Photo Friday: feeling a little nostalgic
Yes, I admit it. I’m a little nostalgic (homesick?) for Puyloubier and Provence.
All week I’ve been trying to channel my inner French girl and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. The girls and I picked wild flowers, baked a clafoutis, took walks and read books. Dan and I have even been able to carve [...]
Our favorite souvenirs
Without a doubt, our favorite souvenirs are the experiences and the friendships we made in France. But those are harder to unpack and describe in a single blog post. Here are the tangible versions of our souvenirs:
My favorites:
My French shopping basket. I bought it the second day I was there and I used [...]
Home away from home
This is a guest post by my husband, Dan.
Almost two months after Laurie and our daughters arrived in Puyloubier, France, I finally flew in from Seattle to join them for the last 10 days of their stay. After landing and making a quick stop for lunch in Marseille, Laurie took me to the [...]
Why this blog has been so quiet lately
*Please check out the Sejour Travels Facebook Page for more regular updates!
I’ve been so busy living, I haven’t had time to blog about it!
First of all, life in this tiny village has been surprisingly busy. Between school events, village fetes, playdates and dinner dates, we’ve got something [...]
spectacular spectacle
This morning, the girls got to perform in their school’s annual Spectacle. The event was held in the village Salle de Fetes. It was basically a choral performance, although Sasha did get to recite a poem all by herself. I was so proud of them both!
There was also one very proud [...]
My day off
Today I was finally able to steal a few hours to myself. And it was absolutely dreamy!
By 10am I had “faire des bisous” to everyone in the village, so I drove into Aix-en-Provence. After browsing the markets and art galleries, I sat down to a two-hour, three-course lunch at a gorgeous little bistro. The [...]
Photo Friday!
View of Marseille from the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde.
.
La Basilique. Apparently, the Marseille football (soccer) team prays here before each match!
.
Girls light a candle for Grandma Jitka. [...]
the bump in the road
Sophia cried when she got home from school today. She says everyone is nice to her, but she is sad because she doesn’t have any close friends and she feels lonely. aaaaahhh! I know!! It broke my heart! We talked it over and we came up with a plan.
1. First, we ate some ice [...]
The art of eating well
Can I just point out the obvious?
The French eat well. They can’t help themeselves. It’s a core value. Take the school lunch program. Nutritious, varied and tasty. Served in three courses, family style. Here’s what my kids have been eating lately:
Yesterday: Radishes in butter, stuffed vegetables, cheese, petites suisse [...]
A giraffe goes to Paris
In 1827, the Pasha of Egypt gave the King of France a giraffe. Her name was Zarafa and she sailed from Alexandria, Egypt to Marseille, France in a special boat with a hole cut out for her neck. After wintering in Marseille, Zarafa “wearing sylish boots and a cape” walked 500 miles in four days [...]
Friends
Thanks to a few great friends, this house has finally become my home (away from home). Our Parisian friends came to stay with us over the long weekend. We got to travel around the region and see some pretty spectacular cities – more on that in another post. But [...]
One week later, we’re all settled in…
I can’t believe we’ve been here a full week! I absolutely love hearing from all my friends. The house gets pretty quiet at night and it’s nice to read your emails! Today, I thought I’d share some of the questions (and answers) I keep getting.
How are the girls getting along in French?
I [...]
Photo Friday – French village life
Just a quick blog today to share with you some photos of our little village…
Puyloubier is tucked into the base of Mt. Sainte Victoire, and overlooks a wide green valley covered with vineyards and stone barns.
The village itself is really very charming. The church bells ring every hour. There [...]
first day of school in France!
What an exciting morning! The girls have started school! What am I going to do with myself until 4:20pm?
The girls were super excited this morning, but also a little nervous. Sasha said she had too many butterflies in her tummy to have a third nutella crepe. (I agreed.) Sophia practically ran to school, [...]
Le Marché de Trets
It makes me so happy to wander the streets of an outdoor market with my girls – putting delicious bundles of goodness into my basket. SO HAPPY.
For lunch we had some paella from the local restaurant / street vendor. We sat outside in the sunshine… It was heaven! The girls had a fight [...]
Frequently Asked Questions
Séjour Travels Bookstore

Hi! I'm Laurie - travel consultant and blogger. Do you want to live La Belle Vie? I can help!












