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Thursday, 27 August 2009
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
The water part of our anniversary
The past post I said there were two themes to our anniversary: wheels and water.
The wheels I've already explained (see the prior post) and the water was two-fold: the caving we did in Remouchamps :
and the visit to the thermal baths, in Spa.
Our adventures started by heading to Remouchamps on our first afternoon's visit, about 30 km away from Glons. JR told us that this cave was much closer than the more popular grottoes in De Han and had a better tour, since they still use boats to get visitors out of the caves, by the river (called here the Rubicon).
We were mightily impressed by the natural rooms, the formations and the history of the caves we toured. Civilization was first using these spaces 10,000 years ago. The most recent room to be discovered was the "Cathedral" in 1912, shown here
The 20 m high room is only about 5 m below the surface, and was literally, the size of a church. I wondered what the acoustics would be in there, but M refused to sing for me and the rest of the tour group (might rocks have fallen by the vibrations?)
The evening was also very fun, as we went to N and T's house for a barbecue and to catch up with our Glons friends. D. had a great time swimming in their backyard pool and bouncing on the trampoline. One can certainly see that their kids have it made in their backyard. N has made it her goal to provide fun, exercise and enjoyment in their summer days: crafts, games, walks, exercise...you name it. The 8 year old girl, N is in the pool all the time--she loves it.
The next morning we got into the car and made it to Spa by mid-day. We had our picnic on the grass below the funicular and then gathered our suits to ascend the cliff and enjoy the waters. Here's what the outside pool looks like (and the weather was exactly perfect: 25 and sunny, with a little breeze):
We saturated ourselves in the medically advantageous waters and checked out the saunas, the whirlpools, the fountains and then wandered down to the village for a beverage (and to undo all the purification rites--a cornette of frites to round out the day!)
The wheels I've already explained (see the prior post) and the water was two-fold: the caving we did in Remouchamps :
and the visit to the thermal baths, in Spa.
Our adventures started by heading to Remouchamps on our first afternoon's visit, about 30 km away from Glons. JR told us that this cave was much closer than the more popular grottoes in De Han and had a better tour, since they still use boats to get visitors out of the caves, by the river (called here the Rubicon).
We were mightily impressed by the natural rooms, the formations and the history of the caves we toured. Civilization was first using these spaces 10,000 years ago. The most recent room to be discovered was the "Cathedral" in 1912, shown here
The 20 m high room is only about 5 m below the surface, and was literally, the size of a church. I wondered what the acoustics would be in there, but M refused to sing for me and the rest of the tour group (might rocks have fallen by the vibrations?)The evening was also very fun, as we went to N and T's house for a barbecue and to catch up with our Glons friends. D. had a great time swimming in their backyard pool and bouncing on the trampoline. One can certainly see that their kids have it made in their backyard. N has made it her goal to provide fun, exercise and enjoyment in their summer days: crafts, games, walks, exercise...you name it. The 8 year old girl, N is in the pool all the time--she loves it.
The next morning we got into the car and made it to Spa by mid-day. We had our picnic on the grass below the funicular and then gathered our suits to ascend the cliff and enjoy the waters. Here's what the outside pool looks like (and the weather was exactly perfect: 25 and sunny, with a little breeze):
We saturated ourselves in the medically advantageous waters and checked out the saunas, the whirlpools, the fountains and then wandered down to the village for a beverage (and to undo all the purification rites--a cornette of frites to round out the day!)
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
Summer Cars, and some aren't
There's a theme to our trip to Remouchamps, Glons and Spa...one is Water, the other is Wheels. It was the first time I was able to drive in Belgium. I finally took in my Ontario driver's license to exchange for an EU license and it got approved. We reserved a simple C1 Citroen and got upgraded to a sporty Volvo V50...lots of gumption on the highway and fun to drive.
