Matieu Chenier and I

Camp is over, and I find myself once again catching up on my journal while riding the train.  This is the train to Italy though, and the power plugs here are different than they are in France and Spain, so my time on the laptop will be limited to battery life.

Thursday night was the camp’s big banquet night, something I found to be very interesting and a bit comical.  First of all, the main feature of the “banquet” was tacos, though it did start outside with a lovely sparkling punch and some hors d’eovres.   Also, though in years past this was a somewhat formal affair, this year’s banquet was attended Middle-Eastern style on floor cushions with a dress code of (more…)

Can you spot the tourist?

Welcome back to the decaying first class cabin of the Spanish Talgo train, where a passenger across the aisle from me just had her seat back completely collapse backwards. Behind me is a lady who is trying very hard to delay the slow but inevitable emotional collapse of her young child. The train is jerking and creaking along, shedding pieces with every bounce and corner. I am very glad to be here. In a reprise of my old role of playing the photo finish, I boarded the train and sat down exactly 2 minutes before it started moving. And it left 2 minutes late. It all started with (more…)