Visit to Ventimiglia, Italy

Park beside the beach

Kids enjoying the play structures at park

Mathieu posing with 'Zeke', special visitor accompanying us, from Mathieu's good friend Kai from home

Loving the water at the beach!

Italy, from the beach



Enjoying some Italian ice-cream (gelato) after the beach (yes, we eat a lot of ice-cream :o))

 Ventimiglia, Italy, is a 50 minute car ride from La Colle sur Loup.  The drive there takes you past Nice and Monaco, and through numerous tunnels through the hills.  The kids really enjoyed the tunnels.  Marcus learned the word 'tunnel' rather quickly during this ride.  Once we arrived, we parked, and visited a beautiful park next to the waterfront.  The kids enjoyed playing on all of the play structures, and a ride on the carousel.  Across the street is the beach.  It was a hot day, so it felt nice to be by the water.  We did bring our swimsuits, but decided that swimming would not be a good idea with the size of the waves and the pull they had.  Next time we will need to bring our lifejackets so we can enjoy the water more fully.  We did however really love standing on shore and feeling the waves.  The beach is a pebble beach, therefore collecting rocks kept the kids busy for a good part of an hour.  Even Marcus was finding his favourites :o)  I had pre-warned the kids about topless beaches....which was good, as there were a few women/young girls sporting only bathing suit bottoms :o)  After the beach, we walked through the town (not for too long, as Marcus insisted on walking and being carried, and not riding in his stroller).  We of course had to get some gelato while in Italy, so that was a good way to finish off our visit.  Oh yes, and we did buy some interesting pasta to take home to try for supper.  Ventimiglia is a great place for families to visit.....as everything is walking distance (including the market).  It will be on the 'to do' list for anyone who comes to visit!

Vist to Gourdon, along with hike to 'la boule'!

'La boule', the goal up on the hill in the distance

Daryl with one of the many bugs examined along the way



We did it!

Marcus, still smiling

Stephie, proud to have made it to the top.

Claire from summit

Tough Mathieu from summit

First family hike......success!

Ice-cream in Gourdon....celebrating our accomplishment :o)

Gourdon is a small historical village located about 1 hours drive 'up' from La Colle sur Loup.  The drive there was absolutely breathtaking, as we were literally driving alongside a very steep mountain, on not much of a road.  To make it more interesting, there was a bike race going on, therefore we were not only trying to stay on the mountain and in our small lane, but also clear of bikers.  Watching the bikers made us feel quite ashamed that we had been complaining about walking up our driveway.  The kids enjoyed watching the bikers that appeared to be chasing us up the mountain :o)  We parked our vehicle about 10 minutes up from Gourdon, where we began our first family hike to 'la boule'.  This is a giant ball (see photo 1) that can be seen from all around the south of France.  When we first saw it, I looked at our 4 kids (who didn't like our driveway), our 1 umbrella stroller, and thought to myself, no chance.  We were however with the Labries and their 2 children, who typically do this hike a few times per year.  So, I didn't say too much about my negative thoughts.  The hike was paved (which was great for the stroller), filled with all kinds of bugs to look at (the boys loved this), and we even found a really cool fossil that we marked on our way up so we could pick it up on the way down.  We stopped for lunch half way up when things got a little tricky, which rejuvenated everyone.  All along, we told the kids once we reached 'la boule', we would go for a boule of ice-cream :o)  Everyone did have a chance in the umbrella stroller.  We only had one wipe-out requiring band-aids, so for us, that was pretty good.  The hike got steeper and steeper as we approached the top.  At the last plateau before the final steep incline, I did say that I would wait there with a couple of our kids, while the rest went to the top, but, it was decided that we would plug on.  We couldn't come this far and not make it to the top!  After about 1 1/2 hrs, we arrived 'la boule', and let's just say there was a little celebrating....with a few happy dances :o)  The view was absolutely spectacular, as we could see the entire coastline.  Definitely worth the work :o)  The hike down took about half the time, which was great.  We then drove back to Gourdon, where we walked around the tiny village (which looked like a castle alongside the mountain), and enjoyed some much deserved ice-cream (which we seem to be having a lot of these days!).  All in all, we were very proud of our kids.  I really, really didn't think they had it in them, but they proved me wrong :o)  It was a great day, and everyone slept well that night.

