The Big Move to France

Portaventura

We are just back from a trip with the kids to Barcelona and Portaventura. One great thing about living here is it’s easy to get to lots of other places without needing to get on a plane. Barcelona is only about three hours away and now that we are all tooled up with an in-car DVD which stops making us want to pull our own eyes out because the kids are being SO annoying in the car, a three-hour trip, or even longer, is no longer a huge deal.

For our first night we stayed in the very exquisite ABaC hotel in Barcelona because I was reviewing it for Travel Intelligence. It was so tasteful that even the car park was well-lit, as Alex pointed out. The weather was still beautiful despite it being nearly November so we went to look a some Gaudi in Parc Guell and then took them across town for tapas just off La Rambla. “It’s like being at Moe’s in The Simpsons!” Toby said as we sat at the bar.

The next day we tried to go to see La Sagrada Familia but the queue was HUGE, so instead we went for a wander by the beach and got the cable car across the port. I love Barcelona – there’s something so “hip” about it – and it was very exciting to be back in a big city.

Then – as far as the kids were concerned at least – we left Barcelona for the main event – Portaventura – Spain’s only theme park. We stayed in the Wild West themed Hotel Gold River – we had a little log cabin complete with a grandma’s rocking chair outside. The park doesn’t open till 10am so by then the kids were beside themselves with excitement. There was a really good mix of kiddie rides and scary rides – on the first day we mainly stuck to the kiddie rides like tea-cups (Livi’s favourite) and carousels etc – the one “grown-up” ride we tried was Grand Canyon Rapids – which is as it sounds. It was brilliant fun but if I’d realised quite how wet we were going to get I’d have been a bit less tight and bought the plastic ponchos which were for sale in the queue – as it was Livi and I got so soaked (or perhaps we are just a bit less hardy than Alex and Toby) that I had to buy myself and emergency dress and Livi a T-shirt a few sizes too big for her to wear as a dress too. Probably should have done it at the end of the day rather than at the beginning….

Our first day there was Hallowe’en, which it seems the Spanish go for in a big way as almost everyone, young and old, was in a costume – there were whole families of Munsters roaming about and face painters in the park offering “fag stubbed out on face” effects and other similarly gruesome things. The park was absolutely packed – some of the rides had queues up to three hours long – and the stayed open till midnight - although I’m told if you go out of school holidays and weekends though there are very few queues. Alex and I got a bit over-excited at being out late and had a few too many cocktails before our surprisingly good dinner at the Grand Opera Restaurant while the kids chased a man (or woman) in a Woody Woodpecker costume and Bluto from Popeye round the hotel square.

But despite feeling a bit delicate the next day, we managed to corral the kids onto a smallish roller coaster “Tomahawk” which they LOVED – especially Toby. I had forgotten how much I love roller coasters – I probably haven’t been on one for about 20 years - and our fast passes meant Alex and I could take it in turns to go on the big rides – including Dragon Khan which has eight loops. Fantastic. I am considering becoming one of those roller coaster anoraks who travel the world going on bigger and bigger ‘coasters (see, I’ve already got the lingo!) However we did give Hurakan Condor a miss – it’s a ride which basically lifts you almost 100 metre up in the air and drops you straight back down again . Maybe next time…….

There was a lot of hallowe’en stuff going on – we made Livi cry (whoops) by taking her into the Mina del Diablo where zombies and people with chain saws jump out at you as you walk through a series of dark passages. Probably should have paid more attention to its “three pumpkin” rating. I’m just glad we didn’t have to experience Hotel Burn – which Dulwich Divorcee writes about here – as it sounds absolutely terrifying.

All in all – “it was really, really great” as Livi, wearing a pretend knife stuck through her head said as we left the park, once she had been reassured that the zombies weren’t real and been taken to see a little Sesame Street show to recover. I will post pictures in a couple of days.

Back home, last night we had an early bonfire night party with mulled wine, soup, sausages, fireworks, loads of kids, sparklers and a real bonfire to burn some of the wood which Alex has ripped out of the old house. Absolutely loved it – I adore bonfire night – and also it makes me feel more at home that we have met enough people we like since we came here to be able to have a party.

Here are some pics from the Fete de Pommes. Aren't they pretty?

This morning I have been on a little trip with Livi's class to the market. We had a little look round and then they each had a vegetable they had to find and buy so they can make soup this afternoon. It was great to see Livi with her little mates, chattering away quite confidently. A couple of times I had to ask her what the other kids were saying (they speak so fast!), feeling like and immigrant grandmother who has never quite learned the language.

On Saturday night we went out. This might not sound very momentous, but as we still haven't found a babysitter, this is quite an event. We went to Film Club - which meant we could take the kids too. It's run by an English couple who every month or so invite loads of Brits round to their house to eat, drinking wine and watch a film. The kids have spaghetti bolognaise and watch their own film in the gite next door, overseen by the local dinner lady. And yes I know we shouldn't just be socialising with English people but sometimes it is nice to speak your own language.

Before going there we went to a friend's (yes we have friends now!) fora drink - he had spent the afternoon hoovering his lawn after the woodman had turned up and then cut the wood down there and then - covering his lawn in sawdust. "As it's turned cold now everyone will be talking about whether or not they've got their wood yet," he said and bizarrely, he was absolutely right. (Ours was supposed to arrive this afternoon but didn't. But then we have quite a lot left over from last winter.) Really strange how different conversations out in the country are. I also spend a lot more time talking about render than I would ever have imagined (in fact I think back in London I probably didn't even know what it was.)

