INSOMNIACS place to talk in the wee hours

I love the way everyone rushes around at Christmas to "finish" things up and make cookies or whatever. I mean it's not like a surprise--Oh Gee Christmas I forgot it comes every year on the same date.

Nicky we'll be here next yr and still posting and I'll still be saying nothing. U'r interesting.

Holeinone,

Yes, I grew up in Ireland; I lived there until 2003 when I moved to France with my Irish husband and 3 kids, who were at the time 8, 6, and 2 years old. It was our choice to move, but it was a bit scary as I didn't speak a word of French! 

We live just outside the city of Bordeaux, and yes, it is most definitely wine country. We have not only Bordeaux wines, but also the Médoc, Pessac Léognan and Bérgerac within a 50 mile radius of us. The lifestyle is completely different to Dublin, where I grew up, and although I'll always be Irish I love living here!

The song you're talking about is the national anthem - Amhrann na bhFiann - in English 'the soldiers song'. And you're right. It's sung by all Irish at the end of the night everywhere; be it a night in the pub, a wedding, a staff night out!  Irish independence is still quite new and we're proud to be Irish!

Nicky

Holeinone, that's one thing I had to get used to here- there's no mountains. Not even a gentle hill!  It's completely flat. It can be quite lush; we tend to get a good bit of rain in spring and autumn (makes for good wine!) but in the summer temperatures can get quite hot so can be very arid. However, we're not far from the coast so it's not too bad!

Has your dh still got family in Ireland?

Nicky

Golf girl - I have a 90 year old friend who has arthritis quite badly and is getting quite infirm.  He takes at least 2 trips out of the country every year.  In October he went to Ireland and loved it.  Most of his trips are guided tours and they  always have taken good care of him and anyone else with physical problems.  He took three trips this  year, one a cruise through the near East.  His son went with him to visit his home town in Austria.  His parents had seen the the Holocost coming and fled to America in the mid 30's to avoid it.  He went to visit two of his boyhood friends who still live there, one of them a Jew.

you're right about bikes. Everyone here has one!  But they are part of the French culture anyhow. One thing that I found amazing is that it's part of the school curriculum. At the age of 5/6, the third year of school, for one trimester the kids all have bike lessons twice a week. They learn the basics of road safety and any child that doesn't already know how, will be taught to ride without stabilizers. Then again, at 7/8 and 10/11, they have any other trimester, focusing on road safety. It's a great idea!  We have loads of cycle paths and bicycle lanes. But this way everyone stays safe. 

I'm sorry to hear traveling is tough for your dh; I hope you get to plan a trip that works for him. 

Nicky

Nicky, Because of the Tour d` France we are aware of the French love of biking but I didn't realize how passionate the French can be about their bikes until my husband's nephew in Olympia Washington started custom designing and building bikes for customers there. One French buyer even paid for personal delivery!

Thank goodness for U Ms. 2nd time around and ditto for all of these fine folks.

Carolyn

Me again girls, about bidets. The only time I ever used a bidet before DH wanted one, was in the maternity hospital 36 yrs ago. That one had a 'spout' in the bottom which squirted upwards and was very efficient for ladies who had just had babies.  The one we bought had a spout where a tap would normally be and points toward the front of the bowl...it also has a drain and plug the same size as a vanity basin - in other words a much smaller target than a toilet bowl has.

Anyway, with all these moist wipe towellettes/wipes products these days, who really needs such a thing as a bidet any more?

Until DH started using it, I used it for the mop and bucket when cleaning...now I wouldn't clean my feet in it.

Sheila.

I am in for the pocket party Sas. So, on this thread we are owlettes? I love owls..they are the coolest birds. I am at work so the night owl in me is not exactly posting much. I did spend most of last night tossing and turning as my MIL has less than a month to live according to her MO...cancer sucks.  I should have come here! Keep forgetting there are other insomniacs to commiserate with.

Merry Christmas "owlettes" and here is to a great 2014. We all deserve it!

I'm so sorry to hear that, April. In your pocket as well as Sas' today.

April, I'm sorry to hear about your MIL. Cancer does indeed suck. Sas, if I'm not too late I'm right there with you too. Hope you have big pockets!

I'd be happy to add local information about here in Bordeaux. Despite the fact that I stayed in Europe, traditions vastly differ between Ireland and France. When it comes to holidays, like Christmas, we've adopted the French traditions that we like, and kept the best of the Irish ones!  For example, my children (even though they're teenagers) will wake up to stockings on the end of their beds, filled with chocolates and small presents. They'll find the big presents under the tree - the same I think as most of you? However, French children get their presents at midnight on the 24/25th. This is the 'reveillon', and it's when the French have their Christmas dinner - at midnight! Christmas Day for them is, as a result, a very quiet affair!

For our Christmas dinner, we'll start with French foie gras, followed by Irish turkey and ham. My BIL is bringing the ham with him tomorrow- I can't buy the right cut here, nor do they cure ham in the same way. We'll follow that with Irish desserts, Christmas pudding and trifle, washed down with good French wine!!

Nicky