Enchanted and Unexpected

Enchanted

The last time I blogged about books (before my Oregon trip), I had just started The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim. I took my time reading this one, and read a few in between, for a variety of reasons. Some books I really enjoy in small doses, when the storyline isn't hard to hold on to and characters are so strong they stay with you. This is one of those books. 

The Enchanted April was first published in 1922, and it's as interesting to read about the author, and how the novel was received back then, as it is to enjoy the actual book. I won't hesitate to tell you that it is written more formally than contemporary prose, naturally. In fact, there were times I chuckled to myself about how much her detailed writing reminds me of Henry James (I chuckled because someone I know hates Henry James for that very reason. I happen to love him.). The women in the novel are SO Victorian...and, yet, so remarkably like women today. The language may be more formal, but the emotions are the same.

The novel revolves around four women who decide to put their money together and take a holiday together in Italy. They are tired of their dreary lives in London and take a month long vacation together as equal partners in renting a castle by the sea. The women don't know each other prior to this adventure. All they know about each other is they all have the desire to escape the city of London for a holiday to restore themselves.

It is a charming story, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found myself quite enchanted by the lot of them. I found out there's a movie, made some time ago, but I watched the trailer and was disappointed in what I saw. I don't think I'll be watching it. Some characters are just meant to stay in books, and live in the mind, where they are the most colorful.

Unexpected

Now, I promise I'm not calling this part of the blog "Unexpected" because the title of the next book I'd like to talk about is The Unexpected Waltz by Kim Wright. I'm calling it that because I didn't expect to like this novel. I was attracted to it when I previewed it because I liked the cover, and the blurb on the back of the book sounded like my kind of thing. However, a couple of chapters in, I thought, 'I'm not going to like this one. I will not be able to relate to the main character and, at this point, I don't even like her.' I almost abandoned it. I told myself I'd read a little more before I gave up on it. 

I also admit the reason I didn't give up on it quickly was because the setting of the book is my hometown. I've never read a novel set in my own hometown, and I was interested to see it through the eyes of the author, who now lives there. While that was part of what propelled me forward, it wasn't what hooked me and made me enjoy the rest of the ride. And, yes, ladies and gentlemen, I enjoyed it.

The Unexpected Waltz is a life lesson for,...well,...let's just say it. It's a life lesson for people my age. By "my age," I mean anyone 40 and over. And, if you're an old soul (as I have always been), I'll say 30 and over. The lesson is about what you do when you find you're not at the place you thought you should be, and you may not even be the person you had always hoped you would be. What do you do? It is interesting and charming to find out what the main character does, how she deals with her life, and what she learns. She begins by trying to learn how to ballroom dance. What she ends up understanding is so much more.

And what did I learn? I can tell you a couple of things I learned without giving anything away...

1) Always make a large entrance (don't be timid)

2) Step strong (even if you're unsure it's the right step)

They're not just good dance tips, my friends. They're good life lessons. :)

My FAVORITE Place?!

While attending a meeting in Texas, I met someone who was born and raised right outside of Paris, France. I was amazed to learn that French was her first language because she spoke English very well. It was only after she told me she was a high school French teacher that the topic came up of where she was born and her first language.

I told her I had been to Paris. With some hesitation, almost like she dreaded asking, she inquired about my visit to Paris. I assured her it was a perfect trip, and I loved the city and the people there! She wanted to know the things I did. I mentioned a few things, but then just laughed and said, "To be honest, I really did love everything. Everything! My friend and I decided the only goal for our trip was to eat a crepe every day while we looked at the Eiffel Tower, so everything else we did beyond that was icing." She laughed and said she liked that. She also explained that she never knows what reaction she will get from someone when she says she is from Paris, people tend to either have a good reaction or a bad one - seldom anything in between.

