Semaine Trois

A busy week with many visitors. Aunty Dianne and Chris joined us for a few days, great to see them and we will again be catching up at their property in the Vendee in July. We certainly experienced many wines and cheeses from Bordeaux and the Basque region during their visit. The weather this week was consistently around 30 degrees, abnormal for this early in the French summer however we'll certainly take it. This amazing weather allowed the kids to enjoy the surf beach and lake everyday. Madeleine and Hudson's favourite activity is to go fishing in the lake with handheld fishing nets. They, with the help of daddy catch small fish and crabs, handle them and then let them go. It is such a thrill for them and great to see their confidence increase around the water and what lies beneath.

We continue to walk into town everyday for baguettes, cafe creme and petite bon bon. The kids love the local park which incredibly has a full size carousal open most lunch times. The kids are slowly using more french phrases - thank you, please, hello, good byes and numbers up to 10. The locals adore the  kids and them trying to speak french and continue to be encouraging for them.

Brad C stayed for the week which meant Trav was now surfing with 4 Australian's over here (Bruce from Sydney, Brad and Simon from Melbourne). The waves were epic, 3 days of 10ft plus sets (approx 3 times over head and some) offshore or no wind and incredibly no crowds. One particular surf was probably the best beach break waves Trav has ever surfed and they had the break to themselves (filthy sick pits, wave after wave)! Brad, borrowing one of trav's boards, had a horrendous wipe-out snapping the board in two and seriously lucky it wasn't him.

Here we are in one of Europe's most renowned surfing areas and no one surfs before 8am, about when the boys finish. It has a lot to do with the french culture commencing their days later than we are use to, many of them starting work around 10-10.30am which suits us just fine.  Trav has surf and home in time for family outing before often squeezing in another lunch surf.

We put on a great dinner for 14 in the backyard for our visitors staying with us and invited our new friends over.  Living in the Atlantic we decided to eat locally and had fresh bbq Atlantic Salmon, prawns with a variety of fresh salads and local cheese and wine including the very french Kir Royal. It was a great night!

Just to finish off the month Noah who obviously felt left out, pulled a temp of 40.7, heart rate of 190, short of breath unable to sit up from pain, whining but not crying (bad sign), so off to our favourite hospital in Dax. Emergency department then up to the children's ward staying overnight. He had a nasty virus and on top of this, post xray, an impacted bowel (too many baguette crust) which was pushing up on his diaphragm making it hard to breathe! He has become much happier post a good cleanse out and a few days of mummy milk on tap.

Coming up, Trav's birthday, a week with no visitors then Steph arrives from London for a few days.

Hello Kinder Friends (from Maddie)

Bonjour mes amis

I am healthy now but I went to hospital because I had bad asthma.
Our house we are staying in is really nice and my favourite thing is going to the lake to swim and catch fish.

My favourite food in France is chocolate croissants (Pain du Chocolat).

We have made mouse houses in our backyard.

















Hudson and I also like the carousel in our local park.  We like going on the rides that go up and down.

I am having a good healthy holiday.
I hope you are all well and I miss kinder so much.

Bye for now (A bientot)

Maddie Minns

Happy and Healthy

Wow, what a difference a week makes! Madeleine is about to finish her antibiotics, and as a good big girl she is taking her two different asthma sprays without any dramas. Today, is actually her first day without an audible wheeze (nearly 10 days later). Noah is finishing his antibiotics for a chest infection, Hudson is running around like a maniac and we therefore have three happy healthier children. Thank god!

With the kids feeling better we have been able to get out and take in the surrounds. Hossegor and Capbreton are two lovely coastal french towns seperated by an ocean canal which leads into the most amazing tidal lake. Our kids spend a few hours a day playing at the lakes white sand beaches and in the blue salt water, looking for fish, crabs and all the fun things you do at the beach.

Our house is situated between the lake and the ocean.  Allowing Trav to run over and check out the surf before grabbing a few waves. He bought a bike to get around and most mornings in full wetsuit he rides off, board in hand, looking for waves. Most afternoons I get to walk/run around the lake which ranges from 7kms to 14kms depending if you take on the canal leading into the lake (have not taken on the 14kms just yet).  I have also attempted an old-school yoga class, in a house near by.  The session was  completely in French, so I had to watch the moves and wing it.  I hope to continue 1-2 sessions a week for a relaxing stretch.  The weather is beautiful 24-27 degrees everyday and it doesn't get dark until 10pm.

The kids love greeting everybody in the street with their australianised BONJOUR and mimicing my attempts (thanks to year 12 french) to communicate.   We are encouraging them to gradually use more french words. Noah our baby is now sitting on his own and is so much happier in the upright position.

