Hello!

I hope you are all doing well and that those in Australia are coming to terms with the change in weather. Though I’m not a competitive person, I do keep track of the Melbourne temperatures and I’m ashamed to say that I feel a sense of celebration when the top temperature in Paris is higher than Melbourne’s.

We have been taking advantage of the sunshine here. We’re slowly working our way around the Parisian parks and gardens and Richard makes mental notes on which ones have enough space to kick a footy so that we can go back when the sun comes out again. I think we’ve made the necessary switch in our mindset from wondering why there is no grass at our doorstep to actively and enthusiastically searching for some.

Our run of ‘super fun outdoor play’ is mostly thanks to our new friends Fred and Lee and their children Pauly and Charlotte. Fred introduced himself to me one day after school while waiting for Pauly (who is in Kitty’s class) and so began my first friendship in Paris! They are a lovely family. Fred is French and Lee is American and so we all speak English to one another, meaning that we can converse properly and it’s easy to recount a story or share a laugh. Two weeks of school holidays are almost over and we’ve done some fantastic things with them during the break. We have canoed on Lac Daumesnil, slid down a huge tubular slide at Parc de la Vilette and had a picnic lunch and even braved a roller-coaster at Jardin d’Acclimatation. Spending time with friends has been really good for us all and has most certainly helped us feel like part of the community and not just tourists.

We 5 Blazés decided to rewarded ourselves with a trip to the Loire Valley in celebration of completing and surviving the first term of school in Paris. It was a good decision and we all loved it! We caught the train from Paris to Orléans (about an hour south) and then we drove further south to a small town called Marcilly-en-Gault. Well, WE didn’t drive- it was just Richard. He was FREAKING OUT, I tell you! The only car they had for us to hire at such short notice was a manual which meant that the gear stick was on the right. Richard kept whacking his left hand on the door every time he went to change gears. That, combined with my navigational skills and Richard trying to remember to stay on the RIGHT side of the road, made for a pretty stressful first hour. Richard warned the kids not to say one word or make one single sound during his first ten minutes behind the wheel and the poor things were probably fearing for their lives but they obeyed! We stayed in a lovely little country house which had a huge backyard with a trampoline and a table tennis table. That’s about all we needed! It was utterly delightful to breathe in some fresh air and hear the birds sing. Still, we all enjoyed coming back home to our apartment having had our fix of space and quiet.

IN BREAKING NEWS…. MY MUM IS HERE! Yipee!!! It’s so wonderful to have her staying with us! She’s only been here for five days and already she knows her way around the Paris Metro, she has made a purchase at Galeries Lafayette, she’s cooked some Adas ib Hamod (a homely Lebanese lentil and potato soup) and she is like a celebrity at the local market’s Lebanese food shop. The owner has taken selfies with her and they chant “Dunia, Dunia, Dunia” when they see her! Mum doesn’t like the fuss but for the rest of us, it means we are handed free food samples every time we pass there. You have got to love that!

The kids are back at school on Tuesday and they will start their last term of the school year. It’s a long term so we may have to wag a few times and recharge our batteries. Richard has been doing quite a bit of work from home lately.  He still doesn’t have internet connection when he is inside the hospital building, plus he is unable to be added to their text and email ‘loop’ (apparently the paperwork would be impossible). French people would understand this, but I am not sure anyone else would. I don’t. Richard is taking French classes twice a week in the evenings and although he claims to be the worst in the class, he is enjoying the challenge and he tries to do some extra study to keep up with the others.

Lastly, a big thanks to my sister Larni and my friends especially Marz, Naomi, Jane, Claire, Amanda and Bec for helping me out of my ‘rut’ and taking/texting me positive words of encouragement. I think the intensity of the last few months caught up with me and I imploded for a bit! I’m back to my normal self now which is not ‘normal’- but it’s the same as it was before I left Melbourne. I’m happy and positive and at ease.

Lots and lots of love to you all. xxxooo

 

Solomon’s 9th birthday cakes!

Playing with Charlotte and Pauly in Parc de la Vilette

Enjoying some particularly tasty ice cream at Célestins Quay

Welcoming the newest Beanie Boos into the family- thanks Mabel!

Pauly, Bessie, Fred and Charlotte canoeing on Lac Daumesnil

The swans were doing that thing where they make their wings into a heart shape!

Walking near our cottage at Marcilly-en-Gault

The backyard

Table tennis out the back

Exploring the area

Tourists at Notre Dame

Pauly and Solomon hanging out

At Marché Saint Quentin eating Salwa’s yummy Lebanese food

Outside the local library

Bessie and the kids’ lovely piano teacher Aurelien

Tired Dunia sitting down with us all after a long journey

New nighties that nanny made the girls

Enjoying nanny’s company

Jardin d’Acclimatation

Enjoying a cup of tea while watching some AFL and squeezing in some work too

Parc Monceau