Okay I know it sounds silly - to take a vacation during the one season you normally work - but to be frank - it was getting a tad stale - and after killing myself for several years and being out the door early every single morning just when the air is fresh, the world quiet and the opportunities endless was kind of getting to me.
So I'm not running VBS or Stage Camp this summer. The VBS thing I'll let others do - there are other mothers quite capable of organizing themselves; my sister-in-law being one of them. And as my numbers for Stage Camp were dwindling ( okay I should advertise more) and my exhaustion increasing - it seemed like the summer to rejuvenate and re assess and other re thingys before ploughing ahead. Besides - I lost all last summer to the yard reno and I really want to enjoy the very expensive landscaping oasis this year.
That said I can't help myself. So what did I do?
Well after spending a small fortune on this backyard, and knowing we are going on a trip and sending both kids to overnight camp I decided we could at least save some funds by staying home for the rest of the time. So far so good. My kids love the idea - but they also love hiding in the basement playing computer games. Not so good. They need to do stuff. They need exercise. They need fresh air. They need to let their imaginations soar for a while. The conundrum is how to get them there.
First we informed them that summer vacation does not mean endless hours glued to a keyboard and monitor. Then because I'm not going to work all day and watch them sit on their butts - there would be chores. And then somehow my craft supplies got opened up, and ideas started forming and before you knew it my son Arthur ( now 6ft tall and almost 14) is asking for masking tape and spray paint and is happily "mod"ing his Nerf guns, and my daughter Miriam is making accessories for her bedroom. So a kind of craft camp has sprung up at our house and once again my time has been commandeered by my family. Okay I can still enjoy myself - they're both old enough to work pretty much unsupervised. So I get to garden and putter at little projects for around the house. and only occasionally do I need to instruct, redirect, or rein in someone's fantastic plans. So far I can cope.
Then because I want to share my beautiful new space - I invited my best friend and her kids to spend an afternoon playing with us. It was perfect. My two are old enough to supervise and engage her two, and that left us free to sit on the deck drinking cold drinks, eating an amazing combo of popcorn ( Chicago style) and yakking. As these kinds of afternoons go, eventually kids ate and swam, and we had worked our way through the various levels of chat from the superficial Facebook kind of catch up down through my kid did this bragging and finally settled into why you are my best friend soul searching talk we both really needed. And that's when she told me stuff that meant I knew she needed a) help, b) a break and c) my time. And then it was time to go and the looks on my friend's darling children's faces when they realized they weren't staying over night was heart breaking. I was so full of generous well being that I a) volunteered to reorganize another room in her farmhouse, b) offered the kids a 2night visit in August and c) that meant giving my time. So it looks like Camp Aunt will ride again. Stay posted.
Oh well. I really do enjoy doing this stuff.
Saturday 7 July 2012
Sunday 17 July 2011
Spagetti Dinner - Round Two.
Okay - well taking a page from last time, the first night the girls arrived I arranged NOT to have Spagetti. This time I figured hotdogs and nachos. We had a quick chat about not dropping food on Maryanne's head, no one was to throw any cheese around and if we were all careful dinner wouldn't disolve into the pandemonium it had the first time. As a meal it wasn't the most nutritious - but considering that this time I had just come from running a day camp and then tearing in to town to pick up my son from his day camp and not even getting everyone to the house until almost 6pm - I think hot dogs were a great idea. Even better idea - it was a meal the two twelve year olds could actually cook. They did a terrific job. Arthur kept Nichelle organized and like a true chef barked his commands clearly. " More cheese, no now we need the salsa". And yet somehow Maryanne still ended up with tomato on her clothes. Oh well.
So you're wondering why I abdicated my cooking duties? I was in the backyard catching up with my landscaper. This past spring a strong wind blew through town and took down several fences. Ours was one of them. Then, like in the story "if you give a mouse a cookie", we saw it as an opportunity to do a little more than just replace the fence. Unfortunately, that led to more and more and more. Now my backyard is torn up, with no access to our pool and the temperature is climbing. ARGH!
Finally it was time to start bedtimes. When I went to change the twins I discovered that despite two adults supervising all day long - neither of them had actually double checked that EVERYTHING was packed. So at 9 pm I'm madly searching for fresh pull-ups, wipes and then after numerous failed attempts to reach their father, I drove back to the in-laws to retrieve them. Now it's almost 10 and I'm just pulling out the bedtime stories when Audrey pipes up - "I want milk" - No sippy cups. I'd thrown out mine some time ago - drat! This time their father was home and he arrived like the calvary deliverying nighttime sippys. I'm not sure who fell alseep faster - the twins, the older kids I pushed to bed not 30 minutes later or myself.
