Go Dog, Go!

Am beginning to enjoy the Provencal way of life.  It’s going to be cold and slushy going back to Paris…yuck.  Who would have ever thought you could dread going back to Paris?! It’s hilarious how things change.  Don’t get me wrong…I am in love with Paris and everything it has to offer, but it sure is nice to get away for a week in the sunshine! 

Today Marie-Cesare played with her new horse stable and figurines and Didou went outside and collected dried grass to make “haystacks” and sugar cubes for the horses.  It was so exciting. 

We went to a really good restaurant in St. Remy for lunch.  I had a pizza with olives, ham, fresh mushrooms from Maillane, and spinach.  For dessert?  Crème caramel.  Yummy.  Marie-Cesare found a boy at the next table and became friends with him of course.  I think it was more of a love affair because they were holding hands and tickling each other.  (French men start early!)  It was so cute…the whole restaurant was rolling with laughter.  

I still don’t think at this point I will ever take her to a restaurant by myself.  She is such a wanderer and her parents don’t seem to mind, but until our relationship gets a little more significant, it will just have to wait.  We finally got a family photo for all of you out there asking where I am!!!

After dinner we went to Les Beaux de Provence, which is I guess, when you think of a typical Provencal village-that’s it.  A stone village in the midst of the mountains with narrow, winding streets and ivy covering every window.  Small shops, mountain views, and outdoor cafes lining every street.  It was beautiful.  I gathered that Chloe and Franck really don’t like to do touristy things, which is fine.  I will come back by myself in the summer….or with Didou.  It was so cold and the Mistral was blowing fiercely hard so we were running around trying to get to warmer places all the time.  Forgot my gloves and every time I took my hands out of my pocket to take a picture I thought they were going to fall off. 

We all came home and collapsed into bed again, except for Marie-Cesare.  She was SO tired and irritable by 4:00 and she just wouldn’t take a nap.  Poor Padi kept her occupied while we were sleeping.  He is just like both of my grandfather’s were and still are…the best!!!! He is always tending to her every need and loves every second of it! 

Didou made a gougere for dinner tonight.  It’s basically a milk/egg/cheese/flour fluff.  But who wouldn’t love that?!! It was awesome!  It’s Chloe’s favorite.  They had a French history lesson conversation over dinner…and although I could follow some of it, those words aren’t in my vocabulary…yet! 

**Highlight of the day!! Everyone knows that my favorite children’s book is Go Dog, Go!  By P.D. Eastman.  Even at 23, I sometimes burst out in random verses of the book…”Where are all those dogs going? To the tree! To the top of the tree!” in my daily life.  So I made sure to get a copy for Marie-Cesare to give to her for Christmas.  Before I fell asleep this afternoon she brought the book into my room and asked me to read it.  Of course!!  It pretty much melted my heart.  Although it is just another book for her, it meant a lot to me!  I translated it into French for her…but maybe one day soon we will be able to read it in English! 

I have no idea what the plan is for tomorrow, maybe nothing?  Our train doesn’t leave until 6 and we don’t return to Paris until 8:45.  Maybe later if there is still crazy snow.  Am glad to be going back with Chloe and Franck this time!