Pure France Summer 2010...

This is the post where I make a shameless plug for the Duke's company, Pure France, specialists in holiday rental villas and chateaux throughout France.

One of the downsides of living in France is that we don't really 'holiday' in France anymore, at least not like we used to when we lived in England. But everytime a new beautiful property is added to the Pure France portfolio, I secretly wish that we lived in Italy and took our summer holidays in France.

If you or anyone you know is looking for a place to spend their summer holiday in France this summer, have a look at the website, it's full of gorgeous French property eye-candy, located in some of the most beautiful parts of the country!

The sound of silence...

I'd forgotten how much I love this sound...

Okay, so it's not technically silent here in the back garden. I can hear the sounds of the weekly village market taking place on the market square, the village bells are ringing 10 o'clock and every 5 minutes or so I can hear a skinny tractor with its empty trailer bobbing along the road behind it headed to the vines for another load of grapes.

I can hear the breeze shuffling through the crisp leaves of the chestnut tree and the far away sound of the recycling truck making its way through the village, followed by the sound of numerous wine bottles being tipped into the back of it.

But still, this special kind of silence I am appreciating right now, this is a silence that comes only once a year, on the day that for the first time in 2 months the little ladies are somewhere else, out of my earshot, tucked up nicely in their new classrooms, back at school.

I'm drinking a coffee, although a glass of champagne would feel appropriate, too. God bless la rentrée!

We've had a great summer. It's been a hot one, and for the first time in the 10 years we have been living here, I feel like we've fully exploited the fact that we live in a Mediterranean country.

Our days were spent alternating between the beach and the pool, and the nights between local fêtes, barbeques and parties. We've gone through several bottles of sunscreen and rosé, several pairs of water wings, at least 100 metres of sausages, and all of our swimsuits are almost threadbare.

I've taken a good break from blogging and feel as refreshed and engergized as a mother of two small children during summer vacation can possibly feel. I'm looking forward to our village waking up from its 2 month siesta and to coming here to share more about life in France.

For the moment, though, I'm going to keep myself busy by sitting very still and enjoying my special kind of silence.

Another summer, another vacation is over...

Salut mes amis! Last couple of days before La Rentrée, and then I'll be back to resume regular programming.

Until then, I'll leave you with this old chestnut, which never fails to leave me feeling a bit melancholy this time of year. (And also proves, for any of you who didn't know, that I am well and truly a child of the 80's.)

Closed for the summer...

Dearest Readers,

I've decided to take a summer hiatus from blogging. For the next three months, I plan to concentrate on some other writing, working, working on my tan, and finally teaching the two little ladies how to swim.

I so appreciate all of you who have been faithfully reading and commenting here and I sincerely hope that you'll come back in September. Until then, I'll continue to stop by your blogs from time to time to say hello.

Hope you all have a fantastic summer and for all of you planning on a trip to France, bon voyage!

Gros bisous,
The Duchess

It's officially summer...

Okay, maybe not officially, officially, but it certainly feels that way here.

Supposed to be in the high 80s today, so I'm off to the beach with some girlfriends, and then back to my house for a bbq, where we'll sit under the lit-up chestnut tree and possibly drink a bottle or two of chilled rosé.

My diary is starting to look like one long fête after another. This is what the next couple of months looks like at the Dukedom:

31st May- Fête du chèvre at the nearby farm in Mas Rolland, where the kids run around with the goats in the field while the adults feast on samples from the market stalls selling regional produce like goat's cheese, breads, olives, ham and possibly some wine.

6th June- Our annual Sevillana spectacle, which promises to be better (can hardly be worse...) than last year, and we've even have new, tailor-made flamenco skirts this year. Promise to post pics after.

14th June- My very first vide grenier (yard sale/garage sale/car boot sale, except it's set up throughout the entire village). I'm biting the bullet and setting up a stall at one of the nearby villages. I figure that the stuff that's been sitting in the barn for the last two years is probably stuff I can live without, and in this time of economic hardship, blah blah blah...

19th June- Our 11-year wedding anniversary, which we will spend watching our darling little ladies try to stay awake, I mean, perform in their end of year dance recital which starts at 8.30pm, after a whole day at school. Do you think a 4-year old is too young for Red Bull?

21st June- Nationwide Fête de la Musique, with live music pretty much everywhere, but hoping to be sitting outside our favorite restaurant listening to a little music, possibly drinking some wine and celebrating our anniversary.

27th June- End of school-year kermesse (carnival), where my day has been scheduled with military precision and includes things like preparing tabouleh in the morning, watching the school show, manning a giant pirate-themed bouncy castle, serving the village aperitif and then the evening meal where traditionally around 200 people come for a 4-course meal, possibly some wine and then dancing until 2am. Unfortunately, I don't like Red Bull...

3rd July- Last day of school! Looking forward to not having to be presentable at 8.20 am for a few weeks.

