Ive done this one too many times now....

Hey hey, its.. welll WEDNESDAY....

Heading to Barcelona on Monday for a short getaway, flying out of Geneva in the monring, staying in some nice looking apartment right by Las Ramblas, and in the Gothic quaters, which excites me greatly.. Just Juliet and I are going. As you know we were going to hit the coast of Italy, but we are very worn out with everything back to school we need a more stay in one spot kinda thing, so we found this. And it suits us just fine. We can travel Italy any weekend, so its no biggy...

Today I finally went to Auberge A L`onde, which is the restaurant Laurences and her family own, aside from the Creperie. The place is in St Saphorin in amongst all the vinyards and cobled streets... its really a truely amazing place. Thats where the pictures above are from today.

I had a coffee and the most delicious tart with Laurences friend Carlo who is a music producer and has produced albums for the likes of Norah Jones (two of her latest songs were recorded in his studio, which is the place NEXT to the restaurant.. and she has eaten at the rstaurent a few times... as you do..), Jewel, Sarah Mclachlan, Madonna, and has written the music for Austin Powers (the first movie), Mortal Kombat, MAGUIVER... Just to name a few...he s a super nice guy and real down to earth... Hes taking care of Athos while we all go on holiday...

Laurence and I spoke about me helping organise some events at the Auberge and having some say in what goes on, they own the building next door which has a cellar that Carlo has renivated and they also have a giant room with an open fire to host events.., Im really happy about this.... I must say. They are also thinking about opening a cafe right by the restaurant, more low key casual kind of affair, serving cuppachinos and tarts etc .. I said id be happy to help organise this also... So once things start happening it will be top notch.

Anywho, Jazzy has just gone to the hospital because her finger is so infected and looks like its about to drop off, so i hope they sort that out. It swelled right up only since this morning to now... poor darl.

Just realised you can click on the pics in my blog if you wish to view them larger!

So the family leave tomorrow for Dubai, so I have thurs, fri, sat and sun night home alone, thinking about having a dinner paty one night and inviting some off my Swisspo friends. But my main clan are on holidays.. some in America and some in the Carribean.. But, i still have some around, so we`ll see if I can sort something out.

Two weeks off from french school, but i do have homework ha ha... its easy as at the minute.. but i dont think ill be saying that for much longer.

Je suis fatigue so im going to go now. Its usually my afternoon off, but with the whole Jasmine thing, I said id be happy to stay and look after the other rug rats.. arent i just the sweetest. YES I AM.

Gros bisous mon petite cheries. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

So this is where you are, and this is where I am.

... I know its been a while... but, I am here to salavage the lost time...with one helluva giant post.

To kick off, please note the photo on the left.. this was taken by yours truely on Sunday, its the view over to France and as you can see, the snow is starting to tumble!! but its looks super sweet!...

Now....since i last let you all in on the who how.......

.......I have.......

- been to Lugano, and Milan, that was the weekend of the 19th till the 22nd of September.

The first day we (Juliet and I) got up early in Lugano and just decided to train it to Milan, we meandered around Milan - mainly Duomo for the day taking in some really awesome sights, and sounds ofcourse we fit in a gelati AND a few coffees.. (best coffee ive had EVER).. we also happened to be in Duomo on a day where all hell was breaking loose with protests about racism and equal rights.... Flares going off, people chanting, storming malls... scary to a degree but really quite interesting!! Headed back to Lugano for the evening, had some pasta then hit the hay... the next day was spent roaming through the streets of Lugano and then we boarded a Lunch Boat Cruise on the lake. It was truely super, the views of all the surrounding hills and vinyards and little quaint houses... then as it was a LUNCH cruise, we had some pasta in the restaurant bit, comfy couches, friendly waitresses... was a treat!

We were planning to stay the Sunday night and leave for Lausanne on Monday... But with incomming messages of "please come back and celebrate" from friends in Lausanne and the prospect of missing some of the new metro opening celebrations.. was enough to sway us.. so we got on a train that night and headed back to Lausanne... Went to a concert down by the lake which was awesome and then headed into town to meet some more people and dance the night away. We were very glad to have gone back to Lausanne to experience the mayhem....

what else what else....Oh actually I attended to `Fete Des Vendanges`in Lutry on the weekend of the 27th and 28th. It was a typical swiss fete and it had such a perfect ambience and i could have stayed there forever.. hahaha.. our friend Kristian the Canadian was working at a bar there for his Rugby club, so we didnt pay for anything all night.. they had dancing and bands and fairy floss and food and churros and rides and and everything..... Juliet and I went back the next day to check out the daytime festivities and her kids were in the parade, they went through all the seasons and all the little kiddies were dressed up, swiss day, xmas, easter, spring, autumn, halloween etc etc etc....

