All good things around us

Hello, all,
First of all, thank you for all of your love and concern. it is humbling to know how loved you are and we thank you for that gift. Second, happy birthday to,our wonderful son, Tray!  Have a fantastic new year!

The message on my morning coffee cup was a good reminder as we headed out of Bastonge, France to Baden-Baden, Germany. The journey took about four hours.  We went through some beautiful farmland and the next thing we knew,we were in the foothills of mountains.  We had packed our swimsuits sepearately so,we,checked into,the hotel but didn't take our luggage in but went straight to the Caracalla Therma http://www.carasana.de/en/caracalla-spa/home/.  I thought Bath was great? There is absolutely no comparison. It was absolute heaven.  truly, check out the website. It was an incredible three hours. The Romans built baths in Baden-Baden around 100 AD. we went on tour of the ruins and what an engineering feat!  But the baths were the main feat. A massive indoor pool, and two massive outdoors pools of varying temps and one with that incredible current that picks you up and shots you around the pool.  You would have thought I was a kid. After an incredible meal at a very local Weinstube (we sat next to a German couple who live four months in San Fran and the rest of the year in Baden-Baden), we slept like logs. The next day we got up and went to the Friedrichsbad. http://www.carasana.de/en/friedrichsbad/home/. This is the nude spa. So, when in Baden-Baden . . . In the last couple of years they've developed sepearate days and we visited on one of those. Cham and I did the luxury spa which was awesome. They take you through 17 stages of relaxation. You get scrubbed with a soap and brush, sit through several saunas, and soak in several pools. Cham and I reunite at stages 10 and 11. it was really such fun!  it all ended with a massage and a wrap in warm towels. ahhhh, marvelous. We went to bed so happy and relaxed. What a fabulous day.

Then we woke up this morning to worried messages from our loved ones. What a difference 10 hours makes. Fortunately, we're fine, but how awful for everyone. I didn't mention it in my writing on Paris, and rightly or wrongly, these are only my thoughts, but it has changed. We're going back next week so it's better to make this call based on a week than a day, but no doubt the complexion of the city has changed. And while I've never been to b-b, it's changed as well. Lots of Middle East families were staying in our hotel - some in burkas, some not. I had three burkaed women sitting behind me this morning and thought so are you getting ready to kill us?  Then I looked at the families and saw a father with his pregnant wife and four young children and he was crazy about them. He just wants a good life for them. And how did he feel about Nice? Was he also anxious about the upcoming day?So many conflicting emotions. And especially about the baths, can the women ever enjoy that wonderful pleasure?  I know there's a young Islamic woman at the y in lburg that uses the sauna and exercise equipment but never the pool. All I can do is pray for an open heart and peace for "all sorts and conditions of mankind." That's also not to say I'd roll over if threatened. So very, very complicated.

I was very conflicted before we left for Colmar so I did what brings me peace and went back to the baths one last time before we left. Wonderful place to pray and be truly grateful for such a healing place. We arrived in Colmar this afternoon after a two hour journey. Massive security on the bridge crossing the Rhein from Germany into France, but that's to be expected after the attack and we were waved through.

I was in Colmar about, yikes, 12 years ago with Nadine Christian, Anne GiAnakos and another friend, Cheryl Cashman. It was a quaint lovely area. At some point, someone said it was a place everyone should visit. Now it is almost unreconizable.  I think there are more tourists than locals now. But, it's still lovely just the same. We've gotten a great apt through vrbo in the city center but in a quiet neighborhood. We're off to do a castle and part of the wine trail tomorrow. Beautiful countryside in the Vosage mountains. One easily understands why the area changed hands between Germany and France so often.

I'm posting pictures of B-b and some of Colmar. Thank you again for all of your love. We're so grateful for this journey and all the fabulous people we've met along the way.