If my typing looks all jumbled it's probably because I'm typing with gloves on, brrr. What a cold weekend we had. Our furnace ran out of fuel on Saturday evening and we thought we might suffer a full day without heat but we found out today that it will be Wednesday afternoon before we can get the truck to come. We're cold! It's about 4 degrees c. in our house. Since our house doesn't have any insulation, not even in the roof, and the windows have cracks and gaps, it's like being outside. We're all suited up in jackets and hats and sleeping together like little sausages. The kids seem happy about it but we can't wait to have our bedroom back.
One thing that has surprised us is how impossible it is to find a small heater in the home goods stores this time of year. Everywhere we go they're sold out. We almost broke down last night and bought an expensive electric one but I told Seb, "no, it's just wasted money--let's wait it out." We hang out in the kitchen at night next the open oven. That's the way we used to heat our old house until we got the heat installed. It works surprisingly well.
Otherwise we spent the weekend doing fun things. We bought a few things in the sales, --mostly things for the kids. It was a big goal of mine to get curtains for the house so we don't feel so exposed. I was torn between finding the dream curtains I'd always wanted and getting some that work for now. It was driving Seb mad so I just bought some generic white curtains from Ikea and decided we'd wait to choose something nice when we finish the house. I also found a kitchenette for Charlotte. I have been waiting buy her a Moulin Roty wood kitchen but it was so expensive that I decided we'd wait another year and put money away for it. On Saturday though I found a nice little wood kitchen sold by FNAC for half price and it was such a good deal and so perfect that I decided we should just get her that one. We haven't been able to put it together yet because it's been too cold but I can't wait to play with it too!
On Sunday we went to lunch with Seb's best friend who lives in the 19éme in Paris. Marcus has a charming apartment, typically Parisian with the lovely wrought iron and the classic chevron parquet that feels so French. I would love to have this apartment. It's the perfect little bachelor(ette) pad. At one point it was really funny because Marcus jumped up mid meal and said "oh my god I'm so sorry. I forgot to turn on the heat this morning!" We told him we were fine. His apartment was warm compared to our place. Afterwards we walked to Parc de La Villette which isn't far from his house. La Villette has lots of fun things for kids, a small aquarium, a 3d movie theatre and a geode with a 360 sound theatre. It also has a science musuem. We walked for about two hours thoroughly exhausting the kids who started whining and then we knew that was our cue to leave. It was great to be outside and in the city. We have to do it more often.
5 comments:
It's freezing here on the other side of Paris too, so far we have frozen water pipes in one of the bathrooms twice and a dead car battery. Normally the temps. should be going up this week.
Wow! That is cold. I'm finding it hard to imagine as we are sweltering through a heatwave at the moment - it's been about 38C for a week! Not as bad as Mexico but then we have no AC or insulation here, so we've been melting.
The weekend in Paris sounds lovely. I've just finished reading Almost French (Sarah Turnbull) and I thought of you the whole time I was reading it!
I have a friend visiting houses to rent east of Paris and in one the heater was broken and the water in the toilet was frozen solid. I hate to think about the pipes in that house. Try and keep warm :)
The joys of an old house, eh? So much character, and cold! I feel guilty complaining about ours - we have a lot of the same issues, I could have written your post, except it's never *that* cold and if it is it's only for one day.
We have blankets over our windows in the bedroom (both for warmth and for lack of curtains - tho I'm about finished making them after 2.5 years) and sarongs over the rest of the windows...
I hope your heater gets its fuel soon!
Now is the time to break out anything silk - it is such a good warming thing to wear. I hope things warm up for you soon!
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