Our French adventure has begun with a short sharp tour of Paris. It may be our only experience of a bed outside of the Mamet family homes. Notre Dame was an impressive introduction to the scale and majesty of the old city. There was plenty to catch the eye of the kids as we walked to the Modern Museum for lunch and a panorama of the city. Nothing says “welcome to France” better than crepe and cider. Not even Sarkosy himself could top a galette with egg, cheese and ham.
The Eiffel tower is in the process of an upgrade to the lift system. Consequently, the queues were like the Nile river, so we opted for the view from the bottom. An awesome sight for young eyes. Coffee and icecream with a view of the tower then a driving tour of the Arc du Triumph and Champ se Elysees completed the afternoon. Eva spent the drive asleep under a jumper after a tsunami of tears and emotional meltdown. She slept through dinner until morning.
Marie Jo and Jean Marie were patient and thoughtful chaperones. We left them the following day (Tuesday) and drove in the direction of St Clement. Andy has again provided his old Merc station wagon, this time with GPS. I think the car originally belonged to Boris Becker’s father. There is plenty of space for racquets, trophies and sweat bands in the back.
As good as Paris is, Lissa’s heart is in St Clement. Raphael and Rosine have a home that has always been open to her since the first visit. Not many things have changed here since a 10 year old Lissa walked through the door. The cousins have moved on from the upstairs rooms but all the charm and character remain. This place has to been seen to be appreciated. It is full of surprises. Singapore was humid, Raphael’s house is full of warmth.
The kids have set up a classroom in the garden. They played raucously with Emile and Jasmine last night. Kael came down late to the breakfast table and asked about “Miel”. I informed him that he was probably looking for his cousin rather than some honey. I’m sure the kids will finish this trip with the same affection for St Clement, whoever he is.
Welcome to the blogosphere, my friend! It will be so fun to follow along on all of your adventures with y'all. And when you're done, you'll have to turn it into a book to keep as a momento! ;-) Anyway, well done. Keep it up!
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