Georgie Girl

Exploring the Var

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:39:10 -0400

We took a tour around in the car the other day and wandered the streets of a couple of villages.

We had lunch at an outdoor cafe. I was feeling under the weather ( too much vin rouge the previous evening, ahem ) and a big bowl of pasta was just what I needed.

Somewhere in the Var (too hungover to care), France

Pass the Charlotte

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:31:00 -0400

I’m glad I have a baby who doesn’t mind being passed around like a parcel. Everyone wants a piece of her.

Oh, did I mention my Mum and Jen are here. Probably not. So…..my Mum and Jen are here!

Nice, France

Charlotte Rose has gotten so blonde since we’ve been in...

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:48:39 -0400

Charlotte Rose has gotten so blonde since we’ve been in France.

La Petite Auberge

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:33:33 -0400

John picked a really great restaurant for our last meal in the Ardeche region. I am really going to miss all of this outdoor dining when we go home.

Starter of escargot and mushrooms in puff pastry. NOM NOM NOM.

La Bastide de Virac, France

Lunch on the verandah. Roquebrune-sur-Argens, France

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:20:05 -0400

Lunch on the verandah.

Roquebrune-sur-Argens, France

Scenes from a Sunday

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:11:24 -0400

On Sunday afternoon we did some wine tasting at La Chateau Sainte Roseline. The dogs and the dress were part of an exhibition by an artist called William Sweetlove.

Les Arcs, France

France - Week 3

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 05:17:13 -0400

Another week in France draws to a close. We spent this week in (another) old stone farmhouse. The second floor renovation is um, how shall we say, a little rickety. I fear for my life when I walk on the floorboards. I can actually see down into pthe corner of the kitchen from my bedroom. The rest of the house is lovely with exposed stone throughout the house.

Our next door neighbour is a vineyard.

St Saveur de Cruzieres, France

Things that make me happy.....

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 04:03:08 -0400

Experiencing new things with Charlotte. This time? A proper swim in the pool. Not just a dip of the toes. But a ‘whole body in the water’ swim.

After all that action, a nap was in order.

St Saveur de Cruzieres, France

This is Charlotte’s newest thing. ‘Standing’...

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:30:48 -0400

This is Charlotte’s newest thing. ‘Standing’ with her legs straight.

Goudargues, France

A typical day

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 03:45:00 -0400

Every day there is a farmers market in a different village. Even though they all mostly sell the same things, I don’t get tired of seeing them. Yesterday we drove to a local village about 10kms away. It was yet another medieval walled village. We parked our car outside the village and made our way in by foot along the twisting cobblestone streets.

We found the farmers market where John picked out some vegetables for our dinner.

Oh, I realized quickly that this trip has been made infinitely easier by the fact that John speaks French. Just like I do not speak a lick of French, there are a lot of French people that don’t speak a lick of English. So many people will approach Charlotte and start cooing to her in French and then turn to ask me questions - how old is she, what is her name, is she a boy or girl (she’s wearing pink! her stroller is pink!) - and I have to turn helplessly to John and have them repeat the questions to him.

After the farmers market we wanted to get some lunch but the village was so tiny there was only one restaurant with a minimal menu. So we headed back out of the village and drove to another one nearby.

Upon arriving, we quickly found a lunchspot. Later we wandered the streets taking in the beauty of the old buildings and the winding streets. I especially love the shutters on all the windows.

Churches, churches, churches - they are everywhere! I’ve lost count of how many candles I have lit inside French churches!

We are usually home by 2 or 3pm so that John can be ‘at his desk’ in time for New York business hours.

Unrelated: Charlotte is as cute as ever.

Ardeche region, France

Meals in France

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 03:31:17 -0400

Breakfast

Every morning John (and his Dad when he was here) heads to the local boulangerie to pick up croissants, French bread, and pastries. I eat two croissants with jam every day. Not one, but two. EVERY DAY.

Dinner

We have eaten nearly all of our dinners outside - whether it be in a restaurant or at home. A couple of nights ago I cooked (yes, it happens!) and we ate dinner at the table in the front courtyard. We try and buy most of our food from farmers markets and the wine was purchased straight from a vineyard.

St Sauver-de-Cruzieres, France

Two stories from a Tuesday night

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:33:55 -0400

Story One

By now John is used to, and understands, all the Australian and English phrases that litter my vocabulary. He has even taken on some himself, probably without realizing. Yesterday I heard him on the phone saying he would ‘ring’ someone as opposed to ‘call’ someone. But sometimes he doesn’t quite get it right.

Tonight at dinner we had a very interesting couple sitting behind us. John originally suggested they were father and daughter but I was convinced they were hooker and customer. When John noticed me contorting myself in order to listen in to their conversation he asked: “Are you ear-tabbing?”. Methinks he meant tab-hanging which is an English term for eavesdropping.

I think his favorite term is ‘sticky-beak’. I don’t blame him. What better way to describe someone who is nosey!

Related: Definitely hooker and customer.

Story two

As we walked from the restaurant to our car we heard SQUEAK SQUEAK. We both immediately stopped in our tracks. We know that SQUEAK SQUEAK sound anywhere. We turned around and there was our waiter running after us with Sophie in his hands, squeezing her to get our attention. I’m glad he made the effort as this is already Sophie #2. Make no mistake - that giraffe is a slippery little sucker intent on disappearing.

What did I tell you? Two peas.

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:09:19 -0400

What did I tell you? Two peas.

I am racing through books. No wonder John suggested I request a...

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:45:16 -0400

I am racing through books. No wonder John suggested I request a Kindle from Santa this year. I really don’t want one though - part of the joy of reading for me is the book itself, physically turning the pages, seeing it on my bedside table.

Anyway, I just finished This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper. It was a great read! Definitely a ‘go buy it immediately’ kind of book.

With the right actors it will make a brilliant movie too. I did some googling and it turns out all of his books have been optioned.

Two peas in a pod. Napping together.

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 05:34:54 -0400

Two peas in a pod. Napping together.

Charlotte Rose

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 11:02:54 -0400

An afternoon by the pool

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 10:54:48 -0400

After the failed attempt at ‘swimming’ in the sea last week, we attempted a dip in the pool.

I dipped in her feet and although Charlotte didn’t cry this time, she still doesn’t love swimming as much as Winston does.

I’m sure that will change in time. Growing up in Australia, I spent nearly all my free time in our swimming pool. We didn’t have a fancy swimming pool like some of my friends did - it was a circular shaped above ground pool. But it did the trick. I spent my entire childhood in that pool - perfecting my dives, grading my friend’s underwater handstands, making a whirlpool, getting my German Shepherd onto a floaty and dragging her around. Happy days.

After our ‘swim’ we wrapped ourselves up in colorful towels and snuggled in a lounge chair.

Roussillon, France

It’s laundry day in Provence!

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:13:41 -0400

It’s laundry day in Provence!

Dinner at home

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:38:00 -0400

John’s parents arrived on Monday night so we made use of the Summer Kitchen again on Tuesday and ate by the pool.

Roussillon, France

Dinner in Roussillon

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:36:36 -0400

The village of Roussillon is known for its ochre, the bright red dirt everywhere. When the sun hits the ochre just before dusk, is when it looks its best.

We selected a restaurant where we had a fab view of the ochre mountains and the rest of the Luberon valley.

Roussillon, France