Over the winterbreak my love and I took our first born on a trip by way of present- and gifted our girls with our presence in their small Parisian apartment. After a week of walking, bicycling (
vive la velib!) and culinary delights in the city of light, love, and art, all together we joined family festivities in the motherland. Or fatherland, I'm never sure.
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| galarie lafayette |
I took some very crappy pictures with my phone, which I am sharing anyway
(if, like me when I took them, you do not put your glasses on, they will be alright I think)
It was wonderful, yes it was. I mean, Paris, with my love and our children...and by bike! The feeling of freedom
(okay, okay, and sometimes the feeling of danger, because in their infinite wisdom the French have decided that is it a good idea for busses and taxis to share their small space with the two-wheelers, the majority of whom are probably tourists who are meanwhile trying to see as much as possible and keep it safe) when I can propel and steer myself- breathing freshish air (
better than the metro!).
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| never tiring view from the window at Rue Mouffetard |
We managed to once again NOT do the Eiffel tower, and by now I think we will just not do that, ever. Instead we stood in line for another view by night from the Arc de Triomphe. It was meant to be by twilight but the line was too long.
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| the bells the bells |
Family time continued in the Netherlands with visits and gatherings, some real thanksgiving-like including family dynamics. The younglings finally got to experience the New Year I remembered and had told them stories about. We sampled oliebollen, played sjoelen, and experienced the blast at midnight.
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| Bente, Vera, Lisa |
There too, we marvelled at bicyling, bike paths, wind in our hair... ah! Were happy to be taken care of by my mom and her cooking. Met with long-lost relatives during a family reunion-on-my-love's-side (
in some cases met them for the first time!).
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| (aunt Jopie at the far left), Dylan, Bryan, Thijs, and Nigel, the four Benschop boys/cousins |
Too soon, it was time to catch trains, flights. Skip a night, go back to work immediately and question how long ago was this dream of traveling in Europe?
