Kitties Need Your Help

Dear Friends,



I have become involved in a local feral cat rescue project here in Fontainebleau, championed by Anna Hancock, an INSEAD student from Australia, along with her husband Peter Fridell. They informed me of the cats in need in June and I decided to help them in their endeavors to assist these animals. After taking time to ascertain the best way to help them, we have put together a call for help. Please forward this information to all who you feel would be interested in helping us in our efforts to raise funds for the project outlined below.



As some of you who live in the area might be aware, there is a sizable problem with abandoned domestic animals, most commonly cats, around Fontainebleau, France, where I have been living since January. The problem is more acute with the onset of winter as there is a real possibility of those without shelter freezing. For those of you who were not here in January, you may not be aware that the temperature dropped below minus 16 degrees over winter.



While there are a handful of Fontainebleau locals who do their best to feed the animals they can, there are animals living in pretty awful conditions. In particular, we have been concerned about the welfare of a colony of 12 abandoned cats who live close to INSEAD’s campus. We have been investigating what can be done to help them, and found a fairly complicated set of circumstances.


In short, we would really value your help. We are hoping for donations in any amount for building supplies in order to create shelters for them, cat food and veterinary care longer-term.



To send a donation, please go to: https://www.paypal.com/ and follow the instructions to create a user account if you don't already have one.
You can then use my email address: helynhensley@gmail.com to send your donation. The funds will be used only for cat food, vet care and supplies for shelters.


We are planning to run a small working-bee on October 10th to improve the makeshift shelters the cats already have access to. We would love to install new shelters but there is politics at play: The forest rangers are understandably not keen to have cat shelters built on their land and so we need to keep our efforts pretty camouflaged. In addition to improving the areas under fallen trees etc that the cats can shelter in, we would like to construct portable cat shelters in wood that can be relocated whenever needed. The reasoning is outlined below for those keen to know the full story.



The full story: During Spring we have found a group of 12 cats living in the forest. We found empty bowls, so there was some evidence that someone had been feeding them but we had no idea how often. The cats had no shelter and were thin after a long, hard winter. Anna contacted a helpful staffer in the MBA office who put her in contact with a CEDEP staffer who was heavily involved in cat charity work and knew more about the situation.



The good news: We learned that the cats are mostly neutered (paid for personally by the CEDEP staffer) and fed most days (kitchen scraps rather than cat food because the volunteers have very limited resources) by Fontainebleau locals.



The bad news: The cats are on French Forestry Commission (ONF) land and we are not officially allowed to build them any shelters. The official position of the ONF is that the cats should be put down and should not be in a natural reserve. This sounds pretty logical until you meet the cats and realise what a shame it would be to kill 12 young cats who are de-sexed and fed.



Further, since a handful of additional cats are dumped in the forest each year (3 kittens have been found dumped in the forest this year alone- they were young enough to be re-homed), killing this lot would not solve the problem. There would be new cats there within a year and the problem of giving them humane conditions would not have been solved. The sad fact is that cats who have lived in the forest are not generally suitable to be re-homed and indoors. The nearest cat charity is overwhelmed and has confirmed that it would have to euthanize the cats if it were charged with their care, as it has nowhere to keep them.



With the knowledge that there is an existing roster to feed them, we have concluded that the most important contribution we can make is to provide shelter for the cats. We are also keen to raise some funds to pay for the neutering of any new additions to the colony, any trips to the vet that are needed and a bigger supply of food for them and other cats in the area (there are unfortunately quite a few cats in Fontainebleau needing help too).



Further good news: Although the cats are on ONF land, we have found 4 small shelters made with wood from the forest that the people who feed the cats have made. While they are inadequate (and not water-proof) they are important as they show a willingness by the ONF to leave subtle, camouflaged shelters in place. This is why our first priority is to make the existing shelters better for the cats without making them bigger or more offensive to the ONF.



Further bad news: After a storm last winter, the ONF has plans to come through the area the cats live in and take away fallen wood. This would include their current shelters, even after our renovation. We will therefore most likely have to construct new, better shelters. We hope to build portable shelters that can be taken away if the ONF has a similar clearing program in the future. There is some hope of the ONF agreeing to this.



The best news of all: The CEDEP staffer who has worked so hard to feed and pay for the neutering of cats around INSEAD is a local and can continue to monitor the use of the shelters we build.



Again, to send a donation, please go to: https://www.paypal.com/ and follow the instructions to create a user account if you don't already have one.

You can then use my email address: helynhensley@gmail.com to send your donation. The funds will be used only for cat food, vet care and supplies for shelters.



