Three months

We sailed past the three month mark this past weekend. Here's a few thoughts.

On insurance:  We have private health insurance that would cover hospitalization and anything catastrophic. We've been paying out of pocket for ordinary doctors' visits, meds, bloodwork, and even seeing specialists and it's been very inexpensive compared to the charges we are accustomed to paying in the U.S. Since we passed the 90 day mark we are now eligible to apply for the national health insurance program and Clay is submitting those applications and a lot of associated paperwork today. It will likely take several months and we may not be accepted on the initial application, but we still have nine months on our private insurance contract anyway.

Parcel shipment and delivery:  At least in the part of the city where we are located, the post is delivered by bicycle and only things that will fit through a mail slot will be delivered to our actual address. For larger items coming by mail, they leave a notice and you pick it up from the post office on another day. That's not so bad. More difficult is buying anything online. Everyone uses a different delivery system but in most cases you still have to pick up your package at a drop point. And of course every shipping system has a different drop point. I recently order a pair of winter hiking boots from Amazon France that came from Italy via UPS. They didn't even make an attempt to deliver it to our address, they just posted something online saying it was delivered to a drop point about 4 km away. No problem, Clay and I made the journey out there by tram and then walking one day last week. The drop point was a gas station, but it wasn't there. It finally showed up at the drop point several days later.

Bailey: She's still not a fan of city traffic, but we don't have much of it to deal with before we get to the park, which she loves. Today we took a subway to the end of the line and then an Uber to visit a boarding facility. It was very nice and we've booked a short stay for her starting Saturday evening. She will have a private cabin with outdoor space surrounded by a high fence, which gave me a great feeling of security. The owner/operator is a woman and is obviously a dog person. 

French class: My A1 level class ended with October and I'm relieved. I wasn't fond of the daily schedule. I'm going to pursue some other learning methods on my own (with Clay's help). The end of the class also makes it possible for us to begin traveling, which was a major retirement goal. 

Travel: With class over and boarding secured, we are making our first out of town trip this Sunday, just for a few days. Not sure yet where we're headed; Clay is researching options. If the boarding works out for Bailey we'll be doing much more travel in the coming months. 

Health goals: I've been walking at least 10 miles per day on average since we arrived here in August. My A1c was recently tested at 6.0, which is in pre-diabetic range and down from my prior test. I haven't lost all the weight I put back on after stopping Ozempic, but it's coming down slowly and hopefully will be sustainable. I'm still undergoing therapy for my right shoulder after rotator cuff surgery, and recently suffered a setback, but I think things are moving in the right direction again now. All things considered, I'm feeling pretty good about it all. 

Congrats to Virginia, New York, and California on yesterday's election results. 

Pelicans in the zoo, viewed from outside.

From a cemetery tour we took last weekend. 

Great blue heron from one of the canals surrounding the Citadel. 

Bailey's new home away from home.

Autumn comes to Lille

After just a few really uncomfortably hot days in August, the temps here became, well, temperate. Summer ended and autumn began but there was no real demarcation, just a gradual cooling off. I'm still getting used to the Celsius scale, so the difference between 12 and 18 doesn't really mean anything to me. Last week, however, we had a storm come in from the Atlantic and it has been noticeably cooler, and wetter, ever since. 

The locals seem to have moved directly to winter clothing, coats, hats, and the ever present scarves. Even many of the runners that I encounter on the trails around the Citadelle seem to be overdressed for the weather, particularly given their activity. I don't mind starting off being a little chilly on our walks because I know that I'll soon work up enough body heat even on a cool day. I have bought a  lightweight rain coat since we arrived, however, and I expect it will be getting a lot of wear because rain seems to be common around here this time of year. We went to a shopping mall last weekend and I bought a cheap, lightweight vest to wear under it. I think those two garments will get me through most of the fall and winter. I downsized my coat closet considerably when we moved, but so far all I've worn on the two new things I bought since we arrived. 

