March Birthdays (2009)

Tradition dictates that Kristen celebrates her birthday with her godson Quentin, whose birthday is just 3 days before hers. (Another occasion of a mother messing up her child’s birthday, although Jocelyne did NOT have Quentin induced unlike SOME people we know…) Quentin and Kristen spent the Friday of the weekend together. One special activity was playing mini-golf on possibly the worst maintained course in the world. Quentin won. Back home, they played Animalopoly. Quentin lost and accused me of cheating, so we had to explain that we no longer consider him young enough to ensure he always wins through altruistic cheating, of which we WERE previously guilty.
The rest of the Collignon family arrived on Saturday. We had a great birthday dinner. Kristen had made an American birthday cake like she likes them best: Devil’s food chocolate with butter cream frosting. It was yummy, even if it was not the prettiest cake ever. The adults played a lot of tarot (a contract card game, nothing to do with telling fortunes).

Anybody seen the movie Caddyshack?

Quentin lines up his shot.

Hole in one!

Quentin calls his broker for advice.

Making wishes...

Family picture L to R: Greg, Kristen, Quentin, Jocelyne, Annaëlle, Hugo, Didier

Sweet Home Chicago (January 2009)

We spent the first week of January in Chicago. For Greg, it was new experience. Kristen had been there when she was six. The great thing about Chicago in January is zero lines.  Kristen remembered a very, ver long line at the Sears Tower…and there was NO ONE when we went to see Chicago by Night from the top of the building.

The museums were great: we visited the aquarium, the observatory, the natural science museum and the ever fabulous Museum of Science and Industry. We saw the trains representing America from Chicago to the West Coast.

We went down into the coal mine, with a fabulous tour guide who kept us laughing.

We were overwhelmed by the visit of the U-boat (in its new home inside, unlike when Kristen saw it as a child).

 

We ate good food too, including the famous Chicago deep-dish pizza. We were also lucky enough to enjoy some fun evenings out on the town: jazz at Buddy Guy’s Legends, the Bulls playing basketball, and the Blue Man Group (not to be missed!).

Our only regret is that it was so cold while we were there that we couldn’t wander around much. The good news is that this gives us an excuse to go back when the weather is warmer!

More pictures online at http://picasaweb.google.com/GregorieKristen/ChicagoJan09?authkey=Gv1sRgCPSuqISGop3qWA#

Last Christmas…(December 2008)

To establish the right atmosphere for reading this blog post, you might want to listen to Wham's "Last Christmas".

We spent Christmas 2008 in Mayville, NY. After a 6-hour snow delay in Chicago, we understood WHY the tickets had been so reasonably priced: no one in their right mind transits through Chicago in the winter. To make matters worse, we had to drive from the Buffalo airport tired and jetlagged in horrendous weather: snow, sleet, and rain. Instead of arriving at Kathie/Mhom’s house around 11pm as planned, we pulled into the driveway around 6am, the day after we left France.

Hôtels -- transport

For those visiting us, here are some nearby hotels and info about transport options:
Pour ceux qui nous rendent visite, voici quelques hôtels à proximité et des infos sur les transports en commun:

No, they don't taste like chicken

Wherever you go in southern Africa, you are likely to encounter a Boma. The Boma is a traditional gathering place, usually partially covered and partly open. So on the tourist circuit, Boma dinners are frequently part of the package. The hotel we stayed at in Vic Falls (the Vic Falls Safari Lodge http://www.vfsl.com/index/?sID=25) has a very good and very elaborate Boma restaurant. Every night they offer an extensive buffet which provides the opportunity to taste many African dishes. The show is fabulous as well: the performers are excellent, and they are very good at getting the audience involved. At one point in time, they distributed djembé and we all did some drumming together. Some of us also got to go up and dance with the professionals.

Partout en Afrique australe, vous trouvez des Boma. Le Boma est un lieu de rencontre. Souvent une partie est couverte et une autre à ciel ouvert. Les Diners au Boma sont communs sur le circuit touristique. Il y avait un très bon resto-Boma à notre hôtel à Vic Falls (Vic Falls Safari Lodge http://www.vfsl.com/index/?sID=25). Tous les soirs ils offrent un grand buffet qui permet de goûter plein de plats africains. Le spectacle est très agréable également. Les musiciens et danseurs sont doués et ils ont de bons moyens pour faire participer le public. A un moment donné nous avons tous reçu un djembé pour faire un numéro ensemble. On était plusieur à monter sur scène danser aussi.

