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Sorry for the delay since our last update - vacations and other activities have gotten in the way. Here are some of the main points: Vacation!! We took two glorious weeks and stayed at a farmhouse in the Tuscany region of Italy. Our hosts were Paola, Enzo, their two daughters, two dogs, flock of sheep, herd of cows and fields of wheat and grapes. We had an absolutely wonderful time! We were right in the heart of Tuscany, on a little dirt road about ten miles from the beautiful and historic hill town of Volterra. Adham drove while Crystal and the kids flew into Pisa, so that we could have the car to explore the surrounding region. And there was lots to see in the region...we got around to Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa, our own Volterra, and spent several days escaping the heat (it was over 95 degrees every day we were there) at the Mediterranean beaches an hour away. One of the best parts was definitely the hospitality of the hosts. Enzo took the boys for tractor rides in his fields, Paola took them to pick fresh tomatoes from the garden, and the whole family pitched in to show us how to make fresh pasta and pizza. Another interesting little trip was an overnight stay in Orleans. The Embassy was asked if someone could come down to represent the U.S. government at a ceremony they were having to commemorate the liberation of the city by U.S. troops in 1944, and Adham volunteered. Crystal and the kids came along too, so we made it a family trip. The ceremony was a great reminder of how France and the U.S. support each other in their times of need, despite the pendulum swings of daily politics. Many of the participants made a point of saying how grateful they were to the United States for the role they played in helping France during WWII. When not out of town, Tasman and Atlas have been attending our neighborhood's "Centre de loisirs", which is kind of like a summer day camp. We were a bit skeptical at first about how we or they would take to it, but it's turned out to be a real success. It's only a few minutes away from our place, and every day the kids are given different activities to keep them busy, and very often are taken on excursions to parks, castles and museums anywhere from in town to an hour away by bus. They have loved it, and we've been very happy that they have been improving their growing French skills outside of the regular school calendar. Bidding season is now starting in earnest for Adham. This means it's now time once again to think about where to go after this - and we've only been here a year! There are some very interesting options on the list, but we don't want to jinx ourselves so we won't say too much about them at this point. | ||||
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