Back from Paris

Well, we weren't exactly staying at the Ritz...

We had a tiny room, about 15M2 with two sets of bunk beds.



The bathroom was tiny and we had one of those obnoxious showers that you had to keep punching the button. Ronnie found that if you punched it twice, it stayed on two nano-seconds longer but it was a pain.



I opened the suitcase to find that Talia had no tops. Oops! I always goof with packing. I tried to find a Monoprix nearby, without luck but there was a Tati nearby. It was a bit of a zoo, a very cheap store that everything falls apart. We got two tops (I washed out the one she was wearing for the way home) and my spoiled girls got a stuffed animal each. Talia got a panda and Davina a unicorn.

The first evening we ate at Sarah's new apartment. They've only been there since December, having left the other that I saw 10 years ago. We hadn't seen each other in about that time.

The next morning we met Julia and her kids in a park nearby, stopped in a café and had lunch at her place.



We went to Jardin de Luxembourg afterwards where we met Sarah and her girls again briefly.

From left to right; Ambre (said "Amber" in English but it's the same name), Talia, Lara, Davina and Ronnie. That's some other kid's head behind Lara.



We did a "scream" photo, which was a tip I got for taking kids' pictures. You make them scream, stop and then snap the picture. Ambre and Lara had never done it before and they ended up with funny hands.



Sarah, Lara and Ambre had to leave since they were leaving the next morning but I stayed with the kids a little while.





We were invited to the Uncle's for dinner and we returned to the hotel, washed up and I had brought some things, including Halloween costumes, for the little cousins. He lives in the 'burbs so it was kind of a long ride on the Métro. It was the one family obligation I couldn't wiggle out of.

There are their new stuffed animals.



We got to see the youngest member of the family, little Yona, Ilan's little sister. Soooo cute at 5 months! Her mama is Sandrine, Daniel's cousin Arnaud's girlfriend.



Here's Ilan, trying on his new elephant costume that I brought, and picking his nose at the same time;



The next morning, as promised, I took the kids to the Eiffel Tower. They've been bugging me to go for ages but every time we either lacked time or the weather didn't cooperate. We did get to the third level once but not all the way to the top.

Crowds and lines everywhere. It was a nightmare. Here's Talia killing time playing her DS while we waited for tickets. Look at the line snaking behind her.



We made it all the way to the top. Davina was scared but fine once she got up there. Ronnie, who was okay on the way up, found himself getting dizzy at the top. Davina would not cooperate for a group photo so I just took Ronnie and Talia.





The view wasn't brillant but not terrible either.





It was very tiring. On our way to the RER, I hear this familiar voice calling "Madame Dreyfuss!" and look up to see the director of the elementary school leaning over the top of a double decker tourist bus. Small world!

Goofing around on the RER;



We then met up with Sophie in the Marais. The kids played in a couple of playgrounds, we stopped at another café (which is probably still recovering from our visit) and then had dinner at the Président restaurant in Belleville. This is my favorite and I had all the stuff I miss, the papaya salad, the Pho and nem, plus the desert that I always forget the name... Dith met us for dinner only but I didn't take any photos.

For our last morning, we stayed in the neighborhood where we were staying, Montmartre and visited the Sacre Coeur. The kids were most impressed with the funicular.





Checking out the view;



That's Ronnie a bit further away;



Again, the view was okay but not totally clear;













Ronnie was in kind of a bad mood. Here they are on the ride down;



They rode the Merry-Go-Round at the bottom of the hill;







Ronnie, still in a bad mood;



Then, another big coincidence. I actually knew that another mom was coming to Paris over the break but I didn't know when exactly. We ran into them at the Merry-Go-Round. The kids wouldn't cooperate for a photo so I just have this of Leonie. I know them because the father is English and the mother heard me outside the school speaking to my kids. We have a little "English club" at the school and they participate so we just saw them Friday.



I then took the kids to McDonald's as a treat. They had Pet Shop stickers for the Happy Meal so my girls were very happy, as was Ronnie with his transformer. We warmed up at the hostel before calling a cab (they even put cartoons on for them and I looked at my messages). We caught the 2:24pm train back to Strasbourg, bringing our almost exactly 72 hours in Paris to an end.

On vacation!

Okay, it's only for 10 days...