Now here's another example of how clever the locals are at marketing. When we sat down the waiter asked if we were going to try their particular delicacy, Mopane worms. Mopane worms are valued, among other reasons, because they are a great source of protein. A little doubtful, Kristen asked what the texture was like. "Crunchy" was the reply. Sensing hesitation, the waiter explained that if we tried a worm in front of the chef, we'd get a certificate for our efforts. Well, alrighty then! Even our friend Di (the "bride" from the helicopter) did a total 180 from "no way" to "I want a certificate!"

Encore un exemple du talent local pour le marketing: quand nous nous installions à table, le serveur a demandé si on allait essayé leur délicatesse particulière : les vers Mopane. Ces vers sont prisés, parmi d'autres raisons, comme étant riches en protéines. Un peu dubatative, Kristen a cherché à connaître la texture. "Croustillant" a-t-il répondu. Voyant qu'elle hésitait encore, le serveur nous a expliqué que nous aurions un certificat si nous goûtions un vers devant le chef. Alors, ça change tout ! Même notre amie Di (la jeune mariée de l'hélico) a fait volte-face de "JAMAIS" à "Mais je veux un certificat, moi aussi !"

Mopane worms might be crunchy when served straight from the frying pan, but when served on a buffet, they frankly get kind of rubbery. Kristen was grateful to be able to wash her worm down with very good South African red wine.

C'est possible que les vers Mopane soient croustillants mangés chauds de la poêle, mais depuis un buffet ils sont franchment caoutchouteux. Kristen étais très reconnassaint de pouvoir avaler le sien avec l'aide d'un bon vin rouge sud-africain.

Mosi-oa-Tunya (Victoria Falls)

We weren't sure what to expect when we headed to Zimbabwe just a week before the election in June, but we had a great stay. We were really impressed by the level of service offered and the creative sales techniques. We were picked up at the Botswana border by Brighton (our guide and driver), and shortly thereafter, we were joined by a nice, young policeman who needed a ride home. Having a policeman in the front seat of your car is a great way to whiz through all the checkpoints, so we were at the hotel in no time at all.

On n'était pas sûrs des conditions quand on est allés au Zimbabwe seulement une semaine avant l'élection en juin, mais le séjour était super ! On était vachement impressionnés par la qualité du service et par l'esprit d'entrepreneur. Brighton (notre guide) nous a cherché à la frontière du Botswana et un jeune policier très sympa qui faisait du stop est monté peu après -- un excellent moyen de passer rapidement tous les contrôles routiers.

We were late getting to Victoria Falls (the transport company had forgotten to send someone to pick us up at Chobe), so Brighton gave us just the time to check in before picking us up for our walking tour of the Falls. We had the perfect viewing conditions: when you are there at maximum water flow like we were, you usually don't get to see much of the Main Falls because they are hidden by the mist. However, the wind was blowing just the right way. When you go to see the Falls, you MUST wear a raincoat. Many tourists (especially people who have previously visited Niagara Falls, I suspect) think this is just a racket to sell raincoats to tourists at inflated prices. So one of the amusing aspects of visiting the Falls is seeing the drenched (and I do mean drenched) people coming out of the viewing area who refused to rent or buy a coat. We were wearing rain gear, and Kristen still needed to dry her shoes for two days!

On est arrivés un peu en retard à Victoria Falls (le transporteur avait oublié de nous chercher à Chobe), donc Brighton nous a donné juste le temps de déposer nos affaires à l'hôtel avant de nous amener aux chutes pour notre visite à pied. Nous avions les conditions parfaites pour voir les chutes : une chance quand on est là au moment du flux maximal qui crée beaucoup de brouillard. Quand on visite les chutes il faut impérativement porter un imperméable. Il y a plein de touristes qui croient qu'il s'agit juste de la vente forcée et qui refusent. Donc un aspect amusant de la visite est de voir ces idiots qui sont absolumment trempés car ils ont refusé d'en mettre. Nous étions équipés et pourtant il fallait deux jours pour secher les chaussures à Kristen.

