Losing a parent is something that I am finding is taking me time to accept, mourn and grow from. This is why I have been absent from my blog writing for many months. I simply could not write about “ma vie en France” without talking about this significant event in my life. Still, I continue … Continue reading Bon Courage
September marks ten-months since we arrived as newly minted expats to the sud de France. This month also serves as a springboard into glorious saison de l'automne. As the desert heat of the Mediterranean starts to simmer down, the distinctive mistral winds will soon begin to stir. The mistral is just one of the thirty-two … Continue reading Ma Vie en France
The majestic Mont-Blanc mountain. Home to the highest peak of the Alps. One of Europe’s premier skiing destinations. It is where modern mountaineering was born. A place overwhelmed with such striking scenery that you cannot stop looking towards the sky. Its hypnotizing beauty alludes to both dangers and pleasures. Then there is the storybook-looking village … Continue reading Holiday Road: Journey into the French Alps Part II, The Mont-Blanc Edition
Our summer holiday this year took us about five hours northeast to the French Alps in the Haute-Savoie region. The fact that I can drive for several hours and go from sheer heat to the coolness of the mountains is not lost on this Florida girl. A five hour drive north from my hometown of … Continue reading Holiday Road: Journey into the French Alps Part I
This blog entry first appeared as part of an on-going project to collect narratives about Cubans and Cuban-Americans. The project is called CUBANS WITH WINGS #SOSCUBA and their website is https://cubanswithwings.blogspot.com/. You can also find my original entry at https://cubanswithwings.blogspot.com/2021/07/the-house-of-welcome.html Abuela and I at my 1st birthday Miami signified a new beginning for many Cubans … Continue reading The House of Welcome
The season of l'été is blossoming in Montpellier. This means festivals galore, countless visits to the plage, the glorious ritual of eating perfectly ripe fruits like pastèque, and the deafening sounds of cigales all-day-long. While my fellow Americans are busily enjoying their vacation plans without the sense of doom hovering over thanks to their aggressive … Continue reading Lavender Fields Forever
The Bise Map Legend I expect the bise to make a comeback this fall in France. This is how French family and friends greet one another, brushing cheek-to-cheek while blowing air kisses. The number of “kiss-kiss” depends on the region of France as this map shows. As with most things le français, I have no … Continue reading The Return of the Bise
The mere mention of living in southern France conjures up images of a life devoid of stress and the scenic beauty resembling a Cezanne painting. A place where time is soaked up by the Mediterranean sun and to convey a sense of urgency is shrugged off as a laughable offense. Yes, the pace of life … Continue reading The Dichotomous Life of an American Expat in France (during Covid)
Where I last left off in my blog, my sons were finally enrolled in school but we still remained uncertain as to where our possessions would land in the sud de France. Shortly after writing that post, a series of events transpired that changed the course of our fate. Okay, that last statement may be … Continue reading At last…Bienvenue chez Grace
Maybe someday this will be in my future? France is not a country of instant gratification. I am finding it to be more of a slow simmer. Mine and my husband’s Americanized ways of “Have Gun, Will Travel” have no bearing here. Rather that attitude is frowned upon by the Land of Liberty’s first political … Continue reading The Good, The Bad and The Ugly…a lesson in the ways of the French
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