Early signs of spring

Clay's scouting trip to Lille was in January, 2025. What he had read about the winter weather and what he experienced on that trip was that typical days were cloudy and often rainy, but temperatures above freezing for the most part and little snow. Everyone asks us why we chose Lille and are often surprised when the weather one of the factors we mention. Most retirees want to live in the south of France, lured by sunshine and warmth. However, in a country without air conditioning, that winter warmth is sultry heat in the summer and didn't want that. Lille seemed to be closer to more comfortable year round temperatures. 

So far, this winter has been better than I expected. We did get a bit of snow once or twice but it never amounted to anything and I was fine with that. There have actually been more sunny times than I expected and even when it was cloudy and wet, the rain was not constant. The south of France has actually had worse weather this winter. Several severe storms from the Atlantic have hit the area and caused widespread flooding as well as wind damage. 

I realize that it's only mid-February but we are already beginning to see some early signs of spring as evidenced by these photos. The first spring wild flowers seem to be snowdrops and they are in full bloom right now. Other things are sprouting as well giving me something to watch and look for. My indoor plants are growing as well and I keep adding to them when I see something. This morning I bought some tulip bulbs and planted them in an indoor planter. I'll post a picture when they are in bloom. 

Snowdrops

I'm not sure what this is, but it's sprouting.

Cyclamen, planted, not wild. This was the first houseplant I bought, it died.

A wet day walk. 

This is some type of moss that has recently greened up. 

Daffodils, forming buds already.

This is a planted area I pass by twice daily, neat rows of tightly trimmed shrubs.

Just recently I've noticed rows of daffodils sprouting. They are going to be beautiful.

Don't forget: FUCK TRUMP, FUCK ICE, FUCK THE GOP ENABLERS. 

A night at the opera

We had tickets to an opera Thursday evening. I've been wanting to see on since we got here. This was a Czech language production ("L'Affaire Makropoulos"), not exactly the most accessible piece for an opera novice, but I wanted to go. Clay found and printed out a synopsis of the plot beforehand, but I can't say that it really prepared me. They were projecting surtitles on a screen above the stage, in French and Dutch. Still not much help for me, but the opera house had something that did help. I can only describe them as high tech opera glasses. You wore them like glasses but they sit high so you can still see under them to watch the performance. The glasses displayed the lyrics in the language of your choice, French, Dutch, or English. 

Thanks to this device I could at least follow the story line. There was no fat lady but someone did die in the end so I guess it was a typical opera. We will be seeing two more in this season. We had nosebleed seats (3rd balcony), but they were fine and gave us a great view of entire space. It was a grand spectacle and I look forward to the next one.

Meanwhile, back at the Citadel, Bailey continues her twice daily walks, getting more off-leash time and making new friends. One downside to the off-leash business is that she can now drink out of the canals, which isn't an issue this time of year but they do post warnings about bad bacteria in the water in the summer. Another concern is that she can find stuff on the ground and eat it before I notice and get her moved past it. She had one morning this past week that she wasn't feeling well and didn't eat. I suspect it may have been due to eating something she found on a walk. But she still acted normally otherwise and by the next morning she was back to normal. 

Watching a barge pass by on the canal.

Meeting a new friend on a rainy day.

I got Bailey a second raincoat at Duluth Trading Co. when we were back in VA in January.

She doesn't mind wearing it and it doesn't inhibit her running and playing.

Cormorants

Early spring flowers

These brass plaques are being installed on the sidewalks in front of certain buildings in Lille, marking the homes of Jews who were deported and killed by Nazis. 

A long, very narrow alleyway in Lille.

Bailey and the setting sun.

As always, FUCK ICE, FUCK TRUMP, FUCK HIS VOTERS, SUPPORTERS, AND ENABLERS, and FUCK THE GOP. 

Long distance support and protest

Saturday was a beautiful day in Lille. It was sunny and mild, temps in the 50s, really nice for the end of January. It was also the day that a group of American expats living in Lille gathered in the Place de la Liberté to hold a protest against authoritarian rule, let's just call it what it is – fascism, in the United States. It wasn't a huge group, there aren't that many of us in Lille, but probably 75-100 people turned out to stand in solidarity with likeminded people on the other side of the Atlantic and around the world. 

As always at these things, the signage was the real star of the show. 

"My grandfather fought fascists in 1944. And now it's my turn."

When people ask us why we moved to France, Trump is always part of the conversation. We have been met by universal understanding and sympathy. I always like to stress however, that even when Trump is dead and gone (the sooner the better), all the people who voted for him, or voted for those who enable him, will still be there. Those people are the reason I don't want to return. 

We can and will still vote in federal elections as Americans living abroad, and I hope that our country of origin will find its way back from the brink, but for now at least, we are happy to observe from a distance.

Today marks six months since we arrived in Lille.

This is the edge of the big open field where the dogs play.