I didn't check with weather before walking to class this morning and found it raining when I left. I had my new vest but not the raincoat and not the hat. I got pretty wet on the way home but at least it wasn't too cold. IT stopped about the time I got home and now the sun is out so I'm heading out again soon with Bailey for our long walk of the day. 

I don't mind the cooler weather, but it remains to be seen how I'll handle the cloudy, rainy days that are said to be typical here through the fall and winter. It's dark now on our early morning walks and evening walks as well, but Bailey and I are now both equipped with lights. I'm wondering if I'll need to get her a rain coat. She's not fond of getting wet. 

Lille lit up for October Rose.

Dog park fun.

Walking and enjoying the falling leaves.

I continue to be fascinated by the canal, canal boats, and the lock on the Deule. Bailey isn't, but she humors me.

Some pictures of our apartment, with furniture and rugs. 

Bailey on an early morning walk.

Feeling like a local

We are just shy of the three month mark but I am beginning to feel like a local. I often forget that everyone around me speaks a different language. I see something interesting and go to read the information sign and am brought back to reality when I realize I can't read it. And actually I am sometimes able to make out at least the gist of it, often with the help of Google Translate. I can find my way around the old part of town pretty well now and am gradually expanding the boundaries of the known world. Clay and I have both had people stop us to ask for directions so we must at least look like we know where we are and what we are doing. He's a good ways ahead of me in this regard, but I am getting there. I can't say that my language skills are greatly improved, but perhaps slightly improved anyway, and I have a plan to continue studying when my class ends at the end of the month. 

We've found a boarding kennel that looks good for Bailey and we plan to visit it sometime soon. Once we have a secure place for her that I feel comfortable with, we'll start planning some excursions by train. 

Bailey and I get out for a half hour walk early in the morning and then a much longer walk in the afternoon that includes a visit to the dog park. That afternoon walk may not happen today, however, because a storm from the Atlantic is blowing in here today with strong wind and a fair amount of rain. I skipped class this morning and have been cooking today instead. I made another batch of gazpacho, a salad, and a salmon quiche so far. Next up is some sort of sausage and cabbage dish with ingredients we bought at a local market this week. 

We have tickets to another concert at the opera house this evening. 

The thing that made me feel most like a local, that made feel like I live here, was yelling at a motorist. When you're a tourist in a strange town, you watch out for traffic, never sure of the rules or the deference given to pedestrians. But in your own town, you tend to walk about like you own the place, or at least like you know what you're doing and what you expect drivers to do. Bailey and I were crossing the street to enter the Citadelle. It's a wide, cobblestone walk, but it's a crosswalk, we had green pedestrian lights giving us the go ahead. I think the car came from a side street, maybe didn't realize it was a crosswalk, I don't know, but it came uncomfortably close and I said a few choice words. It would have been even better if I could have said it in French. Life goals. 

One of the locks on the Deule. 

There's a circus in town. I think we'll try to go some day next week.

There's a small brewery just down the street from us. The beer is good. 

We took Bailey on a slow evening. She doesn't enjoy it like Maya did, but she was good.

More dog park fun.

Bailey is good with the smaller dogs, but she most enjoys one her own size and speed.

I am fascinated by the canal and the shipping traffic that still uses it. There is good walking trail on both sides and I think we could go on it for many miles.

We crossed over and went beyond our normal route yesterday for an adventure.

The old port of Dunkirk included a series of stepped ramparts along the river/canal that was built for defensive purposes. The site isn't used for anything anymore. They don't exactly invite access, but they don't prohibit it either, as near as I could tell. Bailey and I went in and walked to the top. The best view of the site is actually a satellite photo on Google. You can see what looks like stepped pyramids in the shape of the Citadelle. 

Those two stone posts and two stone block buildings are all that remain of the Port of Dunkirk. 

Bailey and I will venture in here some day and get some better pictures. The city uses it as basically a maintenance yard currently. 

I've posted pictures of the grazing sheep that they use to cut the grass on the green space around the Citadelle. The sheep are still around, but yesterday we were surprised to find a group of ponies and donkeys being grazed there too.