This will be the second to last post to showcase some of the
reasons I love France (I could do a whole month or more on the amazing people
who make France shine for me). Bittersweet to end this A to Z challenge this
year because I’ve spent the last month revisiting placesand people I haven’t seen for a few years
now. Nostalgia and also, surprisingly, a feeling of wonder and awe that I’ve
been so lucky to have seen so much, done so much and met so many people who
have made France a giant wonderland for me. Talk about a theme park! This is
one I’d visit anytime. So, sharing one last blast through before we hit Z. Come
and see France through my eyes…
Salad gésier, gizzard salad
Making crepes at a village fete...
The church in Marsas
Door knockers all over France are unique and usually interesting. I could do a blog just on French door knockers!
A door and rose vine in St. Bertrand de Comminge.
Le drapeau Midi-Pyrenees, The regional flag for Languedoc.
A lovely planter at the entrance to an inn
Lining one of the streets in St. Bertrand de Comminge
Lovely building in the Pyrenees
Finding gargoyles in the strangest places.
The larger of the two churches at St. Bertrand de Comminge
A decorative red door in the Gers
Lunch at my mother in laws house, chicken, vegies, potatoes with bread, cheese and wine
A misty day in the Gers
A tiny car that was so cute I had to have a photo, not to mention the Celtic medallion on the hood.
One of those houses you know you could live in, in the Gers
A friend's welcoming doorway into their home.
My husband taking a moment to relax at my parents in laws.
On the Canal du Midi...
I did this once upon a time! Yep, biked the whole way...
Peniches, barges, along the canal.
A chateau seen from afar in between Toulouse and Bordeaux
A "vide grenier" meaning emptying the attic, is a French version of a yard sale or "Marche au puce, a flea market
A restored barn and house in St. Michel
Heading back into Toulouse
Need I say this is Paris?
Didn't think so!
At the air show, Salon du Bourget we saw the A380 fly...
The view from where we were staying
One of the many different "fountains" in Paris
A pedestrian bridge with style
Pres. F. Mitterrand's Library, yes, both buildings with a garden in between on the lower level Built to resemble two open books facing each other.
All over Paris one finds the old and the new "ensemble" together.
One of the newer "Metro" stations, looking like something out of a Sci-Fi movie
Waiting for the metro in another part of Paris
Sunset over Toulouse with the Pyrenees in the distance
At the "marche" in Cornebarrieu, getting a paella. What a choice!
My favorite, CHEESE, in all shapes, kinds and colors!
Cornebarrieu's police car... Isn't it cute?
The view from the bedroom my husband grew up in, in Blagnac
Christmas decorations in Blagnac
La Place Capitole in Toulouse with the Christmas market in full swing and the decorations exciting everyone.
Welcome to my first post for the 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge. This year my Theme is "For the Love of France" and will be heavy on photos/images. If you
seek to distract yourself from everyday life and fly away to places and spaces
unknown, venture out to the masses of other blogs participating at: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/a-to-z-challenge-sign-uplist-2014.html
You don’t have to sign up, just scroll until you hit the list. With over 1600
of us, there IS something there for everyone!
ASPET is a quaint
town (950 population) tucked into a small valley in the Saint-Gaudens district
of the Haute-Garonne department (county) of the Midi-Pyrenees region of France.
Though small, it sports farms, shops, bakeries, ruins, and a unique historic
church/chapel with a drive through. Picturesque and quiet, Aspet (pronounced Ahsspeh)
is a perfect place for a weekend of great eating, easy hiking, (we went
mushroom hunting and ate them for dinner), and deep restful sleep. The countryside
is easy to navigate and dotted with historical towns, forts or churches/cathedrals.
We stayed a long weekend with some friends who keep a house there for just that
purpose. We had homemade omelet’s with our hand-picked mushrooms, Cassoulet
with freshly baked bread, and MMMM . We also partook at a little jewel of a
restaurant hidden deep in the folds and valleys of the Pyrenees. For more
information on Aspet visit: http://www.francethisway.com/places/a/aspet-haute-garonne.php
The sight of Flaran Abbey takes adjusting to when you’ve
only seen abbeys in photos or ruins. Perfectly preserved/restored (numerous
times, most recently in 1972), Flaran Abbey is tranquil yet thriving not only
with history but also with art. Walking in the long gardens or on hand made
wooden floor tiles, gazing at massive stairwell walls covered with drawings and
paintings of all kinds, and touring the kitchen, chapel and museum had our
senses on overdrive. Seeing the identifying marks left on purpose from the individual
masons who restored the massive interior pillars and archways illuminated their
talent and dedication. Light playing across expanses of stone tiles, tiny
hidden staircases, and reading the history of the abbey, built in 1151 AD, sent
my imagination into divergent flights of fancy. If only walls could speak… For
more information visit: http://www.brouquere.com/visit/abbaye-de-flaran_en.htm
