Monday, March 31, 2008
Pictures of our "post-Easter" snow
Just thought I'd share these. So weird, blossoms and snow mixed! These were taken a week ago, in our backyard the day after we returned from Dinard.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Our rainy Purim/Easter in Brittany
Daniel was travelling around the country with his Bio Gas project so we joined him in the little town of Dinard for the long weekend.
It was tiring since the kids went to school in the morning. They only missed two hours of school, one of which was religion and they're teacher I knew wouldn't be there because it was a Jewish holiday (Fast of Ester). We had to change stations in Paris, which was a little tricky. I got a cab right away with a very colorful driver from Cape Verde islands who spoke French, English, Portuguese, Spanish and whose daughter works for Singapore Airlines. He dropped us off right at the platforms and we even had time to buy stuff.
We stayed at the Grand Hotel Barriere, another of the same chain we used in La Baule.
http://www.lucienbarriere.com/localized/en/hotel/etablissements/grand_hotel_barriere_dinard.htm?lang=en
(see it in good weather, since we didn't!)
It was such a cute town but we rarely saw it without rain. I did take a walk Sunday morning and took a few pictures. They really don't do the place justice;
check out the car in this one;
The beaches were pretty good, much prettier than La Baule, which isn't that far away.
We drove about 50km to see Mont St. Michel on Saturday. I hadn't seen it since we went on an excursion while I was studying in Angers in 1987. Unfortunately, it was so windy that we couldn't park and go see it. I wanted to take a picture of the kids in front of it but I couldn't manage even that.
The rooms were nice and they had a limited kids' club going on for the weekend. We were able to go out to dinner on Saturday night while they had Karake night and there was an Easter Egg hunt on Sunday morning. The pool was also good and they even provided kiddie bath robes and slippers.
Getting home did not go as smoothly. We had an extra change of train in Rennes. When we arrived at Montparnasse, I did NOT see any taxi stand. I was give the wrong directions by security (found out later) and in desperation, ran downstairs and took the Métro instead. It is a very long walk through a long tunnel. I had read on the internet that it was a 17 minute journey and I did have métro tickets with me. That was good thinking as there was a long line. The train was packed because of the holiday weekend. Luckily, it is a direct line between Montparnasse and Gare de l'Est but we had to stand for all 13 stations. I wasn't sure if we'd make it and I was sweating. We did make it with 10 minutes to spare.
It was tiring since the kids went to school in the morning. They only missed two hours of school, one of which was religion and they're teacher I knew wouldn't be there because it was a Jewish holiday (Fast of Ester). We had to change stations in Paris, which was a little tricky. I got a cab right away with a very colorful driver from Cape Verde islands who spoke French, English, Portuguese, Spanish and whose daughter works for Singapore Airlines. He dropped us off right at the platforms and we even had time to buy stuff.
We stayed at the Grand Hotel Barriere, another of the same chain we used in La Baule.
http://www.lucienbarriere.com/localized/en/hotel/etablissements/grand_hotel_barriere_dinard.htm?lang=en
(see it in good weather, since we didn't!)
It was such a cute town but we rarely saw it without rain. I did take a walk Sunday morning and took a few pictures. They really don't do the place justice;
check out the car in this one;
The beaches were pretty good, much prettier than La Baule, which isn't that far away.
We drove about 50km to see Mont St. Michel on Saturday. I hadn't seen it since we went on an excursion while I was studying in Angers in 1987. Unfortunately, it was so windy that we couldn't park and go see it. I wanted to take a picture of the kids in front of it but I couldn't manage even that.
The rooms were nice and they had a limited kids' club going on for the weekend. We were able to go out to dinner on Saturday night while they had Karake night and there was an Easter Egg hunt on Sunday morning. The pool was also good and they even provided kiddie bath robes and slippers.