Even 5 or 10 dollars/euros could make a big difference in the lives of these animals!!!!



Thanks,

Helyn, Anna and Pete

June 09 in France and California!!

June started out with a trip to a nearby chateau called Vaux le Vicomte. The creator of this castle, Nicolas Fouquet was wrongfully imprisoned for life for a crime he did not commit. It's an interesting and sad story.

To read the history of the castle go to this link:
http://www.vaux-le-vicomte.com/en/chateau_histoire.php

To see our photos of our visit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nharlow/sets/72157620764621164/

My sister Blair and her god daughter Autumn visited Paris and Fontainebleau for their first "girl's trip" to France. Here are some pics of us at the Fontainebleau chateau and around town: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nharlow/sets/72157621903032832/
The guy dressed as a girl is getting married so his friends dressed him up for the bachelor party!

I decided that it was time for me to take a trip home for a couple of weeks. It was so wonderful to be back in California and see my friends, go to my favorite beaches, eat mexican food, and go to Big Sur and SF. What an amazing 2 weeks, thanks to all of you who spent time with me and made it so special!

Best of California trip:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nharlow/sets/72157621903006434/

Here are some pics of INSEAD friends and the last day of Nick's school before the summer break: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nharlow/sets/72157621903046292/

And finally, we spent my birthday weekend in Paris (June 27-28). Paris Gay Pride parade was on Saturday. It was fantastic!!! Then we met friends for drinks in the Marais. We had my birthday dinner at Cafe Marly at the Louvre with beautiful views of the tower and the pyramid.
Sunday we went to brunch and then to see an old friend, Kristen Laakso from Kwajalein who has been living in Paris for 12 yeas. It was amazing to see her. Nick planned the entire weekend and it was perfect! It was a birthday I will never forget.

Pics of my 29th birthday in Paris:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nharlow/sets/72157621778535355/

May 09

May was fabulous!!! Here is a quick synopsis of the main events...

Nick's best friends from highschool, Ryan and Mike came to France this month along with their beautiful girlfriends, Julia and Erica. They stayed in Fontainebleau for a day and we toured them around the chateau and the town. Then we all took the train into Paris where we spent a night there. Had dinner at a very trendy restaurant called Kong. It's an awesome place to eat: the ambiance was tres chic, the food was delicious and the wait staff were all super models!! Then we made our way over to the Bastille for some after dinner partying. It was a quick visit but very special to have them with us.

There were many social events including our weekly Elbows on the Table parties and Dora's birthday party. We are so lucky to have such wonderful friends here.

Check out this random set of party photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nharlow/sets/72157621895133646/

The INSEAD Summer Ball was an incredible event. It was held at the Fontainebleau Chateau with about 1,500 people including alumni and current students. From 10 PM until 4 AM we danced and ate and drank champagne...the DJ's were great and there were live bands as well. The chill room was a gorgeous lounging space. The food was fab and breakfast was served around 3 AM. I must say, it was quite a party...

See these pics at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nharlow/sets/72157621770726691/

The last week of May, Nick and I rented a car and drove up to a little town in Normandy called Bagnole de L'Orne in hopes of soaking in some hot mineral water. We found the town to be very quaint with some nice mineral water but it wasn't quite HOT enough. So, I spent most of my time in the bath tub in our hotel room where I could control the temperature. But it was a fun place with nice people and good food.

Pics of Bagnole de L'Orne:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nharlow/sets/72157620623760523/

We drove up to the coast to Mont St. Michel which is a monastery built in the 11oo's on an island. It is stunning and a bit creepy. The history is fascinating and if you ever come to France, I highly recommend visiting this site.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nharlow/sets/72157620764632130/

That's it for May!

April Highlights

I am attempting to catch up on posting a little bit of information about what we've been up to every month. As you can see, I am really far behind so I'm going to give a brief overview.

April was the month of visitors!! My parents, Sue and Travis came to visit us in early April. They stayed at our apartment for a couple of nights and then the three of us drove down to the Loire Valley for a night. It was beautiful!! We went to the Chenonceau Chateau and to Leo DaVinci's home in Amboise. Nick had to stay in Fontainebleau for school, unfortunately. After the Loire Valley, we drove up to Normandy to see the towns of Honfleur, Bayeux and the D-Day beaches. On the way back to Paris, we spent two nights in Giverny and visited Monet's home and gardens.