We had a good weekend last week. I bought shoes for Davina (60 Euros!) and Talia (100 Euros!!!) They love them and guess why Davina was crying at her last ice skating lesson? She's a size 30, not 28. Poor thing, her feet hurt. Well, she wasn't crying this week...

On Sunday, the Liberal (like Reform) community celebrated Sukkot. Okay, it wasn't strictly on the day but it was still fun for the kids. We met some British/Polish children and I ran into some friends I didn't know were involved.

Here's an explanation, because I'm too lazy...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkot

We then that afternoon, went to the Americans in Alsace Halloween party. The girls were princesses and Ronnie was himself. I'd love to post pictures but I didn't take any and the AIA website has entertainly been taken over by a casino add. Someone contacted me about joining during the week and I asked her how she got my name. She said off the International Church of Strasbourg website, which obviously needs updated. But was still entertaining in that the ICS is giving out my name, of all the names in AIA...

I bought an overpriced constume for Talia and when we got there, she refused to put it on. I decided to ignore her and then she changed her mind.

I'll take Trick-or-Treat photos on the 31st.

I was sick Wednesday through Friday. I'm still not totally back in form. Such a beautiful day today and I still can't move!

We are now on the Toussaint vacation. Nov. 1st is a holiday here. We have just been through a battery of Jewish holidays, just in time to have a whole 10 days off...

We had the English Club after school yesterday. All the kids with English speaking parents have this about once a month. We just have a snack, sing songs and read books. It's good to see that they're not alone at St. Jean.

The director came by. Pom Pom died! He was featured in some posts ages ago. Both girls had him in their classes. Turns out bunnies only live 4-5 years and that was what it was. The girls, luckily, weren't too upset.

Turns out that Yannick didn't get a visa to India. His wife Arlette did but not Yannick. They were going to go on this break, which is perfect timing weather-wise. To make it worse, they didn't supply a letter and the airlines are requiring it to cancel. They just sent his passport without a visa.

I chalk it up to Bad Karma because he didn't let Talia participate in the excursion four years ago. Serves him right! He bent over backwards two years ago to let a handicapped child participate but while Talia's not handicapped, she did have a physical problem that kept her from spending the night away from home. No, no, no was all I heard, yet he pulled out all stops and even had the mother tag along while he wouldn't even let me pick Talia up for fear that the other children would see and want their parents.

Yannick can stay home too this time!

Of my rant. We leave Monday for Paris. Finally I get to see Paris without Daniel. Trips to Paris with Daniel are his sister's, his uncle's, his sister's, his uncle's...and nothing else. I came last February with the kids and what happens?!? He shows up! Guess who we get to see??? Yes, his sister and uncle! I had to cancel something I had planned...Well, he's working so no showing up this time!

Don't get me wrong. They're nice enough but there are other things to see and do besides see his sister and uncle in Paris. That time, I agreed to have lunch at his uncle if we could leave afterwards. So I agreed...to have lunch. Turns out they invited his cousin over...at 4pm! I put my foot down. Kids, get your jackets! We went to the Jardin de Luxembourg and I had to hear "Well, I guess I better call Roland and tell him it's not worth coming..." Yes you better! Good idea! Bye!

Last night, he says to me "You know, you could call my uncle while you're there..."

The problem was the hotel. I had them tell me "Four people, no problem. We have two rooms..." Connecting? No. They don't do suites here either. We are staying at a hostel. Yes, a throw back to my travelling days!

http://www.villagehostel.fr/

We have a room, two bunks, attached bath...What else do we need? Near Montmontre. It might be fun, showing the kids how Mommy used to see the World.

By the way, I found something disturbing. My article on Flying With Children... Seems that there are some very dishonest people in the world. It was copied, my exact wording... someone posting on a travel forum and was taking credit for it.

Now, why would someone do that? They aren't making any money. It's very scary as this is a mom so you wonder what kind of example she's giving her children. I don't know. I'm not so much upset about being copied but the nasty way she did it. I've seen my tips copied elsewhere but that could just be passing them along. This was really...my words being claimed as her own. Ugh!

Why can't I watch Jon Stewart??

This is killing me!

Here. I'm going to do an experiment. Who can see this?



I'm getting desperate! I noticed that I'm not the only one in Europe who can't see it from the Comedy Central site.