Getting home did not go as smoothly. We had an extra change of train in Rennes. When we arrived at Montparnasse, I did NOT see any taxi stand. I was give the wrong directions by security (found out later) and in desperation, ran downstairs and took the Métro instead. It is a very long walk through a long tunnel. I had read on the internet that it was a 17 minute journey and I did have métro tickets with me. That was good thinking as there was a long line. The train was packed because of the holiday weekend. Luckily, it is a direct line between Montparnasse and Gare de l'Est but we had to stand for all 13 stations. I wasn't sure if we'd make it and I was sweating. We did make it with 10 minutes to spare.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
I am their mother!
Talia is supposed to go to the cultural center to eat lunch once a week. Ronnie prefers going there to eating at home. I have German class on Tuesdays and it's hard for me to get to the school on time so that's why it's Tuesdays. Someone picks Davina up and waits for me. Talia doesn't see why I can't do it for her too but by the time I pick her up, it eats into the lunch break and frankly, if I can skip ONE day of dragging her back to school, espeically since Davina has gymnastics that evening...
So today she sees me, breaks from the group and crying, begs me to take her home. She's putting on quite a display and it was hard for me to give her back in that state. The children are collected by some employees of the cultural center who get them in groups. Talia jumped into the car and sat in her seat. One of them came after her and I told him it was okay. I'd take her home (spoiled!) The man told me "But we have to call her mother first and make sure it's okay."
Daniel left early this morning for northwest France. We're meeting him in Brittany on Thursday evening. I'm taking the train to Paris and we have to change from Gare de l'Est to Gare Montparnasse in one hour and continue on to St. Malo where Daniel will meet us. We're staying here;
http://www.lucienbarriere.com/localized/en/hotel/etablissements/grand_hotel_barriere_dinard.htm?lang=en
He has a suitcase of our stuff so I wont have to drag it along. The only problem is that he's not coming back with us so I'm going to have to organize it for the way back. It'll only be a few days. We'll see...
I also have to change over on the way back. I have used both stations before but never transferred between them. There is a direct métro but I remember a long walk at Montparnasse. I'm not sure what the cab will be like, whether it's really faster and if there's a long line, that may not be the best option. We'll see...
So today she sees me, breaks from the group and crying, begs me to take her home. She's putting on quite a display and it was hard for me to give her back in that state. The children are collected by some employees of the cultural center who get them in groups. Talia jumped into the car and sat in her seat. One of them came after her and I told him it was okay. I'd take her home (spoiled!) The man told me "But we have to call her mother first and make sure it's okay."
Daniel left early this morning for northwest France. We're meeting him in Brittany on Thursday evening. I'm taking the train to Paris and we have to change from Gare de l'Est to Gare Montparnasse in one hour and continue on to St. Malo where Daniel will meet us. We're staying here;
http://www.lucienbarriere.com/localized/en/hotel/etablissements/grand_hotel_barriere_dinard.htm?lang=en
He has a suitcase of our stuff so I wont have to drag it along. The only problem is that he's not coming back with us so I'm going to have to organize it for the way back. It'll only be a few days. We'll see...
I also have to change over on the way back. I have used both stations before but never transferred between them. There is a direct métro but I remember a long walk at Montparnasse. I'm not sure what the cab will be like, whether it's really faster and if there's a long line, that may not be the best option. We'll see...
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Found myself on the net, 23 years ago...
That's me somewhere on the right of the screen. One of the front lines. Someone actually put it on YouTube!!! I wish though that it was better quality and they showed the end where we play "praises to Zion". Such a great piece of music!
Hard to believe that I'd more than double the age-out year (21). Over half my life ago. I never marched my last year, picking pears on a kibbutz in 1985 instead. I was sitting outside one of the gates of the Old City in Jerusalem at the very moment I would have been marching my last show... That was my first trip outside the U.S. (not counting Canada with drum corps). Yup, 57 or 58 countries ago...
I kept having this reoccuring dream that someone approaches me and tells me that they changed the rules and I can march again one more time. Once the rule was if someone didn't march their last year, once it was that they upped the age, etc.
Turns out that I could have marched in the U.K. I moved there young enough under their rules. I found out at their championships which I attended in Sheffield once. I doubt it would have worked too well with my flying schedule...
