Disney and Provance

We are in Provence. The last post we were getting ready to go to Disneyland. I'll start there. Disney Paris was great. We only visited the Magic Kingdom park. It is very similar to California's Magic Kingdom, although it has a few less rides, no Toon Town or Citter Country and a crazy big Adventure Land. S had no idea where we were going and didn't figure it out until we got inside the park. He was all smiles ear to ear all day. The weather forecast called for sun with a few light sprinkles. It was in actuality scattered downpours. We got on Small World (first ride of the day) with the sun shining and got off to sheets of rain. Thankfully the rain cover on E's stroller was up! So he had a dry ride, but S's stroller was soaked. They rain however didn't stop us. S could have cared less. We ended-up needing to buy him rain boots and dry socks because his feet were so soaked. Gardner and I used fast pass and baby swap to ride Space Mountain. Since I have been pregnant a lot lately, it was my first roller coaster in years. The Space Mountain was really awesome! Way more fun than the ride in California. Small World was good, but not as long as in CA. Sebastian loved the Captain Hook Pirate Ship and the Alica and Wonderland Walk through experience. The day was capped-off by an excellent Disney show similar to World of Color, only better, with lights and projection and fireworks. The projection is on fountains (like World of Color) but also on the Sleeping Beauty Castle. They turned it into all kinds of things, a clock, a rocket ship, etc. And the show had a cute story-line that mixed French and English and focused on the Disney stories set in France. Excellent day.

The next day we spent mostly laying around the apartment recovering. I packed for Provence while the kids played with their new Disney toys. In the late afternoon we went to tour the Opera House. Gorgeous!! We also got an early dinner out, and since the weather was really nice walked back to our apartment all the way through Paris. We walked from the 9^th to the 5^th. It was lovely.

The next morning we got up super early (4:45AM) to catch a 7AM train to Provence It's a nice change of pace here. Rural. In Paris everything is manicured perfectly. Here it is natural. And more gritty. Gardner and I have both remarked that in some ways it feels more like Italy. Makes sense as we are pretty close. I have come to realize one essential truth about traveling with young children, and that is that getting to the place is a hassle. Werther you are flying or taking the train. The kids are actually doing great, but hauling around all their crap really sucks!!! They need so much and they can't carry any of it themselves. In fact E needs to be carried too! But once you get to the place you are going you are so glad you came.

So yesterday after arriving we picked up our rental car and drove to the Ponte du Gard. It is amazing! You can walk right up to it and they have built a bridge that touches it so you can cross the river. S had a great time exploring and filling his pockets with rocks (a new hobby). We all enjoyed a nice lunch at a great resturant overlooking it. On the way to our hotel we stopped in Neimes. More ancient Roman Ruins and some Mc Dough (Mc Donald's) for dinner. Our hotel is nice. It's in a little town called Tearason. It feels like the country. Our room is actually like a small suite which is great because the kids have there own room! Today we went to Arles, which was actually kind of a disappointment. Yes the sites were great, some more Roman ruins, including a fantastic Colosseum, and a beautiful Romanesque Church. But it was hard to imagine the town that inspired Van Gogh (This is where he lived and painted many of his most famous works). The town is gritty and modern. It has a blue collar and yet touristy feel. I definitely preferred our afternoon visit to St. Remy. There we saw the very peaceful (and still functioning) mental hospital where Van Gogh lived and painted for over two years. The ultra famous Starry Night...yep, painted while he was a patient there In fact he painted over 200 painting while admitted. I can see why. The hospital is in a beautiful area. Peaceful and serene. We had dinner at a great place, the food was delicious and they even had a changing table! A big find in France. The resturant owners were great and loved playing with E. Both kids were well behaved and we managed to get through 3 entire courses. Yum. Alsp the town had great shopping. Lots of cute places. Made me miss my Mom and sister. Gardner and the kids are great for lots of things, but shopping is not one of them. No offense boys. :)

Provence is so much warmer than Paris. It's maybe 75, and a bit humid. A nice change after freezing the last few weeks. The sun is so super bright here. Even with sunglasses on the colors are so vibrant. I imagine it gets very hot here in the summer, and I am glad, especially since we have the kids, it's not July. So all in all we are all having a great time. We are also all tired. We play hard, we sleep hard. Gardner and I are constantly working to find a balance between sightseeing and not over-doing it. I think we are succeeding more than not. S talks about home a lot. He talks about his friends and his room, and his Grandparents, and his Aunt Katie. He doesn't seem sad or homesick per say, just wants to make sure they are all still there waiting for him. I am missing my family and friends too, but then I remember that 7 weeks is just a blink of time in a whole lifetime and the trip is already flying by.