French quarantine 2.0, day 30

7,007 steps More rain! My laundry out on the line has now been washed...many times. 

A bassoonist friend and I played a few Christmas songs with Eric on piano. No rehearsals except playing through everything once right before, because covid. 

An American friend gave us a plate of Christmas cookies. We tested each of the 3 varieties and the kids declared it a 3-way tie. "We need to get the recipes!" Zari declared. 

We played Cover Your Assets after lunch. It's a fun card game for the whole family. Since one of the kids was always on my computer playing their 15-minutes-per-day of Minecraft, we played musical chairs and swapped players every 15 minutes. 

By the late afternoon, the kids were getting a bit stir-crazy. Eric kept saying, "C'est trop de bruit, les enfants! Trop de bruit!" Finally he took Ivy and Inga out to the park. 

Zari, Dio, and I watched several episodes of Les Jérômes. They are two friends/business partners who are restoring an old chateau, doing all the work themselves. They also are big into ecological living, gardening, apiculture, and more. It's a really fun channel to watch if you speak French. I get tired watching how much work they do! 

I learned some new vocabulary yesterday: "réaliser une saignée dans un mur en béton/brique avec une rainureuse." Most walls here are built of stone, brick, or cement blocks (for newer construction). To cut channels for electricity or plumbing, you need the right tool. But I didn't know what the tool was, or what the channel was even called. 

I was imagining taking a jackhammer to the wall. But with some Googling, I figured it out. It turns out there's a specialized tool with diamond-tipped blades that cuts a channel as wide and as deep as you want it. Then you have to chisel out the bit in the middle by hand or with a small hammer tool. Well...now I have another tool I need to add to my wishlist: a rainureuse! 

A picture from our evening walk: the Monument des Morts.

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French quarantine 2.0, day 29

8,359 steps 

Rain all day. I had 2 loads of laundry already on the lines; they came inside and got draped over chairs, couches, and radiators to dry. I washed 2 more loads anyway and put one load on the towel heaters and the other outside. It will dry...eventually! 

Zari had a zoom cooking making get-together this morning. The cookies were good but I think the recipe had way too much levure chimique; I could taste it fairly strongly after baking. 

Eric took everyone but Zari to a Christmas party. Zari stayed home to take a shower. I spent a few hours watching "how to do your own electricity" videos (in French of course). I'm fairly confident with American electrical installations but less so over here. So time to educate myself. 

The two of us also watched some episodes of "Amazing Interiors" together. She really liked the boat (episode 1), the History House (episode 2), and the Russian couple who painted every surface of their home (episode 6). 

For Christmas dinner this year I want to try a real Beef Wellington: beef tenderloin wrapped in mushroom duxelle and prosciutto and covered in puff pastry. I watched two different how-to videos. My question is: to crêpe or not to crêpe?

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French quarantine 2.0, day 28

2,480 steps 

I didn't get out much today and oops! I missed our evening walk. We have an 8 pm curfew and sometimes it sneaks up on us. 

I was busy all day filming and editing a new breech movie: Breech Birth Basics. It's a short overview of breech birth, using a Sophie and Her Mum simulator to demonstrate. Just normal breech births, no trapped arms or maneuvers. 

Zari had her first practice at Cavigal. So far she's allowed to keep coming. I don't know exactly how their selection process will work. 

Eric went spearfishing and brought home a sar and a mulet. Dinner tomorrow! 

We're now on holiday for 2 weeks. I don't have any plans other than to sleep in past 7 am, make lots of delicious food, go on hikes, and see friends outdoors.

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French quarantine 2.0, day 27

16,472 steps 

A very typical French day in terms of my physical activity: I went running in the morning, ran errands around town (thrift store), took a quick trip to the park, and went on a walk in the evening. 

We found Dio another soccer option: a team that practices right at the chateau hill. There's a little "terrain de foot" upon the chateau next to the police station. Eric knows the coach--very nice guy. He invited Dio to come practice twice a week with them. The boys on the team are all 1 year older and quite skilled. Dio has even played with them a few times in the past. 

