Eilidh In France

Eilidh In France

The delay in making a new posting to my blog is entirely explained by the two-week visit of Natalie, Andy and Eilidh. And I think their holiday here lived up to everybody's hopes and expectations.

We all considered my house too dangerous for Eilidh as she has started toddling: too many stairs, banisters she could get her head through and hard surfaces. So I hired J-P Thomas's house on the edge of the village, which had the added benefit of a swimming pool, and we all settled in there for the fortnight. The weather played its part with temperatures mostly in the high 20s and low 30s and so the swimming pool was put to use. The aim was for everyone to relax, as far as that is possible with a 14-month old. Actually, that is not possible; I'd forgotten how tiring a child of that age can be, a perpetual motion machine when not asleep. The most strenuous activity planned was Andy' aim to cycle to the top of Mt Ventoux, which he duly did (with a little help from an electric-aided bike).

This was my big chance to get to know Eilidh and get her to know me. She seemed to have trouble assimilating or pronouncing “grandpa” so we settled on the French “papi” which she gleefully announced, when pointing at me. Eilidh, naturally, was the centre of attention when we were out and about, at the pizza evenings and at apéros, and she resonded by charming everyone with her happy smile and determined toddling.

The rest of this post is given up unapologetically to Eilidh's first visit to Mollans and France, as follows:.

Eilidh at the top of Mt Ventoux (above)

Eilidh vrossing the bridge in Mollans

Eilidh's first paddle in the Ouveze

Eilidh meets pain au chocolat
Eilidh gets fashionable
Me reading to Eilidh