Carving Pumpkins

Ryan is finally home from France and Tessa is excited to carve pumpkins.  They made a cute traditional Jack-O-Lantern and put it on the front porch.  We joke that my belly is round like a pumpkin and before I know it, we are painting my belly to match Tessa's pumpkin.  This picture makes me laugh. 

Boo in the Zoo

 

We had a beautiful night for Boo in the Zoo with my parents.  Tessa went as Sofia the First and was absolutely adorable.   

We arrived right as the gates opened and, even though there was a long line, we didn't have to wait long to get into the zoo.  Unlike other years, the animals were still out.  My parents finally got to see the new giraffe and the new elephant. 

 We stopped for pictures on the bear.  What a pretty princess sitting all by herself!

 This is such a cute and fun Halloween activity.  I'm so glad we were able to go this year. 

28 Weeks

Baby and I are growing!  Mostly I continue to feel great.  It's hard to tell if I am tired because I am starting my third trimester or if I am still getting over jet lag.  My indigestion is getting worse and I am still trying to adjust my diet to figure out what works.  I also have a nagging cough/cold that just won't go away.  But really these are just little things.  I'm not having any new cravings but I am having crazy dreams, the details of which I can't remember right now.  Things are moving along nicely.  When Ryan gets home from France we will get a 4d ultrasound to get another peek at this baby.         

Back to Paris

We took the train back to Paris to meet up with an old friend, Minoo.  We checked in to our hotel and then headed out for lunch and shopping.  We went to the top floor of the beautiful and crowded Galleries Lafayette.  Located just behind the opulent Opera Garnier, the view was great.  But the crowds were not.  Not only was it a weekend but it there was a huge sale going on too.  We abandoned the idea of shopping and just ate lunch and took the chance to get to know Minoo's girlfriend Karina.  Minoo was one of our groomsmen but we don't get to see him much since he has been living in London for years now.  

We took the hop on bus tour again and hopped off for more pictures at the Eiffel Tower. 

Tessa took this picture of the four of us.  The perspective makes me laugh. 

Ryan, looking very European with his sweater tied around his shoulders. 

While walking around the touristy parts of Paris, we couldn't resist buying colorful berets.  We found a nearby café for dinner and settled in for a long French meal.  After a few bottles of wine the berets came out and we had a fashion show.  I love how happy these two look together! 

 Our little French famille!

The next day it was time for Tessa and me to travel home.  We were sad to be leaving without Daddy.  Just to keep things interesting, there was an unattended baggage scare at Charles de Gaulle airport.  This seems to happen a lot and the way security deals with it is to blow up the abandoned bag.  I'm not making this up, Ryan has seen it happen twice now.  They cover the bag with a steel cage thing and then BOOM!  Much like how they blow up human stuff in Monsters Inc.  So our taxi driver dropped us off one terminal early to avoid the subsequent traffic.  We checked in, repacked one suitcase that was - surprise - over the weight limit and headed for security.  I had a surprise burst of tears as we said good-bye to Ryan and then we were off to the gate.  A little last minute shopping helped my end of vacation blues and before I knew it we were boarding for the long flight home.  Thankfully, we both slept a couple of hours and entertained ourselves with movies for the rest of the trip home.  Once we landed in Atlanta I had to smile at the friendly airport workers "Welcome home Baby!" and "Honey let me get that for you!" comments.  I truly love France and the French but there is nothing like a warm Southern welcome.  We caught our connecting flight to Greenville and happily crashed in our own beds that night.  It truly was a Bon Voyage!  



Puy de Dome

One of the girls I used to work with moved to Clermont-Ferrand a couple of years ago because her husband also works for Michelin.  Tessa and I took the chance to meet up with Leigh and she proved to be a great tour guide.  One day she took us up the nearby volcano, Puy de Dome.  We drove to the base and took the train up to the top.  We had gorgeous weather and were able to see for miles around from the top of the mountain.  Leigh is a fantastic photographer and she captured some great shots of Tessa. 