Here's what I would have rather driven (a new ferrari):
Here what might have been fun on the switchbacks of Corsica (antique MG):
Or maybe this one (a porche):
We visited the C. family and found out JR would be busy for the next day in Spa as well, racing up and down the hilly countryside in his lime-green toy. (recall D got a ride in this around the village of Glons last fall). Here's a pic of what JR drives for fun (a German racecar called an NSU):
And here's what JR drives for everyday now that he's not driving a company car (BMW):
Now that I'm driving again, my head is turning at the luscious engines I'm seeing. Perhaps I'll get my own set of wheels soon...likely won't be any of these, and it might only be with two wheels instead of four...here's a pic of what I'm considering once I pay off all these trips and save up my pennies:
My next post will talk about the other theme of the trip--the water aspect...stay posted!
Here's what I would have rather driven (a new ferrari):
Here what might have been fun on the switchbacks of Corsica (antique MG):
Or maybe this one (a porche):
We visited the C. family and found out JR would be busy for the next day in Spa as well, racing up and down the hilly countryside in his lime-green toy. (recall D got a ride in this around the village of Glons last fall). Here's a pic of what JR drives for fun (a German racecar called an NSU):
And here's what JR drives for everyday now that he's not driving a company car (BMW):
Now that I'm driving again, my head is turning at the luscious engines I'm seeing. Perhaps I'll get my own set of wheels soon...likely won't be any of these, and it might only be with two wheels instead of four...here's a pic of what I'm considering once I pay off all these trips and save up my pennies:
My next post will talk about the other theme of the trip--the water aspect...stay posted!
Our Bavella River trip
On our last two days we rented a car so that we could explore more of the island. We heard that the rivers are quite beautiful and refreshing on hot Corsican days so we packed a picnic and headed inland. 
Corsica is quite mountainous (the ridge has mountains 2650m and more above sea level) and they rise quite quickly, so the 30 km trip with its switch-backs took quite some time to traverse. Our first stop an hour after setting out (at lunch time) was about at the 10 km mark, and we found people jumping off a cement jut over a natural pool in the river's course. We all jumped (the boys more than once) but unfortunately, this was D's first day of illness so he wasn't up to his normal self. M more than made up for it!
The pool below had lovely clear water and when I put on goggles I was able to see right to the bottom (about 3 m below the surface at the deepest part). It sloped up to a small sandy beach and M had a great time grabbing a rock and sinking to the bottom, like a diving belt or pearl fisher. When I looked around with goggles, I saw small eels and little schools of see-through fish here. It wasn't too cold, either...the water was 20 degrees or so--still very refreshing.
Our next stop, at the 20 km mark was even more of a find...again natural pools of water, but this time, with three waterfalls. One had a gently sloped rock that had been smoothed by the water...it made a perfect waterslide and we all had a turn at going down the chute into the emerald pool below (unfortunately, my husband's bathing suit did not survive, but we didn't notice until he was back in town--ooops!)
Now since we were higher up into the mountain, the water here was MUCH cooler--about 17 degrees or so...but recall that this was a hot vacation and the air temp was around 31 in the shade, so we still didn't mind the difference much. I am convinced I was a mermaid in an alternate universe's life--water therapy is so essential for me. As you can see here, I'm in my "element".
Corsica is quite mountainous (the ridge has mountains 2650m and more above sea level) and they rise quite quickly, so the 30 km trip with its switch-backs took quite some time to traverse. Our first stop an hour after setting out (at lunch time) was about at the 10 km mark, and we found people jumping off a cement jut over a natural pool in the river's course. We all jumped (the boys more than once) but unfortunately, this was D's first day of illness so he wasn't up to his normal self. M more than made up for it!
The pool below had lovely clear water and when I put on goggles I was able to see right to the bottom (about 3 m below the surface at the deepest part). It sloped up to a small sandy beach and M had a great time grabbing a rock and sinking to the bottom, like a diving belt or pearl fisher. When I looked around with goggles, I saw small eels and little schools of see-through fish here. It wasn't too cold, either...the water was 20 degrees or so--still very refreshing.
Our next stop, at the 20 km mark was even more of a find...again natural pools of water, but this time, with three waterfalls. One had a gently sloped rock that had been smoothed by the water...it made a perfect waterslide and we all had a turn at going down the chute into the emerald pool below (unfortunately, my husband's bathing suit did not survive, but we didn't notice until he was back in town--ooops!)
