Oh friends, what a horribly grey and rainy January this is shaping up to be. Thank God for hot yoga, cold champagne and books. I’m currently reading The Cursing Mommy’s Book of Days. The fact that I think this book is hilarious and spot on, should give you an indication of my current [...]
Happy New Year séjour families!
Now that the kids are back in school (whew), we mommy types have a tiny bit more time on our hands. Which for me means… time to start working on next summer’s séjour!
This year we’re trying something new. Instead of finishing the school year in Provence, our plan [...]
This was a fun exercise for me – I asked the girls to name 10 things they loved about living in Puyloubier. I kept my mouth shut and just took notes.
the sun was hot dessert at lunchtime the food, especially the melons and sausages at recess when the kids used only their imagination because [...]
We went to a few parties this weekend – and I tried really hard not to drone on and on about France. But of course, I failed miserably! In my own defense, everyone had a ton of questions and it was hard to stop singing the praises of Provence!
The same questions came up over [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
We made it home! And I really, really don’t want to unpack. I’m afraid that once the suitcases are put away, I’ll lose that séjour feeling… is there a song for that?
Two days ago, my kids were running around the village unattended while I sat on my stoop, sipping rosé and chatting with my [...]
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 [...]
Sasha said today that when she grows up she is going to be a mother, a teacher and a Judo girl. And maybe also a gymnast.
Judo is really popular here, so we decided to give it a try. I have been so impressed. Their lessons are jam-packed with physical activity and concentration. By the [...]
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 [...]
Grandma’s here! The poor woman must be absolutely exhausted after 24 hours of travel – but did we let her go to bed early? No way!
We spent the entire evening at a friend’s house – eating outside, drinking wine, talking, laughing… What a great group of people – a truly special night.
Welcome to [...]
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 [...]
View of Marseille from the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde.
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La Basilique. Apparently, the Marseille football (soccer) team prays here before each match!
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Girls light a candle for Grandma Jitka. [...]
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 [...]
About me
Hi! I'm Laurie - travel consultant and blogger. Do you want to live La Belle Vie? I can help!
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