Friday morning - My able assistant arrived at 7am. Good thing, Arthur and his father left soon after to drive him to his last day of computer camp, Miriam and I piled yet more supplies into my car and headed out to Stage Camp leaving Kim to supervise breakfast and getting dressed and then going back to the in-laws. The plan is that because I have heavy equippment in my backyard it's safer and easier for the girls to return home during the days where they have their own games, and backyard. It's a great way to run Camp Aunt.
Friday evening we tackled the spagetti. This time everyone managed to keep things on their plates, no cheese went flying all over me, no dessert or milk was spilt. Then we divied up the chores after dinner. The older kids did dishes, walked dogs, the younger ones tidied up the dog toys they had happily spread everywhere. Bedtime came and this time we had everything we needed- so with some help from the hubby - we had people asleep easily.
Now the fun begins. For the weekend - there are just us and a load of chores. Miriam still needs to be packed for two weeks at over night camp, There's the fair, my mother's place to continue to sort and now people are enquiring about renting it - so I have to get it ready, and , of course, getting Miriam to camp. My very best friend owns a farm nearby - so I begged a favour. Could we stop in and see her and could I bring a hoard of kids with me. Anything to break up the day. And Kim, bless her, offered to help. She actually volunteered to accompany me to the fair so that Garland could get the shopping and cooking done. I happily fall upon her offer. It's all set. Saturday morning I do apartment stuff, then the afternoon we tackle the fair. Sunday is drive to Parnham and hopefully we'll survive. Wish us well!
So you're wondering why I abdicated my cooking duties? I was in the backyard catching up with my landscaper. This past spring a strong wind blew through town and took down several fences. Ours was one of them. Then, like in the story "if you give a mouse a cookie", we saw it as an opportunity to do a little more than just replace the fence. Unfortunately, that led to more and more and more. Now my backyard is torn up, with no access to our pool and the temperature is climbing. ARGH!
Finally it was time to start bedtimes. When I went to change the twins I discovered that despite two adults supervising all day long - neither of them had actually double checked that EVERYTHING was packed. So at 9 pm I'm madly searching for fresh pull-ups, wipes and then after numerous failed attempts to reach their father, I drove back to the in-laws to retrieve them. Now it's almost 10 and I'm just pulling out the bedtime stories when Audrey pipes up - "I want milk" - No sippy cups. I'd thrown out mine some time ago - drat! This time their father was home and he arrived like the calvary deliverying nighttime sippys. I'm not sure who fell alseep faster - the twins, the older kids I pushed to bed not 30 minutes later or myself.
Friday morning - My able assistant arrived at 7am. Good thing, Arthur and his father left soon after to drive him to his last day of computer camp, Miriam and I piled yet more supplies into my car and headed out to Stage Camp leaving Kim to supervise breakfast and getting dressed and then going back to the in-laws. The plan is that because I have heavy equippment in my backyard it's safer and easier for the girls to return home during the days where they have their own games, and backyard. It's a great way to run Camp Aunt.
Friday evening we tackled the spagetti. This time everyone managed to keep things on their plates, no cheese went flying all over me, no dessert or milk was spilt. Then we divied up the chores after dinner. The older kids did dishes, walked dogs, the younger ones tidied up the dog toys they had happily spread everywhere. Bedtime came and this time we had everything we needed- so with some help from the hubby - we had people asleep easily.
Now the fun begins. For the weekend - there are just us and a load of chores. Miriam still needs to be packed for two weeks at over night camp, There's the fair, my mother's place to continue to sort and now people are enquiring about renting it - so I have to get it ready, and , of course, getting Miriam to camp. My very best friend owns a farm nearby - so I begged a favour. Could we stop in and see her and could I bring a hoard of kids with me. Anything to break up the day. And Kim, bless her, offered to help. She actually volunteered to accompany me to the fair so that Garland could get the shopping and cooking done. I happily fall upon her offer. It's all set. Saturday morning I do apartment stuff, then the afternoon we tackle the fair. Sunday is drive to Parnham and hopefully we'll survive. Wish us well!
Wednesday 13 July 2011
Here we go again!
So during the summer months I like to run small theatre summer camps. Not a lot of kids, not a lot of staff. Just enough to cover the costs and have some left over to pay for my own children's summer activities. It's called Stage Camp and each week I have anywhere from 10-18 or so campers who are all mad for theatre.
The Junior Troupe are a scream. We generally end up doing fractured fairy tales. It means an adult has to do most of the talking but they get all the glory and have a blast dressing up. The Intermediate Troupe are kids who can learn lines, love acting, but aren't yet so committed to theatre that they live and breathe it. (although a couple are pretty darn close.) And then there are my seniors. Senior Troupe started as an intermediate troupe which I figured would stop when they got to age 12, because, after all, what 12 year old wants to go to day camp; but no, they won't stop coming. For the past two years I've had 15 year olds and this year I have one who can drive. Too funny.
