057 Fantastic France

Fantastic France

Large cities, small towns, green fields, lovely rivers, and rolling hills combine for amazing assaults to the senses, as natural and manmade views are overwhelming in France.

A river cruise on the Seine is how we decided to attempt to see the beautiful country that is so prominent during the weeks of the Tour de France. My husband watches the bike race for hours as he records it and plays it until the bitter end in the center of Paris. That is why he finally made the decision to take the trip which I had been wanting to do for years.

A whirlwind of stops and highlights greeted us each day as promised by the eight-day itinerary, including Paris, Giverny, Rouen, Normandy, and several lovely small towns. Who could ask for more?

The view from the boat the first day in Paris was a majestic look at the Eiffel Tower--which at night lights up and then flickers up and down the imposing structure every hour--an amazing sight that really charges the senses.

Galeries Lafayette 

Of course, Paris has so much to offer that the senses are totally in a state of overdrive that cannot be matched. Interspersed with the delicious tastes of the city are the spectacular views--from Sacre Coeur, looking down on the rest of the city to the rooftop restaurant of Galeries Lafayette department store, while partaking in local drinks and fare. It is an easy city to walk with tons of stops for libation and shopping. 

After leaving the official tour, we made our way to Sacre Coeur and Montmartre and then proceeded down the hill to find the department store I had visited many years before. I had never forgotten how beautiful it was with stained glass and a domed ceiling. An avid shopper such as me never forgets a structure like that. It did not disappoint and was packed to the gills. It only took one stop to ask for clarification of directions to find our way.

The view in front of Sacre Coeur is overwhelming rivaling a panorama that cannot easily be equaled. The size and scope of the city assails the senses in a dramatic spectacular vision.

The Tour de France had finished the week before so we could walk the course the bikers had followed but on the sidewalk, of course, on the Champs Elysse to the Arc de Triomphe and more.

Surprisingly, tourists can order and manage to pay the bill in restaurants and shops with little hassle. People were very helpful and friendly. It was rare that we couldn’t communicate with the locals – most times we managed to find what we were seeking with little help, but if we did need help, we found it.

Words cannot adequately describe Monet’s garden and house in Giverny. Every color, flower, plant, garden arrangement, and tree are beautifully arranged to get the maximum effect. His house traces the colors of the garden with each room airy and light in pinks, blues, yellows, and greens. Visitors feel as if they are part of one of his spectacular paintings 

Joan of Arc Memorial

Another amazing site was a lighting of the cathedral in Roeun. Standing among the residents of the third largest city in the country made one feel part of what the locals see and do. It was an amazing experience with families and tourists exclaiming as they watched the computer show that projected onto the historic structure and told the story of the city and St. Joan of Arc who met her end in the city center. A church and cross depict this event that is retold in the graphic show projected on the ancient structure.

What a novel idea that I am sure will catch on around the world or maybe it has but not in the U.S. yet.

Normandy was an emotional day with stops along the beaches where the Allied Forces had landed in 1944 to stem the tide of World War II and ultimately proclaim victory. I felt the presence of my uncle, my dad’s brother, who was a paratrooper who died later that year in Holland. 

What I never realized was the area especially Omaha Beach was a resort location where residents came to enjoy the beach. That is the case now as structures were restored and families vacation as in the past. But now a memorial to the war stands guard on the sandy shore as a reminder of how this life was defended and protected but at a cost.

I could go on and on about this great country, but I will stop here with the observation that there is some truth to the song--“How Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em down on the Farm (After They’ve Seen Paree?)”

056 Obsessive Compulsive?

Try the Savvy Broads' Obsessive-Compulsive Quiz

I know that obsessive-compulsive syndrome is a diagnosed psychological disorder, but truly, don’t we all have a few symptoms? As a retired librarian, I certainly have some eccentricities that could be called obsessive-compulsive.

So I thought it would be fun to do a Savvy Broads Internet survey:

How Obsessive Are You?

Circle the answer that best describes you.

    1.  Do you keep your spices in alphabetical order?

              Yes=200      Sometimes=50     Never=0

    2.  Do you count each step as you go up and down stairs?                                                        Yes=200      Sometimes=50     Never=0   

    3.  Do you arrange your clothes in the closet by color?
              Yes=200      Sometimes=50     Never=0

    

   4.  Do you have a certain day when household tasks need to be done, such

        as cleaning on Thursday, laundry on Monday, windows once a month, etc.?

