My Morning

So many things to blog about but I don't want to spend my vacation blogging, so I thought I'd share a few pictures before we continue our exploring.
I'm usually an early riser, but I've been lollygagging a bit -- it is vacation.
We're on a 6-hour time difference from home.
Apparently Grace was still awake at midnight and she texted me, assuming I'd be up at 6. I was awake, planning to get up to see the sunrise this morning -- I've missed it every other morning.
So after her text, I took a few pictures.

And then a few minutes later as the color continued to spread.

It has been confusing to me how the sun can rise in the east behind the mountains and set in the west behind the mountains, but a hike today affirmed that this little village is nestled with mountains all around.

This is a panorama photo on my iPhone. It goes about 180 degrees around the path that we were walking this morning, but I could have continued to take the picture all the way around to show the mountains surround us.
We walked for an hour this morning, about three miles.
And then I ran back to the apartment -- uphill, while Earl went to the boulangerie for our breakfast.
I haven't run much here because I have found flat areas to run. I don't mind running uphill, although I'm not in shape for it, but running downhill is a killer on me.
As we decide where we want to live in the future, I'm torn.
I love walking in the mountains, the views, the feeling of the mountains embracing me to their bosom, swaddling me.
But I wonder if my running years will be limited with so many downhills.
What do you think running friends?
No matter what I did or didn't do to my knees this morning, I got a lovely pastry for breakfast when my husband returned from the bakery.
I usually go for a chocolate croissant or a plain croissant, but he knows that I've been obsessed with cafe eclairs, so he got one for me for breakfast.

Yum.
Hope you're having a lovely day too.
We're off to another market.

Brisk Morning

After weeks of warm weather, winter decided to visit again. Yesterday, the temperature was in the 30s when I got up. This morning, they had dipped into the 20s -- 24 to be precise (-4 C).
But I pulled on my running clothes and headed out. The road was slippery in places, but I managed to stay upright throughout my seven-mile run.
And as the sun rose, I was rewarded for my tenacity.

And I took a couple more pictures to show how the dusting of snow is affecting the spring growth.

These crocuses don't look too bothered by the snow.

Our daffodils haven't bloomed yet. There's a leftover Christmas bulb in this garden, slowly fading. 

These daffodils do not look very happy with their coating of snow. 

Hope you have something hopeful and beautiful in your life today too.