Welcome 2018 -" Au Revior" 2017 - A year full of fun, love, family & travel

Photo Review

We started off  ringing in the New Year with a quiet celebration.  Later on in the month we celebrated 2 birthdays - Turning 16 years old and adding an official teenager to the house.  These girls keep me on my toes between their activities and social life!  Our two kittens turned 6 & 7 months old - the boys have become inseparable and often sleep next to each other.

During our mild winter, we enjoyed outings in Bordeaux  (coffee is always a wonderful treat!) and it's surroundings on the weekends - Darwin - Casserne Niel is one of our favorite places to visit as a family.  Having teenagers means less time all together but it's great to find a place where they enjoy going.

In early April, my mother and I went on a river cruise up the Seine toward Normandy.  We enjoyed many of the small towns along the way, most noteable was Monet's gardens in Giverny and the city of Rouen.

Our ship sailed all the way up to Honfleur on the Northern coast and we spent a day visiting the Normandy beaches and the American Military cemetery.  Busy week, including some great weather.  After our week, my mother ventured South to spend the next 3 weeks in Bordeaux with us.

The tourist season kicked back into gear and I returned to work touring groups throughout the region.  A weekend escape in Ile de Re was beautiful and relaxing - as usual.  It's one of my favorite places to visit and only a mere two hours from Bordeaux.

April vacation brought a visit with a very dear friend from the US and her daughter.  We enjoyed showing them Bordeaux, Arcachon, the Dune du Pyla and Saint Emilion.  Loved having the opportunity to take photos of the girls!  Especially having a 16 year old who more often than not, enjoys being off with friends.

Work continued to take me around various wine vineyards - I very much enjoyed Chateau de Reignac.  Will be doing a post of this chateaux very shortly.  The end of April vacation took us on a day trip to Talmont sur Gironde - a beautiful quaint village set up on white cliffs on the East side of the Garonne River.  So quaint and adorable - this little village is pedestrian only and is a beautiful mix of shops, restaurants and art galleries.

Weekend fun also meant enjoying a soccer game between Bordeaux & Marseilles.  

The months of May & June included tour visits throughout the city plus Chateau Giruard La Rose in the Medoc.  Had the marvelous opportunity to meet Veronique of the blog "French Girl in Seattle" here in Bordeaux.  It was one of those connections that clicked from the moment we sat down to chat.  So fun to meet my French counterpart who lives in the States!  The final long weekend in May was a delightful getaway to the countryside in the Dordogne - barbecue, poolside and just plain rest and relaxing for before the girls headed into their final month of school.

 June continued to be busy for me - including more visits to the Medoc, Sauternes & Cadillac.  Even traveled North 2 hours to Cognac touring a group through the village and taking them to the Cognac House of Remy Martin.  Always more to learn about this region and it's pure delight to share it.

 July kicked off with Soiree Blanche in Arcachon to welcome in the summer.  This fabulous public party is a "bring your own picnic" and bottle and the town provides tables, DJ and fireworks.  This is our second time we have participated in this evening and it's a blast!!  I love the Bassin & love touring my clients around the town of Arcachon and Cap Ferret. 
Additionally, we said goodbye to our little house that we rented for the past 3 years...for the summer we enjoyed an apartment in Pessac Center with a beautiful evening view from the balcony.

July included a lot of work on my part all over the region - Bordeaux, Saint Emilion, Sauternes & Chateau Margaux in the Medoc.  This month also brought a visit from good friends from Albany, NY.  We toured Saint Emilion, Bordeaux & the Dune du Pyla....enjoying lots of delicious wine and Oysters!  The girls enjoyed the month of July with their father.

I enjoyed a trip to Futuroscope with my oldest and youngest (while my middle daughter was away in the South of France with a friend) and then we headed out to the French Alps for a week of vacation where we caught up with my middle daughter.  We enjoyed an evening in Lyon on the way East.  This city is quaint and colorful and a beautiful place to spend a warm summer's evening.

Our week in the Alps was highlighted by visits to Lac Annecy & Geneva, Switzerland.  The water was so blue in the Savoie region and the mountain just called to me.  

 We drove into the Haute Savoie region for a day visit to Chamonix at the base of Mount Blanc.  Stunning views and a storybook village highlighted this area.  A ride in a gondola took us up for some peaceful sitting an beautiful views.  It was amazing to see the glacier on the side of Mount Blanc.

 Our vacation ended with my oldest going paragliding before we left the area and headed South to Nice to see family.  As we headed back to Bordeaux, we stopped in Marseilles for a night including a stunning sunset on the beach and a tour of the Velodrome the next day.  School started in early September and we finally found a new home ready for us in early October.

 September was back to school for the girls and high intensive season of work for me.  The harvest season was upon us - making for some great tours and photos.  My work also included touring groups from several Ocean liners who came to port in Bordeaux for a couple of days.

