Love from the G-Ks! #Bonnefind'année!

Oma has arrived. And so that means we're off. Just mama and papa. For a quick holiday. Can you believe it?! We can hardly...but apparently it's true. The bags are packed and we're heading to the airport. See ya on the other side! Big love xxx

The long black road #headinghome

We had absolutely stunning weather while we were in Brittany: 12 degrees and blindingly sunny. Which makes quite a change from the disgusting smog of Paris that we had just before we left for Christmas. 

So we made the most of it and hit the beach. Many times.

And then all of a sudden it was time to go back home. This time it's via 4 wheels and Puma-(driving)-power with an all-star free upgrade to an Audi A4. Which makes driving very comfortable for the driver and less so for the person squashed between the two child seats in the back (Pacotio).

Leaving in the early morning light

Ah, so much space in the front seat!

Local landmark, signalling home

 And then Oma arrived and it was Christmas all over again!

Merry Christmas! #Withlove

It came upon the midnight clear #MerryChristmas

O ye beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow;
Look now, for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
Oh rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.

The long way round #Brittany #Wonderboxbreak

And then it was time to make our way to Locmaria-Plouzané. This time we took the long route via a 2-night stay near Vannes, thanks to Wonderbox, a gift we had received last Christmas of a pre-paid break including dinner.

We stayed in a gîte in the middle of nowhere and really loved it. Fingerling did too as it had a little chicken coop, plus a donkey and a goat. Plus she had the full attention of both parents.

Despite the rain we decided to visit Vannes, sensing that surely it could not rain the whole day. Well, it did. We got totally soaked. But that made the crêpe at lunch and the warm fire in the gîte that evening all the more worth it.

It doesn't look it, but it's actually pouring

Grey skies, and the Cathedral

On the second day we drove leisurely (as leisurely as a huge Audi A4 hire car upgrade will let you) towards Brest and stopped off in Concarneau. The town has two distinct areas: the modern town on the mainland and the old medieval walled village, which is built on an island just off the coast. It can be reached by a drawbridge from one end and a small passenger ferry at the other. The town itself is beautiful and typical of these fortress towns, despite all the crêperies and souvenir shops around. We had yet another crêpe for lunch (when in Brittany....) and were blown along the windy streets for a quick look around.

From the ferry end looking back along the village

Crossing the drawbridge

Looking from the old village to the new village and marina

The drawbridge end of town

And from there it was a quick drive to Locmaria-Plouzané to be reunited with Small Fry and the typically wintry weather we usually see in Finistère. 

All together again

Apparently they missed each other

And so that must mean it's Christmas!!

A Christmas Tale #London #Tring

A long, long time ago, we planned a trip to London, much like last year to see a show aimed at kiddies. Tickets were booked and everything was sorted and despite everything that happened, we were pretty much still committed to going (as the tickets were not refundable of course). 

And of course, on the day before the performance we got an email to say it was all cancelled due to flu (the principal) and injury (the understudy). But we went anyway, as we had a great weekend lined up seeing friends in Nunhead (and family who came to us there!), Greenwich and Tring.

Pre-departure at the Eurostar terminal

Northern France. And also the south of England. Everything was foggy The. Whole. Weekend.

There were two amazing things about the weekend for Small Fry (he never really felt sad about the cancelled performance as he didn't really know what he was going to see). The first were the London Buses, especially when he could sit up top in the front seat. He LOVED it. 1 hour bus ride from Kings Cross to Peckham Rye? No problem.

The second thing was Thomas. Thomas is 5 and can read, which made him awesome in Small Fry's eyes - and ours, as he could entertain them all for ages with his stories.

Thomas (5) and Samuel (3) are the kids of Nandi and Steve, who we stayed with in Tring, just to the north of London. They have a lovely huge house and a lovely huge bath:

They also have an arm of the Natural History Museum in the town centre with the Rothschild's personal stuffed animal collection AND the winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards 2016. Thrilling for all of us.

From Tring we went straight to London and collected our Christmas Presents from the Kellings via Uncle Simon (who got them from Camberwell to Kings Cross, and also via Auntie Christina who got them from Aberdeen to London, and also via...oh you know how it is with us Kellings...).

The weekend was a huge success and Small Fry showed his appreciated by drawing the Eurostar going on the tracks through the rock, under the water. And by signing the drawing. 

All the bits are there. We'll work on the order later.

Now heading off for Christmas...

Tis the Season #needaholiday #convenient

The school year is over. 2016 virtually so. And boy am I happy to see the back of that.

Tomorrow we begin our holidays with a weekend in London, followed by the long way to Locmaria-Plouzané and then back to Paris for some Oma time, followed by a surprise. More on that to come.

We are all tired and looking forward to our break.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas lunch with kids #thankfullyonlyonceayear

Today we met up with my good friend Kelley-Anne and her beautiful daughters Rose and Clara for a Christmas lunch at our local M&S just before it closes (sob).

We didn't take any photos of the lunch as we spent a FULL HOUR trying to keep our kids in line. We then let them loose in the local park and I snapped these. 

For the past couple of weeks, Fingerling has been a rampant undresser, taking off her jammies every night, and frequently her trousers and nappy during the day. Might she be trying to tell us something?

So before heading home we went to H&M and bought her big girl knickers. Here she is proudly carrying them around. If only she would proudly wear them.

And it's over #ByebyeOECD #1monthofholidays #totallyneedit

And just like that. 15 months later and I am leaving the OECD for the second time. 

And exactly like the first time:

- I felt ever so slightly pushed out (my n+3 couldn't find the money to renew my contract even though the n+1 and n+2 were keen)

- Getting out is for the best

- I will miss the Fish team

- They will miss me (judging by the card, the gift and the kind words said to me).

And this time I reckon I'm not going back. Going back on my own terms felt good and I got an amazing, unique and trail-blazingly flexible contract out of them. I loved the work, I loved the team, but I am done. I want my work to have a greater impact, I want to get out of research which I've been involved in since 2009, and I want to have greater responsibility. A higher salary would have been nice too, but nothing really beats the OECD (where we don't pay tax), so I was willing to accept a drop.

Enter the INPLF. More on that later...

First, the office Christmas party (with a tropical theme) that coincided with my last week of work.

My fabulous n+1 Claire, who taught me a lot.

 

The gift. A very well thought out (and expensive) wool IRO blazer (with new haircut...another story)

It's nice to know I am still on the fish social list so I hope to see my ex-colleagues fairly regularly. And to everyone else, Merry Christmas!

I'm off on my hols...