Now normally I have several staff and about 12-20 kids per session. But last year I was so busy with my parents' ill health and a funeral - that it dropped down to about 10 - 15 kids. This year just as I was climbing out of the mass of debris left behind by last year - my sister-in-laws father's health took a fatal turn for the worse. We've been on stand by since, well, since Camp Aunt in March. And sure enough, smack in the middle of running Stage Camp - he passed away. Thankfully this year camp is smaller again. And with the help of a very able bodied young counsellor (who will have the pleasure of doing a fair bit of babysitting over the next week) Camp Aunt can run at the same time as Stage Camp.
So here we go again - One dog, two cats, three fish and the four nieces return - along with more nine campers, a backyard torn to shreds, a fabulous young assistant and no time to do it all!!
The Junior Troupe are a scream. We generally end up doing fractured fairy tales. It means an adult has to do most of the talking but they get all the glory and have a blast dressing up. The Intermediate Troupe are kids who can learn lines, love acting, but aren't yet so committed to theatre that they live and breathe it. (although a couple are pretty darn close.) And then there are my seniors. Senior Troupe started as an intermediate troupe which I figured would stop when they got to age 12, because, after all, what 12 year old wants to go to day camp; but no, they won't stop coming. For the past two years I've had 15 year olds and this year I have one who can drive. Too funny.
Now normally I have several staff and about 12-20 kids per session. But last year I was so busy with my parents' ill health and a funeral - that it dropped down to about 10 - 15 kids. This year just as I was climbing out of the mass of debris left behind by last year - my sister-in-laws father's health took a fatal turn for the worse. We've been on stand by since, well, since Camp Aunt in March. And sure enough, smack in the middle of running Stage Camp - he passed away. Thankfully this year camp is smaller again. And with the help of a very able bodied young counsellor (who will have the pleasure of doing a fair bit of babysitting over the next week) Camp Aunt can run at the same time as Stage Camp.
So here we go again - One dog, two cats, three fish and the four nieces return - along with more nine campers, a backyard torn to shreds, a fabulous young assistant and no time to do it all!!
Monday 25 April 2011
Washing Day
Home again , Home again, Jiggiddy Jog. I kept holding my breath waiting for something foolish to happen on our trip home - but nothing did. Planes were all in working order, connections made, baggage arrived in one piece - it had me jittery everytime I anticipated something going wrong. But we're home now - safe and sound and almost everything is here. We still await the delivery of our beautiful glass goblets from Venice.
Stopped long enough on the drive home to get a few basics- milk, bread, easter eggs - and then it was dump everything in the front hall and send the kids to bed. We barely had the strength to let the easter rabbit do his thing before collapsing ourselves. Ah sleep - until our bodies told us it was way later than it was. The one benefit of jet lag is you find yourself awake early and easily which will help when the kids go back to school. And I can enjoy the quiet of an early morning - until that is everyone else decides to join me. Oh well. It'll wear off soon enough.
The trip has been wonderful. We saw things, ate things and bought things we would never at home and I know from the kid's conversations with their cousins yesterday that a lot sunk in. It's the sort of trip you remember for a lifetime. Well worth the hideous dent in my bank account, and the display of items covered the dining room table when I unpacked it all. We have happily given some away to family and tomorrow the kids will haul their gifts to school for their friends. But the rest will have to find room on our shelves. Thankfully I had removed an old shelf unit in the dining room in anticipation of building a newer one - guess I'll need to add proper display cabinets to it now. After all - Murano glass deserves a well lit case.
Now it's all about the laundry. I have loads from my mother, and our travel clothes, and bed linens and towels from the girl who stayed here nights to keep the animals company, and there was still stuff from before the trip and it spring so I have all the clothes that have spent the winter sitting in boxes in the attic to refresh. I predict a session lasting over two days and approx. 16 loads. At least while we were gone the in-laws dropped by and did a little housecleaning for us. My kitchen is great, and the front and side yards all raked. Now to get to the dust and debris everywhere else. Perhaps I need to get going - after all it's already past 7 am - the day is a wasting!
Stopped long enough on the drive home to get a few basics- milk, bread, easter eggs - and then it was dump everything in the front hall and send the kids to bed. We barely had the strength to let the easter rabbit do his thing before collapsing ourselves. Ah sleep - until our bodies told us it was way later than it was. The one benefit of jet lag is you find yourself awake early and easily which will help when the kids go back to school. And I can enjoy the quiet of an early morning - until that is everyone else decides to join me. Oh well. It'll wear off soon enough.
