These are questions going through our minds as we wait for our next little one to enter the world. We were supposed to move to Challans in December to live closer to my husband's family in Normandy. We decided to stay in Provence until the baby is born because it would have been too stressful - move across the country to a temporary month-to-month house while house hunting, and … [Read more...]
Baby on the Way = Change of Plans!
We're staying in Provence for another year and I can't have a home birth. Two very difficult decisions. We didn't think I'd get pregnant so quickly, so moving to Challans (Northwest France, south of Pointiers) would not be a big deal. We love Provence but it's difficult trekking 13 hours to visit my husband's family. Since we were planning on having another baby, we figured … [Read more...]
There’s More to Provence than Sunflowers and Lavender Fields
When I moved to Provence, all I envisioned were gold and purple fields weaved around rolling hills. I didn't expect to see a blanket of snow covering my dreams. It was February and it snowed the night before we arrived and was so thick that our little economy car couldn't make it up the driveway. We parked our car outside a neighbor's house and trekked in the snow to our front … [Read more...]
Lost in the Lavender Fields of Provence
At 5am each morning, I watch the sun rise over patchwork fields of wheat and lavender. The mix of gold and purple with the rolling hills as a backdrop is one of the best things about living in this quaint village. Over the past month, I procrastinated photographing the fields until I could no longer. We are leaving for vacation and when I return, all the fields will have been … [Read more...]
The Largest Bookstore in France Will Be Where?
Tucked discretely away in the small village of Banon is one of the largest libraries in France. Even though the population here is roughly 1,100 people, it didn't stop the owner from investing over 4 million into expanding his business. Jöel Gattefossé founded Le Bleuet in 1990 with 77 books and now has over 100,000 books. With the dream of having the largest bookstore in … [Read more...]