We visited the Saturday Market again today, with the intention of actually buying things to make to eat. What a haul we made! Right away, I used the English cucumber, tomatoes, kalamata olives, and some of the feta we bought for a salad, with some vinaigrette dressing I bought at the grocery store. Everything was
We’ve been to the same bakery (“Maison Ayrole Maureille”) a few blocks away from our apartment for four days in a row now, trying various pastries, a baguette, small pizzettes with ham and cheese, and a sandwich with ham, tiny pickles, and butter. I’m starting to get embarrassed! But what has me literally dreaming about
Photo from the inside of Cathedral Sainte-Croix d’Orléans, which dates back to 1288. It’s been partially destroyed and rebuilt a number of times. It’s been a busy first week here in Orléans, France. We had several critical to-dos that needed to take place this week to set us up for success in the coming year,
If you are a mother, have a mother, or even just know a mother, I wish for you a happy day today! Our family has a 20-year tradition for celebrating Mother’s Day for me. I’m not much of a gifts and flowers sort of gal for holidays. I’m into spending them with people I love
It’s Saturday morning which is the day that many French people head out to the local street markets with their baskets and wheeled carts to buy their food for the week. This is a picture of the offerings at just one stand, out of probably 30 that are just for fruits and vegetables. Every one
We made it, friends! We are in Orléans for the next 5+ weeks, exploring neighborhoods, produce markets, shops, and bakeries. We’re trying out our French on the locals when we can. Greg starts conversations with “Je parle Français très mal” (in English: I speak French very badly) and has so far found that some humility is
We made it to the airport with six suitcases, two backpacks, and one bike in a box. Ten years of dreaming, a year of planning, and lots of hopes and dreams. “Allez! On y va!” (Come on! Let’s
Do you remember the excitement you had when there were only three days left until summer vacation? Or your birthday, graduation, wedding, due date, or any other big life occasion? Well here we are, with just three more days until we leave for France! We’re busy sorting out the last details, saying our goodbyes for
We took a little trip out the the beach yesterday, which is my happy place. It helps me re-connect to the universe as a small part of something bigger than myself, and puts my worries or woes into perspective. Though not warm and sunny, it was not windy or raining. It was refreshing to smell
Because we closed on our house earlier than expected and we have a longer gap between selling and beginning our French adventure, we’re in this funny “hurry up and wait” time. We’re really happy to be able to share more family time before we start this adventure and are making the most of it. How