Our trip to London to see President Bush!

Yes, you read correctly, the children and I went to London to see President Bush over Thanksgiving weekend! That is President Freda Bush, my mom. She is president of the Federation of State Medical Boards and had a series of meetings in London the 1st week of December, so I decided to meet her and my father the weekend before the meetings began. Unfortunately Preston was unable to go with us because of work and of course Daniele is in school, so this was the first trip that I have taken alone with just Maya, Lauren and John.

We decided to take the train from Clermont to Paris and then the Eurostar from Paris to London on the Friday following Thanksgiving. It was reasonably priced for the 4 of us to travel 2nd class, but not necessarily easy. We packed our bags "European style" ie. very lightly and set out on our voyage. The train from Clermont left at 6 am and arrived in Paris at 10 am. We then had to change stations by metro in order to take the Eurostar to London. This was our first time passing through the Chunnel and honestly, it was not as exciting as I thought it would be. The entire ride from Paris to London is only about 2 hours and the only reason I knew we were under the water was because it went from daytime to totally darkness for about 30 minutes and then we were on the other side. The most uncomfortable part of the trip was that we had seats that faced backwards the entire trip! Not good for someone with slight motion sickness issues. But with that being said, I love that travel in Europe can be done relatively easy without a car! Once in London we took the underground to our hotel to meet mom and dad.

Clermont-Ferrand to Paris

Eurostar, Paris to London

Since it was already Friday afternoon when we arrived in London, we decided to keep our activities light. Our first stop was afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason, a department store that specializes in teas and has several beautiful restaurants.

Mom and Me

scones and finger sandwiches

English Tea!

John and Dad

Beautiful holiday decorations

Afterwards we walked to Hamley’s Toy store and purchased a few souvenir bears celebrating the 250th year of the store. And finally we walked around Piccadilly Circus to take in a few more sights and sounds of Christmas.

Cute animated display

John's favorite toy...Lego's!!!

Piccadilly Circus

Saturday morning, we started with going to Westminster Abbey, the sight of the April wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. On the side of the church is a statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. along with nineteen other 20th century martyrs that are honored.

MLK in the middle

Next, we walked nearby to the Palace of Westminster House of Commons and saw Big Ben. Across from the London Eye, it overlooks the Thames River. Now this trip was a few days before the big snow storm in Europe, so it was pretty cold outside. Fortunately, there were boat tours available that were enclosed and served hot wine and hot chocolate. It was a great way to see lots of sites while staying warm and without walking!

We got off at the Tower Bridge and did a tour of the Tower of London. As I mentioned before, it was really cold, but the highlight was to seeing the crown jewels. Since it gets dark and colder around 4pm, we headed back to the hotel to eat in a local restaurant. There I had real Shepherd's pie with lamb and a glass of cider. Surprisingly, they were both very good. I am not a big lamb eater, but it really hit the spot to have a bit of comfort food on such a cold evening.

Sunday was our last day in London, but also the day that my parents were most tired with jetlag, so we slept in. We made brunch reservations at a wonderful Indian restaurant, Bombay Brasserie. Now I normally don't really care for Indian food, but this was the best Indian food I had every tasted!  The staff was very attentive and helpful with explaining the food and what we should expect. It was a great experience for all of us.

After the wonderful meal, we went to see my Christmas gift to my parents…The Lion King musical!!! I know this was Maya's favorite part of the trip. A lot of the lines and songs were just like the movie and the children loved that, but my mom and I loved that the original music written for the musical had a more African feel to them. And the costumes and staging were fabulous! I think my children are hooked on seeing live musicals.

Our weekend was short and certainly sweet.  There is so much to do in London, but the best part was spending time with my parents over the holiday.

Tenerife, a terrific beach vacation!

One week at the beach with my family was just what the doctor ordered. We were able to use my parents timeshare and we purchased discount plane tickets to go to the Canary Islands for our 1st European beach vacation. Most of our vacations have been like nice fieldtrips, visiting museums and sites and days filled with activities. Also, the weather on most of our European vacations has been cold and rainy even in the spring, so it was time to find hot, sunny weather and lay around and do nothing except spend time with each other. So we headed south...

