Mont San Martin

Cycling with Zoe!

I was planing on cycling up to Proveysieux when we got back to Grenoble, but I could not say not to a "Daddy, can we go biking together?!"

Aigues-Mortes

Today we went into the Petite Camargue, stopping at the beach for a somewhat sandy, but pleasant lunch on the beach at Palavas-les-Flots, and then on to the medieval town of Aigues-Mortes.  The Camargue looks like a totally fascinating place to explore.  If you look at a Google map of the area, you can see a latticework of ponds, marshes and small trails interconnecting everything.  It looks like they grow a lot of wine grapes around there too, but I don't know anything about the quality of the wine.

Our host

Montpellier

We got a call from our old friend Gautier this week, and did a last minute trip down to Montpelier.  He lives within the city limits, but in the outskirts to the East of the city center.  It's a nice area with lots of parks, and not far from the center of town.  Soonb after we arrived, Gautier took us into the real center, and I have to say that it iOS probably one of my very favorite towns in France (even from a short visit).   The center is on a hilltop, and is a really charming, but not at all over-manicured warren of allies and a few big boulevards.  The kids immediately took to Gaut's daughter, and had a great time chasing each other around, riding the double decker merry-go-round, and generally being little savages.  

There are countless excellent looking restaurants, shops and parks.  I would love to have more time to explore at some point! 

My favorite stop was the amazing ice cream place (http://www.amorino.com/fr/).  I had caramel and coconut -- an odd combination,  but pretty amazing flavors.

Langoustines

Sashimi

We went to the best fish place in town -- Lachenal, where Zoe was so excited that she was prancing around chanting "I LOVE FISH! I LOVE FISH"!  She got to touch a very angry lobster:

And then made be buy some langoustines.  When I told her what the slimy white things on the side were, she replied: "Cuddle fish?  They do cuddles?!" and then made the most adorable cuddle pantomime in the history of mankind.  Next: IKEA to buy the fanciest child latex mattress we could buy, because I was worried about brominated fire retardants on our US-spec mattress.

And then home for home grown Shiso and a massive sashimi extravaganza

Legos

Zoe's improvement on the LEGO suggestion: Instead of being the damsel in distress, Madame LEGO is in the driver's seat of the now convertible fire truck (with parts borrowed from Alex's F1 car) with the cat safely in the back seat. The fireman is nowhere to be found.

Faculty retreat

the view on the way back was fantastic!

Clean Al welds

Bike forum guys always say that big toothpaste welds on bikes are fine, and that they can't be done any better.  Well today I think I saw otherwise:

Vanessa here!

Vanessa is here visiting, but sadly sans Simon and "little girls", as Zoe and Alex still call them.  She came with an amazing gift bag full of things, including a kangaroo scrotum change purse!  someone really needs to figure out how to make a bike under-saddle bag out of those.  Anyway, thanks so much guys!  Also for the Geraint Thomas jersey… rockin 

yay

Beaufort, Col du Joly

I went one a beautiful ride with Hank today.  A few stills:









And video

And Hank's account:
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?p=1418644

Despite looming clouds, we managed to not get rained on the entire time.

First Homework!

The Rentree

Today was Zoe's first day of "CP", which is the first big step in the French School system.  Things get serious this year, with reading, writing, dictation and a whole host of other big kid things.  Both of the kids were starting at a new school this year (enrolling them in it was a big adventure for Chloe), so: a big transition.  It was made a bit harder by the fact that I was all alone, so that meant getting them and their stuff together, and then getting them to and from school all week -- pas facile!  Zoe settled in right away though, and it turns out that there is another Zoe in her class, who sat down right next to her!  There were a few speeches by the teacher and principal, and then the parents were expected to make themselves scarce.  Alex was crying, but our new nounou helped peel him off my leg and get him into his new classroom.

My new sunglasses, stolen by alex

a walk!

I'm trying to get our kids to walk more, with limited success.  Today we hiked along the lower flanks if the Neron, and they unexpectedly did great!  Even more unexpectedly:  Bento came along with us.  It was a bit stressful for me because it's a common dog walking area, and I was worried that Bento would either get chased far into the forest and get lost… or up into a tree

Making toy houses

with Zoe and Alex

Charmette

I rode up the back side of Charmette… longer than I thought it would be for some reason, even though I have descended that way a few times.  Lovely, as usual though.  I passed a monk in robes and hiking boots jogging up the hill.  Now there's something you don't see every day.  His head was surrounded by a cloud (halo?) of bugs.