Now since we were higher up into the mountain, the water here was MUCH cooler--about 17 degrees or so...but recall that this was a hot vacation and the air temp was around 31 in the shade, so we still didn't mind the difference much. I am convinced I was a mermaid in an alternate universe's life--water therapy is so essential for me. As you can see here, I'm in my "element".
Something's fishy here...
Yeah, that my husband got me into this Poissonerie AND that he got me to taste these monsters later! (he was just so happy about fresh fish, how could I refuse to taste them? -- and no, they weren't to my liking, Mom...but I did try them!)
Some of the ones in this cooler tray were still moving...they were THAT fresh.
The boys were quite distracted by the spines on one, since the lady told them they were poisonous and that they shouldn't touch (of course, an older brother had to tease his younger by pretending to touch so that the little one screamed and wailed at us to stop him).
Some of the ones in this cooler tray were still moving...they were THAT fresh.
The boys were quite distracted by the spines on one, since the lady told them they were poisonous and that they shouldn't touch (of course, an older brother had to tease his younger by pretending to touch so that the little one screamed and wailed at us to stop him).
Monday, 10 August 2009
corsican flu
I've been spared, but all three men in my life are showing symptoms very unpleasant to report. D was the first, coming down with it before we left and both M's got it today...incubation period 10 days...Hmmmm. Let's see...
High fever? Check.
Body aches and chills? Check.
Rhinal symptoms? Check.
Recent air travel? Check.
Any pigs in the vicinity?
Nope, just Mom and her waffles. (Lucky that one, eh?)
They've all been to the doctor's and there's nothing more to do but keep the usual granny treatments coming. The Doc was not at all concerned and the epidemiological offices were not alerted.
High fever? Check.
Body aches and chills? Check.
Rhinal symptoms? Check.
Recent air travel? Check.
Any pigs in the vicinity?
Nope, just Mom and her waffles. (Lucky that one, eh?)
They've all been to the doctor's and there's nothing more to do but keep the usual granny treatments coming. The Doc was not at all concerned and the epidemiological offices were not alerted.
another diversion...Belgian life
Yesterday we got in touch with our Belgian selves a little more than usual. We went to the Palace and toured around (after all, my tax euros are paying for it, I should at least have a look inside!) and was amazed at the splendour of it all. One notable thing for me other than the gold leaf walls and the inlayed wood floor were the lights. These were the most exotic chandeliers I've ever seen (all Val St. Lambert--a Belgian crystal company) and I almost forgot, the newest addition-- a ceiling coated with over a million irredescent scarab beetle wings from Thailand. Have a look at the official p.r. about it below:"The ceiling and the central chandelier in the Mirror Room, whose construction was interrupted by the death of Leopold II, have been covered with the wing cases of 1.4 million Thai jewel beetles, which reflect the light with a curiously vibrant energy.
Jan Fabre and his team of 29 artists spent 3 months all told completing this painstaking task, finished in 2002.
(copyright photo Dirk Pauwels)
Here's a close-up of some of these wings (in this case used as jewelry). I found this picture on e-bay if you're interested in purchasing them, the going price right now is only 12.99 USD. According to the science of these wings, there are several translucent layers each with subtly different wavelengths of colour...as the object moves, the vivid depth of the green is evident. Peacock feathers use the same technique of showy-ness.
If you have broadband and would like to see what we saw, then click here to be taken to the Virtual Tour website that allows you to scan each of the public rooms we walked through...stunning and mind blowing--I wonder if the money for this came out of the Congo?
Belgian life, part 2:
Our visit to the palace was not the first thing we did yesterday to honour our host country. The first was a luxurious breakfast of Liege Waffles made on our new (fabricated in Belgium) waffle maker that I bought with some gift certificate credits I received as a very generous gift from my students this past year. M made up the dough the night before and the boys awoke to the smells of Orval butter, Madagascar vanilla beans, fresh cake yeast and warmed Quebec maple syrup (0kay, not all are Belgian components, but hey--you wouldn't expect me to do without the best for such a treat, would you?)
