Pitch perfect

Today was try an instrument day at school. It's a chance for the kids to try the instruments and see if they want to learn anything. It was fun and very loud. 

 

    

In the end, Emily is very keen on flute. Cal liked the tuba but is committed to rugby. And Sam was disappointed to be too small for electric guitar. 

 

Hit the books

The kids have been back to school for nearly a week now. They started on Friday thanks to a standard school year that starts September 1, regardless of what day of the week that is.

 

The kids got new European style backpacks this year. Basically a file folder with straps! But hopefully this will reduce the crumpled up notes I find at the bottom of their bags. 

Everyone likes their teachers and new friends have been made. They are the veteran kids now and have been asked to buddy some of the new kids to help them adjust. 

Activities start soon and then we are full on into school year schedule. Calvin is joining rugby again, Emily is continuing in gymnastics and Sam is playing football (soccer) again this time with one of his new friends. 

The birth of cool

This weekend we took a day trip to Dinant, a bout an hour outside Brussels. 

 

While it is the site of several bloody battles through history, and an important battle site for Charles de Gaulle, it seems most proud of its title as birthplace of Alphonse Sax. Inventor of the saxophone. 

The kids had a good time finding saxophones and picking their favourites. 

 

 

Romanian roadtrip

We just got back from ten days driving around Romania. It was a true vacation. There were no tour buses to fight (mostly) and very little commercialism cramming tourist knick knacks in your face. The pace was slow. The scenery beautiful. The people friendly.

As luck would have it we hit both a heat wave and an extra long weekend for government employees. Everyone was getting out of Bucharest and into the mountains. Aside from traffic, this meant that we had the chance to vacation like the locals, with the locals. Towns were lively but not overly crowded. It felt like summer.

Bucharest was an interesting city. Beautiful old architecture, worn with age and interspersed with modern attracted (read exotic dance clubs). This was a bit of a shock at first but soon the beauty won out. From Belle Epoque restaurants to ancient churches, the city surprised.

The 36 degree was too much though and we were happy to hit the road to the mountains. Brasov was our first stop. Close to Bran castle, Peles castle and more we fell in love with the little town square and discovered a park near a natural spring nearby. It seems that this is where the locals go to roast garden vegetables and enjoy long social lunches. The kids frolicked in a waterfall and enjoyed the cool of the mountain forest. 

Our next and last stop was in Sibiu. Our airBNB host made this stop extra special. Cosmin showed the kids how to crack and eat green walnuts, let them play with his dog and play in the woodpile under the stars. The house was in a small ton called Sibiel and we came home to find cows tethered by the wells. 

One special find in Sibiu was the local salt lakes. These were pre-Roman salt mines, now abandoned and collapsed into salt lakes. The water was so salty it was impossible not to float! One lake had black mud that was supposed to be therapeutic. Whether or not that was true, it was fun getting dirty. 

Entomological interior design

Every year the royal family takes holidays and opens the royal palace to the public. Today I took the kids to tour it. 

The palace is the very definition of opulence, gold on every surface. 

 

But the truly unique room is a formal room the a shiny green ceiling. 

 

 

This stunning effect is achieved by covering the ceiling with jewel beetle wings. These guys...

 

The effect is beautiful and creepy at the same time. Very surreal. 

 

Summer Livin'

The highlight of our trip to Scandinavia, and thus it's own post, was the time we spent at the summer house of our friends in Sweden. The kids wanted to skip the rest of the trip and go directly to the summer house to see their friends. Surrounded by the tranquility of nature and good friends was what summer is about.

We swam in the Baltic, fished, picked wild blueberries and went boating. The long summer daylight kept the fun going long past normal bedtimes. It was a wonderful relaxing time and we are grateful for the opportunity.

Emily's Scandinavia - ABBA!

Before our trip, I didn't know anything about ABBA. It was fun learning the songs. Now I know Super Trouper and Mama Mia.

I like the hot dogs there. In Sweden, they were super long with a teensy tiny bun.