Halloween!

It was a GREAT one this year! We had a parade at school for which the entire Seal Class dressed up as doctors and then I transformed into Buzz Lightyear, sound effects and all, for the actual holiday on Sunday. Too fun :)

Random Fall Photos (+ some from Train Town!)

It has been a fun fall for the Maks. We did a lot of adventuring and exploring - and just enjoying the seasons. Here are a few photos of us out and about in the last few weeks - including a few from a visit to Train Town yesterday (I actually BEAT my Dad at Air Hockey!).

Playing in Europe!

You'll want to read from a several posts down up... this is the last of several entries about Europe. These photos are of some of the fun I had at playgrounds in France and Spain. Love, Xander

Barcelona

On Thursday we confirmed (thanks, McKie!) that the reason we had been having so much trouble getting train tickets to Barcelona (despite several attempts on-line, at Lyon and at Gare du Nord in Paris...) was that Thursday was a transportation strike in Spain :( Well, we were not going to let that stop us! We decided to drive all the way - what is 400+km to Americans, anyway? It took about four hours after having to backtrack to get my stuffed animal Georgie (accidentally left at the last stop) - and it was so worth it! David and Anjali have a great place and we loved exploring Barcelona for a day and two nights before having to fly back to Paris.

In these photos you'll see us dropping off our trusty car, Xander and his "new friend" in town, and exploring town. Thanks so much for your great hospitality - McKies!! xx

Provence!!

On Tuesday, we loaded back up in our little Cleo after breakfast and started to drive towards Provence. We weren't exactly sure where we were headed, but we knew that we wanted to spend a night in the region and then get to Montpellier - just west of Provence, to catch a train to Barcelona the next day. After a day of gorgeous driving, we landed on Vaison la Romaine, a small village with just a few hotels that were all full! With the sun setting and our appetites for further driving shot, we managed to find a woman who had a room/apartment in her home available to us for the night! Here are some pictures of us driving, picking olives in a park, and eating lunch in a treasure of a fnd along the way.

Burgundy and the Chateau de Lugny

Monday night we stayed at the unreal Chateau de Lugny... a 14th Century masterpiece. It was purchased in a state close to ruins by the current owners in 1967 and opened, after extensive restoration, as a hotel in 1986. Much of the food they serve is from their own farm - most notably the chicken eggs and vegetables (yuummm....). Mom told Daddy and me that she woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep, she was so completely happy. <3 Thank you, Campodonicos, for the great tip!!

Sancerre on the way to Burgundy

On Monday morning, after an amazing time with the wedding and a fun exploration of the neighboring towns, we headed south towards Provence. Along the way we stumbled upon Sancerre, the home of mom's absolute favorite wine (too bad she couldn't have any)!!

By another great coincidence, it just so happened to be harvest time for the grapes - so everywhere we turned, there were people collecting them in the fields or bringning them into town for pressing.

More Chateau de Reignac

Tuhin & Juliette at the Chateau de Reignac

The day after the wedding, we got into our little "Cleo" rental car and headed southwest into the Loire Valley where we reconvened with the wedding party for a weekend reception. Chateau de Reignac is a twelve-room hotel/chateau just outside of Tours. Amazing!

Our Adventures in Europe!

We have a lot to post... so let's get to it!

On September 22, we all boarded a plane and headed to Paris. The plan was to attend Tuhin and Juliette's wedding there, followed by a weekend reception at a chateau in the Loire Valley - Chateau de Rignac. From there we were on our own, as long as we made it back to Paris to catch our return flight on 10/2.

With less than complete plans at the outset, we did pretty well! We made it into Burgundy to spend a night at the gorgeous Chateau de Lugny recommended by our good friends the Campodonicos.... then drove south into Provence and eventually Barcelona where we spent two nights with our friends Dave and Anjali - enjoying a year+ there while Anjali gets her MBA.

For a three year old, I was a major trooper. I met a lot of fun people along the way, thoroughly enjoyed the European playgrounds, and of course fresh french baguette and delicious ice cream throughout our travels. It was a magical time for our family... in part because we felt the magic of my little brother, still cooking in Mommy's tummy, with us along the way.

This first round is of our first day in Paris... the post-wedding boart ride and adventures.

A Visit to Malibu...

Mom and I love to take trips together on occasion. Last month we went to LA for a few days to visit with Claudia and her daughters Sofia and Milla (Malibu); Heather and her son Cooper (Los Feliz); and Corey and Dominique and their daughter Deia (Venice). We have some good photos of our time with Sofia.... We have SO much fun together!