Bonjour les Amis!

Our month-long absence can be attributed to the fact that Gabrielle and I have been living the life of leisure "en France". A fabulous 3 week vacation that took us from busy & beautiful streets of Paris to the serene & fragrant oasis, drowned in a rainbow of colours of Provence in the south. The purpose of our journey wasn't simply for pleasure, but for the wedding of one of my cousins. Although we did have the most amazing time! It was so wonderful to see Tante-Helene and Uncle Peter who came from Australia, Tante-Nadia and Uncle Colin from Toronto and all the aunts, uncles, cousins and friends from Belgium and France alike. What a family gathering! There were lots of little people for Gabrielle to play with as well, so she was thoroughly entertained...and was quite entertaining herself! She always seems to know when to turn on the charm, or when real manners are required. At the more formal family meals she would sit quietly and eat like such a big girl, when we were out at restaurants she would sit patiently and wait for the food to arrive and then eat with the skill of someone much more mature than 14 months!

Very well behaved at the lunch table!

Gabrielle's new trick - if I stick my fingers in my ears...I can't hear you tell me "no"!

We were so fortunate to have the opportunity to stay at a distant cousin's apartment while in Paris in the 7th arrondissement (neighbourhood) where we were 2 blocks from the Champs de Mars (the huge green open space park located at the base of the Eiffel Tower). Gabrielle loved running in the grass chasing the pigeons. She didn't much care for the world reknown architectural marvel behind her! We played on so many of the carousels that pop up all over Paris, ate baguettes and cheese at every meal, and fresh fruit and vegetables from local stands.

Learning to step down...Birds mama! BIRDS!After a few days in the big city, it was time to hop on the TGV and travel south to Provence - where we were greeted by the overwhelming scents that are so typical to this region...jasmine, pine, and of course, lavender. Picking up our car in Avignon and singing "Sur le Pont" a hundred times, we drove to Daniel and Laurence's (parent's of the bride to be) weekend get-away in Gubian. My dad has been going here for over 40 years and it was the first time we were there without the warm welcome of Uncle Roman and Tante Jeannette. But, we were greeted with the smiling faces of our family and had a wonderful week in this secluded part of Provence. Taking day trips to local villages, checking out the markets and just going for walks in the 32 acres of land certainly kept us busy...as did the eating! More cheese...YUM!Reminds me of Laura Ingles and Little House on the Prarie!Looking for chanterelles in GubianI found one! Oh wait...it's just a piece of wood.Ready to go walking!Photo in a grotte where my mama had her photo taken when she was 7!Top to Mont Ventoux! The second last stage of this year's Tour de France will be climbing this mountain!Candies for sale! YUM!Sitting on a pig for Tante-Nadia!This is the same cave de vin where Daryl and I took Mackenzie wine tasting in 2002 - he was 8!Lost in a field of poppies!We left Gubian and travelled just over an hour to the home of another cousin, Natalie and Bruno, in Murs. Now, when I say home, I should be more specific...they live in a chateau. Yes, a castle. Complete with knights armour in the foyer and dungeon through the musty central courtyard. Seriously. Gabrielle played the role of princess perfectly well - as if she was born into it. Outfitted in pretty dresses daily and spending her time chasing butterflies in the garden proved to be quite the adventures. We also picked cherries from the local orchards, and lavender from the fields. We ate cheese (YUM) and bread and vegetables until we could eat no more. We were joined in Murs by Nadia and Helene and Peter and had a wonderful Karpoff family reunion...the first time we were together in France since 1984! After 25 years, it was about time!Le Chateau de Murs...Gabrielle playing in one of the salons...Gabrielle and her cousin, Constantin playing in the pebbles.Gabrielle, Celestina and Constantin in the garden in Murs.Gabrielle running to see Tante-Nadia who just arrived! Can we say excited?Watching birds...Mowing the lawn...with a bubble mower!Now lost in a field of lavender!Picking cherries with the family

We left Murs and headed west to Beaucaire, the location of Lucie and Tanguy's wedding. Staying at the old Doctors college, we toured the city and discovered some wonderful sights. The wedding was beautiful and reception was lots of fun. The children danced until they nearly collapsed, falling asleep in various back-rooms of the hall.Paparatzi!

Unfortunately, our trip was drawing to a close and it was time to return home. We missed Papa so much and know that next time we'll be back all together.