Day 1116 (Monday) 29^th June 2020

I think the canicule (heatwave) is coming – just as I go back to work.

The beach was pretty empty but it was only 9.30.

The train was on time and not too full and everybody was wearing their masks so it wasn’t too bad. Nice station wasn’t too crowded either but it took me a while to find the exit because they’ve moved everything around to keep people distancing. I was a little early so I thoroughly enjoyed sitting in Parc Mozart.

 

I wore my mask into school and there were just two office staff and two teachers. William wasn’t there because he is in Brittany spreading his brother’s ashes into the sea because he was a yachtsman. I met my new students with their mother and her English was excellent. She was speaking to the kids in a language that I had no idea what it was. She explained that she was speaking Serbian as that is where she is from. Her husband is French so the kids speak Serbian and French fluently so now she wants them to learn English. I keep calling her she because I can’t remember her name because it was a strange Russian sounding name and she speaks Serbian, French, English, Russian and German – I am so jealous of these polyglots. She introduced me to the children Andakin and Doria. Andakin is an 8-year-old boy and Doria is a 6-year-old girl. When I commented on their unusual names she told me that they were named after characters in Stars Wars – isn’t that a bit cruel?

I am amazed to say that I didn’t hate them and the two hours weren’t too painful. We finished our class with a game of Pictionary on the board remembering the new words they’d learned today and they loved it. There was a lot of laughter, including myself because the drawings were so bad. When the mother picked them up Doria told her that she wanted to stay in school!

I was very uncomfortable on the train on the way home; I got my usual foldaway seat by the door and a young man asked me to move my bag and sat right next to me. He had a mask on but it was around his neck and he was eating! I faced the door all the way home.

Speaking of kids Huw found the menu for the children’s school meals this week asking,

I wonder what UK kids are getting this week? I’m guessing chicken nuggets and chips.

Monday

Pearl salad

Beef dumplings

organic courgette gratin

caramel pastry flan

Tuesday

Rice salad

Roast turkey

Organic carrot flan

Strawberries and bananas

(They get a half day on Wednesday)

Thursday

Tomatoes and mozzarella

Potatoes with hazelnuts

Cheese

Ice cream

Friday

Corn salad

Couscous with seafood

Cheese

Various desserts

While I was in work Huw took this gorgeous photo of Badger sleeping upside down in his box

 

He also found this brilliant photo of the old tram that ran from Nice to Beaulieu – why on earth did they remove this? Now that the tram has been extended to the Old Port of Nice maybe they will replace this old one.

But Huw’s best discovery of the day was this…

The terrace party, all together to celebrate conviviality and the return of outdoor life

On July 1, at 6 p.m. catering professionals, from the Alps to the Côte d'Azur via Provence, will celebrate the terraces, as a symbol of rediscovered freedom.
This major regional celebration, which aims to bring families and friends together, will allow catering businesses to officially and festively mark the start of a summer that hopes to be full of reunion, conviviality and sharing.

Let’s hope that everyone will remember to keep their distance.

Joke of the day

 Airport sign of the day

Big Sign For Big News

Matt might have been surprised to see that his brothers made the effort to meet him at the airport and welcome him with a sign. He would have been even more surprised to receive the news of his sister's pregnancy. We think that it's lovely they decided to wait to tell him in person but for such big news, you'd have thought they might have put a bit more effort into the sign? At least he won't need his glasses to read the huge writing though.