The trip has been wonderful. We saw things, ate things and bought things we would never at home and I know from the kid's conversations with their cousins yesterday that a lot sunk in. It's the sort of trip you remember for a lifetime. Well worth the hideous dent in my bank account, and the display of items covered the dining room table when I unpacked it all. We have happily given some away to family and tomorrow the kids will haul their gifts to school for their friends. But the rest will have to find room on our shelves. Thankfully I had removed an old shelf unit in the dining room in anticipation of building a newer one - guess I'll need to add proper display cabinets to it now. After all - Murano glass deserves a well lit case.
Now it's all about the laundry. I have loads from my mother, and our travel clothes, and bed linens and towels from the girl who stayed here nights to keep the animals company, and there was still stuff from before the trip and it spring so I have all the clothes that have spent the winter sitting in boxes in the attic to refresh. I predict a session lasting over two days and approx. 16 loads. At least while we were gone the in-laws dropped by and did a little housecleaning for us. My kitchen is great, and the front and side yards all raked. Now to get to the dust and debris everywhere else. Perhaps I need to get going - after all it's already past 7 am - the day is a wasting!
Friday 22 April 2011
Abundance
After all the walking and so many stairs I have climbed I figure I can get away with eating Fois Gras and Chateaubriand and Souffle and of course those amazing patissiere. Please don't disillusion me. The food has been amazing! Today we found a little restaurant called Le Souffle complete with a bevy of waiters and a delightful collection of patrons.
The Musee D'Orsay is Fabulous! I saw Impressionist pieces I've studied for years and some I never knew. My favourites remain Van Gogh, Vuillard and Pissarro. I saw a Lautrec and realized for the first time how large his paintings are. And a beautiful Degas sculpture of the little dancer. But it was as I made it down to the end of the building that my eyes fell upon something to make my heart jump. A scale model of the Paris Opera house complete with a cut away of the stage showing both flys and traps. Fabulous for this theatre techie! The last exhibit I saw was along the upper floor. Exquisite Art Nouveau furnishings. Again the scale is overwhelming since I have only ever seen these in books.
The Louvre is of course the Louvre. We like almost everyone else went immediately to the Mona Lisa. My daughter took her time gazing on the lady. Along the way to her I saw Wing Victory and the Virgin of the Rocks. My heart is singing. But then we sought out the ancients and there we found the Code of Hammarubi and a lion from the Babylon Gate. My husband is now also happy. So when we found more sculptures carved from the rare purple marble - Arthur's face lit up and for the four of us our visit is a success.
Then there are the monuments we visited. First the Arc de Triomphe. My cousin doesn't really explain too much, just indicates a doorway and before I can grasp what is happening we are climbing to the top. The crowd is thick so I can't retreat, neither can Arthur and he is not great when climbing alot of stairs. We all make it to the top - 287 steps- and then up to the top where my husband immediately blanches. He hates heights especially open air platforms. The view is terrific but he is green. We take some pictures and then descend. Strangely we can take an elevator down!
Now it's the Eiffel Tower! As we arrive we can see the long snake of a line up and Arthur starts to worry. But this time the special passes we have really are special passes and we only have to show up at the gate by 8pm to go up the tower. Great - that gives us a few minutes to see if we can find a geocache. Which would have worked if I could have gatten my phone to actually give us a longitude and latitude but that app is doing stupid things. We only know there is one by the Wall of Peace- a nice stroll for twenty minutes and a quick jog in 10 minutes leaving us 15minutes to find the cache. We had seven people looking and we didn't succeed. Oh well. If you're ever there - look for a small rock that could hold a few coins.
Then it was time. The one thing my kids have been looking forward to for months was finally happening. Miriam is beside herself with anticipation. The tickets may have helped us jump the line to enter but there were still all those people who were also travelling to the very top. So while my husband remained on the second level with our back packs, we spent an hour lining up for the elevator. The ride up was exciting but when we got to the top Arthur couldn't cope so down he and I came, leaving Miriam with the cousins to enjoy the view and take a ton of pictures. But when we picked up my husband on the second level and were looking for the way back to ground level, Arthur accidentally looked through a glass floor and the sight made him scream. Staff appeared out of the blue and we were whisked onto an elevator immediately. Once back on the ground, Arthur is much happier.
To celebrate I buy two hideous Eiffel Tower replicas from a couple of illegal vendors. It's amusing to watch them. They mill about trying to catch tourists as they exit until the local police show up then there's a flurry as they flee down side lanes. A few minutes pass and they return. The whole area now feels like going to the fair on a summer evening. The air is fresh with a breeze, the lights are twinkling, groups chatter and kids cry and everyone seems relaxed. Eventually the others return to terra firma and join us. Miriam's face is glowing from the experience.