So since then its just been normal working week with nothing massive to report... Juliet and I are planning a trip down the west coast of Italy for our break which is from the 17th till the 16th of October... Hitting Amalfi, Positano, Naples, Rome, Pisa, Lucca, Florence, Bologna, Milan. Versy much looking forward to it. Booking our flights tomorrow I believe and then booking hostels over the next few days. We were goign to go on a cruise, which started in rome and hit some wowzer places, greece turkey etc, but for our budgets right now it just didnt work out.. only just.. but enough to sway us away and onto plan B.. which really, isnt anything to turn your nose up at.... just saying....

RIGHT. Hope your not all snoring yet.. but this is as much for you as it is for me.. and my fish brain.... so i can look back and remember what i actually did!!!

Family news... There is talk of going to America for the easter break next year, instead of back to Nice... I shall say now, i dont think its a BAD idea hahah... and am secretly praying it happens.. The plan is to hit New York for 4 days and then Miami for 6 days and then Tampa Bay for a few more days... YES PLEASE.

We all went to the KNIE suisse circus last night. It was tres tres tres bien... there were acrobatics, elephants... not acrobatic elephants... two seperate bits.. sooo many horses... LAMAS (yes, how B-zaaaar.. it jumped round the stage on its back legs... ) and camels.. and i have discovered camels really do frighten me.. and they are just ODD... severley ODD. but anyway. It was so much fun, and being with the kids just made it even better. They enjoyed it so much and my knee was like a musical chair for the 4 of them who all took it in turns to sit on my lap and clap along.. I didnt mind one iota..

Roxane got sort of Braces today, but they arent braces haha, they are to stretch her teeth out to make sure the grown up teeth come down well and then she is to have braces after that. Shes handling it quite well... but I would understand if she wasnt.. 9 years old, foreign mouth piece type thing.. not the easiest thing to deal with.

Chloe has had some monster attacks over the past week which really took their toll on me, but again i remind myself she is 3.5 years old, and these things have happened and will happen and its just a part of her finding herself and etc etc..... But today she was a little angel, and i really really do love the little thing!!

Margaux is havign a bit of a hard time at school, this is the first year of a two year selection process to see if she gets into the college she wants etc... like ive previusly mentioned its really an obscene schooling system.. but she has so many tests every week and they really are difficult, even Chahin last night said some of the questions on her science test he didnt learn till he was 17... let alone 11.... I really feel for her, the pressure is immense and there is no way out...

Jazzy is, just jazzy, plodding along... no dramas there, shes just airy fairy and i just laugh at how she will be half way putting on her clothes and then she is sitting at the piano playing a tune.. and i have to say.. AHH jazz, you might want to put your pants on?? hahhaa... she is the wild child.. she really really is... she can spend hours in the bath... just playing with the toys.. her imagination is something amazing... the oher day she was late home form school and when questioned why.. she finally told us she saw a butterfly and decided to follow it.. HAHHA.. can u imagine....

Halloween season is a looming.... the girls did their pumpkins yesterday and have got all their costumes out already... ofcourse its not for another 3 weeks... ha ha, but they have been talkign about this since i arrived in Nice...

Chloe is still finding things round the house, wrapping them in wrapping paper, putting them in Chahins bedside draw and reminding him to give them to her for her birthday.... Its really a sight to see... I have to remind her everyday to not take anything from my room.. but if we cant find something.. its sure to be stashed in the pressie drawer...

The dogs ran off on me a few times while walking in the forest, which i am LOVING.. (please note sarcasm).. so i am putting his lead on a lot sooner than usual on our walk.. because its not that fun waiting 20 mins for him to show up.... while freezing in the forest....

French class started wednesday gone.. i feel 5 again, learning the alphabet and 1-10 in french... but it really isnt that easy... the numbers i have down pat, no sweat... but the alphabet.. `EEGREC` . for a Y... come on... and ASH for H.... and Airrrrrgh for R... ha ha... crazy talk.... but ill get it... u watch this space.. ill be all Frenchinised in no time.

Thast about it really... well ofcourse there is more.. but Im going to leave it there.

I will be a bit more strict on myself and update more often.... time just flys away from me... but i shall try..

Please let me know how everyone is travelling along...

Miss you all, and sending loads n loads of BISOUS...

Ps. Check the new HAIR... im loving life as a Brunette.