After a Delay - Parts 3 and 4

Part 3 - Avignon
OK so I am never going to find the time to describe Avignon, France as it should properly be described, especially now that I am back in the USA working full-time. Dammit.

Let's just say the South of France is better than the cliches - amazing, relaxing, loaded with history (Roman and Papal and otherwise), food and wine to make you want to never go home. One again, I will have to describe this place in pictures, and not just because I am lazy, but because the town is just so amazing.

We stayed at Maison Boussingault in the historic center of Avignon. I would definitely recommend this simple, cheap hotel. I can't even give a lot of restaurant recommendations because everywhere we ate was amazing, but we did really enjoy Le 26. Just stay away from the restaurants in the touristy bits of the town, and you'll be fine.

So here I am in Arles, a quick day trip from Avignon via train. Oh and Roman ruins in Arles will make you want to piss yourself they are so awesome. I didn't (piss myself, that is), but only because it was so UNSEASONABLY COLD while we were there. It was the SOUTH OF FRANCE in late MAY. I used caps to emphasize how pissed I was that it was the coldest spring in 100 EFFING YEARS in Europe. It was supposed to be in the 80s and it was maybe 60.

At the Roman coliseum in Arles, just redic, but cold.

Also we were detoxing from work stress, well Dave was. So there was a lot of wandering around the city of Avignon.

Villeneuve-lès-Avignon Market, don't effing tell me that cheese isn't awesome.

We carried SIX bottles of Champagne with us to Avignon from our trip to Champagne. Let's just say they were freaking heavy that some of them had to be sacrificed (consumed) before coming back to the USA. Here is a nice little bottle of Bryce accompanying our lunch picnic.

Cherries, berries, radis, cheese, bread, and faggots (meat sticks) = picnic perfection.

Oh guess what, there was drinking.

Also, castles and gorgeousness - come on.

And more drinking.

But hey, it wasn't all relaxing and drinking. We also did a 35K ride to Châteauneuf-du-Pape though vineyards and fields.......also along freeways, but we'll forget that part. The directions we received from the tourism office were in French. Luckily, I had been taking French for the 3 weeks prior to this trip while we were in Paris  - or else we might have ended up in Italy.

Fields of poppies everywhere.

This is where the Pope kept his wine during the Great Schism. Smart man.

Part 4 - Chicago and Tahoe
So we made it back to the States (should that be capitalized, hmmmm) from Europe. There were a few days in Chicago with family on the way back to Cali, most of which I don't remember because we were drinking the remains of all Champagne we didn't consume in Avignon.

There was also the Tahoe Relay!!!! After 2 years in London doing the occasional race where I knew NO ONE (and upon finishing, just went home), I cannot even express how amazing it was to run the last 200 yards of the race surrounded by the 13 women from our two relay teams. I ran the last leg and they were all there to run me into the finish. Blah, I am going to get all wishy-washy thinking about it.You ladies all rock!

Anyway, if you want to know more about the Tahoe Relay, Miss AT described the day way better than I could here.

Much love to the many friends that kept up with us. I may have a few post-London blogs up my sleeve, so stay tuned:).

Where Have You Monkeys Been (Part 2 of 4)

You all know how much we Monkeys love Champagne. So while in Paris, it was necessary to take the hour-long trip to the Champagne region to do a tour and tasting.

This was a great idea, courtesy of our friends AM1 and AM2. We spoiled ourselves with a private tour of four small-producer vineyards. I won't belabor the point of how awesome it was - because you already know that. I booked the tour through Larry at Experience Paris, and he was the best. I highly recommend his company if you want to take a tour of the Champagne region while visiting Paris.

Here is how the day went, I included some of the info Larry sent me about the vineyards and houses.

   
9:45 a.m. Tasting at Godmé Père et Fils: www.champagne-godmé.fr
We tasted in the owners house, like no big deal - come on in. So cool! Established in 1946, Godmé Père et Fils is a traditionnal Champagne maker located in one of the 17 100% Grand Cru villages. They take great pride in protecting nature as much as possible and this year's harvest will be their first to be recognized as being organic - and organic/biodynamic/low-sulfite and sulfite-free wines are HUGE in France right now.