New friends

Before we left home in May, we were so fortunate to meet the Labrie family, who are from La Colle sur  Loup.  Mitch (the father) is the brother of the old neighbor of good friends of ours from Spruce Grove.  He moved to Nice about 15 years ago, when he met his wife Delphine.  They have 2 boys Emilien (6) and Felix (1).  They were in Canada from May to August this year visiting family, which is how we met them.  We now live about 5 minutes from them in La Colle sur Loup, and they have been absolutely fabulous to us :0). It was so nice to see them when when we arrived, as it was like seeing old friends.  Not to mention, they brought us a case of wine, which you can imagine was quite exciting for us when the only food or drink that we were bringing home was that carried up the hill with our own muscle :0). On Saturday night they had us over to their place for a traditional French dinner.   They have a beautiful home which overlooks the valley of La Colle sur Loup, has a very large and comfortable outdoor living space, and a yard filled with the most amazing fruit trees that actually produce!  Claire came home width a great big bag of purple grapes that she and Mitch picked, which she was most proud of.  While sitting outside during dinner, Mitch pointed out a beautifully lit up village called Gourdon at the top of a neighboring hill/mountain.  He told us of a hike to 'la boule' from Gourdon which gave the most amazing view of the south of France.  Stay tuned....for the story of our first official Blouin family hike :0)

A visit to Saint Tropez

Craft Creations by Stephie, Mathieu, and Claire

Craft Creations, by S, M, and C

Crafty kids, await a car

There is an old walking street in our village of La Colle sur Loup called Rue Georges Clemenceau.  It is about a 10 minute walk from our place.  Along this street you will find many tiny shops, restaurants, an artist's paint shop, a kids crafting shop, and even a little boutique with hand sewn dresses and homemade jewelry for little girls.  There is a big tap with potable water halfway down the street in an open area where markets are held on Saturday mornings.  We also just discovered a 'jardin publique' behind one of the little gates, which is basically a fenced in park with trees, benches, and a few park toys for kids.  Oh yes, and a bathroom where each of the stalls simply has a hole in the floor between two foot grip spots.

Yesterday was a big day, as Daryl went in to Nice to pick up a rental car!  Yippee!  While he was out, the kids and I went for a walk to Rue Georges, with our Costco bike trailer stroller (good wheels for hills, and can fit 2 kids...much better than umbrella stroller).  As we strolled down the old Rue Georges, we received many smiles and French words (not sure exactly what they were) regarding our stroller, as I am pretty certain nobody around here has seen such a large, modern looking stroller before.  It kind of made me feel odd....but oh well, it worked well :0). The 3 big kids wanted to try out the crafting shop, so the we went.  I left the 3 of them for an hour, while Marcus and I explored the area a little further.  This is when we found the jardin pub liquid, which was great.  It was quite humorous when I needed to go to the washroom, so I brought Marcus into the stall with me.  He kept saying "where potty?" while holding his hands in the air.  He fully didn't get that the potty was the hole in the ground.  And funnier yet, when I crouched to use the 'potty', so did he.  I think he thought I was crouching to try to find the potty.  He was quite excited by the rush of water that came pouring down the wall when I flushed.  What a bonding experience for him and I :0). The three big kids were quite excited to show us their creations when we returned to pick them up.  Adrian (the crafting boss) said the kids were good....very 'timide' (shy).  The first bonding experience for the three of them :0). Stephanie had a metallic orange painted fish with bling, Claire a metallic pink bear with bling, and Mathieu a Pokemon made of beads melted together.  They loved this place, and so did I (Adrian actually had to tell me when I hung around a little too long when first leaving the kids there that parents were not allowed to stay....in an oh so kind French way :0)).  When I only had a visa card to pay, he simply said to stop by another day to pay.  He didn't even care to take my name or number.  So trusting :0). I think the next creative drop in will be at the paint shop across the street from the crafting shop, where children/adults can do drop in painting lessons. Stephanie has also said that she would like to take some sewing lessons from Frederic, who is the woman with the boutique of girls dresses and jewelry.  We are quite excited about the idea of drop in classes for the kids, as there is no long term commitment, and the kids can get the chance to try some different things, and meet some different people.  Each of these drop in shops simply has a table in the middle, to accomodate 4 to 6 children...so the drop ins are quite personal.   It was a good trip to Rue Georges.  The walk home was only about 10 minutes, and you would be impressed to hear that little Marcus walked all the way, including up the hill to our house.  He did stop halfway however to much on some baguette :0)

Shortly after we returned home, Daryl returned with our car!  A silver Peugeot (automatic, which made D very happy, due to the hills around here), that could fit us all (hard to find that around here).  Car/booster seats were ready for the kids, which they thought was fabulous.  The only thing was that the only car seat in the store where Daryl stopped for Marcus was pink.  So....poor Marcus has a pink car seat for the year.  But he was still just as excited as anybody to see the car and a special seat for him :0). When we went for our first ride, I had to smile at our excitement of driving down the hill rather than walking.  I think the kids have a good understanding for the word 'appreciative' now :0)

Marcus is making progress!