I hope our boys realize the significance of this treat since raised waffles have been a tradition in the Rose household probably since the first "Fanny Farmer's Cookbook" came into my father's hands soon after their marriage close to 50 years ago...thanks Dad for this little cholesterol addiction--it was worth it!
a pause in the Corsica story for some quilt blogging
Ah, the story of Corsica is on hold for the moment because since the morning after I got off the plane I've been busy at the sewing machine and needed to show you my most recent accomplishments, namely the completed lower half of the quilt top. there are four other rows almost completed and then once I stitch those rows to what I'm showing you below, this gi-normous top layer will be 2/3rds done! I'm really keen to start to quilt this together before school starts back, but that may not happen if we have the chance to do all the activities still planned for the summer... (more about those later):
in your minds' eye you'll have to stitch these two pictures together (use either the orange or green leaf at the top as your reference) since it was too large to take in one picture...as it was I had to lay it on the floor and get up on a chair to get in as much as I did! (Kiki was very curious and I had to wait until she left the quilt--she thought she'd add her fur to the piece as her contribution).
We now return you to your normally scheduled programming.
in your minds' eye you'll have to stitch these two pictures together (use either the orange or green leaf at the top as your reference) since it was too large to take in one picture...as it was I had to lay it on the floor and get up on a chair to get in as much as I did! (Kiki was very curious and I had to wait until she left the quilt--she thought she'd add her fur to the piece as her contribution).
We now return you to your normally scheduled programming.
Saturday, 8 August 2009
The Corsica social life
We've been shopping and since everything (including petrol and vehicles) is shipped over to the island, the prices are astronomical. For just consumable-essentials we paid 194 euros at the grocery store, knowing we were only needing a week's worth! That and we forgot some things like dish soap, cleanser, and paper products since at the time, we were only thinking of our tummies. The realization that our venue was camping came when we opened cupboards and found there were none of the items one needs in a house, but one didn't think to bring in the carry-on luggage...matches to light the hob, toilet paper for the 'loo, paper towels or napkins, bathroom cleaner, washing up liquid--all had to be purchased and brought in. At least we didn't have to use an outhouse!
Matthew has been very successful socializing by chatting over the hedge. Sunday night we had an appetizer date with Erik and Sylvie from Bordeaux, then D (ever so much like his dad) noticed the little girl (also 6 years old) diagonally opposite from our site was talking in English, so has also made friends with her, and subsequently, M has introduced ourselves to her parents, both teachers in a very affluent 'public' school for boys in London. Ros teaches languages and her husband (8 years her junior) is the deputy head of the upper form and has a wicked sense of humor--we had drinks with them Monday night and laughed until our sides hurt. Here's a pic of D getting to know O his very own spice girl.
Monday was also the first day the boys went to Kids Camp, which is organized activities from 9:30 to 11:30 and 3:00 to 5:30 every day. The activities included swimming, crafts, hiking to the animal preserve as well as practice for the kid's spectacle which is scheduled for Friday night. Both boys refused to take part in these dance and skit routines, so kids camp wasn't as fun as it could have been if they had been fully "on board". Young M also was very put out that he had to go to "daycare" during his holidays, saying that we were trying to get rid of him, so was an archetype of a pre-teenager full of attitude and sullen comments the entire day, before, during (we heard) and after the time away. He's had us as his playmates from the end of June until now and resents that the adults might want some time to themselves (and we did!). I signed the boys up for all day camp on Wednesday which included lunch and extra activities so that M and I could walk into the town of Ghissonaccia--a steamy walk along an exposed 5 km road through farmland in 32 degree heat--oh did that chilled local wine ever taste good with lunch that day! here's a picture of one of our rest stops and M in the "absolute vodka" entrance way to a tumbling down shepherd's shack.
Later, our boys went to the animal preserve with Julie (the 13 year old part of the family from Tolouse--more about them later), across the road to feed the animals, and here are some pics of the animals that my oldest took:
Notice that this ostrich is rounding up her eggs so that she can sit on them...not like in this heat they needed warming, but perhaps it was to protect them from cooking in the sun...?
I think he's got a really good eye for composition, just like his dad! M. tells me that there were also black swans, boars, peacocks and various ungulates with horns in this area (adjacent to the camp and about 10 acres of fenced in areas).
Another advantage of the kids camp was that I was able to take part in the fitness activities available at the resort. I did aqua fit twice and pilates once while there--I feel like I've started something that I shouldn't let up--but then again...