11:00 a.m. Surprise tasting at Champagne Brice: http://www.champagne-brice.com/
We were supposed to go to another producer to taste, but they were closed so our guide scrambled and got us into Brice. One of the owners (Remy) rode up on his bike to let us in, and then proceeded to give us a tour of his 300-year-old cave and a tasting that was unforgettable. Located in the heart of Bouzy, they benefit from the village's micro-climate which allows its local Pinot Noir to be absolutely fantastic.

AM and I with Remy. This guy was very French and very very funny.

12:15 a.m. Lunch at Les Avisés: www.selosse-lesavises.com/
We lunched at a B&B/inn type of place. It was very cute and comfortable. I think we had asparagus, duck, then cheese and dessert. The restaurant had a fixed menu so you just sit down and eat what they had that day. This is such an indicator of the French and their attitude towards food. None of this dairy-free, vegetarian, gluten-free, fat-free, paleo-whoseywhatsit that us spoiled Americans seem to be obsessed with right now. You eat what is fresh and good you will eat it how they prepared it, so shut up and eat. 


2:30 p.m. Tasting at Michel Gonet: www.gonet.fr
This was another location where you just walk in and taste Champagne in someone's house, it seems a bit awkward - but after the first taste, you feel right at home. The Champagne maker here was an amazing woman who told us stories about how a few sips of the humble Champagne can save lives! For real. She sat and tasted with us for an hour or so, no hurry - just keep tasting and enjoy. Then, Dave made her spit out her wine laughing. Anywho, Michel Gonet is located in Avize, and is a Chardonnay specialist. They are part of the larger Gonet group, which owns vineyards all over France.

We only look well behaved.

3:45p.m. Tasting at Tribaut-Schloesser: www.champagne-tribaut.com
Our last tasting of the day was a bit of a bust since we were all tired and full of Champagne. However, we soldiered on. Trisbaut-Schloesser produces 300,000 bottles per year and they make fruity, casual champagne. They have a range of 9 different champagnes including the award winning Cuvée René, 70% chardonnay 30% Pinot Noir matured in oak barrels.

Pretty enough to drink, but not for 3 more years!

Group photo!

Lesson learned: Don't buy six bottles of champagne while tasting and then try to carry them all with you on the train to Avignon the next day. Dear god those bottles are thick and HEAVY; however, any permanent damage to my back is well worth the reward of drinking those beautiful bubbles.

Next post: Avignon, France.

Where Have You Monkeys Been (Part 1 of 4)

Yes part 1 of 4.......

How annoying Monkeys, you ditch everyone for weeks than have all sorts of stuff to talk about. Whatever, at least now I am committed to writing four posts about the shit we have been doing for the last five weeks. It's official.

So Paris. Yeah, 3 weeks in Paris went by in a blink. And every second was outstanding. I love that place: the warm baguettes with dinner every night, the cheese, the wine, the lifestyle, the scarves, the urine-smelling Metro, all of it.

So what did we do? Well we mostly ate and drank good things, oh man  a lot of good things. So many good things that I have a butter-induced spare tire around my waist - worth every bite/drink as far as I am concerned.

Camembert, jambon, walnuts, tomatoes, eggs, and roasted potatoes = SALAD.

But also I was productive (kind of). I went to French class in the mornings at the Leutece Language School, then I worked in the afternoons at our cute little apartment. We stayed in the 19th Arrondissement, a bit outside of the normal tourist track - but totally cool! We were adjacent to the very trendy bars, boutiques, restaurants, and cafes of the Parisian "Bobo" area (bourgeois boheme). I would say the area is similar to the Mission in SF maybe, but much cleaner and less scary. There were so many affordable, interesting places to go and things to do. I will definitely stay out there the next time I am in Paris. Though a note of warning: it helped that I could speak a bit of French as English was definitely not ubiquitous in these parts.

So what else......

Well, it was mother effing ass unseasonably cold the WHOLE TIME we were in Paris. And also rainy. My broken umbrella and I were really sad about it. All I wanted was to escape the looooooooong cooooooold British winter, and Paris was absolutely no better than London. I was lucky if it broke 55 degrees the entire 3 weeks. Booooo.

It wasn't all bad though, after all it is Paris. There was biking, that made me happy!

City-sponsored Velib bikes!