To see the best shots of Sue & Travis' journey through France go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nharlow/sets/72157621894701292/

My dear friend Maria and her daughter Alex came for a visit as well. They stayed in a really great part of Paris and we had a fantastic time cruising around their neighborhood as well as visiting Versailles together. We also spent some time in the Latin quarter and visited the Musee Cluny. The unicorn tapestries were truly amazing.

These photos are of Maria and Alex's visit and are mostly taken at Versailles:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nharlow/sets/72157618277722511/


Ms. Tori Porter, one of my best girls from Santa Cruz, showed up in Paris just around the time that Maria and Alex were getting ready to head home. We spent a couple of days roaming the streets of Paris and then she did her own whirlwind photography tour of Paris for two very long days. Her feet were trashed but she took tons of amazing photos!!

To see some of my photos of Tori's visit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nharlow/sets/72157619058127306/

At the end of April, Nick and I took off for Valencia, Spain for Nick's break from school. Spending six nights in this town was just what we needed to relax and recharge. It's an amazing place and we thoroughly enjoyed THE BEACH, the tapas, music and dancing, the wonderful squares with their fountains and statues, interesting cathedrals, the silk exchange, and the market. The City of Arts & Sciences was fascinating and we were quite impressed with the aquarium. We did lots of wandering and lounging on the beach...it was lovely!

Here's the best stuff from Valencia:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nharlow/sets/72157621894892464/

So that gives you a summary of the high points of April!!! Hope you enjoyed our photos...stay tuned for May 09.

March Happenings

Just wanted to get the photos of March out to all of you. We have been entertaining guests steadily since mid March so I have little time to write these days. Hopefully the photos will tell the stories!!

Our dear friend Toni Nell from Santa Cruz visited us in March. We stayed at a hotel with her in Paris for some of the time and she stayed with us out in the country as well. Nick's birthday celebration is also included in this set.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nharlow/sets/72157615601427069/

Nick and I went to Madrid, Spain for the first school break in early March. You will see many photos of us eating in this set. This is because the food in Spain is amazing and we even had Mexican food!! I had been in withdrawal for weeks and we just happened upon this amazing place. Felt like I was back home. We were also impressed with the museums, monuments and fountains...good stuff!

We stayed with a friend of Nick's from grade school in Paris, Phillip and his wife Lydia. They are Dutch and have lived in Madrid for about 3 years (I think). They were such wonderful tour guides and took us outside of Madrid to Segovia and some other cool places. We also saw Nick's friend Diana who Nick knows from his college days. We went to dinner with Diana, her fiance and some friends of theirs. Of course, we went to many clubs after dinner and stayed out until the wee hours.

Pics of Madrid:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nharlow/sets/72157615597612601/

We love Spain so much that we are going back for the next school break in late April/early May. Decided to go to Valencia because it is not as touristy, on the beach and inexpensive. We are really looking forward to some beach time since we have been landlocked for 4 months now.

Nick created this set of highlights if you don't want to wade through the mass of other photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nharlow/sets/72157615601435513/

Upcoming photo sets: Sue and Travis' visit to France, Maria and Alex's visit to France, & Tori's visit to France! April has been all about entertaining friends and family and it's been great fun so far.

Happy tax day, hope you're all doing well! We miss you.

A Day On My Own in Paris

I decided to go to Paris by myself one day. It was a Saturday and Nick wanted to go to a tutorial at school so it seemed like the thing to do. Carefully planning my day was the first mistake. If you want to have a good time in France, try not to make really firm plans because these plans may fall through or at least you could encounter major obstacles. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, in fact it's almost freeing to know that something may or may not happen. The main thing to remember is to not get attached to the outcome. I am in no way perfect at this, but I am learning quickly.

The buses in Fontainebleau are tricky at best. I waited for my bus to the train station for almost 20 minutes after its scheduled arrival. At this point I was a little worried about getting to the train on time. The bus drove up to the stop and paused, then proceeded to drive away! I yelled and waved my arms, but to no avail. The driver saw me and must have been in a really wicked mood that day. Well, I'm sure it helps him sleep at night to know that he has so much power over us poor little citizens who do not own cars.

So I decided to make it to the train on time. By my calculations it would take me 15 minutes to walk, but the train was scheduled to depart in 10 minutes. I decided to run even though I am not wearing trainers. The flat healed boots did fine although I'm not sure how much my knees enjoyed the experience. I made it to the train on time and was off to Paris...

