It's been such a fabulous weekend.  Finishing off with a Sunday in the gardens of the Chateau in Versailles where the sun sparkled like stars on the water, during the course of the weekend we also managed to discover a  wonderful thai restaurant tucked away in a lively little street of Paris (details soon) - so good that I'm ready to make the claim that I haven't enjoyed a meal quite that delicious in a long time.  Yum! 

Here are a couple of pics from Versailles. Hope everyone had a great weekend too!

Perhaps Thursday morning was the last of the winter weather in Paris? 

The cloud and rain were just enough to keep things damp and hidden. Yet, not enough to keep this guy from standing guard.

For the time being, I've decided to remove this post.  It will reappear after closing arguements

There have been more snow days in the Yvelines this year than any previous one since we first arrived in 2001. 

As I was sitting at the computer going through photos from yesterday, the sun came out and the afternoon is passing by with a beautiful blue sky.  It reminded me of some chairs that caught my eye last month when there had been another snow fall and the skies were grey.  Walking past a cafe, the bleu caught my attention.

With the sun shining outside on snow covered gardens, I'm dreaming of sipping a coffee in these chairs, soaking in the sun beams.... and I'm far from feeling blue.

There was a great rush to get home from school today as it seemed there might have been just enough snow on the outskirts of Paris to warrant the toboggan (ski rouge as it has become known in our house) out on the Yvelines slopes.  With a quick change into the appropriate clothing and protective headwear, off we set.

Turning to snap a photo or two, there was a moment of feeling like we had become a part of a scene in Alejandro Amenábar's movie The Others.

Can you see it?  There, peering from the window?

 Whilst one couldn't wait to speed down the hill, another little person was too cold and decided to watch from the window, tucked up cozy and warm inside.

Here's hoping for more snow tomorrow. Oversized, light and fluffy snowflakes would be just perfect.

Memories of lunch during my time as a pre-schooler are full of warm bottles of milk (not a good memory) and the sound of little glass bottles banging together as trolley rattled down the corridor delivering from one classroom to the next.  To this day, I just cannot bring myself to pour a glass of milk and drink it down.  Soon after the milk it would be time to head home for a simple sandwich. 

Thinking about that milk trolley makes me feel soooo old.  Comparing it to lunch here in France, both at home and at the school cantine,  where a meal is never less than three courses - starter, main and dessert, cheese and bread an option if desired, those days of milk and sandwiches leave me feeling like Laura Ingles. 

Tuesday chez nous is a day to skip out on the cantine, home to eat and then onto an activity to work on English.  Today's lunch finished off in style and left two happy 4.5year olds many years away from milk trolleys. Now off to work on that English.

What about you, how is your Tuesday going?

After a late movie yesterday evening, returning home the sky was beautiful, clear and full of stars.  At this time of year, when grey clouds dominate, little things like star filled skies make an impact. 

Upon awakening this morning, the sky was again clear.  A wonderful shade of blue.  There was sunshine.  To much suprise, there was also a layer of snow!  As I started tapping these words, snow started to fall again.  As quickly as it started, there was a return to blue skies and warm sunshine beaming through the windows. 

Scurrying out earlier in the morning to take a couple of photos, I didn't want to miss the wonderful sunshine.  On the odd occassion the sun disappeared behind the clouds, everything turned to winter.  When it came out again, the blues and golden shades radiated.  Pulling me away from taking photos, my little companion called me over to see what she was discovering in the snow and to proudly show me this message. Adorable!

Dans ses écrits, Platon a laissé des notes sur l'Atlantide. Il a évoqué un paradis idyllique; une société hautement civilisée dans un état d'utopie, inconnue et intacte, qui aurait coulé dans l'océan au cours d'un violent tremblement de terre.

Oserais-je aller contre l'un des grands philosophes de l'histoire et prétendre que ce grand sage se serait trompé? Pourquoi, mais oui, je l’affirme. Jamais ce paradis n’a-t-il coulé, ce paradis n’est pas inconnu. Je l’ai découvert et Platon, dis-je, vous aviez tort!

La première fois où le vol Iberia pencha son aile, j’eu un aperçu de son point culminant. Cela à suffit pour aiguiser ma curiosité, mais m’a aussi laissé un peu perplexe. Des paysages désertiques ont rempli la fenêtre, loin de l'image que je m’étais évoqué de l’île. En descendant de l'avion dans un éclat de chaleur aride, je remettais déjà en cause la décision de changement radical de vie que j'avais prise. Aurais-je perdu la tête, me demandais-je,  en considérant l'abandon de ma belle Sydney? Pourquoi, mais pourquoi? Où étaient les cocotiers? Les serveurs et leurs bols de fruits tropicaux? La non-stop piña colada à la piscine?  read the full story

English version

How hard, better still, how funny can it be to try and say thumb?

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After so much white of late, the sunshine was a welcome change today.  With the sunshine, came colour.