Isn't Leigh cute in her French red scarf?  While exploring, Tessa picked wildflowers and then insisted we all wear them in our hair. 

I absolutely love this shot.  This is how we look most of the time, Tessa posing and me taking a picture. 

Behind us you can see how the chain of volcanoes extends, with us standing on the tallest one.  Leigh has hiked much of this area and pointed out interesting landmarks.  This is one of the few fences on the top of the mountain.  It's pretty much a free for all which is a little nerve wracking with a very mobile child and a mom who has a healthy fear of heights.  But at some moments, it felt like that scene from "The Sound of Music" where Julie Andrews is twirling and singing and just enjoying the mountains.   

We watched people parachute right off the side of the mountain which was pretty incredible.  They laid out their chutes and arranged all the strings just so before strapping in.  Then they would just run and leap into thin air.  Sometimes the wind currents carried them up and away and other times they would float down to the valley below.  It was great to watch but this is not on my bucket list to do. 

That evening, we met up with Leigh and Bruce for dinner at the only Mexican restaurant in town.  Just in case you are wondering, French-Mexican food is really good.  Ryan and Bruce talked about work and Leigh and I laughed over Tessa's antics.  We were able to spend another afternoon with Leigh at her apartment.  We talked about people back at the hospital and how it really was to live in France.  It's great to have an insider's view of how life is as an ex-pat just in case I ever find myself in that position. 

Clermont-Ferrand

The next day, we were set to leave Paris.  Tessa posed in front of one of our windows where she had spent so much time watching the street scene below.  I just love these tall, old fashioned windows, especially since we didn't have air conditioning. 

We headed to the train station without realizing that we had left our stroller at the hotel.  Oh well, we meant for it to be a disposable stroller anyways.  The only problem was that Lil' Pink, one of Tessa's favorite stuffed animals was in the stroller basket.  Other than that trauma, the train trip to Clermont-Ferrand was pleasant.  Ryan loves traveling by train and I agree with him.  The seats are large and recline and there is plenty of leg room.  Plus the gentle swaying of the train is perfect for taking a nap.  Our hotel in Clermont-Ferrand was more like a condo with a small kitchen and table area.  The extra space was nice, as was the air conditioning.  Ryan started work on Monday and so Tessa and I entertained ourselves around town.  Our first adventure was finding and mastering the Laundromat.  Once that task was accomplished, we were able to do fun things like shop.  I love this beret and scarf set and would have bought it for Tessa but she didn't want it.     

Tessa and I took it easy while Ryan worked.  We would sleep late and then have breakfast before setting out to see the town.  One day, while shopping, we stopped at McDonald's for lunch.  This was inevitable at some point.  I think it's funny that McDonald's serves sparkling water, but otherwise, it's pretty much the same. 

Most French people walk everywhere, and we did too for the most part.  But we also used the public tram.  It was cheap and easy, with a stop right in front of our hotel.  Tessa thought it was great.  She also loved that we went to bakeries and ice cream shops each day.  The food is so good!  One place we discovered had huge chocolate beignets, absolutely delicious.   

There are many public gardens in Clermont-Ferrand.  We wandered around and Tessa played on the playgrounds.

The largest cathedral in town is made from volcanic rock so it is black.  It's quite striking and unlike any other cathedral we had seen.  It was being renovated and Tessa was not at all disappointed to be unable to tour it. 

Ryan had a grueling schedule of work and social events but most nights he was able to join us for dinner.  We managed the hours without him just fine even though my French is terrible.  I seem to have forgotten everything I once knew!  We were fussed at in a couple of stores for actually touching and playing with the merchandise.  Heaven forbid we play with a toy in a toy store, what was I thinking?!  French culture is very different but everyone was actually quite nice about it, especially since I at least remembered how to say I was sorry.  A few other oddities, there are no grocery bags, you need to bring your own.  Thankfully I knew this one and had bags from the Michelin care packages that were in our room when we arrived.  You also are responsible for weighing fruits and veggies yourself and telling the cashier the weight.  That was a new one for me.  And I know our servers thought I was odd ordering a litre of sparkling water for just the two of us.  The French don't drink nearly as much water as we do.  If I could have the wine, maybe I wouldn't be drinking so much water either!  The other thing we noticed is that the French have a very different temperature tolerance than we do.  Maybe it's because I'm pregnant and prone to being hot, or maybe it's because I grew up in Texas where we ran the air conditioner 24/7, 365 but I definitely prefer it cooler than the French.  Each day the maid would reset our a/c, I'm sure assuming we didn't mean to have it set on the coldest temperature.  People walked about in multiple layers even though it was beautiful with temps in the 70s.  And poor Ryan, at work they turned off the a/c for the year.  Some things are just different but we laugh about it because what else can you do?

