An Indian Summer

I don't know what's going on back in the Uk, but over here it has been beautiful weather for the past few days and is set to continue for the rest of the week. Fingers crossed. So my weekend has been a thoroughly excellent one as I've been able to make the most of the warm weather. Yesterday morning, we had a nice lie in after watching 'The Single Man' the night before (with Colin Firth. It was excellent, a really beautiful and interesting film) and woke up to a proper French breakfast with plenty of croissants. I then went with the family to a local farm, Ferme de Gally. It's quite a small farm, but has some goats, cows, horses, pigs, rabbits and guinea pigs and a donkey. The goats are some of the most beautiful goats I've ever seen. Really glossy and beautifully coloured, as well as being extremely friendly and docile.
















The farm is well known for its produce and is apparently the stockist for French 'Masterchef'. Oh la la! There are various workshops available to do and the girls got to do a bread-making class. They enjoyed it but they are the cleanest little girls I have ever met. Saskia had a fit once she started to mix the dough with her hands and it stuck to her hands so she was no longer clean! They are like it at dinner time too, as soon as the slightest bit of food touches their hands it's 'Eleanor, Eleanor, I need a cloth!' Or if a bit of milk gets spilt on their place mat; 'Oh nooooo! Eleanor look!'. Weird huh?

In the evening I met a couple of other girls and we had a late night picnic by the Seine. C'etait tres French, nous avons mangé, le baguette avec fromage et tomates and bien sur, du vin. I didn't even need a coat, that's how warm it was! I stayed the night in Lydia's room but although having been warned that it was very small, I wasn't prepared for quite how small. She lives in a room which is 6m squared. That includes a shower, a sink and a mini kitchen. There is a serious space problem in Paris but I didn't realise until last night quite how serious it is! But I suppose really it's just part of having the authentic 'Paris experience'. Ce n'est pas grave.

Today Lydia and I went to have a wander round Montmatre in the sun and it turned out there was some food and wine festival going on as well as lots of live music and performers. It was a wonderful atmosphere and totally French.



Lots of people joined in to dance to this African band. Proper hips shaking and skirts flailing type stuff. I'm practising and perfecting the moves in my bedroom but just can't compete with these ladies.






This lady was great, singing along to a music box and handing out sweeties to children.










This was one of my favourites. A German couple just started waltzing to a man playing the accordion. C'etait genial!









After the festival we went to Montmatre cemetery and saw a cat sleeping on one of the graves. When we got up closer we saw a tear in its eye and it skulked off to hide behind the headstone once we appeared, but as soon as we left its spot it resumed its position. I think it was the pet of the person and had come to mourn its owner. How sad.
















All in all, it was a thoroughly good weekend.