Feeling pleased, hoping life co-operates

[monrein]

Last batch

[jbeany]

Great pics!

And now I'm hungry!

[MooseMom]

The photos of you are so lovely!  You look relaxed and happy; that pleases me.

Of which towns are some of the other photos?  Exactly in which part of France were you?

I'm so glad life cooperated!

[monrein]

Thanks MM.  We started in Cordes which is a small medieval village near Toulouse in the south and spent 5 nights there right at the very top. The town square is in one shot and we hung out there in the evenings, sometimes picnicing there for dinner. We did day trips to Albi, and other small towns and castles in the area.  One of the photos is St. Cirq Lapopie, a lovely spot to wander around of an afternoon.  Then we went to Domme, another medieval village in the Dordogne, high above the Tarn river, where we stayed in a rented 14th century house and explored pre-historic caves , markets etc.  One of the photos is a meal I cooked with my brother one night...ratatouille from fresh market ingredients, roasted potatoes, and grilled duck breast with a homemade wild plum and ginger sauce.  We then spent a night in Brantome basically to go for lunch at a fantastic restaurant at an old walnut mill, then visited our friends in Saintes, near Bordeaux and then a week in a rented house in Paris, two steps from the Seine ant looking over at Notre Dame.  I've spent time in these areas before and I'm particularly fond of the southwest of France, the Dordogne and the Périgord regions.

[MooseMom]

Monrein, you've had what I consider to be the ideal holiday.  There is nothing better in the whole world than living in a beautiful little rented property in a medieval French town, enjoying the simple pleasures of life.  These sorts of vacation in Burgundy, in Normandy and Aquitaine were the best I've ever had.  Thank you so much for posting your pics and sharing your experience with us.  Travelling to France is the one thing I miss most about living in the UK.  Do you think you might get to return in the near future?

[monrein]

We used to go every year for about 8 years and spend May in different areas, so I hope that since I'm healthy again this can resume even if only for a couple weeks at a time.  I like the feeling of not being a full blown tourist.  I lived in Toulouse for a year when I was 18 and did my 3rd year of university there and then I lived and taught English at the Université de Nice for a year so I like returning.....that said I'd like to go back to Italy and also the Netherlands and well everywhere really.

When I was sick I wanted only to NOT go anywhere so I was  thrilled to feel energetic and "normal" again. I hope for everyone here to have the opportunity to feel that way again although I know that some can't and I think of them a lot when I'm away.

[rsudock]

LOVE the pics! Thank you for sharing!!

xo,
R

[Bill Peckham]

those pictures remind me of my first trip to Europe in '96 I visited Carcassonne with my Mom - it was our splurge stop. I'd really like to get back to Paris - I think I've been six times; from '96 to '05 I went to Europe every year. These pictures remind me that I need to start thinking about '12 and a month of travel. You itinerary sounds great. Thanks for sharing the pics.

[galvo]

Loved the pikkies!

[Brightsky69]

I would LOVE to go to Europe. People I know who have been there say I am not missing anything. My father and Uncle were born and raised in France and my Uncle always told me that the trip is not worth it. Don't even bother.  Well..they all may have had a bad time but I still would like to see it for my self.

[lou]

such lovely photos! glad you had such a wonderful time. 

I have to admit they have also made me mega excited as shawn and i are off to france a week on tuesday for a month (pretty much the whole school holidays!)  shawn is a builder and so has decked out the back of his van so we can sleep it in and drive down the coast. i also feel just so incredibly lucky and grateful to be able to do this trip and will most definitely make sure i enjoy everyday and not take anything for granted...

anyway so fab to hear about and see pics of your trip, and what a great family you have!

x x x

[Poppylicious]

My father and Uncle were born and raised in France and my Uncle always told me that the trip is not worth it. Don't even bother.

*gasp* ... Europe is gorgeous, especially if you can stray away from the tourist-y bits (but even most of those are pretty damn cool.)  Even parts of England are worth visiting (but only when it's sunny.)

I love your pictures, monrein ... they're delightful.

[monrein]

I would LOVE to go to Europe. People I know who have been there say I am not missing anything. My father and Uncle were born and raised in France and my Uncle always told me that the trip is not worth it. Don't even bother.  Well..they all may have had a bad time but I still would like to see it for my self.

This advice is to be totally ignored in my opinion, as totally and completely ignored as if someone told you that you really ought to do dialysis because it's a wonderful learning experience.  When I was 18 I was at school in France with a girl from Dayton, Ohio whose father was shocked that she had any interest in leaving the States and especially for a WHOLE y ear.  We used to die laughing when she'd take on his voice and say "I just don't understand Mindy, everything they have in Paris we have right here in downtown Dayton."

What I always say is ...just keep looking at your navel and all you'll see is lint.

Your relatives may have had tough experiences in France and that's sad but you should be free to have your own....I hope you'll have the chance(s) sometime to get to anywhere you'd really like to go. 

[okarol]

I love all the photos!
Our first trip to France was a challenge (Jenna was 13 years old) - it was just the 2 of us and neither spoke French. But the last time was wonderful and I would love to go again! 

[Brightsky69]

Your relatives may have had tough experiences in France and that's sad but you should be free to have your own....I hope you'll have the chance(s) sometime to get to anywhere you'd really like to go.

My father & uncle were in France when the during WWII (just babys) when the Germans invaded. Plus their mother (my grandmother) had to put them in an orphanage when they were around 9/11 years old. She had cancer. I can understand why they don't have many happy memories of France.

[Bajanne]

Je n'arrive pas à comprendre pourquoi c'est la première fois que je vois ce fil!! (I cannot understand why this is the first time I have seen this thread!)

I just love the picts of France.  Though it is not the area of France I am familiar with, it was great seeing the walled village.  I have been in some of them in the south and in the north of France.

And the food looks mouthwatering!!!

You go, girl!

Gail, I feel particularly close to you since we share two wonderful experiences - life in the Caribbean, and life in France!

[monrein]

Merci Bajanne.  The Caribbean, France and ESRD...practically sisters.  I hope you will do some more traveling since I know you love it also.