Upon arrival at the Gare de Lyon in Paris, I meandered over to the metro to catch a couple of trains to the Musee Rodin. This museum had been on my list for too long and I was looking forward to being able to scratch it off. As I got on the metro, I was surrounded by police officers. There were probably 20 of them on my train car alone. This should have been my first clue that something was wrong. They were happy and talking to eachother, I thought nothing of it. As I exited the metro station and headed up to street level, I saw hundreds of police officers and the streets were closed off and filled with police cars. I thought, "Alright, they're having some kind of cop party convention thing, I don't know, but I feel very safe! " I walked around in circles for about a half an hour trying to find the museum and everywhere I went, there were police. Finally, the museum door was in front of me and as I reached for the door a man said to me "C'est ferme!" I said, "Pourquoi?" and he replied, "Manifestation." At this point, I started to cry. I just couldn't believe it!! And what the hell kind of manifestation was going on, anyway? It means demonstration in English, but I was unable to see what was being demonstrated by closing this museum on a Saturday. It was baffling.

Museums no longer held my interest and I didn't want to go to an alternate one, it just would not have been good enough. I decided to head over to the Grand Boulevards and just walk around. Another plan I had was to have lunch at Laduree, the classy tearoom known for its macarons. This place was too cute on the outside and as for the inside, I can't tell you because it was so packed in there I didn't even want to try. Must be a place you have to go to on a weekday. Nice photos of the macarons in the window, though!

Lunch was calling to me so I wandered and decided that the perfect place would present itself to me. I would just know it when I saw it. Taking a random side street, I came across a place that boasted crepes and fondue. The customers inside looked warm and happy, the host was very nice, and yes, they were still serving lunch. One thing I've noticed in France is that you have to ask before you sit down if lunch is still being served. Lots of folks show up

just for coffee in the afternoon so the waiters don't really care why you sit. But I usually care

about the ability to have lunch, so now I ask before I sit.

The place was cozy, and I picked a table by the window. It was actually a table for one, which was perfect, like it had been waiting just for me. I ordered fondu avec champignon and red wine. Staring out the window and people watching kept me very entertained until my food arrived. My book club assignment was good company and I fully enjoyed my large bowl of hot cheese and mushrooms. The bread was amazing and I was a little sad when the meal was over because that meant I would have to leave soon. The restaurant was closing so it was time for me to continue my journey.

After that meal, a walk felt good. I walked by the opera house and down to Place Vendome. By then, I was tired and ready to head home so I walked down to Place de la Concorde to take some shots of the obelisk and the tower before heading back down to the metro. It was such a great day and I learned that in Paris, it's a good thing to be spontaneous. You really can't go wrong no matter what you end up doing!

Church of the Madeleine

Place de la Concorde with Eiffel Tower

Place Vendome

New Year's Eve at Chateau de Fontainebleau

The decision to stay in Fontainebleau instead of going to Paris was not an easy one for us. The trains out to our neck of the woods do not operate after midnight and the hotels were very pricy in Paris. There were no fireworks scheduled for the Eiffel tower which was suprising. An event being promoted at the castle here in the center of Fontainebleau sounded intriguing and we thought that it might be a fun and mellow way to ring in the New Year. Well, we greatly underestimated these townspeople. Our expectations were exceeded far beyond what we could have imagined.

Nick cooked a lovely dinner for us at home and we indulged in a chocolate tart from one of the local bakeries. Bundling up for the cold, we headed toward the castle and walked for what seemed like miles until we reached the canals and grounds. It was a sight to behold and I'm not sure if I can describe the scene well enough for you to understand. Hopefully the photos will help.

The grounds of the castle are vast and there are several very large ponds as well as a canal that begins near the castle and extends north through the forest for as far as the eye can see. This entire expanse of earth and water contained hundreds of fire sculptures that were of various shapes and sizes. The sculptures in the water looked like giant trees with limbs of fire. There were fire cones filled with hot coals to warm yourself by and all the pathways were lit with torches. Everyone was walking toward the forest so we followed, not sure what we would find next.


We came upon another large building with a courtyard. There were 3 stages set up with live music, dancing, gymnasts, and other entertainment. About twenty jacuzzi tubs were randomly placed in this courtyard. People had brought their swimsuits and were lounging in these tubs while they sipped champagne and watched the entertainment. A large dance area was filled with people dancing to a bizzare marching band and some men dressed in drag with batons and twirling flags danced on stage with them. After the marching band finished their perfomance, tons of people jumped on the stage and were dancing to the music played by a DJ from Argentina. We danced a little, sat and watched the crowd some and decided to head home because it was so very cold. Happy 2009!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nharlow/sets/72157612516121053/

Also included in this batch of photos: Chateau de Fontainebleau , Sacre Coeur/Montmartre, Market in Fonti and Our 1st Snow Day. Enjoy...