Away from a large strike in France...

While I'm trying to become an american, France is on strike...  Here are some pictures from the BBC. The one above is in Marseille, Old Harbor.

"...More than a million protesters in France are taking to the streets today in the country's biggest general strike in decades. The so-called "Black Thursday" job action is bringing together public and private sector workers, along with students, who are angered by President Nicolas Sarkozy's handling of the economic slump. The strike has shut down railways, airports, schools, post offices, and even some medical services..."

Les Îles du Frioul. Marseille

I look at the pictures we took yesterday and think about how warm the day was... It's just really hard to believe we had 18 cms of snow this week in Marseille. We took advantage of the weather and the lack of tourists to go to the islands accross from Marseille. Les Iles du Frioul. After a short ride on a small ferry boat, we get to the islands. Perfect quiet and beautiful getaway. It was fun to see Marseille from new angles. I added a slideshow from the pics we took yesterday.

Le lac de Malbuisson. Doubs.

I posted Sam's grandparents cabin last week. The cabin is right along this lake. The picture was taken by Sam's dad this weekend. We were there Dec 31 but the lake was not frozen. This weekend,  people were skating on it. Hopefully, we'll go back this winter when it's frozen. I've never skated on a lake. If you click on the picture, you can see people skating.

It hadn't snowed like this in Marseille since 1987...

Notre de Dame de La Garde in the background.

My favorite. Skier at Notre Dame de la Garde.

I took these yesterday in the afternoon and the evening. 

Couples. Color coding. Marseille under the snow

It's snowing in Marseille today!

For starters, you should know that it never snows in Marseille.

I went out this morning. That's our street above. And besides the 12 centimeters of snow everywhere and the thick snow flakes falling, I was surprised by the lack of noise. I've posted my impressions about the noise in Marseille before, today was the exact opposite of the ordinary day. It's so quiet. In our street, we can only hear the kids excitement. Cars don't venture in any street with the slightest slope which is the case in most streets above the old harbor. I just heard that the airport has shut down, buses and trains are all stopped in the area as well. 

 Snowmen are being built...

Everybody seem to be on their cell phones to share their excitment. A lot of them also did the same as me. Many of us converged near the Old Harbor. Most of them have given up going to work. They're just taking it all in. 

And just like me, they're taking pictures to remember Marseille under the snow.

Pairs. Marseille under the snow.

Frozen. Old Harbor, Marseille.

Moon Boots. Marseille.

I couldn't resist to get a shot of these. I used to have the same boots when I was little. We called them Moon Boots. I bet this lady hadn't used hers in a while... 

Christmas time...

Christmas is best with kids around. This year was a good one!

La Simplette. Doubs.

We finished the year in le Jura. Away from the world wide web but close to our families. Last week, we stopped by Sam's grandparents vacation home close to the Swiss border in le Doubs and I took this picture. Can't wait to go back this summer! This cabin was built during the war in 1870 by some canadian soldiers in a close by forest. It was then displaced later on by Sam's great grand father to put it right by a lake. You can find more pics of this little house here.

De Marseille, Joyeuse Année 2009 à tous!