Two months have pasted since I last wrote, so I will try and reflect back accurately to my latest adventures.
Being a good canadian host that I am, one evening I took Julie and an american friend to a restaurant that has been calling me since the first day I came to France. The "Canadian Corner". We sat down to a classic canadian meal of roast beaf in bbq sauce with fries.... ignoring our uncanadian baguette and wine.
The restaurant was decorated very tightly and the room did not lack character ...or open wall, roof, or floor space. There were items canadian, and items not at all canadian. There were licences plates from Quebec, but then also from Alaska... There were road crossing signs for bears, but then also for camels. There was a giant stuffed Moose head, but then also a stuffed cheetah head. So.... when I questioned the actual knowledge of the owners perception on Canada, he just let me know that the mixed theme was for the ambiance only. Apparently Canadian Corner used to be a chain of three in Paris. Now, they are sadly the last ones standing.
With the friendly service and friendly friends, I give this restaurant a 4.26 star rating.
Augustin, the now 8 year old boy, had a grand birthday party here at the house with 16 kids. Christine and I had large afternoon. This clever kid realized the more friends you invite, the more presents you get... so he definitely profited from his day. Lego Star-wars is all that I have been dreaming about lately.
In the beginning of May, I enjoyed a little vacation for 5 days at the Cote d'Azur. My wonderful host mother Christine put this trip together for me and sent me off to her aunt and uncles house with her cousin/godson. Louis who lives in Paris, is who I joined by plane to the south where we stayed in his families house in Vence. https://maps.google.fr/maps?hl=fr&q=Vence&ie=UTF-8
This was a perfect vacation, because I really had nothing planned and still got too see the entire Cote d'Azure with a welcoming, warm french family. Their house was gorgeous with a swimming pool on the veranda that looks over a green valley, and leads your vision to the sea.
In the family there is Genvieve and Denis the parents, Louis and Julie the "big kids". In their car we visited, Antibes, Cannes, St. Paul de Vence, Vence, Nice, Cagnes-sur-mer, Monaco, and few others. I was very happy to have my own tour guides. Louis even arranged with some friends to go out one evening, which gave me the chance to see Nice at night.
On the Sunday was an election day. We all went down to the school gym to vote (except the canadian), and then we had a late easter egg hunt at the house with Louis and Julie! It was 4 weeks after easter and these "big kids" were not willing to let the tradition die, so I got the honour of searching for chocolate eggs with them in the South of France. It was one of those moments when you ask yourself how you got there. That same evening, with a satisfied stomach, we watched the television to find out that a new president has been elected. Nicolas Sarkozy is out and François Holland is in. BIG changes happening in France.
These are still only a few days that I've written about, and in 2 months clearly a lot can happen. My social life is still there, I just wont write about it here :)
Less than two months to go. I'll see if I can sneak one last post in around the beginning of July.
Adios
