Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Ummmmmm.... Spring..


I love Spring in the south of France. It is my favorite season here by far, but only because we don't actually have my REAL favorite season here- Fall. It is just so lush and green and BRIGHT here in the Spring time. Just the right temperature, the Sea is super blue, and you can still sit out and get a sunburn. (Which I did last week and I wasn't even upset about it. Actually kind of made my day.) Since it has started to warm up John and I are trying to make an effort and do things on the weekend. Winter makes it so easy to just be lazy- it's cold, it's grey, and nothing is open on Sundays to do anything inside. To begin the season, this weekend we went to the near-by perched village of Peillon. There are tons of these medieval villages around Nice, perched on the top of a hill, safe from all danger and usually made complete with a magnificent view.This particular village was just beautiful and very alive. Many of the villages around feel as though they are on the brink.. everyone is very old, nothing is happening- they just feel dead. Peillon was full of children playing, cats, and young families. It made for a great afternoon.


Can you imagine waking up to this view every morning? I know that I would love to!









I am in love with this tree. I think it is just perfect.









We had such a wonderful afternoon here in this little village, so much like all of the rest yet it had it very own little quirks and charm. Happy Tuesday everyone!





These are some of my favorites from the day. Hope you enjoyed them, and if you want to see anymore, just click here!






ps- I had some trouble with my formatting so just ignore the other post with this title.... It won't let me delete without deleting photos, etc...

Friday, March 26, 2010

The Not-So-Beautiful Day

Well, the sun is definitely not shining today. It is pouring down rain instead. So, Sadie and I are being lazy this morning. The problem is that I have been very very productive this week and honestly don't have a THING to do today. I should have watched the weather more closely and saved all of my cleaning for today! At least all of this rain will help my "garden" to grow. Last weekend was my "planting weekend" because last year most of my plants died from the heat and being planted so late in season. I currently have basil, dill, and cilantro growing in one giant pot along with two hanging baskets with..... flowers... in them. I honestly have no idea what they are, I just looked at the little picture they had on the pot, the height they would get to, and whether or not they liked a lot of sun. We will see what happens.

I think John and I have been spoiled by out vacation. Both of us feel like this has been the longest week ever. I am pretty sure that it is the longest week I have lived through in France. Maybe we just need to go on another trip..... Sounds like a plan to me and we do have quite a few planned for this year. Corsica in May; Paris, EuroDisney, and Mont St. Michel in August; October is a cruise to Greece with Mom and Dad; in November we go to Rome for a weekend; and in early December our Christmas present to ourselves is going to be a trip to London and Edinburgh, Scotland. Busy Busy Busy last year in France.

I think I should probably find something to do around here.. so, I wish you a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Fatigue

I will forever hate jetlag. It is not fun to have your internal clock turned on end, being hungry at the wrong time, wanting to be awake at the wrong time and sleep when you shouldn't. John has already adjusted quite well but for whatever reason I have had such a hard time. I managed to stayed awake yesterday from 7:30am until about 9pm (please note, this is the longest I have been awake since we returned to France.) and woke up at 9:45 so we could take the dog out. Back in bed by 10:30 and probably didn't go back to sleep until at least 12:30 or 1. Really?! BUT the beautiful sun is shining today, not a cloud in the sky, and I plan on enjoying every minute of it.No naps. I love Spring in France. Everything is already green and flowering. Hopefully we can do some hiking or village wandering this weekend and I can get some pictures of the wonderful color.

Well, I think this is all the cohesive thought I can run together this morning! Have a wonderful day all!

Monday, March 22, 2010

The Fiery Gizzard

If that name doesn't scream TN to you that I don't know what would. On one of the few days of nice weather that we had while in the States we took a hike with my Mom and Dad. It was a great day, lots of fun, and a great way to spend my Mom's birthday. Fortunately for us, the Fiery Gizzard is much more beautiful than its name would imply.

One of our first views of the actual "Gizzard"




Maybe I am missing something, but I just don't think the name is very fitting...


Happy Wednesday everyone!

Home

I have learned that I am a person of two homes. Nice is home, as strange as it feels to say it sometimes, yet I am home in Tennessee as well. It was so good to travel back, to see our families and friends, to eat and drink everything that we have missed, to shop for everything that is so much more expensive here and just RELAX. We both just needed a break from everything French.

I know that I am not meant to live in Europe forever but the experience has opened my eyes to a lot of things both good and bad. I have grown, John has grown and we have both grown together. Moving to France has been one of the most difficult and yet amazing experiences of our lives. Even though there are days when I would gladly give it up and move home -just for the comfort and the ease of everything- I know if I did I would regret it. God has granted us the chance of a lifetime that most people would love to have. While I sometimes think that those people have no idea what they are wishing for, I know that it has challenged me in ways that I would never have been challenged otherwise.

So, as we move into this last year in France, I hope that we make the most of it . See everything we can, and enjoy every moment. We have one more year to enjoy our two homes and appreciate each of them for the incredible places that they are.

Friday, March 19, 2010

We're baaack!

In case anyone missed me, the hubs and I just returned from a trip to the good ole US of A. Be prepared over the next few days for lots of talk about big cars,lots of space, cheap shopping, and spicy food! Oh, and of course getting to visit with our wonderful families and friends. We had a wonderful trip and while it feels nice to be home in Nice, I think we will both be happy to return in a year for good.