Here is Estelle at the park yesterday morning with Elliot and Pauline. Sadly, Pauline and her parents (Sylvianne is her mom) are moving away too at the end of June, to Lyon. Good for them, sad for me.
Last night our friend Pierre came over for dinner and to watch "FOOT MULTIPLEX". This is a big event. It is the last day of regular season games in the French soccer league, and the last chance for teams to clinch their ranking which determines - oh, who the hell knows but it is all VERY important and significant and dramatic. If team A playing team B wins by 3 points and team X playing team Y gets beat by only 1 point, then it means....something truly meaningful, but I can't tell you what. Thus there were 10 different games going on simultaneously, and instead of broadcasting just one, the cable channel with the monopoly on soccer (Canal+) shows a rotating handful of them on the screen all as little squares and whenever there is a goal there is a sound of a bugle, like the king has just arrived. Then the game in question where the goal has just been scored zooms to the forefront of the screen. Last night was record-breaking in that 43 goals were scored over the spectrum of these 10 games. This meant a LOT of bugle noises spitting out of my TV, lots of hollering both inside and outside my apartment. I just sat quietly at my computer translating.
Before the bugle bonanza began, and before bedtime, Pierre and Estelle engaged in a their own record-breaking - how many stuffed animal pins can you knock over with your squishy bowling ball. I would have bugled had I known what the evening had in store.
Also yesterday, Estelle suddenly played "DODO" (sleep) with all her toys. Everyone had to lie on the rug and "fait dodo". Papa was no exception.
Today it was up at out by 9 a.m. for a little excursion. This girl was ready to go. So was her bebe.
So where we were off to so early? Just a 15 minute drive away to St. Jean Cap Ferrat, where there is a walking path around the edge of this famous peninsula (see St. Patrick's Day post about the hotel where I taught one day). It was fun and beautiful. The beach near here is lovely and perfect for a toddler - unlike Nice, which is huge pebbles/stones and does not slope gracefully. We will go back with our shovels and suits! There were people in the water at 10:30 a.m.!
Looking east
Below in this photo you see the Cap de Nice just above Thomas' head. This is looking west
The bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer behind Thomas and Estelle, a very famous bay for dropping anchor off-shore for cruiseboats and yachts.
Plage Passable
And this afternoon's outing- up to the chateau hill overlooking Nice to the playground. The girl has mastered the drinkbox.
The masts you see behind them are in the port of Nice this time. Looking east, sort of towards where we had been this morning!
Last ride before calling it a day.
