Wonderful Visitors - to hearts and home

So it has been a little busy here in France - with friends visiting (where we all stay up till 1 or 2am and wonder how it got so late) and trips away to plan - so my blog writing time has been reduced (not that there is that much for it to start with, what with wines to be had on warm evenings and late dinners after the kids are in bed).  But tonight it was 13 degrees here when we arrived back from three (hot) days in Montpellier so the fire is on and there are no friends here so it seems like a good blog night. 

So here's a quick post to let you know we are all still alive and having fun, and also if I don't then I will completely get out of the habit and there will be no more posts.  So while this is mostly about the fantastic peeps who have come to visit so far that we are so blessed to have in our lives, there's also the odd digression into other random things - because I'm good at that.

There has been a steady stream of visitors since we have arrived and it has been so nice to sit on warm evenings by the pool, mooch into the couch after dinner and settle in for hours of laughs and lots of wine.  We are looking forward to some of them returning, and also new visitors - and also being visitors ourselves when we do a bit more travelling around.  For lots more pictures than I've put here...click here.     

My brother Joe came over for almost a week not long after we had arrived.  He caught a quick flight from the UK (for like 20pounds).  It was great showing him some of the things we had discovered.  He had cool suggestions which is how we ended up doing the cycling along the Canal du Midi.  Some pickies here.  I miss having Joe around and he has lived in the UK for about 3-4 years.  He is so funny and clever and we have the best chats about all sorts of things.  He arrived with presents for the kids which they love - because they were in desperate need of some new toys as not many came in the suitcases.  We had hilarity as Joe spoke French better than Gregg - but together they caused mayhem in the little restaurant we had lunch in after cycling.  Some of the French people around here have a particular accent to how they say some words.  Emily (our neighbour and wonderful hostess) had told me a funny story about how she was misunderstood when trying to say 'apple' ie 'pomme' and had to repeat it until finally she had a response of 'ah, pomme-uh'.  (I also had the same thing ordering Elena something strawberry flavoured - frais....which finally got a 'ah, frais-uh'.  The same was when Joe was trying to order Mint icecream (and not from the menu - from beside the freezer with all the tubs of icecream in it).  Mint in French is Menthe - so Joe said it how we do in NZ....mon-the.  The lovely young waitress looked confused, until she figured out where he was pointing....:"ah, muuunt-uh" - which to all of us just sounded like 'munter'.  Which because we have lots of laughs with Joe, this word had been bandied around lots already in reference to each other, it just caused hysterics.  There were so many good times with Joe.  Elena and Jonathan loved him to bits and were sad to see him go.  Jonathan carries the train engine around all the time.  Joe is Jonathan's God father and we have seen him three times now in the past 8-9 months.  Can't wait for him to visit again.  And just putting it out there - he owes me a Guest Blog post!  Waiting, waiting. 

Joe holds up food if it is there in photos. 

 
We had one night cross over with Joe and the arrival of Fiona and Malcolm who had come to France on their honeymoon.  Fiona and I have been friends since we sat next to each other on our first day of our post-grad tourism course in 1998.  And we have had some fun times since.  So with Joe there too, who knows Fiona pretty well too, it was such a fun night around our old dining room table.

Fiona and Malcolm, Gregg and Joe (with the food!!)

We, unfortunately, couldn't be there for their wedding in Wellington, (so heartbroken that I had to send a 'telegram' instead of being there), but we're so glad they wanted to see us that they came to see us on their travels!!   Twice.  After a couple of nights here, they went on a roadtrip and came back for a couple of nights.  More late nights!!!  Lots of wine.  Didn't manage cycle the Canal du Midi, but did walk along it from Bram.  We went past two locks - and it still takes me a bit of brain capacity to figure out and explain how they actually work - and I've watched a lot of them here now.  We happily watched the first lock and the boat in it go through the gates and there was the friendly lock lady who controlled the gate).  We got right up close to see.  At the second lock, Fiona and Malcolm tried to go and watch the boats....and hurriedly got told off by the not so friendly lady who controlled the gate.  You didn't even need to understand a word of French to know what she was on about.  The boats in the locks are fascinating to watch, as are the people aboard. Some seem to talk to each other, others don't.  Some look as if they are enjoying the whole experience, others not.  Some have people doing all the work for them, others run around themselves all stressed about getting the ropes across to land while others do it all with such ease.  I did see a family travelling with two young girls around Elena's age.  Firstly - how boring for the kids, but also, how stressful for the parents with the potential to go overboard.  Also we wonder sometimes, how boring to be on the boats.  They go so slowly.  We were walking faster than some of them between the lock gates.  Perhaps that is the holiday they need - to go that slow - it's just tooooo slow for me. 
We showed Fiona and Malcolm our favourite market town of Mirepoix - sans market and with market.  Both days were lots of fun.  We set our (invaluable) GPS to head off to Limoux (where they make Blanquette - French bubbles) from there after the market day, and it wound us through Tour de France country - which was very cool to see, but the longest way the GPS could have chosen for us to go.  I tried to book in to go to a fancy vineyard as a bit of a celebration lunch - but it was closed the day we wanted to go.  So we did a celebration dinner at home - typical Fiona and Rachel style.  Fun in the kitchen getting things ready, drinks outside, yummy dinner inside under the chandelier (that's probably not so typical - but very cool nonetheless). 

