Terrible Tenth Reunion, Charleston, S.C.

Georgia and I flew to Charleston, South Carolina on October 13th for Hugh's annual reunion with his "Class of 1963" company mates from the U.S. Naval Academy.  Neither of us had spent much time in Charleston, so we came in early for the reunion, to enjoy all of Charleston in an unrushed fashion.  While in Charleston, we were able to meet some old friends, Mary Lynn and Randy Conway in Columbia, SC.  Mary Lynn and Randy were our neighbors for four years in Antioch, California in the early 1970s.  The reunion allowed us to see Charleston by horse carriage, eat wonderful meals (one of which was on a river cruise), and the connect with all of Hugh's classmates, that were able to attend.

Georgia at Waterfront Park on the Cooper River

The Charleston City Market

Georgia with Mary Lynn and Randy Conway

River Cruise Dinner Showing Bill Earner, Hugh's College Roommate, Georgia, Ollie Doherty, and Jack Donegan.  Both Bill and Jack Are Retired US Navy Admirals

Middleton Place Plantation Gardens

Middleton Place Plantation Sunken Garden

Alligator by Middleton Place Rice Pond

Drayton House a Preserved Plantation House Next to Middleton Place Plantation

Grandson Cairn's "Camp GG & Papa Hugh

Earlier in August Melissa, Keith, and family flew to Cleveland for a Church family reunion.  Since grandson Cairn is not fond of flying at this stage in his young life, Melissa and Keith let Cairn stay with us for "Camp GG & Papa Hugh.  We had a full week of events, including swim lessons, day camp at the Rolling Hills Club, and trips to the Discovery Museum, Marine Mammal Center, the California Academy of Science and the Train Museum in Sacramento.  After his swim lessons, Cairn was awarded the "Frog" level certificate for his swimming abilities.  We had a wonderful time and think Cairn did.

Pictured are:  Cairn receiving his "Frog" award, Playing with trains at the California Train Museum, Cairn at the dining car in the Train Museum, Cairn after another busy day, and Cairn with Lucy, YY and John's new lab.

Cairn receiving his "Frog" swimming award

At the California State Train Museum in Sacramento

Cairn in a Dining car at California Train Museum

After a busy day on the road

Cairn and Lucy

45th Wedding Anniversary

On Saturday July 28th, we celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary.  For the celebration, we hired a limo to take us and members of our wedding party to the Depot Hotel in Sonoma for dinner.  Champagne flowed on the way to the restaurant and at the restaurant besides wonderful food, we enjoyed a variety of red and white wines picked for the occasion. 

Our actual anniversary date was Sunday, the 29th, but with the celebration and the fact that some of the party had to work on Monday, we celebrated the occasion early on Saturday night. 

Joining us in the festivities were:  Yvonne Young and her husband, John Park (Yvonne was Georgia's Maid of Honor), Meme Hurd and her friend, Gene Bomotti, (Meme was one of Georgia's bridesmaids), and Jake Skaer (Jake's wife, Pam, was also one of Georgia's bridesmaids.  We miss Pam, as she  passed away three years ago after a courageous struggle with breast cancer.) 

Below are pictures of the wedding party in the limo, arriving at the Depot Hotel, and at dinner.
 

From left to right: Hugh, Georgia, Jake Skaer, Gene Bomotti, and Meme Hurd

From left to right: Hugh, Georgia, Yvonne, John, Jake, Gene and Meme

From left to right: John, Hugh, Meme, Jake, Gene, Georgia and Yvonne

Alaska Fishing

On the 6th of July, son-in-law, Keith, grandson, Kellen, and I flew to Ketchikan, Alaska. We then took a sea plane to Yess Bay Lodge, which is about 50 miles north of Ketchikan. We spent the next three days fishing for salmon and halibut. We were fairly successful and came with about 74 pounds of filets. Grandson Kellen caught a "king" salmon each day, and the lodge guests nicknamed him the "King Slayer".

Shown are: Yes Bay Lodge, the first mornings catch, Keith with a nice halibut, the second morning's catch, the third afternoon's catch, snow on the mountains, and Kellen & Keith with a 30 pound king.