Marcus is a trooper.  For a little guy who doesn't get any special 'dates' , he does quite well.  From day one he slept like there was no such thing as jet lag, drank the french, non-refrigerated milk like it was 2% from home, and carried the first baguette into the house like it was nobody's business.  Today, he climbed the 'hill' up the driveway without one request for 'uppie', and when asked '"Est-ce que tu veut du pizza?" at lunch time, he answered "Oui."  His very first indication of french apprehension!  We are so proud of him.  Though he has his moments like every other 2 year old, he is a trooper through and through :o)  Plus, did I mention that he minimizes the laundry for his momma, as all he wants to wear is diapers :o)

More dates to Saint Paul

Stephanie and I had a date in Saint Paul yesterday.  It was a little different than the one with Mathieu, as Stephie was quite into the clothes, hats, and jewellery that the shops had to offer.  She learned that she is a big fan of macaroons and nougat.  She had a difficult time selecting a souvenir, but decided on a bar of lavender soap with decorative soap dish.  When we returned, Daryl took Claire for her special date.  Claire decided that since Mathieu didn't have a special date that day, that he should get to come to.  So, Daryl, Claire, and Mathieu headed off to Saint Paul.  Mathieu acted as the tour guide, showing what he had learned on his date the day before.  Claire chose a special 'treasure box' with a picture of the Grande Fontaine on it for her souvenir.  Both Daryl and I have decided that Saint Paul is going to be our 'coffee drive' spot to go for relaxation, as it is very quick and easy to get to, and very relaxing and beautiful once there.

Mathieu and Lindsay date in Saint-Paul de Vence

After our family bus trip to the mall, we learned that it may be a better idea to take the kids out on some one on one dates.  So......yesterday Mathieu and I had our first date.  We went to the town of Saint-Paul de Vence, which is a 5 minute bus ride up from our house.  It is a fortified hill town, which has been around since the 15th century.  You can see the Mediterranean, as well as the Alpes from the town.  It is truly, truly beautiful, and by far my favourite place so far.  Apparently Mathieu is convinced that Saint-Paul is on the game Minecraft.  I learned this when I took him to the old cemetery in the village (where the sun was shining pretty bright).  We had only been inside for a minute and he said "Mom, let's get out of here.  I am dying".  I asked what he was talking about, and he said "Zombies die in the light on Minecraft, and it's like I'm a zombie."  Wow....I really didn't know where this was coming from, until when we got home I told the story to Daryl, and he told me that Mathieu is convinced that Saint-Paul is  on Minecraft.  We can see Saint-Paul from our window at home, so I guess Mathieu had been thinking this since the first time he saw it from the window at home.  I think that Mathieu is forever going to keep me thinking and  on my toes :o)  After our visit to the cemetery, we went on to visit the candy store (M liked the free samples of biscuit and nougat very much), the souvenir shops (M also loved, especially when we found personalized souvenirs that had his name spelled correctly, as we never find this in Canada), and had some 'glace' (ice-cream) and fries underneith the old cannon (where M decided we should snack).  After 2 hours, M was getting tired, and wanted a piggy-back ride.......which was actually doable this time, since we were on a one on one date :o)  It was a great couple of hours with my special big guy.

