This is a little taste of Antonia and my travel schedule from July 1-31:
Pittsburgh-Paris (Fresnes) -Marseille-Eygières-Baux de Provence-Aix-en-Provence-Marseille-Paris-Göteborg-Huskvarna-Bodafors-Huskvarna-Stockholm-Paris-Pittsburgh.
I am not going to complain about our jet-setting, I will simply admit that it was a little much to handle with an 17-19 month old. I have high respect for all the single parents out there!
As a grad student, we have a teensy stipend that I have chosen to have paid over 12 months. In addition to that, we are encouraged to write grant proposals for summer research and travel opportunities. Since a chapter of my dissertation will be on performance poetry (Slam) in Paris, I received a grant to spend several weeks in Paris attending shows, open mic nights, writing ateliers, and Slams to see what it was all about. I was fortunate to go to a place where the babysitters are free, aka chez mes beaux-parents. We worked out the trip to coincide with Guillaume's work schedule in July. He spent one week in Fos-sur-Mer and one in Luxembourg but on the week-ends we met him where he was or he came to Paris. That way we could spend the three week-ends with him instead of not seeing him for a month!
Guillaume's parents live a little outside of Paris so much of my day was spent getting from car/bus to RER (train) into central Paris and flitting about eating eclairs au chocolat and sipping rosé (I'm only slightly exaggerating). During the day sometimes Antonia came with me, in the evenings she stayed with her grandparents. It was wonderful! I reconnected with old friends, discovered a side of Parisians I didn't know (they were so polite and helpful to me when I was pushing the stroller!) I bought a ton of books, attended and participated in writing workshops and performances and ate delicious food!
At the beginning of the trip, my dad came from Siena, Italy to spend a few days with us, so you could say Antonia was spoiled by grandparent love from all directions! One sour note of the trip happened at the end of a leisurely lunch on a little side street not far from the Centre Pompidou. We had finished eating and I was showing some pictures that I had taken that morning of Antonia on a courtyard playground when three tiny Roma gypsy women (children??) came up to our table and started waving papers in my face. I knew as soon as I saw them that they were going to try to steal something so I jumped up, made sure Antonia was behind me and grabbed my purse. I wasn't fast enough about my phone. They were gone within 5 seconds and I sent my dad running off after them to try to get my phone back. It was too late. They had scattered. I was so angry. Not so much about losing my phone, but about feeling so helpless and vulnerable--such an easy target! I have since gotten more irritated with the fact that in order to replace my phone out of contract, an iphone 4S, it would cost me one kidney. But that's a first world problem I'm embarrassed to admit matters to me...
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| Ma cousine Alice! |
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| Aix-en-Provence, where Guillaume and I met 9 years ago! |
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| Guillaume cut off Antonia's cast in Eygières so she could go swimming! |
After 3 weeks in Paris and the South of France, Antonia and I said goodbye to her Papa and grandparents and headed to Sweden for 10 days. My grandparents and aunt and cousin live there and because I spent a year in high school with them, I love going to visit whenever I can. I was also lucky to see my wonderful girlfriends, with whom, though we only lived in the same place for one year, I have maintained a wonderful friendship. We see each other every chance we get, in Paris, Sweden, Montana, or Pittsburgh! I'm lucky to have met them. And Antonia is lucky too, because 2 of my friends have children the exact same age, born days apart! My grandparents picked us up in Göteborg and drove us back to Huskvarna. The day after we arrived we headed to the country for a friend reunion at a beautiful old farm house. There were 9 adults and five children. It was dreamy. Only shortly after arriving Antonia started projectile vomiting and I followed suit a few hours later. It was her first stomach flu/food poisoning experience and I felt like the travel gods were punishing me for sleeping in a different bed every night. Antonia was a trooper though, and we survived the night. A public TACK till mina goa vänner för att ni tog hand om oss!
I don't know how we got sick, but unfortunately my grandparents got it a few days later. Though the week started and ended badly, the rest was filled with sun, good food, swimming in the lake, and giggle fests with great-grandparents. My aunt picked us up and drove us to Stockholm where we spent a long week-end with her and friends.
I tried to work out our flights so that we wouldn't have any weird lay-overs. To do so, I had to take the Paris-Pittsburgh flight that goes certain mornings at 11. So we flew back from Stockholm, stayed the night at the Paris Hilton (airport edition) and got back on the plane the next day. That was the most hectic part of the month. Getting Antonia, a stroller, a suitcase, a backpack, a purse, and a carseat from the baggage claim to the hotel and back was SO FUN! *sarcasm* I had left the travel crib in Stockholm. You have to draw the line somewhere!
We spent a nice evening drinking gold (a pint of beer at the Hilton costs 11 euros!) and swimming in the pool. Needless to say, I am so happy to be back home. It is fun to travel, but home is really nice too. My mom just spent the week with us and now we have a few days until our next trip. You guys. We are CRAZY. We decided that Guillaume needed a little vacation too, so we're going to Australia for 2 weeks. What?! Why, you ask? Because we are crazy. There you have it. Look forward to an in-depth account of the 7+15 hour flights to Sydney soon!
