Overdoing it.

Oh, I had quite the list today. Only just made it home. Then, while eating lunch posted on facebook 'yeesh. wore myself out' and an hour later I realised I'd posted it not on my own feed but on a group page.  Oops. Evidence of overdoing it, perhaps.

The list doesn't look very impressive, but here it is:
- make hair appointment
- buy bagels (frozen food shop)
- buy other few groceries + special ingredients for dinner
- laundry (yep, every freaking day)
- get children's books from library
- get bread from bakery
- put rubbish in basement
- put boxes in 'cave'
- write. Something. (Yes, I suppose, this counts, but it's not really what I meant.)

I haven't had my hair done since we got to France and it's looking pretty awful. My light brown natural colour looks rather dull against the grown-out darker brown I had done in January, in Christchurch. Or was it December? I forget. Anyway, at a glance, I have greying temples. I've checked and there's no grey, but it's not a great look, at 27 years. Add to that some serious split ends and a well-grown-out layering... ick. But I haven't got a hairdresser to go to yet, so there was research to be done. There are a couple of fancy salons on the main street and I stopped in for quotes.

'Combien pour de me teindre, et de coupe, pour moi?' I held out my pony-tail to show how long my hair was. (It's usually more expensive than the standard colour price.)

Both places printed me a receipt and off I went, after stuttering out something like,
'Je pense and je retourner plus tard.' (I think and I return later... in terrible french, I suspect.)
Not part of the planned script, but hey, I was understood. They even held the door so I could maneuver my ginormous self, as well as Louis in the pushchair, out of the door.

Horrified by the prices (over 100 Euros) I did a quick search on my phone to see if there were other hair places nearby. Went to three more. The third was the cheapest at 67.50E so I made the appointment then and there, rather than waiting and having to do it over the phone - always challenging across a language barrier.

Ranging from 108Euro to 67.50Euro... Quick Hair it is! See you Samedi, 15H (3pm, Saturday).

The salon is just a few doors down from the frozen food shop. I was questioning he wisdom of getting anything as would have to go straight home. Need baby food options as having a nightly nightmare getting Louis to eat nutritious dinners. But that'll have to wait till another day. Got the bagels I really wanted - doesn't matter if they defrost a bit - and left. Miraculous. I wonder if anyone has ever been into Picard and bought just one thing before? Helped that I didn't walk through the shop, just ducked past the checkout and bee-lined for the breads, which are second to last. Almost caved and got ice cream, the last thing before the checkout, but I'd already promised Louis a library visit. Sorry, Luuk, no ice cream tonight, again.

We got the other groceries, then I realised, at the checkout, that I'd forgotten the crackers. Essential? Well, you'd think not, but I am going to try a couple of recipes tonight and one actually calls for 'Ritz crackers'... and I haven't seen, them or anything similar, since arriving in France...

But there's no way I was taking groceries off the conveyor and heading back up the aisles to the pathetic cracker selection... so I stopped in at the Boucherie on the way home and grabbed a bag of chips from their gourmet food section. Expensive? Yes. But they'll do the job. And as the recipe won't require the whole bag, I get to have a yummy late afternoon snack.

Some of my purchases for dinner. 

Luuk got the duck a when he shopped on Monday... 

and I found a recipe that requires shallots and creme de cassis: 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-surreal-gourmet/pan-seared-duck-breast-with-cassis-compote-recipe/index.html

My second recipe is something I saw on pinterest. The small baking dish and the chips are for this: 

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/cheesy-buttery-puff-122860.aspx

Cheesy buttery puff. Sounds so divine. And naughty.

Serving size is 6 people. In attempt not to be quite so naughty I went and got a smaller baking dish and will be doing a half-recipe.

Next stop, Library. Had to be escorted by a staff member in order to be allowed to use the elevator (I'll leave my terrible impromptu french up to your imagination) but found the children's book section and let loose a very happy Louis. He picked out several board books and could have spent ages longer... but I was hungry and growing very weary.

Yay! Something new to read. I'm so sick of our meager Hairy Maclary selection and The Three Little Pigs. All these new books are in French - educational for me as well as Louis!

