Category
Here’s a new blog post reflecting on my first year living in France. Check it out to hear about my personal experiences and what I’ve learned along the way!
We’ve moved into the month of February and now we see bugnes in all the bakeries. What are bugnes, you ask? They are tasty little donut-like treats sprinkled with powdered sugar, traditionally served during the month of Mardi Gras, which…
Waking up between 5:30 and 6:00 before my family allows me to savor the tranquility of the early hours. Each morning is a solitary affair, embraced by the gentle glow of dim lights. With the onset of the Christmas holidays,…
A New Chapter: Sacrifices RewardedWe arrived in France on 16 August. After being married to someone who was married to a restaurant, we both desperately longed for “quality of life”. No more setting my alarm late at night to be…
It was a warm Sunday and Olivier and I decided to spend the day in the charming towns of Tournon-sur-Rhône and Tain l’Hermitage. Just a short drive from our home, it was a pleasant change of pace. Tournon-sur-Rhône is a…
We stayed with my belle-mère (mother-in-law) when we first arrived in France. After three weeks, we finally moved into our own place in the Ardèche department. The Ardèche is known for its stunning scenery, including rolling hills, vineyards, and forests. We…
Closing a restaurant, selling our belongings, and giving them away; packing and cleaning up the house for renters was an exhausting experience. I worried for months about how the cats, Toby and Summer, would travel, hoping that they wouldn’t be relegated…
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse in Provence
While I’m anticipating our next trip to France, I’m thinking of the places where we visited during our last stay. In fact, we visiting some very interesting and fun villages and sites, but I neglected to post anything about them. Why? I’m ashamed to say it, but here goes: I was mad that I had to leave! Yes, I said it. It’s true. I didn’t want to think about it once I returned home. Not that normal life is bad – to the contrary, there is a lot to feel grateful for. We live in beautiful San Francisco, have a great house, a happy family, etc. But driving down the street while I do errands I might see any number of cute places and I think, “Oh, that would be fun to hang out there” and then I think, “When…?” Lack of time is a very real dilemma and a big reason to wish
Take butter for instance. There are so many brands: President, Montfleuri, Elle & Vivre, Grand Fermage, Reflets de France, le Marin, Paysan Breton, and the supermarket’s own brand, Carrefour. Whew, I may have even missed some. Within all those brands,…