Kristen and Brighton in front of the Main Falls, just before entering the cloud of mist over Danger Point.
Kristen et Brighton devant les Chutes Principales, juste avant d'entrer dans le brouillard au Point de Danger.

On Day 2, we took the Flight of Angels (helicopter) over the Falls. Again, we were lucky, because this time the mist was blowing the OTHER way, again providing ideal viewing conditions. On the right of the picture, you can see the town of Livingstone in Zambia. Victoria Falls is 1609m (1 mile) wide and only 100m (303ft) high. The average maximum flow is 3000 cubic metres per second (106,000 cu ft/s). The mist from the Falls creates a mini-rain forest (above the bridge). The local name for Vic Falls is Mosi-oa-Tunya, which means The Smoke that Thunders.

La deuxième jour, nous avons survolé les chutes en hélico (le dit Vol des Anges). La chance nous a souri de nouveau car le vent partait dans l'autre direction, qui offrait la meilleure vue aérienne. A droite vous voyez la ville de Livingstone en Zambie. Les chutes sont larges de 1609m et haut de 100m. Le flux moyem maximal est environ 3000 m cubes par séconde. Le brouillard crée un mini forêt de la pluie (au-dessus du pont). Le nom local pour les chutes est Mosi-oa-Tunya : la Fumée qui fait de la Tonnerre.

To give you an idea of the clever marketing they do: when we were getting in and out of the helicopter, we were being filmed. Five minutes after our landing, they sold us a DVD of our flight. Basically they took the footage of us and spliced it onto pre-existing footage of a flight over the Falls. So by the magic of technology, it's a bright sunny day in our video!

Pour vous donné une idée du marketing futé du coin : on nous a filmé à l'entrée et à la sortie du hélico. Cinq minutes plus tard ils nous ont vendu un DVD de "notre" vol. Bizarrement, le soleil brille pleinement dans le film ! Ils ont fusionné les quelques minutes de notre apparence avec un film pré-existant. Très malin.

We shared the helicopter with a nice couple from South Africa (Di and Vaughn), but we thought they were a little strange at first. They were being very cagey about needing to sit together in the helicopter (one person is up front and three behind). When we were up in the air, I saw them exchange rings. Once we landed, they explained that they had just renewed their wedding vows! They were staying at the same hotel as us, so we went back to the hotel and had tea and cake to celebrate.

On a partagé l'hélico avec un couple Sud-Africain (Di et Vaughn). Ils étaient très sympas, mais on les a trouvé un peu bizarre au départ. Ils insistaient pour s'asseoir ensemble (on était 1 devant et 3 derrière). Pendant le vol, je les ai vu échanger des bagues. Une fois revenus sur la terre, ils ont expliqué qu'ils venaient de renouveler leur serment du mariage. On logeait tous au même hôtel, donc on y est retourner pour fêter l'occasion avec du thé et du gâteau.


Another really fun adventure we had was our elephant-back safari. These elephants are either orphans or have been rescued from culling operations. The bull we rode has the imaginative name of Jumbo. Jumbo pretty much had a mind of his own and kept trying to wander off the trail to eat yummy shrubs.

Une autre aventure sublime : le safari au dos d'éléphant. Ces animaux sont soit des orphelins, soit sauvés des opérations de réduction de population dans des zones surpeuplées. Nous avons chevauché un mâle avec le nom très imaginatif de Jumbo. Jumbo avait ses propres idées sur le déroulement des choses et quittait régulièrement le chemin pour aller chercher des buissons qui avait l'air appetisant.
No trip to Vic Falls is complete without a Sundowner Cruise (affectionately known as the Booze Cruise). Greg and Kristen had a bit of a competition to see who could take the best picture of the amazing sunset.

Aucun séjour à Vic Falls n'est complet sans une croisière au coucher du soleil (surnommé les Booze Cruise pour la quantité d'alcool consommé). Greg et Kristen se battait pour voir qui pourrait mieux réussir une photo du coucher du soleil magnifique qui s'est offert à nous.

For more pictures from our stay in Victoria Falls, you can visit our photo page at http://gregokristen.shutterfly.com/ or see the album only at share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AZsWrFw5bM2LDlA.

