Summer holiday is over and to begin with I didn’t really know if I should be sad or relieved, as I was a bit tired of the heat and I’d started missing Sammy and my friends. Besides, all good things come to an end and if they didn’t, we would just take them for granted in the end. 😉 Although, between me and you, going back to jackets and carrying an umbrella in my bag was not my plan for August, I have to admit.
Holiday Mood
Our entrance door is pinched between an Armenian sandwich restaurant and Brasserie Faubourg, a lively place in the afternoon, a spot where we’ve wondered if we should have a beer, but decided it’s a notch too sunny. When you tread inside our two storied block, there’s a light switch we couldn’t make out on the first day, so we carried our bags on the spiral steps in complete darkness and almost fell over. Entering the apartment, you’re struck by its unconventional layout, the bedroom is huge and the kitchen and living room are crammed together as if you were expected to spend all your time in bed. If you wonder what I fell for, the answer is simple- the wooden beams, the stone floor and the high ceiling, as well as the veranda, that’s sheltered from view, but unfortunately dirty. I had to laugh a little at myself for yet another time having traded facilities for charm. That’s me in a nutshell, all right!
Vacanze francese
So we left home on Saturday, flew to Paris, took the train further to Lyon, walked all the way to our airbnb in an unspeakable heat and were finally able to drag our feet to the nearest café for mussels and beer.
People vs Dogs
Yesterday I met a person who said he’d always been interested in working with youth and I found that so commendable. For my part, not only have I never liked working with people, but youth have scared the bejesus out of me ever since I was a kid. It was so bad that, up until some (few) years ago, I used to cross the road if I saw several young lads gathered at a street corner. I guess having a dog changed it. With Sam, I’m the lady with the white dog and even tough kids address me politely to know his age or his breed.
Holiday Mood
Holidays for me are time for soul searching, you have all that time on your hands to just breathe, eat, sleep and read. I seldom stay at home during holidays, mostly because I want to see new places and one can never trust Norwegian summer to be real summer. On second thought, I should definitely do it more. It’s an entirely different pace, there’s no need to discover anything, you can throw in a coffee or a beer with your friends from time to time, or just turn off the phone and doze off on the balcony under a blanket. 😉 Or make some great food when inspiration seizes you, like these eggplant towers with pesto, chevre and ruccola. So good! 😉
Aegina Part II
Apart from a trip to Paris with my mom 12 years ago and a long weekend in Vienna with the whole tribe some 5 years ago, I haven’t been on a family excursion since I was 17. I tend to avoid holidays together since we’re all so different and friction can arise from the most trivial issues, especially with a partner from another culture.
And the first days did bear the mark of light misunderstandings and cultural differences, so much so that I had to use all my energy to smooth things over. Luckily, it worked so well that F got to be best buddies with both Diana and mom. Phew!
The bone of contention is child rearing- why do Romanians let children have so much sweets, why does Diana eat “buscuiti” (sweet crackers) before lunch and dinner, why doesn’t she sit tight and runs after cats at the dinner table, back in his days he’d have to settle for a soda every third day and so on. But we’re having beer, I’d answer. And you expect her to say thanks to water?
All in all it was a lovely holiday. My mother got a couple of hours to herself here and there, we’d retire into our “chambers” for a siesta every day, Diana got the best of everybody and couldn’t be more pleased with that. She bewitched the hotell staff with her cheeky smile and carefree posture, she made friends with Ukrainians and Greeks on the beach, she was the star of her surroundings.
And she did treat us like a little starlet, every time she didn’t get what she wanted, she’d hold back her posing skills. 😉 Like here.
The princess eating gyros, after removing all the onion. 😉 In her favorite cherry dress. Oh, and sharing the meat with stray cats. 😉
Thinking of having her come here next year for a Norwegian summer holiday already, hopefully she’ll dare fly alone. 😉
xxx, Alina
Aegina
Last year we started playing with the idea of taking my niece with us on a seaside holiday, but since we don’t meet as often and she’s a child, we decided to ask my mom to come, too, so Diana could feel safe and we could sleep on our own. 😉 Haha! Continue reading