Last stop, bakery. Got my baguette and pain au chocolat and headed, oh-so-wearily home. Fortunately, did the laundry and rubbish before I left. Don't think much more is going to happen this afternoon. I have a good book and it's highly likely that even such gripping fiction will not keep me from napping. The boxes can go to the cave another day.

Beaucoup de Photos!

Haven't been doing this regularly enough... too many photos and would be an obscenely long blog if I wrote any more than captions for them. So that's all it shall be...

1st things first: Food glorious food (one of the top reasons to come to France)

Lunch. Just an ordinary everyday deliciousness.

Friday night's dinner: pesto pasta with butter-fried mushrooms and bacon on a fresh salad. C'est bon.

Breakfast on saturday: I may have gone a little over the top... French toast with creme fraiche, strawberries and bacon, and then a side of ham and cheese croissant. 

If you're going to go over the top, then this is the way to do it.

Louis enjoying some french bread at the cafe on the corner. Had lunch there again on Saturday. Fantastic fare AND a high chair for Louis. Rare here, and very much appreciated. Way to win us over.

Louis in his new bath, with his new watering can (came with the sandpit implements).

On another day, a non-bath day, Louis wanted to get in with Dad. He knew he was missing out on something.

Like father like son...

Louis and I were enjoying our new perks (internet!) while Luuk was away, watching youtube videos... Louis reached out and hit a couple of keys... opened up the source. Hm.

Just relaxing with a good book. (Also very like his father)

When Luuk got home he set to work getting the 'freebox' (which provides our internet, phone, television, etc.) set up and efficient... which demanded the purchase of a little ethernet cable. Louis was stoked.

But then knowing what to do with ethernet cable makes you more employable than not, I suppose.

(In this photo: Louis trying to open my easel-box)

There is still, and always, the possibility he'll end up a struggling artist... like his mum.

Enjoying the sunshine (and waiting for the couch to be delivered... it never came but we're on to it.)

Checking out the menu for Planet Sushi. Luuk will be stopping there on the way to the hospital, at the latest, the day after this baby is born.

Today (Sunday) is our wedding anniversary! 5 years ago today and we were just leaving our wedding reception. This afternoon we're off to Paris to see the eiffel tower and maybe some other sights (weather and line-length dependent)... even have a babysitter coming.

This morning we went down to the local market, which is huge! Sells all sorts of things from clothes and accessories, to kitchen implements and furnishings. 

Then there's produce, flowers and every type of food...

I am getting more confident asking for what I want, and also asking the vendors how to say things correctly in French. "En francais, comment dites [insert English word with french accent here]?" Everyone seems very happy to help me with my french (perhaps appreciating my efforts).

The cheese selections are particularly spectacular. This is one of SEVERAL frommageries. Overwhelming? Yes. But I am limited to the pasteurised cheeses. Which, strangely, helps. Still, I am very much looking forward to exploring the options more thoroughly once I am allowed to do so.

Who's that handsome man buying flowers?

Feeling very french-villagey (and looking very preggers), carrying home our baguettes (lunch!) and the flowers from the market. It is our wedding anniversary, after all. Red roses... very appropriate.

Today's the day...

... we get the key! In fact Luuk has already got the key, and he's probably on his 2nd or 3rd load of stuff: our boxes which we freighted over from the other side of the world, as well as all the stuff Luuk's work organised for us.

... we get an OB! I sent a couple of emails last week, to obstetricians I found recommended on 'Message' (great website for english-speaking parents/tobe in Paris). I finally got a reply and he could see us today at 10am... bit of a panic trying to get in touch with Luuk, but managed to. He picked Louis and me up and we were on time to our first obstetrics appointment. The doctor speaks great english and has a sense of humour, though I'm not sure he'll be encouraging me to use gas for pain during labour - or 'gas hilariant' as it's called here. French system is famous for going straight to the epidural... which sounds rather tempting actually, but I managed without last time, in part because of that sweet sweet gas, and in part because my active labour was short (relative, very relative... felt long).

... strawberries are on special! Small fries compared to other events, but I like sets of 3, and finding pleasure  in the small things...

