Fun in the trees

Last weekend we headed off to Makes (a village in the "hauts") with some friends to spend a morning at Makes Adventure Land.  We had to be there at 9.30 am so that meant leaving at 8am, so much for a weekend lie in!

The adventure land involved traversing obstacles up in the trees (all the time attached to a safety line of course!) including zip lines, moving platform etc.  There were two green courses for kids over five years old but less than 1.4 meters tall (this necessitated teaching Ela to lie about her age as she won't be five for a few months yet, we are bad parents!), a red course (easy enough but for those over 1.4 meters tall) and a blue course (the challenging course).  We discovered later that there was also a black course which seems to be only for guided groups!

We started out on the green courses with the kids, there was much excitement and at times a bit of fear!  Soon though they got the hang of it though and gained confidence pretty quick.  Sam soon headed off ahead by himself and watching Ela realise that there was nothing to fear after I encouraged her to step off a platform and let the safety harness hold her was cool, after that there was no stopping her!

I stayed with the kids to do another run through of the two green courses (and another after!) while Aurelie headed off to do the red course.  All in all a great morning out even with bumps, scrapes and occasional rope burn!  It's one that we'll be repeating, by popular demand (plus Aurelie and I have decided we'll be heading back sans kids to explore the red and blue courses).

Getting kitted up

The Bradley-Trombetta clan

Happy Sam

Monkey girl!

Aurelie on the zip line

Sam on a wobbly platform...

...and jumping to the next!

Ela making her way over the posts...

...and on more wobbly steps

More zip lining!

Aurelie making the platform, just about.

Heading home!

Found in the living room!

The title says it all really!

Association mad!

Here in Reunion, and I assume in mainland France, they love their "Associations"!  An association is a formal group that is registered with the local government, as far as I can tell it can be set up of any reason (except sports) and can apply for subventions from the local government.  

In the last year we have become members of a few different associations, the kids do Indian dancing with one association (which I've mentioned before), Aurelie has been involved in the set up and running of another to run child minding at Sam and Ela's school before and after school hours.

But the association we have been involved with the most is "Les Coeur de Mont Vert Les Bas" (the Heart of Mont Vert Les Bas), it's an association to bring the people of the locality together in various activities.

A friend of ours, Isabelle, is the president (and founder) of the association and keeps it humming along.  

Arts and crafts for the kids

Over the last few months we've had: weekly kids activities over the school holidays, weekly games sessions (cards, Uno, Dominoes type games), seaside picnics, book and plant exchanges and a meal at a restaurant/smallholding (with complimentary pony rides!) and this week Aurelie has started a weekly English conversation meetup at our place!   Its been a wonderful way to get to know people beyond our little impasse* and to tie into the Mont Vert Les Bas community.

Bunny love at the smallholding

Sam's pony...

...and Ela's

* Oddly enough the French don't use the phrase "cul-de-sac" but rather "impasse" which makes me wonder why the hell we ended up using a French phrase that isn't used in French!

Reunionese parking

One of the things that I have noticed he Reunionese have a peculiar relationship with parking.  In addition that you will quite often come across people just stopped in the middle of the road having a chat with another car or pedestrian (even if there is a place to pull in immediately next to them the thought never seems to cross their minds!) the urge to park as close a possible to the final destination seems ingrained here to a degree that I've not seen in other places.  Whether that means on footpaths or across pedestrian crossings so be it, even if there is a car park just a few metres further away.

Cars parked on the footpath...

A couple of months ago on Bastille day I took a few photos of this phenomena in action.  On a narrow road with a footpath on one side the footpath was lined with cars, fair enough you might think, it was Bastille day after all...

...more cars on the footpath...

If it wasn't for the fact that there was an empty (and free) car park just 50m further up the road!

 

...and 50m further up the road (that's our car)

Two years!

Exactly two years ago we were in Lyon airport getting ready to board a flight to Reunion for the first time - my how time flies!

Exploreing Lava Tubes!

Over the summer we have become very friendly with another family, Damien, Isabelle and their three kids.  As well as going to picnics and kids activities together with one of the local associations our kids have stayed over in each other's houses and we have been on walks in the hauts (heights). 

