Remember?

Oh, I remember when we went to France for 2 months and had nothing to think about except what wine to drink that day... It all feels like a long, long time ago.

Shame and Blame!

Well, it’s been exactly 2 months since we got back from France and about the same amount of time since I last blogged, SHAMEFUL!!! So sorry for abandoning you. But it hasn’t been all fun and games for me, as 3 days after I got back, I started again at the Moss Street Market. I’ve been busy trying to get my stock back up and the market-goers haven’t made it easy on me, as they are buying almost as fast as I can sew. Yes it's a burden I can live with. It has been really nice to see the familiar faces on Saturday, and if you haven’t made it to the market yet this year, be sure to stop by and say hi when you do.

If you have stopped by my booth in the last few weeks, you may have noticed the handsome gentleman taking up half of my space. My husband Matt has been selling his delicious bread on Saturdays, and luckily the market coordinators didn’t have a problem with us sharing the same space! So now market time is also quality husband and wife time too.

I sill have a few thousand pictures to go through from the trip so as I will be posting the odd 'wish I was still there' blog in the weeks, months... years to follow.

Depressed

Spent the day packing up, getting ready to come home. We leave for Bordeaux tomorrow morning, then for home in 5 days. Yes, right now I am in a pit of dispare. Its a hard life we live.

Bliss

We have fallen into bliss.

The gitè we are staying in has been filled with the wines of the vineyards and we have been told to help ourselves (and pay for it later). Trouble is the wines are so good. We didn’t even know when we booked that Saussignac was an appellation for dessert wines, which is of course my weakness in wine.

The dangers here are many; surprised peckings from disgruntled chickens, lizards lurking around every corner, and Dora, the 6 month old puppy still being trained not to jump on those wearing white.

Sticks and Stones: The Beauty of French Homes

I have become somewhat obsessed with the old stone walls, painted shutters and worn wood. I’ve managed to create a whole series all the doors, windows and walls we have seen.

Walks to Remember

We're in Saussignac, France. It's almost the most perfect place I've ever been. Our home for two weeks is a 25 acre organic vineyard. We're surrounded by walking routes linking up all the vineyards, and boy are there lots of vineyards. It's heartbreaking to think that we have almost reached the end of our adventure.

Zombie Invasion

Yes, this is where I would chose to be in the event of a Zombie attack. Those of you who have read World War Z or The Walking Dead will know about the importance of strong walls and high ground.
From the window of our place we could see 3 other castles on the surrounding hillsides, all overlooking the valley. We did tear ourselves away from our fortress to go and wander around the 19th fairy ale gardens of Chateau Marqueyssac. 150,000 sculptured boxwoods surround the Chateau, whose grounds are populated with Peacocks, lizards, pigeons and one wandering goat. In the middle of the maze you feel like you’re in Alice in Wonderland.

Stone Walls

The apartment was a great change from Paris. We stayed in an old stone house with an old worn patio overlooking the river, stone walls, steam shower, and best of all no futon (not that the futon was all that bad, there’s just something to be said for a mattress).
Spent the whole week reading and wandering thru the town, beside the river and in the castle. Our host, Madame Portier, was a wonderful lady; she was short and stout with white honey hair. She didn’t speak any English, so I got some good French practice. Most days we would walk to the local charcuterie shop and try some of his wares. My favourite was his dried sausage called Rosette. The only downside of the week was when I lost my newly purchased Parisian scarf. I am convinced that the older gentleman who served us lunch noticed its beauty and claimed it as his own.

Beynac, France

I fell off the grid for a week in Beynac, the tiny medieval town on a cliff. Everything is the colour of honey, from the cobblestone streets, the old stone houses and even our fat fluffy flat mate Julie. Although we had no car the castles were well within wandering distance of each other. Crazy to think that during the hundred years war some of the castles were controlled by the French, some by the English and yet they were all close enough to pop next door to borrow a cup of sugar and some eggs. The Dordogne River was full of swans and river rat tour boats like Johnny Depp’s in Chocolate.
You can see why we fell away from reality for a while.

Picassos Museam

Pic of Day 15
I know this may not be the most exciting picture in the world, but I was quickly scolded for taking pictures in this museum and forced to put my camera away after sneaking a handful of blurry pics. The Picasso Museum renewed my respect for him, everything looks so different up close.

Montmartre

Took ourselves on a tour of our new neighborhood today. With a the stairs and hills we will be in such good shape! We had our first glimpse of the Eiffle Tower and listened to an amazing street performer. And for lunch? Baguettes, sliced pork tureen, brie de meux, sliced apple, white wine, cornichons, and for desert? Ice cream.

Welcome to Paris

Our first day in Paris was spent search for a bank, then searching for wifi, then going to bed very, very early. We were spent from the late night in London and the early morning on the train. But we have big plans for the rest of the month. We have a small Bachelor flat half a block from Sacre Coeur. I already know I'll never want to leave.

How Wicked

We spent the morning looking around town, we walked through the National Gallery and it was a bit over whelming so much to see. And think of how much more the Louvre will be.
I found a few artists I'd never heard of and loved; George Stubbs painted a life sized racing horse called Whistlejacket. It could have leaped off the canvas, from a meter away it could have been a full taxidermist horse. The other was, and I love this name, Hans Holbein the Younger who painted 'A Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling' , just a girl hanging out with her pet squirrel. Love it!
Went to see the Buckingham Palace and was disappointed. There was no changing of the guards, the few that were there were dressed in faded navy, not the bright red you see in pictures and there were far too many people. Considering how beautiful all the other buildings were, it was just alright and a bit small, we didn't stay long. The evening held our first London musical! We went to see Wicked and it was splendid. Sort of a twist on the Wizard of Oz. The sets and costumes were full of colour, the music was so much fun and the whole show was fantastic. We splurged and sat front and centre, perfect view.
And tomorrow we head to Paris.