Bastille Day! I was pretty excited to experience this Fête Nationale for myself after learning about it in French at school, little did I know just how big the day would be. I met up with some other au pairs to watch the military parade on the Champs Élysées in the morning, which was quite amazing with so many tanks, trucks, motorcycles, soldiers, police officers and aeroplanes. There was a lot of waiting (this would become the theme of the day) but I got a go...

Well two weeks felt like a really long time to be away - and it was lovely to see my new family again, lots of cuddles today! Now it is the school holidays I have Louis and Aurore for the entire day, which is lovely as we can either do lots and lots or not much at all! It is a nice change not to be rushing home, for baths, dinner and bed time! Louis would quite happily spend all day 'working' on his bus and metro plans, and Aurore would quite happily play on her ...

After another lovely night with John and Frances, I had another long bus trip back to London, with the same crazy Scottish driver (there was a rather hilarious incident on the way to Motherwell when someone in a taxi cut him off and he proceeded to shout and yell some French (not the kind I am learning either) at them, before calling (on speakerphone, which meant the whole bus got to listen) to report them to the taxi complaints service and a lot more French to d...

On Friday I caught the bus to Motherwell in Scotland to see John and Frances - my wallet won the battle over the cheap but 9 hour bus ride or the expensive and only 2 hour train trip - so I was very glad to see the back of that bus driving away! It was lovely to be met by Frances - and strange to think of how long ago it was that I was last here, many of my strongest memories from our trip to Europe are from Scotland. On Saturday John and Frances took me ...

Well after just over a month of Paris life, it was time for a holiday - both from 'work' and attempting to learn/speak French. It felt like only yesterday, but at the same time months ago, that I was last at Heathrow - it was quite funny to think of how I was apprehensive about what my family and life in Paris would be like last time I was here! I made my way to Kew Gardens where Alan and Cathy, along with Ruby, Carys and Lyle met me - even though I was only 9 w...