When you invite someone to stay with you halfway around the world and then, soon after they arrive, they have to beat a retreat away from you because you pose a danger to their health . . . that's called "host fail."
It happened to this fine family -- our close friends, Alison and Steve, and their two sons, Nathan and Cole:
We've known Alison and Steve since law school. Don't they look nice? They are. They came all the way from Portland to stay with us for about 5 days as part of their summer trip to France. Yet, soon after they arrived, Ed was attacked by a nasty stomach virus . . . and it wouldn't stop. It was the kind of illness that makes cohabitation unwise at best and impossible at worst. So Steve and Alison rounded up their kids and headed for the hills. Literally. To a hill town about 10 kilometers away where, miraculously, they were able to find hastily-arranged replacement accommodations.
We felt bad about it.
There was a silver lining. Le General and the Budge kids were not nearly as affected by this French super-bug as Ed. So, a 10-kilometer buffer zone having been established, the seven of them were able to get together for field trips while Ed slipped in and out of delirium in a dark room. Here are photographs demonstrating the nice times they had together:
Nyons Water Park
Alison and Ford -- Dinner out the night of Fete de la Musique
Dessert at "Pascal's" cannot be beat
Cole
Nathan
Water Rat
Bike Ride
After a week (Steve and Alison had moved on, as pre-planned, to several towns south of Vaison by now-- Roussillon and St. Remy) Ed was finally getting better. So we all got together for one more outing. The Pont du Gard of course!
Steve and Alison, come back soon . . . . if you dare!
Last weekend Ed and Ford went to Paris to meet up with Ed's good friend from college, Chris Lovgren. Chris has an interesting story which cannot conveniently be summarized. Suffice it to say he has a French son in Paris (Ford's age) and three Dutch sons in Holland (where he lives with his Dutch wife). Once a month he goes to Paris with one of his Dutch boys to see his French son (Nemo).
We had fun and it was great to catch up with an old buddy. Thanks for the tour of Paris Chris!
On the Train of Great Speed to Paris . . . the Only Way to Travel!
Street Performer in Paris
Sacre Coeur
Hotel de Ville (i.e., City Hall). From Left: Chris, Tom, Ford, Nemo
From Left: Tom, Ford, Nemo
At the Tomb of Napoleon
Posing with a Gorilla at the Paris Zoo (Just Kidding Chris!)
Ed, Chris, Nemo, Tom
In Front of "Breakfast in America" -- An American Diner in Paris?
John Belushi and Dan Akroyd Start the Band Up Again
After Being in France for 10 Months, Pancakes at "Breakfast in America" Sound Pretty Good!
French people have lots of ingenious ideas about how to make things run smoothly. Take shopping carts for instance. You put in a euro coin, you get your cart. You return your cart, you get your euro back. No more carts lying around the parking lot, and there's always a cart when you need one.
But there are some ideas that haven't caught on yet. Take the idea of "substitute teachers." You know, the time-honored tradition (at least in America) of calling in a substitute teacher to take over the class if the regular teacher is ill or can't be at school for some reason. Well, here in Vaison, they don't do substitutes. You heard me. If the teacher is sick or can't show (hey, it happens!) the kids in that particular class simply don't have school. They're either sent home or (if it's an inconvenience to the parents) the kids will get put in the back of some other class (a 5th grader in a 2nd grade class, please no!) for the day. There are no make up days.
We've had it happen to us periodically. It's been odd. But for the past two weeks, one of Ford's teachers has been out with an ill child. So Ford's entire class has basically been cancelled for all but two days a week (when the other teacher is there). The kids in Ford's class simply aren't coming to school (whereas Asha's class and every other class in school including the other 5th grade has school)! Ford had only two days of school last week and one this week. Let me state, as diplomatically as possible: That's nuts!
We told some of the other parents about our ingenious American system of substitute teachers. They thought that sounded interesting, but they might have chalked it up as "bizzare" -- kind of like how they think it's a travesty that American kids have to bring their lunch to school in a paper bag whereas French kids get 4 courses and nearly two hours to eat. (It always results in looks of concern or pity when we tell people how American kids "brown bag it" for lunch.)
Ford and some of the boys from his class have basically been spending their days during the week at the municipal swimming pool. As in, "all day." Ford packs a lunch, puts his suit and towel in a backpack and heads down to the pool at about 10 in the morning. Sometimes his friend Victor comes to the front door and the two of them head off together. Killian is almost always there too. And then Ford wanders home about 6 p.m., very happy, with bloodshot eyes from all the chlorine:
After Another Full Day at the Pool
Meanwhile, Asha and Ivy have been suffering from a dual case of extreme lethargy:
Le General has been working hard! She has been organizing and doing pre-packing for our return trip, making hotel and car reservations, setting up health appointments back in Seattle, and a host of other things only Le General can do (or at least, that is what I maintain).