 

A few days ago we decided to go and explore one of the many lava tubes in the old lava flows on the flanks of Piton de la Fournaise.  Most of the lava tunnels on the volcano require a guide as there can be dangerous gasses or risk of collapse but this one was from a lave flow in 1976 and is regarded as safe and so no guide is needed.  

 

Unfortunately we didn't take many photos as we were too busy wrangling kids (and making sure they didn't brain themselves on the ceiling of the tubes, next time bring head protection!).  However as it turns out another expat blogger had the same idea a couple of weeks before me and took far more photos of the actual tubes and the rock formations (I'm a bad geology nerd).

Sam and  Mathieu leading the way

 

The tube took a bit of finding even with instructions, there is no signs or other indications that the lave tube is there.  We had to hop over a wall at the side of the road and follow a little path between the wall and the forest until we came an entrance to the tube.  At that point the tube lead in two directions, back under the road and off under the forest.

Aurelie and Ela

So off we went to explore and it was cool!  The tube was fairly large but the floor was uneven and littered with scoria and at times we all had to stoop to avoid the ceiling, in fact there were a few occasions when the adults had crawl along!  There were occasional side tubes but in general one main tube.

Emerging from the darkness!

We explored as far as we could up the tube, about 400 - 500m to where there was another opening in the forest then returned to our starting point and explored in the other direction (600 - 700m).  This section was a good bit steeper and had larger chambers in the tube.  We stopped and turned about when we saw that the tube got much steeper, narrowed and became filled with wet (and slippery) clay.

 

All in all a successful mornings exploration all for the price of a few cuts and bruises all round!   

Dance Baby Dance!

Both Sam and Ela have recently taken up Indian dancing, twice a week they have two hour lessons at the local hall about 5 minutes walk from here.  They are enjoying it, especially when they get to put on a show (or spectacle as they are called here)!

Recently some of the local Associations (more on associations in an upcoming post) set up a big lunch with entertainment in for the less well off.  As part of the entertainment the dance Association that Sam and Ela are in gave a display.

Dancing ladies

Ela isn't actually supposed to be in this particular dance but decided to join in anyway!

Sam, looking good!

The older kids arrived to rehearse at 7.30am, we fortunately didn't have to be there until 11.30am as the younger kids dance routines are a lot more limited than the older kids (all girls, Sam is the only boy).  There was lots of excitement getting ready with costumes and make up, though Sam refused all offers of make up, and ice cream and anticipation. 

 

As is usual here no one was quite sure when things were going to happen but they kids kept themselves busy getting ready and running about the place and they eventually started a bit after 3pm (one of the main things we have come to accept about life here (mostly) is the idea of island time, things generally don't happen quickly and that's not necessarily a bad thing).  The dancing was great, though Sam was a bit upset that he missed a cue and didn't get to do all of his dancing, otherwise a successful day all round.

 

 

Happy Bastille Day!

Today is Bastille day and yesterday the annual parade was held in Saint Pierre.  The parades for Bastille day here consist of the military and the local associations for all different types of activities (biking, chess, football, marital arts etc. etc).  Sam and Ela have both been involve in Indian "Bollywood" style dancing so they joined their association (along with Aurelie) in the parade.

Local military units leading the parade

Wardogs!

Blue, white and red trikes!

 

The parade route itself was only a few hundred meters long (which was a good thing for little legs that had already been hanging about for over an hour prior to the parade starting) but it was great to see all the different associations getting involved, in fact considering the numbers marching in it there were probably more people in the parade than watching it! 

 

It was interesting to see the differences to the Paddy's day parades in Ireland that I am used to.  There was a military ceremony prior to the start of the parade, which I have never seen in Ireland, French flags and hats in the French colours were distributed to all marching in the parade an there were no floats, just association marching, oh and a lot less drinking!



Sam on parade...



...and Ela...

...and Maman

We headed home after the parade but went back into town in the evening as there was a stage set up for music and dancing as well as pretty spectacular fireworks which we watched from the town beach (I got to keep my hands over Ela's ears for the entire time as the fireworks were too loud for her, the things we do for our kids). 