Dinner is al freco. We got our food from a Paris version of a chip wagon - it served crepes and fries! And we took our meal down to the river to eat while we watched the boats go by. We are supposed to now take a cruise along the Seine but by the time we got to the right location we have missed the last boat. Tired and a little disappointed at least we now know exactly where we need to come tomorrow to catch the boat and bonus - there's a great restaurant nearby which we can come to as we await twilight. Afterall you must see Paris by night.
So all that's left to describe is our long awaited boat trip down the Seine at night. We see the buildings lit up. We pass under nine bridges and each one is different (two of them seem the repository for hundreds of combination locks) and all along the banks are people sitting drinking, talking, kissing, dancing. It is everything I thought it would be and it has been well worth waiting for.
So tonight is our last night. You might think we would be cramming in those last few memories but instead I am packing our bags. We arrived with four and travel home with five! We have shopped like there was no tomorrow, which in a sense there isn't, for we will, in all likelihood, not be back again. I have loved having for one glorious trip the feeling of abundance. If we wanted to eat it -we did, if we wanted to do it or see it -we did. And if we fell in love regardless of whether it was a Goblet of Murano Glass or a crisp white Parisienne blouse - we bought it. This has been a trip of a lifetime for us. Now we are ready to come home!
The Musee D'Orsay is Fabulous! I saw Impressionist pieces I've studied for years and some I never knew. My favourites remain Van Gogh, Vuillard and Pissarro. I saw a Lautrec and realized for the first time how large his paintings are. And a beautiful Degas sculpture of the little dancer. But it was as I made it down to the end of the building that my eyes fell upon something to make my heart jump. A scale model of the Paris Opera house complete with a cut away of the stage showing both flys and traps. Fabulous for this theatre techie! The last exhibit I saw was along the upper floor. Exquisite Art Nouveau furnishings. Again the scale is overwhelming since I have only ever seen these in books.
The Louvre is of course the Louvre. We like almost everyone else went immediately to the Mona Lisa. My daughter took her time gazing on the lady. Along the way to her I saw Wing Victory and the Virgin of the Rocks. My heart is singing. But then we sought out the ancients and there we found the Code of Hammarubi and a lion from the Babylon Gate. My husband is now also happy. So when we found more sculptures carved from the rare purple marble - Arthur's face lit up and for the four of us our visit is a success.
Then there are the monuments we visited. First the Arc de Triomphe. My cousin doesn't really explain too much, just indicates a doorway and before I can grasp what is happening we are climbing to the top. The crowd is thick so I can't retreat, neither can Arthur and he is not great when climbing alot of stairs. We all make it to the top - 287 steps- and then up to the top where my husband immediately blanches. He hates heights especially open air platforms. The view is terrific but he is green. We take some pictures and then descend. Strangely we can take an elevator down!
Now it's the Eiffel Tower! As we arrive we can see the long snake of a line up and Arthur starts to worry. But this time the special passes we have really are special passes and we only have to show up at the gate by 8pm to go up the tower. Great - that gives us a few minutes to see if we can find a geocache. Which would have worked if I could have gatten my phone to actually give us a longitude and latitude but that app is doing stupid things. We only know there is one by the Wall of Peace- a nice stroll for twenty minutes and a quick jog in 10 minutes leaving us 15minutes to find the cache. We had seven people looking and we didn't succeed. Oh well. If you're ever there - look for a small rock that could hold a few coins.
Then it was time. The one thing my kids have been looking forward to for months was finally happening. Miriam is beside herself with anticipation. The tickets may have helped us jump the line to enter but there were still all those people who were also travelling to the very top. So while my husband remained on the second level with our back packs, we spent an hour lining up for the elevator. The ride up was exciting but when we got to the top Arthur couldn't cope so down he and I came, leaving Miriam with the cousins to enjoy the view and take a ton of pictures. But when we picked up my husband on the second level and were looking for the way back to ground level, Arthur accidentally looked through a glass floor and the sight made him scream. Staff appeared out of the blue and we were whisked onto an elevator immediately. Once back on the ground, Arthur is much happier.
To celebrate I buy two hideous Eiffel Tower replicas from a couple of illegal vendors. It's amusing to watch them. They mill about trying to catch tourists as they exit until the local police show up then there's a flurry as they flee down side lanes. A few minutes pass and they return. The whole area now feels like going to the fair on a summer evening. The air is fresh with a breeze, the lights are twinkling, groups chatter and kids cry and everyone seems relaxed. Eventually the others return to terra firma and join us. Miriam's face is glowing from the experience.
