world war one and car wars

Friday 28th
A beautiful breakfast at the Novotel started the day very well indeed. Thanks Danielle for always asking for breakfast when we booked accommodation. The girls liked the sauce containers.

5 minutes out of town we came to Hooge Crater Open Air museum. This lake is actually a crater formed by shelling as the two sides fought over a patch of land about 50 metres across.

We were able to walk though real trenches. This bunker was constructed for protection by the British but later taken and used by the Germans.

It was extraordinary to think that this beautiful peaceful place was so torn by war and so full of bloodshed.

Next - Tyner Cot Cemetery - the largest Commonwealth War cemetery in the world. A very sad place indeed.

The a long car trip started well but we got hopelessly lost trying o get around Rotterdam. Even once we arrived in Amsterdam we took a long time finding our hotel. And then we had to head into town for the Van Gough museum - which was excellent. Such a prolific painter and such a sad story.

Brussels and Ypres

Wednesday 26th
Who would have thought picking up a hire car could be such a marathon? Isaac and I spent an hour on to buses to get to the airport where the Hertz 'down town office is located. Then we discovered that our navigation aps didn't work and we got lost for ages until we finally followed a bus using our bus map to get us to the apartment. Needless to say, the combination of driving on the wrong side of the road in a foreign city, with narrow streets, and getting lost made for a stressful morning. And the girls waiting for us at the apartment were getting more than a little worried.

Finally we got out of Brussels and to Ypres safely, thanks to Isaac's bright idea to download and screenshot Google directions. Thanks Isaac.

'In Flanders' Fields museum was excellent. Dad's comprehensive introduction to the history subtlest of world war history certainly helped - 'Which word war came first - WW1 or WW2?' But the museum's telling of the story of the war through  in Ypres through all sorts of multimedia and artefacts was very effective. Many meaningful discussions were had. We were particularly struck by the Christmas day 'truce'. We also met the grandson of a British man killed in the third battle of Ypres - the same battle Danielle's great uncle fought in and was decorated for bravery in.

This slice of a tree is hundreds of yesrs old, and shows the effects of the shelling from the war.

Looking for supplies we came across this appetising and nutritious meal - but decided against it.

Beautiful buildings and Christmas lights at night.

Every night since 1927 the last post has been played at the Menin Gate, built to honour the Commonwealth soldiers who died around Ypres and whose bodies were never found - 55 000 of them. We found the name of HT Travis from Kurrajong - recorded on the memorial in our church.
Hundreds had come for the playing o the last post - the ceremony was very moving.

tongues, trotters and loitering chooks

A quieter day around Chatillon today to recharge before meeting the others in Bruges tomorrow.

We trotted along to the fresh food market 5 minutes walk from our apartment. 

Will definitely have to visit again and trial some new culinary delights (but not all!)

Any clues on how to ask for pig's tongue in French? No? Oh well I think I'll pass!

In Paris when you window shop you literally lecher les vitrines  (lick the windows).

 This will be the last window shop for these unlucky piggies...

...as they shall be trotting off soon for dinner...

...all ears!!

The markets we popular with the chooks as well...

This one was just hanging around...

These visitors had come from the coast...

This little chocolate shop is opposite our apartment - 

There's a lot of potential in there Annie, Isaac and Bethany... 

and chocolate coated coffee beans Shaun for the times when a cup of coffee alludes us...

Found a park in Chatillon for soccer boys and girls! 

Unlike most parks we've visited in Paris, the long list of rules at the entry gate to Parc Henri Matisse  didn't seem to mention not playing on the grass - unusual in most parks we've visited in Paris! 

A florist, a mansion and a picnic with a view...

Robin's favourite florist shop was exquisite and especially beautiful today 

set up for Christmas, and with sun filtering through the windows...

This shop smelled to me like the joy of holding my newborn babies. 

Perhaps I shall have to buy flowers each year on their birthdays... 

Happily for me that's quite a lot of occasions for flower buying...

I have just realised that what my life is missing is a florist to call my own!