There was the Paris St. Germain soccer match, which we attended with the gorgeous, Canadian Kerry Anne from my French class. The match happened to be David Beckham's last game ever! 

Love you Kerry!

Also, there was the Paris sewer tour. OK - I know it sounds weird. But actually, it was really interesting, perhaps because I used to work at a civil engineering firm......but I digress.

A bit stinky but cool.

We also toured around the Palais Royal and the covered galleries of Paris, which are a little hidden-gem of a tourist attraction, because tourists don't really know about them. At least, I didn't until this trip.

Douche.

Posts will follow about our day trip to the Champagne region (yes), Avignon (double yes), and finally Tahoe - where we are hanging out right now for a few days.

Love you bye!

What the Hell Is Up

So what have the monkeys been doing all week since the move from London. Well, I'll tell you - mostly in pictures because I am feeling uninspired and very lazy.

Stonehenge: OK that was before we left the UK technically, but we had to go see it.

That blue shy is deceiving. It rained almost the whole time we were there.

Promenade de Plantee/Viaduc des Arts: So we mad it to Paris and the next day we wandered over to the Marche d'Aliglre, which is awesome. Then we accidentally discovered the amazing elevated park and walking path that is the 2.9-mile-long Promenade de Plantee, which used to be an elevated railway. It was spectacular on a sunny day!

On the walkway.

Redic.

Normandie: On Sunday, we took a loooooong bus ride out to the Normandie coast to see the WWII beaches and such with our college friend, Scott. Aside from the really early bus ride, it was pretty amazing. I need to watch Saving Private Ryan again now that I have see the beaches and the ruins. My grandpa Glaser was in northern France and Belgium during the war. I cannot even begin to put myself in his shoes to imagine what he saw over there.

The Eiffel Tower at sunrise, yes the bus ride was that effing early.

 

Ruins of the old Nazi bunkers.

Crazy stuff everywhere.

More ruins.

One of the many bomb craters.

Thanks Scott for organizing such an unforgettable trip!

What else: Well I am taking French and working (and eating a lot). Dave ditched me and went to Poland this week, whateva. Luckily (so as not to go crazy on my own in a country where I barely speak the language), I made a friend in French class and we went to dinner and drinks tonight. She was born in MENLO PARK. How funny is that! She is a chef and sommelier and we are going to a market tomorrow morning because - surprise - it is a French holiday so no language class.

Anywho, I will take more photos and let you know how it is going over here. xo

The Move

Well, the movers have packed up all our crap and left. Wow.

Everyone should have to go through their shit every 2 years. It is amazing how much ridiculous junk you collect, and how cleansing it feels to get rid of all that extra stuff.

As part of plan "get rid of shit", we played “what not to wear” the other night with two of our favorite (and very fashionable) friends. They helped us complete a clothing purge the likes of which have never been seen. It was a bit scary, but soooooo cathartic. Dave still wouldn’t dump the black fleece though, I think he hid it. That guy thinks he is like Steve jobs with the black turtle-necks......

Since we cannot make anything easy, we are taking a less than direct route home from London - including:

• 3 weeks in Paris in an apartment owned by the nicest dude ever - http://www.vrbo.com/420495
• One week in Avignon, which is quite possibly the closest place to heaven, staying here - http://www.maisonboussingault.com/
• A few days in Morris, Illinois to see my family
• And few days in Tahoe to relax and host the Tahoe Relay post-race BBQ, we have two ladies teams this year - so 14 women and Dave. Lucky man!

I'll be back at work on June 10th, as though the last 2 years didn't even happen - weird. I am hoping to see Sammy that same day. He'll either be stoked or he'll bite me, we'll see what happens. I am so video-ing the reunion. I have been looking forward to it for 2 years.

SO EXCITED to see that face!

I suppose I should be feeling really sad to leave London, but I am OK. It makes it easier that we had an awful winter after a really bad summer, and I am still waiting for spring. Besides, the Bay Area kind of rocks. And I miss hiking in the mountains, farmshare and cooking, my book club, long Saturday bike rides with friends, and of course Sammy. I even miss working and having my awesome coworkers to talk to (since I have worked alone in our basement apartment for the last 2 years in London). 

