Riogordo is such a beautiful place for taking hikes and running. Today's hiking adventure took us to a nearby dam, which we were able to check out up close. We are so lucky to have all this awesomeness within walking distance!
Read MoreYou want deliciousness in the Gothic Quarter? You got it!
Read MoreThe park near our apartment has a small water fountain that has two primary purposes: washing hands and of course filling up water balloons :) Kids gather around the fountain and wait for their turn to fill up water balloons. Of course our kids took notice, so today we joined in the fun.
Read MoreEven travelers and adventurists need ordinary days. There is nothing wrong with a perfectly ordinary day, where the kids play with their toys, color, or draw, and the grown ups do grow up stuff, like laundry and learning more about blogging.
Read MoreBoth the Museum of Natural History and Museum of Archaeology are conveniently located in the center of Nimes, in the same building even, with the exhibit only steps away.
Read MoreA quiet start to the day, with the kids playing together - one of my absolute favorite recurring event on this "big adventure". I love hearing the two of them come up with different scenarios and playing it out. It is also definitely very nice that Kian has a lot of patience, and doesn't mind explaining the same concept to Hannah over and over again. Whether or not Hannah comprehends the explanations or just says "ok" to get back to the game is still a mystery! But she is a great sport at hearing Kian out, and at her age, that's more than we can ask for.
Kian and Hannah playing with legos
We had to get milk and just a few other items, so we decided to check out the nearby grocery store. It's within walking distance, but we decided to drive in case they didn't have what we were looking for. Thankfully, that ended up being a good choice, since the prices at this store seemed much higher than we had seen elsewhere, and with less variety, so we went back to trusty good old Lidl.
Next to Lidl, we discovered a nice little discount store which must have been closed last time, and we decided to check it out. We found several good outdoor toys, including water guns for the kids, at a very reasonable price. Since we'll be just traveling by car for the next few months, getting a few extra inexpensive things which will ultimately be disposable, but which will entertain the kids in the meantime, doesn't hurt.
Once we arrived home, I sent the kids and hubby to play with their new water guns in a grassy area within our apartment complex, as I cooked dinner.
They lasted about 5 minutes out there before they rushed back to avoid being eaten alive by the crazy mosquitos here. With the exception of Kian, everyone already has a number of itchy red bites around their legs and arms thanks to these mosquitos. Hannah has it the worst, and unfortunately these extra few minutes outside resulted in a ton more bites for her, which manifested the next day :(
They continued to play out on the terrace/balcony until dinner was ready, where the mosquito situation is slightly better thanks to some lemon scented candles.
Hannah figuring out the pumping and shooting of her water gun.
Squirt....Squirrrrrt....
Squirting the photographer!
Happy and slightly soaked Hannah
Hannah's giggling after she got Kian
Kian takes cover!
Oh what fun...
Meanwhile, I made our dinner of grilled salmon, white rice, mushrooms, peppers and a bit of spinach.
On our last night in Ireland, we discovered that the kids actually really like salmon, so we are now finally all able to enjoy some seafood as a family. It only took almost 5 years!
A lovely and relaxing day was concluded with a delicious and healthy meal. I suppose if the mosquitos here could talk, they might have had the same sentiment, referring to all the deliciousness they were served out on that grassy area (more on Hannah's itchy mosquito bites in the next post).
After a crazy busy day of walking around town, we knew the kids (and let's be honest, us too) needed the morning to relax.
In the afternoon, we decided to venture out and check out the city center, which is about a 15-20 minute walk.
On the way, we stopped by a playground on Avenue Jean Jaurès (the same tree lined street with the fountains) which the kids had seen and wanted to play at yesterday.
Kian on the whirly disc
We also passed a boulangerie (bakery) and the smell of fresh baked baguettes and random pastries just drew me in.
Mmmm...everything looked so delicious, but alas we kept it together and just bought a baguette, because I couldn't resist the smell. The pastries will have to wait for another day :)
Boulangerie Rondes des Pains
On our way to the city center, we walked through a few side streets, which have an old feel and charm.
The city center consists of a few streets that are pedestrian access only, with a lot of big and small shops, and a bunch of restaurants with outside seating. Quite a few of the stores were closed, either because it was after 5 or because it is August, and well the owners are on vacation. :)
It was starting to feel like time for an afternoon snack, so it was perfect when we saw a crepe stand next to a restaurant. It was no longer time for keeping it together, we're in France after all, so we can't say no to a crepe! We got one with coconut and Nutella and split it four ways.
Coconut and Nutella crepe.. Yummm!
We also stumbled upon a small pond displaying the famous crocodile chained to a column (which is meant to be the base of a palm tree).
One of the signs we had seen the other day had described the significance of the crocodile and the palm tree.
"The earliest occupants of Nimes were the Volques Arecomiques, a Celtic people who settled in the region around 400 BC. Among other deities they worshipped Nemoz, the god of the Spring source. Around 120 BC, the Languedoc was colonized by the Romans and Nimes became a colony under Roman rule. Towards 25 BC, the Romans built a monumental shrine around the spring. Alongside worship of the Celtic god of the spring, then known as Nemausus, worship of the deity of Augustus began. Nimes fashioned itself a bronze currency, which was later to become its emblem: a crocodile chained to a palm tree in memory of Augusts' conquest of Egypt."
In addition to it being on their old money, you can also see this emblem all around town, even on random things like the metal barriers designed to keep cars off the sidewalks.
We walked back home before the little and big feet got too tired. As our dinner was cooking in the oven, we started to watch Toy Story 3.
Family movie date night - Toy Story 3
We paused the movie about half way through to eat our dinner. Roasted chicken with our baguette, vegetables, and salad.
Roasted chicken
We continued the movie once dinner plates were put away. Poor Hannah was very upset when Lotso the Bear was being mean to "big baby" and poking her in her tummy.
Hannah: "nooooo....why is he being so mean to big babyyyyy???"
Hannah crying for "big baby"
She was also upset when the toys were getting close to being melted in the fire. I generally get really sad at the very end of this movie when Andy drives away, so I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking this movie is sad :'(
Thankfully everything turns out great for "big baby" and she is very happy at the Sunnyside Day care center. So Hannah went to bed without being too traumatized (I hope!).
Our family of four is chased summer around the world. Now we are a family of 5, back in the US, and planning our next great adventure.
