Back!

I’m back from France! Photos will, of course, come later, but here’s some initial thoughts:

• The best thing about this vacation was not the France, but the Liam. Getting to spend all day with the little guy for 10 whole days was just about the best thing ever. It makes me sad that I now have to go back to work all day, and I just want to spend more time with him
• You’d think you could get enough of old, red-bricked buildings, but I can’t. I love all the old villages and buildings and churches and chapels and cathedrals and castles.
• Liam is learning to talk! While on vacation, he said to me in the bath, “Kitty says ‘meow'” (We’d been teaching him animal sounds). Ok. what he said sounded more like ‘Ki-ee thee mow!” (like Ow!, not oh!) But I know what he was saying. Plus, he now says it all the time when he sees a cat.
• Man that was a gorgeous house we were staying in.
• My French is terrible, compared to what it once was. I can understand everything, but I can’t remember any vocabulary, and even more curiously, I can remember how to conjugate the passé simple, but not any other past tense. Clearly, I’m a lit. student (you only use the PS in literary modes).
• I really like Steve & Ayumu. I knew that before, but travelling with friends can be dicey, but they were great. And were incredibly patient with us and the Liam Factor.
• I need new sandals
• I need more sport tanktops if I’m going to be anywhere that hot for any length of time
• I have a strong preference for rural France compared to urban France

More when I’ve recovered from the post-vacation deluge here!