2010/12/31
to Chartres
--Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Chartres
(シャルトル大聖堂)
-----------------------------
We boarded our sightseeing bus and went to see
Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Chartres.
It took about one and a half hours to arrive there.
First we had lunch at a restaurant.and I drank wine.
(from my bus window)





Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Chartres is famous for its
beautiful stained glass windows. It was difficult for me
to take those pictures.

2010/12/30
(ヴェルサイユ宮殿)
You probably know more of Château de Versailles
than I do.









2010/12/30
Bonjour!
I've returned home from a package tour to northern France.
We 15 members made a direct flight to Paris/Charles De Gaull
from Haneda
I was surprised to know that the airport had been closed
down due to a heavy snow the day before we arrived.
My plane arrived at the airport almost on time.
It took about 13 hours from Haneda to Paris.
On Dec.22 we arrived at the airport of Charles De Gaull
early in the morning, around 6:30 local time.
It was still dark and cloudy.
We boarded a bus and went to Château de Versailles
(ヴェルサイユ宮殿)
(on the way to Versailles)




The ponds of the garden were frozen.

2010/12/20
Tomorrow I will join a package tour
to northern France, if my condition is good.
(I hope there will not be any kind of cancellation.)
I've ever been to southern France,
where the weather is agreeable even in winter.
It is said a cold wave is likely to settle in
for the time being in northern Europe.
Whatever will be, will be.
I'll enjoy everything I see, hear, eat and feel.
I hope everything will go well with me.
--------------------------------
Thank you so much for communicating
warmly with me.
See you again.
(It's cloudy this morning.)

2010/12/19
Yesterday I had the 9th English lesson
at 'community open college 2010'.
The instructor was an American.
He told us about how to communicate in English.
He told us not to use Japanese.
He told us not use any dictionaries.
When we have a problem communicating in English,
what shall we do?
He told us to use gestures.
He told us to draw pictures.
He told us to use relative clauses, such as
*This is when......
*This is a place where......
*This is someone when.....
*This is something........
Anyway, I enjoyed the lesson very much.
After the lesson I called at koharu's house.
I was invited for しゃぶしゃぶ dinner.
And---I stayed the night at koharu's house.
How sweet to be with my family!

2010/12/17
Today I attended Friday English Circle.
It was the last class in December.
We had a small Christmas party.
Our American teacher brought a box of Egg Nog
and pumpkin bread which she baked.
In the first halfof the class we enjoyed games--
bingo and language games.
In the latter half of the class we ate delicious cake
with some tea and egg nog.
We enjoyed talking both in English and Japanese.



2010/12/15
koharu, my granddaughter, is in her fifth grade.
koharu has absolute pitch, I think.
When I practice the harmonica,
she always gives me some good advice.
Yesterday I practiced the song I'm going to play
on the harmonic at the mini-concert in January.
koharu said tapping out beat, "You are always
either slow or fast to start," though I thought
I was doing very well.
She also said, "Play the harmonica thinking of
the story you want to express."
Then I played 蛍の光 and 荒城の月on the harmonica
accompanied by her piano.
Next she played TV drama theme tunes on the piano
---龍馬伝, ゲゲゲの女房, and Q10.
She played 星に願いを on the piano too.
She loves music very much.
koharu and I had a good time in her music room.
Her mother came home from her work around 6 o'clock
and I came back to my apartment with a feeling of gratitude.
Thank you, koharu.
(in front of my apartment, this morning)

