Play By Play

This week deserves a day-to-day play-by-play.

Monday: The car is due at the mechanic's at noon. However, we will need a rental — just to pick up the boys from school and drop them off at either basketball practice or tutoring. Gabe spent the morning on the phone with the insurance company. You can't reserve a rental until the car is left at the mechanic, and they mentioned needing a French driver's license for over a year. It doesn't quite add up, especially when they're willing to insure our car with CA documentation. How does one get to the rental agency which is at the airport if their car is already at the mechanic? Walk 26 minutes in the rain? Take a taxi - that are few and far between? Not so convenient. Anyway, we prepared mentally to spend the day figuring this out. First, we went to the mechanic to drop off the car. To our surprise, they had a car ready for us—part of the service! yay! I wish the insurance person had mentioned that earlier. Ultimately, it only took us 30 minutes to sort things out. Now we have the rest of the day to get back to our usual routine, lol.

Tuesday: Evaporation off the ocean, air temperature at 0 degrees, water temperature at 13 degrees—creating a misty, mysterious, and cool landscape. It's the coldest day so far.

Wednesday: I got my hair done, all in French, and I didn’t end up with blonde hair! Luke braved the cold with booties and gloves for SC, where the air was 4 degrees Celsius, but the water temp was 14! Still super chilly. Charlie had his tutoring session with Florence and then went to basketball practice. Exciting news—Charlie made the basketball team and is gearing up for his first game on Saturday, and he will take the minivan with his team to Luy de Bearn, which is a 1.5-hour drive away, near Pau.

Thursday: The calm days are a welcome break. That being said, looking forward to whatever the weekend has in store.

Friday: Bryan and Luis extended an invitation to visit the École Hôtelière de Biarritz. It's a public high school where students immerse themselves in three key areas: restaurant front of the house, kitchen operations, and hotel services. The school has a student-run restaurant open for lunch during the week, and you need to book a month in advance to secure a spot. What surprised me, even more, is that only during the school week (since students are not in school on weekends, holidays, or summers), you can stay at the hotel (which has two rooms) and experience the full spectrum of student-run services. It's pretty cool that these kids can dive into the intricacies of this trade at such a young age. After three years of high school and an additional two years, they can enter the workforce in high-level positions. I believe this approach is common in all trade schools in France. So, of course, I did look into it and in the French public high school system, students initially follow a general academic curriculum before having the option to specialize in various tracks, including vocational studies. For those interested in trade education, there are specialized vocational high schools, or "lycées professionnels," where students delve into hands-on and practical training specific to particular trades or professions. This system allows students to blend academic knowledge with practical skills, providing a versatile foundation. After completing the vocational track in high school, students can choose to enter the workforce directly or pursue further education through apprenticeships or specialized training programs, offering a seamless integration of academic and vocational pathways. It offers an alternative path for those not inclined towards the traditional academic route, allowing them to begin their trade education as early as what would be their sophomore year in the US. Now that’s a great way to inspire kids to do what they love!

We extended an invitation to Luke's friend Arsène and his parents for dinner, and it turned out to be a great evening. The conversation was filled with so many great stories. Caroline and I hit it off particularly well, exchanging numbers by the end of the evening. We're both excited about the prospect of grabbing coffee and taking walks together, all while speaking both French and English. We've been fortunate to cross paths with such cool individuals lately. It's becoming apparent that those who express a genuine interest in getting to know us are often well-traveled and open-minded—exactly the kind of people we naturally gravitate towards. The richness of their experiences adds an extra layer to our conversations, creating a tapestry of stories and perspectives that truly enriches our social circle.

Saturday: During dinner last night, Charlie lost a molar. The Petite Souris (Tooth Fairy's French cousin) visited and left him 2 Euros. This morning, it went like this: Charlie: "I got 2 euros." Gabe: "What!? French Mouse."

Luke kicked off the day bright and early, meeting up with Emile to surf at the Grand Plage. The chilly weather didn't deter him, with the air temperature at 8 degrees Celsius and the water temperature at 12 degrees Celsius. He braved the cold for over three hours, returning to the apartment with bright red fingers and swollen lips – all signs of a chilly surfing adventure. Thankfully, a warm shower worked its magic, bringing him back to comfort. Meanwhile, after lunch, Charlie and Gabe headed to Parc St Martin to join the team, only to discover a scheduling snafu. My immediate instinct was to check if I had misunderstood the WhatsApp messages, but it turned out the coach had messed up – the game was at 1 pm, not 3 pm. A bummer, but fingers crossed that Charlie gets chosen to play next weekend. In the evening, we took a stroll along the coast, capping it off with dinner with the Laberge family. Cécile treated us to a dish from her hometown – a pan filled with cubed potatoes, lardons, and reblochon cheese. Delicious but incredibly rich. The evening was enjoyable, although my head was buzzing by the end from all the translating. I may have only grasped about 10 percent of the conversation, but hey, progress is progress. Luke and Charlie had a good time playing with Antoine and Lisa, kids around the same age.

