Bustling Days

We had a blast at the final birthday event for Stacey at L’Artnoa. Earlier, I picked up a tower at Dune Blanche, and walking across town with it was quite funny. I felt like a local, yet like a crazy person as I balanced this enormous, heavy pastry tower. Ashley and I set up the dune blanche as the centerpiece, and over 20 people showed up to celebrate Stacey. The large-format wine bottles were flowing, and everyone had a fantastic time. At one point, we found out that the Sivaks' friends' kids were at Tralala, so I sent a message to Luke for him and Charlie to meet up with them. They had a great night with all the kids and even got home after midnight! It’s so safe here that a 10 and 14-year-old can walk home from a friend's house at midnight, and I didn't have a worry in the world. What freedom for these dudes. The sense of security and independence they have here is wonderful.

Lunch with Francesca at the little Japanese place near Hotel de Ville was nice, followed by a walk to learn about her favorite spots. The Fête de l'École at Charlie's school was quite the end-of-year party. Charlie had the best time—all the kids were dancing with the same moves and were so happy. The DJ played great dance music, and the beer for adults ran out fast. I chatted with a few parents, but mostly Stacey and I watched our kids having the time of their lives. They danced for over an hour, had a water fight, got soaked, and played soccer. They didn't want to leave.

We eventually left and walked over to the Mishaloves where we hung out, had dinner, and played a super fun game. It was cool to see both Luke and Charlie participating and having fun. There wasn't quite enough food since we just sprang our arrival on the Mishaloves, so Bryan and I walked to get pizza. On the way, we got tacos to go from Chingones. We were so excited to try them that we stopped on the sidewalk, placed the container on a wall, and ate right there standing up. Such an American move. A car of young guys even yelled something out their window to us. Bryan and I were like, "Oh my, we are such Americans, this is too funny." But the best part was that the tacos were really good. Of course, I am discovering this at the end of our time here.

Saturday brought stormy weather, so we met up with the Sivaks and Mishaloves at the trampoline park. Later, we had a taco dinner and played another fun game called Jackbox.tv. On Sunday, Luke went off to a camping place in Bidart with Alexandre and friends. We will see him on Tuesday night. Charlie and I went to Les Halles and then met up with Juliette and Nelson at Park Mazon. The kids played for three hours while I tried to understand French with the parents. Charlie and I are having quality time together, but he always wants to watch shows, so I need to keep us out and busy.

This is Charlie's last week of school. You won’t believe it, but he said he’d rather stay in France, but he is looking forward to seeing his friends back home—a serious shift for him.

On Monday, I planned to bike to Anglet, but my bike's gears were making noise, so I scheduled a service appointment for Wednesday. I also took care of empty camera boxes by mailing them and inquired about selling bikes at Soblio. I showed them photos from the document I created listing all the items we need to sell before leaving. The guys at the shop suggested I share the document with them as they might know potential buyers, so I did. We’ll see how it goes! Meanwhile, Charlie went to the Côtes with Ian and Leo, while Debra and I enjoyed a GinTo at Le Surfing. They stayed out there for hours—we didn’t get home until 10:30 pm! I love these summer hours.

The next day, Charlie went to Ttiki Leku for an all-school field trip—mini-golf, parkour, etc. It rained most of the day, and the courses were slippery. Charlie came back muddy and bruised, but he had the best day. After school, Lexi, Evie, Charlie, Luke, and the Mishalove kids met up at the Port Vieux to swim and play. Stacey wanted a pineapple drink, so we went for cocktails and then had another at Eden Rock. It was a cold night, so weird for July. We had dinner at Glouby, and Luke slept at the Mishaloves. Could we pack more in today?

Wednesday, I dropped my bike off for repair—something’s up with the chain. I went to the bank and, in French, asked Madame Blanc to stop the 50-euro transfers to the boys’ accounts. I did banking in French! Then I got a text from Stacey to meet for a spritz at Etxola with her and Ashley. I had a rendezvous with Vanessa at the same spot at 8, and I didn’t leave until 11:30. The boys walked around town, had dinner at CAB, and went home—super independent. The sunset was gorgeous but chilly.

Thursday was a really good day. It started with blood work at 11 am—not exactly fun, but necessary. Afterward, Ashley and I went for a bike ride to get baguettes from the best boulangerie in France 2024, located in Anglet. The baguette was amazing, and they had the largest chocolatine I’ve ever seen—maybe three times the normal size! Luis met us at 5 Cantons for lunch, and then we planned to ride our bikes to the mechanic where he was dropping his car. By the time we got there, he changed the plan and Bryan came to pick him up instead. Ashley and I continued on to Veloocity. We managed to arrange for Gabe’s bike to be left there to either be sold or stored, which was a relief. Now I just need to figure out how to get it there since no one is tall enough to ride it. Snap. With that done, we continued on our way and had a quick coffee at Volt in Anglet before pedaling towards home. On the hill before the lighthouse—in the middle of the hill—my bike battery died! Electric bikes are so heavy, and I pedaled my heart out with assists from Ashley, who was in turbo mode, yanking at my sweatshirt and pushing me while we laughed so hard trying not to fall off our bikes. I made it all the way to Port Vieux and then walked the bike uphill to our place. I was exhausted, but we had the best day together. Cruising the streets of BAB, enjoying beautiful weather, and sharing many laughs. It was so much fun, and we got things done too.

Luke has been eager to get cologne, which seems like a typical teen thing. So, when I was out with Francesca the other day, I picked up some samples from Elysées Parfums on Pl. Georges Clemenceau. The woman there was incredibly helpful, and Luke was excited to try out different scents. Fast forward to today—Luke calls me while I'm picking up Charlie and says, "Let's go get cologne, and Emile is with me too." So here we are, in this perfume store. I told the salesperson it was Luke's first cologne purchase, and she was genuinely excited and helpful. She offered us numerous strips of paper with scents that were perfect for a teenager. The boys had a blast testing them out. Charlie even decided he wanted his own scent. Initially, he liked Hermes eau d’orange verte, but then Emile vetoed it. However, the saleswoman could see that Charlie really liked it, so she sprayed it on his arm. He took a whiff, paused, and then she smelled it and exclaimed with bright eyes, "This is so fresh and makes you smell so good." Charlie tried to hide his smile but eventually chose that scent. As luck would have it, there was a box set with the cologne and shower gel, 50% off! Meanwhile, Luke settled on a nice Aqua di Parma, and the saleswoman generously gave Emile samples that would last him for months. It was the perfect '“end of the school year” gift for the boys, and now I have two young men who enjoy smelling good.

To end this day, we had a July 4 gathering at the Côte des Basques. We swam, ate the shared foods, and enjoyed each other’s company. At one point, I overheard Ashley talking with Charlie, and Charlie corrected Ashley’s French—yep, that happened. She gave a look and was like, "What just happened? Charlie knows more French than me, and I've been here 10 years." Too much. Debra led us in a short sun salutation as the sun set. Tonight was glorious! Another amazing night on the Côte. I am going to miss it all so much.