If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
France (at last)
Finally, The Report on our trip to France, June 21 thru July 28.
Sean was already in France for business, and took as much luggage as I could pack ahead of time (a lot) to save me the carrying. On the night before, I had everything ready so I actually got to bed before 10, which was a smart move. Up at 2:15 am, woke kids at 3, for smooth 3:40 bus pickup. First flight at 6:30. Flights went well, considering. Last-minute purchases of Gameboy and 2 CD walkmen were the best investments of my life. Elliot played Gameboy solidly for the 5 hours +/- from Seattle to Philadelphia. Holly napped. On the Philly-Paris portion, things unwound a little. First Holly fell off the seat onto her head while I was strapping her car seat in. Not happy in my arms or in her seat, and suddenly it was take-off, so she screamed for an HOUR. We were not popular. Then Connor was absent-mindedly kicking the seat in front of him, so the old guy woke me from my (only) nap to tell me about it -- then he went for a 20 minute walk. I was *soooo* mad -- I mean, I know the kid was driving him nuts, but couldn't he have complained on the way *back* to his seat? I made C. sit crisscross applesauce for the rest of the flight. Paris was great -- our only hitch was that apparently the entire French capital contains precisely three highchairs, only one of which has a strap, so Holly tried to ruin every meal by bobbing up and down and pulling stuff on the floor -- or falling on her head onto tiles, on one occasion. It actually seemed to be a relief to *her* too, the one time we found a real highchair and she had to sit still. EHC *loved* Paris. The Eiffel Tower was a 5-minute wonder, more popular from the ground than from the top, but they thought the (outside) of the Louvre was really cool, the funfair in the Tuileries gardens was a wonderful surprise, and they particularly *loved* the churches. Musta spent 2 hours in Notre Dame looking at the "Jesus stories". Another hour + in the Sainte Chapelle and as for the Conciergerie (medieval Government offices used as prison during the Revolution), they thought the "pretend people" (models of Marie Antoinette etc) were too cool. Suitably impressed by the little cell in which the condemned had their hair cut and their clothes torn down over their shoulders before heading off to the tumbrils, too. Heh heh. Another really cool thing about Paris is the new "Batobus". You buy a ticket ($10 for an adult, $5 for a child -- Holly was free, I think) and you can then ride up and down the Seine on a boat *all* day, getting on and off at "bus stops" as often as you want. It really beats pounding the pavement with 4 kids or fighting on and off the Metro with a stroller. Of course, it adds up for a big family, but we just did it one day and it helped us pack in a lot more sightseeing than we could possibly have managed otherwise. At the coast, we missed both the March - June heatwave and the August one, so the weather was much hotter at home than we got at the beach ---- but since we had no a/c and the gorgeous sandy beach was our near-deserted private territory (no kiosks to buy drinks or anything), it's just as well it wasn't boiling. Easily warm enough for playing all but a couple of rainy days, on one of which we went to the Bayeux Tapestry (and the Cathedral of course!!). The house (for 4.5 weeks) was, as promised, right opposite the beach. Unrestricted Atlantic views, magnificent sunsets and thunderstorms (!), and on clear days we could easily see the houses and telegraph poles on Jersey and even a cluster of tiny house-sized inhabited islands just off J. whose name now escapes me -- the residents must be mad. Open your front door and you pretty much fall into the sea. Our house was very nice -- no nasty surprises and everything worked as advertised. I guess the only problem was that the locals fish from that beach using their farm tractors to drag their fishing boats into the sea .... very picturesque, but all that machinery leaves occasional mini oil slicks on the beach. Not a big problem once I learned that vegetable oil removes it pretty easily, but still an irritation. Was joined over there at various times by my Mom, my two sisters and their spouse/kids, 4 girlfriends from college and their various offspring (including the 7 boys of my French-residing friend whose house was about 50 minutes away, so we visited each other weekly) ... which all went very well, I think :-}. There's a lot of invasion history in Normandy (many houses and shops still fly the British, American and Canadian flags over their doors and the local town halls. Plus the flower beds outside the town halls, and in the traffic circles, acknowledge the liberation, too, with badges of the units and titles like: "AIRBORNE" etc). So I gave EHC the basic historical background and then Daddy took EHCH to the Beaches one day while I lounged around the house with my sister eating an evil lunch, watching Wimbledon on the tv (English reception from the Channel Islands) and reading our books in cozy SILENCE. They got home after a 10 hr trip and Sean confessed he might have forgotten to tell them what D-Day actually was. So I'm sort of still wondering whether they understood *anything* about the pillboxes and gun emplacements they saw that day. I learned two easy new recipes from friends (chicken curry and zucchini fettucine) to add to my pathetic repertoire -- I'm a great cook but I am also terminally lazy on that front. So all in all we had a great time -- I've never been so tanned in my life and EHHs' blond hair is bleached almost-white. Am trying to work out what country to try next, and when. If Sean has to go to the Farnborough air show (UK) next year, we might even risk driving on the other side of the road :-) Otherwise, we'll probably wait at least another year til Holly is more travel-ready. -- Janet Elliot, Hanna, Connor (10/21/96) and Holly (4/4/01) |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
