Hallelujah! Phin slept for 10 hours straight last night! I got my first uninterrupted night's sleep in 5 months. I thought it deserved a blog post. Actually this post is woefully overdue. It's been about 3 months since our last. Coincidentally, or not so coincidentally, Phin turned 3 months old yesterday.
All is well here. The last few months have been a bit of a roller coaster. The lack of sleep definitely took it's toll on us in the first couple of months after Phin's arrival. As my friend Sarah Drekmeier says, "There's a reason they use sleep deprivation as a form of torture". Too true. Eli took a bit of time to adjust as well. He hit the Terrible Twos about two months before Phin came along, but he seems to be coming out on the other side of it- thank goodness. Now he's entering a wonderfully fun Preschool phase. He's more articulate and curious than ever. He loves to say that his food is "Belicious!", and he's not fond of the rumbling noise made by the "washing macleaner". He's full of opinions. Phin is also doing well. At 16 lbs, he's an excellent sleeper. He's molto contento in his waking hours as well. He smiles all the time and is beginning to interact with us a bit. Of course we've eased into a nice routine with the boys just in time to move in six weeks. Such is life.
Our biggest news of late is our trip to France in early April. Sam's mom treated us to a week in Avignon and a week in Paris. She met Phin for the first time and got some quality time with Eli. Thanks to Mimi Lo, he can now Hokey Pokey with the best of them! France was incredible. Maybe it's because we're better traveled now, or because we're more design conscience, or because the kids open our eyes to things we wouldn't have otherwise noticed, but for whatever reason, France was more amazing than ever before. I now consider myself a Francophile.
Avignon is a beautiful town and the unofficial capital of Provence. We rented an apartment across the river in a sleepy little town called Villeneuve les Avignon. It was perfect for us. We did a bit of touring including trips to Nimes, Les Baux, St. Remy, Chateauneuf du Papes, and Gigondas as well as some lovely drives through the Provencal countryside. In the week we were in Avignon we happened upon two Michelin reviewed restaurants (no stars, but quality nonetheless). It makes me think they're around every corner in France, which they probably are. Anyway, they were both outstanding! Sam had a steak with bernaise sauce that was unforgettable. My mouth is watering as I recall it. We also grazed on sumptuous picnic lunches made from various selections at the town's market hall. The Roquefort and goat cheeses were unbelievable. The pates, the anchovies, and a puff-pastry-potpie deserve honorable mentions as well.
Paris was another matter altogether. At the risk of being cliche, Paris may just be my favorite city in the world. We didn't get to do much beyond strolling and taking in the atmosphere, but that was enough. At Eli's request, we rode the Batobus, the boat bus, up and down the Seine almost everyday. It was a great way to get around. We went to the Eiffel tower twice, also at Eli's request. Each morning, Lois went out in search of the best pastries in the neighborhood and brought them back to a happy jury of taste testers. We ate at some great places. Angelina's was a highlight, with their incredible hot chocolate and deserts, as was the steak frites at Relais des Entrecote. Sam and Lois feasted on Macaroons. Unfortunately, due to my allergy to almonds, I had to sit that one out. Yet another highlight was a visit to Berthillon, an amazing ice-creamery on Isle St. Louis. The caramel glace was right up there with the best gelato in Italy. (We are so spoiled- it's ridiculous.) Our best meal though, hands down, was at Le Comptoir. It's an unassuming little bistro, but there's a six month wait for a reservation. On a lark, we stopped in to see if there were any cancellations for the night, and, as luck would have it, there was one. Lois babysat for us so that we could have a romantic evening all to ourselves and celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary in style. We had a five course tasting menu that was to die for. A nice half-bottle of St. Emilion was a perfect complement. It was divine. We have a printed copy of the menu card. Perhaps we will post that in a later installment.
Now that we're back in Viterbo, it's time to start savoring all things Italian. We only have SIX WEEKS LEFT!!!
I'll write more soon. Sorry we don't have any photos with this one. Our iPhoto application is on the fritz. Until we find a fix, we'll leave you with a picture of Phin that we took with Photo Booth.