Guess what Dio's reaction was when we told him about this option? Total freak out, crying, sobbing, begging not to go. Eric was ready to give up. I said no--not this time. He. will. at. least. try. 

All the way up there, Dio was crying. He arrived looking downcast. And then...the coach welcomed him in, the boys were really nice, and he had one boy who took him under his wing. He came home quite happy about this option, even more than "le fun foot." (Fine with us--"fun foot" is fairly far away by car, whereas this is literally out our door. And it's free!) 

Dinner was zucchini fritters and pirate chicken (Mimi Thorrison's recipe). 

We also had a Teenage Moment with Zari last night. Both she and Dio wanted me to snuggle them, but it was Dio's turn. Zari said, "But I asked first!" I said sorry, but to be fair I'm going to snuggle Dio. Her protests got louder but I still said no. 

"Ask papa--he'll snuggle you." 

No, only mama would do! She stormed off and slammed her door (waking up Inga). 

Teenagers confuse me. 

Also, why are papa snuggles not as good?

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French quarantine 2.0, day 26:

8,963 steps 

Ivy and Inga had their first soccer training at Cavigal, and it went great. They both love their coaches. Ivy got a gift bag, including a huge chocolate Santa. Inga had to try out, and she was so excited that she made it in! Eric knows many of the trainers there, since he coached for Cavigal our first few years here.

 

Zari went to Villefranche this afternoon and is going to try out at Cavigal on Friday. The Cavigal team her age is really, really good...as in, she might not make it in. On the other hand, the Villefranche team is not very good at all. She has fun, but a good number of the girls aren't strong players. But at least we have options. 

The girls played at the coulee verte after dinner. I met them as I was going to pick up sparkling water at the Miroir d'Eau. Ivy and Inga weren't ready to come home, so we went to fill up our bottles and look at the Christmas lights. Note how everyone else is in puffy winter parkas, while our girls are in short sleeves!   

Inga worked on a magic trick with a floating pen. 

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French quarantine 2.0, day 24

15,290 steps

Zari had a stressful exit this morning. She was already tired from staying up last night working on homework. Then she couldn't find one of her school books. We tore the house apart looking for it, but finally she had to leave minus her book. (She later found it at school!)

I walked all over Nice and found Ivy's Christmas present from Zari. I purchased it, knowing it would likely get Zari's approval...and it did! (I can't say any more until after Christmas, but Zari declared it absolutely perfect.)

Eric did a short lunchtime soccer training with Ivy, Inga, and Dio. His goal is to do one every day they don't have soccer practice, either at lunch or right after school.

Dio's afternoon classes were cancelled, so he was forced to come to the beach with us and bask in the sun. He kept informing us how many minutes had passed and how he was very bored. But he did film a movie. We'll see if it turns into anything interesting.

I read Obama's new memoir A Promised Land. I'm also simultaneously reading The Immortality Key by Brian C. Muraresku. Both books are best read in small doses. I first heard of Muraresku's book on a Psychedelics Today podcast.

Piano lessons after school took up the rest of our afternoon and evening.

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French quarantine 2.0, day 23

7,143 steps 

I woke up at 6 am--ding! I'm awake! Then by 8 am I was super tired, so I lay down on the couch and ignored the household as everyone woke up and got ready for the morning. I crawled back into bed eventually and slept until nearly 11 am. What is going on with me? 

We spent an idyllic afternoon at the beach, basking in the sun and talking to a new friend. We met her just as we were arriving: she called out to me and asked if I was with "Marc," a boy who goes to Inga's school and who is often mistaken for Inga. They both have gorgeous waist-length blond hair and similar physiques. (I have mistaken him for Inga a number of times!) 

