It was just this past weekend that we spent a grey and stormy evening in Marseille, wondering what had become of our promised spring sunshine.
As people quite accustomed to their fair share of soleil, friends and neighbors have become rather grumbly (see: très French) over the past few months as France has seen a especially long, and particularly cold, winter.
Winter is the “slow” season in Provence… village life is quiet and tourists have left the beaches of the south in favor of ski slopes at points north. It can still be a beautiful time of year, and a chance to see local life up-close & personal.
After a busy holiday in the north, we spent a quiet Saturday afternoon in the village of Le Castellet. Although the main parking lot had a total of about 5 cars and the village streets were all but deserted, we found the central crêperie, Le Roy d’Ys, buzzing with activity.
A few days ago was Thanksgiving, and as much as I love living in France, it’s difficult not being in the US during the holidays. There’s a real longing to be where things feel familiar and to spend time with friends & family. Every year I find myself “rediscovering” something that I love about American holidays, and this year I’m wild about baking – cupcakes, brownies, pies, sugar cookies… you name, I’d like to make it. We don’t have a lot of the staples of American baking here, although I finally stumbled upon the French version of chocolate-chips, but I’m going to try my best to bake my heart out this holiday season. Double-layer pumpkin cheesecake here I come…
Hello dear readers and friends. It’s been a week of chilly temperatures, slightly grumpy moods (no one ’round here really likes the idea of summer being over), and busy work schedules. Despite the changes the season has brought, I’m still quite happy to be here, living through my third fall in Provence. Today I’m sharing a few thoughts on the season…
