Weekend en Provence

Long time, no post! It seems that I have been far too busy enjoying life in France to bother with such things as keeping my blog up-to-date... Last time I posted, I was heading off to visit François' gran in her little village near Dijon. Since then, I have taken day trips into Lyon to visit the old city and the market, celebrated both François' dad's birthday and French Mother's Day (So many family lunches! So much good food!), and spent a few days in Provence. Whew!

So, let's start with the most recent news. I just got back from a weekend trip to Provence. My Paris friends Laure and Sophie, along with their respective British boyfriends and (last but certainly not least!) la petite Lilas, rented a country house for a week in the south of France, not too far from Avignon.

François and I decided to join them in their home-away-from-home village, Crillon-le-Brave, for a few days of R&R and south of France sunshine. We rented a bed and breakfast just a few minutes from where the Paris crowd were staying. It wasn't quite hot enough yet to take advantage of the (outdoor non-heated) pool, but the weather was just right for sitting around drinking rosé and eating delicious BBQ meals (even shish kebabs taste so much better in France... why?) Lest you think we were completely lazy, we did stray farther afield than the BBQ. We went to the Friday morning market (just wait till you see the gorgeous fruit and veg photos!) and to a fancy dancy restaurant in nearby Carpentras. We also spent some time in our hood (not too much to see in Crillon-le-Brave, but there is an incredible hotel that takes up at least half of the village... excellent photos!) Another village we visited, Pernes-les-Fontaines, was lovely in that it boasted more than 40 fountains scattered in its winding cobblestone streets (as if market and snazzy hotel photos aren't enough, there are plenty of fountain snaps too!)

All in all, it was great to see my friends again so soon after my trip to Paris, to visit a new part of France, and to relax and enjoy my last little while of vacation before things start to happen... Could it be that my days as a lady of leisure are drawing to a close? Mais oui ! More details in my next post, very soon. I promise! In the meantime, enjoy the photos of Provence!

Weekend en Provence

Weekend au chocolat

It's yet another long weekend in France (there are three public holidays in May alone!) so François and I are going to see his grandma, who lives in a little village called Flavigny-sur-Ozerain in the Burgundy region of France, about 2.5 hours from where I am in Pommiers.

Why the movie poster, you ask? Well, it just so happens that Chocolat, which starred Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp, was filmed in the very same village where François' grandma lives!

You can read more about Flavigny by clicking here.

The closest city to Flavigny is Dijon, which is about an hour away. Can you say "mustard central"? I am way too keen on the idea of visiting the "museé de la moutarde"! No, I'm not even joking... life doesn't get much more fun than this!

Lilas

 

My friends Laure and Ian had a beautiful daughter last September (just four days before my birthday... so she and I are practically twins!) My trip to Paris last week was my first chance to meet the lovely Lilas. She is probably the most photogenic baby on the planet... see proof below!

Lilas, Paris April 2008

La fête à Paris

My excuse for going to Paris (as I need an excuse to go to Paris!) was to attend my friend Sophie's birthday party. We celebrated in style in her fabulous Paris apartment. Please note wood floors, high ceilings, wraparound balcony with gorgeous view... and champagne and party dresses galore!

Sophie's Birthday in Paris

Déjà vu à Paris...

Montlignon (suburb of Paris), Summer 1995

Paris (9th arrondissement), Spring 2008

I just got back this afternoon from ten fabulous days in Paris with Laure and Sophie. We first became friends when I was a fille au pair in France way back in 1994-95. As you can see from the photos, we've changed quite a bit since then (for the better, n'est-ce pas?) but we are still great friends. When you put the three of us together, I feel like no time has gone by and I have the impresssion I am still 20 years old, skinny, tanned, and living an overseas adventure for the first time. Sigh. Anyhow, we had a wonderful visit and I took a zillion photos (the majority of them are either of Laure's beautiful daughter, Lilas, or of us girls under the influence of too much champagne at Sophie's birthday party... but I think there are a few Eiffel Tower shots in there as well!) Stay tuned!