 October was a very busy month - celebrating not one but 2 birthdays - my baby turned 10 and I hit the half century mark....we also moved into our new home - which meant a lot of re-organizing and settling in.  My youngest got to enjoy coming to work with me for a couple of days in October and of course, as Americans, we celebrated Halloween with a party!  Trick or treating is slowly growing here - and the girls enjoyed ringing doorbells on the new street.

 The end of October also meant the two week Toussaint school break for the girls.  We enjoyed having friends visit from Paris -and headed out to Cap Ferret for a day. 

My visits to Cognac also included touring a small producer and the House of  Martell this month.  As we headed into November, we closed the tourist season with a final couple weeks of work.  Looking forward to beginning again in late March.

This blog has continued to be a great place to share both from our family point of view and to allow readers to see more of the region.  Bordeaux is a highly ranked tourist destination at this time and we are seeing more and more people coming to visit.  I hope from the photos that you can see why.  It's truly a spectacular region and after 6 years of living here - it still continues to amaze me with its rich history and stunning diversity.

As a blogger, I've been invited to enjoy many festivals and events. Notably this year, the food festival - Bordeaux SoGood in November and the Great Wine Capitals Awards evening which recognizes wine properties that excel in tourism.  (A blog post will be coming shortly - highlighting many of these properties).

Due to my work schedule, I wasn't able to write as many posts as I would have liked.  But new year - new resolutions - I know 2018 will be a wonderful year and continued growth for all of us.

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year - May 2018 be filled with joy, good health and prosperity.

Discovering The Libourne Market & Connecting with Stephane of My French Heaven

...A day enjoying fresh food, photography & culture

Libourne Market on a Friday morning

One of the fun things about blogging is that your "colleagues" are other bloggers & writers.  They become your resources, your inspiration for ideas, you share back & forth and eventually become friends.  Sometimes you are lucky enough to meet up in person, as you often live far apart.  I feel very lucky that I have met several bloggers throughout the past couple years. These have become special encounters. 

I also read blogs written about this area which serve as great sources of French culture and knowledge - I feel I get to learn lots from these "locals"! One such blogger is Stephane of My French Heaven.  I have been drooling (If you look at his photos-you will understand my choice of wording) over his blog for the past year and a half.  Through his beautiful photography, I have learned more about the Saint Emilion & Libourne areas, French culture in general, & tried some of his great recipes.  I love seeing the Libourne market through his eyes and we often commented about meeting there sometime, so I could view it for real! When I learned about my new job and found out that one of the areas was the Libourne market and Saint Emilion - I knew it was time to officially meet in person! 

I expected a tour of the market - taking in the sights, the smells & the atmosphere of a local "marche" in a Bastide town.  What was bonus was gaining invaluable insight into the "who's-who" of the market, his favorite bread store and Patisserie. Additionally to be with such an expert photographer, was an experience in itself.  It was one of those days that started out with one purpose and became so much more!  Just goes to show, sometimes the best experiences are unplanned and unexpected!

We started by walking around the Libourne market - on a Friday morning. First enjoying the outdoor vendors and farmers.  I loved this little boy as he was so taken by the little chicks.

We wandered into the covered market section and enjoyed the fresh fish & seafood displays.  I even found some delicious French olives to bring home!

Spider Crabs

Coquille St. Jaques - Seasonal & very delicious

Let's not forget the cheese - my favorite!  So many varieties, looking so delicious!  Someone could have given me a piece of bread and samples of all of this and I would have been in heaven!

The colors of the market - the fresh vegetables, the wonderful way everything is displayed, all ready to be sold.  People in villages, like Libourne count on their markets to fill their tables with such fresh and succulent food.  It's often seasonal and so delicious!  The French customers tend to be loyal to merchants that they enjoy and will seek them out each week.  When you see a line at a vendor, one can often deduce that they are very popular and sell excellent products!

After exploring the market we headed to Stephane's favorite bread store - just look how delicious these loaves seem to be - it's like you can smell them as you look at the photo!

So here's where my day turned really special - As I said, I highly admire Stephane's photography skills and not only does he share his love of the French countryside, but he also shares on his blog his love of delicious mouth-watering food!!  After touring me through his wonderful market, Stephane invited me to his home for lunch and do some food photography with him. For me it was like learning from an expert - a chance to gain some great photography insight from a master!!

It was fun setting the table up for presentation and then snapping away - trying to find just the right angle, just the right focus - and having photos that tell a story.

He had prepared some cured duck and then he garnished it with a bit a tomatoes and greens.

He has a beautiful way of sharing his recipes, his perspective and life experiences.  Just read his post of-cured-duck-vineyards-and-haunted-mansions/

What I loved most was learning from him, I can't even begin to share what I took away from that day.  But I can say that if you read his blog -My French Heaven - he is the same in real life!  He loves and appreciates French life, family and experiences.  It's very touching to be with someone who really loves and lives life for everything that it can offer - savoring experiences (even if everyday ones) and creating new ones!   

