Adjusting and preparing

Well last Saturday we met our granddaughter for the first time. She is the finest looking baby I have ever seen, with the exception of her uncle and her mother, of course. She has fine features, a decent amount of hair and is unusually alert. She loves having her head massaged or being gently tickled, and has taken to feeding as if milk is going out of fashion, which, of course, it soon will. She's generally calm but is subject to violent nocturnal attacks of unremovable wind. The life of a grandparent is as wonderful as they said it would be.

In other news, after a week of procrastination I have submitted my application for French citizenship. I hit two snags on the website application :

1) they asked me to upload a United Kingdom DBS. However their list of documents didn't have that, and it would need to be officially translated, and I have lived in France for 19 years. If I need to do that then I guess I'll have to.

2) What category does pastor fit into? Am I employed? Self-employed? What the French call a Profession Liberale? I have the feeling I ticked the wrong box for this.

Anyway, if it flies, it flies. If it crashes, it crashes.

This week has been school holidays, and the café has been closed. It's been blissful to have a bit more time.  We've done some exploring by bike, riding to the coffee shop in the Chartrons that we never go to.. We've hunted for newborn size nappies. Out local supermarket is great, but they sell out quickly.

We celebrated the baby's birth at our favourite posh restaurant in Bordeaux. Don't get carried away, they do an affordable lunchtime menu, but which still focuses on quality rather than quantity. No unlimited refills of fries here, but instead some really good combinations of flavours. We pushed out the boat and got the lunchtime cheese option - the waiter suggested it and we always do what waiters tell us. It was grilled roquefort served on crispy toast on a bed of onions confits. To die from!

We also - yesterday - checked out a new tearooms. It's called Le Boudoir de Léa, and it's very camp - decorated in earth colours, Versailles style, and it's very popular. The waiters wear suits, the waitresses are in special pennies, and the service is impeccable. It was raining horizontally, and the queue by the door was impressive. As was the hot chocolate. 

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