The Brown Family Vacations: Fun in the sun!

The last several days (minus one where Makenna was sick with a stomach flu) have been quite full. The Glotins have been very generous with their time and their willingness to show us Bordeaux! They were very excited to show us the tallest sand dune (115 meters high) in all of Europe. La Dune du Pyla. It is 500 meters wide from the forest of pine trees to the beach! It was quite a sight, and a climb! You get the choice…you can go up a recently erected staircase or challenge yourself by foraging through the sand. It is as you are picturing! The parents chose the staircase and the kids chose the sand! After the climb up to the top of the Eiffel Tower, the stairs were no big deal! At the top, we were provided with a 360 degree view. To our back were pine forests, as far as the eye could see. (Also the biggest in Europe…at least I think that is what they said???) To the front was azure blue Atlantic Ocean. In the distance they pointed out a lighthouse that is located in Cap Ferret…a town that we were to visit a few days later.

Telling a child that they cannot run down from the top of a 115 meter sand dune would be like showing me a beach on a sunny day with a chair, an umbrella and a great new novel and telling me that I cannot sit down and read! So, of course, they ran down! Well, most of them did…most of the way. Soren’s 9 year old legs just couldn’t keep up with those long legs of his sister’s, AKA the gazelles! However, you cannot keep a boy like Soren down. Eventually they all mastered the hill! Evidence of which was very clear the next day when all of the kids woke up and complaining of sore legs, backs and necks!

After the kids had covered most of their bodies with sand, including scalps and ears we left and went to a beach called Petit Nice Beach. It was a beach very similar to the beaches that we know with long stretches of sand, waves and plenty of people! More topless sunbathers perhaps than we have at home. I think that we were seated such that poor Soren did not have to suffer from the same kind of distraction as he had to in Les Calanques. Thank goodness that he did not go on the walk down the beach with Makenna, Jeff and I, where Makenna was given a live viewing of what she might see in a health film in college. Full nudity…of all ages. (I know that you all wanted to know!) It was like driving down the freeway and seeing a traffic accident. You don’t really want to look, but you just can’t help it. At one point, as Makenna and I were “studying the sand” (well I thought that it was Makenna and I) Jeff told us that it was just a bunch of old men. To which Makenna replied “not that one!” I looked up to see a young and very muscular man of about 25 or 30 getting out of the water. OK. Walk over. J

Still, the afternoon was nice and the kids fully enjoyed swimming and bodysurfing like they would at home. Although I did not have an umbrella, a chair and a book I did enjoy laying on the soft sand and just relaxing to the sound of the waves.

That evening we had to be back to clean up and go over to Sandrine’s parents house for a graduation celebration for their daughter Marie who just graduated what we would call high school, and for their nephew Paul who just graduated what we would call middle school. We were there with Sandrine’s two sisters and their families. We felt very privileged to be there, and they truly made us to feel like family. This too was so nice for the kids, because aside from the food (BBQ duck and sausages on baguettes) and the fact that they all speak French, it felt like a family gathering at home. The kids all played in the pool, on the trampoline, arm wrestling and “ninja.” To some things there is just no language barrier!

For Jeff and I, we were made to sit with the “grown ups.” I was able to hold my own with French, for which Sandrine’s parents seemed very appreciative of. I felt as if I had passed their test. The French are definitely a very proud people, and genuinely appreciate it when you even attempt to speak their language. For the ones that want to practice their English, they are happy to speak to you in English. For others, mostly in the older generation, they are only happy when they can see that you have studied some of their language (the more the better) and that you can show that you appreciate their culture and traditions. Sandrine’s father asked me if I like the champagne in California. Ahah. I knew it! Another test…for which I had the answer! My research was paying off! “We make some nice sparkling wines in California. True champagne can only come from Reims in France monsieur.” To this answer, the entire family laughed and applauded. We were in! Whew. It was a close one! There were more test questions throughout the night, but let is suffice to say that we passed. Jeff was with the “men” and as usual had no problem holding his own! His French, and of course his French accent were in full swing! A few of the men did speak some English and enjoyed talking to Jeff as he enjoyed talking to them. It was a very nice evening for us to be with such a nice family and get a true feel for the family life in France!

The next day, Jeff, the kids (including Caroline who wanted very much to spend time with our kids) and myself went to St. Emillion. This is a beautiful little village with cobblestone streets, a huge bell tower, and all stone buildings dating back to as early as 1224. All of this is nestled in and amongst some of France’s most famous vineyards. It was a beautiful day and we fully enjoyed exploring this little town! We walked to the top of the King’s Castle where we had a 360 degree view of the area and town that surrounded us. It is so funny to us that you drive for miles and miles with nothing but vineyards or pastures, and then out of nowhere you arrive in this very well known quaint little town, bustling with activity! This town is very well known not only for it’s fine wines, but also it’s macaroon cookies! True! Pierre and Sandrine told us about them, and I had also read about them! Well, these little babies were served hot out of the oven. People bought them as quickly as they came out and we must have passed 10 stores that were all doing the same thing! Needless to say, the little confections melted in your mouth. Two boxes later, we were on our way back!