Vous pouvez voir d'autres photos de notre séjour à Victoria Falls sur notre page de photos http://gregokristen.shutterfly.com/ ou vous pouvez voir uniquement cet album à share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AZsWrFw5bM2LDlA.

Chobe: elephants, giraffes and the Germans

While Chobe is famous for its huge elephant population, the highlights of our stay were other animals and some people. Thom and Debra flew up from Gaborone for the weekend, and once the inevitable confusions about the transfer from the airport were sorted out, we had loads of fun.

Bien que Chobe soit connu pour ses éléphants, nos souvenirs de ce séjour se focalisent sur d'autres animaux et quelques personnes. Thom et Debra sont venu de Gaborone pour le week-end, et une fois les histoires logistiques inéluctables résolues, nous avons passé un très agréable week-end.

You may remember our mentioning "the Germans" when we were in Xugana. Well, imagine our surprise when we went to our jeep the first time and discovered that our jeepmates for the duration were the Germans (who actually turned out to be Austrian). We had lots of laughs together in a mixture of French, German and English. Our motto became "Schau, ein klein!" (Look, a little one!) everytime a baby elephant came in sight (and there were many).

Vous vous rappelez peut-être des "Allemands" que nous avions croisé à Xugana. Imaginez notre surprise la première fois où nous sommes montés dans notre jeep et avons appris que nous allions partager notre séjour avec les "Allemands" (qui finalement sont Autrichiens). On a bien rigolé ensemble, parlant une mélange d'anglais, français et allemand. notre devise est devenu "Schau, ein klein!" (Regarde, un petit !) chaque fois où quelqu'un voyait un éléphanteau (et il en avait beaucoup).

We told the Austrians that they were lucky not to have been at Xugana the second night because this UNBEARABLE woman showed up. She was loud, complained and just generally behaved in an inappropriate way, for example, showing up for her walking safari wearing bright red and blue and patent leather high heel shoes! They stopped us halfway through the story and asked if she was Italian, blonde and called N. Yes! Turns out they had met her at another camp. While we were at Moremi other people there had tales to tell about her as well. This woman became a bush legend for all the wrong reasons.

Nous raccontions aux Autrichiens qu'ils avaient de la chance de ne pas être restés à Xugana car notre deuxième soirée un femme INSUPPORTABLE s'est pointée. Elle gueulait et se comportait généralement d'une façon très désagréable. Par exemple, pour son safari à pied, elle portait du rouge et du bleu très vifs, ainsi que des chaussures à talon en cuir verni ! Les Autrichiens ont interrompu notre récit pour demander si elle était Italienne, blonde et s'appelait N. Oui ! Car ils l'avaient croisé à un autre camp. Pendant notre séjour à Moremi, on a rencontré d'autres personnes qui l'avaient vu. Elle est devenu légendaire dans le coin.

We had always learned that a group of giraffes is called a journey. Apparently that is only when they are walking. When they are standing around, they are called a tower of giraffes. We invented another mass noun: a horizon of giraffes.

Les anglophones avaient toujours appris qu'un groupe de girafes s'appelle un journey (un voyage). Apparemment c'est uniquement quand ils bougent. Quand ils sont au repos, c'est un tower (une tour) de girafes. Et nous avons inventé un autre variant : un horizon de girafes.

Cape buffalo spend the night on the open plain where they can see predators coming from a distance. Giraffes stay in the bush because their height allows them to keep an eye on what's happening. During the day, the buffalo head into the cooler brush, and the giraffes come to the water in the open. Twice a day, you can see them change places. It's like rush hour on the savannah.

Les bufles du Cap passe la nuit sur la plaine où ils peuvent voir arriver des prédateurs. Les girafes restent dans la brousse car ler hauteur permet de guetter. Pendant la journée, les bufles recherchent la fraicheur de la brousse, pendant que les girafes aillent aux points d'eau. Donc deux fois par jour ils échangent de place. C'est l'heure du point à la savane.

To see more photos from Chobe, you can view the album at(share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AZsWrFw5bM2LDeg) Shutterfly or visit our photo page: http://gregokristen.shutterfly.com/.

Vous pouvez visionner l'album complet des photos de Chobe à(share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AZsWrFw5bM2LDeg) ou vous pouvez visitez notre site de photos : http://gregokristen.shutterfly.com/.