In which we take advantage of what Fontenay has to offer

One of the things that is very different about living here is that we receive many mailings about all the events that are happening in the area. Every 2 weeks we get a magazine about the happenings in Fontenay-sous-Bois. Every month we get a magazine about the happenings in the Val-de-Marne (our département). And every other month we get a magazine about the happenings in the entire Ile de France (Paris region, fairly broadly construed). Also, there are billboards located all over town with information about the planned happenings.

During the second half of October, there is a food festival in Fontenay, with classes, exhibits on things like apples and soups, opportunities to exchange recipes, and a market of regional foods. Of course, most of the happenings are in French and so difficult for us to make much of, but a market is a market, and food is food.

Saturday morning we set off for the market, which was located on the opposite side of town, about 2 km away. (The population of Fontenay is about 40,000. The area of Fontenay is about 4 square km.) Thirty minutes later, after going several blocks out of our way (we followed the signs, which were evidently designed for drivers), we arrived at the market. And we discovered that there really wasn't much of anything that we were interested in buying. We did pick up a couple of interesting looking jars of jam (melon [cantaloupe] and plum).

When it was time to leave, Cherry decided that she wasn't going to walk. And I decided that I wasn't going to carry her. I've been very bad lately about giving in to whining, and so I've been trying to be much better about holding firm when I've said no, and also about being slower to say no so that I don't have to reconsider so often. Also, I've been finding that carrying Cherry in my arms for long distances is causing flare ups of lower back pain. (The Ergo doesn't have that problem, since she's on my back and well balanced, but I didn't have the Ergo with me.) So we watched her scream for 10 minutes. Eventually she decided to walk, though she didn't stop whimpering the entire way home.

Sunday we thought about doing something in the city, but time slipped away. We ended up heading over to the parc des epivans for an hour or so before it closed. Amazingly, Blaise joined us for the trip to the playground, which almost never happens. Sapphire and Ezio played on the tire swing (which evidently doesn't make them feel like they're going to puke) and Cherry climbed and slid. She also convinced Blaise to go on the teeter-totter with her, which was pretty funny looking. After a while, the big kids asked if we could go exploring in the wooded part of the park, so we all headed back there. Blaise and I talked while we watched the big kids check out all the pathways, and Cherry gamely try to keep up with them. Shortly before 6, the park manager came through and shooed us all out so he could shut up the park. By that time we were pretty cold and tired anyway, so we left happily.