Umm…. OK… Sure…
We are spending a few weeks this summer driving around Europe before heading back “across the pond”. We spent a week in Switzerland and now we are in Alsace.
Switzerland: Absolutely beautiful but EXPENSIVE!
Alsace: Charming. Just like a scene from a Grimm fairy tale before the children go into the forest and have terrible things happen to them.
Being on the road as a family is great, but it does have challenges. Work has slowed down, but it hasn’t stopped, and it’s harder to get things done when we’re all jammed into small vacation rentals.
Fortunately, the girls have reached the age where they’re pretty good at entertaining themselves for an hour here and there while we grab some email time. This morning they were sitting at the kitchen table being very quiet (always a worrisome sign!) so I asked them what they were doing. The answer:
“We’re drawing weapons.”
Umm… OK… Sure… And why?
“Because we like them.”
Yes, my lovely little daughters are into weapons and they know all about them.
It’s our fault. While we have been in France, we have visited a wide range of Medieval fortresses, read books on Chevaliers (Knights), and generally learned a lot about that part of history including the fighting and armies and attacks. Prior to coming to France, I disapproved of weapon-style toys. But apparently I’ve changed my opinion because we bought the children quite a few, as I discovered when I started to pack up to go home.
Here is the “toy weapon tour”.
Or in French if you prefer.
C’est très impressionnant. Je me demande comment vous allez réussir à passer tout cet arsenal à la douane! Et les filles savent bien comment s’en servir aussi à ce que je vois.
Oh, my goodness, that is too cute! Nice job on the video-ing too!
Um hmmm – I saw you eyeing the crossbows at several different locations! I don’t think they have to look far to find where the fascination came from 🙂
I will confess that I did go back later and buy those mini-crossbows at the Palais de Papes, but this video was made before that. How can you not be charmed by a weapon that shoots wine corks? So practical – we’ll never run out of ammo.
A never-to-be-forgotten, always-to-be-remembered year for your family!
How fabulous that you took on all the work to make it actually happen!
Enjoy your last snippets of time in such scenic un-North American surroundings.
I too went from anti-weapons to today where I have just packed shields and swords as we head home… France has changed our views on so many things! Enjoy the travels. WE head off this morning to Annecy in Haute Savoie. With 6 bags and 6 carry-ons… hope we won’t be tempted by many souvenirs….Jen
What a wonderful ending to your time across the pond, Diane. And the two videos were SO sweet. Can’t believe how big the girls have gotten!