old New England. It was AMAZING to be there. But to be honest the 10 days I was there was not even close to long enough. It did give me lots of time to come up with great blog ideas and notice all the subtle differences between here and there. The flights back were ok. I had a connection in Amsterdam - where I wish I would have had time to go explore again. The short trip between Amsterdam and Paris was not overly smooth. It actually had me gripping the arms of my seat a few times so landing in Paris became even more comforting than normal. I don't normally scare easily on planes but from take off to landing this one was just not good.  So now that I am back to my new "home" I have to seriously focus on unpacking or else I will live out of my suitcase for the next week. Plus I brought so many things back with me that it's like a refreshed wardrobe just waiting for me to dig in. For proof that I brought too much with me ask the lady at the Delta ticket counter in Boston who made me unload pounds from my checked bag to avoid the $150 excess baggage rule. The people behind me loved that, hahah. NOT!!

So once the unpacking is done and I get some sleep. The stories will all be shared and I will be updating o a much more regular basis again. So stay tuned.