Talia's first gymnastics meet
This wasn't a real competition. It's to earn a certificate at the end of the year. It's based on points and there will be a winner based on the most points but they aren't in neck-n-neck competition with either each other or the other.
Please note that this rhythmic gymnastics with hoops, ribbons, balls and batons, not the kind we are used to in the States with the beams and uneven parallel bars. This kind of gymnastics is closer to dance, which Talia already did for a couple of years. It's also more welcoming to taller girls and Talia is off the charts. I also think this is safer and more artistic than regular gymnastics.
The first demonstration was with the hoops;
The second was a floor exercise without any toys;
Here's the team exercise, with balls;
Unfortunately, I couldn't get a picture of her in the uniform. They were taken into the changing rooms without the parents and brought out after dressing in their street clothes. My friend Kelly whose daughter is doing two levels higher, was there and managed a couple of shots of her, which I hope she sends me and I can add them here. She was really cute in it!
I took these videos for Daniel as he was taking Ronnie to a soccar game. They lost 0-3. I had Davina with me and we ran over to the Easter Egg hunt at the Consul General's residence (which for once, wasn't rained out) to say hi.
Please note that this rhythmic gymnastics with hoops, ribbons, balls and batons, not the kind we are used to in the States with the beams and uneven parallel bars. This kind of gymnastics is closer to dance, which Talia already did for a couple of years. It's also more welcoming to taller girls and Talia is off the charts. I also think this is safer and more artistic than regular gymnastics.
The first demonstration was with the hoops;
The second was a floor exercise without any toys;
Here's the team exercise, with balls;
Unfortunately, I couldn't get a picture of her in the uniform. They were taken into the changing rooms without the parents and brought out after dressing in their street clothes. My friend Kelly whose daughter is doing two levels higher, was there and managed a couple of shots of her, which I hope she sends me and I can add them here. She was really cute in it!
I took these videos for Daniel as he was taking Ronnie to a soccar game. They lost 0-3. I had Davina with me and we ran over to the Easter Egg hunt at the Consul General's residence (which for once, wasn't rained out) to say hi.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Quick one before bed
We're coming to California!!!
Our tickets are booked July 2nd to the 20th. What stress! This is the most I've ever paid to go to the States. The low dollar and high fuel prices have made going to the U.S. horribly pricey. I guess people think they'll justify it with the exchange rate...
The day before I'm supposed to buy them, Daniel gets into a car accident. Neither he nor the girl who hit him were hurt. It was a blind intersection, not even an intersection. He was turning to go into a farm. Classic story, really remote area where no other cars are usually seen so bam! into each other they went...
Her little Ibitza was totalled. His Landrover technically wasn't but because of the whold leasing deal and the huge number of km he puts on his cars, he has to sell them about every two years (they lose too much value after that). So this car was coming up on its "deadline" anyway so he ended up selling it to the garage and he got his new car yesterday. He forgot my CD in his old car, I just realized. Call them! I want my Irish music back!!
Tomorrow is Saturday. School for the kids, then a quick lunch with Ronnie having a match in Dupingheim and Talia with some sort of gymnastic evaluation in Illkirch... Tomorrow is Daniel's cousin's (daughter, I should say, although she's technically a cousing too) bat mitvah in Mulhouse but Ronnie has a birthday party...
We are going to Brittany next weekend for our short Easter break. We also have Spring break coming up on the 5th of April and then we're going to the Italian lake area. I confess, it's over the border in Switzerland but on the lake...We have not booked for the summer and basically, it's too late. Not sure what we'll do. Stare at each other in August? It's really grim and the whole of Northern Europe shuts down.
I'm looking forward to changing trains in Paris. We have an hour to get from Gare de l'Est to Gare Montparnass. What fun! Two two hour train journeys...Tired just thinking about it (and to go to rainly Brittany-yeah!) but schlep there I will. Daniel will already be there and will not come back with us either. This guy is on the road.
Need sleep...