All in all a good first Bastille day in France for me (this time last year I was away in Africa for work).

The family that slays together stays together!

Most people who know me outside of my working life know that among other things I'm a gamer.  I have been ever since I was introduced to roleplaying games as a 10 or 11 year old on a visit to my Dublin cousins (thanks Karl).  Boardgames, roleplaying games, LARPs, wargames, computer games, I enjoy playing them all. 

 

Of course nowadays what with having a young family and living 10,000km from my usual gaming crew I don't get to game as much as I used too (though with roleplaying via Skype and boardgaming over the internet I manage somewhat).

 

So one of the things I have been looking forward to is getting the kids into gaming (Sam is already Star Wars mad, see this post by Aurelie) as;

 

a) It's been such a big and enriching part of my life (the games themselves and especially the people who play them) and;

b) I'll have some one to play with.

 

So the last time I came back from Ireland I brought back a copy of Catan Junior a simplified version of the hugely popular Settlers of Catan boardgame for ages five and up.  We've played a few different card games like Mow (apparently French cows go mow, not moo) with the kids but this would be the first board game that they could play.

 

Sam took to it straight away and wants to play it pretty much every day, Ela wasn't too interested at first but joined us for our most recent gaming session, playing by herself for the first time rather than "helping" Maman or Daddy and enjoyed it, winning her second ever game!

Catan Junior is a great introductory game, the kids love it and it's fun for the adults too.  Now I'm looking forward to introducing them to roleplaying with Faery's Tale and more boardgames like Mice and Mystics!

For the record Sam has the most wins so far, a short lived "go easy on him" policy was ditched when he kept thrashing us.  The Geek is strong in this one!



Sunday gaming at chez nous



Ela tastefully celebrating victory (Sam is ill not sulking!)

Mess is fun!

 

by Aurelie

 

I was surprised how quickly my kids had developed their own personality and taste. Even with my very anti-stereotype education, Samuel has mostly "boy" interests (except for bracelets currently), and to my despair Ela has very girly interests...

 

I hadn't thought much about it until Ela went to play to a friend house and discovered make up. She has probably seen me about 4 times in total wearing makeup, and not even that much of it. Suddenly I got worried that we would be missing the whole mother/daughter bonding with all the make up, hair thing, jewellery and fashion normally involved. I don't wear make-up, I can't do any hairstyle, not really into fancy jewellery, and well fashion.... Not only this, but I cook and I shop only when I have to, and especially NOT with the kids.

Now my girl may like pink and princesses, but she also like mud. So when most kids would be horrified at the idea of putting something like cow poo on their head, that smells weird, to leave it there for a while and that the whole process may change the hair colour, Ela said YES. I even mentioned that it would required extra hair washing, but no she was determined to do henna with me. Since I read it help preventing head lices (a lovely issue that we've been having this year) I was all in favour of it.

So we did, and it was great. I could never have enough of her laugh. A wonderful bonding time that we can't wait to do again, except next time, she really wants to get red hair... poil de carotte.

 

Electric Cork!

Apologies for the lack of updates for the last while, as most people who read this know my brother passed away recently after a long battle with cancer as a result I've been in Ireland for that last couple of months not posting.  So this is just a quick post to say that normal services will be resumed in the near future, I'm heading back to Reunion in June where Aurelie and the kids have been enjoying life in my absence (more on that in a future post).

 

Anyway while in Cork I came across this for the first time:

CCC van getting recharged

 

Its an electrically powered Cork City Council van getting recharged from a roadside power station.  Go Cork City Council, welcome to the 21st century!  It's things like this that make me realise more and more that the future of my childhood is now (but with less spaceflight, though it's coming).

 

 

 

 

Saint Patrick's day

I'm in Ireland at the moment while Aurelie and the kids are back on Reunion.  While I'm here I've been going through some of our recent photos that we (actually Aurelie, they're from her camera) took before I left.  So now I hoping to post a few items over the next couple of days that should have been posted ages ago!

For Saint Patrick's (never Pattie's day!) a friend of Aurelie's was kind enough to send us a Saint Patrick's day package containing badges, hair ties, clips etc. (thanks Orna).  So for the big day we dug out any green clothes we had and the kids finally got to wear all the goodies!

