School Vacation has ended...

As I sit here tonight, kids are in bed - I reflect on the fact that my children just had 2 weeks off.  As Americans new to the French schooling system, 2 weeks off is a luxury!  In fact, I have learned that most working parents also had at least one week if not both weeks off to be with their children.  It was definitely a refreshing time for all of us.  It was nice to have the kids home and be able to enjoy all that Bordeaux has to offer.  It was also nice to take advantage of some activities offered by our town.  For example, our suburb offered afternoons of sports exploration for kids ages 6-16 years old.  The concept is to expose kids to different kids of sports, that they might not normally be involved in on a regular basis.  My older 2 girls participated in gymnastics, roller skating, team games and learned Ken do (bamboo sword fighting).  There was also swimming, pony rides, and an assortment of ball games.  The kids could go any afternoon from 2-5 pm.  This activity was free to residents of the town.  I have to say, this was nice!  This was great for kids to be with other kids, meet new kids and be active.

The nice part of having 2 weeks off, was having a week to take care of things around the house, but then also feel good about going away for a bit.  We decided to head South toward Perpignan & the Mediterranean Sea.  After a little Internet searching,  found a great little bed & Breakfast (Chambre d'hote) in a village just South west of Perpignan who had a family suite - a room for 5.  I have found here in France, that it's always a bit tricky to find accommodations for 5 people.  The French are pretty set of room maximums..so if it says 4, it's 4!  This gave us an opportunity to enjoy the Southern coastal towns for a day - towns of Collioure, Argeles & Banyuls.  We loved the colors, the serenity and the warmth.  My girls even enjoyed a little beach time.  Another day was spent heading into Spain to the Musee Salvador Dali in Figueres.  After the museum, we drove out to the Spanish coast to visit Dali's house on the sea.  This trip was a lovely drive over a mountain pass and down into a quaint fishing village.  It provided us with great photo opportunities and a new appreciation for the ruggedness of the  Northeastern Spanish coast.  Have to say, it's 4 days later and my girls are still speaking of the interesting things they saw both at the museum and house.  Definitely worth the trip!

Our vacation was full between activities and travel, but have to say it went by quickly...again the two weeks off was a nice change.  I do know that some school districts in the States do still take 2 weeks off...but then it's only a Winter or Spring break....here all vacations are 2 weeks but the trade off is that the kids are in school from the beginning of September to the very end of June...but this system does allow us to truly relax ...and start back refreshed.  So we start up again....back to our routines...until the next round of vacation.