Dinner is al freco. We got our food from a Paris version of a chip wagon - it served crepes and fries! And we took our meal down to the river to eat while we watched the boats go by. We are supposed to now take a cruise along the Seine but by the time we got to the right location we have missed the last boat. Tired and a little disappointed at least we now know exactly where we need to come tomorrow to catch the boat and bonus - there's a great restaurant nearby which we can come to as we await twilight. Afterall you must see Paris by night.
So all that's left to describe is our long awaited boat trip down the Seine at night. We see the buildings lit up. We pass under nine bridges and each one is different (two of them seem the repository for hundreds of combination locks) and all along the banks are people sitting drinking, talking, kissing, dancing. It is everything I thought it would be and it has been well worth waiting for.
The Tour Eiffel at night.
So tonight is our last night. You might think we would be cramming in those last few memories but instead I am packing our bags. We arrived with four and travel home with five! We have shopped like there was no tomorrow, which in a sense there isn't, for we will, in all likelihood, not be back again. I have loved having for one glorious trip the feeling of abundance. If we wanted to eat it -we did, if we wanted to do it or see it -we did. And if we fell in love regardless of whether it was a Goblet of Murano Glass or a crisp white Parisienne blouse - we bought it. This has been a trip of a lifetime for us. Now we are ready to come home!
Tuesday 19 April 2011
La Vie Parisienne
Planes, trains and automobiles
We have been here for three days now and they have been filled with so much that this is my first opportunity to write anything. Our airplane trip was not without it's adventure. We arrived with lots of time, we got our boarding passes easily and then happiky sought a little food before boarding. It wasn't until I went to pull the pass out that I discovered that the agent had made a mistake and my husband was boarding twice but I wasn't at all. ARGH. However it did get sorted and we did board and we arrived in Paris, found our bags and our pre-arranged ride.
The apartment we rented is just off a street that I would have described at a major one but my cousin who grew up describes as a minor one. When she showed me a major street I had to agree. Apparently having traffic and stores doesn't warrent major status - for that you need six or more lanes and a huge roundabout and perhaps a few parkettes in the middle. Regardless, to get to the apartment you enter a red door between two extremely laden shops whos wares overflow out onto the street, and through a narrow passage into a courtyard, Our place is a glass ground level oasis of quiet. Four levels, the lowest has a bedroom, the ground floor the kitchen, living area and a three piece bath, the next up another bed and bath and finally a loft. The children claimed the loft and have made their fortress there. No adults allowed - or at least no adult comments about their housekeeping decisions! It is light and airy and perfect for the whole crowd.
We were the first to arrive , then my cousins from germany arrived but quickly left again to go collect the last member of our group from the train station. It was almost 10:30 Saturday evening before we had everyone together gathered around the table happily eating camembert and bread and drinking Champagne. What a great way to start the vacation here.
Versailles and the "son" king
Our first day here and immediately we are leaving again. But only as far as Versailles which is outside Paris. We take the Metropolitan for the first time and discover that the great pass tickets we purchased online don'y all work and can easily hiccup as we attempt to go through automated turnstiles. Of course it's Arthur who has the difficulty first and this combined with his frustration and mounting fear means the day could well be a disaster. But he pulls himself together and we eventually arrive to discover that everyone else chose today to visit too. The line up to enter is huge. Not a problem say my cousin we have special passes that allow us to jump the line - except that they don't. This is now now longer the case and we are now looking at a line up the is snaking down the entire first courtyard (which is the size of a city block), back up and then down again and each line appears to be moving but not super quickly. There is no way Arthur can make it through that. we are now stuck. Our first place to see and I can't see us getting in. Then Angela ( who truly deserves her name) points out that if there is a separate entrance for handicapped people - perhaps we can use that for Arthur because it is his autism that is the problem. It works and they allow all of us to enter with him. I have never asked for more than patience when helping my son but for the first time we have a small advantage as a result.
Of course all those people are also in the palace and it is a series of jumps from one clear space to another for my son. But he discovers that Lous XIV did manage to acquire some of the amazing purple marble and he spends his time counting purple marble busts and urns. The Hall of Mirrors is wonderful. The giftshop is a must but it is in the garden we find the real gem. A fountain with moving parts puts on a beautiful display to music and both the kids are delighted. Actually all of us are, and we watch the show twice. Miriam doesn't want to leave and walks backwards for as long as she can to watch it a third time. By the time we are leaving it is now 7pm and we have a long trip back so we stop and eat at a lovely outdoor cafe and enjoy sitting down as much as we enjoy the food. And for my daughter who loves escargot - she is allowed a plate of 12 all to herself- this is heaven.