Also, a hippopotamus was spotted on our property:
She lounges in her water environment daily, or hunts for food:
Ed's mom, Ronnie, left us on Saturday morning. That was sad, because we enjoyed our time together a lot. (We know she loved it too!).
But on to the subject of this blog entry . . . the municipal pool. Because there is a great municipal swimming pool in the middle of town that's way better than any private pool (think big pool, high dive, snack bar, showers, changing rooms and grassy spot to lay your towel). The problem was that we couldn't seem to figure out when it would open for the summer (it seems to vary from year to year and it's hard to get a straight answer from anyone).
Thankfully, the town magazine came out this week with the pool schedule . . . and Ford and Asha just so happened to be on the cover of the magazine:
The magazine said the pool would open on Saturday, June 9th! Naturally, we were there for opening day, along with a number of Ford's chums:
On Opening Day: Taking a Break with Harry Potter
The "Four Penquins," Ford, Nicholas, Janis and Killian
The Four Penquins Prepare to Take the Plunge Again
Go!
Ford Levitates High Above Board
More Ford Tricks
The Boys Watch Ed Do a Quadruple Gainer Off the High Dive (with Reverse Sow-Cow)
Left to Right: Asha, Ford, Nicholas, Janis, Killian
Marseille is the second biggest city in France. It's only about an hour and a half drive from Vaison. We often fly in and out of the airport there. Yet, we had never really explored Marseille.
For better or worse, that had to change. Our friends, Yann and Helene, live in Marseille and grew up near there. They offered to take us on a guided tour! So, on Sunday, that's where we went.
Here is Ed's review:
"Proof that not all parts of France are charming, this city is at once grimy, gritty, dusty, dirty, smelly and seedy. Not for the faint of heart, travelers to Marseille will note the conspicuous absence of grand boulevards, parks, fountains, statues, public works of art, and trees. While lovers of urban beauty may wish to skip Marseille altogether, "gastros" should visit the awesome Arab market (by far the highlight of the day) which serves the very large north African Muslim population (try the hot chilis!). If you do find yourself in Marseille, take in the impressive views of sea and city from the Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde, on top of a tall hill. Cross it off your list. Move on."
We were glad to have seen Marseille! Here are some photos:
Pretty Woman in Arab Market
Arab Market
Algerian Child Tastes a Hot Chili at the Arab Market
From Left to Right: Ford, Asha, Ed, Ronnie, Helene (one of our tour guides,
who in addition to being a native is a bio-chemist);
Notre Dame de la Garde in the distance
On Friday night, there was a block party at the end of the cul-de-sac, right outside the gate. It was sponsored by the city. City workers brought some tables and a big block party sign. Many people from the surrounding streets came. Everyone brought chairs and something to eat or drink (think homemade wine). The party started at 7 and didn't break up until 11. Here are some photos:
The mayor even showed up . . . on his bicycle:
So, that was party number 1 of the weekend.
The next day, Saturday, was party number 2: Asha's birthday party with all her school chums. She invited all the girls in her class and two lucky boys. The party began at 11 a.m. and ended at 2:00 p.m. (but coffee with parents at pick up time extended the actual end to 2:45 p.m.).
Activities included: hat wearing, run-around-the-yard, tie-dying pillow cases, eat lunch, pinch-the-girl-next-to-you-and-make-her-cry, semi-organized cheer of some sort, complicated treasure hunt (which they completed in 8 minutes), adult morale meeting, cake and ice-cream, open presents, run-around-the-yard-some-more, water-drinking (it was 85 degrees!), hide-in-Asha's-room, and drink coffee with parents at pick up time. It was fatiguing and fun at the same time . . . you know how these things go.
Here are some photos (and an action-video):
Only the Name and Date Have Been Changed
Part of the Group . . . I Think We Had 10 in All
Hugo, Ford, Kimberly
Seline, Camille #1
Camille #2, Asha
Manon, Nikita
Lola, Mattieu, Julie
Under the Party Table
Parent Coffee at Pick-Up
In this action video, Le General instructs the kids on tie-dying (this was important, as tie-dying is not well-known in France and none of the kids had done it before):
The whole thing was tiring. At the end of the party, all we wanted to do was crawl under a bush and go to sleep!