 

I will really miss all our friends here. However, I have maintained a state of purposeful denial or have been just plain busy lately, that way - I won't start blubbering. It will hit me soon enough, probably when I am wearing mascara because that is how I roll.

Anyway, I'll post some stuff about "living" in Paris. Bring on the butter and duck fat! I am so excited to go to the food markets as a customer and not just as a photo-taking tourist. Our rental apartment has a decent kitchen and a huge terrace so we can dine outside if it is warm enough.

Photos soon!

How to Recover Quickly From a Marathon

This WORKS you runners and triathletes out there! So listen up and give it a try.

I finished the London Marathon on Sunday and as of yesterday (Wednesday), I was mostly recovered. Today (Thursday) I feel like I could actually run again. OK to be fair, I did more of a walk/run this race, but it was still 26.2 miles. Anyway, I have also run a 3:36 marathon and used this same practice to recover.

So here is the secret: THE COLD PLUNGE.

I know what you are thinking, "But Amie, you hate, despise, and detest the cold." Why yes, I do! However, you have to remember the other important part of the recovery plan: ALTERNATING HEAT IN WITH THE COLD SO AS NOT TO WANT TO DIE.

Here is the sitch. On Tuesday, I went to the Porchester Spa, which costs all of £14 with my Westminster Resident Card (awesome). It is really more of a Turkish Bath, but spa has a nicer ring to it in my opinion. A photo of the cold plunge is there on the right.

Anywho, here is what you do:

1. Spend about 10 to15 minutes in a hot sauna or jacuzzi to really get your blood flowing. I like to stay in there until I just about pass out, I love hot. 
2. Get out of the heat, and hot into a cold plunge  (around 50 degrees Fahrenheit) up to you waist for at least 5 minutes (or as long as you can stand it, 5 minutes is it for me and I imagine if I had balls I'd stay in for even less time).
3. Repeat several times. 

 I am telling you, this works. After the first cold plunge, my legs felt amazing. All the soreness in my quads and hips was gone. While I still have a little residual soreness across my shins today, that is probably a function of my weird gait while walk/running and trying to keep from aggravating my sore posterior tibial tendon. The rest of me is just fine, thank you very much.

For all you Bay Area runners wanting to give this a try for yourself, here are a few places with cold plunges:

Watercourse Way in Palo Alto - see the photo there on the left. I love Watercourse. You can rent a tub room for 30 minutes or an hour and it is totally worth it.

Jin Healing for Women in San Francisco.

Hotel Healdsburg in Healdsburg (duh)

Burke Williams in San Jose - not sure about a cold plunge here, I haven't ever been to this spa. Anyone out there know?

You're welcome.

Dear Oakley - This is Not Cool

Dear Oakley,

My new sunglass case looks like it should be for tampons or something. I know it comes free with the glasses, so I shouldn't complain. But really, come on - this is pretty ugly.

I cannot in good conscience take this thing out of my purse each time I take off or put on my glasses. I'll get weird looks, and I get enough of those already.

The weird white case is going straight to Goodwill unless someone out there needs a new tampon holder.

Sheez, I expected more from you Oakley.

Love ya bye,

Amie

Victory is Mine - London Marathon 2013

Wooosh. Well, I finished. It wasn't fast, it wasn't pretty - but I did it! Thanks to everyone for your support, it really was inspiring to know you all were behind me! Battersea will get 2022 GBP thanks to you.

I came in somewhere around 5 hours 53 minutes and I couldn't be happier, considering I wasn't really even sure if I was going to do the race until just beforehand. After all, the day before was spent eating brisket and drinking gin and tonics - I'm sure that is exactly how Paula Radcliffe prepares - at a going away party some beautiful friends threw for us. Various funny business ensued:

Nice.

Better.

WTF is even happening here?

So the race started at 10:00 and there were very limited trains to the start. Of course I missed the train I was supposed to get (along with 2 other runners) and thought of just going home and having coffee while watching the stupid race on TV. But then I thought about the people injured and killed in Boston, and the fact that I am leaving London in just over a week, and all the people that were cheering me on in London and the USA - and I knew I had to get out there and try. So I hopped the 9:53 train (along with the 2 other late douches) managed to get to the Greenwich station at about 10:05. But guess what, the "start" is still about 3/4 of a mile from that train station......uphill. Fuck, sorry but that was the only appropriate word for what I thought at that exact moment.

