This summer I found myself pinching myself in disbelief – I live HERE!?!? First, I should preface this post by saying that my current home is a charming 12m2 [129sf2 = that’s SMALL!!!] apartment in the 9th arrondisement of Paris, and this is by no means my normal life. But this summer I worked my way through a real life French holiday experience with a French family I was fortunate enough to get connected to through my school. Over the course of a month an a half we made our to four houses (with a repeat visit to Brittany). It was a bit of culture shock for me in many ways, but fun to see the way in which the French truly do know how to take holiday (even if everyone doesn’t quite live this life). Clearly I need to marry well, make some more French friends, or I could always just rent a place (and invite all my friends a place).
[2 images above]: Pehou – the in-laws place in Brittany, in the family for a few generations. Yes, it felt like a castle, and for a few days I even got to live in the castle tower, but I also stayed in the cottage and main house. There wasn’t much in walking distance, but on walks you’d see horses and lots of woods and stunning views of the water, with amazing skies. This was stop 1 & 4 on our holiday.
Stop 2: La Pescade – the great grandparents summer home in St. Raphael in the south of France (above) and “private” beach below.
Stop #3 – St. Maxime, also in the south of France – a place that the [other] grandparents rent each year and invite a windmill of friends/families to share the experience (often there were 15 people at lunch/dinner). The view from my bedroom was of a beautiful vista with a view to St. Tropez. The other side of the house [below] overlooked the pool (site of my morning swims) and the beach.
Stop 5: The final home was in Dinard – the home of family friends of the children I was looking after. A festive place with their own family and friends passing through. [Bedroom view to Dinard below].
Needless to say, I got lucky this summer. But I earned my keep and happy to be back in Paris, finally [re]settled, and after 2 months without regular internet access, thrilled to be reconnected again.