I said, no, I wasn't with Marc but that he and Inga often get confused. And this set off a round of introductions and a 3-hour long conversation and now we have new friends! Inga and Ivy played with her son, swimming together in the ocean (brrrrrr) and chasing each other around the beach. 

She was an interesting person--works for the UN, has lived all over the world, multi-lingual, committed to a minimalist lifestyle, a free-range parent. Basically a perfect fit for bohemian Old Nice. 

It was Zari's night to help with making tian, but she was busy with homework. I sliced all of the vegetables and Inga helped arrange them in the baking dish. 

I'm currently helping Zari with her French homework. Here's to hoping I don't make things worse! 

Oh, when Eric got his phone back from the kids yesterday, we found that Zari had created an entire reality TV show! It's pretty clever and includes many of the staples of reality TV: the dramatic narration, the personal interviews of the contestants, the staged drama. So enjoy!

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French quarantine 2.0, day 21

3 weeks in...France's covid-19 numbers are on the decline, but not as good as hoped for at this date. I think the next point of reevaluation is early January. Since we rarely go out to restaurants and large concerts and never to bars, life doesn't feel much different for us. And I hate shopping anyway so it's not like I missed out when non-essential stores were closed. 

Ski resorts are still closed for the foreseeable future, which I'm sure is decimating all of the local economies in those areas. We're hoping to be able to go skiing over the February holidays...but we just don't know if it will be possible. When we go skiing, we literally go outside and ski, eat a packed lunch outdoors or in the car, then go home and eat dinner in our apartment. We don't ever eat out at restaurants so I don't think it would be very risky in terms of infections. I hear that if the resorts reopen, the chairlifts will be open but the gondolas may be closed. 

I met with a friend this morning to catch up on life. It was cold and overcast...and after 2 hours outside I was an icicle. I couldn't get warm back home, even with Zari's down ski jacket, a hat, a scarf, and a hot water bottle. I stood right next to the heater. No difference. I finally took a long hot shower. It's not *that* cold here in Nice but I learned that I need to keep moving! 

Dio finally made it to soccer practice. He had option to play on a regular team or to play in "le fun foot," which is more relaxed and is just practice, no games. Dio took one look at the regular team's coach and said "NO." He had this coach a previous year and even Eric agreed, no hesitation, that the coach was terrible: mean, negative, critical, tearing the kids down for every little thing. So for now Dio is quite happy to do "le fun foot" and we'll see what happens. 

A photo from last night's walk at the Place Massena. And Dio constructed a work space for Dolly and Indy, complete with chairs, keyboards, and computer monitors.

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French quarantine 2.0, day 20

16,337 steps 

We're feeling more optimistic today. Both of us went running in the morning--helps with just about anything. Then we met with our banker about refinancing our loan, bringing the rate from ~3.5% down to 1.3%. Yeah! 

Eric talked to the girl's coach at Cavigal (someone he worked with for a few years back when he was coaching there), and he said they could take Inga and Ivy. Zari is thinking of trying out there as well. It's easier to get to: 13 minutes on the tram, versus driving or taking the bus to the neighboring city of Villefranche. 

Ivy said lunch was great today--she took seconds of the vegetable and main dish. I looked up the menus for the two days they ate at school this week: 

Tuesday: 

• Céleri rémoulade (celery root remoulade) 
• Escalope de dinde au jus corsé (turkey escalope with aromatic concentrated gravy) 
• Petits pois au beurre (green peas with butter) 
• Baguette 
• Brie 
• Gaufre au sucre glace (waffle with powdered sugar) 

Thursday: 

• Concombre et dés de féta (cucumber & feta salad) 
• Boulettes de soja sauce orientale (soy "meatballs" with oriental sauce) 
• Baguette 
• Semoule bio (organic semolina) 
• Yaourt bio aromatisé à la framboise (organic raspberry-flavored yogurt) 

Okay, I want to eat lunch at their school! I love that they sit down and eat one course at a time, with real plates and utensils.

