gabriella & jd (and alex! and vincent!)

market day in Issigeac Sunday April 24 Celebrating Alex's 10th birthday with the tart we were too tired to eat the night before.  We left the tree house and headed back towards Bordeaux and Saint-Emilion for two nights.  We had visited Saint-Emilion five years ago and really enjoyed it and decided to go back.  We were lucky to have the sun appear it's been a cooler and more rainy April than usual in France - some arctic air mass was stuck over Europe.  We stopped in another wonderful small town Issigeac based on the fact that the Sunday market was going to be there.  Again, a quaint wonderful town.  We had lunch at a lovely restaurant before we headed to some Karting for Alex's birthday. Saint-Emilion Then on to Saint-Emilion, checking into our hotel in town, a small walk around and dinner at a really good Vietnamese restaurant. Monday April 25 A nice sunny day, the petit tourist train through the vineyards, lunch outside in Saint-Emilion. ...

 

the tree house -  Friday April 22 Alex's birthday always falls nicely during the 2 week Spring school vacation in France.  We decided to celebrate his birthday in a luxury treehouse in the Dordogne valley of France.  We took the TGV to Bordeaux (3 h 20 min) but alas, we experienced for the first time bad luck on the train in France.  A train broke down in front of us causing a 2 hour delay.  But they gave us a refund immediately and food, so it could have been worse.  We rented a car and drove the 90 minutes to the treehouse Chateaux dans les Arbres .  Really cool!  We ate in the tiny town Chez Edith for dinner (foie gras, escargots, duck, good wine) and retired to the tree house.  There is actually a tree trunk inside the house and we woke up to find something had been scratching at the tree bark.  Nature! Those yellow fields are "colza", or canola.  Beautiful almost neon yellow in April. Saturday April 23 - Alex's ...

pictures Before we left on vacation Alex opened his birthday presents - books from Z & GG, clothes from Toots, a Manchester United jersey, Euro football cards, and Simon game from us. more opening present pictures

Seems like just yesterday...

Finally Spring has arrived in Paris.  Last Sunday, Square Batignolles - pictures The park, a nice lunch outside, watching a Mancheter United game at Corcoran's Pub. more pictures Writing, eating, cooking, flowers, the market, after Lincoln''s surgery (cyst removal, benign), dentist, headlamp, watching the washing machine. mmm, escargot casserole for Vincent!

MS 7 (Moyenne Section) école  maternelle Jules-Ferry Vincent has had several teachers this year after his first one (Fanny) went on leave end of October.  In this picture on the left is Sarah, the teacher for March.  On the right is Sabrina the ATSEM (assistant).  His other teachers have been:  Yasmina, Marie, and Romane. Group "Fun":

Sorry for the delay we've been doing some computer maintenance.  Today (Tues April 12th) was Vincent's "Carnavale" at school, all the children made masks and costumes and had a parade to the park by school.  Vincent was a bee.  He is holding hands with Lea. pictures from Carnavale parade even more pictures end of March Walking, playdoh, lunch, reading, authentic Chinese lunch at Le Lac de l'Ouest in the Marais (really good and not expensive), bistro meal at Le Valois (an old traditional bistro in the 17th near Park Monceau), making challah French toast, Musée Jacquemart-André, flags tied with black ribbons for Brussels, more reading, flowers. Harlequin's Carnival, 1924-25, by Joan Miro (Vincent studied in class):                      

Old Port, Dubrovnik, Croatia new - ALL of JD's photos finally! a few more pictures More hotel and balcony views, Old City, Star Wars pre-production, a walk down by the port, delicious Italian for lunch, a new umbrella for Vincent, back to the wine bar, back to hotel, some pool time, early morning flight back to Paris, the end. Croatia was a lovely country, everyone is very nice and friendly and welcoming  Beautiful scenery, great seafood, really good wine, and not too expensive.  We went off-season on purpose to see what it was like so our weather was cooler with more rain than the hot summer.  We hear high season is so mobbed it can be unpleasant and the cruise ship industry has discovered Dubrovnik.  We would definitely go back to the country, perhaps another town or area.  We understand there is a lot more to see! and yes, this is most likely the Star Wars "landspeeder" undercover, ready for filming! -

view of Fort Lovrijenac from Old City Walls, Dubrovnik, Croatia (if you watch "Game of Thrones" you will recognize this Fort) Thursday More hotel balcony views, breakfast, bus to Old City.  Walking the ramparts - it started to rain and was windy, and the scaffolding holding up the crumbling wall above the sea cliffs did not look enticing to me to walk on so we turned back and went to the Franciscan Monastery (to walk the entire wall takes about 3 hours).  Then on to the synagogue museum, the second oldest synagogue in Europe after Prague.  A nice, long lunch at Ragusa restaurant while the rain let up.  Wine tasting at D'Vino Wine bar, more Star Wars set production, back to hotel.

view of the old walled city of Dubrovnik from Mount Srd pictures First full day in Dubrovnik.  View from our hotel balcony onto the Adriatic.  Bus into town to the Old Walled City.  It became apparent soon after we began walking around town they were getting ready to film a movie.  Upon further research, we found out they were preparing to film parts of the next "Star Wars" movie.  Very exciting.  Lunch at Kamenice, a cafe famous for oysters, octopus, mussels, and Croatian wine. part 2 Taxi up the hill to Mt. Srd since the cable car was closed for repairs.  Beautiful views and some friendly cows grazing nearby. part 3 Back to hotel for the sunset.  Dinner at local restaurant Eden for more regional seafood specialties. Alex had the lobster! Alex's camera (NEW) getting ready to film Star Wars in the Old City! :

Ban Jelačić Square, Zagreb, Croatia pictures On our way to Dubrovnik, Croatia for vacation.  Half day layover in Zagreb, the capital.  Bus into city, drinks and food at a hotel bar.  Walk into town, tram back to bus back to airport, late flight to Dubrovnik.  Nice locals, good wine, but not our favorite city by far.  Still a bit grim from its history.  If you like to drink and smoke, a great place to go.  Next stop Dubrovnik.

Vincent and his chateau drawing Vincent's classroom Another visit to Vincent's Moyenne Section (middle section) classroom the day before our 2 week winter vacation.  Vincent enjoyed showing us all of his hard work, including his artwork and the lesson related to chateaus and chevaliers. pictures Religious exposition at our town hall, a walk into Paris, Jardin du Luxembourg, Vietnamese for lunch, and crepes au sucre on Rue Mouffetard. a few more pictures here pictures Some older pictures from beginning of February, hanging out, reading, eating, cooking, playing, new glasses.

Vincent learned how to write his name in school and has been practicing. pictures End of January - reading, park before piano, lunch, Anjou, Batman cape and mask fun. pictures Park, lunch when Vincent melted down due to hunger, more Batman cape, more Alex's piano recital,

Alex had a piano recital this past Saturday and played "Comme un blues de Martine Joste". video (starts late oops)   "Comme un blues de Martine Joste" video    applause pictures Vincent's new glasses!

I am going to poke my eyes out!  Don't talk to me!  Leave me alone! - Vincent, Feb 3, 2016 All better after the meal - phew!