dance day 114

So this was the first vacation where I felt I was really on vacation since my son was born.  The first year we stayed in Normandy and my memories are of me pushing him for hours in the backyard of my in-law’s place in circles so he would go to sleep.  The year after that we went to camping in the south of France where it was too hot to go the beach between the hours of 11am and 6pm.  I spent seven hours of each day keeping them away from the heat, the son, mosquitos and the showers (they loved to play there for some reason).  There was also endless circling of the stroller around the campsite.

This year I have great memories of my kids climbing rocks, making sand castles, or flying kites while I read on the beach.  They’re getting older and having conversations with each other and asking interesting questions.  I guess with everything that’s been going on with the pandemic I hadn’t noticed them growing up but during this vacation I had time to slow down and to marvel at how much they have progressed despite the lockdown which made things feel frozen in time.

dance day 113

So during our vacation we went to Concarneau and quickly left when we realized there were way too many people there.  Unfortunately it was also during rush hour traffic and the kids were hungry so we decided to eat while waiting for traffic to clear up.  We had gotten away from the tourist area and it proved difficult to find a restaurant.  We finally made it to the dock and went into the first brasserie we saw. 

Pure Britons all turned around to stare at us from the bar as we sat down.  The barman came to our table and proceeded to take away the utensils and placemats.  We should have taken the hint.  Instead we told him that we’d like dinner.  He explained to us he only served lunch despite the daily menu being shown outside and placemats at every table.  Guess he had already set up for the next lunch day.  “Surprise!” he said.  Indeed.  I felt the stares from the bar as we left.

So we shelped the little ones with their little legs to a large fancy establishment that looked like it definitely did dinner.  They definitely did but despite its large size had no tables available so we were turned away.  Tired and hungry and losing confidence in our kid’s eyes that their parents would be able to feed them, we considered going back into the tourist bubble when I saw it.  A tiny sign that said “kabab” and had someone not been as hungry and desperate as I was would have probably missed it. 

So into the kebab place in the middle of a dock it was for us.  We got in line behind the moped kids with “ticket restaurants” probably given to them by their parents and ordered two kebabs and the “kids menu” for the kids. As we waited I watched the diverse clientele from the guy in the Mercedes to the truck driver.  They all looked like locals except for the guy that came by that looked like he was traveling with everything on his bike asking if he could charge his phone and of course, us.  The place must be decent as it couldn’t have existed out of the tourist bubble and in the docks and visited by locals.

This was confirmed when my kids got their kids menu that rivaled one you could get from Mc Donald’s.  It came in a box with a handle and with toys, a dragon for my son and a Polly Pocket like thing for my daughter.  The guy was obviously paying attention. 

Before we left I noticed the name of the place:  Quai’bab. 

Awesome. 

dance day 112

 So steroids . 

dance day 111

So today was my son's very first day of school.  We were allowed to go with him for the first hour.  Hard to reassure your kid with smile when your mouth is covered with a mask.  I tried to smile with my eyes.  Wonder if he got it or did he think I was just staring at him really hard.  Definitely strange times. 

dance day 110

So here's an interesting article about the "outcome" of the 1918 flu. 

Learn to live with. 

dance day 109

So today my daughter went back to school.  No distance learning option... as of yet.