Despite this trip being my fifth to Paris, it was one of many firsts. The first time in autumn, the first time not doing a bike tour, the first time eating at a Michelin-starred restaurant, first time at the flea market, first time visiting the Musée de Cluny, and firsts at (almost) all of the restaurants, boulangeries, and coffee shops we visited. This trip feels like such a treasure that I don’t want to revisit the memories. I want to…
At the beginning of 2024 I decided to manifest a trip to France for myself. I hadn’t been since March 2019, which was also my last international trip, and after enduring a global pandemic, having a baby, and two moves (one of which was cross-country), I decided it was time. I knew we weren’t ready for an international trip with a three-year-old and I was so so so lucky enough to have a good friend interested in and able to…
Bonjour and happy Wednesday! The planning for my most recent trip to France didn’t feel complete until I booked a half-day trip to Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny. I booked through Paris City Vision, a company I have used before so have trust in them. It felt like a lot of information was missing from the tour’s description (how much time will we have to explore? Is there food? Is it a walkable distance to the village?) so I…
Bonjour and happy Wednesday! I leave for France in less than two weeks and I’m here to share a few things I’ve planned for my fifth trip there. This trip will be unique in that I’m going with a friend; no tour group, no husbands, no kids. Aix-en-Provence. We’re taking the train from the CDG airport and will be spending two nights and one-and-a-half days. I’ve never been to Provence and I’m hoping this will kick off planning for a…
A Northern Light in Provence was an absolutely delightful surprise. I was lost in and enchanted by the Provence of this book. I found so many aspects of this book interesting: a glimpse into the life of a translator; what it might be like to live in Greenland (definitely not for me); traveling to Provence and falling in love with life; a taste of the Provençal language; the journey of self-discovery; a book about books. Po, the poet whose book…
The Flowers of Provence is a stunning photography book reflecting Jamie Beck’s relationship with flowers during the time she has spent in France. Unlike her first book, An American in Provence, this one has very little writing; a lengthy introduction is followed by a tutorial on preserving flowers and tips for cutting and preserving flowers at home. If you’re looking for a photography book, the instructions are an added bonus. If you’re looking more for information on flowers found in…
Joie is part travel guide, part lifestyle guide, and completely beautiful. While there are no recipes, per se, there are food guides such as, “How to Spot a Bona Fide Baguette,” “Apéro Cheat Sheet,” ideas for french meals, and general tips for elevating your life and how to care for the items that make it special (linen, silver, etc), making your everyday special that the French somehow just know how to do. We also get a brief background and stories…
The French Art of Living Well had a strong beginning and end but it lost me a bit in the middle. As a lifelong Francophile, I was impressed with the amount of tidbits and information that was new to me and found many things to dive into deeper. The middle of the book, I felt, went into too much detail on a few topics, and I would have preferred to let the reader look into those things more if they…
The Little Village of Book Lovers is an extraordinary story. It’s the first book I’ve ever started rereading immediately, and I haven’t reread that many books overall because it feels like there are too many books out there waiting to be read. What I love most about this book is the unique perspective of Love. The entire book is Love telling the story, with some points-of-view of an ancient olive tree; both of which Marie-Jeanne has a special connection with….
An American in Provence is a special book. It combines almost all of my most favorite things: France, cooking, motherhood, photography, seasonal living (I mean what am I missing from this list… cats and books? That’s a pretty good ratio). The book is divided by season and each season has essays, photography tutorials, and recipes. On every page are the beautiful photographs you know to expect with Jamie’s work. Each page is such a delight and a treasure. The first…