            Yes=200      Sometimes=50     Never=0

    5.  Do you eat a certain number of squares of a waffle with each bite?                                 Yes=200      Sometimes=50     Never=0

   6.  Do you fix your friends’ clothes while they are wearing them (tuck in tags, 

        straighten scarves, etc.)?

             Yes=200      Sometimes=50     Never=0

   7.  Do you line up books along a neat even row by pulling some books out 

        and pushing some back?  (A definite librarian symptom) 
              Yes=200      Sometimes=50     Never=0

   8.  Do you straighten pictures on walls other than your own?
              Yes=200      Sometimes=50     Never=0

   9.  Do you have a sign on your dishwasher that indicates clean or dirty dishes? 
        Do you use it?                                                                                                        Yes=200      Sometimes=50     Never=0

  10.  Do you make lots of lists? And actually use them?
             Yes=200      Sometimes=50     Never=0

  11.  Do you have to line up your grocery cart in the cart return with the 
         others of the same type?   
         
       (I was rearranging carts in the return when realized I might have a problem!)

             Yes=200      Sometimes=50     Never=0

  12.  Your car is clean inside and out.                                                                                                       Yes=200      Sometimes=50     Never=0
  

13.  Do you have to write in corrections to grammar, etc., when reading 
         magazines and newspapers?
             Yes=200      Sometimes=50     Never=0

14.  Do you read all license plates and try to decipher what they mean?
             Yes=200      Sometimes=50     Never=0

15.  Everything is in neat piles on your desk.
             Yes=200      Sometimes=50     Never=0

Okay, now add up your points. 

(What you thought this is one of those quizzes that will add your score for you?)

                                                                                                  Hyphenated, I mean!

If you actually took the time to add up your score, 

You are obsessive compulsive!        

Only Somewhat OC, Trish       

055 Glenne trending

What I Did on Summer Vacation OR
My Crush on Google Trends

Hello, dear readers! 

You have found out a lot about us this past year: that Trish and her dog are always out and about and Frances is often trekking somewhere with her family.  I, however, stay home in the summertime. I don’t like heat, humidity, sand, mosquitoes, or tourists. 

What I have done this summer is spend far, far, far too much time on the internet. My husband posits that I care more about what Google says than what he says. Never! How rude! 

Although, I will quietly say that Google is often more varied and up-to-the-minute. So now that public schools are re-opening, I guess I will have some withdrawal!

I am hooked on Google Trends. Pick a subject. Any subject. Go to Google.com/trends and start playing around. Oh, my! It is news, entertainment, sports, finance, pop culture, etc., etc., etc. The trends are compiled from a wide assortment of sources – all 90 (YES,90) of Time, Inc.* magazine selections, newspapers, media sites, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, popular bloggers, and regular news sources like ABC, NBC, and Fox.

*(Parenthetically, you may be interested to know that the new CEO of Time.Inc, appointed last fall, is Joe Ripp whose dog goes to the office with him each day. As you can see I am on the internet a ridiculous amount of time. BUT, I do water the new holly bushes (5 minutes each) – read an article, move the hose, throw the ball to Mad Max--our wonder dog--and get back on the internet.)

My “guilty pleasure” (along with chocolate) is watching reality shows on TV. Want the scoop on these shows? Just search for RealitySteve.com - real name Steve Carbonne, a linen importer (family business) and one time sports reporter, and frequently in litigation with these shows’ networks. I am just entranced to find out how often his predictions are correct. I found him through GoogleTrends. 

The algorithms used for trending are fascinating. I wish I knew how to write these. Under GoogleTrends, one can also go to www.Google.com/trends/correlate. “Correlate” is almost like writing your own algorithm.  Yes, you can compare apples and oranges or compare a trend by state, by country, or date. Compare two well-known names in the same industry or two universities or stocks. 

Check out the Republican candidates.  Late night talk show hosts REALLY want Trump to stay in the race (can’t imagine why, can you?) 

One caveat: if you are interested in serious news, be careful which of Google’s sources you examine.  

So much of our exposure is “pop culture” versus “hard news.” Really – do we care that Kylie Kardashian’s new pet bunny is named Bruce? 

