Vanovers' Travels: The Long Goodbye

As we begin our last journey to Bomet, Kenya and Tenwek Hospital, we have reversed the usual order of things. In the past we have served our time at the hospital, then at the end of our service period, have stopped off somewhere in Europe for a few days of rest and relaxation. This year, we have decided to “have dessert first.” We traveled to Paris where we met up with our DDF’s (dear Dutch friends…Peter and Petra Axt) who now live in Portugal. Peter (Anesthesiology) and Petra (Internal Medicine) served with us perhaps 20 years ago during two mission trips to Guatemala, and we became instant friends. During the latter part of our 15 years of traveling back and forth from Kenya it has become our habit to meet up with them somewhere in Europe for a few days to recharge and reconnect. This year we decided upon Paris. Petra has become our “travel guide extraordinaire” and always develops an action-packed itinerary for the four of us, with only a little input from the two of us…our job (myself and Marilyn) is to simply show up, and to be pointed in the right direction. This year we arrived before Peter and Petra, and were “on our own” for a change. We arrived in Paris on Monday afternoon 1/27/25 and had a few hours to get to our hotel with our vast array of luggage (actually only six bags this year including our carry-ons!...our leanest year ever!!) After getting settled in, we ventured out that evening for a brief walking tour of the area around our hotel and planned to go to a jazz club to enjoy some live music. After locating a restaurant which looked appealing and was located close to the club, we enjoyed a wonderful meal of pizza and salad but soon realized that we were too tired and cold to “wait up” for the 7pm opening time of the jazz club. (I know!...how pathetic is that!) Consequently, our first night in Paris was somewhat anticlimactic, but restful. Peter and Petra arrived later that evening, and the next morning we were “off to the races.” Our first stop was Sacre Coeur church in Montmartre – a beautiful limestone cathedral with high arching ceilings, a central dome, stained glass, fresco painted ceilings, and beautiful pieces of art and sculpture, all atop Montmartre with its sweeping view of the rest of the city. From there we visited a nearby creperie for a fabulous lunch, then headed out to the Arche de Triomphe on the Champs Elysee. After climbing many flights of stairs, we reached the observation deck where we were afforded another outstanding view of the highlights of the city – the Louvre, the Eiffel tower, the modern business district with its own representation of the “Arc de Triomphe”, and in the distance, Montmartre and Sacre Coeur. Our next stop was a boat tour of the river Seine, then another outstanding meal, followed by an ascent of the Eiffel tower (thankfully by elevator, and NOT more stair climbing!) From the vantage point of the Eiffel tower, it is easy to see how Paris has become known as “the city of lights”...it truly is a beautiful city by night!! After a good rest, we started day two with a tour of the Louvre (an incredible structure, previously the home of kings, and now housing an amazing collection of art and sculpture, …including the famous “Venus de Milo” and “Winged victory”, and the “Mona Lisa” to name but a few.) In addition to the incredible collection of art, we had a wonderful tour guide who brought “life and color” to each of the areas visited. After this, more memorable eating… then a tour of the Musee d’Orsay with its beautiful collection of impressionist works, and its massive overhead ornate clocks dating back to the days when the building functioned as a train station. From there, on to the newly restored and recently reopened Notre Dame - an absolutely beautiful cathedral. The restoration has “brightened” the interior walls, ceiling, and stained-glass panels, and has been so successful that one would never guess that a fire had occurred there only a few short years ago! Next, a fabulous meal, some fabulous wine, and warm fellowship, then back to our hotel for some much-needed rest. Day three started with a tour of Versailles (after a short misadventure on the rail system… through no fault of our intrepid “tour guide”!). We discovered, after 30 minutes on the train, that we were headed in the opposite direction of the palace. Following some quick revisions of the itinerary and a rapid taxi transport back into the city, we were again on schedule! Our tour of Versailles was outstanding and included a walking audio tour which brought the palace, and the historical figures of that time period (Louis XIII, XIV, and XV) to life. We had lunch onsite, then finished our tour of the palace and the gardens (though admittedly the gardens are rather barren in winter). We finished the evening with a comedy show called “How to become a Parisien in one hour” (mostly involving sneering, treating foreigners/customers with contempt, and a lot of “huffing”… all of which I mastered quite quickly I’m proud to say). It was a laugh-filled evening followed by another wonderful meal, and some outstanding wine (compliments of the Axt’s son Menno, who also seems to have his mother’s gift for travel planning and restaurant selection…many thanks Menno!). After saying our goodbyes, sharing hugs, and sharing plans for future trips with the Axt family, we headed to our real destination… Nairobi, Kenya. This being our last planned visit to Tenwek Hospital, we have now embarked on what I am calling the “Long Goodbye tour” - a series of reflections on what we have learned over the years, various people we have come to know and love, and an homage to the incredible Kenyan people who always welcome us back as part of the Tenwek family. We look forward to having you join us as we make this final journey.