Mr and Mrs Barber - Congratulations

Celebration dinner - Dessert.  Looks nice and French.  Was a NZ Annabel Langbein favourite from home

Managed to jusush up inside and out with lanterns and candles to make it a bit more celebrationary, had a lovely magnum of Premier Boule bubbles that Gregg and I got at a place that does just bubble tastings.  Forget about still wine tastings.  And while we are on the subject of bubbles - we pay far too much for French champagne at home.  We got 6 bottles and a big magnum of fantastic bubbles for the price of one bottle of Verve at home.  It is not all good though.  I did get some from the supermarket - and tried a new type - Fruits instead of the more usual Sec or Brut.  It was really sickly sweet.  We also pay far too much for lots of things at home it seems - but that is for another time. 
I loved looking at the photos of Fiona and Malcolm's road trip along the Cote d'Azur and back to us again. And their stories of what they did and where they went.  Aunty Fi had a cool stone from one of her beaches for Elena (that Jonathan keeps stealing).  The kids both loved having more cuddles and fun times and attention.  I was envious of the freedom Fiona and Malcolm had to do what they wanted, whereas we have the kids to consider all the time and limiting what we can actually achieve versus what we want to do.  And they did it all without a GPS - and having done a trip since then to a few places, I am so proud they managed without one.  I don't know how well we'd be managing.  But for them, what an amazing place to come for their honeymoon.  Like us, I bet that they have made memories forever and loved it all!  Their visit is definitely part of our memories of our time in France.
Our latest visitor has been Noelia - who was our lovely au pair from France who lived with us in NZ for 6 months before Jonathan was born.  Noelia, more affectionately known as Nono, became part of our family and we have missed her so much.  Elena has missed her - they were together all the time while Gregg and I were at work.  I still remember all the giggles and fun they had in the mornings before we disappeared for the day. 

Noelia looking relaxed and at home.

Elena was so excited about seeing Nono again - and when she was here was lit up.  I know that when she went back to France, part of Elena's world fell apart.  She had become such a good friend - and it has been so lovely to see her again.  Elena made a sign with me to show her where to come down our little country road.  It was like making her 'Welcome Noelia' sign that we took to Auckland Airport when she arrived in NZ 18 months ago.  We were standing by the driveway when Noelia arrived.  Hugs.  Presents for the kids. Again.  And for us this time too.  Wine.  Lollies just like she brought to NZ for us.  And lovingly made macaroons and pastries.  Again - more late nights and early mornings mooching on the couch.  More outings to our favourite places.  Managed to go to the vineyard for lunch this time.  Went to Carcassonne castle.  Went on the butterfly walk at our place with the kids, had picnic morning teas at the front of the house and just did normal every day things.  It was so like old times.  We found a kids play area like Lollipops and had fun with the kids there.  We planned ski holidays on websites we probably wouldn't have found.  We found three hour train fares to Paris.  It was nice having a local Frenchie help us with things like that.  And with Noelia wanting to come back to NZ in July, we were all playing 'travel agents' for each other.  We had conversations in French - about all sorts of things - so it makes me realise my French is not as bad as I think, and with a little bit of patience and a little help with my pronunciation, I can chat away for hours at a time. We've planned to catch up in November and while we are skiing, so for now it has been 'a bientot'.  Elena is missing Nono again and talks of her lots and smiles.  Jonathan made a new friend.  And more great memories have been created.

And more to come.  Hurry up November when my cousins Maria and Hugh have managed to coordinate a visit to us.  Maria and James coming from London and Hugh and Julianna from Newport, USA.  There's also Juliette, a friend from high school who lives a couple of hours away (such a small world) that we need to catch up with - who also runs a facebook page for Kiwis living in France; and friends from work who also happen to be visiting near here.  And anyone else who wants to visit - (and visit again Joe- what are your dates) - there is plenty of room.   

It is so nice being on the other side of the world to home, but feeling like we are at home.  Friends and family.  Important peeps.