Day 4

Today was supposed to be our Paris day for a picnic in the park by the Eiffel Tower.  We got up, got ourselves organised, and headed to the bakery just outside our front door for breakfast. There’s something very satisfying about walking approximately 30 seconds for fresh pastries. It’s a lifestyle I could get used to.

While we waited for rush hour traffic to die down before driving into Paris, we headed to the nearby play park to kill some time. Unfortunately, by 8am the slide was already hotter than the surface of the sun. Alexander took one touch and decided it wasn't worth the risk.

Back at the Airbnb, we started gathering all our bits and pieces for the day. Just before leaving, I suddenly announced that I no longer fancied central Paris. Then I did what I do best and completely changed the plan.

To be fair, the thought of sitting in traffic, battling crowds, carrying a sweaty toddler around in 30-degree heat and then trying to enjoy a picnic under the Eiffel Tower wasn't quite matching the romantic vision I'd had in my head. I was the one who suggested Paris in the first place, but I was also the one cancelling it. The Eiffel Tower will still be there in a few years when Alexander is older.

Our plan for the morning was to go to an ‘animal farm’ but our satnav took us to the middle of nowhere with no farm or animals in sight. A couple of cyclists turned up at the exact same place we were looking as lost as us, it just wasn’t to be! We travelled back to Vernon to see the old mill house above a broken bridge and for Alexander to have a staring contest with a swan, but we still need a longer activity for the rest of the day.

We drove to headed to Château de Bizy, only about 15 minutes away, for a much more relaxed picnic. We wandered through the gardens, found a shady spot under a tree and unpacked lunch. Alexander was absolutely living his best life. He spent most of the time chasing birds and ducks around the grounds with the determination of a tiny wildlife documentary presenter. At one point we genuinely thought he might catch one. Thankfully for the ducks, he's still got another year or two before he develops proper speed.

We sat, ate our lunch and enjoyed a couple of hours of doing very little. No queues, no crowds and no street sellers trying to hand us things we didn't ask for. Just sunshine, gardens and an energetic toddler burning through every bit of energy he had.

As the day got hotter, we headed back to the pool. Honestly, if you asked Alexander what his favourite part of the holiday has been so far, he'd probably say the swimming pool. Not the castles. Not the gardens. Not France itself. Just repeatedly throwing himself into water.

That evening we headed to another play park because Alexander had spent most of the afternoon requesting a swing. While Louis joined him in socialising with the local French families, I sat and wrote today's blog. Alexander made a little friend in the mud kitchen, a friendship built on the fact that they both were wearing crocs. However, one pair were the real deal, and the other pair was a last minute purchase from Primark.

On the way home, we popped into the shop for more milk. Alexander seems to be surviving almost entirely on milk at the moment. If hydration was an Olympic sport, he'd be bringing home gold.

Back at the Airbnb, I made him a picky dinner of strawberries, oranges, cheese, bread and sausages. Glad I didn’t put too much effort into his platter as he ate approximately three mouthfuls. Saving his calories for extra milk!

Before bed, we squeezed in one final swim. While we were in the pool, my friend Aoife called. She's currently taking part in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and was calling from Panama. Alexander showed her some of his cool jumps into the pool, and filed her in on all the gossips, including where the Airbnb hosts cat lives, where the ants go up and down the wall and that fact he was on a swing and an airplane.

I continued to catch-up with her while Louis tackled bedtime. Thankfully, bedtime was straightforward tonight. No surprise second wind. No requests for Mickey Mouse. No demands for additional dinners. Just sleep. Louis joined me afterwards and we chatted with Aoife for a while longer and had a drink before finally making our own dinner.

Tonight's masterpiece was a pasta bake made entirely from leftovers. Every remaining vegetable and random block of cheese found its way into the dish.  We may be in France but our tummies are defo Italian.

We settled down to dinner and watched The Life List on Netflix. I managed around half an hour before my eyes started closing and I drifted off on the sofa. A successful day all round, even if we didn’t get our Eiffel Tower picnic.