Flat Stanley Update #1: Aug-Sept

Jackson will now tell you what he and Flat Stanley have been up to since the end of July, when we all left Canada.


Flat Stanley came with me to New York. First, we went to the American Museum of Natural History and there was a big exhibit about mammals, including all the big ones from Africa.




Flat Stanley loved going to the Yankees game!


They won against the Baltimore Orioles!


Here we are on the Staten Island Ferry going to see the Statue of Liberty.

FS did not get seasick.

There she is!

FS liked seeing the flagship store for Nintendo

I'm tired of walking all day but FS wants to keep going

Then FS came with us to Paris - we got to see the finish of the Tour de France!

FS came with me to the Louvre, where the Mona Lisa is

There are nice buildings and fountains everywhere in Paris

The best thing we did in Paris was climb up the Eiffel Tower

Then we came to the Languedoc region of southern France - Carcassonne is a famous medieval castle that is fun to explore in the day . . .

and the night!

Carcassonne also has a really big food market every Saturday morning

FS is always hungry. He especially likes apples!

Here FS got to ride a horse at a park in Toulouse

FS liked the Botanical Gardens in Toulouse

We all loved going to Bordeaux - here FS is sitting with us on some steps of a famous building


One day in Bordeaux, we stopped for a snack at the Charles Dickens pub. Everyone there spoke English!

FS likes to sit up and keep an eye on things

FS watched me run in the mist at the Mirror of Water -
I left him with Mom so he would not get wet

FS loved riding the train in Bordeaux as much as I did!

But our favourite thing of all is playing at the beach in Narbonne

If you click ">here, you will see where FS and I have our base in southern France. Next, we will go to Kenya and Tanzania in November. Flat Stanley is ready for more adventures - we'll check back with you again later!

Beautiful Bordeaux & Airbus Adventures

From Mitchell: On September 20, we went to Bordeaux for a holiday. We stayed in a nice apartment on the top floor for a few days. We saw many cool sights there but my favourite place was the Mirror of Water. It was a shallow pool of water that would spray mist everywhere. It was fun to run through because you could not see where you were going. We also went on a walking tour and learned a lot about Bordeaux. Lastly, we walked along Rue St. Catherine, Europe’s longest pedestrian street.

When our holiday in Bordeaux was finished, we drove home and stopped at the Airbus Factory in Toulouse. Airbus is a commercial airplane company that makes planes like the A380, the Beluga, and The Concorde. We only got to see the A380 being built, though. We also got to see some of the tests the planes have to go through before they are safe to fly. One scary test is to determine the stalling speed of the aircraft. The pilot points the nose of the plane up, until it stalls, and then the pilot has to point the nose down and bring it out of the stall. At the end of the tour, we got to go inside a model of the double-decker A380. It was a very good tour and I had a lot of fun.

Here is the apartment we rented (top floor) right on the Quai of the River Garonne:

It was cool and windy while we were there (especially along the waterfront):

The most popular attraction in Bordeaux - the Mirror of Water or

Mirior d'Eau:

We're waiting for the mist cycle to kick in (about every 15 minutes):

This is the first time Mom has worn long sleeves on our trip - she said she should have worn Darlene's Jacket:

Dad loved the 18th century restored architecture (Place de Bourse):

Another cool reflection in the water mirror:

Jackson's favourite things in Bordeaux - riding on the super-quiet Tram (in background) and running in the mist:

Here I am running into the mist:

Bell Tower (Grand Cloche):

Rue de St. Catherine (longest pedestrian street in Europe):

Dad and a glass of the famous Bordeaux wine:

A statue of the famous writer Montaigne - he is from Bordeaux. My Mom was excited to see this because she said some of his essays inspired this trip:

A famous statue showing France as a lady of liberty:

Looking down on the statue, getting wet in the spray:

Cathedral St. Andre:

An outdoor cafe:

More 18th century architecture - it is not medieval like St. Papoul because Bordeaux was so rich from producing wine that they tore all the old buildings down and re-built them:


This is funny - Jackson watching TV at a large FNAC store - he has not watched TV since the middle of July and he just could not get up and walk away:

We were not allowed to take photos on our Airbus tour, except for this one outside:

Travel Days 63 & 64 - I Got My Fingernails Dirty in France

This week I had a chance to learn a bit about the grape growing and wine business, and very much practice my French. It’s surprising (not really) how little I knew about wine making and how much French I do know. Much thanks to the patience of my instructors. Since coming here and being able to practice my French with people who have virtually no command of the English language, I now have a renewed appreciation for the language. It certainly has opened up my experience in France.

The last couple of days were spent immersed in the language (out of necessity) and in the fields of the vineyard of Chateau Sesquières. I didn’t really pick any grapes since the harvester does all the work but I got to ride on it. I did help out when the grapes were brought back to the barns to be unloaded. It’s a 250-hectare farm with about 20 hectares (60 acres) under cultivation. It’s owned by the family of a gentleman (third generation) named Gerard that we met as we made the rounds to the weekly evening markets of local produce and goods in the surrounding villages. Both Kathi & I like their Merlot. It’s more of an estate winery and they have been kind enough to share in their lives, experience and knowledge.

I enjoyed just being on the land as the sun was rising, with views over the valley to the Pyrénées beyond. The air was cool but the sun was warming to the skin. My thoughts were of the reality of the experience. Lunch that day was cuts of sausage, baguette, chicken paté, and a green salad served with an aperitif primer. This was followed by a bit of rosé. Of course, I tentatively thought that this was it. A serving of steak with a touch of salt and pepper and home made macaroni with a touch of cheese and some of the Carbardès (vin rouge) came next. This was topped off with some coffee and fresh fruit - figs picked from a tree right outside in the yard. My very own ‘Peter Mayle’ experience.

I expect to be back at it for another day or two when it’s time to harvest another variety of grape – the Cabernet Sauvignon. These hosts have been kind enough to open up their family to us and it’s been great to meet them and have this experience in France.

TE