Matthew has been very successful socializing by chatting over the hedge. Sunday night we had an appetizer date with Erik and Sylvie from Bordeaux, then D (ever so much like his dad) noticed the little girl (also 6 years old) diagonally opposite from our site was talking in English, so has also made friends with her, and subsequently, M has introduced ourselves to her parents, both teachers in a very affluent 'public' school for boys in London. Ros teaches languages and her husband (8 years her junior) is the deputy head of the upper form and has a wicked sense of humor--we had drinks with them Monday night and laughed until our sides hurt. Here's a pic of D getting to know O his very own spice girl.
Monday was also the first day the boys went to Kids Camp, which is organized activities from 9:30 to 11:30 and 3:00 to 5:30 every day. The activities included swimming, crafts, hiking to the animal preserve as well as practice for the kid's spectacle which is scheduled for Friday night. Both boys refused to take part in these dance and skit routines, so kids camp wasn't as fun as it could have been if they had been fully "on board". Young M also was very put out that he had to go to "daycare" during his holidays, saying that we were trying to get rid of him, so was an archetype of a pre-teenager full of attitude and sullen comments the entire day, before, during (we heard) and after the time away. He's had us as his playmates from the end of June until now and resents that the adults might want some time to themselves (and we did!). I signed the boys up for all day camp on Wednesday which included lunch and extra activities so that M and I could walk into the town of Ghissonaccia--a steamy walk along an exposed 5 km road through farmland in 32 degree heat--oh did that chilled local wine ever taste good with lunch that day! here's a picture of one of our rest stops and M in the "absolute vodka" entrance way to a tumbling down shepherd's shack.
Later, our boys went to the animal preserve with Julie (the 13 year old part of the family from Tolouse--more about them later), across the road to feed the animals, and here are some pics of the animals that my oldest took:
Notice that this ostrich is rounding up her eggs so that she can sit on them...not like in this heat they needed warming, but perhaps it was to protect them from cooking in the sun...?
I think he's got a really good eye for composition, just like his dad! M. tells me that there were also black swans, boars, peacocks and various ungulates with horns in this area (adjacent to the camp and about 10 acres of fenced in areas).
Another advantage of the kids camp was that I was able to take part in the fitness activities available at the resort. I did aqua fit twice and pilates once while there--I feel like I've started something that I shouldn't let up--but then again...
corsica, the beach and sun days
Some random pics from our first few days of the trip:
The o-so-typical "bury your kid in the sand then grab his head to look like you lost yours" trick!
D fishing in the sea, M digging in surf's edge
D getting to know one of the very athletic and cute animators from Kids Camp--they all spoke multiple languages, but this Dutch one spoke french with a Corsican accent and was quite hard to understand!
M and D's first dip in the Med...M complained that it wasn't as warm as his bathwater...Mom lied to him! (okay, okay, it was only 24 degrees, not 32!)
The o-so-typical "bury your kid in the sand then grab his head to look like you lost yours" trick!
D fishing in the sea, M digging in surf's edge
D getting to know one of the very athletic and cute animators from Kids Camp--they all spoke multiple languages, but this Dutch one spoke french with a Corsican accent and was quite hard to understand!
M and D's first dip in the Med...M complained that it wasn't as warm as his bathwater...Mom lied to him! (okay, okay, it was only 24 degrees, not 32!)
Friday, 7 August 2009
Corsica, getting settled in...
On Friday July 24th we packed and got ready for our great adventure for the next 10 days in the Mediterranean Sea. I was incredibly nervous, since every time I fly, I forget the rules of some airport or carrier and bring the wrong things in my luggage that have to be relinquished. With only 4 carry-on baggage items (no more than 10 kg each) and one checked bag of no more than 15 kg, I was understandably worried. We looked after everything: cat sitting by the landlord, the bags packed, the train ticket bought for the 45 km trek to Charleroi and all our ID in hand...Unfortunately, we didn't have the chance to take our dear little girl: Here's a pic of Kiki feeling left out!
It was an easy trip by train to Charleroi, bus to the airport (but of course, Belgium had to remind us why we were so keen on going: it rained about 3x before we got into the airport--once while waiting the 45 minutes for the bus) and then airplane ride over the Alps (see below) to the Mediterranean sea and the island of Corsica. Thank goodness for ipods, as this kept the parents' sanity during the many stages of waiting and tripping to the land of sun and sand!