Anyone have any ideas? insight??

Weird weather and the book is coming out!

We're starting the new Jewish year a bit strangely. The weather has gone all warm and a little humid. It was unusually cold and now, we're baking! I went back to the closet to dig out my T-shirts.

Saturday there was an exibition of associations in Alsace, all sorts, health, sports, leisure, etc. Well, as "Window to Strasbourg" is a non-profit organization, we had a stand. Here you can see how we decorated. Needless to say, at all-French event, we weren't exactly overwhelmed with visits;



Those are two of the other writers manning the desk and I decorated it the day before with one of the editors.

There weren't a lot of people, mainly due to the good weather. Plus, we went on Saturday and since Sunday all the stores are closed, people usually do these types of activities then. A few books did sell though...

Here is the website. Tell me how pretty it looks (so I can compliment Tara);
http://www.windowtostrasbourg.com/

As you may have noticed in the photo, Davina actually got her face painted. She let them put a butterfly at the gymnastics show in June but this was a big butterfly all over her face and she loved it. Talia wanted one too. Ronnie was at a soccer match so he wasn't in on the act. One of the children's associations was doing it for free. I thought they did a really good job.













There were a lot of dogs there for various groups and some did demonstrations. This is a water-rescue dog;



Once at home. No, I did not teach Davina "namaste" (but I will ;)



The next day we went to Badenweiler to do the hot springs. Can you tell we like these?? Now we've visited three in Germany and I think this one gets the best marks (although the others rate high too);

http://www.badenweiler.de/en

Check out the fall colors, which are starting to really come out now;





No photos of us because I locked the camera away. In those kinds of places, you go from pool to pool so you can't leave anything valuable. You can't realistically keep an eye on it. Perhaps I'll try some shots next time but we just wanted to enjoy the pools.

We even think we might go there for a weekend but we wont eat in the same restaurant. It was actually good, not too expensive but took ages!

Here are some photos from a couple of weeks ago, picking flowers on the way home from Benfeld to see my mother-in-law. Davina was asleep in the car so I just took Ronnie and Talia.

Coming home Dec. 17th-29th and tire update

Recovering from Yom Kippur, the least festive of holidays that I know of...

First the tire update. So I spend Monday morning at Toyota, waiting for them to repair my tire. I took up the time by blabbering loudly with my friend Kelly on the cell phone (we're kind of deadly on the phone together).

So then I go to pick up the girls for lunch. One of the moms notices...I have a flat tire! Oh yeah. Guess which one?!?

So I call Toyota, and ask for the main mechanic Dominic. I'm a little unhappy. He promises to come and change the tire himself. He gets all short with me while I'm trying to describe the street. "No! Don't take Wilson. Yes, you can get there from Wilson but it's a DETOUR. Better to just turn on Place Haganeau, on to Faubourg St. Pierre but it's not called that at that point but you know what I mean..."

Alsace is an especially fun place to drive because the streets change name every 100 yards. The street's name is "Bonne Gens" which means "Good people" and he must have asked that 10,000 times. I'm all "Bonnes Gens...like Mauvaises gens (bad people) but this street is BONNES Gens..." Bonnes Gens is bad because it's a one way street in both directions! That means, if you come up the south, you can't get to the school because you have to come from the north or you have to turn off. This is done because there are two schools on the same street.

You have an accent, you don't know the streets, they assume. Problem is, I'm good at sussing out directions, short cuts, etc. by nature (a mom told me that's a typical dylexic-compensation thing) so I end up telling them the quickest way to get somewhere.

He then suggests that prehaps I've had another pucture. I'm a little in shock. "So you're suggesting that I've now suffered a second pucture on the same tire on the same day it's repaired?!? Wouldn't that be an incredible coincidence..." I'm thinking, I'm going to buy a lottery ticket today if that's the case!

So finally, he arrives, changes the tire and takes mine. It's taken 40 minutes and it's too late to go home so I take the girls to McDonald's as a treat, since we had to stay in town.

Dominic calls and tells me the tire is shot and can't be repaired. Daniel is a little less than thrilled to hear all this.

Daniel later calles Dominic, let's him know of how he feels about the situation and then stomps off to Toyota, takes the tire and takes it over to another shop, who find a second hole and repairs it. The tire was ready the next day.

