Sea of yellow...

Here are a couple of pictures of the fields that surround our little village. The fields are full of rape seed and they have yellow flowers. I feel like I am riding through a sea of yellow when I am on my bike. It is amazing scenery.

Springtime in Paris...

We spent another week in Paris and this time the weather was brilliant. We enjoyed warm, sunny days that required a jacket in the morning, but by mid-day I would start fantasizing about shorts. We spent this week going from park to park. The gardens were in full bloom and absolutely gorgeous to walk through. We both got a bit sneezy on our second day, but we were happy to take the pollen in exchange for the warmth. I took a few picutres of the trees next to Notre Dame as the kids played in a nearby sandbox. It was a good week to just walk around and smell the flowers.

Registering a car in the UK from the US...

Just don't even try... I have never seen so much red tape in my life. At first it seemed straight forward. You just import your car, get it inspected, register it, then drive it. In reality, it goes something like the following steps.

First, find someone to bring your car to the UK that is not going to charge you so much that you are required you to refinance your house. This will take several weeks and mean talking to multiple companies whose fees differ by over $2000.00. This, of course, makes you wonder why the cheapest importer is so cheap and why the others charge so much more. Being that you actually like the car you are bringing over and you don't want it filled with fish when you pick it up, you take another week to decide which importer to use.

Second, you must figure out how to clear your car through customs once it arrives in the UK. You have several options all depending on the length of your stay in the UK. Since you are not sure the exact time you will be spending in the UK, you will have to guess. I am sure major complications will arise if you have not guessed correctly.

Third, after you have paid an additional fee to get the car cleared through customs, you have to find the port to which it has been delivered, take a car, train, and a taxi to the port and then drive it 2 1/2 hours home. In meantime, you have to have another person to drive your car, parked at the train station, back to your house.

In order to pick up your car, you must show proof that your car is insured in the UK, show proof of work status, show your passport, show your car title that had to be submitted to the exporting company, stamped by the US government and a cleared export, and sent back to you, and pay the company in cash since they don't accept credit cards.

Fourth, once you have the car, you have to get a "light conversion". This will again cost you several hundred dollars and will require a shop to change the colors of your turn signals, brake lights, add a rear fog lamp (HUH?!), and redirect your headlights since you will be driving on the left side of the road.

Fifth, now you have to get a "MOT" which is a test to verify the car is road worthy. However, getting the test is difficult since the car does not have the same identification numbers as do cars manufactured in the UK. The MOT service center will refuse your first request for the MOT since they don't know how to identify it. You will then be responsible for finding out the method of identifying cars and then letting the shop know so that they can put the necessary information into the computer and then run the tests.

Sixth, once you have that piece of paper, you have to get another piece of paper from the Customs & Excise Customs House to classify the imported car. This will take several more days and require you to know intimate technical specifications for your car that are not published in your owners manual. However, you will be able to find them on the Internet but it won't prove easy since the car is over 3 years old.

Seventh, you will now submit all this paperwork along with your check for car tax and registration costs only to have it immediately rejected with the statement that you need either a certificate of conformity for the car or another series of tests called an SVA which will cost you another $300. You will call the manufacturer of your car and allow all the representatives to route you to other departments before they finally tell you to call another organization. After making several more international phone calls, you find out that US cars are not issued certificates of conformity. In desperation to avoid another $300 in fees, you go back to the person that told you that you did not need an SVA and ask them what to do. They will insist again that all you need is an MOT and will provide a stamp on your MOT form so that you can send it in to the DVLA again.

Eighth, you will send your paperwork and check into the DVLA again with all the information they requested and they will reject it again, saying this time that the Customs and Excise form you received from the customs service has an incorrect date on it and you have to get it reissued with the correct date on it or they won't process your form. They will also want more technical information about the car which will take you several hours to find. To add to your frustrations, they will also ask for another 2.75 since the registration rates and taxes just went up.

Ninth... you are now current on my car registration fiasco. I am waiting on a response from the Customs department about reissuing the form. I doubt this will come easily. I am probably going to pay the "other" test which means that the first MOT test I had will no longer be needed. I have had a car that I cannot drive for over a month sitting in my driveway and all I can do is look at it collect dust.

I have yet to come across a Department of Motor Vehicles in any country that has any interest in you or your car.

The most wonderful food...

I challenge anyone to go to France and not LOVE the food. Admittedly, there are a few delicacies that would make a persnickety person fidget. Escargot may not be your first choice on the menu, but the no one eats that daily. The thing about French cuisine is that the basic staples in their diet are amazingly delicious.

My first love in France is the baguette. It is light, crusty with a soft center. It has all the qualities that make food fun to eat. When we visit Paris, there are at least seven boulangeries (bakeries) within two blocks. Every morning, afternoon and evening, you can purchase baguettes that were pulled from their ovens only minutes before you arrived. The shops are not large, but always have a steady flow of loyal customers.

Then you have the fromage (cheese). This can be put on the baguettes or eaten alone. Any method will do. You can find cheese at the "fromager" or you go to the marche. You will arrive to find such a large selection of cheeses that choosing one seems an impossible task. In the markets the cheese selection fills an entire aisle. The only aisle that is bigger is the one that holds the wine.



As if these basics would not stave off hunger for the picky eater, you can find the most amazing selection of fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, meats, nuts, and dried fruits at the local markets. They set up stalls the day before and the market covers over three city blocks. Not only do they have fresh food, but you can also find a nice pair of shoes to go with your groceries from an adjoining stall. It is such fun to wander through the stalls. It seems like there is one of every imaginable food available for your to purchase by the kilo. The stall workers call after you as you walk past trying to entice you with their deals. My biggest problem is that "my eyes are bigger than my stomach". :)