But, I am interested in the Arizona dust storm, what’s happening with gun regulation, and poor Cecil, the lion. I don’t much like the “talking heads” on TV (and Nancy Grace’s voice is just annoying to my ears). 

Therefore, I still feel it necessary to read some of Time.Inc’s magazines as well as The New York Times, The Week, the New Yorker, New York Magazine, and Vanity Fair (I love Editor Graydon Carter’s mind). 

Here is an example of GoogleTrends’ list: 

So should it rain or you want to stay out of the humidity, join me in learning who’s who and what’s what with GoogleTrends. (Gosh, do think Google would pay me for this blog?)

 

Happy searching!                                                                     Glenne

054 Riding the Rails

Riding the rails:  Train trekking

I have always had a fascination with trains. I am not sure why, but as a young child, we rode from town to town to visit family. When the trains stopped passenger service, the buses took over, and it just wasn’t the same. Sadly, train service has not been revived in many parts of the country, but I keep hoping that will change. It is such a great way to travel.

Whenever I get the chance, I will take a train, but that is not easy living in a small town at the top of Virginia, where there is no passenger service. It takes at least one to two hours to get to a station to catch an Amtrak train, but I don’t let that stop me. When my children were youngsters, I took them to visit family, catching a train in Fredericksburg or Alexandria, both almost two hours away.

Vivid memories of my first experiences as an adult train rider when I was in college are still with me. As a student in the late 1960s, I took the train to visit my older sister who moved to North Carolina when she got married. The images of the rather dated rail cars with well-worn seats are permanently etched in my memory, as well as the porter, who would come through the car, serving coffee in the morning. 

After a few hours of travel, the train stopped near Richmond, Va. and porters turned all the seats around to face the other way to head south. It reminded me of the old western movies and the type of trains attacked by men on horseback who jumped on the cars to take over and rob the passengers. Obviously, this did not happen, and I was certainly glad those days were over.

Also, cotton fields really caught my attention since there weren’t many fields of any type in the deep Appalachian Mountains of my home place. It looked like such backbreaking work as pickers labored to gather the small white patches, resembling fluffy cotton balls. That image is etched in my memory permanently, reminding me of many changes in our country’s farming history.

On another trip, my freshman college roommate, and I decided to hit the rails heading to her house during a break from classes. It took about an hour by car, but we thought the train would be an adventure — it definitely was. I won’t go into details, but I don’t advise leaving late in the evening after a night of college escapades. 

In addition, the trips with my children were very memorable as they reacted to the new 

mode of transportation for them. Figuring out how to sleep in the seats,  traveling from

car to car, and visiting the dining care and restrooms were always highlights of the trip.

And then it was very special at the end of the journey when we were greeted by family members –- who are no longer with us --- who picked us up at the station.

In the last few years, I have made several trips with friends to visit certain areas or by myself to see family. It always makes me realize how relaxing a train ride is with no worries about traffic and crowding on interstate highways. I just don’t understand why we don’t have more trains instead of so much vehicle traffic and congestion.

Since I retired last summer, I now have the luxury of taking my time when traveling. My latest trip was when I took two of my grandchildren on a train to visit family in North Carolina. We drove to Fredericksburg to catch the train as I had done many years before with their mother and uncle. I wasn’t sure what they would think, but one said she liked it better than an airplane ride. 

They definitely thought it was great as they sat back and took advantage of the free Wifi service and plug-ins for electronic devices. They also enjoyed the trek to the dining car to sample the enticing menu. One even said this was the way she wanted to travel from now on.

Staff was very friendly and helpful, and all questions were welcome with assistance readily given. They know how to deal with children and were very attentive to them. Plus there is no cost for luggage. Just haul it on board with you and put it in the upper rack. 

Hopefully, my grandkids will like it enough to support the trains in this country that have struggled to stay alive. It would be so nice to get some big rigs and cars off the highways and on trains. Pollution, crowded roads, and safety problems could be eased by more train traffic.

If you live in a city where the train is readily available, give it a try. If not convenient, go to the closest station and make the effort to ride the rails. There are special prices at certain times and especially for children. I don’t think you will be disappointed, and it will help the environment. 

Plus it will remind you of a time gone by as well as what the future could hold as Amtrak is working to improve the routes and service. So hop aboard and ride the rails to new destinations and adventures.

