AWC Going Dutch Sept Oct 2021

J’Adore France!
by Jo van Kalveen
I
feel very lucky to be typing this article from the South of France on the Cote d’Azur. It
was touch and go whether we could come on our much longed for summer beak. The
sudden rise in COVID-19 cases in the Netherlands meant travel regulations seemed to
change daily. Did we need a yellow vaccination book and why were they all sold out? What
was the right app for our vaccination QR code? What about the boys who were only partially
vaccinated? Then the French imposed tighter regulations of their own. Thankfully they did
a quick U-turn allowing unvaccinated teenagers into museums; the boys’ joy at the thought
of a museum-free holiday was short lived.
We debated canceling our plans, especially if France decided to implement tighter measures,
but after 17 months of working from home, Kees really needed a proper break; “I just
need to look at a different set of walls.” So off we went. We literally left under the cover of
darkness; felt a bit like we were sneaking out the back door!
We booked a hotel in the
north of France in a beautiful
former fort in Sedan in the
Ardennes. We stayed there for
two nights so Kees could dial in
to various work meetings. Being
holed up in the boys’ hotel room
for most of the day (it rained a
lot) gave me a glimpse of what
a quarantine hotel must look and
feel like. The mini bar looked
more than tempting!
Our first holiday rental was
in the Var region of France, 40
minutes inland from St. Tropez.
44 GOING DUTCH
It was perfect! The house and garden were
spacious and well equipped. We spent the
week mostly by the pool, making day trips
to Nice and beautiful St. Paul de Vence
and eating ALL the baguettes and cheese.
Just what we all needed. After a week, we
changed locations to a house on the coast at
Les Issambres. We are a two-minute walk
to the beach and have really enjoyed early
morning and late afternoon trips there with
the odd nap in between. We visited Cannes,
which we all loved―enough super yachts,
shops and restaurants to keep everyone happy.
Just this morning, we hired a boat to sail
around the beautiful Port Grimaud and over
to the bay of St. Tropez―amazing! The two
weeks have flown by.
Since Kees and I started dating, we have
enjoyed many happy holidays in France, but
they certainly have evolved over time to reflect
our life circumstances. Pre-kids, Kees used to own a convertible Alfa Romeo Spyder. Once
I’d got over the shock of how little space I had for my luggage, I enjoyed setting off on our
French road trips with just a map and a Lonely Planet guidebook. We wouldn’t book any
accommodation and just used to find somewhere to stay wherever we ended up. We would
avoid motorways if possible and use scenic routes. We saw so much of France that way and
I loved it all.
Once the boys came along, we still chose to holiday in France, but things were very different.
We exchanged the convertible for a sensible large station wagon (tears were shed!)
with a roof box to accommodate the huge amounts of paraphernalia that comes with having
two children under two. We obviously booked child-friendly accommodation in advance
and drove the quickest route possible. We threw endless snacks and toys at the boys to keep
them occupied and listened to CDs on repeat; I never want to hear another Thomas the
Tank Engine story as long as I live! Eventually they were old enough to watch Disney films
on portable DVD players. We would also make up silly games (I can highly recommend
Camper or Caravan which involves guessing which of the two would next pass us on
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the opposite side of the road). Anything to
pass the time!
When the boys were small, we always
seemed to be up and about early in the morning
to see the local sights, making the most
of the peace and quiet, avoiding the heat and,
quite frankly, to tire the boys out! Teenage
boys are not known for their ability to surface
from their beds until late morning, so Kees
and I have found ourselves “trialing” life as
empty nesters. Upon waking, we make short
trips to the bakery and local market, walk
around a hilltop village, etc. sans enfants and
return to find the boys still fast asleep with
the fridge mysteriously empty.
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