France (at last)
Oh my, all I can say is God bless ya! We just went camping for 5 days in
PA from NJ and barely survived. I can't imagine flying across the world with 4 kids. Good job!! Megan Mommy to miracle twins... Aidan & Alexis Born 9-28-02 |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Mexican Lasagna, was France (at last)
"multimom4" wrote in message
news:ZVu3b.287146$YN5.197252@sccrnsc01... snip I learned two easy new recipes from friends (chicken curry and zucchini fettucine) to add to my pathetic repertoire -- I'm a great cook but I am also terminally lazy on that front. You might like this recipe Janet. It is a great, easy to make ahead of time (such as in the afternoon) and my kids love it. I use whole wheat tortillas because I don't like the corn tortillas. Mexican Lasagna 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips 1 large onion, halved and cut into thin wedges 1 large clove garlic, minced 2 cups (16 ounces) fat free ricotta cheese 1 cup (8 ounces) reduced fat sour cream 1 jar (4 ounces) chopped green chile peppers 1/2 cup fresh cilantro 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 cups salsa 8 corn tortillas (6" diameter), cut in half 1.25 cups (5 ounces) shredded low-fat Monterey Jack Cheese Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 13" x 9" baking dish with cooking spray. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning several times, for 5 minutes, or until no longer pink. Remove to a medium bowl. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel. Coat with cooking spray. Place over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add to the chicken in the bowl. In another medium bowl, combine the ricotta, sour cream, chile peppers, cilantro, cumin and salt. Spread 1 cup of the salsa across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange half of the tortillas evenly over the salsa. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the tortillas. top with half the chicken mixture. Top with 1 cup of the remaining salsa and 1/2 cup of the Monterey Jack. Repeat the layering sequence with the remaining tortillas, ricotta mixture, and chicken mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of the salsa and the 3/4 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through. Loosely cover with foil if the cheese browns too quickly. Makes 8 servings Per serving: 281 calories, 30g protein, 20g carbohydrates, 9g fat, 61 mg cholesterol, 3g fiber, 601 mg sodium -- Erin Morgan and Megan 2/15/97 Evan 5/14/00 |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Mexican Lasagna, was France (at last)
I have a similar recipe that is sooo yummy!
1 lb. chopped meat 1 lg. can tomato puree 1 sm. can tomato paste 1 can stewed tomatoes 1 can tomato sauce sugar to taste 4 cups cheddar 4 cups mozzarella no boil lasagna noodles Brown your chop meat, drain fat Add all your tomatoes and sugar to taste Bring to a boil and then simmer for as long as you like. Layer meat mixture with cheeses and noodles. Bake covered at 350 degrees for one hour, then uncovered for 1/2 hour. Megan Mommy to miracle twins... Aidan & Alexis Born 9-28-02 |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Lasagna Noodle tip!
no boil lasagna noodles Just a helpful tip, because I know that a lot of folks don't know it yet.....when making lasagna, you don't have to boil nor buy special "no boil" noodles!! You can use just your basic lasagna noodles, DRY....just add some extra water to your sauce ("they" say 1/4-1/2C) and make sure the noodles are covered by the sauce! And then cook as normal! I've done this and cooked it immediately and I've also made it ahead of time and froze it.....great every time!! oh oh oh...have y'all tried adding Cream Cheese to your lasagna????!!!!!! I KNOW it sounds odd......but I found it in a recipe one time, tried it, and OMG!!!! I won't make it again w/o!!! its awesome!! Gwen |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
France (at last)
A little advice, in case you didn't know, if you speak French in France they
will be much more likely to get things for you, even if it's bad French. The French are a bit prone to English/American bashing and some will even go out of their way to be unhelpful - hence the 3 high-chairs! Could be my bald head, sixty tattoos, boots and England soccer shirt?? Only kidding. Glad you liked Paris and the other areas though, London is better (although I'm biased). The Farnborough Air Show is one of the best and well worth seeing so you must try. What's difficult about driving on the correct side of the road though? Mind you, a lot of English drivers would struggle regardless of which side they drive NEIL. ps: I don't wear boots "multimom4" wrote in message news:ZVu3b.287146$YN5.197252@sccrnsc01... Finally, The Report on our trip to France, June 21 thru July 28. Sean was already in France for business, and took as much luggage as I could pack ahead of time (a lot) to save me the carrying. On the night before, I had everything ready so I actually got to bed before 10, which was a smart move. Up at 2:15 am, woke kids at 3, for smooth 3:40 bus pickup. First flight at 6:30. Flights went well, considering. Last-minute purchases of Gameboy and 2 CD walkmen were the best investments of my life. Elliot played Gameboy solidly for the 5 hours +/- from Seattle to Philadelphia. Holly napped. On the Philly-Paris portion, things unwound a little. First Holly fell off the seat onto her head while I was strapping her car seat in. Not happy in my arms or in her seat, and suddenly it was take-off, so she screamed for an HOUR. We were not popular. Then Connor was absent-mindedly kicking the seat in front of him, so the old guy woke me from my (only) nap