Herding cats
Moving seven people through anywhere can be both easy and difficult. It takes them longer to agree on where they are going, longer for everyone to be ready, and longer to even just walk from a to b. But when you add souvenir shops, confusing streets (even for the native born) and a couple of changes to your plans - it can be a recipe for frustration. Regardless we saw Sacre Coeur, MontMartre, the Comedie Francois, the left bank of the Seine and Notre Dame. We missed Saint Madelaine and an amazing local food market which had my cousin, who is guiding us through her home city, near tears in disappointment. But we walked everywhere and by the time we got home everyone is exhausted and happy to shed shoes and socks. That evening we had dinner at the apartment and collapsed on the sofa to admire all our purchases today. Miriam and Arthur bought dragons and Miriam shopped for souvenirs for her friends while Garland found a hat for his father. And I searched through all the artists stands for a small pirce for my mother. I am happy to report i found something I hope she likes -but as I know my friends are giving her a copy of this blog - i will say no more now.
Today we are going to split up a little. during the morning and afternoon those of us who want to will go looking at some lovely thing while the children stay home and get their blogging done and relax a bit. But this evening we all going to the Arc de Triomphe, the Tour Eiffel and a trip along the Seine at night to adnire the view. The kids are excited. And so am I.
We have been here for three days now and they have been filled with so much that this is my first opportunity to write anything. Our airplane trip was not without it's adventure. We arrived with lots of time, we got our boarding passes easily and then happiky sought a little food before boarding. It wasn't until I went to pull the pass out that I discovered that the agent had made a mistake and my husband was boarding twice but I wasn't at all. ARGH. However it did get sorted and we did board and we arrived in Paris, found our bags and our pre-arranged ride.
The apartment we rented is just off a street that I would have described at a major one but my cousin who grew up describes as a minor one. When she showed me a major street I had to agree. Apparently having traffic and stores doesn't warrent major status - for that you need six or more lanes and a huge roundabout and perhaps a few parkettes in the middle. Regardless, to get to the apartment you enter a red door between two extremely laden shops whos wares overflow out onto the street, and through a narrow passage into a courtyard, Our place is a glass ground level oasis of quiet. Four levels, the lowest has a bedroom, the ground floor the kitchen, living area and a three piece bath, the next up another bed and bath and finally a loft. The children claimed the loft and have made their fortress there. No adults allowed - or at least no adult comments about their housekeeping decisions! It is light and airy and perfect for the whole crowd.
We were the first to arrive , then my cousins from germany arrived but quickly left again to go collect the last member of our group from the train station. It was almost 10:30 Saturday evening before we had everyone together gathered around the table happily eating camembert and bread and drinking Champagne. What a great way to start the vacation here.
Versailles and the "son" king
Our first day here and immediately we are leaving again. But only as far as Versailles which is outside Paris. We take the Metropolitan for the first time and discover that the great pass tickets we purchased online don'y all work and can easily hiccup as we attempt to go through automated turnstiles. Of course it's Arthur who has the difficulty first and this combined with his frustration and mounting fear means the day could well be a disaster. But he pulls himself together and we eventually arrive to discover that everyone else chose today to visit too. The line up to enter is huge. Not a problem say my cousin we have special passes that allow us to jump the line - except that they don't. This is now now longer the case and we are now looking at a line up the is snaking down the entire first courtyard (which is the size of a city block), back up and then down again and each line appears to be moving but not super quickly. There is no way Arthur can make it through that. we are now stuck. Our first place to see and I can't see us getting in. Then Angela ( who truly deserves her name) points out that if there is a separate entrance for handicapped people - perhaps we can use that for Arthur because it is his autism that is the problem. It works and they allow all of us to enter with him. I have never asked for more than patience when helping my son but for the first time we have a small advantage as a result.
Of course all those people are also in the palace and it is a series of jumps from one clear space to another for my son. But he discovers that Lous XIV did manage to acquire some of the amazing purple marble and he spends his time counting purple marble busts and urns. The Hall of Mirrors is wonderful. The giftshop is a must but it is in the garden we find the real gem. A fountain with moving parts puts on a beautiful display to music and both the kids are delighted. Actually all of us are, and we watch the show twice. Miriam doesn't want to leave and walks backwards for as long as she can to watch it a third time. By the time we are leaving it is now 7pm and we have a long trip back so we stop and eat at a lovely outdoor cafe and enjoy sitting down as much as we enjoy the food. And for my daughter who loves escargot - she is allowed a plate of 12 all to herself- this is heaven.
