A couple of photos from last week, we had a short trip to Switzerland, really enjoyable!
Not an airport but Valence TGV station
Milk chocolate ice cream in Geneve!
Taking a ferry across lake Geneve
A beer!
A selection of craft beers! In gorgeous brass stand!
A new concept for ourselves is that the year actually ends in July and will start again in September (re-entre for the French). Our normal alignment with the calendar year from Jan to December does not count.
The school closes next week for the year, and I have already received numerous e-mails about school insurance for the 2014/2015 school year, a compulsory requirement…
And this last weekend the school had its annual school concert and Kermisse (any Afrikaans people, this is where the word “Kermis” comes from), because it is the end of the school year.
It included the concert, the games played at the Kermisse, a dinner and dancing (with some reshuffling due to rain), but a great time all around!
Enjoy the photos!
Pieter in his “all black” dress code, ready for the concert!
The Cherry Pie we baked for the cake sale at the Kermisse!
The Parents before the concert
The concert!
The games at the Kermisse
The cake Table
Kids enjoying the DJ’s bubbles!
Ok, last week included the visit to the Normandy beaches for the anniversary of D-Day, but also a visit to Mont St. Michel, one of the iconic buildings in Normandy. Enjoy he following photos covering both topics!
Trying to negotiate a lift!
Are they making fun of rising sea levels? (Just joking, trying to make the hotel look like a ship I think).
Hotel was happy to arrange transport (Abbey in the distance)
A bit closer!
Last kilometer on foot!
One of our few family photos!
The girls posing on a 750 year old canon
Despite all the excitement and new experiences the past few days, the reality is captured best by the introduction of a commemorative edition I bought at Cherbourg airport, adapted by myself as required.
From June the 5th (when preliminary bombardment started) till August the 28th (when the final German resistance was broken) the area of roughly 120 km by 70 km (size of Gauteng Province, roughly, but mostly rural) would see in approximately 100 days, the loss of 100 000 human lives, 20 000 of them local civilians. Some villages were captured by either side as often as 20 times, that means 39 successful attacks and counter attacks to conclude the matter.
Having read extensively on the subject previously, nothing quite expresses the horror and reality of war as well as the cold facts stated above.
May we and our children be able to learn from the folly of our ancestors.
From Thursday to Sunday the parents committee had arranged for a visit to Spain for the kids, all costs for the kids paid and parents accompanying had to contribute!
It was a fantastic 4 days, a few photos to follow!
A few observations:
In Spain the food does not match up to France,
The prices are a lot cheaper though,
They serve large glasses of Jaegermeister, must be a good sign – as are Menues in Spanish, English and Russian!
The babysitter!
Sea shell house!
Friday Lunch!
Friday evening Braai!
Marineland for Saturday!
Good physique!
Kids first ever slush puppies (and dolphin show!)