Sometimes you have to be specific

Lindsey was taking no chances on her recent request to the Tooth Fairy. Her note on the left tells the TF exactly where she lives now (Aix en Provence) and then she gets more specific with the note on the right, telling her where to find the tooth (and requesting that she leave her white board behind).

Australia Day in France

Like most places we go, it doesn't take much of an excuse to have a party

EIGUILLES - One of the nice things about living with in a place with a lot of ex-pat from different countries is you get to celebrate all the national holidays. Today is Australia Day so we of course had to partake in the pre-requisite 'barby.' Our friends the Campbells had us over for an Australia Day celebration, which as one would imagine features much red meat and beer.

He may be Irish, but Soup is Australian at heart, judging from the size of his barby

The ritual Xmas Tree burning

We used the occasion as a Christmas tree burning ceremony as well. The Campbells - Tom (Soupy), Paula, Meghan (Savannah's pal), and Ryan -  live on winery just outside the village of Eiguilles and have a lot of open space to roam around - and burn Christmas trees. They are from Brisbane, via Ireland originally, and are very familiar with the nuances of throwing a good barby.

It was an eclectic bunch of folks from all over the place, and I still don't know what we were actually celebrating. And naturally, in true Provo tradition, we were the last ones to leave.

But here's to Australia!

Eating grapes at midnight

Ready for the grape countdown to 2011

BARCELONA - It's fun to travel around to different countries in Europe and learn about their local traditions. On New Year's this year, we visited our friends Gary, Karen, Emma and Abby (and their new dog Sancho) in Barcelona. It seems in Spain, it's customary to eat one grape per second during the final countdown to the new year at midnight.

Blowing in the new year

So Karen dutifully stocked up on grapes and we popped them in our mouths as the TV anchor lady and the Spanish version of Dick Clark counted us into 2011. Afterward, fireworks lit up the sky and we watched the different neighborhoods celebrate from the top floor of our friend's apartment, while the kids ran around like crazy blowing horns. Staying up til midnight is one thing, but getting to scream your bloody head off, too, was just over the top for the four girls.

Chico escapes from his new Spanish pal

Chico and Sancho were not amused.

The trip to Barcelona was a great one. We had been there in August but the family had been less settled in then, having only moved in July. Now, they were much more familiar with the city and Barcelona was still in holiday mode so it was a lot of fun. And the girls got to compare notes on what their first few months of international school were like.

Picasso. For Free

We did some typically tourist things like a taking tour of the city, with an emphasis on Picasso. The great Pablo is like a god there even though he didn't live in Spain very much because of his opposition to Franco (ironically, despite his Spanish roots Picasso spent a lot time in our neck of the woods in and around Aix, and his final home is located here). We visited his museum in Barcelona and saw the only outside display (read: free) of his work, which is on the side of a school in the middle of the old city.

Picasso's watering hole: 4 Gats

We even had dinner at the famous 4 Gats bar, where Pablo hung out and got drunk from time to time.

Culture overload on New Year's Eve

Outside of the Palau de la Musica

After soaking up that bit of culture, you would have thought we would have had our fill. But, no, we took it up a notch on New Year's Eve with a bona fide classical music performance at the Palau de la Musica. It was an evening of Johan Strauss, the Waltz King, and to be honest my first real classical music performance. We had reserved a little box up in the balcony, which made me feel like the two old guys in the Muppets. But the views were great and the music was really enjoyable. The orchestra mixed it up with Strauss tunes -  fast and slow, waltzes and polka and marching songs -  and the big Russian soprano lady broke things up, too. Of course the only one I recognized was the Blue Danube, which apparently is a New Year's Eve tradition. I only recall it from the Caddy Shack sound track.

Cirque - sorry no cameras inside!

One of the other highlights of this trip was a chance to see the Cirque de Soleil performance that was touring through. We saw Varekai, which had the usual assortment of jaw dropping acts by the troupe's incredible performers. Fantastic light show and music, and really just amazing stunts and acrobatics. There was even a Turks & Caicos connection - the daughter of our friends the Balls (of North Caicos via Liverpool), is a trapeze artist in this show.

They eat alot of ham in Spain

We spent four great days in Barcelona catching up with our friends, seeing the Catalan sites, eating good food, decompressing from Christmas and ringing in the new year. It opened our eyes to the difference between European big city living and our more bucolic life in France. I have to say I like them both.

Merry Aix-mas. Pere Noel Visits Le Bergerie

Waiting for Pere Noel Christmas Eve

The kids plow through their haul, including a new bike (rear)

Toni and Chico show off their new winter wear

Click here for the SmileBox photo gallery

A Holiday Skype-fest

Huddled around the laptop to share the special moments

Skype always comes in handy when living in remote locales such as we do. The sharing of special moments such as opening Christmas presents from Grandma loses little bit of the effect of being there live, but the girls enjoy staying in touch with their cousins one way or the other.

A Waltz through Vienna

Christmas Market in Vienna

VIENNA - After Budapest we trained it to Vienna (2 hours) for a quick taste of Bavarian-style Christmas. It's a beautiful city, especially this time of year. We wandered through the Christmas market and took a horse and buggy ride through the old town. The city was alive with Christmas spirit, and spirits.

An added bonus was connecting with Lindsey's old Ashcroft School friend Emma and her Mom, who now live in Prague and drove to Vienna to meet us. We enjoyed their company and their language skills, and we did a mini tour of the city with them, including a stop at the apartment where Beethoven once lived. Vienna is ground zero for classical music with rock stars like Mozart, Brahms, Schubert and Ludwig himself all calling it home at one time or another.

Beethoven's ivories

We wished we had a bit longer in this great city but I was growing tiered of buying new underwear (still no baggage) and headed back to Aix for Xmas. 

December on the Danube

Budapest is a city of contrast on both sides of the Danube

The thermal baths on a balmy 25 degree (F) afternoon

Healthy eating is not a mainstay of Hungarian living

Femme fatale and her vin chaud

 

The Four Seasons where we didn't stay

We're a long way from home

Swimming with the Sharks

No, not a clip from some cheap Turkish porn flick, this is a typical Budapest scene. A bunch of almost naked 80 year Hungarian guys sitting around in the healing waters of the thermal baths playing chess - out doors in sub freezing weather. Is that your rook or are you just happy to see me?