And the knowledge he has....about French life, culture, food - it is truly so special to spend time with him!!  Not to mention his photography skills and tips he passed on to me that day!!

I have to say this particular day is a cherished and favorite one! It's taken me a long time to put this post together, as I've struggled with how to share such a beautiful experience.  How does one explain being able to feel all your senses throughout the day: to see, smell, hear, touch and taste all that is quintessential France!!  From the fresh market experience, all the fresh fruits, vegetables & other foods, to the aroma of fresh bread, the beautiful countryside, and then to enjoy some delicious cured duck - and being able to lunch on poached eggs & fresh artichokes (sorry no photos-ate them too fast!!).  I only hope that my narrative & photos capture some to this for you.

Here's something special too - even you can explore South West France with him - Check out his page - Your French Heaven - where he offers personal foodie days and tours. My feeling is that when you meet someone this special - it's worth sharing - so if any readers are looking to visit this area - and want to have a truly authentic French experience -definitely check out Stephane, his blog and his tours - My French Heaven.

Thank you Stephane for such a beautiful day and an experience that I will treasure for a long time!!  I know you have added to my enthusiasm and love of the French culture and it is especially reflected each time I tour my clients in Libourne & Saint Emilion.

Love the Fresh flowers and green garden - a beautiful setting!

From the viewpoint of a 6 year old - New World Museum - La Rochelle

The New Kindle Fire, photographs & 
La Rochelle

Raising 3 girls in this technology age presents it challenges at times...screen time, games, Internet.  It seems every year there's a new gadget to acquire or upgrade to and more things to understand about the Internet.  So this year for Christmas, my youngest having been borrowing her sister's i-touches and Kindles - asked for one of her own.  So Santa Claus/Le Pere Noel brought her - her first very one Kindle Fire.  

Of course, she has been enjoying her new toy - playing games and yes, even looking at several books on it too.  But my favorite use that she has found is the front-facing camera. (Her sister's older versions did not have this feature)  Beyond the "selfies" that she is fond of taking (following in her big sister's steps!)- she took the Kindle with us, as we were visiting La Rochelle over the holiday break.  

Another selfie - my cutie!

My favorite selfie - loved how the light caught her hair

All the photos in this post are taken by her - on her new Kindle Fire and what I love most about her photos it they are from the perspective of a 6 year old! She chose to do this totally on her own - I'm so fascinated by her curiousity.  She took pictures of things that interested her - from her height and vantage point.  The camera is only front facing - so she has to hold it a certain way and also press the bottom, without putting her hand in the photo.  She was very proud of these photos and loved that her new Kindle has this capability.  I loved that she was visually interested in the Museum - even spent time speaking with the docent, who was mesmerized by her curiosity. She talked about some of the paintings and statues afterward, so was definitely absorbing information.  At the end, she even spent some time talking with the receptionist and showing her all her photos! 

The Old Port in La Rochelle

A mother & daughter selfie.

The gate into the city of La Rochelle - one of her first photos - yes- my arm holding the Kindle..lol!!

A little bit about the Musee due Nouveau Monde (Museum of the New World).  This museum is housed in a beautiful 18th century private residence and has many collections which tell the story of France's relations with America (both North & South) from the vantage point of La Rochelle, one of the main ports of New World trade and migration.  There of many paintings, engravings, maps, sculptures, furniture which all help the visitor to understand exploration, settlements and trade with Canada, the West Indies and Brazil as well as records of the transatlantic slave trade.  I personally, found this museum very fascinating.

There are even rooms dedicated to Native Americans and some general history of how the colonies of the New World evolved and expanded westward.  Fascinating fact - Many French people actually settled in San Francisco during the Gold Rush and  afterward creating a "Little Paris" on the West Coast. 

On her own now..A Selfie in the Museum

Her older sister 

A wonderful exhibit made out of recycled materials depicting boats sailing West to the New World.

The Docent who was captivated by her curiosity

Her Nana - enjoying the displays

Yes, that would be me in the background - didn't know she was taking this one!

After we left the museum, we wandered back through the town to the Place de La Mairee.  More photos of her Nana enjoying La Rochelle.

If you are new to this blog or are just interested in reading more about La Rochelle - feel free to check out my previous post - La Rochelle - a Vibrant City.  This was our second time to this city and my girls were eager to go back and explore - even show things that they already knew to their Nana (my mother).  

Yes, probably an a camera would work better for her but I was thrilled that she enjoyed photographing her experiences and the Kindle was also great entertainment for the 2 hour ride!  So fun to look at the world from her vantage point!!  I look forward to seeing more of her photos!  I hope you enjoyed reading this post and if you have children - it's always fun to see what they do with a camera!