...le Tour de France...

Today we watched the Tour de France.  A few hours before the bike riders came some trucks came past and threw toys, clothes and food at us.  Lots of buses went past too - one for each team.  There was an Australian one with a boxing kangaroo at the front.  
When the bike riders came past we blew our whistles loudly and shouted.  
Jack

The Tour de France was lots of fun. We wandered for ages this morning and then got some snacks and found our place near the track. After 4 long hours lots of cars and trucks came with freebies including: hats, lollies and lots of other junk as Mum calls it. When the first cyclist came there were cars and police motorbikes following him and the others were far far far behind. I think I might have lost my voice with all the shouting I did. And everyone but me bought a top from the stands but Mum bought another one so she's thinking about giving it to me. 

Lily

I'm not usually one for bike-riding so much - just thinking about it makes my bottom sore! But the Tour has always appealed - and even more so when its not on during the middle of the night.

The weather was not auspicious today but Gerardmer was buzzing - and pretty.  As with other towns on the Tour route they have gone all out with gorgeous flowers, banners, shop windows and bike paraphenalia. 

After claiming our position at the top of our chalet's driveway (about a kilometre from the finish line) we were then quickly moved aside by two ambulances and a fire truck that came to render first aid to a lady who had collapsed in the crowd - we were useless - couldn't even manage to ask about chest pain in any recognisable language!

Once the rain and thunder started Jack was all for watching on the tv in the chalet...saved by the caravan of freebie throwing sponsors...you had to be quick though...there was some fairly bad behaviour by adults chasing an ugly free hat or two.  

The race went by quickly (and blurrily if I look at my photos) in a flurry of bikes, shouting, cars, trucks, whistling, motorbikes and camera clicks.

Luckily we have a few yellow t shirts and a sack full of hats and key rings to remember it by.

Al

This morning we walked down to Gerardmer for breakfast.  We had hot chocolates, coffee and a baguette.  We didn't have croissants because the bakery had sold out.  We went to a couple of the Tour stalls.  Everyone bought something - Mummy, Jack, Daddy and I all got t-shirts and Lily chose a key ring.  

We walked back up the hill to our chalet.  Then Daddy, Jack, Lily and I set up some chairs at the edge of the track while Mummy was packing the suitcases.  

We saw 2 men riding bikes with trailers full of Heineken beer.  

Before the riders came through there were trucks and cars throwing freebies  - we caught some hats, keyrings, junk food, wrist bands and a rubber.

The first rider was way ahead of the others.  Their were lots of cars near the riders with spare bikes and wheels on top.  As the riders went past we were yelling, screaming, blowing our whistles and clapping the bangers.  

Grace

Those watching for my nude dash at the finish line of Stage 8 Tour de France at Gerardmer were either relieved or disappointed.
The weather and the subsequent cancellation of helicopter coverage forced me to abandon this mission.
Fantastic day otherwise and I am glad we detoured to see the great race.
Paris tomorrow

David

... blogging before we leave Uzés ..

                    

Days 54 - 56 Uzés and surrounds

Photos

1.  The gang of smalls

2 and 3.  Donut day

4.  Roman temple Nîmes

5.  The arena Nîmes

6.  Pretty goat's cheese at the markets

7 and 8.   Icecream experts in action

For one of the hottest days ever we drove to a water fun park(more of a pool). We stayed there for 6 hours basically on a doughnut ride that went round part of the pool. Mum thinks we went on it 75 times! Another hot day was spent at an arena where they used to do bull fighting and animal fighting. One fact is that they fed the people that had been sentenced to death to the lions. Disgusting! On Tuesday (another really hot day) we went to a pool that Dad wasn't allowed to swim in. Apparently a lot of French pools only let people wear tight bathers and Dads weren't tight. It was fun

Lily  

For a nation known for its stylishness I'm not sure the French have got their pool rules sorted....budgie smugglers or tight boxers are not a look everyone can do well.  Or should.

And rashies are banned too... unless you are prepared to take on the whistle blowing life guards.  Although that's not surprising ... for a nation of hypochondriacs they smoke a lot, drink way too much coke and seem oblivious to the risk of UV.

While they did 75 rounds on the donuts ( I did manage about 15) we hired sun lounges (seriously - you have to pay extra to sit and watch your kids swim!) and read Harry #5 in its entirety (again) ...I'm not far behind Grace now who has almost finished The Half Blood Prince.  Simply can't get into Game of Thrones...any other recommendations??

We're all looking forward to Italy - more icecream, more pizza, more bolognaise....what's not to love?!!

