SOUNDS OF THE ALPS

LONG WEEKEND = PICNICS

Well that's it Manu's gone.  He flew off on Saturday morning back to Miami for another three months.  We all had such a heavy heart but we picked ourselves up and spent the entire weekend picnicking, walking, fishing and visiting local markets.  Great fun actually and I'm pleased to say the rain stayed away.

 Drinks with Julien, Claire and Seb before Manu left

 Rainy skies in the evening

 A trip to Lac des Evettes with Francois and Lizzie

 Titouan and the boys making there way to the lake

 The Lake full of trout

 Caught ZERO

 Walking back home

 Caro with the lovely flowers the boys picked

Little restaurant at the top but closed for now.

FUN AT THE RIVER

Taken yesterday

ACROBRANCHE

We took the boys to do a bit of Acrobranche on Sunday about an hour from here.  They had a ball.  Benjamin was so upset they wouldn't let him do the second course he turned on the tears and they said OK>  So off they both set off. 

 Manu with Seb - feet firmly on the ground



 The finishing line

Well deserved pizza and ice cream.

PARC MERLET

Well Manu's home and the time is flying fast, but as May is so full of public holidays we are having lots of days off school which is really nice to catch up as an entire family.  The weather hasn't been great but we've managed to fit in the usual soccer games and a trip to Parc Merlet.  It's a park in the Chamonix region with lots of local animals from the Alps.  Right opposite the Mont Blanc you get the most perfect views of the glacier.

 Driving into the Chamonix valley

 At the entrance to the park with Benjamin

 The Glacier

 The Mont Blanc tunnel to Italy

 A very friendly Marmotte climbed onto a ladies lap - there were only two awake, the rest were still asleep for the Winter.

 Lama's in the background

 Bouquetin

Me and Samuel

A Chevreuil

 Looks like Tintin's plane

 A Chamois

 We counted 16 parapents in the sky.  This is a huge passtime here, winter and summer.

 Young Bouquetin

 Mont Blanc in the background

A statue in the village of Les Houches, on the way home.

VIEW FROM MY BEDROOM WINDOW THIS MORNING

LA FAYET ON A PUBLIC HOLIDAY

Seems May is full of them.  Public holidays that is, we have one every week making long weekends everywhere.  Well in our case if it doesn't fall on a Monday it doesn't matter because the boys don't have school on a Wednesday so it still becomes a long weekend.  Last week we had Tuesday off, so two days together.  We haven't exactly had the best weather so when it's kind of ok we dash out somewhere.  Misha my neighbour has a little boy in Samuel's class - Pierrick and they are really good friends.  So we packed the kids off in the car and set of for La Fayet.  You may remember the hot thermes I went to with my Aunty Margaret well it's the same place.  Great walks and a lovely park for the kids to play in.

We set off for a walk to the rapids and gorge.

 Walking up the river - that's the Thermes in the pink building

 Samuel and Benjamin

 Me

 Samuel being very brave - very high

 The rapids

Misha with the boys

Then it was a trip on the train - for the boys anyways