Versailles

We took the train to Versailles for the day to explore the magnificent palace of Louis XIV.  Situated just outside of Paris this used to be a hunting lodge before the Sun King did some incredible renovations.  Here we are in front of the gold gates that separate the town from the palace.

A statue of the Sun King himself greeted us as we approached the palace.

Inside the palace was absolutely stunning.  I had been dying to see the famed Hall of Mirrors and it was even prettier than I imagined.  One wall is all mirrors and the other is all windows to the gardens with crystal chandeliers in between making everything sparkle.  Oh the parties they must have had in here!

And now the hall is filled with tourists. 

Most of the furniture was taken during the Revolution but some rooms are still furnished in the opulent style of the palace.  This is the Queen's bedroom and then her receiving room beyond the doorway.  I wonder if I would be able to sleep with all the nobles perched on benches around my bed.  No privacy here! 

As we traipsed through the palace we could see the amazing garden views from the windows.  The house sits on a hill and the gardens slope down to a mile-long grand canal.  The king built a village for Venetian gondoliers to live so that he could be rowed about on the canal just as if he were in Venice.  After touring the palace we strolled through the formal gardens down to the canal where we rented a golf cart and continued touring the grounds. 

We drove down to the back of the property where there are several other houses that the royal family used.  Apparently Marie Antoinette tired of the grand palace and would often stay in this house, the Petite Trianon to escape court life.  I would be perfectly fine living in her petite house!  It was furnished and decorated in a beautiful cream, blue and silver color scheme. 

We tooled over to the Grand Trianon, the house where the king kept his mistress, and then backtracked to the Petite Trianon.  Informal gardens extend beyond this house and behind Tessa you can see the Temple of Love. 

We parked our cart and walked to Marie Antoinette's Hamlet.  Wishing to live the country life, she built a quiet village here including a working farm and winery.  We were all a little tired by this point and I was personally bordering on grumpy.  So it served me right when my stomping resulted in me twisting my foot on the gravel path.  Danskos are awesome shoes for support but they are not forgiving on uneven surfaces!  I was actually lucky, Ryan caught me and prevented me from falling all the way down.  Even so, I still wanted to see the hamlet so we continued on our walk.  It was lovely, there were even fuzzy sheep grazing in the meadows.  As my foot started to throb and really hurt, we made our way back to the golf cart.

Ryan drove us past the many fountains.  In the summer and on Saturdays, the fountains are turned on and classical music plays throughout the garden.  We had purposely planned our trip so that we could see this Fountain Spectacular.  Ryan deposited Tessa and I on the steps of the palace and drove off to return our cart.  He was sweet saving me all the extra walking, Tessa was glad not to make the uphill trek too.  So we watched the fountains while Ryan hiked back from the grand canal. 

The formal gardens were still in full bloom even though the temperature was starting to dip.  We had a snack and just enjoyed looking at the flowers.  Tessa took lots of pictures and then we called it a day. 

After a little confusion at the train station, we were on our way back to Paris.  The next day we were departing for Clermont-Ferrand.