Herding cats
Moving seven people through anywhere can be both easy and difficult. It takes them longer to agree on where they are going, longer for everyone to be ready, and longer to even just walk from a to b. But when you add souvenir shops, confusing streets (even for the native born) and a couple of changes to your plans - it can be a recipe for frustration. Regardless we saw Sacre Coeur, MontMartre, the Comedie Francois, the left bank of the Seine and Notre Dame. We missed Saint Madelaine and an amazing local food market which had my cousin, who is guiding us through her home city, near tears in disappointment. But we walked everywhere and by the time we got home everyone is exhausted and happy to shed shoes and socks. That evening we had dinner at the apartment and collapsed on the sofa to admire all our purchases today. Miriam and Arthur bought dragons and Miriam shopped for souvenirs for her friends while Garland found a hat for his father. And I searched through all the artists stands for a small pirce for my mother. I am happy to report i found something I hope she likes -but as I know my friends are giving her a copy of this blog - i will say no more now.
Today we are going to split up a little. during the morning and afternoon those of us who want to will go looking at some lovely thing while the children stay home and get their blogging done and relax a bit. But this evening we all going to the Arc de Triomphe, the Tour Eiffel and a trip along the Seine at night to adnire the view. The kids are excited. And so am I.
Saturday 16 April 2011
A Comedy of Sorts.
We have moved in Venice from the nice but slightly congested Hotel Concordia to an apartment for our last night in Venice. Oh how I wish now I had booked this place for us for the entire visit. From a small room crammed with four twin beds and almost nowhere to stand, let alone sit (except on beds) to a two bedroom apartment overlooking the canal and the old Doges palace. The rooms are each larger than the one we shared but it's the lovely sitting/dining room and kitchen, two separate baths and abundant storage that has us in bliss. The kids are so happy that we leave them to enjoy being in an apartment and just my husband and myself go exploring. We tour the Rialto bridge area, at first looking for a bank machine, and then afterwards we find some very appealing shops. Thus begins my tale of Three Shopkeepers of Venezia.
Shop number one: A jewellery store on the steps of the Rialto bridge. I had stopped to take a picture of the crazy market below us and when I looked up my husband had disappeared into a shop filled with lovely gold jewellery. My heart skipped – had he found something for me he liked? Not quite – he had; however, found a pair of signet rings, one which resembled a beloved ring of his grandfather's. When I got to his side he was being bombarded by two salesmen. One trying to persuade him the oval was the one for him and the other trying to help the sale past any objections my husband put forth. But my husband was concerned not to buy the ring but rather make sure of the engraver's quality – a detail we just couldn't get sorted with these gentlemen. They tried hard “We will walk with you to the engraver's factory. You may choose exactly how you would like it.” We escaped eventually but they were persistant.
Shop number two: My husband loves chess. We own scores of chess books, he plays every week and has been president of the local area chess club and has had the opportunity to play with and befriend a few grand masters. So when he spied a shop filled with beautiful chess pieces he wanted to see them. First it is confusing as to how to enter. Then when we find the door, it has to be unlocked to allow us in. The saleswoman is busy with a customer – fine we look about and a set catches my husband's eye. He kneels down to see it and he picks one piece up to weigh it in his hand. The weight of a piece is important. He does this two more times when the saleswoman speaks to him in an angry tone – “Can you not read? - you think you can touch everything.” He replied he was trying the weights and she told him he should have asked. If perhaps she had not spoken in such an angry tone he would have apologized and remained to purchase one of those sets – a sale of several hundred or more Euros – but her rudeness cost her and we left quickly and with more words said as we fumbled trying to open the very closed door of this shop.
Shop number three: By now my husband is feeling dejected and wants to stop looking around. Pushy or rude salespeople disturb him and with the crowds and the overwhelming abundance of merchandise and merchants he's just about had enough. So we start over the bridge one last time and as we climb up I spy a little tiny doorway into a shop NOT filled with Murano/chinese knockoff glass. Instead it is filled with books – but not printed but rather blank. For a writer and artist this is nirvana. Once inside I am in heaven. In a space not more than 10 feet by 7 feet are shelves reaching up 12 feet high filled with everything a writer could desire. My eyes and heart fell upon leather bound rough cut notebooks with paper, the saleswoman informed me, came from Milan and were made upstairs by her employer. In the corner in is a skinny little ladder and a hole through which I can see a second level. A two story building on a bridge. I'm enthralled. And this saleswoman is smiling but not pushy. She too has another customer but still greets us warmly and then allows us to peruse the merchandise. I happily pick out a notebook for myself and continue looking around – then a painting catches my eye and by now her employer has descended the ladder to help with the busy shop. When we are finished I have purchased a book, a painting and a small glass beaded bookmark and spent about $200 cdn. The ladies are sweet and wrap each purchase as if it were a precious jewel and then the owner dives into a corner and reappears with three small engravings of famous venetian buildings. “A gift” she says “ Thank you for coming to our shop.” Thank you. Even though the purchase was for me and not him, my husband is now looking far more relaxed and happy. These two ladies have restored his good nature. Gracie Gracie.
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