Hungry Hungry Hippo

Friday was yet another French holiday.. which one it was, what it was for, what it symbolizes this time escapes me. What it did mean for us was this... Papa was home!!! He was stuck in the bedroom office working, we were doing school downstairs doing our best NOT to bother him, yet their was something wonderful just KNOWING he was "in da house" as the saying goes :) We are a family accustomed to the daddy working or being away from about 5 am till anywhere from 5:30pm to 7pm.... and here in France we don't see him till about 7 or 8 pm... so this is a special treat! Just seeing his smile when he bounds down the stairs for a glass of water sets the children into a mood of pure joy! Isn't BEING family just wonderful? Where just being with one another, brings JOY? I think so.

Well after work, Papa and Mama had to pay bills, which is a fun adventure! We could only do some now, and had to do the rest later, as some let you pay online, and some need a phone call. The 7 hour time difference makes the phone call people rather a chore, so we chose to go on a HUNT, grab some grub and THEN finish paying our bills. As our bank is in the States, all this is quite a chore and took up most the rest of the day, taking this break was simply NEEDED for the sanity of the home :)

The Hunt... we are on the hunt for a shopping cart... A wheeled city cart. But not ANY cart, the tri wheeled cart; it has three wheels on both sides, and they rotate also... It is pretty cool, and it would help more than just the plain old wheeled city carts... Because we are not flat landers in Lyon, but we are up 127 steps... and that is NOT counting all the steps we need to climb to just get to and from market... there are many.... so after much research we are hunting....I KNOW where to get it, but the men in the family are determined to find it closer, like with in walking distance.... they are SURE.... I am NOT... we will see ....


After great strides through the city on our Quest for a Cart, we stopped here at the Hippopotamus, yes... strange name, and NOT one I would choose for a restaurant. There are several in the city, and I was again NOT thrilled to go here, as I don't LIKE chain restaurants... I find they generally LACK originality, and it annoys me... However what they do have is consistency, and standards... These things my husband is CRAVING something fierce in this land of "artistic and creative culinary arts" and so i concede and frankly REALLY enjoy this experience! Yeah for the Hippo, we WILL be dining here again!


First off they start by serving you POTATO CHIPS!!! Could it be, a NON sweet treat? A not so soft, not so dainty SNACK? O me O my, a bit saltier would be nice, but HEY it is a HUGE step in the right direction, can you tell I had to move their hands OUT of the way just to get a photo to PROVE to you it was real and not a mirage!

snarly over the last chip perhaps....?

Who me? I don't know WHAT she is talking about!!!

Here is my steak! Cooked correctly! I chose the Shallot sauce, Rob chose the Bearnaise sauce. It was yummy! The kids got Chicken nuggets as that is NOT a common item on the menu's here in France... odd I know...

For My side I chose RATATOUILLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was so good!

Above is Rob's delicious Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream

Below is something disgusting that I chose

Princess Loved it.... I did not, so I let her have it..... more details on

http://cornforthdelicious.blogspot.com/

The kids each got these fun balloons!!!!

Just too cute! Yes, I was thrilled that here in France you get COKE Cola in a glass bottle, and there is NO high fructose Corn syrup, but only Sucre (sugar)! It tastes different and does not fizz as much.... NO ketchup has HFCS either.... In fact we have YET to see HFCS as an ingredient in anything in France... perhaps they know something that our gov. has YET to figure out....So here in France I have allowed my Buddy the joy of occasionally enjoying a Coka as they call them here, here the ketchup does not make him ill, here the cheeses do not make him so sick... here buddy doesn't get hives 2-3 times a week... in fact he hasn't had them once.....

anyway, i will GET OFF my soap box.... I am such an organic geek, out of medical necessity... Back to the QUEST...

Did we or did we not find the CART???

NO, we didn't find the cart on Friday, we had a great meal, a nice walk, put a movie in for the kids (Facing the Giants), and came home to finish bills. We could call the states and pay over the phone just before we went to bed.... crazy... but ... it worked!

Another Fun Friday in France