The adventure continues! Right around lunchtime, Stacey and Bryan dropped us a message with an impromptu plan: "So we are an impulsive crew and heading to a mountain tomorrow for a ski day. If interested, let us know." Well, you can probably guess my response – a resounding "Yes!" After a bit of surveying my crew, and with a hint of hesitation, I made the call – we're going skiing tomorrow! With a confirmed "count us in," I sprung into action. I pulled out the ski gear, creating piles for each person to assemble their one-day skiing outfit and equipment. The Sivaks had ambitious plans to hit the road at 6:30 in the morning, but Gabe, ever the voice of reason, declared that 7:30 would be our departure time. After all, we had a late night at the Laberge house, and a bit of extra sleep would certainly be appreciated before hitting the slopes.

Sunday: So, there I was, jolted awake by the sound of my alarm at 6:45 – intense for sure, especially considering how tired I felt. BUT, the prospect of skiing awaited, and that was enough to muster some energy. Getting everyone up was no walk in the park, but we managed to get into our base layers, grab our packed bags, and load up the car. Then we had to deal with Gabe's and my skis. Quick reminder, we're still driving a rental car while our vehicle is in the shop. The skis stored in a ski tote, posed a bit of a challenge. Strapping it to the roof didn't seem wise, so we decided to slide the skis down the middle of the car, with Gabe's resting on the little part of the shoulder rest while I played the role of the human ski rack. The drive ahead was two hours – doable! Now, the rental car, a less-than-ideal Citroen, didn't scream "highway ready" and certainly wasn't built for icy or snowy roads. Gabe had some reservations about the car's capabilities, but our determination outweighed any concerns. As luck would have it, the road leading up to the mountain was dry and free of ice and snow. It wasn't too cold either, but here's the kicker – our rental car lacked the engine power to hit the highway speed of 130 km/h. Undeterred and maintaining a positive spirit, we pressed on, driving the road at our own pace. We drove through beautiful landscapes and navigated winding roads that gradually ascended into the mountains. Lush greenery, waterfalls, and quaint villages dotted the route. The road offered glimpses of the snowcapped Pyrenees, building anticipation for our ski day. Arriving at the parking lot, we geared up. We then got into a gondola that ascended to the mountain. We walked out of the gondola and onto the mountain's base. The village was filled with traditional alpine architecture, quaint chalets, and lodges. There were a few cafes, restaurants, and ski rental locations including an Intersport. It is a small area with a stunning mountain backdrop. We bought our day passes at an electronic kiosk, and then Gabe led the boys to the ski rental area. Gabe handed over our BNP card, and we were good to go. No contracts, no signatures, just a quick exchange of skis and a snowboard. Who knew that card was so powerful? In a mere 10 minutes, we found ourselves loading into another gondola, ready to ski.

The first run had Gabe skiing alongside Charlie and me with Luke, who was having a bit of a struggle on his snowboard, spending most of the green run on his butt. In his defense, the green run was more like a narrow, molasses marathon, and the beginners turned it into a hazard zone. Skiers were out of control, creating chaotic wipeouts. I even had a skier run over my skis. To add to the chaos, a lady was rocking gold-rimmed glasses, no helmet in sight, phone in one hand, poles in the other—swinging wildly back and forth. Watching her was like a skiing thriller. I couldn't help but think, "Put away the phone, slap on some goggles, and for heaven's sake, be careful, mon dieu!" At this point, I had the sense that the blue runs might offer a more chill experience—less congestion and potentially a more seasoned crowd who navigate with a bit more finesse, minimizing the risk of unexpected collisions. (As our later experiences confirmed, my intuition was spot on.) While Luke and I navigated this run, Gabe and Charlie had a fun time with the Sivaks, and crew, before lunch. Stacey's friend Beatrice had reserved a table for our group, which turned out to be 16 people. We enjoyed fondue, shared a bottle of wine, and connected with our new friends. Clearly, one must take a leisurely two-hour lunch because, bien sûr, you are in France! Stacey and Bryan have certainly surrounded themselves with fantastic people, and we're grateful beneficiaries of their connections. Merci. Our lunch concluded with an unexpected twist – rain. Yes, rain. Nevertheless, we collectively decided to head back for more skiing. Charlie stayed with Beatrice, Stacey, Evie, and a few others, while Gabe, Luke, and I joined Bryan, Lexi, and Clyde to tackle blues and reds on the mountain. Despite not reaching the very top due to rain and poor visibility, the run was magical, with Luke's snowboarding skills clicking into place as we charged down the mountain. The experience of skiing amid foggy mountain peaks, cold rain, and limited visibility added a unique thrill, making me appreciate skiing even more. I do love skiing!

We got home at 8 pm, utterly exhausted. The boys were filled with so much gratitude for an awesome day. It doesn’t get better than that! We unpacked our gear and hung all the wet stuff out to dry. The boys settled for some leftovers, finished their homework, and we all went to bed. This ranks as one of our best Sundays yet.