Geneva

Geneva: trip #5
I won't say that Geneva is my most preferred town. There are so much hassle going there: not part of EU which means that technically speaking we should stop at the customs with Hayley (but we always passed the frontier late at night in the dark), different currency, high level of living and so on...
But I have two good friends: Hakim and Nicolas. And that worth the detour!

Great times with you guys on both side of the border: the city and the country side. We loved the Geneva experience.

Special attention to Elisabeth: we saw the Chaperon Rouge au theatre de marionettes de Geneve. A good show case for her own play.

Snow

We have an itinerary. But plans are made to be changed are they? When Francois and Marianne suggested we could ski together we said : shussssss!

The best ski conditions ever: The locals couldn't believe it. Blue sky, 15 degrees at the ski resort, 10 degrees at 2,200 and 4 degrees at 3,300 at Pic Blanc and still good snow. Yes!

One issue: the ski flat was ridiculously small. A challenge with 4 kids and 4 adults. I reckon low key ski area are more suited with families. See our next blog on La Clusaz coming up!

And yes Hayley is on the skis! No fear regardless of a torn ACL. Chloe had a ball. She knows all the technics of the chasse-neige. Note to the parents: avoid the traumatic experience of the piou-piou (the kid's ski garden)! Chloe preferred much more her parents as ski instructors

 Welcome in Oz (hahhaha)

En passant par la Lorraine

TGV: Train a Grande Vitesse.
And yes it is. We didn't finish the first page of Chloe's drawing book and we are there yet.

The leg Paris Apartment - Gare de l'Est was a challenge!
I am out of the taxi with 5 big suitcases, three carry bags and 2 back packs and 2 prams and the SNCF officer with his hands down in his pockets told me that he's too busy working!

On the other end we are relieved to meet Uncle Serge at Toul Station to pick us up with our new car: the seven seater Peugeot 807! Whaouh! that's our car! the trip looks real now. Come on babe let's go for a drive!

Great family reunions and good times mountain biking in the beautiful woods of Cotes de Toul.

Thanks Babeth for the baby sitting. We won't have much opportunities like this! Great to catch with you, dear cousins!

Special Thanks to Simon which help us so much to get the car ready for us. Mate you're a champion!

Back to the old days

RER A
Chatelet Les Halles
Direction Poissy

Remind me something... yes I commute that trip so many times to go to the uni!
I trade my school bag with an overnight bag full of nappies and other kid's stuff. Times have changed.

Anyway great catch-up with Laurent and Anna in his renovated house. Looks great! Can't wait for the barbie in summer!

I promised we didn't choose the shirts on purpose. Great to catch up with you Steph!

And wondering how are going the kids? Elodie seems fine: I am not sure if she realises that she's not sleeping in her own cot and Chloe asked me recently where is her baby doll? Ooops sorry darling!

We're on!

Paris here we come!

What a relief to see my cousin Joel at Charles De Gaulle terminal! Yes we're in France and the journey begins! 93 kilos of bags without the carry-on. My backpackers days are long gone! But I am quite proud to see that this project is now happening. We're in Paris darling!

Monday 3AM
Tuesday 3:30AM
Wednesday: 4:00 AM
Thursday: 5:20AM

4 days living in Paris with the jet lag. We keep fighting but we can't help. The body clocks wakes up. So we've decided to live in our own time zone by wandering in the kids parks at 5AM, knocking at the door of the cafe with Chloe and jogging in Parc des Tuileries in the dark. A very strange experience to live Paris on a night shift with a family. But we loved it.

Thanks to Claire and her family to leave us this gorgeous apartment rue St Augustins! You made our trip in Paris

A great surprise to catch up with cousin David in Paris with his busy schedule. We took the challenge to lunch a la parisienne - means sitting at the bar in a tiny restaurant with the kids and the prams! We made it!

One thing that will never change: the Parisians! so typical! The biggest traffic jam I have ever seen. Cars everywhere ignoring traffic lights. The anarchy. Meanwhile we were in the bus taking it easy and laughing at it! (we are on holidays after all)

Hayley posing (one of many!)

and thanks to these great (early) diners with Marianne and Francois, Vincent and Fanny, Lorene and Joel. We'll catch up again in the South.

ps: Chapelle St Louis and Buttes Chaumont were the highlights of the week but I believe you don't care about the touristy stuff

Intro

Facebook is dead. Or at least for six months. A blog seems more appropriate for narrating a family trip rather than polluting your Facebook life with our grining face and french castles in the background. So be it!

I am not sure how often we'll publish stuff - it took me 4 weeks to get started. We'll see!