School

Now that we moved in, we could go to the local council, fill in the paperwork, go to the local area school, meet the principal, get enrolled, then turn up (easier than it sounds!)

One of our biggest worries in coming to this place was sending Ollie to school. Often at home he really protests about being left at day care. How was he going to go at school, 4 days a week after going for 1 day per week, and when he couldn't understand anything?

On the first day, we were anxious, and Ollie seemed a bit down hearted. Every day, there is 2 hours off for lunch. At least he only has to turn up for 3 hours each time before coming home again. On day one, he skipped back to school. I asked him how it was, and he said they buzzed like bees, did some mash potato type dancing, sounded ok to me. They've started teaching him to write, and if you listen to him mumble a song, he's definitely picking up a lot of new words. It's mind blowing after being used to baby talk, learning to walk, then bammo we're into a new language.

Now to get Louis into daycare (much much harder than it sounds!). Lucky I have some French speaking colleagues at work, and one kind one offered to call up. The local kindy could take him, once we done the paperwork at the council, and in June 2012. I wrote out a list of private kindies (garderies) for him to look at. A few more days later, started to get worried, emailed the boss 2 up, got the answer that Assistant Maternelles were the way to go. We rang up a few more. I would feel guilty about wasting all this time at work, but it was my direct boss this time, ringing up the council to get an availability list. I wittled the list. Then we rang different ladies for some time. We are in a tough situation in that we can't speak the language, so can't do it in our own time. We owe my boss a bottle of champagne I tell ya. We both turned up to the his carer's house, a lovely place up a windy road, with a nice garden, and one play buddy. We left him there, and he just kept playing. On the 2nd day, he slept for two hours. He's mainly weed in the potty, and had one accident, think that's pretty awesome for a new trainee. Next week, Marie will work a bit. It's a big relief.

<-- after we moved in, the toys arrived. Ollie whipped together a tower during lunch. The other day, Marie and him sat at the beach and ate a sandwich, as Louis was at daycare for the first times.

Louis in the playground in Antibes. It's one of the best around the area. -->

Review notes:
Iveco Daily: acres of space inside, really nice gear shift. The driver's seat is pretty stiff though, and rolls around on springs.
Mercedes Sprinter: I think the Merc has a nicer motor. The turbo whistles nicely, and sounds like a real truck. Clever fuel filler is hidden behind the front door, so you don't need to lock it up. Just open your door, and fill.
Raclette: medium soft, tasty, big thumbs up.
President camembert: Ollie calls it "cake cheese". We eat half the container in one sitting. Deffo v. good.
Saint Loup Sur Thouet goat's: soft brie style, very goaty, delicious. Would buy again for sure. Marie and Ollie dislike it.

At the beach..

Do I need to say: we told them not to get close to the water. You'll get wet!

<-- they started away from the waves. Then we took off their shoes. Then the water got a bit higher, then..

we gave up as it was too late, and let them go crazy -->

<-- Angus Young from AC/DC in his earlier days

Louis scoots home afterwards -->

Work and stuff

<-- Lunch is subsidised, so this lot cost about 2 euro.

Our desks are lined up, and the PLCs keep us warm -->

We've now been in the new building in Carros for about 3 weeks. It's a bit sterile, but very green, apart from the car park, which is good old bitumen. Any time anyone gets on the phone, everyone gets to hear the conversation. That's good for learning the language.

The most important part of work is lunch. Every cafeteria must have at least 4 different entrees, 3 different kinds of cheese, decent long bread rolls, 2 to 4 main meal choices, a few differrent deserts, and a range of fruit. It MUST have 3 types of wine (250ml bottles), and maybe some beer. Not ours though; alcohol is banned on site! It's just not French. Laurent says that we say we drink in order to forget. They must be remembering everything now that there's no wine with lunch.

They've been churning out pizzas, calarmari rings, and other junk lately, but sometimes they have gems like in the picture. The other guys thought it was bland.


<-- It took 3 days to build the tent, fix the garden, and put up some signs etc etc. Everything was over in an hour. There was fruit juice and coke to help everyone get into the spirit.

Opening the new building. "Inauguration Officielle" means "Official Inauguration". -->

Trip to Italy

<-- it's a nice a place

just stubstute 'eh' for 'le' -->

The day after we went to Ikea, we had a car, so we drove to Italy. It's about 40km up the street. It took about an hour door to door, winding around a bit.


<-- pasta was a bit crunchy; is that "al dente"?

Trip to Vence

<-- Vence's heart is on the right of this picture, where the old walls form a circle. On the left is the new part of town.

Vence is at least 20 mins away, and Saturday afternoon we went there. We drank a Kir; white wine with black currant liquer - delicious!




<-- Wei Ching, from work back in Sydney, and Marie watch Ollie celebrate the car free streets.

bust a move! The French lady has seen it all before. -->

*Cheese notes:*
Casino Petit Roblochon - buttery sensational
Brie de Moubert - slight tang, v. nice
Fourme d'Aubert - rubbery blue cheese, more salt than blue flavour
St Paulin ligueil - cheddary brie - nice
Le Rotelie - buttery brie - great!
Tomm Montagne - bitter tang, but nice.