Ok so...society painter, Nélie Jacquemart paints French banker, politician, soldier and art collector  Édouard François André and 10 years later she's married to him and travelling in Italy and other parts of the world to collect the most exquisite (and no doubt expensive) art works for their mansion in Paris. Learn to paint girls and choose your subjects well!

This photo is just the ceiling in one of the rooms in the Musée Jacquemart-André located in what was the private home of this high society couple (get the picture - opulent!). Walking through this home and imagining the life that was lived under these high ceiling was a highlight in itself. I was astounded to find out that one of the rooms contained collapsible walls operated by hydraulics... lowered when necessary to create an elegant ballroom to accommodate 1000 guests. 

Not a bad place for a croissant break!

Elijah and Hamish met the same boys at the same park 

exactly one week later for a rematch! 

Apart from the usual sightseeing some incidental moments of interests have been:

• Helping a French grandma choose board/card games for her grandchildren
• Meeting a charming young priest in training from Melbourne on the metro (who missed his stop to chat with us)
• Being given a JW tract on that same metro trip by a very friendly Japanese woman who spoke broken English and very little French
• Speaking French to the parents of a young boy playing soccer with Elijah in Parc Monceau only to find out that they were English
• Having to explain to several inquirers that I wasn't able to help them with directions 
• Explaining to a lovely young shop assistant in my limited French that I didn't mean to walk out of the shop with a scarf around my arm and that I fully intended to pay for it... hence my return
• Actually understanding for the first time today the complete directions given to me, and so reaching my destination (a yummy boulangerie) without having to ask a series of other people for directions along the way... that's progress!
• Being able to make my simple requests understood most of the time (and no-one need know when I have understood precious little of the response)

Today was cold!! I won the layer competition with a top of 6 layers at some points in the day. I even convinced Bethany to wear gloves at some points too!

We started our day with a drive into the Centrum - surprisingly and for the first time we didn't get lost! We had breakfast in a cute little café which was very nice and also warm inside. Two unusual things about this café: one - there was a cat just roaming around inside (something we wouldn't see in Aus) and two - the kitchen was underground and the ready food came up in a small lift (something I've never seen before).

We went to two museums today - the Anne Frank museum and the Corrie Ten Boom museum. Both of the were very interesting! Its hard to imagine the war that took place here in Holland on the streets we walk down.
Annie

The Anne Frank house was excellent - very well presented. The Corrie Ten Boom house and tour was similarly wonderful. Have a look at the hiding place in which 6 people hid! The man who man this one for their house made 300 others throughout the city.

Shaun


Beth and I also managed to fit some shopping in today which was fun. However, we realised it is hard to try clothes on when you're wearing so many layers (a good way to stop yourself from spending too much money)
Annie

Euro Disney

Walt Disney once said -  

'Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age and dreams are forever.'

We certainly had plenty of laughter and imaginings today and no doubt my little ones are now dreaming of infinity and beyond, Never Never Land, a little boy with a long nose made of wood whose conscience must be his guide and space travel using the force... 

Or perhaps they are lost in Alice's curious labyrinth or singing 'It's a small world after all' as they slumber (deep and perhaps even long after a full day). 

All children may grow up but we can all enjoy being a child at heart...

We had a wonderful day at Euro Disney - perfect weather, no crowds and magical rides full of detail and imagination. Smiles all round...

Quite a view...

Elijah happily braved a few rides that Hamish and Danielle were content to watch -  

The Tea Cups and the Thunder Mountain Roller coaster were a big hit!

The parade was colourful and fun. 

My favourite were the girls above in their gorgeous skirts and pixie shoes...

The waking of this dragon in La Taniere du Dragon was a highlight for Hamish...

Lunch in this grand setting was just what we needed after a full morning of rides and adventures...

Dinner AND a show!!

Can you spot Elijah and Robin on this blur of a roller coaster? Seen by Hamish and Danielle, who were enjoying a leisurely ride on the Riverboat...

Sleeping Beauty's castle was eerily beautiful with the night sky just right...

Paris may be the city of lights but Disney certainly lights things up too.

Que la force soit avec vous!