While we are stranded indoors as it poured continuously outside for the last two days,  I'll write about our first short walk along the coast.   Our week started sunny and to our hearts' content we enjoyed the seaside under the cold afternoon sun . Here are images of what we will be seeing during our daily walks for the next several months. Click on the link and read more about Les Sables d'Olonne , France.

It's the 1st of May and today not only marks La Fête du Travail or Labor Day but also a lovely occasion here in France called La Fête du Muguet where a bouquet of Lily of the Valley is offered to loved ones.

Access to the House from the Bridge

If I had the means, I would love to get my hands busy with planning and restoring this old abandoned house. I think the dormant architect within me just woke up from a deep slumber when I saw this property nestled next to a tranquil marsh deep in the countryside.  It would be a perfect summer retreat for writers and artists who would like to spend some time harnessing their ideas and toying with their inspirations.

A stop over at Les Burons de Salers on the Cantal Mountains in France is a delight to see for a cheese lover.   Men built these "burons",  mountain chalets on the plateaus for cheese making. The House of the Salers cheese has become one of the most visited sites for cheese tasting and cheese making expositions.

Since it's Throw back Thursday, here is a sneak peak of a life in France in the summer. During a leisurely walk, the interesting texture of this wall captures one's attention. The play of various materials with a contrasting wooden shutter result to a recently renovated charming house in the french countryside.

Hope you're having a wonderful week!

Love & light,

Arni



This is where I had a taste of the famous Galette Complete with Cidre. Moules-frites are very cheap here too.

We drove for hours in the summer of 2010, from the region of Pays de la Loire  for a week long road trip around Northern France and its neighboring countries up north. As we explored the Celtic region of French Brittany, it'll be a sin to pass up an opportunity to visit Mont Saint-Michel .

A popular medieval abbey and monastery. 4 hours away from Paris. It is nestled on a fortified island bordering Brittany and Normandy. A UNESCO World Heritage site, one of the first monuments to obtain one.

I can't believe it's the last day of 2013!

As we drove past boulangeries, charcuteries and supermarkets filled with people preparing to buy ingredients for tonight's supper despite the freezing temperature, I enjoyed the enthusiasm in the air watching everyone clutching bottles of champagne while they argued which aperitif to serve this evening.  The three men of the house, my husband, father-in-law, and nephew went about the grocery aisle of L'Eclerc, a massive hypermarket chain popular in their area pushing un chariot - a grocery cart. 

Like a typical gourmande, I was salivating on the oysters and lobsters and smoked salmon and langoustes I can't eat.  I browsed through the wine section for all the bottles I can't drink and perused the large cheese section wondering whether camembert and brie are safe enough to devour even just for this evening.


We have a few days left in France and a quick stop in a discount grocery called Lidl is due. According to my husband, it's a place where one can buy really cheap food and stuff, not necessarily the best in quality but with several known brands, one can't really go wrong.

Some good things have to end to give way to new ones.

During a walk today to buy a baguette at the village centre's boulangerie, the quite sad truth reminded us that this is our last Christmas in my husband's hometown.  As 2013 is coming to a close, changes are waiting for us in the new year.

The family sold their countryside home to build a new one closer to the Atlantic at the heart of the city an hour away from here. Despite the continuous rain throughout the week, I made a vow to make the most of their village as soon as the sun appears and reminisce memories here during many visits.

Can you imagine yourself having a lovely vacation here one summer?
Bon week-end!
Love and light,
Arni

I'm going to devote this week to stories about France. The entire in-laws are coming over for a visit this week. While this weekend will be fully occupied by house chores, I'm also worried about getting lost in translation. The family barely speaks English. With some- completely zero. Partly I like that because it motivated me to learn french, but I hope I don't nosebleed. {Nosebleed is a joke, an expression we use at home to describe having difficulty expressing oneself in another language. Excessive thinking will cause the brain to hemorrhage thus leading to nosebleed}.  

During a trip to France two years ago, the husband and I went on a long road trip heading up north passing through French Brittany all the way to the tip of Belgium reaching the border of Netherlands and then down to Loire Valley. I was happy playing navigator with a good old map, as we avoided toll gates and highways wherever possible. We slowly drove  inside narrow roads discovering small villages on the way.  Sometimes, we'd stop at a small supermarket for a sandwich that we could eat outdoors or  if I'm lucky, I get to have a big meal in my favorite cafeteria - Flunch, found in big cities. We stayed in chambre d'hotes, bed and breakfast inns for the night and then we'd start driving again.