Shopping, The Louvre and More Shopping

For our next day in Paris, we shopped local places for picnic supplies.  Near our hotel is a wonderful little street with fun specialty shops.  First we went to a boulangerie, my most favorite kind of shop, a bakery. We bought a nice crusty baguette, French doughnuts and apple pastries.  Then we perused the fruit and vegetable market.  Local grown strawberries, so fresh we found white blossoms on some, were eaten before we even finished shopping.  We grabbed a few apples too because they make a great portable snack.  I'm kicking myself for not buying some of the dried mushrooms to bring home.  The fromagerie is another of my favorite stops with so many yummy cheeses to choose from.  Sadly, most of those cheeses are off limits for me right now because the French use unpasteurized milk to make their cheese.  Of course that's why they taste so good, sigh.  I explain I am "enceinte" and the sweet ladies help me find suitable aged cheeses.  At least my precious mimolette is still allowed.  At the charcuterie we picked up single servings of prepared dishes.  Again, so many cured and raw meats that I would love to eat but just can't right now.  I would never trade being pregnant for anything but I am missing out on some of the best things France has to offer.  Case in point, we skipped the wine store entirely.  But we went to a baby boutique that made me smile.  We bought Baby Brother an outfit and a sweet little teddy bear.  On to the Louvre!         

Ryan checked his fragrant backpack, stocked with our picnic supplies, at baggage check and we did a speedy trip through this famous, but huge museum.  The Winged Victory was out for restoration so we headed on to Venus de Milo.  Trapped in an Asian tour group, Tessa and I pushed our way to the front to get a good view of this beautiful statue.  Next, we went on a mission to find the Mona Lisa.  It's not hard since this famous painting is well labeled but did I mention that this place is huge?  We found the proper room and fought the crowds to get up close and personal with da Vinci's masterpiece.  Tessa then announced that she had already seen the Mona Lisa at the Children's Museum in K5.  That's my girl, a reproduction looks just like the original to her.     

We admired the Italian and French paintings including this massive one of Napolean's Coronation.  To get perspective, look how small Tessa looks standing in front of it. 

We found Michelangelo's slaves and then decided we had seen enough.  We call this tour the Louvre Light and it was enough with a six year old. 

We exited the museum through the infamous glass pyramid.  To avoid crowds that morning we had entered underground from the Metro station. 

So we took a few minutes to take pictures in the palace courtyard. 

We had the perfect day for a picnic.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous with plenty of sunshine and a nice cool breeze.  We walked into the Tuileries Gardens and found a great spot to settle down.  The grassy lawns were off limits but all along the paths were chairs for resting.  We found a couple of chairs and claimed our spot.  Everything was delicious, I could live on bread and cheese.  Ryan had to fight Tessa for his fair share of the chocolate mousse once she discovered she liked it.  The chairs reclined and I propped up my feet.  I could have stayed like that all afternoon just enjoying the sunshine and the scenery.  Tessa was happy to color and watch nearby art students working with charcoal.   

Eventually we packed up and moved on.  Not far from our picnic spot, we discovered a playground.  Tessa played while I went off in search of a bathroom.  Those have been few and far between this trip which is not cool since I am supposed to be drinking a lot of water.  Oh well, I survived.  Outside of the garden gates, we took a short walk to the Chanel store.  Ooh la la, I could go crazy in here.  I don't do much high end shopping but I do love Chanel perfume.  Ryan had brought me back perfume from his previous trip so we were actually shopping for my mom.  The saleslady was very helpful and found what I was looking for.  Then she treated me to body lotion and perfume.  After a day of touring and basking in the hot sun, it felt deliciously refreshing.  Ryan and Tessa were pampered as well.  My sweet little baby smelled like expensive strawberries for the rest of the day.  Can she really be old enough to have her own Chanel scent like Momma and Gamma?  Apparently so!  Next we headed down the Champs Elysees.    

We walked to the Disney Store where Tessa happily picked out things to spend her piggy bank money on as well as gifts for friends.  It's pretty much the same stuff we have in our Disney stores back home but it made her happy.  We hopped on the double decker tour bus and took a swing around some of the famous sights, including the Arc de Triomphe.  Tessa had a great time taking pictures with our smaller camera and Ryan and I listened to the commentary.  We jumped off at the stop closest to our hotel and searched for a café for dinner.  We ended up at this cute place and claimed a sidewalk table. 

