Time flies

It sure does. I can't believe it's been almost a month since the last meaningful post. Yikes!

Anyway, to make up for it, here's a collection of what's been going on in the last four weeks:

• I stopped going to French classes at Alliance Francaise. It's 'trop cher' - far too much to be spending without me earning a reasonable amount at the same time. The teachers have all been fantastic and the location is excellent, but I wasn't learning quickly enough (they tend to drag the courses out) to warrant the cost. I'm looking for a new college as we speak, though.

• We went to Flan (sp?) in Normandy last weekend to stay with B's sister and brother-in-law, their son and a large number of their friends who dropped in for various meals. It was two days spent sitting in the enormous garden soaking up the sun or sitting inside listening to the incredible record collection, eating fantastic food, drinking amazing wine and chasing the resident ducks with B's nephew. Relaxation was definitely the word for the weekend.

• We went to Chaumont for an international garden competition, stopping by Blois ("BLAH!"), Chambord and Beauregard to make up a brilliant weekend. I even convinced (read: blackmailed) B to let me drive for a while. LHS, manual on tiny roads - no probs! There are heaps of photos on my flickr page, which now has an easyURL. Chouette!

• I've picked up another PT client, which makes a grand total of two. I have lots more interest but from people who want to start in September. Apparently, Summer in Paris is 'merguez and rosé' time and therefore not the time to be exercising. I don't agree - I would've thought Summer was the perfect time to get fit - you can exercise outdoors in the sun and warm weather, you can eat whatever you want sans-guilt because you're exercising...perfect! Alas, it seems I'm the only one who thinks that...

• We've been planning a trip to Amsterdam for some time and it's finally happening this weekend. We'll be catching up with Chris (El Presidente) from Tsunami and Bernard (who some of you might remember from the Fire Dragons in Boracay a few years ago) so I have to remember to take my rashie.

• I finally found a suitable description for what I experience (as a newbie French speaker) when at parties surrounded by native French-speakers: It's like being a bear fishing for salmon in a river. You're surrounded by rushing water filled with things you recognise but which are moving too quickly to grasp. Occasionally, however, you manage to latch onto something long enough and you're able to do what you came there to do - eat fish, or, in my case, talk with others in a meaningful way. That's not to say parties aren't fun even when you can't communicate clearly or understand a large portion of what's being said, and I have to say that B's friends have been - without exception - happy to speak in English if I'm really not understanding the conversation, but all the same I would prefer to be able to take part in French more easily. I guess it's a question of patience and time - the former of which I have very little.

• Tom arrived in the UK, which is great news and which has kicked off a flurry of grand scheming.

• I found this. Ha!

• And Paris is in the grip of festival fever. We went to a great African concert on the spur of the moment on Wednesday night, near one of my favourite spots (the Square du Temple) - photos on flickr soon. We've also been watching the build-up to Paris Plage which starts on the 21st. That's gonna be weird.

And so to today which, for me at least, is a lazy one to be spent packing and researching for Amsterdam. We'll be there for four days, returning to Paris for a few more, then heading out (by TGV, First Class. Ooo!) to Bordeaux for a week or so, visting B's family, (hopefully) many vineyards, and possibly even the beach. I'll try to post some pics on flickr between the trips so stay tuned.