Anyway, I fought my way to the start line through the crowds of spectators walking BACK to the train station  - feeling like a total idiot because the race had ALREADY started.

But hey guess what: when 37,000 people line up for a race, it takes a long time to actually "start". I casually walked into the starting chute at about 10:15 and still didn't pass the actual starting line until about 10:20. Awesome. Sometimes, the running gods are kind!

"See you at the finish", let's hope so.

A funny thing happens when running 15 minute miles in a gorgeous town, with giant crowds cheering, on a sunny day. You really enjoy yourself and take in the scenery, instead of stress over your mile splits and nutrition. I brought my Ipod but didn't even listen to it because there was so much going on with bands, DJs, people playing music from their front yards, and people joking and talking on the course.

Plus the costumes!!!!! OMG just Google it. The Brits absolutely adore "Fancy Dress".

At mile 15 I had to take a pottie break (and you go in the potties when there are giant crowds like there are in London - also, see the sign). I had to wait in line for about 20 minutes and really, amazingly no one (else) gave a crap. The runners were all so patient. I had to restrain myself and not yell, "WTF are you all doing in there, just do your business and get out and forget fussing with the damn hand sanitizer dispenser in there."

But then I realized, finishing in 5:50 or 6:30 really doesn't matter. Just enjoy the break from running, chill-the-eff-out, and sanitize your goddam hands.

View from the back! Sorry, these were all taken with my crap phone.

One of my favorite parts, crossing the Tower Bridge. Insane crowds on both sides.

I got a bit misty-eyed passing the apartment that we stayed in when we first arrived in London, it is near The Monument. OK the building is behind the ugly scaffolding on the right there, but I am a nostalgic person so it didn't matter. Commence blubbering.

Yes we are all walking and yes that guy is dressed as a chicken.

I think that guy in the giant costume beat me. At least it was interesting scenery.

So close! Big Ben in the background chimed 4:00pm as I ran by, blubbing again.

And then I FINISHED! Similar to the Barcelona Half Marathon, no pizza, bagels, burritos, pasta, blueberry cake, etc. at the end of the race. Here is your apple, an ill fitting t-shirt, and some Lucozade (Gatorade). That's it. Hit the pub if you are thirsty/hungry.

And so I did. Here I am at the pub with a Sierra Nevada (OK that's very American) and some weird apple cider vinegar crisps (those weird things were British for sure). Recovery complete!

Today I feel OK. My walk/run/Advil plan (not recommended - the Advil part, I mean) served me well. I think I will take the next few weeks to recover properly, I will be in PARIS for a month after all. The perfect place for a proper duck-fat-fueled recovery. You can hate me now.

It's Go Time - Bust out the Advil

Well sort of.

I went to the Expo. I have my number. I have my pace chart. I have a few Cliff Bars for the race. We have raised almost 2000GBP for the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home (but am still a bit short of my goal if you want to help me).

I am ready to go!

My mind is willing but my foot is just......not..... able.......to run. I have an aggravating case of posterior tibial tendonitis, probably from skiing in Zermatt in March, so don't feel too sorry for me.

It is not an injury you want to mess around with though. I swim with a hip and knee surgeon, he told me yesterday that if I ran and tore the tendon it would eff up my knee, hip, and spine. And I would be in for surgery with him in a year or so.

Shit.

But all is definitely not lost everyone. I can walk without any pain at all. I consider this a blessing, especially in light of all the effed up stuff that went on in Boston this week. To not do the race because I don't want to walk 7 or 8 hours is just plain wussy.

Therefore, I am going to finish this effing race if it is the last thing I do. It may take me forever, but that's OK. It's for the dogs, and for Boston, and to say goodbye to the city that has been my rainy home for the last 2 years.

 I will finish!

Plus, I just got a good luck email from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home with these cute photos attached (see below). And I found out that a greyhound named Shadow that I love, who was at the Battersea for 260 days, JUST GOT ADOPTED by a family in the country. All those donations fund happy homes for dogs, so give if you can.

This is Shy, he will get a new home because of Battersea.

Stop it Clem, you are so cute!!!!!