Tenerife is the largest of the 7 Canary Islands of Spain in the Atlantic Ocean off of the coast of Africa. The temperature is ideal year round with the highs reaching the mid 90's and low's in the mid 70's. The island itself is a full of contrast in the landscape. From the peaks of Mt. Tiede, a volcano located on the island to the desert like areas with cacti and of course the beautiful beaches. Strangely, the north part of the island was much cooler and overcast we needed jackets when we got off of the plane. But the southern part of Tenerife was beautiful and sunny everyday of our vacation. We stayed at the Hollywood Mirage Resort in Los Cristianos in South Tenerife.

The resort catered heavily toward British tourists, so English was spoken everywhere and it had everything you could think of from sports activities to childrens clubs to entertainment and bbq's. Many of these activities were free and the resort restaurants were very reasonable priced, making this actually one of our most afforable vacations. And we had a lot of fun too! We spent lazy days at the beach and the resort pool. We also visited a fantastic waterpark and took a 3 hour sailing cruise to see pilot whales. In the evenings we had family game nights and watched movies. We even participated in the resorts X- factor talent show one night! There were about 11 people in all and guess which 3 Gray family members were selected to perform? Well, I put together a video of our vacation and of course the performances. We had a very relaxing and restful time on our perfect beach vacation!

It has been awhile!

Ok, so it has been awhile since I have posted anything on the blog. You may even be wondering what has been going on with the Gray family for the past 3 months. Well, a lot! So here is the the quick run down...

April...1 week in Rome extended to 9 days because of the volcano in Iceland (but I was not complaining!), Maya's 13th birthday and Daniele's 18th.

May... 4 days in Normandy visiting the Dday beaches and American WWII memorial cementary, rugby championships, Daniele returned to South Carolina for the prom and it snowed, yeah I said snow!

June...Kermesse (the annual school carnival) for John and Lauren , Maya's chorus program, Lauren's art show, going away parties, Church community picnic where Preston roasted a hog, and in 5 days....Daniele will graduate from high school!

I think I have been in the state of denial for the past 3 months! Between the weather and my baby going off to college, it has been easier to just stay busy. And speaking of the weather, it has been really cold and rainy, frankly awful for this time of year. This is the coldest spring that I have ever had in my life! There is just something wrong about wearing boots and leather in June! I am trying to think warm, happy thoughts as we approach the 1st day of summer.

As far as taking time to write the blog, I had been so busy with french and running the house as well as helping Daniele with her applications for college that when all decisions were made about which school she would attend, I just wanted to curl up in the corner and sleep for a few months. I also have been all over the place emotionally, so writing the blog was the last thing on my mind. Now facebook is another story. (don't tell Preston, but he may be right about my addiction, lol)

I plan on writing blogs about those activities I have not shared over the past few months as well as some of our vacations to come. Not that things are slowing down, but I do see a light at the end of the tunnel. Or is that the train that will hit me when I drop my babygirl off at school in 60 days!

Since it is still snowing, I might as well enjoy it!

I must admit that winter is not my favorite season. I don't like to be cold and I don't care for the shorter, overcast days. This winter seems to be particularly long and cold. We have had more snow this year than last year. In fact they even closed school one day because of an unexpected snow storm. That being said, I do want to take advantage of living in a colder climate to experience some winter activities that I would probably not try in the states. Although we enjoyed skiing last year, we haven't been at all this year. The only winter activity that we have done this winter is sledding around Christmas. So last week we tried racquetting or snow shoeing for the 1st time.

After digging out our ski gear and of course long underwear, we were prepared for our walk in the snow. Although there were just a few snow flurries with no accumulation in Clermont-Ferrand, by the time we drove just 40 minutes, we were at Lac de Guéry and there was lots of snow! We rented the racquettes and poles and began to follow the signs. It was cold and snowing, but it was, for the most part, a nice day for walking in what looked like a winter wonderland. The course was 5.5km or 3 miles and was a very good workout. On one part of the trail we climbed up to see a waterfall. On another part, we could looked down to see the frozen lake. There were lots of people out, but not on the trail with us, leaving us alone for a peaceful walk. Well, as peaceful as it could be with 4 children.

