2011 Family holiday - part 3

 Cars for sale on the Champs Elysees

 I didn't realise Laduree was on the Champs Elysee; I was so glad to spot it! We crossed the road to check it out, what a divine selection of deliciousness!

 In the Laduree display window. This pic is now blown up and in our kitchen. :)

 Inside Laduree. There are no signs, but apparently you aren't meant to take photos.

A special room at the rear of Laduree.

 Macarons, ready to go into the display cabinet and be sold.

 McDonald's McCafe at Versailles - yes, those are macarons!

Because lining up at the counter and being served takes so long, why not order and pay at a machine, and then line up to collect your order. Certainly easier if there are language issues, but does this really improve efficiency?

2011 Family holiday - part 2

 M thought the trees outside Invalides looked like ice creams, so she had to eat some!

 We bought a two day bus tour ticket - such warm weather was perfect, although a bit toasty, for sitting on top of the bus.

 Looking suitably solemn at St Eustach church; we stumbled across it near Les Halles on our way to Rue Montorgueil

 Three years later, back at Shakespeare & Co. This time Mama was able to browse & even buy a book!

 Outside the main doors to our apartment, in the 4th Arr.

 Playing chasey after our visit to Invalides.

 On the Rue Montorgueil - foodie heaven! We had been expecting more of a market stall area, but it was fantastic.

 Coffee and a snack to keep us going, at Le Pain Quotidien on Rue Montorgueil.

 Mmmm ...

This (now empty) shop reminded us of a picture from Matilda's "This is Paris" book. Genuine horse meat no longer sold here.

 The cafe below our apartment. So many books! Kid's fish & chips was salmon + chips!

On the bus.

2011 Family holiday

 Tuckered out in Singapore. Our flight to LHR left at 11:59pm Singapore time, which is 1:59am Brisbane time. Tilda didn't sleep on the way to SIN, so she flaked out while we waited for the boarding call.

 Trying to get comfy on board, before takeoff. Very hard to have a tired wee person and keep them happy while *not* reclining their seat. Eventually got her comfy enough, and reclined the seat as soon as I could.

 Upgrades for the family! Spoiling everyone, including Grandma and Grandad on their first trip to Europe.

 Getting comfy before takeoff (still trying)

 You know what, Mum? This makes a pretty comfy little cubby.

 We are in Paris and it is spring!

Wandering around near our apartment (in the 4th), our first afternoon.

 Grandad takes almost as many photos as Mama. (This pic taken by M)

 Lovely carousel outside the Hotel de Ville.

 This is the purple jumper that was lost somewhere in the Paris metro, apparently. Could have done with this layer on the morning of the Dawn Service. Here, we are on our way to the Eiffel Tower.

 Waiting for the first lift.

 A view from the tower.

 Happy fmaily snap (M wanted to be climbing stairs)

Cheers!

Grandma and Grandad atop the tower

Aloha 3!

Thursday morning after the lu'au dawned, and it seemed a bit wet and drizzly, so we decided to hit Ala Moana shopping center and buy some clothes. It'd been 4 years since John's last chance to buy some Gap Khakis (well, in US dollars, instead of Euros or Pounds!), and his work wardrobe was starting to look a tad shabby. We knew we'd need a stroller, so decided to rent one. To Matilda's delight, it wasn't a regular stroller, it was like a bear car mobile, and she was generally quite happy to sit in it. Except when she wanted to climb under dressing room doors and take photos ... there are times when Mama shouldn't have the camera in her handbag ...

Matildarazzi taking photos of Mama in the change room ...

Matilda-eye-view of the shopping center

Thursday night we SPLURGED and arranged a nanny to take care of Matilda (at *cough* $USD20 per HOUR, with a four-hour minimum payment). Matilda was so excited to see someone other than her parents, and welcomed Kelly with a big hug. John and I went to dinner at Morton's, and we're not sure if it's the GFC or that we went to a fancy steak restaurant on a Thursday night, but it was pretty quiet. As always, we had a lovely meal. To keep up with the splurge-y vibe, our taxi to the restaurant was once again a stretch limo! Two nights in one week!

All dressed up in my brand new dress on the way to Morton's. I was rather mortified that the only shoes I could wear were my Birkenstock sandals (they're still pretty new; it's not as though they are grotty house shoes). I felt less mortified when other diners at the restaurant were wearing jeans and someone even had shorts on, I think.

Some more hula lessons at the Manager's Reception

Listening and striking a pose

Shave Ice at the Aloha Stadium swap meet on Saturday. HOT day, we could all have eaten at least three shave ices each!

Lu'au at Paradise Cove

After much anguish on my part (would we survive the hour-long bus ride each way? would we cough up the $USD40-60 for a "child's" ticket our have Matilda sit on our laps and eat from our plates?), we decided to go to the Paradise Cove lu'au. We had a great time (and it being not-too-busy, Matilda had her own seat at dinner, and they even gave her some food - fried chicken and rice!).

John and Matilda went for a paddle in an outrigger canoe.
We all got polynesian "tattoos" (with that greasepaint stuff you use when painting kids faces). Matilda got a honu - turtle on her arm.

John got a "tribal" pattern, that Matilda cleaned off during dinner.

I got a pretty Plumeria/Frangipani flower.

Almost sunset ... how gorgeous, and we shared it with just a few hundred other of our closest tourist friends.

Matilda doing the haka. Rather than hours of hula dancing, we were entertained with all manner of polynesian/pacific dancing and rituals.

Come with me, Matilda! The dancers ALL got to know Matilda.

Will you dance with me?

Time to learn some hula dancing. Matilda decided it was HER stage, and she was not going to stand in one place to dance. I'm at the far left of the picture, Matilda's .. not.

We had to get Matilda off the steps before the Tahitian fire dance started. In this spot we could feel the heat of the flames as he twirled the baton around!!

On the bus ride back to Waikiki, our host, cousin Pomai, jokingly talked about a sing-along, and made mention of Old MacDonald's farm. This prompted Matilda to start singing at the top of her voice for the next several minutes. Luckily, she had charmed the rest of the bus (or they had drunk enough Mai Tais and Pina Coladas) by that stage, they all thought she was adorable and were happy to listen to her rendition of eieio. Over and over again. At some point on the drive back, Matilda fell asleep. Yay!