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French quarantine 2.0, day 19

9,928 steps 

Ugh, today was a "journée raté." It was supposed to be Dio's first day of soccer practice. When he found out, he started crying and wouldn't stop because he didn't want to go. 

Eric finally lost patience and said, "Fine, then you won't play soccer. You're done." Then I got upset because I wasn't okay with just letting Dio give up on something (because he does this with almost everything, whether it's school or soccer or piano lessons). 

I brought Zari and Dio to our RDV spot (still not having resolved the issue of whether or not he'd play) and our ride didn't show up. We waited...and waited...finally I texted him and it turns out they'd changed the practice time to a half-hour earlier! 

So we went back home and went on a walk instead. I don't have their coaches' numbers yet so I couldn't call and say why we didn't show up. 

 Meanwhile Inga and Ivy were at their practice at OGC Nice. They'd originally been told they could join, no problem, as they'd played for OGC Nice already for 2 years. But then Inga's coach said she'd need to try out, twice. 

Tonight was Inga's 2nd tryout. Eric said she was clearly better than many of the other girls--I'll take his word on that, since he coaches soccer. But at the end of the evening, they said they couldn't take Inga because there were too many girls already. (Which makes we wonder: why did they have her try out if they weren't going to add to the team?) 

Inga came home sobbing, Eric came home frustrated, and we still haven't sorted out what to do with Dio. Comments

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French quarantine 2.0, day 18

6,223 steps 

aka my shitty day & eating bugs 

You want to hear all about my day? Fine! I'll get the boring stuff over with first. I sewed five infant scale slings, photographed them, and put them on our website. 

We made lebkuchen during lunch & dinner. I don't even know how many because by time I took pictures, we'd eaten or given away several dozen. 

So now let's get to the fun part, in which I stick my arm into poo. Because that's what you do when it needs to be done. 

So...this morning I noticed that the toilet was plugged. (Disclaimer: it wasn't me. Thank you to whoever did it.) So I unplugged the toilet, only it didn't work. I plunged and flushed and plunged and plunged with no success. 

So I got out my logical reasoning skills: 

#1: Something is really stuck and it's likely not just the poop. 

#2: Hmmm...I notice that the little plastic thing that clips inside the toilet (you know, the thing that cleans/deodorizes the toilet) is missing. 

#3: Oh great, I bet it's that plastic thing that someone knocked into the toilet, and then they went to the bathroom and it got wedged waaaaaay down in the toilet trap and is blocking the poop. 

So I announce my diagnosis to the world. Well, to whoever was home (Eric, Zari, and Dio). "It's probably that plastic thing. We're going to have to fish it out."  

Eric: "I'm not sticking my hand in there." 

Zari & Dio: (eating lunch, no response because obviously this is an adult matter and they don't have to worry about it) 

Meanwhile I really need to pee. So I grab an old towel, take off my sweater, roll up my sleeves, and--without thinking too much about what I'm about to do--plunge my whole arm deep into the toilet. I reach past the poo and yes, there it is! I was right--it was the plastic thing. 

Sometimes you just have to get things done and it's best not to overthink. 

I then washed up as thoroughly as if I were scrubbing in for a surgery. Good to go! 

Okay, but what about eating bugs? 

So tonight we had radicchio risotto. Our arborio rice had a wee pantry moth infestation. (Zari is reading this right now and said, "No, what?! No, no, no.") I could have thrown the rice away. But it was perfectly good rice, aside from some bugs. So I washed the rice several times until there were no more bugs. Problem solved! 

So to be really technical, we didn't eat *any* bugs. But we could have.

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French quarantine 2.0, day 17

18,717 steps 

I haven't sat still today until now! I went running in the morning (brrr...a chilly 5 C when I started out...and of course my Minnesotan self is laughing hilariously that I just called that cold). Then I walked to Lidl and hauled 100 Euros of groceries home. Workout #2! 

