IKEA et la neige!

Il neige! 

Good thing we stocked up yesterday. Realised while cooking breakfast, however, that if the power goes out we're in trouble. We have cheese and bread, but our rice, pasta and meat will all be useless to us.

We spent most of yesterday shopping actually. 1^St stop: IKEA! We walked through the whole incredible fiesta of interior decoration and walked out (eventually we found the exit – sortie) with a high chair for Louis, and a couple of those cover-all bibs. Such self-control! 

It has a tray but we've left it off for now - uses up less space this way and we can just push him up to the table.

We haven't got access to the apartment we'll be living in, so without measurements it would be stupid to get much, or anything. Also, Luuk's colleagues, who sorted out the apartment for us, also started buying furniture and basic necessities. So, until we've had a proper look at that stuff, much of which will be delivered on the 18^th, it'd be silly to buy anything substantial. They didn't buy us a toaster though – so that's good. We are sorted in that department. Sorted in style :)

And yet, have only used it once (my new purple toaster, that is). Most of the bread here is awesomely good and not for toasting. Wandering around the supermarket, everyone has baguettes sticking out of their baskets/trolleys. And fair enough, they are soft and delicious. And a very cheap way of keeping the baby entertained while we shop!

We spent ages in the supermarket, trying to decrypt the labels to the laundry detergents, then the cheeses (what a selection!) and then the sausages (got 3 different kinds – will have a tasting!)

After that, I was in hunt of another hat; my second chapeau since arriving in Paris. The first is gorgeously soft grey cashmere but too thin to save my ears from numbness. My second is heavier and purple. It covers most of my ears and still does that cool floppy-on-top thing that seems to be the way-to-wear a hat here. Distant cousin of the beret perhaps. I have a beret from NZ, but it does not meet the ear-covering requirement of the last few days.

Other highlights of yesterday:

• Luuk drove a lot more, and further, on the motorway. He's doing fantastically with changing gears with the other hand, on the other side of the car, on the other side of the road. GPS is a freakin' god-send. It got us to IKEA and back, safe and sound. The only time we went wrong was coming out of the parking garage, before the signal was good. Oops.
  
  
• A few shops down the mall from IKEA there was an 'acrochats' – a kids playland, similar to chipmunks in NZ, but frankly much higher (as in 4 or 5 levels of playground, going up well over 2 stories). The petit playground (for under 3s) was perfect for Louis, who was well over sitting in the pushchair. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  He spent most of the time putting the balls in and out of the ball pit, and defending himself from the rather tall 2 year-olds who found him in their way. I was so proud. And happy, sitting there with my coffee, wondering why I didn't put my kindle in the bag, because there was free wireless at the playground. The internet at our apartment isn't working this morning, but as soon as its up and running again, I’ll find out if there is another acrochats closer to where we'll be living. And I'll post this blog, adding pictures...
  
  
• After our adventures, we returned to our petit, chaud (warm) apartment and I made a meal just like we have had in NZ loads of times – mashed potatoes with spinach mixed through, and pesto chicken on top. Delish. Not quite the same as back home.... the potatoes were way creamier! Probably just dumb luck on our part, picking out the potatoes that said 'puree' on the label. Also, pesto pasta sauce was much more reasonably priced. Proximity to Italy is so going to have some serious perks! Then we watched 'Castle' in french, with the subtitles on. Bought the first season on DVD at carrefour. The TV here is, of course, all in french, and no subtitles, so we thought a stepping-stone would help. And we've seen Castle before, so it doesn't matter so much if we miss things. We tried out 4 different french cheeses and (finally) managed to stay up till after 9pm before going to bed! TV is good for something.

Last thing: Louis slept till 6am! Jet lag est terminée? Il est possible.