Flying the colours!

There were some rumblings of possible Saint Patrick's day events in the North of the island but nothing down South so we had a pretty uneventful day - no parades here!

Sam - a serious smile!

Ela - the cheery bunny!

Where there are no roads

Last week we went to the hauts (the heights) for some cooler weather and were able to look down into the Cirque de Cilaos.  The photos below are of one of the villages in the cirque, Grand Bassin, and of the only means by which the villagers get stuff to and from their village (other than carrying it by foot!).  One of the other three cirques on the island, Cirque de Mafate, is entirely only accessible by foot so it's like a lost world in there!

When I suggested to Aurelie that it might be cool to live in a isolated village like that, she looked at me and said in avoive that brooked no argument "for a weekend perhaps, just a weekend", spoilsport.

The village of Grand Bassin

How stuff is delivered to the village (and the rubbish collected)

The sign says "Transport of people strictly forbidden" 

Regulations for the packages that people are allowed to send (max weight and dimensions and no people or animals)

Timetable

Fairy tale views

A little while ago while the kids were at school Aurelie and I went to one of the view points overlooking one of the three extinct calderas.  Looking at the photos it like looking at fairy tale towns in some sort of lost kingdom!

 



Ilet de Cordes

Cilaos

 

The two settlements in the caldera

Garden Beastie!

We've been doing some gardening lately and came across this little fellow.  I'm afraid the pictures aren't great (my old iPhone isn't the best for close ups!)

He (or she) is Liocheles australasiae AKA the Malaysian tiny brown scorpion, not very dangerous but the sting can cause intense local pain for up to an hour!

Odd thing was that he (or she) kept going towards me when ever I tried to take a photo, most beasties usually try to get away as fast as possible.  I guess scorpions are just more badass!

My new best friends.

Since I have been here I have been diving and occasionally snorkeling with my Aqualung Caravelle open heel fins.  However open heel fins require the use of boots and aren't really suited to snorkeling so I deceided it was time for some new fins.  After looking about to see what was available locally and looking up the online reviews I decided on a pair of Mares Volo closed heel fins and picked them up at the local Decathalon (a big sporting goods chain in France).



My new best friends! Mares Volo closed heel fins.

 

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to use them straight away as I developed a head cold which kept me out of the water for a few days but eventually I was able to get to play with them.  Our local town, Saint Pierre, is the second town of the island and the town is built on a beach with a lagoon which is a good safe place for swimming and snorkeling (it's Sam's favorite place to go snorkeling).  Being right on the town means that it's a popular place so much of the coral is damaged or dead but a bit further out from the shore there is some nice coral and fish life.

The lagoon at Saint Pierre

 

I spent about an hour tootleing about getting used to the fins and exploreing for the first time the further parts of the lagoon.  I'm continually amazed how much I love being in the water, being privy to the underwater world, exploreing and the freedom that the water allows us.

 

There was quite a bit of fish life once you got away from the shore, most of which I have seen many times before, not that that lessens how much I love to see them!  This time there was somthing different though, while pottering about I came accross a large spotted brown flying fish, I think Cypselurus sp, I've not been able to find any good images of it online but how wonderful to be just wander from the town into the water and suddenly, unexpectenly be within a meter of such a creature.  I spent a bit of time watching it flex it large fins, and getting ocasional glimses of it's colourful pectoral fins before decideing that I had better let it be and continued on my way.  I did however resolve to buy a good underwater camera (I'm thinking a GoPro) so that I can record the next time!

Random plastic rubbish I put in my pocket during my hour long snorkel

I've mentioned before on this blog that I hate plastic and whenever I am in the water I have gotten into the habit of picking up any pieces of plastic that I notice and putting them in my pocket so that I can bin them later.  Above is a picture of the plastic that I picked during my hours snorkel.  I'm in two minds about it, as far as I'm concerened any plastic in our oceans is too much but then again considering that this was just off a busy beach and the second largest town on the island mabey it's not so bad considering I covered a lot of lagoon, I don't honestly know. 



The sun setting over Saint Pierre lagoon