I called Toyota and cancelled my annual inspection with them, that I had scheduled for next week. I'll ask at Autohaus Gieger (which I miss since I don't have a VW anymore) or use the guys who repaired my tire. The problem with the latter is that they only have a Smart car to loan out. I'll try to schedule around this if I use them. I know I have brake issues so that's my concern.

Hate car drama! Miss taking the Métro, Tube, Muni, whatever. I'm just not meant to live in a car and here I am...and I'm not even living in America!

I really didn't need all this tire-drama in the middle of transatlantic ticket-shopping and a bunch of Jewish holidays.

Yes, I bought the tickets home. It's short but Daniel promised NOT to come this time. This frees me to do more things without having to worry about him. He doesn't travel well...

Unfortunately it means the 4:15am bus and the earlier Lufthansa flight. To take United and the next bus would have been 400 Euros more. Air France was 800 Euros more. For that savings, I'll lose a little sleep...

I love this homemade video;



Also, anyone on Facebook, I'm hooked. Look me up with my "full" name, Sharon Colliver Dreyfuss.

My life at 80kph

On my usual "school run" (as the British call it), I was on my way to the school and I heard a "pop" and something flapping. Being in a slight hurry and since the car still drove normally, and it was only a short distance, I kept going. I heard the flapping again but still, it drove alright. I'll look at it when I get there...

Of course I forgot but a bunch of guys in a car across the street did notice. "Hey lady, you have a flat!" Oh boy...

I had just been at the Toyota dealership that very morning making an appointment for a revision and because the brakes were squeeking. I went in for the brakes and then had them see if I needed the law-required revision and not surprisingly, I did.

I picked up Davina and called Toyota again while waiting outside the elementary for Ronnie and Talia. No, you have to call road assistance (direct translation there). I got a rude operator, whom I couldn't hear over the noise. She said someone would call me back and of course, they didn't. I called Daniel, then called the assitance people again and this time they patched me through to a mechanic.

The kids weren't exactly thrilled to hear this news. It was cold and they ate their snack, making a horrible mess, in the car while we waited. Daniel was about a half hour away waiting for the repairs on his own car to finish and rushed over, getting to me about 15 minutes before the mechanic arrived. I transferred Davina's seat over (Daniel keeps two boosters for the two older ones in his car) and sent them all home, with me to wait alone.

I knew I was in trouble when the truck arrived and passed me. This is a tiny, one-way street and there were no other Yaris's, especially not with my number plate, which I had given... He calls. "Where are you?" I stick my hand out the window and told him to look out the rearview mirror.

Okay...

So it starts pouring rain the minute he steps out of the car. He seemed nice enough and what I thought was an Eastern European accent was actually a thick Marseillaise one! Hey, it's not so easy to detect accents in a non-native language. I showed him the spare in the trunk and he then asks where the "cric" is. No idea. Not with the spare? Where's your owner's manual? I get it out. He looks in the front, then he flips to the back when he can't find it. Under the index, he finds "C", which lasts about a page and a half. He starts at the beginning, even though even I figured "cric" would be towards the end. I leaned over and pointed to it.

At least he was cute and nice, if not a rocket scientist...

He can't get the "cric" or jack in place because of the road and the rain, which has made it slick. This is an old road which has litterly centuries of paving over it, typically making it slope down at the sides. This also makes it especially fun to parellel park. I reposition the car (which isn't wise but we were desperate) and he uses the dry spot under the car to position the jack and change the tire.

Nothing to pay-yeah! But Toyota (and this time I ask for the head mechanic by name) tells me they can't do it Saturday so I have to wait till Monday "...and not right away. We can't do it till 10". I didn't ask why...

The spare tire I have is one of the temporary ones and I can't do over 80kph. So I managed to get to the market, home and to a meeting without touching the autoroute. I can drive 80 on the freeway but I know myself and I'll forget and I don't want to be stuck on the side of the road again.

Meanwhile, I went to the meeting and our book should be out on Tuesday. I'll write more about that later but I opened the medical section that I wrote, only to immmediately see a typo "hoisptal". Not a good omen! I actually saw a bunch, including the languages of the doctors left out. Oh well. Perhaps we can touch it up if the first 3000 get sold and it goes to a second printing...