Eye-opener

The book I wanted to recommend is called "My Bloody Life." It's the life story of a former Latin King - about his life before joining the gang, how he got involved, and what gang life was like... Very interesting, a quick read (he's clearly writing his own story, with limited editing).

Update: The roofers can't put the gutters back on until things dry out, but they rigged up an overhang, the water is much less coming down the side of the building, and our ceiling is slowly drying out. Yay!

(And there's not much damage, as far as we can tell.)

Water, water everywhere...

I promise, I will return to posting travel photos. I also have a book I'd like to recommend. But first, first I must vent.

We have water in our front hall. Dripping. Since about 4 in the afternoon yesterday - and we have rain forecast through (I think) Wednesday. Apparently, as part of our ongoing roof repair, the roofers had to remove all the gutters from the courtyard area. When it rains, therefore, it pours straight down the walls - and apparently some of it finds its way inside.

We've been dumping pans and bowls, and washing and drying towels, and will be doing so for the foreseeable future. (Because, of course, the roofers can't do anything about it until it dries out...)

Argh.

Mulhouse

Our last stay before heading back to Paris was in a French town near the German and Swiss borders, called Mulhouse. When we drove down the first day, we had about half a day left to spend, and no real plans - so we went to their Zoo!



Aren't these owls regal?



This guy had the right idea - it was HOT that day.



Turtle train... it was really funny when the lead turtle headed into a pile of rocks... they couldn't go forward, and it took them a while to figure out what to do instead!



Not only are they cute, but we got to see them fed - and heard a lecture about them in French (of which we managed to follow mostly along, though I'm sure we missed more than I realized!)

wine, wine, wine

More photos from the Wine Road...



A neat fortified church - made for a nice walk from our B&B, too. It was over 90 these days, though - so we were pretty hot when we got there, even in the fairly early morning!



A castle we didn't walk all the way up to - it was another 45 minute walk or so (at least) from this point - and it was already past lunchtime! (Hiking in the heat with no food = bad idea.)

(My access has been actng up - I'll try to get some more photos up in the next few days, a couple at a time.)