Lauren and John enjoyed leading our group and always staying a little to far ahead. When we yelled for them to stop, they would commence to sword fighting with the poles. Daniele was ok, enjoying taking pictures and she has basically learned not to complain. Maya, on the other hand, was less than enthusiatic. During one of our breaks, she decided to start a snowball fight with people that were "annoying" her, namely me, Preston and Daniele. Well, that ended with Daniele on top of her!

As much as we enjoyed our peaceful walk, the icing on the cake was walking on water! Well, we actually walked on a frozen lake. Many people were out fishing on Lac de Guéry, so we walked out on the lake as well. I must admit it was a little scary. I just kept thinking about what I would do if the ice were to break. While John, Lauren and Preston were running on part of the lake, Daniele, Maya and I played it safe and stayed close together and close to the shore. We had just finished looking through a fishing hole, when I turned and my foot slipped through what must have been a snow covered fishing hole! I felt like Peter must have as I grabbed Daniele for dear life! Fortunately, it was just a small hole and I didn't even get wet nor did the ice crack. I know Daniele helped me to my feet, but when I looked up, Daniele was on the shore! I think she walked on air!

After all of that excitement, or torture as Maya called it, we drove home to find a warm house and lots of hot cocoa!!!

Relaxing Retreat

Sometimes it is just nice to get away for a long weekend and just relax. That is exactly what we did 2 weeks ago. The children were out of school again for winter break and while it seemed that most of France was headed to ski vacations, we opted for a quieter, slower vacation in the Dordogne region of France. This region is known for its castles (more than 1000!) and for foie gras (Goose or Duck liver). Because this was technically the off season, most of the chateaux and tourist sites were closed to visitors, but the natural beauty of the area was magnificent.

We spent our days driving the country side. Most of the roads were winding 2 lanes that connected medieval villages and chateaux to one another. We were able to visit one chateaux, Castlenaud, and its medieval weapons museum.

John and Lauren had a ball playing and pretending they were in war scenes. I also loved that the children were able to see some of the history that they are learning in school. Lauren and Maya in particular are learning French history and were able to recognize some of the places and people that they have read about.

We also saw caves as we drove along the Dordogne River were people first lived in prehistoric times as well as during medieval times.

la roque st christophe

Sarlat-la-canéda is a cute town where we had lunch and were able to try the regional specialty, foie gras. Preston enjoys the whole liver, while I prefer foie gras in the pate form. The children however refused to eat any once they read about how the animals are forced fed to enlarge the liver. I can't argue with their position and there are certain things that I won't eat either. At least they did eat the confit de canard and pomme de terre sarladaise (fried duck and potatoes fried in duck grease, just a note, I still don't know how French people stay so thin!).

As far as the town of Sarlat, it was beautiful with an italian flavor and I loved how the stone of the buildings had a golden hue. We spent the afternoon walking around getting a much needed stroll after such a large, delicious meal.

Although I really enjoyed the history and the beauty of the region, truly the best part of our trip was the house we rented from an American couple, George and Linda. Mulberry Tree Cottage is a beautiful, spacious home away from home. George and Linda were very accomodating as host and thought of every little thing to make our stay comfortable for us. From the welcome note on the fridge and wine and chocolates, to restaurant recommendations and driving us to the store in the nearby village, they were there to help and answer questions. The modern kitchen was completely stocked with every utensil Preston needed to prepare delicious meals, and they even had bathrobes and extra blankets that added an extra touch of comfort. From their English language DVD collection, we watched the Lord of the Rings triology each evening in the cozy living room and although the house is a former abbey, they had wifi!

The house has a huge yard with a heated swimming pool and jacuzzi, gotta try it next time we visit, and the swing set on the property was a welcomed change of pace for us. It really was so peaceful and quiet. I forgot how much I missed having a yard since we have lived in an apartment for the last 18 months. They also own chickens that provided us with fresh eggs every morning. I really enjoyed getting to know George and Linda as well. We will certainly return in the future for another stay and a backyard BBQ when the weather is nicer.

