Cher Famille et Amis,
It's hard to believe, but it has now been six months since Joe left for France. With the exception of occasional bouts of homesickness, we are still enjoying the our time here. We have particularly loved these first few weeks of spring because the weather has been very pleasant and Joe is able to get home before dark for a change.
This week, Nicolas, Elyse, and Nathaniel returned to school after a two-week break. Nicolas was the happiest to go back to school because, as he put it, he was 'bored to death' at home. For her part, Julie went on a hike with some of the other school moms in the mountains near Manosque. She was able to get some needed exercise and fresh air. At work, Joe entertained a couple of consultants from the UK and attended a lecture on fusion energy that helped fill in some gaps in his understanding of how the ITER devise works.
For our weekly trip, we drove an hour and a half south to the costal town of Cassis. Like Saint Tropez, the city is home to the wealthy and is filled with expensive stores and sidewalk cafes. It is best known, however, for being a jumping-off point for boaters and hikers who come to visit the "Calanques" or Mediterranean fjords.
After spending an hour trying to find a parking spot, we grabbed a small sight-seeing boat and departed on an hour-long tour of three of the Calanques. We navigated through the variety of small sailing craft moored in the harbour, motored past the lighthouse built of limestone from the surrounding cliffs, departed the shadow of the Cassis Chateau that sits on a hill overlooking the city, and headed out into the open Mediterranean sea.
The boat ride was the highlight of the trip for all of the kids. Nicolas' favorite part was watching our sister boats follow us out of the harbour.
Nathaniel liked the rolling of the boat, which he said felt like a rollercoaster, and watching the boat turn around near an isolated beach inside one of Calanques.
Elyse enjoyed seeing other boats pass us by and feeling the up and down motions of the boat.
Throughout the trip, the crysal-clear water and sky were both a brilliant shade of blue. Joe also was amazed by the steep cliffs of limestone in the largest of the Calanques.
Following our boat ride, we went into the town for shopping and refreshments.
With Joe's help, the kids were able to choose their favorite flavor of Glace. This French ice-cream is similar to gelatto in many respects.
As he sometimes does, Joe disregarded the instructions of the GPS to get home and instead followed a road labeled "La Route des Crêtes." The former military supply route, which winds from Cassis to La Ciotat, climbs to the top of Cap Cannaille, the highest sea-cliff in Europe (visible in the background of the photo of Nicolas on the boat). The peak offered a spectacular view of the Calanques, Cassis, and the Mediterranian sea. Julie and Joe took turns taking pictures while the other kept the kids safely in the car.
Until next time, bonne semain! (Wishing you a good week)
Joe, Julie, Nicolas, Elyse, and Nathaniel
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