Since it was Friday night, things were getting pretty lively.  During our meal, street performers came by and did stunts right in front of our table.  Tessa then demonstrated that she could do stunts too.  She did cartwheels in the street while we enjoyed our leisurely meal.  Another great day in the City of Lights.   

Artists, Churches and More

We took it easy and had a late breakfast before starting out for sightseeing.  Our first destination was Sacre Coeur.  It is a beautiful, thought not very old, basilica on the top of Montmartre.  We rode the Metro to the neighborhood and then climbed a million and one stairs to exit from the station.  Note to self, there is a large and convenient elevator that we walked right past.  We rode the funicular to the church itself to avoid another million steps.  I was feeling great but that many stairs is enough to wind even the non-pregnant tourist.  After swinging through the church, we went to the nearby Place du Tertre.     

This touristy little square is full of artists and cafes.  Tessa was fascinated with the painters and happily sat on the curb to watch one work with oil paints.  She had been so looking forward to seeing the artists in Paris.  You never know what's going to strike the fancy of a six year old.  We ended up buying a silhouette of Tessa because the guy started snipping even while I was saying no, no merci.  I said no enough times that he ended up giving it to us for half price.  I can work with that.  We settled in at an outdoor café for lunch where Tessa could continue watching the artists at work.  I had the French onion soup that I have been craving and Ryan had a pizza.  Tessa was not thrilled with her classic Croque Monsieur, but happily shared pizza with her Daddy.  We strolled through the Moulin Rouge, which is much seedier than I remember, and then caught the Metro back to the historic center.         

We went to Sainte Chapelle which I think is one of the prettiest churches in all of Europe.  It has 360 degrees of stained glass windows all filled with Bible stories.  Cloudy days like this are perfect because the indirect light illuminates all of the windows.  This altar, and whole church really, was built by St. Louis (IX) to house the Crown of Thorns.  Tessa asked me when we would get to see the king and I explained that we are about 800 years too late.     

We walked on down the Ile de la Cite to the famous Notre Dame.  They have put a terrible temporary grandstand right in front of the church to commemorate it's 850th anniversary.  Maybe it's nice to have a place to sit and admire the church and yes, I did climb the bleachers for a photo op, but this modern addition is annoyingly distracting.  Too bad they didn't ask for my opinion.     

The church has a beautiful pieta on the high altar, a gorgeous rose window of stained glass and an abundance of side chapels.  We did a circuit of the whole church and Tessa was thoroughly bored. 

 

Lucky for us, there was a playground alongside the church.  Ryan and I rested while Tessa played with little French girls.  The gardens around the church are beautiful too, everything was blooming creating a riot of fall colors.  From the outside, you can see the flying buttresses that define this church in Gothic style.  Unfortunately, I wasn't up for climbing the bell tower to get up close and personal with the famous gargoyles.     

We crossed over to the Left Bank on this bridge with all the love locks.  As the story goes, you buy a lock from conveniently located nearby vendors, write your names on it, attach it to the bridge and throw the key in the river.  This symbolizes that your love will last forever.  Maybe I'm just getting old and cynical, but I think this makes the bridge look terrible!  We did get a kick out of looking at some of the locks.  There is everything from a TSA baggage lock to a heavy duty engraved lock attached to this bridge.  The ones that made us laugh the most are the high school combination locks.  Change your mind about someone?  No problem, just dial in the combination and remove your lock of love.  The bridge may be ugly but Tessa sure is cute.   

We ate dinner with a view of Notre Dame.  I used my caffeine allowance to have an after dinner espresso, I really love espresso and would normally drink at least two or three a day while in Europe.  But, for Baby Brother's sake, I limited myself to just one precious cup a day.  After dinner, we took a river cruise on Bateaux Parisien.  We launched from just in front of the Eiffel Tower and it started to sparkle just as we left the dock.  We listened to the narrated tour as we floated past some of Paris' most famous spots.  Tessa played with a little British girl who was "on holiday."  Pleasantly worn out, we walked back to our hotel and crashed.