Hello Everyone
I have the numbers up to here in the May books. Thanks all for the information.
I've run precisely twice since I arrived, and I'd planned a lot more. With Lesley and her pseudo-cousin, and then Martha and her dad here, I've done a ton of walking, and have been tired at the end of every day. So I have big miles and time, at least for me, but only 2 runs.
Last friday I ran down to the Seine, up it about 3 miles, and back down. The views would have been great, except I did it at 5 pm Friday, so mostly I was trying not to bump into the thousands of people along the Seine, or get run over by the cars, busses, and scooters, thousands of them too. Those scooters are really dangerous, they don't worry about lanes, roads, gutters, whatever.
We were in Normandy, at the American landing beaches and the American cemetary on Sunday/Monday, and at Mount Saint Michel Monday. Martha and I had been at Omaha Beach and the cemetary in 1998, and this was her dad's first trip up there. It's really overwhelming to see 9400+ Crosses and stars of David and then walk down to the beach and see what really young Americans faced precisely 64 years ago today. They landed at low tide and walked across at least 1/4 of sand, then up a good 1/4 mile of hills and ravines to get off the beach. All while being fired at by every type of weapon the Germans had. Honestly, I don't know how they did it. The hardest part is thinking about the average age in the cemetary. I suspect the privates averaged less than 20, and the lieutenants maybe 22. Effectively the same age as my undergraduates, too young.
So anyway, I'll return with legs that aren't too out of shape, but my CV system will be way soft.
Best to all of you.
Craig