We talked for a good while, discussing many different things, but before we parted she asked me a question that was very difficult to answer. She wanted to know, of the places I've been, which one was my favorite. I gave it some thought before I answered, stumbling over my words a few times. I mentioned a few of the places I love, but...I finally gave up and gave my honest answer. I told her all the places I have been are my favorite. She laughed a bit when I said this and asked again, "All of them?!"

Yes, all of them.

I told her that I love the delightful city of Paris just as much as I love England's beautiful countryside. And I am just as fascinated by England's lovely, dramatic, and haunting coastline as I am the healing waters of Italy's Lago Maggiore,...but there's no way to say which one is "better"! I explained that I love walking on the white, sandy, beaches and swimming in the clear waters of Mexico just as much as I love Blowing Rock, North Carolina on a clear, crisp October day when the leaves are in full autumn bloom...and, my goodness, I'll never forget watching the sun come up over the Grand Canyon and, yet, I am just as amazed to sit down in a huge field of beautiful blue bonnets in the Texas Hill Country in the spring! And don't even get me started on how much I love San Francisco and Chicago...

How could I possibly choose a favorite when there is so much beauty and wonder in the world? I've never had a bad experience in my travels. Have there been "hiccups" along the way? Perhaps travel plans didn't always run smoothly? Well, of course, but never enough to daunt my spirit...or my appreciation for just being there - being somewhere - having an adventure!

In all my traveling, I've never met an unfriendly person or someone who was rude because of the way I spoke or the way I looked in an unfamiliar place. Generally speaking, every place I have been I find people who are warm and welcoming. It doesn't matter what the culture or the language is, when I greet the rest of the world with an open heart and an open mind, I have found it gives the same back.

Now,...with a big, wide, wonderful world like that - who could pick a favorite?! :)

Long Time No Blog...or...Viva Italia!

I'm sorry I haven't blogged in awhile, but...I unexpectedly decided to take a trip to Italy to visit a friend of mine. Now, I don't usually just pack up and take off like that, but...I had spent a week in a teacher training class and had one week left until the "gearing up for school" time started. Taking one last fun trip before the academic year started up sounded like a good idea,...and it ended up being a GREAT idea!

I've never been to Italy, and I really enjoyed staying with my friend, Dianne, and her family. Everything I saw was lovely, and everything I ate and drank was delicious! I made some new friends, enjoyed the great outdoors, and tried to learn a little Italian. I visited a cathedral, a castle, an all day spa, and Milan! 

Not only did Dianne "give" me Italy, she also treated me to a trip to Switzerland one day! We took a ferryboat and went up Lago Maggiore to Locarno, Switzerland. The boat ride was really wonderful and a great way to see other small lakeside towns, as we headed up the lake. Once we were in Switzerland, we did a little shopping and enjoyed a delightful lunch overlooking the harbor. We also toured the sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso and, of course, bought a good bit of  Swiss chocolate. :)

It would be hard to say which adventure was my favorite. I can honestly say I enjoyed it all! I must admit, though, that I have a special place in my heart for Lago Maggiore. I marveled at its beauty every time I saw it. The water was blue and clear and sparkling. Every time I swam in it, I was in awe of the mountains surrounding me. I pinched myself, literally, to make sure I wasn't dreaming when I swam with swans, as I looked up at the castle across the lake. 

 

Best of all, the fun was shared with my friend, Dianne, who made me laugh and made me feel right at home. She was also kind enough to share her friends with me. I've never met such a fun group of women who accepted me so readily. Dianne said it is the culture of the "ex-pats" - people who know what it's like to be in another country that isn't their own - to easily accept others and make them feel welcome. Or, as one of Dianne's friends humorously put it when she first met me, "You'll find this is a really nice group of ladies. Not a bitch in the bunch." :)

Now, it's almost time for me to prepare for the new school year. We have 'camp' one day this week to meet our new sixth graders, and next week will begin the teachers' week of inservice. Things will start getting back into a routine soon enough. 

(Sigh)

In the meantime, I'm going to treat myself to long mornings with lots of coffee, extra reading time, and lovely afternoon naps. 

Life is good...