During lunch the kids helped me mix the ingredients for lebkuchen, a traditional German spice cookie. The dough is sitting in the fridge ready to roll out. This recipe involves 2 lbs of honey, 1 lb of butter, and loads of spices. Mmmm.... 

Once the kids were back in school, I went into the communist apartment and did some floor sleuthing. There was a spot where the old terra cotta tiles were gone and there was loose earth/dirt. We've been digging away the layers of earth to see what's underneath and how deep it goes. Finally about 5" down I hit some old wooden beams. I suspect they are the cross-beams that sit on top of the large beams that span the length of the apartment. 

The kids had piano lessons with my mom right after school. We had a staggered dinner (more Thai larb salad because I had the ingredients on hand) with whoever wasn't having a lesson. We got out the huge stepladder and hung up our one strand of Christmas lights (left by a previous renter). 

I have lots of fabric left over from sewing masks, so I decided to turn the rest into infant scale slings. I cut, hemmed, ironed, folded, and tacked all five into place. They're ready to finish tomorrow. I'm going to offer these as Breech Without Borders donation perks for people in Europe & the UK. 

In the background you can see my Bernina. She dates back to the 1940s or 50s. I was super excited when I found her a few years back in a sewing machine repair shop. Unlike most sewing machines, this one has a knee pedal rather than a foot pedal. 

While I was sewing, I heard Zari ask Dio, "Can you eat fermented spider eyes?"

"Yeah, I think so. Give them a try."

(They were playing Minecraft.)

Oh, and Eric got his final grades submitted! The semester is officially DONE! 

So that was my day! I'm ready to snuggle up with a hot water bottle and read some brain candy now.

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French quarantine 2.0, day 16

14,223 steps 

It's feeling festive in our apartment. Our miniature Christmas tree is up (all of 2 feet high, left from a previous renter). Paper snowflakes are hanging on the windows and doorways. That's the extent of our Christmas decorations; there's no space for anything else! 

We went to the chateau after lunch and ran into several friends and acquaintances--as usual. Inga and Eric stayed the longest and ended up getting invited to a birthday party. They also played pickup soccer with a group of boys, and Inga schooled them all. 

We did meal planning this evening, and every child had to plan a menu that they will cook. 

• Ivy: radicchio risotto, lebkuchen 
• Inga: pirate chicken, galette des Rois 
• Dio: tortellini with pesto, tiramisu 
• Zari: tian, tarte au citron 
• Rixa: ricotta & spinach tart 
• Eric: salmon mussel quiche, peach ice cream floats 

And a few pictures: 

Ivy climbing a tree while Zari basks in the sun 

Ivy's French braids (which over here are called "African braids") 

And goofy Ivy

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French quarantine 2.0, day 15

1,940 steps 

Yes, I hardly walked at all today...blame it on the rain! I did, however, bike a good distance in the rain (long story). We stayed in today and did rainy Saturday things, like origami and board games and watching a Miyazaki film. I even did some mending. We got all of our tools out from the far recesses of the attic and put them into the communist apartment. 

Dinner last night was homemade sushi: spicy crab or cucumber-smoked salmon-bell pepper-egg-avocado. We ate the leftovers for lunch. 

Dinner tonight was Thai larb salad and the last of the lemon cheesecake. So good! 

Zari had a long crying spell this evening when she discovered that she didn't do well on her last French assignment (slightly higher than the class average...but that didn't help her feel any better). I tried to cheer her up but it was mostly ineffectual. 

But she did laugh when I gave her a dramatic rendition of my great devastation upon receiving my very first A- in college, thus ruining my perfect 4.0 GPA and setting me on the road to failure and financial ruin. (Not really--it just turned my GPA into 3.99 which was HORRIBLE at the time.)

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French quarantine 2.0, day 14

Rain all day! 

I didn't end up falling asleep last night until Eric's reading finished at 3 am. We were both kaput today. I made myself stay awake except for a 10-minute nap after lunch. 

