Posts Tagged ‘vivre ma france’
Serendipity, L’art de l’accident
Serendipity is the “occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way”. As in I had a fortunate stroke of serendipity. This mysterious word was first coined in the 18th century by English writer Horace Walpol, in a personal letter to friends. Walpole was inspired by a fairy tale called The…
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Le Corbusier: On the Hunt for Art & Architecture
Four years ago on a visit to France with good friends, we set out on a trek to find works of famed modernist architect and painter, Le Corbusier. We had an exciting time looking for his buildings and discovering the art behind one of the most important architects of the 20th century, and we even…
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Citrus, The Zest of Life
The sight of anything citrus puts me in a good mood. A bright lemon yellow kitchen, an enticing bowl of oranges or a gorgeous lime topiary in a French jardin. It all makes me smile. I have fond memories of eating deliciously sweet and fragrant mandarins during the holidays. On winter mornings, in my youth,…
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Life at the Beach
The smell of the beach naturally soothes many of us. It’s been proven in studies that show it relieves stress and relaxes the mind. It is also one of the reasons we moved to Montpellier. Indeed with over 300+ days of sunshine, the beaches here are huge draws in the area. The beach is only…
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Heading North to Norway
Recently we were able to fulfill a lifelong dream of my husband of visiting a Scandinavian country, which he had decided to do for his 50th birthday. He had the good fortune of flying to Paris, when he discovered that his seatmates were a lovely couple from Norway. This country has always been on our…
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Apéro, and the best places to enjoy it in Montpellier
Like many French cities, Montpellier has a treasure trove of wine bars and these places go hand in hand with the aperitif. Aptly known as apéro, is an evening custom here that blends friends, food and beverages. It is a pillar of French food, culture and society and in many cases takes place in a…
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The World is My Oyster
“The world is my oyster”, has been one of my favourite mantras for my entire life. Funny though, I hated the idea of eating them and now I cannot eat them enough. I love oysters and mussels. One only need read any of my French restaurant reviews to see how many times I order oysters. …
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Annecy, the Pearl of the French Alps
Nestled away in southeastern France, Annecy is called the “Pearl of the Alps” and is located on the northern tip of picturesque Lake Annecy surrounded by the snow-covered Alps. We recently travelled to Annecy to celebrate a friend’s 50th birthday party, which was held in a chalet in this majestic area and were blown away…
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Castres, Languedoc’s Little Venice
Another little family weekend trip turned out to be a discovery of a new town and region in Occitanie. Located far from our beaches, nestled in the mountains, we reached Castres, aka the little Venice of Occitanie, known throughout the country for its rugby team and its pharmaceutical and cosmetics manufacturing. So, after 2 hours…
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Charcuterie Boards
Charcuterie is the French art of cooking dedicated to cured or prepared meats such as ham, pâté, terrines, sausages and confit. These items are served all together on a long planche (wooden board) and are to be shared as a group. Truly the most wonderful thing about a charcuterie board is its versatility and so…
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