Just over Corsica the pilot came over the PA to direct our attention out the left windows, as there were several forest fires to be seen in the distance...nothing like those I've seen on the net from BC, but still spectacular from the air--the boys were shocked to see this and worried for our safety, luckily they were only in the west of the island, near Ajaccio. While expressing his amazement at this sight, my older one exclaimed, "Mom, how hard is it to learn how to parachute? I'd like to be a pilot like Uncle Gus and jump out of planes...can I do that?"
Once we arrived (around 5.00 pm) we rented a car from Figari Airport to travel the 75 kms north and east to our campsite...We put on the AC, headed the car out of the parking lot and then plugged in the GPS. ...what a mistake! I don't know about you, but when I input directions for quickest road, I don't think that it should include a farmer's track through the scrub, goat pastures and olive trees...but I suppose all bets are off when using technology in a world where technology (and grading of dirt roads) seems to have escaped its clutches. As a result the car's front passenger side tire got a flat 9 km into our adventure and about 100 m from the main road. The horse here took our cursing in and was friendly enough to sample the boy's grapes that we purchased first thing for car food (to see MEZ changing a tire in 34 degree heat, go to his website, here).
That evening we got settled into our (im)mobile home (*as my oldest says, it can't be a MOBILE home, since it obviously does not move) that is part of the wooded and beached campus of D'Erba Rossa. M. got his cigars and scotch out, I got my book out and once the boys were settled into bed, we enjoyed listening to the cicadas and later the crickets on the front deck/dining space...lovely, we made it!
The next day, I was the first up at about 8.00 am and it was already 24 degrees and sunny. As I looked about, I could see that this was a more crowded area than I first thought. This is a community of 250 or so other "mobilhomes"(fr), bungalos, cabins, and personal tents and the like that all face the same way for privacy. We soon found out that one can see into the decks of other mobilhomes diagonally and across the driveway and over the bouginvilia hedges separating each living/parking space--tight but still private enough if you're not too social. No home is farther than 300 m from the beach and there's a community complex with laundry, gym, arcade, super marche, tobacconist/newspaper vendor, internet cafe, stage, bar, restaurant and incredibly large pool just before one reaches the sand. In addition, on the campus we eventually found the kids club, the mini golf, the ping-pong tables, volleyball and tennis courts and the wildlife sanctuary--this location indeed deserves its four-star rating.
The cabin (I'll call it, for lack of a better word, since I feel like I'm cottaging in Wasaga) is very pleasant and reminds me of the modest cottages that used to be in the bay before everyone with money bought them up and renovated or tore them down for mansions. Ours has two bedrooms (one with modest twin beds and overhead storage for the boys, the other with a double and a good sized closet) and a toilet separate from the shower and vanity, a simple kitchenette and a banquette seating/table that we later found out converts to another bed. The deck is partly covered and has a large table with six chairs. three hours settled and M. has already introduced us to Silvie and Erik, and their 14 year old son, A. They were gracious enough to usher us to the social area, since by the time we got unpacked and wanted to explore that first night, it was already dark. Their English was non-existant (common to most French we met) so our language skills were put to the test whenever we shopped, socialized or needed information the entire trip--not bad for M, but a brain-stretch for me!
We were amazed by the regular evenings' entertainment of singing, dancing and comedy routines--in multiple languages since we soon realized this is a fav spot of the Dutch and the Germans as well as the Brits and French! Here's a pic of one of the shows we watched during our stay (this happens to be a kiddie disco of sorts run by one of the animators, wearing pink jeans in front--for the entire trip, D. refused to join in, inspite of dancing on his chair and singing along from the audience!)
It was an easy trip by train to Charleroi, bus to the airport (but of course, Belgium had to remind us why we were so keen on going: it rained about 3x before we got into the airport--once while waiting the 45 minutes for the bus) and then airplane ride over the Alps (see below) to the Mediterranean sea and the island of Corsica. Thank goodness for ipods, as this kept the parents' sanity during the many stages of waiting and tripping to the land of sun and sand!
