Aujordhuimerci

Forgive me.
This is a long one, but the internet was dodgy up on my French hill, and it left me with more time to do nothing but stare.

We had it goooooood.

We had lots of these (but in view of the surroundings, it was A-Okay).
Tantrum #4152.

Perhaps we need to accept that Son#1 will never accept Son#2 and that #2 will always try to get #1's approval (to his own detriment, poor bunny)?

  

The dining area was lu-ver-ley and I want that red cupboard.

Hand luggage?
(Didn't work out)

Another view of our view

We drove to Saint-Chinian and bought small sausages and 4 bars of soap (and I love bars of soap, not the shower crap that comes in tubes).

But the husband had a near heart attack after we split #1 and #2 up in the car and they STILL fought like cats and dogs (or lions and tigers).

But forgodssakes, it's a 7-seater car.

There are limits to limits.

After the meltdown & market, we drove around aimlessly, too scared to go back to the house and all the damn fighting that would inevitably be part of the day there.

It turned into a stop in Capestang with quiet cathedral until Son#2 needed to pee.

A narrow miss of the large crucifix outside. 

Son#1 spent his days in a huff, bored and pre-pubescent (oh boy).

The husband is right:  being bored means that you have time.

What a damn luxury.

The husband and I are never bored...

There was sand and water in the garden.

Life was good.

Thinking out of the box:

The boys went exploring outside and were chased away by an angry lady, causing Son#3 to come home, bursting into tears.

One of those open-mouthed wails where sadness comes from a deep and lonely place.

The poor thing never hears 'no'.

Dinner for the husband:

I had wine (a bit too much) and cheese (for the first time since August) and my body didn't quite know what to make of that.

 

 

One morning, we drove to Meze, a lovely place, really, with a small marina and beach where the boys frolicked until their faces turned blue (it's October, but we're used to the Netherlands - the 20 degrees we were experiencing here is akin to high summer).

Son#2 stepped on a sea urchin or something, and try as we might, neither the husband nor I could get the tentacles (or whatever it might be) out of his left foot.

Then there was Narbonne...

  

But also Carcassonne (lovely, yet again).

And Collioure.
I have no words.
NO WORDS for beauty such as this:

We landed again in Belgium, under thick clouds and rain.
It felt like we were:
a)  returning to prison after a short break, and
b) being swept under a carpet of clouds.

I took Son#1 and #2 to the movies on Sunday, and then worked until the early hours of the morning for my lessons this morning.

I love France.
I can't speak much French anymore, but I adore the arid landscape, the wide skies, the differences in altitude that actually affords one a view.
I was happy there.



 

Back to the salt mines.

 

 

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