Frances        

053 One Year of Blogs

The Three Broads lunching & working

Celebrating Our Anniversary

Three Savvy Broads is celebrating its first anniversary --- one full year of sharing thoughts and reflections with readers.

We decided a year ago to start the blog and see what would happen, and we have not been disappointed. It has been encouraging with more than 1,000 likes on our Facebook page, therapeutic as an outlet for discussing observations collected during individual 60 decades of life, and sometimes a coming to grips with life’s many lessons. It has been inspiring as readers give us encouragement and validation about what we share.

What we really look like (in our imaginations)

The three of us rotate the writing responsibilities, taking turns each third week and publishing a new blog each Monday. We promote the blog on our Facebook page, Three Savvy Broads, to let readers know topics and when a new column is available. We often meet to discuss topics and the development of ideas, any excuse to go to lunch. I don’t think any of us thought very far ahead on how long we would be writing this blog, but are pleased we have reached the one-year mark. 

We are starting the second year with this blog. All three of us are contributing as we did on the first one --- Aug. 4, 2014. We hope you will continue to follow us on this journey, looking at what we have done and continuing to evaluate what we are observing as we progress into our retirement years, going forward with even more ideas and thoughts.

Please feel free to share our blog with family and friends. We welcome all comments and suggestions. To view the new blog each Monday, visit threesavvybroads.blogspot.com. Sign up on that site with your email to receive the blog directly in your inbox each week. Like us on Facebook page, Three Savvy Broads. Thank you!!

Savvy Frances

Oh, the subjects we’ve covered . . .

Has it been but a year?

If you say so, my dear.

Yes, we deserve much applause

For all the topics we’ve covered on Three Savvy Broads! 

Go gray or no, the Glenne moving show,

Savvy shopping spree and grammar to bring you to your knees!

Quizzes literary, and Blossom queens contrary,

Baby boomers booming and walking paths caroming,

Reunions, earworms, 1860s dressing—every topic a blessing?

Patsy, Willa and Willy, their stories a treat.

Nasty geese, Max and Tootsie, we covered the beasts! 

Staging to sell, Hugging those trees, every topic sure to please!

Minding manners, downsizing, traveling and walking—

All these things kept us talking.

These broads still have plenty to say 

So be sure you are signed on to the blog today!

Trish      

 

ThreeSavvyBroads by the Numbers

So what have we learned this first year about doing a blog? 

• That we are savvy enough to know when to ask for help 
• That one needs to be assertive and ask friends to share the blog with their friends who will ask friends to share with their friends
• That Savvy Trish is really good on the computer – she has had some great layout ideas
• That Savvy Frances can make sneakers interesting (okay, she is a journalist, but there are writers and then there are writers)
• That spending a little money to boost your blog on Facebook is worth the money.

Here are some numbers for you and for us to ponder about our first year of our joint blog.

• On BlogSpot itself, we have 1088 “subscribers”

• We are now listed on the BigListofWebsites (the blogs on lefthandedness, walking trails, the local museum, and earworms were cited)

• Facebook--for the month from mid-June to mid-July--we had 7809 likes which averages 1952 readers/week (Blogelina says a good blog gets 1500+/week)

• 23 comments this month; a “good” average is 10/week

• Readership increase this year has averaged about 2%/week

• “Boosting” the blog on Facebook at .011/person has more than doubled the readership 

• Nearly 70% of our readers are women

• Our Facebook relevance score is 9/10 which means we are reaching the audience we want

• Our feedback score is “medium” – 6-7 (see above re: comments)

We still have some improvements to make – more comments, more readers, hot topics to find! 

 It is fascinating to look at our readers’ data – our fans come from many states. We live in Virginia so it is not surprising that more than 250 of our subscribers are Virginians. We have 10 from Florida, 8 each from D.C. and Chicago, and 7 from NYC and PA. WV did not show up! This is a surprise unless Facebook only logs in local info and large population areas? Hmmm? We have one each from Haiti, Puerto Rico, Germany and Egypt AND 27 from the United Kingdom. 

Keeping track of these demographics may become a new hobby. Wondering if there is already some algorithm for doing this?

Anyway, happy first anniversary to us! 

And a BIG THANK YOU to our SAVVY READERS from the SAVVYBROADS! 

Glenne