 C'est bonne?

Oui, maman. Vraiment!

Mmm, afternoon tea. Balanced diet - equal parts fruit and chocolate?

Also found a new nappybagthing. I refuse to buy an actual nappy bag because they tend to be made of fabrics that make me shudder, look like saturday morning cartoons, and cost an inordinate amount of money. Really, a big bag with a few different pockets does the trick. My other one was perfect, but the handle broke recently. So... voila! The replacement:

Yes, it is very (tres!) similar but feels a bit more solid. Also has no silly tassles, and more firmly-secured straps. Bit boring and black, but goes with everything. Possibly should have forked out the extra 10E for the Italian leather one further down the mall, but then it'd last for ages and I'd have no excuse to get a new bag in a year or two. Pardon me for being a hopeless consumer.

I'm very excited about going to see our apartment later this afternoon, and starting to move in! Furniture/appliances are being delivered tomorrow and then we can stay there. It's going to feel huge after this little apartment/hotel suite we've had since we arrived in France. Louis is having a good long nap, so no hurry, but really want Luuk to come and get me so I can see it already! Will post photos later/tomorrow.

Cherry on the top: dinner out in Antony tonight! Must do our research on our new locale, after all. Essential.

1st day of normal life

Today is Luuk's first day of work. He even wore a shirt (as opposed to a tee-shirt).

He drove very carefully out of the icy car-park and safely made his way, through snowy Paris, to work. Hurrah! Success.

Unfortunately, the buggy is in the back of the car, so Louis and I were a bit stranded. Stranded and out of bread. So I loaded up the backpack with all the necessities for going anywhere with a baby: wipes, a nappy, sipper cup, snack, bib. And then I added all my bits and bobs: money, inhaler, tissues, lippy, phrasebook, passports, shopping bags. And finally, a well-wrapped up little Louis.

I zipped up my boots, wishing they had less heel, or none at all, and put on my new hat, my old jacket, and tied up my scarf. I hoisted the backpack onto my back, and we made our way downstairs and out into the snow and ice. Fortunately, it wasn't too cold, there being no wind.

The shopping was successful, and involved less walking-in-circles than it has other times. Couldn't find the pegs, or think of an intelligible way to ask anyone where they would be. But got everything else on the list. Haven't found Louis some thicker, warmer, possibly woollen socks.

Next stop McDonalds, in hope of a playground. But they don't have one! So I was saved from eating McDonalds, but too hungry to walk home without something. We stopped and I had a coffee and a 4 fromage panini (actually a toasted mini-baguette). Louis ate the biscuit that came with my coffee. Then I loaded up the bag, then myself, and we headed home.

Figured out how to use the camera timer, just so you could all see how spiffing Louis and I look in our winter woollies, on our adventures...

It was great to get outside after yesterday. We weren't actually snowed in, but I suppose we were voluntarily so. It was a nice relaxing day, though I did feel a bit cabin-feverish by mid afternoon. We read and watched some 'How I met your Mother' in french (figured out how to get the french subtitles to show - very helpful!) on the tv. We ate quite a lot of our food stash. Luuk made a fantastic dinner of yummy pasta and this fabulously rich sausage:

which Louis discovered he liked! Finally, a meat he'll eat un-pureed! 

For tonight, I have salmon, and I think I'll make risotto. This afternoon I think I'll have a nap, while Louis is sleeping, and perhaps look up info on obstetricians. Need to get that sorted pretty smartly. Unfortunately, it's hard to sort out anything when you don't have a bank account, permanent address, or resident card.

If Louis has a long sleep I might even take another look at my query letter draft. As soon as we have found a way of printing and a return address, I'll be sending off my romance novel to Mills & Boon. As always, sending queries is exciting and scary at once. But I think it's important that I keep working away as if I were in NZ, otherwise I'll get down. Especially while we're staying out near Luuk's work, and a long way from the trains. I'm not completely stuck at home, but going out, especially with the weather the way it's been, is hard work. It will be good for me to have things to do at home. If only there was a playground nearby, where Louis could play and I could write.

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.