When my signifiant other stands on the porch, vacuuming mosquitos with a hose attachment

...then I know this mosquito season is truly horrible.  J has gone mad.  He started his quest in a sitting position, spending a good 30 minutes on our front porch fiercely wielding a tube sucking up bugs.  Once satisfied, he stood up and held his position -vacuum off, tube laid across his chest- intermittently turning on the machine to slay any lingering specimen.  It is at once amusing and so King of the Hill-esque.  I'm trying to figure out whether J is channelling Hank or Dale.  Or Don Quixote perhaps?
That's Alaska and its mosquitos for you.

But hey, we made it through another winter.

winter solstice

Recently I even got a little Europe-fix with a one week trip to Sweden.  It was for work, but it was oh so good.  I enjoyed that Scandinavian feel that oozed from everything around me.  I got a kick out of the weights by my bed in the hotel for example with the workout DVD.  

Tourist by the Vindeln river

And ladies and gentleman, J is done battling the bugs..for now.  And I'm afraid the bugs won.

Paris

Small Fish at the Louvre

Two weeks ago we drove to Paris, a mere 5 hour-drive to spend a few days with relatives in Versailles.  This being the first time for J and the young ones, we made all the touristy stops we possibly could in three days.  This included climbing the Eiffel Tower, visiting the Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles and taking a scenic boat tour on the Seine. We also spent 1.5 hurried days in Disneyland-Paris (a first for our children).   No matter how many times I visit Paris, it is always like the first time.  The presence of the tower amazes me each time I catch a glimpse of it on the city horizon, and I feel so small when I stand beneath it.  I love coming to the Louvre, and walking along the Seine.  The only exception to this love affair would be Paris driving.  It is a state of mind I can't seem to get into.

At the Palace of Versailles

Since pictures speak a thousand words, and because expat life can be utterly exhausting, I will leave you with plenty of images but few words.  By the way there are machine-gun-clad patrols not only at the Eiffel Tower, but outside Disneyland also.  This was a strange sight.  The other curiosity for me was the car elevator that provides access to the underground garage of my cousin's loft apartment in Versailles.  Either this is a genuinely clever, space-saving invention or I am too easily impressed.  It was so much fun indeed that I posted a video of the car elevator here.  For another, more typical flavor of Paris, you can view a street artist playing the cello at the courtyard of the Louvre.  And finally, to hear a beautiful hymn from the mass at Notre Dame we happened upon, click here.

I hope you enjoy these Parisian postcards from us.

Versailles morning

A noble statue, Versailles

Inside the Hall of Mirrors

Big Moose with a lunch of foie gras, Palace of Versailles

Royal hot chocolate 

Notre Dame

Our hosts

Big Fish shopping on the Seine 

Louvre

The star of the Louvre

XVI. century Italian art on a grand scale

Small Moose and the City of Lights

Montmartre cafe

A Mediterranean New Year on a whim

Le Grau du Roi streets

December 31 started out as an uninspired day, rainy, lazy yet full of guilt for there was so much to do.  J got up to move the car to our parking garage a few Metro stops away, a side effect of living downtown with strictly regulated and metered parking system.

Then came the first inspired thought of the day: maybe we should go for a drive to somewhere sunny.  Then came the mad internet search for the nearest place of warmth offering an escape from foggy Lausanne. And finally, a plan was born, and we packed to go to Montpellier and Arles in the South of France.

Big Fish and the Sea

Le Grau du Roi

Le Grau du Roi

Small Fish in the sun

New Year's Day 

A mere four-and-a-half hour drive later we arrived in Montpellier.  We had a gorgeous, sun-filled day by the sea in Le Grau du Roi, a place of palm trees and pink flamingo-filled lagoons.  We went on a stroll on the sandy beach and did some people watching before taking a paella lunch at an Andalusian-inspired cafe, complete with an impromptu musical act.  Below is a brief sample of this scene.

In the evening, we drove to nearby Arles, a place with Roman history complete with a 1st century B.C amphitheatre. Vincent Van Gogh notably lived here for a year or two, and completed some very famous paintings his style coming into full bloom while here.  This is also where he famously severed his ear, and the hospital where he recovered from his wound is featured in his work:

Small Moose in the hospital's courtyard

We planned to visit the locale for Cafe at Night, but as luck would have it, we ran into fellow Alaskans in a hotel lobby, and spent way too much time talking and eating crepes.  We arrived late, cafe closed - perhaps it was closed all day for New Year's Day- but here it is anyway, mysterious and deserted.

Van Gogh's Cafe at Night

Arles 

Arles Amphitheatre

Montpellier

French highway scenery

Happy New Year to all!  In case you're wondering, taking a trip to the South of France on a whim is likely to turn out to be a good idea.  I highly recommend it.