I've been working on breech workshop planning all day. Covid-19 permitting, we're teaching workshops all over the US spring & summer (Dr. Hayes) and in Europe (me) and then heading to New Zealand and Australia for November & December. It's hard to know what will be happening a year from now, but we're going to make plans and then adjust if needed. 

If it's raining tomorrow, we'll start working on our apartment building's staircase. The walls in the staircase and entry hall are in rough shape, and one of our neighbors has started re-plastering and painting. We're going to help her as it's a big job. 

Our building hired this project out about 10-15 years ago, and it was poorly done. We'd rather redo it ourselves than pay a company thousands of Euros. (We're just 3 families in the entire building, plus a nonprofit association on the bottom floor.)

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French quarantine 2.0, day 13

9,650 steps 

I was determined to reset my clock. I made myself get out of bed at 7 am and stay awake all day. No napping, nada. I hope it works. 

Ivy and Inga had cantine (school lunch) today so we had a long work day. Zari and Dio still come home for lunch since the middle school lunch isn't as interesting. In our elementary school, kids get a 4-course sit-down lunch every day. Real dishes & utensils, one course served at a time. We do that twice a week for Ivy and Inga. 

Today was one of those good days where the kids got along, helped each other out with homework, made up little games, played their hearts out at the park, wrote in their journals after dinner. Just a good day all around. 

In the afternoon, after a Vitamin D bath at the beach, we installed metal brackets to hold our electronic piano. The stand it came on kept collapsing. Now our piano is all set up and virtual lessons restart next Monday with my mom! 

Don't forget--Eric has his virtual book reading tonight at 6 pm MST (7 pm CST/8 pm EST). Come join him! I will be in bed as it will be 2 am 🙂 https://www.crowdcast.io/e/tke-presents-online--2/register 

If that link doesn't work, go here and follow the registration link: https://www.kingsenglish.com/event/tke-presents-online-eric-freeze-french-dive-living-more-less-south-france

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French quarantine 2.0, day 12

9,859 steps 

Theme of the day: soccer! Or "le foot," as it's called over here. Ivy and Inga had practice at OGC Nice, while I brought Zari to her practice at Villefranche. Normally Dio would also have practice in Villefranche but he doesn't start until Friday this week. 

Dio doesn't want to do soccer. This is a common theme, whether it's starting soccer or school or whatever. He gets really down and doesn't want to do The Thing. He cries and grumbles. We force him to do The Thing and he ends up liking it. 

I know something that would REALLY cheer Dio up! Would you help me out? Please PLEASE subscribe to his YouTube channel (or have your kids subscribe, if they're into things like Minecraft). Even better, watch and comment on his videos! 

I was feeling unwell yesterday. General malaise with no symptoms. Anyway, this morning I dragged myself out of bed to wake kids up for school, then dragged myself back into bed until 9:30 am. If you know me, that is so out of character. But I feel so much better today after that long sleep. 

 We were playing at the coulée verte after lunch, and Zari did a magnificent but unintentional slide tackle. It looked like grass but was slippery mud. She was so wet and dirty that she had to go back home and change. 

Inga spent a long time during lunch peeling and arranging shrimp. When you buy shrimp over here, they are fully intact with heads, antennas, legs, & shells. Then she made a commercial. 

I mixed up a double batch of sourdough and need to shape the boules before bed tonight. This will make 4 large loaves or 6 medium loaves. We also made lemon cheesecake. So good! 

Yesterday's dinner: mussels & fries in Roquefort cream sauce, shrimp, Mozart chocolates 

Day before yesterday was a "green" dinner: green vegetable puree topped with crème fraîche, pasta with pesto, and cucumbers with cream cheese.

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French quarantine 2.0, day 11

15,560 steps 

What are you doing this Thursday evening around 6 pm MST / 8 pm EST? If you don't have plans, please come to Eric's virtual book reading with The King's English Bookstore. 