Sleeping in and lazily exploring the country side was a needed change of pace. I love the hustle and activity of European cities, but it is nice to get away for a quiet retreat.

Vinidôme 2010

You may remember that one of my personal goals when moving here to France was, among other things, to learn about French wine. That has proven to be a difficult task. In fact I have given up a few times, only to have my interest peaked again. I mean, wouldn't it be a shame to live here for several years and not know anything about wine?

Well, this past Sunday, Preston and I went to Vinidôme 2010 here in Clermont-Ferrand with our good friends Robin and Oscar. Vinidôme is a wine exposition held once a year with well over 300 wineries from all over France. Each winery has a booth were you can taste different wines and talk to the wine makers themselves.

Last year, Preston and Oscar went alone. 3 hours and 5 cases of wine later, Preston returned home. Not only was I surprised at how much he spent (did you have to buy cases, they don't sell just 1 bottle?!), but I was also surprised that he didn't buy wines that I preferred (the real issue). All of the wines he purchased were reds and I like white. What was he thinking? Well it all worked out because I actually grew to like some of the wine and we didn't have to buy any more red this past year. However, this year I knew I had to go to "supervise".

Our goal this year was to buy enough wine to last over the next year as well as get a larger variety of wines, ie. stuff that I like too. I also thought this would be a great opportunity for me to learn more about French wine. Well, let me just say that Vinidôme was OVERWHELMING!!! With all of those wine vendors from different regions, it was just information overload. Now I know why Preston got a little carried away! I quickly changed my strategy from learning about new wines to finding wines that I know I like and tasting those. That's the real advantage to Vinidôme. You get to taste everything before you buy it. Most of the wine is priced better at the expo as well, so you can get a better wine for a lower price.

All in all it was a very successful evening. The task was to purchase wine and that is exactly what we did. After several hours of tasting...we purchased 7 cases of wine and 3 cases will be delivered next week! I guess I did a pretty good job "supervising"!

We had a fun evening and hopefully have enough wine for the rest of the year. We now have plenty of everyday table wine as well as really good ones for special dinners and guests. I still don't know much about French wine, but I do know that I like what we bought!

Christmas with Family, Part 2

Okay, I can't believe that Christmas was over a month ago. Where did the time go?! I have been sooooo busy with university French classes that I just haven't made time to blog much lately. Between my school work, the children's school work, activities, and life in general, I have been going full speed! But I miss sharing our adventures and keeping friends and family up to date, so....I'm back!

I want to share some pics of my parents' Christmas/New Year's visit. This is a post that I started at the beginning of January...

On Christmas Eve, my parents arrived! Paris with Connie was fun, but what I really wanted was my family together at home during the holidays. I tried not to plan too much since my parents would only be here for a week, but I wanted to share as much of our life here in France with them as possible. The first night was easy since it was Christmas Eve. We went to church service where the children participated in the Christmas pagent. My mother was so happy to see that even though we are in a different country her grandchildren are still taking part in church activities.

After service we returned home for a raclette meal. This is Swiss/French traditional meal and is great in the winter time. How can you go wrong with meat, cheese and potatoes?! It is a very filling and delicious meal. We took a day trip to Mont Dore, a nearby ski resort, to play in the snow. Ok, mom and dad just kinda stood around, trying to stay warm. But Connie and Preston were like little kids, rolling in the snow and playing.

The other days were spent catching up on sleep that was lost on watching movies into the wee hours of the morning. We went out to dinner a few times and invited friends over for a few nights as well. It was great to introduce my family and my new friends to each other. We celebrated New Year's eve and my mother was able to present her book Hooked on another evening. On Connie's last night in town, we all went to one of our favorite french restaurants, La Table de Thierry. We had the entire place to ourselves and very personalized service from Thierry himself. The meal was excellent!

Our week was full of laughter, good food, family time, celebration and late nights. There was not one outstanding moment for me, but many moments that I will always remember.

On January 1, my parents left Clermont and returned home. Although I was exhausted, I was completely satisfied and full of joy. We all were so thankful to have this precious time with my parents and aunt. This was certainly our best Christmas in France!