Finally, after a very hectic January and February, it’s time for a short break. I have been working hard with a new client, based in Paris, helping them manage the acquisition of another business. As always in this deals, we are working to impossible deadlines which means that we are working long hours.

So a few days skiing in the Alps is a welcome diversion. Despite reading of bitterly cold temperatures, we arrived yesterday to discover glorious, sunny weather and temperatures of 7C — not quite warm enough to ski in a T-shirt, but warm enough that we should be able to ski comfortably all day. Snow conditions are perfect, with more than 180cm (6ft) of snow on the slopes.

I am under strict instructions from the office not to break anything.

We hit the slopes for the first time this morning — then it’s a few days of raclette, tartiflette, and fondue. What a way to spend a long weekend!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a chance to relax over the holidays. Though I was forced to cancel part of my Christmas vacation to support urgent client requirements, we were able to sneak off for a four-day minibreak in Berlin, leaving Aude’s parents at our place in Paris to look after the cats. (Reports are that Daisy was somewhat horrible to look after, not friendly at all. Some things never change.)

Berlin Television Tower

Aude was in charge of the planning…

The bus depot was one of the highlights of the trip to Berlin. Had to take a photo to remember the moment!

A little gluhwein to warm up in the sub-freezing temperatures…

Inside the church

Francois & Gratiane

Lost again! We seemed to spend a lot of time looking at the map. Not much fun in the cold weather.

Holocaust memorial

The Berlin Wall

A line indicates where the Berlin Wall wall used to stand. It runs around the entire city.

Checkpoint Charlie

Checkpoint Charlie

Francois & Matthew enjoy a couple of well-earned beers after a day of sight-seeing.

A section of the Berlin Wall, covered in grafitti

Aude and Gratiane make their mark!!!

So off we went to Berlin to see the sights. We rented an apartment in the Northeast of the city which turned out to be a mixed blessing. The apartment itself was lovely, bigger than our apartment in Paris, but the 10-minute walk to the metro was a nightmare as the temperatures plunged to -10. Next time I go to Berlin, it will be in springtime.

We hit all the major sites – Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall – and managed to squeeze in a few museums as well. We walked around a lot of the city, but the layout of Berlin is not conducive to walking – the scale of the streets and buildings means that everything is too far apart to walk between.

Highlights of our trip included a ride all the way around the S-Bahn on the first night (when our plan to go find a nice spot for a drink went wrong!), misunderstanding the bus driver when he ordered us all off the bus and ending up in the bus depot, freezing every time we went outside, and eating a lot of cabbage. I think I ate cabbage at least twice a day for the entire trip. You did not want the seat next to me on the plane home.

Better late than never, right? It has taken me ages to get these photos online because of constant travel, and because of the delay I can’t recall all the witty anecdotes that went along with these photos.

That’s not a total loss, because Neil tells me he only logs onto my website to check out the pictures. So no need to waste time writing up memories if he is only going to look at the picture, right?

In any case, these are a few pictures from our first visit to Canterbury since leaving. We celebrated Aude’s birthday with friends on Saturday evening, then met up with some others at the Goods Shed on Sunday morning for brunch, which is where these shots were taken.

Matt and Aude having brunch at the Goods Shed in Canterbury

MG

Sandro tells a story…

And a photo of Neil, since he mostly likes to look at himself. 😉

Day five of the vacation, and time for me to head back home. Owing to the unexplained disappearance of our gardien, we found ourselves with no one to look after the cats while we were away. Rather than the more orthodox approach of asking a neighbour to look after them (all the neighbours seemed to be away on vacation as well), I flew my father in for the week from Paris.

For him, it was a chance to explore a city he hadn’t visited in nearly twenty years. I cut my trip to the south of France a few days short and came back to spend some time with him.

The only downside? My cats seem to hate him.

Jim finds his road

 

Relaxing in the Jardin du Luxembourg

 

On the Seine

 

Look at me!

 

Posing by the fountain. Seconds after discovering that the wind was blowing and getting drenched with the spray from the fountain. Oh, how the other tourists laughed and pointed!!

 

Holding the Eiffel tower. Look, I am a tourist!

 

Cat-sitting

 

Striking the casual, pointing stance in the Marais.

 

Aude & Jim

 

Jim & Matt in front of the Centre Pompidou. The ugliest building in Paris, according to my father.

 

Jim in front of Paris Plage

 

Matt & Jim in front of Paris Plage

 

Matt & Aude in front of Paris Plage

 

Day four of our vacation – time for a trip to St Tropez for dinner. We took the ferry over, managing to avoid the worst of the splashing on the way (which left everyone sitting outside completely soaked). We arrived in St Tropez and took a leisurely stroll to our favourite restaurant.

With a few hours to kill after dinner, we took the time to walk around the streets a little bit and stumbled onto a bunch of kids dancing near the harbour. Pretty impressive, and cheaper than going to a nightclub.

Aude, waiting by the docks for the ferry to St Tropez

Aude, waiting by the docks for the ferry to St Tropez

Boats on the way to St Tropez

We nearly hit a stranded boater as we entered the harbour. It reminded me a lot of the first time I saw St Tropez from the water. Or should that be from IN the water?

Boats on the way to St Tropez

Boats on the way to St Tropez

Only in St Tropez would you find a Jaguar taxi.

Walking along the harbour at St Tropez

Aude in St Tropez

A street in St Tropez

Street dancers

Street dancers

Street dancers

Aude looks on

Having spent all our money on dinner in St Tropez, Aude finds a cheaper way to get home.

Day 3 of our vacation in the south of France. We put Jerome in charge of cocktails, and I was put in charge of the barbeque. Aude’s father was put in charge of killing the bees, and Aude’s mother was in charge of the couscous. Aude volunteered to be in charge of sitting by the pool.

Look out — the bee killer is poised and ready for action!

 

Limes at the ready for mojitos

 

Experts at work making the cocktails

 

A consultation in the kitchen

 

Jerome wonders if he should use the entire bottle

 

More drink-ology

 

By the pool

 

Cats are very clean animals. Minouche gets ready to take her shower.

 

Minouche watches all the action from beside the pool

 

Aude takes her job of relaxing by the pool very seriously.

 

Matt is on barbecue duty — merguez sausages at the ready!

 

The couscous is a success!

 

Relaxing in the pool…