7th and 8th July- The Tour de France flies by, bringing with it a couple of cycling-mad friends who are coming to stay, which will mark the opening of the Dukedom's hostellerie.

14th July- (See how easy it is for me to glide past the 4th of July now?) Bastille Day, which means village fête, dancing in the park, and possibly some wine.

20th July- Holiday! Not sure where or how, but maman needs a holiday, and this looks like the only week we can do it!

And then comes August, which normally means friends, family, beach, pool, hammock, wine and the realization that the entire country is on holiday, so there's no point trying to get anything done.

I feel knackered just looking at the diary, considering I'm supposed to be working all this time as well. Don't get me wrong, though, not complaining, just amazed at how busy summer is considering how laid back it usually feels. But then maybe that's the effect from all the wine...

Mrs Brightside...

After what seemed like the longest, coldest, wettest winter in living memory (okay, maybe a slight exaggeration...), I'm happy to say that it finally looks like summer is on its way here in the south of France. The bbq has already seen some action and the flip flops have been dusted off in anticipation of their duty as the official shoe for the next 4 months.

I'm hoping that the heat of the sun will see off all the doom and gloom that's been hovering over everything the last six months like a menacing, overcast sky. Surely one can't be expected to fret over things like recession and unemployment while wearing a swimsuit and a floppy sunhat...

The annual sunglasses saga...

Been looking for a new pair of sunglasses recently. According to the Duke, my large sunglasses are so last season and that the Aviator is the way to go this year. (Don't ask me where he got this info, he's hardly a dedicated follower of fashion...). But I think he's probably right, so I'm on the lookout for some shades that don't make me look like a giant preying manthis.

Trawling through the internet, I came across this article in l'express which is about a new site that has been created which pays hommage to Alain Delon, the French actor who was once dubbed 'the male Brigitte Bardot'.

Michel Edda, the creator of the site, is posting a photo a day, for 365 days, of people wearing Alain Delon sunglasses. The subtitle of the site 'Everyone sees the world through the eyes of Alain Delon' explains the premise behind the idea, namely that everyone, from celebrities, writers, and musicians to accountants, florists, and cheesemakers can share in this commonality of seeing the world through the retro- hip sunglasses which bear the name of this French icon.

I have a love/hate relationship with sunglasses. I've worn contacts since I was 12 because I can't bear having something on my face. But because of the contact wearing, my eyes have become so light-sensitive over the years, I need to wear sunglasses constantly outside, particularly here in the south of France, where the light is so bright. I've always balked at spending any big amount on them, because I tend to lose them, or sit on them, on a regular basis.

I always admire other people's sunglasses, and usually the ones I really like are Prada or Gucci, or some other ridiculously expensive designer. I just know though, the minute I decide to splurge, they'll end up broken as one of the little ladies decides to see how far the frames will stretch.

So, alas, I'll probably never know what it's like to see the world through Alain Delon's eyes. Instead, in the end, I'll probably just go down to my local supermarket and choose from their not-so-designer, but much more affordable and expendable selection.

Summer 2009...

It's that time of year again, when I start dreaming about floating in a pool somewhere, surrounded by beautiful countryside and bathed in glorious sunshine. Might seem a bit silly, because of course I can do that here in the south of France, but no matter how many times the Duke says 'every day here is a holiday', I'm still not convinced.

We didn't take a summer holiday last year, and even though we went to the beach loads and spent our fair share of time floating in pools, I now realize that it is the act of removing myself from my usual habitat and going somewhere new that really constitutes a holiday for me. So the search has begun to find that perfect summer holiday for us this year.

We went to Corsica in 2007 (photo above), which was magical and beautiful. We've spent a couple of summer holidays in Italy, one in Umbria and the other at Lake Bracciano, near Rome. This year I'm thinking Spain, and in particular, the Costa Brava, near the medieval town of Begur. It's only about a 2 hour drive for us, but the difference in the landscape, language and food will make it feel like we are further from home.

You'd think with the Duke running a villa rental agency, I'd be a pro at choosing a holiday home off the internet. But the fact that we must be able to take our dogs, be within 30 minutes of the sea, have a private pool and internet access (it certainly isn't me who needs this last one, let me assure you) means the choices on offer are a little limited.

So, night after night, my eyes go square as I frantically search for our perfect family holiday. Oh, the pressure. I'll need a holiday just from looking for one.

Postcard from the edge...

Currently recovering from an intense week of summer 'fun' with the little ladies and the last of the summer visitors.

La rentrée is on Tuesday.

That may be when you see me next....

The beach...

Here are some photos taken this week at one of our local beaches, Valras Plage.

No summer holiday....

I was feeling a bit blue because for the first year in several years, we aren't going on a summer holiday this year.

Then I put things into perspective.

