Tuesday 30 June 2015

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Seeing Lavender Bloom in France


Our visit to Provence in France coincided with the lavender’s bloom at its most glorious stage. We saw, smelled and touched lavenders from a sea of purple lavender fields for the first time right before our eyes. We also tasted Foie gras flavoured with lavender. It was an amazingly unforgettable sensory experience of the five senses.

To see such beauty, the fingerprint of God’s creation, I am simply awed by God and filled with thankfulness. Thankful that we were given the chance to see it while we are here on earth. We didn’t planned for it, nor was it possible to plan with just such a perfect timing, since we would never know the weather way in advance.

It is an undeserved privilege. I want so much to share this experience and find ways to help many others to see it, and I will start with my family.


The lavender fields are located in Provence, south-eastern France.


Here is a close up of the map with the route we took. It is a very scenic route, although it is not the only scenic lavender route in France. 


The best way to see the lavender fields is to travel by car. You can also hire a taxi, if you don't like to drive. 


It is free to see the lavender fields. There is no admission fee. It is a public place, but of course the lands are owned by the French farmers, I believe. You do not have to pay anything, but it costs in petrol and transport, of course.


The best months to visit the lavender fields is late June to mid-August. It also coincides with the sunflower bloom in France, but we didn't get to visit the sunflower fields unfortunately.


The best time to visit the lavender fields are in the morning or in the evening, before it gets too hot with the mid-day sun.


If I am to give a piece of advice from the mistake I made, it would be to wear neutral color clothes in such as white colors, blue color or grey color, so that you would not compete with the color of the lavenders. I have obviously not worn the right attire - wearing a polo shirt with the word "Italy" instead of France. I didn't think about it, before we drove.


Our Little FECS walking along the rows of lavender fields...


and looking out for bees and snails among them... 


while mommy was busy taking in all the sight of the lavenders.




Can you spot Daddy FECS in the photo above?


Here are some pictures of memories of our Little FECS with Daddy FECS.





Children don't usually appreciate being at the lavender fields too much, but our Little FECS had been very patient with us, though he got a little tired and impatient too.






Mmmm.... they smelled good :-)



  

A quaint and romantic shop between Puimoisson and Bra-d'Asse selling perfume, soap and souvenirs made from lavenders. Aren't it pretty and cute?


love the romantic bike standing there as part of decoration...


These lovely bouquet of lavenders are retailed at 12 EUR... I love them, but no, we didn't buy them.


Mmmm.... it smells good :-)


Inside the shop...


We were at the Saturday market at Riez at 11am


We tasted foie gras flavoured with lavenders...


We bought home lavender honey. We saw syrup made with lavender as well as liquor made with lavender, but we didn't try them.


Here is an accommodation possibility near lavender fields. If you prefer hassle-free planning from sight-seeing, below are some lavender travels available, that includes suggestions, itinerary, transport and accommodation.

Lavender Travels

http://www.real-provence.com/lavender.htm

Lavender Itinerary

http://www.real-provence.com/HI-lavender-holiday.htm

Lavender Routes

http://www.theluberon.com/activities/lavender-provence
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?ll=44.063907,5.688171&t=m&source=embed&ie=UTF8&msa=0&spn=0.690758,2.059937&z=9&mid=z4YI885LyLE0.k9tUlrBCDq38

References:

http://www.provenceguide.co.uk/explore/lavender-38-1.html

http://www.moveyouralps.com/en/routes-de-la-lavande/the-routes

www.routes-lavande.com

Sunday 28 June 2015

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J Summary (6Y3M23D) - Monkey See Monkey Do


We were on holiday in France... and I wanted to maximize the time for sight-seeing, but Daddy FECS wanted to wash the car... even though it was a rental car, and we have already paid in the price of cleaning in the rental!!!

So I prayed, God, give me patience...

We didn't manage to go hiking in the mountains...
We ended up only have half a day at the charming French city Chamonix...
We missed the last lift up to the mountain...

But our Little FECS learned:

from Daddy FECS' example...

to take care of other people's properties like his own...
how to wash car...

bonding with Daddy FECS in a different cozy way...

a lesson in Montessori Practical Life...

And I learned:

to be patient... and actually succeeding today :-)

to take care of other people's properties like our very own... 

that character training is the most important... at times more important than going hiking in the mountains...

to take it easy and to let go of my super efficient goal-oriented personality for once...

that teachable moments may come by, even as we give up what seemed to be the most beneficial, as long as we let go and let God...

that what we lost, God can make it up in different ways...

I also learned if I ever open a car rental company, I will sign Daddy FECS up as my customer for life :-)

I hope I will never forget the lesson I learned today... :-)



Friday 26 June 2015

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J Summary (6Y3M21D) - Challenging Meal Times


Meal times can be challenging for us. We would like our Little FECS to eat more vegetables than he is doing. We would like him to say thank you after having his meal. We are still working on it. 

Just as I am feeling discouraged, wondering what to do, I received this notice from Baby Center that persistent reminders are important:


"Part of enjoyable meals is dining with people who know how to behave themselves at the table.
Enforce table manners – no shoveling food, napkin in your lap, chewing with your mouth closed, no complaining about what's served. Quiet but persistent reminders are usually the most effective. Of course, what you do is as important as what you say. If you expect your child to sit at the table and eat without getting up, you should do the same. No running to answer the phone or start the dishwasher."

http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-6-1-4-year-old-table-manners_10329707.bc?scid=mbtw_bigkid_post6y_3m_3w&pe=MlV5WWE1aHwyMDE1MDYyNg..

I just need to remember to remind him without coming across as nagging, which is not easy for me.


References:


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J Summary (6Y3M21D) - Camping in Barjols


Making memories... camping in Barjols... making it the beginning of one of our cozy family traditions... it will be something we remember in years to come :-)


It was our first time sleeping in the tent here...


First time playing Uno with our Little FECS. 


Apparently, he has learned to play Uno from his kindergarten already, so it wasn't his first time.


View of the city below


Watching dusk from our tent 

We unfortunately only brought one book. We read from J's Chinese text book. He read after me, and he read better than usual at home. It helped with the relaxed atmosphere.

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J Summary (6Y3M20D) - On Vacation...


Our Little FECS is on vacation with his cousins. This was what the children did the most, swim, computer game, swim, computer games. We did other things too, but these two are what the children chose to play with the most.

Not the most ideal, but I have to choose to just close one eye... it could be worse... in that it could be just computer game the whole day.

My perfect situation would be... the children chose to swim, then hike, then run around, then play board game, then swim, then hike, then run around, then swim... and no computer games or iPAD at all.

This is what most of the adults are doing, apart from all the other activities... morning exercise, swim, read, cook, swim, read. Not bad, I think the Chinese Singaporeans can learn from this.











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