to tell me about it -- then he went for a 20 minute walk. I was *soooo* mad -- I mean, I know the kid was driving him nuts, but couldn't he have complained on the way *back* to his seat? I made C. sit crisscross applesauce for the rest of the flight. Paris was great -- our only hitch was that apparently the entire French capital contains precisely three highchairs, only one of which has a strap, so Holly tried to ruin every meal by bobbing up and down and pulling stuff on the floor -- or falling on her head onto tiles, on one occasion. It actually seemed to be a relief to *her* too, the one time we found a real highchair and she had to sit still. EHC *loved* Paris. The Eiffel Tower was a 5-minute wonder, more popular from the ground than from the top, but they thought the (outside) of the Louvre was really cool, the funfair in the Tuileries gardens was a wonderful surprise, and they particularly *loved* the churches. Musta spent 2 hours in Notre Dame looking at the "Jesus stories". Another hour + in the Sainte Chapelle and as for the Conciergerie (medieval Government offices used as prison during the Revolution), they thought the "pretend people" (models of Marie Antoinette etc) were too cool. Suitably impressed by the little cell in which the condemned had their hair cut and their clothes torn down over their shoulders before heading off to the tumbrils, too. Heh heh. Another really cool thing about Paris is the new "Batobus". You buy a ticket ($10 for an adult, $5 for a child -- Holly was free, I think) and you can then ride up and down the Seine on a boat *all* day, getting on and off at "bus stops" as often as you want. It really beats pounding the pavement with 4 kids or fighting on and off the Metro with a stroller. Of course, it adds up for a big family, but we just did it one day and it helped us pack in a lot more sightseeing than we could possibly have managed otherwise. At the coast, we missed both the March - June heatwave and the August one, so the weather was much hotter at home than we got at the beach ---- but since we had no a/c and the gorgeous sandy beach was our near-deserted private territory (no kiosks to buy drinks or anything), it's just as well it wasn't boiling. Easily warm enough for playing all but a couple of rainy days, on one of which we went to the Bayeux Tapestry (and the Cathedral of course!!). The house (for 4.5 weeks) was, as promised, right opposite the beach. Unrestricted Atlantic views, magnificent sunsets and thunderstorms (!), and on clear days we could easily see the houses and telegraph poles on Jersey and even a cluster of tiny house-sized inhabited islands just off J. whose name now escapes me -- the residents must be mad. Open your front door and you pretty much fall into the sea. Our house was very nice -- no nasty surprises and everything worked as advertised. I guess the only problem was that the locals fish from that beach using their farm tractors to drag their fishing boats into the sea .... very picturesque, but all that machinery leaves occasional mini oil slicks on the beach. Not a big problem once I learned that vegetable oil removes it pretty easily, but still an irritation. Was joined over there at various times by my Mom, my two sisters and their spouse/kids, 4 girlfriends from college and their various offspring (including the 7 boys of my French-residing friend whose house was about 50 minutes away, so we visited each other weekly) ... which all went very well, I think :-}. There's a lot of invasion history in Normandy (many houses and shops still fly the British, American and Canadian flags over their doors and the local town halls. Plus the flower beds outside the town halls, and in the traffic circles, acknowledge the liberation, too, with badges of the units and titles like: "AIRBORNE" etc). So I gave EHC the basic historical background and then Daddy took EHCH to the Beaches one day while I lounged around the house with my sister eating an evil lunch, watching Wimbledon on the tv (English reception from the Channel Islands) and reading our books in cozy SILENCE. They got home after a 10 hr trip and Sean confessed he might have forgotten to tell them what D-Day actually was. So I'm sort of still wondering whether they understood *anything* about the pillboxes and gun emplacements they saw that day. I learned two easy new recipes from friends (chicken curry and zucchini fettucine) to add to my pathetic repertoire -- I'm a great cook but I am also terminally lazy on that front. So all in all we had a great time -- I've never been so tanned in my life and EHHs' blond hair is bleached almost-white. Am trying to work out what country to try next, and when. If Sean has to go to the Farnborough air show (UK) next year, we might even risk driving on the other side of the road :-) Otherwise, we'll probably wait at least another year til Holly is more travel-ready. -- Janet Elliot, Hanna, Connor (10/21/96) and Holly (4/4/01) |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
France (at last)
Thanks, Janet!
Sounds like a great trip. Julie |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
France (at last)
For some reason the original post is not showing up. :{ Can someone please
post it for me. Thanks, Andrea twin girls-Madison & Jordan 3 yrs. old |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
France (at last)
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
misc.kids FAQ on Childhood Vaccinations, Part 1/4 | [email protected] | Info and FAQ's | 3 | February 16th 04 09:58 AM |
misc.kids FAQ on Childhood Vaccinations, Part 1/4 | [email protected] | Info and FAQ's | 3 | January 16th 04 09:15 AM |
misc.kids FAQ on Childhood Vaccinations, Part 2/4 | [email protected] | Info and FAQ's | 0 | December 15th 03 09:41 AM |
Help...weaning is soooooooooo confusing! | Clisby Williams | Breastfeeding | 3 | July 28th 03 07:15 AM |