Just over Corsica the pilot came over the PA to direct our attention out the left windows, as there were several forest fires to be seen in the distance...nothing like those I've seen on the net from BC, but still spectacular from the air--the boys were shocked to see this and worried for our safety, luckily they were only in the west of the island, near Ajaccio. While expressing his amazement at this sight, my older one exclaimed, "Mom, how hard is it to learn how to parachute? I'd like to be a pilot like Uncle Gus and jump out of planes...can I do that?"
Once we arrived (around 5.00 pm) we rented a car from Figari Airport to travel the 75 kms north and east to our campsite...We put on the AC, headed the car out of the parking lot and then plugged in the GPS. ...what a mistake! I don't know about you, but when I input directions for quickest road, I don't think that it should include a farmer's track through the scrub, goat pastures and olive trees...but I suppose all bets are off when using technology in a world where technology (and grading of dirt roads) seems to have escaped its clutches. As a result the car's front passenger side tire got a flat 9 km into our adventure and about 100 m from the main road. The horse here took our cursing in and was friendly enough to sample the boy's grapes that we purchased first thing for car food (to see MEZ changing a tire in 34 degree heat, go to his website, here).
That evening we got settled into our (im)mobile home (*as my oldest says, it can't be a MOBILE home, since it obviously does not move) that is part of the wooded and beached campus of D'Erba Rossa. M. got his cigars and scotch out, I got my book out and once the boys were settled into bed, we enjoyed listening to the cicadas and later the crickets on the front deck/dining space...lovely, we made it!
The next day, I was the first up at about 8.00 am and it was already 24 degrees and sunny. As I looked about, I could see that this was a more crowded area than I first thought. This is a community of 250 or so other "mobilhomes"(fr), bungalos, cabins, and personal tents and the like that all face the same way for privacy. We soon found out that one can see into the decks of other mobilhomes diagonally and across the driveway and over the bouginvilia hedges separating each living/parking space--tight but still private enough if you're not too social. No home is farther than 300 m from the beach and there's a community complex with laundry, gym, arcade, super marche, tobacconist/newspaper vendor, internet cafe, stage, bar, restaurant and incredibly large pool just before one reaches the sand. In addition, on the campus we eventually found the kids club, the mini golf, the ping-pong tables, volleyball and tennis courts and the wildlife sanctuary--this location indeed deserves its four-star rating.
The cabin (I'll call it, for lack of a better word, since I feel like I'm cottaging in Wasaga) is very pleasant and reminds me of the modest cottages that used to be in the bay before everyone with money bought them up and renovated or tore them down for mansions. Ours has two bedrooms (one with modest twin beds and overhead storage for the boys, the other with a double and a good sized closet) and a toilet separate from the shower and vanity, a simple kitchenette and a banquette seating/table that we later found out converts to another bed. The deck is partly covered and has a large table with six chairs. three hours settled and M. has already introduced us to Silvie and Erik, and their 14 year old son, A. They were gracious enough to usher us to the social area, since by the time we got unpacked and wanted to explore that first night, it was already dark. Their English was non-existant (common to most French we met) so our language skills were put to the test whenever we shopped, socialized or needed information the entire trip--not bad for M, but a brain-stretch for me!
We were amazed by the regular evenings' entertainment of singing, dancing and comedy routines--in multiple languages since we soon realized this is a fav spot of the Dutch and the Germans as well as the Brits and French! Here's a pic of one of the shows we watched during our stay (this happens to be a kiddie disco of sorts run by one of the animators, wearing pink jeans in front--for the entire trip, D. refused to join in, inspite of dancing on his chair and singing along from the audience!)
Thursday, 6 August 2009
What the french think of my husband...
That he's Hugh Grant...
And for those who know us from the early years (its coming onto our 12th anniversary of marriage, and our 14th year together) this is one of the things I said as well... Frederique et Agnes among others (Erik et Silvie, Roz and Joe) exclaimed the same thing while we were in Corsica: just look:
And for those who know us from the early years (its coming onto our 12th anniversary of marriage, and our 14th year together) this is one of the things I said as well... Frederique et Agnes among others (Erik et Silvie, Roz and Joe) exclaimed the same thing while we were in Corsica: just look:
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