Our tickets are booked July 2nd to the 20th. What stress! This is the most I've ever paid to go to the States. The low dollar and high fuel prices have made going to the U.S. horribly pricey. I guess people think they'll justify it with the exchange rate...
The day before I'm supposed to buy them, Daniel gets into a car accident. Neither he nor the girl who hit him were hurt. It was a blind intersection, not even an intersection. He was turning to go into a farm. Classic story, really remote area where no other cars are usually seen so bam! into each other they went...
Her little Ibitza was totalled. His Landrover technically wasn't but because of the whold leasing deal and the huge number of km he puts on his cars, he has to sell them about every two years (they lose too much value after that). So this car was coming up on its "deadline" anyway so he ended up selling it to the garage and he got his new car yesterday. He forgot my CD in his old car, I just realized. Call them! I want my Irish music back!!
Tomorrow is Saturday. School for the kids, then a quick lunch with Ronnie having a match in Dupingheim and Talia with some sort of gymnastic evaluation in Illkirch... Tomorrow is Daniel's cousin's (daughter, I should say, although she's technically a cousing too) bat mitvah in Mulhouse but Ronnie has a birthday party...
We are going to Brittany next weekend for our short Easter break. We also have Spring break coming up on the 5th of April and then we're going to the Italian lake area. I confess, it's over the border in Switzerland but on the lake...We have not booked for the summer and basically, it's too late. Not sure what we'll do. Stare at each other in August? It's really grim and the whole of Northern Europe shuts down.
I'm looking forward to changing trains in Paris. We have an hour to get from Gare de l'Est to Gare Montparnass. What fun! Two two hour train journeys...Tired just thinking about it (and to go to rainly Brittany-yeah!) but schlep there I will. Daniel will already be there and will not come back with us either. This guy is on the road.
Need sleep...
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Home, bored, kids sick...
My sister-in-law visited last week...with her two sick kids.
Well, guess what our week has been like since they left! Luckily, it's only a small fevor and some coughing...
Ronnie came down first. Talia came home from gymnastics with a fevor yesterday. Ronnie is better so he'll go back to school tomorrow. I'm keeping Talia here another day but so far, so good for Davina. Today she didn't go to school simply because her older siblings were sick. She's in preschool so she's fine.
Of course Daniel is not here this week. He left Tuesday for the South of France so it's all warm and sunny. He's basically getting farmers to commit to shipping their **** to him for this bio chem factory which will turn it into electricity.
Very strangely, we woke up to a small brushing of snow yesterday. The temperature has dipped and we haven't had snow all season. This could be really bad news for the grapes and basically, looked a bit freaky with the blossoms.
I'm trying to get my medical article done, sitting down at the computer and getting distracted with other stuff... Vicky looked at it and I'm going to reword a few more things, again...
I'm also researching plane tickets for the U.S. Boy, are they pricey! I broke the news to Daniel over the phone. Let's hope I can find something but it isn't looking too hopeful...
Well, guess what our week has been like since they left! Luckily, it's only a small fevor and some coughing...
Ronnie came down first. Talia came home from gymnastics with a fevor yesterday. Ronnie is better so he'll go back to school tomorrow. I'm keeping Talia here another day but so far, so good for Davina. Today she didn't go to school simply because her older siblings were sick. She's in preschool so she's fine.
Of course Daniel is not here this week. He left Tuesday for the South of France so it's all warm and sunny. He's basically getting farmers to commit to shipping their **** to him for this bio chem factory which will turn it into electricity.
Very strangely, we woke up to a small brushing of snow yesterday. The temperature has dipped and we haven't had snow all season. This could be really bad news for the grapes and basically, looked a bit freaky with the blossoms.
I'm trying to get my medical article done, sitting down at the computer and getting distracted with other stuff... Vicky looked at it and I'm going to reword a few more things, again...
I'm also researching plane tickets for the U.S. Boy, are they pricey! I broke the news to Daniel over the phone. Let's hope I can find something but it isn't looking too hopeful...
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