Miles loves the Luxembourg Gardens…! Not only are there ducks swimming in Medici fountains, but there are pony rides, puppet shows and a huge playground with trains and truck climbing structures.
We tried to take Miles to “Les Trois Cochons” (Three Little Pigs) puppet show, but once we got inside with 1,000 French school children, he got a little worried about the dark theater. The show started and while he seemed to briefly enjoy the dancing pigs, he started to say “outside, outside” in a very worried voice, at which point 1,000 French school children turned around and said “shhhh”. So we left and Miles played in the sandbox. We also managed to take Miles out to eat during dinner at a traditional galette (like a crepe) restaurant….he did very well!
We took the TGV (train grande vitesse = super-fast 190MPH train) to Lyon to see Genevieve, my “French mom” from Lyon. She was thrilled to meet Miles and Brett and I practiced my French. True to her style, she threw a nice dinner party with a few friends, a Dartmouth professor, and some kids. There were a few doctors in the mix, so I did my best in French to defend Obama’s health care efforts … Miles charmed Genevieve with his French, saying “grand-mere” and playing happily in “my” old apartment. Genevieve had borrowed a high chair, crib, carseat, and some toys so it made the visit even pleasanter.
Finally, we had to return a little early because of a strike (public sector workers striking for the right to retire at age 60 instead of 62), but Miles slept on the train.
We went to Versailles the next day…Miles really was not into the Hall of Mirrors, but he did enjoy the gardens outside.
His vocabulary seems to be really exploding, and he has added words like “bull, antelope, chateau” to his vocabulary. He is able to tell us what he has done like “take fast train, off train, grand-mere car, playground … ” which just seems super exciting to us. He also said to us the other day that his “nose fall down” implying a runny nose!!!
OK, finally some pictures:
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