Paris and Roland Garros

We arrived in Paris, the last stop of our trip.  The first day in the city we spent a lovely day at the Muse d' Orsey and walking along the Seine.  That night we had a Tauck fairwell dinner at "Foquette's", a trendy Parisian restaurant.  The following day we walked to a sidewalk cafe for lunch and then went out to Rolland Garros for some French open tennis.  We were able to get some afternoon tickets to see the play on the outside courts and saw some men's and women's doubles and some men's singles.  One of the highlights wasseeing Sam Querry working out with his coach.

Pictured are the Muse d' Orsey, Georgia and I on the Seine near Notrre Dame, and Roland Garros shots.

Beaume

After leaving Lyon, on our way to Paris we stopped in the beautiful town of Beaume.  Beaume is known for the hospice there that was used to take care of the poor.  The hospice operated until the for several hundred years and is now beautiful representation of life in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.  The hospice stopped taking care of people in the middle of the twenth century.  The sisters, who took care of the patients lived there and some that are well into their late eighties and nineties are still living there.

Pictured are the beautiful roof tiles of the hospice, the display of the hospice living contitions with models, the hospice pharmacy, a city square in Beaume and a street garden.

Lyon

Our last day in Lyon was spent visiting the old city, which is west of the Soane river.  We crossed over the Rhone river and over the Soane river to the old town.  Here we wandered the city streets and saw crapes cooked on the street and the unique old buildings.  There was an interesting flower sculpture, which was commissoned by the city using a South Keoran artist.  Finally, it was back tothe boat for a fairwell dinner. 

Shown are pictures of the river Rhone from the old town, crape cooking on the street, a unique circular staircase, the "Flower", and apicture of the crew at the fairwell dinner.

Ville de Cluny and Cafe Restaurant de L'Abbaye

On the 27th we traveled to villege of Cluny. Here is an old abbay, which was destroyed during the French revolution. After the revolution, Napolian used the land for a stud farm for generating his armies' horses. We were treated to a lively dressage demonistration.

After leaving Cluny, we retruned to Lyon and were treated to dinner at the "Cafe Restaurant de L'Abbaye" a michelin three star restaurant. The restaurant theme was of a circus like atmosphere. The pictures and video will give you the flavor of the evening.

After the video of the restaurant are pictures of the Abby at Cluny, a restaurant in Cluny, Georgia and the Fairchilds at the restaurant, and two pictures of the dinner.

Chalon sur Rhone

Chalon sur Rhone is on the Soane river, but since the water levels were high, we were bussed to the city. Here we experienced a bread and crossiant making demonistration followed by a visit to a chocolate making shop. Since food and wine were on the agenda, we proceeded to the Chateau de Rulle and the Chateau de Chamiery for two wine tastings. The wine tasting at Chateau de Rulle was conducted by the Chateau's owner, who also happens to be a Count. The chateau has been in his family's hands since the 1200s. Shown are the city plaza of Chalon sur Rhone, the Chateau de Rulle, Georgia wine tasting at the Chateau de Rulle, the Chateau de Chamirey, and the chateau's vineyards.

Viviers, Touron sur Rhone, and Lyon

We spent three days crusing up to Lyon, where we stayed for three nights because the Soane River had to much winter runoff; and with the recent rains in northern France, the water level and current were to high for us to get up the river. In Viviers, we learned to play "petanque", a game similar to bacchi ball. We played it at the "Fanny Petanque" club. The name comes from a plaque with a figure on it. If you don't get any points in a game, you get to kiss the plaque's fanny. In Touron sur Rhone, we again visited the vineyards where the red poppies were blooming. This is where the cable stayed bridge was first produced., and we walked across an old wooden plank bridge. From here it was off to Lyon and the Lyon market. The Lyon market is considered one of the finest markets in France, and the produce we saw indicated the same. Pictured are the "Fannie Petarque" club in Viviers, the vineyards and the wooden cable bridge in touron sur Rhone, and the Lyon market.