The message widely shared by the France government is "ski resorts are closed." While the actual ski lifts are not running, the resorts are still open. Nevertheless, take away the ski lifts, the bars for a relaxing apres-ski drink after a long day on the mountain, the restaurants for warm soup and fondue, and what do … Continue reading Snowshoeing in the French Alps
They say when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. But what happens when you drink too much of it? Is too much of a good thing actually a bad thing? All that acidity is sure to damage your teeth, and there's a lot of sugar in lemonade. We've been making a lot of lemonade lately in Lyon, … Continue reading How Much Lemonade Can Be Made From Lemons?
Have you ever had a love-hate relationship with something? Maybe you love your new haircut, but you hate all the maintenance required to keep it looking like it did when you walked out of the salon. Or maybe you love cooking, but you hate that it takes one hour to cook something devoured in five … Continue reading The Maldives: Paradise is Waiting
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Shanes! We are wrapping up our week in the Maldivian sun and will return to France to ring in the New Year. We hope everyone got to spend time with family, whether in person or virtually. Here’s to hoping 2021 will bring more time with friends and … Continue reading Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Our Christmas vacation has officially commenced! We decided not to go home this year but knew we wanted to get out of Lyon. Initially, our plan was a white Christmas ski vacation, but France and a few other countries kept resorts closed until after the new year. Our next option was to go back to … Continue reading Dreaming of a White Christmas Vacation
Last week, I wrote that Christmas had been canceled. So, we decided to venture out and see if we could find the Christmas spirit in Lyon. Here's what we found. On Saturday, Jordan and I went to go pick up a package. As you know, it's relatively difficult for us to receive packages in Lyon. The package … Continue reading Christmas Spirit in Lyon
It's Thanksgiving in France, which means it's just another ordinary day. That is if there are any ordinary days while in confinement. It was a comfortable 55-degrees outside, and we enjoyed all the sunshine we could during the one-hour allotment at lunch. I had the day off work and "enjoyed" listening to Jordan on his long conference … Continue reading Our First Thanksgiving in France
It's been three weeks since France implemented a second lockdown. Not that I'm counting. The lockdown is planned to end on December 1, but all indicators point that this will not actually happen. We initially mentioned how we planned to spend our time in the second lockdown. What we are actually doing may surprise you. Read all … Continue reading How We Spend Our Time in the Second Lockdown
If you look up the definition of a trip planner in the dictionary, you'll see Jordan's picture next to it. We are textbook planners, sometimes planning our longer trips down to the hour. But COVID has brought out a sort of whimsy in both of us. We don't have the luxury to plan in advance … Continue reading Fondue for Two: Our Spontaneous Switzerland Trip
The time is here. Election season. The most contentious time of year. And as Americans, we have the right to vote, even if we live halfway around the world. While we cannot physically be at the polls, there are still options to allow us to vote while living abroad. It's easier than you think. When we … Continue reading How We Voted While Living Abroad