Maddie has been doing her kinder homework and missing her friends from home.  We have made friends with a Sydney family.  They are here for 6 months to immerse in the culture and surf, it has been great for the kids to have others to play with and Trav to have a surfing buddy.

Croissants for breakfast, fresh french baguettes for lunch and quality bordeaux cheese and wine in the evenings - what a life which we are enjoying.

Coming up: Trav tells me there  is good swell coming (whooo hoooo how exciting...), Brad joins us for a week, Aunty Di and Chris will also be joining us for a few nights (full house).  We will start to venture on day trips taking in Biarritz, Anglet and St Jeam Luz.

a bientot

The Minnsmob - Mel, Trav, Madeleine, Hudson and Noah

Arrival in France

Bonjour tout la monde


We had a fantastic flight - kids were absolutely amazing well behaved, i anticipated a horror trip and they were super resilient.  Mind you 45 hours of transit, including 3 flights intermittent sleep a brief night in Paris hotel,  we finally arrived at Bayonne and picked up our car and headed to destination Hossegor.

Our house is fantastic, weather is beautiful and we are walking distance to beach, shops, lake and surf for Trav. 


This is something we have yet to enjoy as the first few days have been nothing more than a nightmare!

Day 1: We move into our house, grab some lunch in town and make our way back home. One street away from our house, Hudson vomited, semi-conscious and limp in the backseat of the car ? analphylaxis. We were in the middle of an empty town street trying to find out where the hospital was and/or the number to call an ambulance (though we didn't have a french sim card yet!). Luckily a car came past pulled over and called the ambulance for us. Sirens on, Hudson with Trav was off to hospital. Hudson spent the day in hospital and was discharged that night (so mum we did work out where the hospital was and emergency numbers pretty quickly!).

Day 2:  Sleep in. Off to super-mache (a Bunnings like supermarket). Critical to do a massive shop and have Hudson friendly food and set ourselves up for the next few weeks as we had only planned to have a car for a few days (have now extended). This was an exhausting 5 hour task, from reading ALL french ingredient labels.  We finally head home, kids were again brilliant. Madeleine seems to be starting to get a cough!!!!!!!

Day 3:  Sleep in (yet still lacking on zzzz). After lunch Madeleine's cough gets worse and struggling to breath. Severe asthma attack (Madeleine first asthma attack, much worst than Hudson has ever had) - luckily we had brought Hudsons medications which help. From Hudson's episode we now had all the numbers and was luckily able to see a local GP straight away at 1830 just before she was closing her doors.  The GP assessed Madeleine and was unable to help (could only give the same medications to Maddie that we had already given her) except she contacted the same hospital in Dax where Hudson went 24/24 ago and told them of Madeleine's condition and that we were on our way. So off we went, the whole Minns mob this time. At Dax hospital Madeleine was given Ventolin nebulisers x 6 then discharged 0230, early morning drive back to Hossegor (40kms).

Day 4:  Madeleine is still not well, continues on ventolin puffers and steriods, we considered going back to hospital however she and Hudson had a 4 hour lunch sleep and woke slightly improved. That evening Hudson begins having a barking cough!!!!!!


Day 5: Madeleine has improved significantly still wheezy however now has chest infection will get antibiotics for her tomorrow as it is Sunday over here. Family venture into town to local market, latte and relaxing out of the house! Egg free sorbet gelatti for kids, great to be out and about. As I am writing this blog Hudson wakes up from lunch time sleep, walks out with full red rash to legs, arms, face and ears. Zyrtec antihistamine given and seems to be settling down, feels like we are on 24/24 medical watch at the moment! :)

All we can say is that the french people have been amazing and helpful, and lucky Trav and I are BOTH around to look after our children.


Hopefully next blog will have some highlights as we begin to holiday and explore.
Due to all the events to date it has taken me a little longer to become connected. We now have phone and internet access in France and receiving emails (although we seem to have problems sending from our regular email addresses), if you have emails from minnsmob@gmail.com that's us.  For those of you who are in france/england our contact number is now: 06 30 62 58 88 :)

A bientot


Minnsmob - Mel, Trav, Madeleine, Hudson and Noah

au revoir Australia

Well the night before we leave and all kids are asleep (for now), Trav has just started his last shift (which happens to be nights), and i am finalising the pack and clean for our long overdue and much deserved break.  


Tomorrow - we carry on as any Monday with Madeleine at Kinder followed by a hair cut for both kids then a sleep  before we venture to the airport for a late flight.  I am sure we will have stories to tell from the flight alone with 3 kids - here is a recent photo Colette took - we love it x


See you all in 3 months or 14 weeks or 98 days


a bientot