comme on dirait en France...c'est du lourd!
moi je dis "c'est pas gagne"!
on le voit pas sur la photo mais Alec est en larmes...
il veut savoir faire du velo mais pas apprendre...pas facile la vie!
samedi 21 août 2010
last visit... before take off
Paris! to see my nana, the one and unique that shares her birthday with Marco...just 80 years appart.
we stayed for that night in her appartment and the next morning my Mum took us to Charly airport! back down under....
we stayed for that night in her appartment and the next morning my Mum took us to Charly airport! back down under....
yankee horsies...
Chloe getting a sore bottom!
instructions...
I particularly loved doing that... not!
Marco's in charge and mastering the machine pretty well.rent a bike...
main towns of France have developped the concept of those bikes you can pick up and drop off at multiple points in town. trying to reduce car traffic downtown.
simply slip your credit card and it's yours for the time needed. Paris has also deveopped that for little city cars!
vendredi 20 août 2010
William...
I grew up near/ in that town of CAEN in Normandy, there's always 2 historic facts about it: home of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and the landing from the allied troops during the 2nd world war.
This castle (yes another one!) was William's one hence it is a Ducal Castle. we went and had a look with Marco and Alec and my mum. they particlarly loved the fortifications and the canon!
William was a Norman (he was born in Falaise) and later became King of England after invading england in 1066.
He married his distant cousin Matilda of Flanders against the wishes of Pope Leo IX. In repentance for what was a consanguine marriage, William donated "L'abbaye aux Hommes" in Caen and Mathilde "L'abbaye au Dames".
This castle (yes another one!) was William's one hence it is a Ducal Castle. we went and had a look with Marco and Alec and my mum. they particlarly loved the fortifications and the canon!
William was a Norman (he was born in Falaise) and later became King of England after invading england in 1066.
He married his distant cousin Matilda of Flanders against the wishes of Pope Leo IX. In repentance for what was a consanguine marriage, William donated "L'abbaye aux Hommes" in Caen and Mathilde "L'abbaye au Dames".
L'abbaye aux hommes in and out, note the yankee flag...
Linen
for those who never wondered where that word was coming from!
the linen is textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. it grows relativeley well in Normandy and having grown up with that in the plains, I thought I shown some to the boys.
it grows up to knee hight, then they rip off the fibers and flatten it in rows as per the photos to allow the fibres to ret with the sun and rain, and preferably no wind!
this is extremely weather dependant and a real demanding plant if the farners want a good harvest. they have machines to rip off and machines to flip over so the retting can happen on each side.
the linen is textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. it grows relativeley well in Normandy and having grown up with that in the plains, I thought I shown some to the boys.
it grows up to knee hight, then they rip off the fibers and flatten it in rows as per the photos to allow the fibres to ret with the sun and rain, and preferably no wind!
this is extremely weather dependant and a real demanding plant if the farners want a good harvest. they have machines to rip off and machines to flip over so the retting can happen on each side.
then they harvest it into round balls.
that one is always a NO NO
under surveillance they had a good time, falling down the chimneys, until...
Alec less brave was playing on Papy's tractor and managed to split open his finger on sharp metal bit... the danger isn't always were we think!
a couple of steryl strips and he was off again.
blood brothers...
nous sommes bien rentres en NZ mais il faut que je rattrape un peu mon retard...
je reviens donc en arriere chronologiquement... les quelques prochaines nouvelles sont des photos de France...lundi 9 août 2010
6 days before take off
as anticipated, it has gone SO fast!
with ups and downs, the boys will be really happy to go back home to see their Papa, and Mamy and Papy and school mates, and sad at the same time to leave this family behind...such is life of being so lucky to have 2 countries.
we fly out on sunday and have to get our french passports back (hopefully it will be ready) no later than saturday morning. it only took me 2 months to get all the documents on order to renew our 3 passports... I love French administration...
if they are nor ready we can forget about it. it has to be us in person for the collection and afetr 3 months if we haven't collected them they have to destroy them... so cross fingers!!!!
a few people left to say goodbye to and we will be in our way to see you all soon!
with ups and downs, the boys will be really happy to go back home to see their Papa, and Mamy and Papy and school mates, and sad at the same time to leave this family behind...such is life of being so lucky to have 2 countries.
we fly out on sunday and have to get our french passports back (hopefully it will be ready) no later than saturday morning. it only took me 2 months to get all the documents on order to renew our 3 passports... I love French administration...
if they are nor ready we can forget about it. it has to be us in person for the collection and afetr 3 months if we haven't collected them they have to destroy them... so cross fingers!!!!
a few people left to say goodbye to and we will be in our way to see you all soon!
another castle!
in that one there's family living in it. Sophie and Gilles (aunty and uncle) and the 3 cousins (the girls being Dorotheee and Diane who came to visit us a few years back).
very cool place, we went for lunch in sunday, tennis and swimming pool! the kids couln't wish for better! WE WILL BE BACK!
Poppy
as a kid growing up in a farm in Normandy, I remember the poppy as being the flower on the side of the cereals fields or in the field at rest for a year.
since a few years it is as well the symbol of remembrance for the fallen, the troops of ANZAC.
when I drove past that field I stopped to take a photo. the boys couldn't make any sense of me asking them to stand in the middle of it while I shot the photo...hence the sad faces!!!
since a few years it is as well the symbol of remembrance for the fallen, the troops of ANZAC.
when I drove past that field I stopped to take a photo. the boys couldn't make any sense of me asking them to stand in the middle of it while I shot the photo...hence the sad faces!!!
medieval castle with medieval people!!!
everysummer for 10 days, The castle of Crevecoeur en Auge orginse some "animations" to make the visit ever so more interesting... especially for kids and maybe for big kids as well.
a good 30 persons play the game for 10 days of living and playing roles like in 1460's.
there's the Lord of the castle and his lady, the soldiers, the smith, the people of the farm...
they play and act some stories, arguments, sales of land, festivities and other daily events of that time. there's always an enigma, where the visistors (that's us) can go and question them trying to make sense of what's going on... they act amongst us and with us if we want to take part.
the kids got right into it as it shows on the last photo!
a good 30 persons play the game for 10 days of living and playing roles like in 1460's.
there's the Lord of the castle and his lady, the soldiers, the smith, the people of the farm...
they play and act some stories, arguments, sales of land, festivities and other daily events of that time. there's always an enigma, where the visistors (that's us) can go and question them trying to make sense of what's going on... they act amongst us and with us if we want to take part.
the kids got right into it as it shows on the last photo!
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