But I am making it all sound much more boring an parochial than it really is - at the mo it is cold but sunny, quite beautiful, we have started to get to know people and I am really enjoying it.

On Sunday we went to Fete de la Pomme in Mirepoix where they build scultpures out of apples (this year it was all musical intrsuments), decorate the square with apples, sell apples and all the restaurants have apple-themed menus. It was great - like something out of The Simpsons - will post some pics later.

It is really,really hot now. And we have had friends staying, so have been doing lots of "stuff". We went to Domaine de Gayda which is a vineyard about an hour for here for lunch and it was fantastic. Such a beautiful setting and an amazing lunch. They also have these little huts outside where they bring you out barbecued food and the kids can run around if they want - I really wish I had known they were there when we had friends with kids out earlier in the summer. And then we tasted some wine and bought lots of lovely rose (this doesn't seem to let me put the accent in).

Yesterday we went to Aqualudia - a waterpark I'd read about near Toulouse. It was great - really uncrowded and even though the slides were a bit big for the kids, Alex and I had a great time on them - in spite my top falling off every time I came down, there was something about them which made us laugh and laugh.

We are just back from about 10 days in the UK - we went back for a friend's wedding which was excellent - she is a singer so all her singer mates were the choir and they did a tap dance as their first dance. Fab. While in the UK I also LOVED the shopping - Reading seemed like Milan after Pamiers - had a decent pedicure (don't know why but they just don't seem to do them as well here) and generally enjoyed being able to communicate easily. Missed the sun though - it was gorgeous when we left - as it is now.

But while we were away there was a storm - a tree fell and took out the phone line. The power tripped, so the freezer went off and I had to throw away all my fantastic Picard food. And some of Alex's new roof blew off so the floor was covered in water. But all things considered, the damage wasn't too bad and the phone is already fixed.

We have more friends staying now and last night sat out watching a storm miles away over the Pyrenees. Fabulous.

Picard is a frozen food shop which I drive past almost every day. I assumed it was a bit like Iceland (not that there is anything wrong with Iceland of course) and so had never been in. Until someone told me yesterday it has M&S style ready-meals, and it does!!!!! I am ridiculously excited about this. I spent over 100 euros in there this morning filling a little trolley with frozen snails with garlic butter. ready-to-eat Chinese and curry, chocolate puddings and creme brulee, fab vegetables and all manner of other exciting stuff.

AND - I have succesfully navigated another piece of French admin and am now in the child benefit system, and am owed lots of euros, the kids are off enjoying centre de loisirs so I have lots of time to get things done and I'm really starting to feel more at home here (probably won't last, but still....) and am even joining a book club. And the weather is now (generally) better it's the holidays for another month and a half. Hooray!!!!!!

I haven't posted for a while as the modem has been taken out by a storm and there is only so much time one wants to spend in McDonalds.

A few days ago Toby was seven. Seven!!!!! Where does time go? How did he get so big? etc etc so of course we had a birthday party for him.

Parties here in France are very different and a lot less effort than the English version. You don't have to hire a venue, you don't do a party tea, you don't need an entertainer or a bouncy castle as we always used to have in London and you don't have to invite 30 kids. You don't have to do party bags. You don't even have to organise games. You just invite some kids over, buy loads of Haribo, make a cake and leave them to get on with it.

The kids seemed to enjoy it (it was a joint party for Toby and Livi as Livi's birthday is in the middle of the holidays) but somehow for me it felt like less of an event than the usual parties we used to have. Plus I spent a lot of time fretting about keeping the kids safe in the pool.

Anyway. Toby is delighted with his new bike WITH GEARS and it means we can now go for little bike rides without having to stop every few metres as you can't go very far from the house without encountering a big hill. Really sweet.

Yesterday I went to Paris to learn about casinos for an article which was brilliant. Absolutely fascinating. Plus the fact that I can go to Paris and back in time for dinner makes me feel like I am not really living in the sticks after all. As I wasn't paying I travelled Air France which was very civilised - I still don't understand why the low budget airlines don't allocate seats. Part of being on a proper airline meant I got newspapers, and I know this is terrible but that was the first time I had properly read a French paper since I have got here.

There was a huge story about whether Sunday opening should be allowed in France (they are now considering it for tourist areas and large towns, but it seems like this is a very big deal) but the best thing about them was the horoscopes, which as well as the usual sections have a section for health which say things like "headaches" or "possible lumbar pain." Ha ha!!!! So French!!!!

We had Livi's "School report" today. Bearing in mind she is only four it is very thorough - there are about 50 categories of tasks and for each one she is given a mark of 1 (always does this) to 4 (never does this.)

It all started off quite positively - she respects her work and that of others, she can concentrate for long periods and see a task through to its end. She can hold a book correctly (!), use scissors, recognise and write her name and simple words, repeat simple rhythms and take part in group activities.

But some of it breaks my heart. Basically, it seems she doesn't speak. She doesn't even join in with singing. The teacher wrote: "Elle ecoute, mais elle ne parle pas."

I know most of this is probably a language thing, she's not very outgoing and even a bit behind with English language still after having had glue ear but somehow it makes for quite sad reading. She always seems quite happy to go to school and generally perfectly happy overall, so maybe I shouldn't let it worry me. But I do wonder how her South London primary report would have read, had she gone. I guess I will try and have a chat with her teacher tomorrow and see if she thinks this is normal for kids who aren't French.