gabriella & jd (and alex! and vincent!)

day 1 Quick three day trip back to the Champagne region and Hautvillers, the town where Dom Perignon discovered how to make champagne.  Leaving Paris on Thursday it was a little gray but warm.  We drove through Meaux and on to a small town, Montceaux-lès-Meaux. for a delicious lunch (duck, steak tartare, brie de Meaux) before continuing to our destination and rented house for the weekend.  We drove into Epernay for dinner and decided to have some old school Chinese which was really good. day 2 Friday, a nice walk around town, to the church where Dom Perignon is buried, then a drive south through the Côte des Blancs champagne vineyards.  Back to a town called Ay for lunch at "Le Vieux Puits"on a terrace overlooking a garden.  The food was amazing, our best meal, and we had champage from Lallier which we then decided to go find for a tasting.  During the tasting we met some nice folks from Wales who knew the tasting host, and we got a private tour...

Jardin du Luxembourg August 15 is "fete de l'assomption", or the when the Virgin Mary ascends into heaven....a national holiday in France.  As awful as this year has been for France. and last year - weather, terrorism etc. - at least finally there has been some sunny weather in July and August.  It happens so rarely, folks actually enjoy it and don't complain of the heat.  These two months have been a gift. pictures Sunday, we headed out to catch one of the few buses running in Paris (Sunday, in August, try finding public transporation that works for you!).  Luckily the 82 is near us and has a great route past the Eiffel Tower to Jardin du Luxembourg.  But of course it stopped before the normal destination so we had to walk a little.  We wanted to find out if the British bar was showing the first Manchester United game (of course they were duh) but while waiting we found a great restaurant in the Latin Quarter for lunch.  Little did we know we ...

courtyard of Palais-Royal pictures We've been enjoying the nice summer weather in Paris and lack of crowds - the Parisians have left town for the South, and the tourists are noticeably fewer this year. Vincent's first real outing since his tonsillectomy on July 20.  End of July, we headed into town, metro to Bourse (the old stock market), a walk through one of the cool covered passages left from about 200 years ago, through the Palais-Royal with the famous black and white column art installation, past the new Les Halles which is still under construction, past the Centre Pompidou, through the Marais which was packed and made us want to hustle out of there, through Place des Vosges, on to our favorite little bar Le Temps des Cerises for some wine, charcuterie and cheese, quick stop by a playground, metro back to our side of town, and finally stopping at a cafe since Alex was craving onion soup and Vincent needed some escargots. pictures Vincent continued his tonsillect...

in the Air France lounge at Dulles watching the planes We did so much we are just catching up on downloading all the pictures. pictures Sprinkler fun at Grannie's house, zucchini casserole, and visiting Z & GG at the Cherry Hill RV Park. pictures Meeting up in DC with Shana, drinks and cheese and wine, back to the RV park for more visiting. July 4th Cheese and grilling with old friends. pictures All the hotspots in Montgomery County - Wheaton Regional, the merry-go-round, the train, Mi Rancho, duck pin bowling in White Oak, Monster mini-golf, and finally, Sky Zone Trampoline park! trip to Wilmington ...and France losing the Euro Cup to Portugal. pictures Exercise class, the Tesla showroon at Montgomery Mall, Pacci's, visiting with Mabel, trying to recreate a French meal at Petits Plats (eh), and more Sky Zone! pictures On the last weekend before we flew out, a quick trip to Carlisle, PA to visit cousins Marjorie, Bruce, and Daniel (David and Doug...

Never a dull moment.  We returned to France on Monday July 18 to the warmest day of the year in France so far.  And Tuesday was only 96 F.  Vincent had his tonsils taken out on July 20, all pre-scheduled.  He was very brave and got to spend the night in the hospital. He had a lot of pain, but the nurses gave him painkiller.  The next day we took a taxi home and Vincent was hungry so he helped make eggs.  Then he ate a lot of popsicles! And we forgot Mickey in the US (oh no!) so Clifford went instead.  Grannie has mailed Mickey to us.   pictures after

Fort Delaware First lunch in New Castle at  Jessop's Tavern with "colonial costume and eats".  Over 300  beers available, not bad.  Then a visit to Fort Delaware which was really cool.  We took a 15 minute boat ride to the fort.  It was POW days, with war re-enacters including a musketry demonstration and Victorian children's games. Fort Delaware is where over 12,500 Confederate soldiers were imprisioned during the Civil War, most were captured in Gettysburg.  The Fort was also used during WW1 and WW2. Tyler Arboretum A nice day hiking through Tyler Arboretum .  Cool trails, treehouses, wooded glens, enchanted forests, butterflies, and goats.  And then we went to Catherine Rooney's to watch the Euro final and France lose to Portugal. The Crooked Goblin house at Tyler Arboretum:

Dusty Crophopper is ready for his trip from Paris to Boston pictures Monday June 27 we flew from Boston to DC to continue our summer visit.  We headed around the Beltway to Grannie's house in Kensington where Alex and Vincent were very happy to see her, it's been six months since the last visit.  Alex is almost as tall as Grannie! Alex's camera   Leaving Paris, hotel pool in Boston, RV Park Cherry Hill, MD, bubble and garden hose fun at Grannie's.

