Un Mariage, Deux Plaques D'escargots Et Beaucoup De Fromage...

...three things that have made our recent trip to France great! J'aime la France!
   It only seems like yesterday that I was excitedly waiting for Patrick to arrive at Heathrow after his epic 40 hour journey...now, as I write, he is up in the air, finally on the way to Fiji! When he reaches Fiji, he will have literally flown around the world within the space of 2 weeks...Melbourne-Auckland-Beijing-Munich-London-Vancouver-Honalulu-Fiji!
   I actually feel a little guilty...poor Patrick used up his summer vacation time to come all the way to London for my cousin's wedding, and I reckon he's leaving more exhausted than when he came here! Maybe we trawled one pub too many! The day after I last blogged, we were flying to Lyon, ready for a loooong overdue family reunion.
   We were picked up by the airport by my uncle Bill, my mum's brother, who then drove us to their home- a country barn now converted into a bed and breakfast ('La Ferme De Pierrot' website- bit of shameless family promotion!) It was a lovely scenic drive, passing quaint French villages, fields every shade of green and hilltop castles as we drove up the windy roads towards the barn. Unfortunately, my monstrous hangover prevented me from appreciating the view on the way down!
   Weddings are an amazing chance to meet up with family that you just don't get a chance to see usually. It had been ten years since I'd seen my cousins Mark and Tom, and their wives Christina and Esin...and five years since I've seen my cousins Sophie, the bride, and Jeremy. Also the first time I got to meet Martin, Sophie's now husband, and Louis, Mark and Christina's adorable two-year-old son! So the first few hours was all about hugs, kisses, introductions, reunions, and tours of the barn's beautiful grounds. Patrick's eyes lit up when he caught sight of the foozball and ping-pong tables...a few games later, he'd gotten himself a reputation of being a ping-pong master, along with a few wannabe challengers!
   As usual, I'm off on a tangent...the wedding! Seeing everybody rushing around the house with last minute wedding duties, Patrick and I felt we should do our bit, so decided to help out with decorating Sophie and Martin's transport from the church...a tractor! Fantastic idea! With the help of Denise, a family friend, and Brian, Martin's dad, we transformed the tractor from plough to wow (sorry- a little corny I know) with wheat sheafs, berry branches and bunting. Sounds crazy, but just see the results in the photos below...am now considering a tractor for my own wedding in the future!!
   The wedding itself in the nearby village of St Pal was just stunning. This was the first wedding I've ever been to...and I was lucky enough to attend two in one day! As France is a secular state, a 'civil ceremony' is needed as well as a church service in order to make a wedding official. I loved the bilingual nature of the weddings; both services were completely in French, but the translations by my various family members really made them personal. Seeing Sophie off on the tractor was of course a lot of fun; a crowd of nearby whistle-blowing 18 year olds, wearing tinsel wigs, seemed to agree! They were also cheering us on the way to the church- Patrick was lucky enough to get a 'sexy booooooy!' comment from one young French lady!
   The reception back in the barn...well, what can I say? You know that you're partying hard when the floor starts to bounce! The pre-dinner canapes, the speeches, the five course meal, the ever-flowing wine, the MC Hammer dance routine, Brian's ukulele tribute, Martin's rapping around 5am, the imaginary skipping rope on the dancefloor...I loved it all! My auntie Bernadette and uncle Bill sure know how to throw a good party...thanks so much for hosting us in your barn. And thanks Sophie and Martin for inviting us to your amazing wedding- all the best for your future together!

Decorating the tractor.

Backside of the barn.

Exploring the nearby countryside...

Uncle Bill and Mum.

Playing a little bit of frisbee....

Mark and Louis, Tom, Esin and Christina

Mum, Tom, Christina and Louis, and Mark

Just after the civil ceremony.

Mark giving his reading.

Jeremy giving his reading.

Heading off on the tractor...feel strangely proud of our little contribution!!

The beginning of the end- pre-dinner drinks...

Who's gonna catch it?....