Register here (it's free!): www.crowdcast.io/e/tke-presents-online--2/register 

Did I mention--Eric has a new book!? It was just released a few days ago. It's called French Dive: Living More With Less in the South of France. It's all about our first year in France, moving into a small apartment with 4 little kids and not much to live on. 

During that year, Ivy was waking up 4-5 times a night and only nursing would do. If Eric came, she'd scream so hard she puked. If it took me more than 30 seconds to get to her, she'd puke. 

I remember so many nights curled up on one little corner of the bed in Ivy's room, nearly falling off as I nursed her because the bathtub was taking up the rest of the bed...I can say "good times" only because it's many years in the past. Our first year was great overall, but it was a killer for mothering. 

So we invite you to come to Eric's reading! Even better, buy the book and support a writer and his awesome family :) 

Where to buy: 

1. The King's English

2. Bookshop 

3. Amazon

ps--yes, you did the math right, Eric is doing the reading at 2 am French time! 😲

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French quarantine 2.0, day 10

16,989 steps 

Eric and I are both exhausted! I can't stay awake if I sit down. I went running, then carried 100 Euros of groceries home, and went on a walk this evening. And Eric found a garage to tow our car to, ran there to pick up the car, went spearfishing, and went on a walk. 

Oh--update on our car. So after getting it towed to a garage this morning, we finally heard back. They ran all sorts of tests and guess what it was? The key! 

Our key had come apart at some point, so the actual metal key part was separated from the part with the electronic buttons. Apparently if the pieces of the key are not together, it will lock the whole car down and not let anything happen. I'm surprised the dépanneur didn't know that. 

So for now, our key is taped together and our car works! I need to find the little button that fell out (whatever it's called, I have no idea, but it's the button you press that makes the key flick out). 

The kids saw this fun salmon & zucchini flower, so we made it for dinner tonight. It looks easy but was actually tricky in real life. 

The zucchini part was very heavy and thick. It did NOT roll up neatly! I baked it for at least 35 minutes before putting it on top of the salmon. And it still wasn't cooked through after 20 more minutes of cooking! But despite it not looking great, it tasted good. 

I actually think it would work better to do these in little individual ramekins. You'd bake the zucchini part first and leave spot in the middle for a piece of salmon. Then when the zucchini flower was almost done, put the salmon in and finish baking. I've made "apple roses" this way and they turn out beautifully. Along with this tart, we ate fondue & baguettes and pain au chocolat.

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French quarantine 2.0, day 9

8,525 steps 

Well, today was a fail! 

We had a relaxing morning together and then headed out after lunch to hike le Chemin de Nietzsche. This is a short but intense hike from Eze Plage up to the perched medieval village of Eze. 

We got everything packed up, brought along a friend of Ivy's, and had plans to meet another family at the base of the hike. And...our car wouldn't start. 

We had gotten it started just this past week but today: nothing. We didn't have any jumper cables. So we tried the next best thing: rolling it down a very steep hill and trying to get it started that way. It gave a few tiny little coughs...but nothing worked. 

At the base of the hill, we realized we were in more trouble than we'd thought. We got several people to help us push the car into a side street. 

Plan B: buy some cables. Eric ran off to the nearest store--which was a feat in itself, as it was a Sunday afternoon and most places were closed. Well, plan B didn't work either! We got the cables and our friend came with his car to give us a jumpstart. Nada. Our car wouldn't even turn over. 

Okay, on to plan C: call the roadside assistance provided by our car insurance. I brought the kids inside to watch a movie while Eric waited with the car. The dépanneur (or dépanneuse, as it was a woman) came and tried all of her tricks and nothing would work. 

Okay, on to plan D: the dépanneuse towed our car away and will bring it to a mechanic tomorrow. Once we find someone who can look at it! We don't know what's going on, but it might be the starter? Or some other electrical issue of some sort. 

I hate not knowing how to fix things. Give me anything on a house and I know what to do. But a car...I am helpless. 

So yeah, our hiking plans were foiled!

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