Monday June ????? in Amiens

So I have no idea of the date, but I do know it is Monday. Today the kids and I plan to meet Nic at 1PM for lunch at Via Pizza. The French have a wacky schedule of sorts. Many places (stores etc... ) are open 10-noon and then again from 2PM-7PM. In between, 12-2PM they are having lunch ... a long lunch. We thought that we should partake of the tradition. However we got up a little late (8:30AM or 9AM) and Nic wasn't going to make it to the office until 10AM so we thought that 1PM was more reasonable. I left the house around 11AM and we did some window shopping along the way. We were in a children's clothing store when it was clear that Ethan had to poop. Perfect timing. They reluctantly let me use the potty. Gwyneth tried on some clothes but we couldn't find something that fit correctly so we left. We stopped into a book store which looked small from the outside but was rather cavernous and had a second floor. You can never tell what you are going to get around here!





We successfully met Nic and got a table inside at it was little chilly. The waiter brought us an English menu as he had overheard us talking so that was nice. The kids got the "kiddie menu" which consisted of drink, individual pizza, and ice cream. The parents went for individual pizzas as well. I had capers, olives, and anchovies. Nic had an egg, potatoes, and sausage as best I can remember. I splurged for a beer but Nic had water. I guess he had to go back to work or something. Everything was good and all in all it was a pleasant experience despite Nic threatening Ethan that we would leave with no pizza unless he settled down. In the photo we think he is experiencing pizza nirvana - check out the double fisting. He ate 7/6 th's plus a little more of an 8-9 inch pizza while Gwyneth at 3/6ths. Either he was pizza deprived or just really really hungry.



Nic and I partook of the French coffee after lunch. Basically an espresso. They all seem to come with a small dark chocolate which is a nice touch. The kids enjoyed their ice cream novelty that came with their meal as well. After lunch, we parted ways with Nic. He went back to work and I took the kids to the nearby park. Around 3:30PM I got them moving for a short trip to the grocery store then to home. Ethan was tired I think and moving extremely slowly ... of course he didn't want help. At some point he decided to walk backwards .. oh joy. To say it was frustrating was an understatement.











We made it to the carrefour and got 2 smallish bags of groceries. At some point Gwyneth announced she needed to go the bathroom and we weren't near any potty that I new of. I asked in the store and they said that one was upstairs in the complex. We went up and found it had to pay .5 euros to open the door. Well, we did that 2 times and times couldn't figure out how to get the door open! Aaargh. No one was in there so we left and just had to walk home. Of course now I was carrying Ethan and the 2 bags of groceries. Oh, and he grabbed the necklace that Nic had given me on my birthday and busted the chain. I was not a happy camper at this point, but we made it home successfully without a major accident so that was good.


Nic came home about 15 minutes later I think and he got a small dinner ready as Veronique (our apartment owner) was coming by at 7PM to pick us up and take us kayaking in the Hortillonages. (The place that we had taken the boat ride in). So the four of us went in one and she went solo. I don't know if it was the boat or just the drivers but we could not steer this thing straight for the life of us! We looked like a couple of clowns I think, but we managed a little tour through the canals. It really was beautiful at this time of night.



We saw more Great Crested Grebes. They really are spectacular to look at.
















Here we all are in one of our more calm boating moments. We were all wet when we got back to the dock. I seem to have gotten the worst of it as I was soaked all the way up to my seat including my underwear! Luckily the ride home was short.










Here is everyone (except me) after we had finished. Veronique was smart enough to wear her kayaking clothes! This entrance point was just a few steps from the kayaking club that Veronique belongs to. They had a big garage with all of the equipment and we just had to walk it a few paces down the street. It was an enjoyable evening thanks to Veronique!