The Raymonds in Bordeaux: Vovo's visit

My mom was here last week for a short visit. She had been in Mozambique on business and had to fly thru Lisbon. The original plan was that Owen and I would meet her in Lisbon but as Owen has no visa in his American passport and we have yet to receive his Belgian one, we weren't sure we could legally take him on a plane. :)

So, Vovo came here and we had a great time. The weather was beautiful so we got to spend a lot of time outdoors.

We took Vovo to a playground on the Quai in the St. Michel quartier of Bordeaux. On the way, we stopped at the blue lion statute at Stalingrad tram stop and then walked across the Pont de Pierre to the playground. We had never been to this playground before and were surprised by how crowded it was on a Monday afternoon. Usually playgrounds are empty any day except Wednesday (when French kids are out of school). And I was also surprised by how many parents (as opposed to nannies) were with their children. Then we noticed that most of the children and families were not speaking French. So, clearly, this is the playground for all of us immigrants. :) Owen was a bit overwhelmed by the crowd but perked up once the swings became available.

We decided that Sean would meet us in town and we'd go out for a pizza dinner at Peppones. As we waited for Sean, we decided to take Owen to the Foire de Plaisirs (Pleasure Fair, basically a portable amusement park that has been set up in Bordeaux for the month of March in celebration of Carnaval). Owen rode in the carousel and won a fire truck by fishing for ducks.

Vovo also got to visit Maison Soleil and Halte Garderie Nicholas et Pimpernelle - two of the indoor playgyms that Owen and I attend. Owen enjoyed having the extra attention and showing off all the toys. And I think Vovo enjoyed seeing what our "normal" routine in Bordeaux is like.

On Thursday, we took Vovo to our new favorite park in Gradignan (see post below). It was a GORGEOUS spring day and Owen enjoyed the walk around the animal park.