Hallo we en rural France

Get that? Funny right? 
Halloween. Hello, we in rural France.
Ha, ha. 
Ok, on with it.


After our time in Paris we are back in a place of calm.
And here we quietly celebrated halloween. Somewhat with cows at the dairy farm 50 metres from the front gate. We are SURE they appreciated our dressing up. Although they were a little light on the offering of lollies. 
We did, however, return home with fresh milk, cream, butter and cheese. I no complain. And neither did Spring and Autumn. Winter on the other hand did, but that was more about the fact that her costume was a little tight with four layers and an overcoat underneath it.

On the way to this glorious place we visited Monet's gardens of Giverny. At the water garden our big girl became enchanted by two young ladies sitting on a bench, one charcoal sketching, one painting with watercolour. She wasn't interested in wandering any further so while we did, she hovered by these ladies. After a short while she was offered some paper and a charcoal. She was so shy in utter joy. She sat there for half an hour, in her element. It is incredible to watch this love of hers grow. It was only a few days earlier, after watching a street artist in Paris that she asked 'Can grown-ups draw?' in a Can you draw as a job? kind of way. This desire of hers to create is insatiable and beautiful.

Parisienne - The wrap

We enjoyed our time in Paris beyond what we might've hoped. We were blessed to share an apartment and our days with a wonderful Australian family with lots of Parisienne knowledge and wonderfully fluent French language. 


Oh my, we were lucky. We visited the Eiffel Tower, rode carousels, saw incredible architecture, were entertained by street performers and artists, had our portrait drawn on the steps of Sacre Couer, rode a boat bus on the river Seine till it got dark and lunched at magnificent restaurants. We were guided through meals of wild boar, mussels, escargot, creme brulee, pears and chocolate. We tried cheeses we have never heard of (some with aroma's we probably hope to never smell again!), ate baguette warm from the patisserie/boulangerie lathered in Normandie butter and indulged the kids many times with crepes and pain au chocolat.

 

(Perfectly placed bird poop!)

Yes, Origami with napkins is a briefly effective way to entertain small children in grown-up restaurants and sometimes even gather smiles from other patrons.

And our apartment, oh so Paris. Exhibit A: the bathroom tiles.

Exhibit B: a mirror in the oh so little kitchen which had a bar and stools but no oven. Guess it's not necessary?

Exhibit C: The doodats

And so on...

The chairs and lamps

The views

The rainbow

 The sunrise

 The window coverings.

This week in Paris was delicious.

Wonder full: something for the senses

Something to hear, something to see, something to smell, something to taste, something to touch, or something to know....

Something to be thankful for.

Our girl sitting on the steps of Sacre Couer with her face painted like a tiger, holding the first rose she has ever been given watching and listening to people busking in the sunshine.

Paris in Autumn

Last week: 
We landed in Paris, well, not so much landed as slowly navigated in jolts and lurches with three patient and tiring children. 
It's all you imagine. Dada cruised off with our friends/hosts to their favourite fromager (cheese shop) to buy too much cheese (that will no doubt be consumed within too short a time.) I wandered the streets with three little people and a teenage helper on the hunt for Pain au chocolat, alas none was to be found but we did find warm baguette and giant chocolate macaroons and a small grocer with finches in a cage out the front.

The following morning was icy. Thermals, coats, beanies and mittens and still too cold for our unaccustomed littlies. However, we saw walked. A lot. From where we were staying to Notre Dame (across this bridge covered in padlocks (we're not sure why, but interesting to look at), past the rugby field set up in central Paris (pre-World Cup Final) then on to Angelina's for lunch and the most amazing hot chocolate that needed whipped cream to soften the sweetness. Seriously. 

Then we spent the afternoon at the Louvre.
Watching the lift (elevator) at the Louvre is interesting also....

Let me reassure you, three small children at the the Louvre is not an overly relaxing experience but we did some searching for a dog with brown spots, a red flower and other things and they were amazing...and sometimes asleep. We were with friends and this was a wonderful help. 

We had earned our cheese and a little glass of champagne that night.

Wonder full: something for the senses

Something to hear, something to see, something to smell, something to taste, something to touch, or something to know....

Something to be thankful for.

The chance to spoil family that we don't usually have the opportunity to. 

Hydrangea

I've always thought Hydrangea to be a lovely flower but I have a new found admiration for it.

We have seen many since we arrived, in so many places, in fact in one place we went there was a Hydrangea Valley. 

The simplicity of shape. The diversity of colour. Even on the same plant. And the some how perfect bouquet shape each head forms all draw me in every time.

Like a flutter of butterflies.

I hope you like them too.

And today with two poorly babes, one without a voice, we head to France. So we may be absent from this space for a week or so. Be sure to update as soon as we can.

Bonus

Today we got an unexpected treat. Dada had taken the littlies across the road feed the horses, again. But today the owner of Charma was there. 

I was called over a few minutes later to find this.

I think she must've been on that pony for almost half an hour. She smiled a LOT and had a go at a little trot and then managed to hold on when pony did a little buck. A natural. 

And there was someone else who waited, and then requested a ride. He did so well.

This lady, Jo, was so kind to share her time and knowledge for nothing but the joy of being there when two very interested and keen children got to do something that was out of their ordinary. 

The kindness of strangers.