We might even get Jack to try a gelati flavour other than citron.

A

On Monday we went to a water park.  FIrst we got changed in the change rooms.  Then we went on the donut ride.  I liked the donut ride because it had some slopes.  On the donut ride somtimes you span around on the first slope.  I fell off once but I didn't hurt myself.  I went on the donut ride about 70 times.  

Jack

This week it was so HOT.  We drove to a water park near Serviers. There was a donut ride.............. it was really fun.  Once when we were going round Jack and another boy we're trying to go down a little hill at the same time and at the bottom Jack's donut flipped over and scraped his ear................... it must have really hurt. 

 Grace

It is amazing how 35 degree heat slows you down...body and soul.
Jack ate his 100th plate of bolognese last night and we have not been to Italy yet.  

No run ins with toll roads this week only the French bather police.
You can only swim in French public swimming pools with budgie smugglers on! 
Not my best look!
Leaving France( again) for a month in Italy. Our holiday clock is ticking so much faster.
David

... from Gaudi to the ice age ...

5.

Days 48- 50 ... Canet de Mar through the Pyrenees to Engravies and surrounds

Photos

1, 2 and 3. La Sagrada Familia (Gaudi's unfinished cathedral in Barcelona)

4.  For Maudy

5.  The pool...Engravies

6.  This morning's breakfast

7.  No photos allowed inside the caves...this was from the exhibition at the entrance to the caves

On Monday we caught a train to Barcelona .  Then we walked from the train station to a cathedral designed by Gaudi a famous architect (who died in a car crash ).  The windows were made of stained glass........they looked really cool.  One of the doors was full of religious words on it and one of the words in gold spelt Gracies.  So Mum got out her camera a took lots of photos of me next to it.  After we got a lift up the nativity tower up a few steps across a little bridge then down near the bottom we got to go down spiral stairs............ I felt like I was going to fall through the middle.  When we finished looking around the cathedral we went looking for lunch.  

Yesterday we drove from Canet de mar to Engravies.  We stopped at a little cafe on the side of the road.  We are staying in a B&B.  The lady who run the B&B's name is Sarah...........she's really nice.  

Today we drove up to the caves on the way we stoped at a little town called Mirepoix .........it was really pretty.  It took about an hour to get to the caves from Mirepoix. When we got there we all put our puffs on (and go to the toilet ).  We had to wait about half an hour for the tour to start. In the cave it was really slippery.  We got to see some of the drawings that the people in the ice age drew. The drawings were of animals like bison and horses.

Grace

Chased out of Spain with the abdicating King, Juan Carlos , due to the stick figure confusion. My only defence is that I had just seen Salvador Dali's art and that does make your mind do funny things.

The pleasure of the quick exit was the drive through The French Pyrenees back into France, with snow capped mountains, waterfalls and ski slopes covered with grass.

And some great tunnels;Europe does the tunnel perfectly!

The arrival back in France delivered two unexpected delights. Domaine Thompson , a B and B run by a entertaining Scottish lady, Sarah, who provided a prefect oasis . Great food, a log fire and a swimming pool. Sarah also recommended the second highlight, Grotte de Niaux, an unforgettable experience of ice age artwork.

It is great to be back in France( on the way to Italy).

David

Yesterday we drove from Barcelona to Mirepoix in France. The drive went through very tall mountains and on some of them there was snow.

Today we drove to The Grottes de Niaux and before we went in the caves we had to get the torches.Then we went into the cave with a big group and it was very dark. In the cave there was graffiti from hundreds of years ago. There was a black chamber where there drawings of animals that were from thousands and thousands of years ago.

I liked how they drew the bisons.

Jack

I like France better than Spain....it's prettier and neater (and we can put the children to bed earlier!)

Today's excursion was fabulous. The Grotte de Niaux are one of the few painted caves you can still visit ...I felt like I was with Ayla and Jondalar...who else remembers those books?

The paintings are about a kilometre inside the cave system...through slippery floors, narrow openings and muddy puddles. We had torches to guide us until we got to the main salon and there the guide darkened the space completely and illuminated small groups of paintings at a time - to oohs, aahs and gasps. 13900 years ago is not a number easily grasped by 3rd generation Australians. 

Tonight we are cosied up in a French farmhouse ... in front of the open fire in the room where the dairy cows used to be kept. We've had aperitifs, a 3 course home cooked dinner (all local produce and home grown fruit/veg) and I know there are croissants for breakfast ...really not sure I'm leaving tomorrow. 