pictures The day after Kathleen and Marek's wedding we returned to their house for the after party, including a very large Polish meal all homemade by Marek's mother and family.  The kids had fun playing bartender and baseball and we stayed all day and didn't want to leave. a few more Vincent the Polish Kielbasa

Saturday June 25, 2016 - morning wedding prep Helping set up the chairs and fold the napkins!  Dim sum at authentic restaurant in Quincy, MA with 14 of us.  "What's that?  Try some". more wedding prep Wedding pictures Held in the backyard of Kathleen and Marek's home in South Easton, MA.  Gorgeous weather all weekend.  Marek's sister was the officiant.  Dancing, drinking and good times, and a kielbasa bar at 10:00 pm.  And I quote the DJ "I never in 25 years of doing this job have seen folks dance all 5 1/2 hours of the wedding". more wedding pictures

Off to the US for the summer vacation and Kathleen and Marek's wedding !  Those pictures will be posted next. pictures Leaving Paris Wednesday June 22, arriving Boston, rental car, to hotel in Brockton, MA.  Dinner at El Mariachi (awesome tableside guac) then back to hotel to crash.  Ran into Kathleen at the hotel Thurs morning.  Some USA shopping at the mall and CPK for lunch, then to Kathleen and Marek's house in South Easton to meet his family and deliver the gift of comte cheese from  Belisson . Friday (pictures coming) Carrie's family arrives after driving overnight from VA.  Fun at the pool, then we drove into Boston to meet JD's friend for lunch.

Vincent and Zuzanna (she also lives in our building) pictures Field trip with Vincent's class (Moyenne section 7) to a butterfly greenhouse west of town.  28 four and five-year olds, some really colorful butterflies, a picnic, some rain, then back to school on the bus. more pictures

Vincent was born. 2nd birthday:

Opening cards and presents this morning.  And Vincent lost his first tooth yesterday - so much excitement.  It was also a gorgeous sunny day (we have not had enough of those this spring) so we decided to eat outside at Cornelius for dinner. pictures Morning, cards, pancakes for Vincent made my Alex, school, drinks outside at the Anjou, a special sparkler for Vincent from our friends at the Anjou, and soccer chocolates from Sylvain. pictures Opening presents, playing with play-doh(pâte à modeler) and bubbles, talking to the Grandparents on Skype, and a nice dinner outside at Cornelius. JD's pictures opening gifts pictures Alex took

Kathleen and Carrie pictures A fun day with lots of laughs and stories at Lynn's house to celebrate Kathleen.  Beth took the good pictures at the end.  Menu was in honor of Kathleen's southern roots - hash brown breakfast casserole, spiral  ham, homemade pimento cheese (Lynn), biscuit bar, and Krispy Kreme stacked doghnut cake.  Oh, and prosecco in reference to the Italian honeymoon. Krispy Kreme doughnut tower arranged by Carrie: and the crabs we devoured later at Carrie's:

I took Grannie out for a nice meal for her birthday on May 29 while I was in town for Kathleen's shower.  The whole family will celebrate again when we are Stateside for our summer visit starting end of June. some fun old pictures! Pauline 5 1/2 years old: Pauline - no date I have to ask her: Pauline High School Graduation, EC Glass, Lynchburg VA, June 1953

May 29th was Mother's Day in France.  Vincent had his picture taken at the Village Fermier in our town.  Too cute. pictures Fun at the Village Fermier and Jardin Bonheur while I was in the US. more pictures while I was gone.

This is our town where it borders the Seine - flood = inondation More Levallois pictures here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/villedelevallois/sets/72157669267597975 Worst flood since 1910.  We have not seen it in person even though our town touches part of the Seine as it winds around west of Paris. Lots of news and photos though - article with lots of pictures: Paris ready for peak flood http://www.connexionfrance.com/Paris-flood-RER-Metro-Louvre-18120-view-article.html Video and text story: River Seine set to keep rising as Louvre closes its doors http://www.france24.com/en/20160603-paris-france-floods-river-seine-keep-rising-louvre-closes-doors

pictures JD decided to rent office space around the corner for more privacy.  It's a cool office literally around the corner from where we live.  Perfect.  This was also the end of some very warm days, hence the shorts.  Time in the park also. more pictures Park, flowers, Alex and Vincent, cheese and wine in the new office, meal outside at Au Coin de la Rue, putting together Alex's new Ikea bed. there can never be too much cheese -

p ictures Saturday, last day at the brick house hotel, enjoying breakfast and fun art in the breakfast salon.  Then we drove a few miles to the  Château de Beaumesnil , a beautiful chateau with   landscaped grounds including a boxwood hedge maze, all designed by a student of Le Notre, the famous landscape gardener who did Versailles, among others.  We could not stop taking pictures! Alex and Vincent enjoyed the free range chickens (poules) and the kitchen inside the chateau. The chateau has a long history, and includes a bookbinding museum and a grand wooden staircase from the library. "Château de Beaumesnil is a 17th-century Louis XIII baroque style château located in the commune of and close to the village of Beaumesnil in Eure department of Normandy in northern France. The château, now an official historical monument of France, is surrounded by a moat, having been built on the site of a medieval castle of the same name." JD's pictures hotel and Beaume...