We've been to the beach several times each week, we've been swimming in pools, going to summer fêtes, eating outside at restaurants, seeing friends and family, and are planning to hit one of the children's water parks this weekend. We've also dozed in the hammock, listening to the cicadas and enjoying glasses of chilled rosé while the food cooks on the bbq.

I guess the south of France isn't such a bad place to spend the summer holidays....

We are not a velo family.....

The Tour de France is passing in a village about 10 minutes from my village at 1.00 today. We aren't going to watch, although many of our friends are. We did watch one year when it went through Pezenas. Basically, you get there 2 hours early to snag a spot, then stand around catching the odd freebies that are thrown out by the sponsors, and then if you are very careful, you might actually catch the cyclists blow by you, in what is about a 30-second tornado of activity. Don't blink....

After the oldest little lady's great success on her bike recently, and the little incident that I'm sure I forgot to mention about me falling off my bike one morning out in the vines last week; I've decided maybe it's best if we stay away from bikes for awhile.

I've never been a great cyclist. In the same way that I have tried to like pastis as a drink because it's so French, it would be nice if I did enjoy cycling. But I don't. So I'm afraid the Tour de France is a little wasted on me, although I do appreciate the sporting effort required.

So we are off to the beach instead. Although I'm sure it would be quicker to follow behind the T de F today than to fight the hordes of traffic at the beach. It's times like these when it's handy to be on a bike.

In and around the dukedom....

Lots going on here around the dukedom, with the weather finally shaking off its winter clothes and making a bee line for the beach. Spring has been a little hesitant this year, with the arrival of the walking English megaphone and the week of rain that always accompanies him. But I think we are finally there, with beautiful colors in the garden, and the scent of roses and honeysuckle in the air. We've had our first bbq of the year and I'm thinking it's time to stock up on the usual supply of chilled rosé to see us through the next few months.

It's also the time of year when fêtes and spectacles start coming on thick and fast. The oldest lady and I have our Sevillanas dance spectacle this weekend. I'm more nervous for her than for me, but you'd think we were preparing for a nationally televised event by the level of anxiety the rest of my group are showing. There has been talk of nothing else, and one rehearsal after another, like we are preparing for the World Sevillanas Olympics. I guess I should be taking it more seriously......

Then the music spectacle takes place, where the oldest lady's solfège group performs songs and plays instruments, under the stern eye of their Russian teacher. We've had a little bit of small village excitement the last few weeks, as the Russian teacher was accused of being too strict by the French Foyer Rural council. Terse letters were written back and forth, the parents were up in arms, and the little ones watched on, obviously more interested in the dramatics than in the music. A tussel between the French and the Russians is really something to behold, neither side backs down, the words are harsh, and in the end they kiss and make up and pretend like nothing has happened. Who needs soap operas when you live in a rural French village?

At the end of the month, the outdoor meals will start happening. We have a pig roast, a mussel and fries night, a beef roast, the end of school meal, then the 14th of July celebrations, followed by the village carnival. All accompanied by live music and dancing. This is the part of living in the south that I love so much. Balmy evenings spent eating and drinking with our neighbors, watching the children play and the elderly couples dance, while the sun slides down behind the chateau. For everthing else that has changed in France for the worse, there are still a few of these remaining traditions that conjure up an image of Pagnol's country. And for a few hours every weekend in the summer, all is as it used to be.

Looks like I blinked and missed the summer......

That's what you get for taking summer holidays in June, the rest of the summer goes by in sun scorched blur.....

The last few months have seen the whole slew of Earls trotting around Corsica and England, the beach, village fetes and various action packed toddler theme parks in Cap d'Agde (a nightmare in any other conceivable existence except that of a mother with 2 kids under 5....). Friends and family have been and gone, we've worn the bbq and my basil supply out, and I don't think it would be physically possible for me to drink any more rosé.

And now, schools back on, even the youngest lady started this year, and I finally feel a little like my old self again.

The great thing about being a mom is that you get to trial run all sorts of professions without even leaving your house. Entertainer, teacher, swimming coach, hairdresser, doctor, personal chef, seamstress, McGyver, professional fort builder, you name it, I've tried it out this summer, and I have to say that standard educational institutes really don't prepare you that well for doing all of these jobs in one day, let alone one lifetime. Forget multi-tasking, being a mother is more like split-personaliting, or something like that.....

It's vendange time here in the Languedoc, narrow tractors pulling trailers overflowing with grapes. Nothing reminds me more of where I live than this sight. I haven't heard the latest news on whether or not this will be a good year for wine (has anybody out there heard anything?), but I have to say I'm feeling a bit sorry for the pickers because the last few days have been blindingly hot.

So, as well as all of the other things I've neglected to do over the summer, clean the house, write, exercise, eat sensibly, drink moderately, stop smoking- I hope to get back in the saddle again and share some more useless ramblings from the Dukedom. Thanks for sticking around......