On Monday we went to see the Gaudi cathedral. It was so amazing almost every window had stained glass on it. It looks funny, the new bits of the building against the old. There was a mini model near the entrance that showed what it was going to look like when it was finished. It looked quite impressive. Mum said that we had to do a quiz about the  cathedral to get an ice cream at the end of the day. All of us won a nice cream with a little bit of help from others. 

Yesterday we drove to back to France through the mountains. Jack said some of them had snow on them but Mum and Dad weren't so sure. We did get to see snow on the mountains in the end. I think Dad was a little bit scared of us being so high up. We stopped for lunch at a sandwich place that looked like it was closed but he let us have sandwiches. 

According to Dad's amazing French pronunciation we are now in Mirapoo (Mirepoix). We are staying at a nice B&b place with a pool! We had a swim in it, it was cold when you got in but nice afterwards. Today we drove to a cave. We went in with torches in a big group. The drawings and signs on the walls on the rock were amazing. We had to turn of the torches in the black chamber where all the drawings were because they were warm and the heat might damage the drawings. My favourite drawing was one of a horse.

Lily

... best breakfast ever ...

Day 22 and 23 ... Paris -> Langeais -> Monpazier

The real adventuring started on Thursday. 

We picked up Pablo (the C4 Picaso) and almost immediately were in trouble. They only put in enough diesel to get you to the nearest service station (about 400m away) but we missed the exit and we heading towards Versailles with no fuel and no clue!! Disaster was averted (but we had the whole gazole vs SP 95  what the hell do they mean debate) and then we turned around and headed (on the right right side of the road) to the Loire Valley. 

Then, in what may be greatest blunder of the trip so far, and perhaps the whole trip, we had our one and only night in Langeais last night. Just below a picturesque chateau in a pretty village in the Loire Valley in one of the loveliest  B and Bs I've ever seen. 

This morning we woke to a beautifully set French antique table - with the biggest and best continental breakfast any of us have ever seen. We feasted and feasted some more, had a quick wander and then set off for another hair-raising and white knuckle (at times) trip through the countryside. 

And in their words;

Before we picked up the car we all had to guess what colour it would be. I guessed green. Mummy got it right...it was silver. We had the kids meal for dinner...chips with loads of tomato sauce, nuggets, orangina and smartie icecreams. Breakfast was great...I had 5 crepes. The trip to Monpazier took 5 hours. On the trip Daddy couldn't count to two and made the wrong exit on the round about. At the road toll, Daddy had to try 3 credit cards. 

Jack

Before we picked up the car we had to guess what colour it would be. I guessed blue but it was silver. 

For breakfast this morning I had 4 crepes, a croissant, half a mandarin and a hot chocolate. It was all delicious.

We left Langeais and drove to Monpazier, it took over 5 hours. At the road toll, David tried 3 cards (including mummy's Medicare card) because he couldn't make the machine work. 

Grace

Today we picked up our car which Mummy named Pablo. Except the only problem was there was hardly any petrol left in it. Luckily the lady gave us a map to where the petrol station was. So we hopped in the car with all our luggage and drove off. We found it eventually thankgoodness. 

When we arrived in Langeais we took all our luggage upstairs. We were staying in a bed and breakfast place which was good because we didn't have to walk endlessly looking for food. Our room was so cute!! Teddy bears everywhere. For breakfast I had 4 crepes, a kiwi fruit, a croissant, hot chocolate and an orange juice. It was delicious!!!!!!! 

Today we left Langeais and drove to Monpazier. It was 5 hours and no one slept! Near the start Daddy had to put a credit card in the slot thingy. But it didn't work so in the end he used 2 credit cards and Mummy's Medicare card! It was pretty funny. Mummy was a great navigator and was more patient then the GPS when Daddy mucked up. The funniest thing Daddy did was when both the GPS and Mummy told him to take the fourth exit he took the third. Just because he can't count. 

We finally arrived where we were staying. Jacks happy with the marshmallow bed and me and grace are in the attic. Hope it's comfortable and glad that tomorrow we aren't doing anything big. 

Lily

London and Paris were great for all the reasons people love them but it was a relief to leave the masses of people and drive into the French country side. 

A brand new Citreon with 3 km on the odometer, a push button ignition and a steering wheel on the wrong bl... side.

700 km in two days with a few curb hits, two round about issues and a major melt down at the end of a toll motorway was my induction into driving on the other side of road. Definitely saved by a brilliant navigator and my 5 year old policeman in the back seat.

Love the Dordogne already.

David