This is indeed not a bad place to be.

The thermometer must be close to 40 degrees (Celsius), and my daughters have retrieved to the sparse shadows at our campgrounds. Johanna has lured her father to the pool - where we all ought to be, but the heat seems to be draining all energy from our bodies. And we are tired.

Not only was it a long drive from Holland to Varreddes, France, with an adrenalin-surging trip through Brussels, but we visited Disneyland yesterday, and stayed on till 11 p.m to watch the truly stunning fireworks and laser show marking the park's 20th anniversary. We were back in our beds around 1 in the morning, and the girls managed to sleep till 10.30, where I decided to wake them up.

But let me back up a bit... the adrenalin-surging trip through Brussels...
Hasse and I had agreed that we would love to see Manneken Pis, a small bronze fountain sculpture of a small boy peeing. I know. Who really wants to see a small boy pee... but still, we did. The sculpture has cultural significance for the Belgians, much like the Little Mermaid is important to Danes. Mannekin Pis was designed by Hiëronymus Duquesnoy the Elder, and was put in its place 1618 or 1619.

We did manage to find the little sculpture, but I believe it was only Natasja and I that really saw him, as he was placed on a corner in what I would perceive to be the old town - the roads were very narrow and there were no parking spots. Hasse had to drive on, hoping to find somewhere to park, but as we were driving with the trailer (caravan) trailing behind us, it was a feat quite impossible! In short, we blocked up traffic and had to stress quite a bit to unblock traffic! So, we decided also to look for the European Union Headquarters... still with the trailer hitched onto the car. Believe me - you do not want to try that! Brussels is very hilly and without any clue about the headquarters whereabouts, we succumbed to the classic "let's-sneer-at-each-other-because-that-certainly-helps" behavior. Not something to be proud of, for sure.

We did make it out alive, though - car, trailer and all five of us.

In Paris, we climbed (yes, climbed the stairs) to the 2nd floor, me about to die from fear of heights, but it was worth it all. Paris is a beautiful city, and the Eiffel Tower a beautiful sight. We walked around for miles in the heat of day, and were very touristy and hungry and had nothing less than Chinese for lunch - the price was just right and the restaurant at the right spot at the right time.

We've been to Disneyland twice, done both parks (Disney itself and the Disney Studio) and we all agree it's been worth it - expensive, yes, hot, yes, too many people and too long ques, yes, but the parks are so well kept, so pretty, so thought-through that it's a pleasure to walk around them, trying whatever rides you care for (I simply have to suggest you try both Peter Pan and Pirates of the Caribbean). We saw both parades (one in either park) and the Dream Show last night, featuring Peter Pan in a laser version, taking us though a number of classics with fireworks and laser lights and Disney music till you could stand no more.

But perhaps the best part isn't over yet. The best part is rubbing shoulders as a family. After a year away at school, Natasja is with us again, and it's been a challenge for all of us to figure out how to be a family of five and not four. We've quarreled. We've sneered at each other, but most importantly, we've had some heart-to-heart talks about really important things, each word drawing us a little closer together, sharpening our outward focus, softening our tongues and opening our eyes to the changes that have subtly taken place in all of us over the last 12 months. This is indeed not a bad place to be.

Tomorrow we pack up the trailer again, this time heading to Luxembourg, where we will spend 2 nights before Berlin calls for our attention. We leave France a little bit wiser, I hope, richer in experience, I am sure. I hope that Luxembourg will offer a lesson or two as well, before Berlin soothes our senses with it's familiarity (we used to have a holiday apartment in Berlin, visiting it often). After Berlin awaits our new future - our new home on Bornholm, where both school, kindergarten and jobs are new and untried land for the 5 of us.

Pictures of all our adventures will have to wait till I have a better Internet connection - but I promise a potpourri of holiday snapshots featuring my lovely, crazy little family later in August.