Fun

Just because I can go on for ages about chicken pox, please don't take that to mean I have nothing better to talk about. It's rather a case of so many blog ideas, so little time. The girls and I are are still wide eyed and discovering the many wonders of this storybook town. For all of us, our french is improving constantly. Yesterday, we did my favorite thing, and just walked around town, the city center as well as the nature trails and outlying towns for about 5 miles. I had to bribe the girls to do it (stops at the park and waffle stand), but I think they're also liking it in the end.
Another of our pasttimes is to check out the goings on of our boating neighbors. Actually, it's Lauren's pasttime. Besides our new friend, Peter,we have other neighbors, to whom we've never spoken, but who've been here for several weeks (well, they come and they go), and they anchor right in front of Lauren's bedroom window. Their boat is called the Heron of Gorey, so we just call them "the Heron of Gorey guys". Lauren provides us with updates as to when they're going for breakfast, cleaning the boat, reading, and so on. It's a couple in their 70s, I expect and the man looks like a hearty stocky sailor while she is a tiny little going concern. She and Lauren do wave to each other (each having caught the other spying) and it's just a funny little part of our life here. They've sailed out this afternoon, but, if the past is any indication, they'll be back. And it's high time we meet them.

The weird thing is that Kevin isn't here. That seems so odd and it's an adjustment. We miss him alot, but we certainly don't eat as much meat. ;-)

We also met a woman today on our walk home from school who lives and works on one of the main artists' streets down the road. Do you remember the chat gris? That's Annika's favorite cat to find on the way to school (keeps her attention away from the walk up the steep hill). Anyway, as we found it today, it's Sylivie's cat and her shop. They change the sculptures in the window weekly and today's was intriguing to Lauren, so she asked to go in. We found out not only that it's her husband who does the stunning bronze sculpture (Annika gasped when she saw the one of a male dancer holding a female ballerina high above his head), but also that she's really friendly and her kids are around Lauren's age. She's keen to learn English herself (she already has a language partner, Anglaise) and she wishes her kids would learn more English. "Maybe you girls can be friends," she proposed to Lauren. Lauren did not quite understand what she said, but, I did. You can bet that we will certainly take her up on that offer. The little girl's name is Laura and she's a few months younger than Lauren. Laura also has an older brother about 11, but we didn't get his name.

Well, here are some photos of our walk yesterday....



Here is the plaza heading to the library (straight ahead). Oh actually we did that on Saturday.


Annika posing in the antique shop (note the telltale back of the winding staircase, Dinanaise).

Then we passed a fancy bridal boutique in town and in the window we saw the perfect bride and mother of the bride outfits, I thought, for Lauren and me. But she was not convinced, saying that she would have a nature wedding with a flowing gown and twigs in her hair. So much for my floral taffeta. Maybe I'll wear that at Annika's. Then, 30 minutes later when we were down "in nature", Lauren made a bouquet:



Our favorite boat passed by:


Jaman IV...we really must go on this some time. It's a guided tour in English and French, and I bet they tell some interesting stories and history of the area.



The girls on the bridge.




This one is for you, mom since you requested flowers, and I had just taken this one a few hours before that request. It's not the best flower bed in town...there are hundreds; they are everywhere. I'll keep my eye out when we pass a really spectacular one and the girls are with me. Hopefully we won't be in the car. ;-)