Everytime he delivered a drink ( or a bowl of hot frites, which is basically all the youngest lived on while we were away ), he'd call "Hopa!" as he placed them on the table with a flourish.
The 4yr old locked onto the word like an anthem and soon it was infectious and we were all calling out Hopa! randomly, despite having no idea what it meant ( I assumed it meant "here it is!" based on the waiter experience )
Luckily, these are the days of wi-fi, which really broadened my travelling experience.
See an interesting sign you can't understand? Simply snap it on the i-phone and translate/research it that night on your i-pad. Share with your family ( or the world, via facebook if you wish ), and viola! - the world just got a little bit smarter.
Fabulous. I love the modern age.
So back to the hopa! ..
It appears to be a slang word, and the clearest definition that fit I found here:
http://kingofromania.com/2010/04/21/slang-word-of-the-day-hopa/
So .. whoops-a-daisy!

Anyway, we are back home in Australia now, and this post is prompted by a rather interesting lunchtime conversation I just overheard:
Eldest: "Hópa!"
Youngest: "That's a Paris word, we're not in Paris anymore, don't say it"
Um, err. Someone just got told ?!
If you'd like to see more shots from our vacation, I just uploaded some from an amazing Train Station we visited over at my hbfotografic blog. Yes, train station.
I'll be uploading bits and pieces as I find time and inclination, so if you're interested, be sure to bookmark my page!
Hópa!
- Lea