Trip to Ikea

<-- there were wires hanging from the ceiling. Now we have a light. Having a lit kitchen is something we really missed! The doors are new, double glazed aluminium. The old doors had a cat flap sized hole with winter air blowing in, and flaky paint. Stove is gas. Stand and bin from Ikea (pronounced ee-kay-ah here)

2 sets of drawers with wooden bench top, holds loads of stuff. Upside down fridge is fantastic. -->

Ikea is about 1 and 1/2 hours drive each way, and now we have a kitchen. By a miracle it all fit into the back of a Megane station wagon, and the 1.8m bench top slid in over the tops of the seats etc. Seeing all the French people loading up their cars with boxes is a real laugh. Boxes spilling out of tailgates, and rooves piled high; some of them couldn't have made it home.



<-- our name is now on the letterbox, and the doorway button. Nice photo by Ollie.

Moving in

<-- dining table and sideboard were 200 together, fantastic!

The Mercedes Sprinter 10 cubic m and 2.8m tall swallows any size table, bed etc. -->

We hired a Mercedes Sprinter turbo diesel. It was horrifying since it takes up most of a normal lane, and is about 3 feet longer than most parking spaces. After 2 days, I got comfortable smacking trees with the right mirror in order to stay in my lane. At the Carrefours, we parked into a spot, only to return, then discover we could not get out. Reversing, I nudged the cars opposite, but the front was not even out of the spot yet. We sat in defeat wandering what to do, when the car in front moved after about 3 minutes. So we fronted out and got free. What were the chances of that?

We picked up a lot of nicely carved solid oak furniture, which is much much cheaper than the prestigious chipboard stuff. They have a lot of old oak furniture in France it seems.

One fellow who sold us the trundle bed etc for the boys, sat us down for a beer at lunch, and gave me a bottle of Orange wine - sensational! (Marie doesn't like it) The people at work give me a hard time for turning up late/leaving early every day, and taking 2.5 hours for lunch eg when served a beer. Turned up to the appointment after, and there was 5 buildings for the one street address. I had no mobile phone, and no hope of finding the furniture for that one.


<-- the boys in the toy room. Some old oak cupboard holds all their toys, cost 100 euro.

the kitchen comes with a sink. We bought the dishwasher -->

Check out the area

<-- the old village of Cros de Cagnes, 1km walk from home

The 1km walk from home. The air is sweet, if it's blowing onshore, otherwise it's 4 lanes of diesel and 2 stroke for everybody. -->


I spend the morning with Marie and the boys during the inspection/condition report. It was very thorough, and took the whole morning and into the afternoon, so I rang in to say I wouldn't be in to work. We walked around locally to see the area.


<-- mmm 2 euro beers are dangerous, as are 2 euro gelatos.

The new place

<-- Ollie tries out the awnings

Louis, as photographed by Ollie. Our bedroom looking toward the living room. The hall to the other 2 bedrooms is 1st left, the front door 2nd left. One toilet 1st right, kitchen 2nd right, then straight to the living room. -->

Not sure if it was a smart move getting our current place. Marie says she wished she'd held off a bit longer. I feel hot and cold about the place.

But all of the other places we saw were either as old, or nowhere near as convenient. It is in a handy spot. Today we went to the kids park. It's in the same street. The beach is at the end of our street. The boys LOVE the beach. There are 3 breadshops, a supermarket and a cellar within 5 minutes walk. The light comes in from 3 walls, the other wall being a common wall. Once we have some more furniture, it should be more homely.


<-- in most French places, you have to supply your own light fittings, and the kitchen (ie the kitchen will have a sink, and nothing else in it). The living rooms have no lights. In ours, the kitchen had no light either.

Ollie gets snap happy. This is the living room. For the first 2 weeks odd, we could not see at night, until we bought a lamp. Then we had the choice of seeing what we ate for dinner, or seeing what we were cooking for dinner, but not at the same time. One of the guys at work suggested we just open the fridge door. -->

Finally we sign the lease

<-- when Ollie gets a hold of the camera. This is an umbrella, made in France. Ollie and Louis fight over it. It almost never rains here.

Another great shot from the 4 y.o. boy wonder. Near the main plaza in Antibes -->

Marie was busy checking out some places, and we were desperate to get something. You need an address to get Ollie into school, to get your long term visa, theoretically to open a bank account, etc. Marie liked one, but we both then visited the area, and there seemed to be a lot of cars, being near a major intersection, and backing onto the A8 freeway. There was one other, which she did not like the appearance of. But it was in a quiet spot, close to the beach, not far from shops etc, so we asked for that. We waited and waited, then finally got it.



<-- Ollie had a nice time

Genevieve and Keith, friends of Celia's, dropped in for lunch -->