First bus ride - trip to the mall

As the jet lag seems to be getting under control, and everyone was up and fairly rested by 9:30 am, we figured this would be a good day to try out the bus system.  The six of us, with one umbrella stroller, hopped on the bus (at the bottom of the hill), and headed for the mall just outside of Nice.  Mathieu had been repeatedly asking to find a toy store so that he could spend some of his birthday money which he had been saving for France.  The 50 minute busride to the mall was actually great (yes, even Daryl would agree.....I think).  We sat in the 5 elevated seats at the very back, which felt very much like those on a tour bus.  Kids were happy....all was good.  As we were walking into the mall, in the heat, I said that I thought it was good that we didn't have a car, as that way we didn't have to find a parking spot.  Mathieu, being his fathe's son, said "Mom,if we had a car we wouldn't have had to take the bus or walk from the bus, and we could have just parked right there." (as he pointed to a parking spot not far from the door of the mall).  Once in the mall, Claire was excited to see a Claire's store, which we had to of course go in, but other than that, we quickly realized that this mall was not going to have any toy store for Mathieu.  Aft walking for a bit, we finally asked someone, and were told there was a large toy store across the parking lot from the mall.  So out we go again.  Oh...and I forgot to mention that Stephie had worn new shoes for the first time, and had started complaining about sore feet the minute we got off the bus.  I basically told her she would be fine, and to suck it up.  On the way to the toy store however, she took off her shoes and showed me that the heels had basically disappeared....melted maybe....I have no idea.  So, the fight was on for who had a better reason for being pushed to the toy store in the umbrella stroller.  Baby Marcus, tired Mathieu, or sore footed Stephanie, or Claire who simply didn't want to be left out.  Mathieu won.  Once we arrived at the toy store....everything was great, of course.  Kids all found something, and we were on our way to the McDonalds across the street that we had promised  if all went well in store.  This time, Stephie won the umbrella stroller dispute, Marcus got carried, other 2 walked.  Got to McDonalds......construction all around....were told it wasn't opening until August 27th.  No food, or  ice-cream for us, or bathroom.  Just back to the bus stop.  Mathieu won stroller dispute, Stephie wore Mathieu's shoes.  Made it to bus.  Great.  Very hot, everyone getting grumpy.  bus packed.  3 seats in middle of 5 left at rear.  S, M, and C took seatsL sat on step in front with Marcus, D stood in middle of bus.  After 30 minutes, M asleep, c asleep, and little M asleep on L.  How were we to get off bus?! Woke everyone....barely made it through the aisle in time to get off.  Once off, fight on for stroller.  Little M won, as others were told no ice-cream if they didn't walk.  Made it to bottom of hill (driveway).  Then, L carried C, M and S, very much disliked France.  Once home, kids happy with toys.  D on Internet searching for car.  D not to excited about heading back down hill to get food for supper.  Nonetheless....ended up to be a good nit after juvenating I pool, having pizza and ice-cream, and playing with very much appreciated, and earned toys.

Days 1, 2 and 3 - Settling in

Day 1 - Thursday, August 15th:
Claire, Marcus, and Lindsay were the only ones up before noon, so Lindsay decided that they should probably try to get some groceries.  She loaded up the kids in the double stroller, and headed down the 'hill'.  Now this 'hill', is actually the driveway which leads to our house and one more.  Let's just say that it took all of Lindsay's strength to keep the stroller from rolling down without her.  But, nonetheless, she made it to the grocery store in about 15 minutes (not so bad).  After loading up the stroller with food, the trek back was slightly more tricky, as it was entirely up hill.  The good thing was that there is a wine store (Oliver's) about 5 mins before home, which also sells baguettes.  This made Lindsay very happy, which Oliver must have realized, as he gave Lindsay his card for the store.   To finish the story, Lindsay parked the stroller at the bottom of the driveway, and carried the kids up, and later went back to get the stroller.  The good thing about walking the 'hill'.......no gym memberships will be required :0). The rest of the day was spent trying out the pool, and eating pizza and wine on the terrace.  Well......that is until the sleeping saga began....basically we had a Cheerios party at 2 am (yep, all 4 kids were up), and finally got everyone back to sleep by 6 am.  Yawn.

Sorry.....ran out of momentum to write on days 2 and 3.

The adventure begins!

On Tuesday, August 13th, our France adventure began.  We flew out of Edmonton at 10:30 pm, had an 8 hour flight to London, a 1.5 hour flight to Zurich, and a 1 hour flight to Nice, France.  Daryl was a trooper as he loaded himself up between each flight with 6 backpacks, 2 small suitcases, a camera bag, a computer bag, and 4 ever so special stuffies.  My job was to ensure that our children made the transfers.  Despite the tiredness, everyone did quite well.  Marcus rolled off the seat on the 'sleeping' flight, so spent the remainder of the long flight sleeping on the floor between the seats.  Poor Marcus.  The kids all enjoyed the Swiss chocolate on the flights.  Upon arrival to Nice, we were very happy to see our courier, Martin, with a sign in his hands that said BLOUIN.  We piled into his van, and made the 30 minute drive to our new home away from home in La Colle sur Loup.  As we pulled up to the bottom of the driveway at the bottom of the 'hill' (which I am sure you will hear a lot more about), the kids said our new home looked haunted. Once inside, they very quickly ran to find their rooms that we had spoke of.  So, after a very long day, we had our first sleep in France.