...getting ready to run...(nope, didn't catch it!)

At the sit-down dinner...

Feel that floor bouncing!

The happy newly-weds.

An alternative wedding cake!

Martin rapping...watch out Eminem...

   We'd decided before that while we were in France, we might as well head over to the capital...it would be rude not to! So, feeling more than a little worse for wear, we caught the train from St Etienne to Paris, having booked two nights in Hotel Doisy Etoile. If you're looking for a hotel in Paris, would hightly recommend- 5 min walk from the Eiffel Tower, and a bed as comfortable as your own!

   Paris, Paris, Paris...what a gorgeous city. Chic and chilled out- although the latter may be due to the absence of many Parisians for their summer holidays. I can't believe I've never been before now...2 hours on the Eurostar from London! It takes me longer to get to England's South West than Paris...insane. We were very lucky with the weather; sitting down outside the Eiffel Tower for 5 mins was enough to get us burnt! When we were first walking towards that little known Parisian icon, we saw what looked like a telephone mast in the distance, and thought 'that can't be it, can it?' Turns out it was. That's not to deride it at all...when you get a little closer, especially with a piercing blue sky in the background, it is something pretty special. The queue was unfortunately a little too long for us to climb it...next time...or the time after that...yes, this is a city that I'll hopefully pop over to many times in my life.

   Don't get me wrong, the Tate Modern is probably still my favourite art gallery, but the Louvre is something else. I read somewhere that it would take somebody 9 months to see every single piece of art in this magnificent building; I can definitely believe that. As my little two-year-old cousin would say, it's MASSIVE! The modern glass 3D triangle entrance in front of the older building is a fantastic reflection of what the Louvre is all about- mingling classical with modern art ideals. In three hours, it felt like we covered everything yet we'd probably missed half the building. In one room you'll see crowds swarming around the Mona Lisa (I wonder what Lisa Gherardini would make of it all the fuss if she were alive today...probably not much if the painting reflects her enthusiasm). In another room you'll see Venus of Milo and other Greek statues...and in another you'll see modern art from Africa, Asia and British Columbia, Canada! We were breathless by the end of it- but then, the best art galleries should have that effect in you.

   Food highlights...garlic escargots (and an introduction to special utensils required to eat them!), Patrick's ham and emmental crepe, the vanilla creme brulee on the first night...mmm mmm MMM! It's not only the delicious food that makes France a great country (although that's a definite bonus). The quality I always look for in a city is character- something that makes that city unique, something I just couldn't get anywhere else. Proud of its history yet forward thinking, chic in one corner, shabby in the next, art and music on every street, managing to be cosmopolitan and proudly French simultaneously...not many cities fulfil all of that criteria. J'aime la Paris! In spite of the Parisian's great English skills, I reckon Patrick and I would have enjoyed it even more if either of us could speak more than 'un petit peu francais'!

A little lost outside the Arc De Trompe.

A little known Parisian icon...

...obligatory self-take shot with icon in background....

...underside...

...sitting in front of it....

...standing in front of it... (we were more restained with our photography than at the Taj Mahal...)

The biggest art gallery I've ever seen- the Louvre.

Patrick with the Mona Lisa in the Louvre.

Patrick next to the Venus of Milo...

Notre Dame Cathedral

So...I guess the elusive 'Fiji dream' is finally coming into our grasp...yet somehow it doesn't feel real...and I don't think it will until Patrick touches down in Nadi in a few hours time. I fly on Wednesday (legitimacy of flight permitting after dubious website booking-hmm) and will be with Patrick on Friday morning. Plans after that? Looking for somewhere to live, I suppose! But we'll see...who knows what Fiji will throw at us in the first weeks? Nervous, excited, curious...lots of emotions going on right now! I hope Patrick has enjoyed his time here as much as my family and I have enjoyed having here in Laaandaan. Think they're missing you already...Chris certainly is, he's already asking to pick you up! And so begins a new adventure...I'll see you all in Suva, Fiji!!!