This Is Not an April Fool's Joke

No kidding, I'm going to France (and England) this month.

For the last seven years the first of April has meant the beginning to Blogging from A to Z. It's a fun annual event where bloggers choose a theme and post about it daily. The posts go in alphabetical order, though the relationship of the post to the letter of the alphabet can get quite farfetched, especially with Y and X. In my first year 2016 I completed the challenge, but have been less successful subsequently. 

I was thinking about themes when I realized there was no way I'd get very far this year. Passover is this week and the week following I will be getting ready for my trip to England and France. I will be blogging, but not with the concentration that the Challenge takes. I'm also planning to post while I'm away, but those posts will be about my travel adventures. 

There will be some familiar places on this trip and some totally new places. I will  be on a cruise that includes the Seine and the Gironde and Garonne Rivers of France. The itinerary  includes 

visits to Honfleur, Rouen, La Rochelle and beautiful Bordeaux. Honfleur and Bordeaux are old friends, but Rouen and La Rochelle are new sites. The visit to Bordeaux will be spent in the beautiful town of St. Emilion, known for its wines and vineyards. 

The time spent in England will also be a mix of new sites and familiar favorites. I have the great pleasure of once again visiting my wonderful blog friend, Sybil, who lives outside of Bath. The area is beautiful and the company a complete delight, and yes, we met via blogging. The other area I'll be visiting is the Jurassic Coast, on England's Southern coast. I don't expect dinosaurs, but from the photographs I've been looking at I do expect fabulous scenery.  

I've been asked why I'm "skipping" Paris and London. There is an excursion to Paris for one day, but I've chosen to visit the white cliffs of Etretat instead. I'm hoping for a longer trip to Paris in the future, but this may be my only opportunity to see Etretat. I'm "skipping" London, because it's Coronation Week and despite the historical importance, I think the crowds will be too much for me. 

Though I wore my down coat yesterday, today I wore a spring jacket. It was sunny and clear and there are trees and flowers blooming  all over. It is happily spring. I will be back tomorrow with flowers for a Pink Saturday post. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a beautiful spring Sunday!