On this Wednesday’s blogger round-up, we have Wendy Hollands from Le Franco Phoney giving us tips on how to make the most out of a visit to the Eiffel Tower, Jill from Gigi’s French Window giving her interpretation of French decorating styles and Abby from Paris Weekender describing a visit to Méry and Auvers-sur-Oise, where Van Gogh lived his last days before taking his own life. Enjoy!
Acting French in Paris
by Wendy Hollands from Le Franco Phoney, an Australian who writes about all things French in La Clusaz, Annecy and Haute Savoie as seen by an outsider by Wendy Hollands from Le Franco Phoney, an Australian who writes about all things French in La Clusaz, Annecy and Haute Savoie as seen by an outsider
One of the great things about living in the French Alps is that it’s so totally different to life in big French cities. When I go to Paris, I’m a tourist: loud noises grap my attention, the Metro is confusing, and I need a map to know where I’m going.
If this alternative angle photo of one of the world’s most recognised landmarks doesn’t already give it away, I spent the weekend in Paris with the French in-laws who live there. Read more
Creating the French look
by Jill from Gigi’s French Window, French ponderings from an Australian who must have been French in another life
At the moment I’m working my way through a book titled Creating the French look by Annie Sloan, which covers eight different french decorating styles, inspirational ideas and 25 step-by-step projects. A great read.
I purchased it because I was curious to see which would stand out to be MY favourite style, but as it so happens , I appear to have a ‘mélange’ of french tastes. I should have known it wouldn’t be as clear cut as that! I mean to say, there are EIGHT different styles……and none are exactly what I would choose??? Let’s have a look together, and you tell me which style resonates with you :). Read more
Château de Méry and Auvers-sur-Oise
by Abby from Paris Weekender, an American living in Paris who offers suggestions for Paris weekends, either staying put or getting out of town
This weekend, I was invited to the beautiful wedding of two close friends at the Château de Méry in Méry-sur-Oise, located about 30 kilometers or 45 minutes north of Paris on the SNCF (local train) in the Parc Vexin. With its traditional château and chapel and ultra-modern hotel on the château grounds, this made for the perfect wedding venue. Congratulations, my friends!
As the wedding was in the evening, a friend and I decided to take advantage of the first sunny day in the Paris area in three weeks, so we headed to the Val d’Oise (Valley of the Oise River) in the morning. After leaving our bags at the château, we walked about 15 minutes through the town of Méry and across the Oise River to Auvers-sur-Oise, famous as the residence and final resting place of Vincent Van Gogh and his younger brother Theo. Read more
The weather was supposed to be better but it turned out to be too cold to cycle (14°C) with occasional light showers, despite the fact that we’re already in the second half of May. So we decided to visit Chenonceau which is 40 minutes from Closerie Falaiseau.
Front view of Chenonceau on a rainy day in May 2013
We were surprised to see the parking lot was quite full. There seemed to be a lot of older people milling around, no doubt with guided tours. There are automatic ticket machines though which meant we didn’t have to queue.
Tourist boat at Chenonceau in May 2012
Chenonceau is a ladies castle, as I’ve already mentioned in another post with photos of the outside of Chenonceau from the bike path. It was built in 1513 by Katherine Briçonnet, decorated by Diane de Poitiers some 30 years later, extended by Catherine de Médicis, used as a place of reclusion by Louise of Lorraine after the death of her husband Henri III, saved by Louise Dupin during the French Revolution, restored by Marguerite Pelouze in the mid-19th century and turned into a temporary hospital during WWI by Simone Menier. Whew!
60-metre gallery spanning the Cher River
Its location on the Cher River is unique. The main gallery, 60 metres long, built by Catherine de Medicis, with its chequerboard slate-tiled floor and magnificent Renaissance fireplace at each end, spans the river, offering incredible vistas on both sides.
The keep and Catherine de Medicis’ garden
The original keep is still standing, on the other side of the bridge from the château, and is covered with thick vines of trumpet creeper.
Diane de Poitier’s garden
Diane de Poitier’s garden with its eight triangular lawns and climbing iceberg roses can be seen to the left of the château while Catherine de Medici’s more intimate garden, with only five lawns, is on the right. Both offer wonderful views of the château but the best, in my view, are still across the other side.
Carved and painted door with the arms of Thomas Bohier and Katherine Briçonnet
Each room is more sumptuous than the last, although little of the original furniture and furnishings remain, one notable exception being the beautiful painted, sculpted wood door bearing the arms of the first owners, Thomas Bohier and Catherine Briçonnet.
Diane de Poitier’s Bedroom
Diane de Poitier’s bedroom with its magnificent 4-poster bed was restored by Madame Pelouze. The fireplace is engraved with the initials of Henri II and Catherine de Medicis, H and C, which, when intertwined can form the D of Diane de Poitiers, Henri II’s favourite – and incidentally the mistress of his father, François I – to whom he gave the château which originally belonged to Catherine de Medicis.
Catherine de Medicis’ Bedroom
After his death, however, Catherine claimed it back, in exchange for Chaumont. Her bedroom has magnificently carved furniture and a rare set of Flanders Tapestries remarkable for their borders of animals symbolizing proverbs and fables. A painting by Correggio depicting The Education of Love, is one of the château’s many masterpieces, and my favourite.
François I’s drawing room
In addition to an exceptional Renaissance fireplace and a remarkable 16th century Italian mother-of-pearl and ivory incrusted cabinet, François I’s drawing room has paintings by Van Dyck, Mancini, Ribera and Van Loo and a portrait of Diane the Huntress by Primaticcio.
Louis XIV’s drawing room
The salamander and ermine, the emblems of François I and Queen Claude of France on the gold-embossed Renaissance fireplace in Louis XIV’s drawing room, almost pale in contrast with Rigaud’s portrait of the king its extraordinary gold frame. There is another collection of 17th and 18th century French paintings.
Beautifully carved (and well-used) butcher’s block in the kitchens
The kitchens at Chenonceau, built in the bases of the piers under the gallery spanning the Cher, are quite remarkable and include a very elaborate butchery. The kitchens were modernised when the château was used as a hospital during WWI. Deliveries were made directly from boats on the river.
The White Queen’s bedroom in which she mourned Henri III
The second floor contains the “gothic” bedroom of the “White Queen”, Louise of Lorraine, where, dressed in the royal mourning colour of white, she prayed and meditated after the assassination of her husband, Henri III.
The Five Queens’ Bedroom with its beautiful ceiling
I haven’t described the equally sumptuous bedrooms of César of Vendrôme, Gabrielle d’Estrées and the Five Queens, or the Green Study, the Library, Katherine Briçonnet’s Hall, the Exhibition Room and the Second Floor Hall, but all contain the same high quality furnishings, furniture and masterpieces.
View of château from the cafeteria at Chenonceau
At about 5.30, when we finished visiting the interior, we had a coffee and a disappointing patisserie sitting outside the cafeteria looking toward the château. There were very few people by then, but given the very reasonable prices, I imagine it’s packed at lunchtime. There is also a gourmet restaurant in a beautiful setting (the former Orangery) on the other side of the building with a set menu of 29 euro. Unfortunately, we were too late for teatime (3 to 5 pm).
Orangery gourmet restaurant
We passed through the wine cellar, where tastings are 2 euro per person. We have a wonderful memory of drinking vintage chenonceau in the Orangery restaurant which we then bought from the cellar, but this time, they were only selling wines from 2010 and 2011 (8 and 10 euro a bottle).
Diderot’s salon at the Wax Museum
Our visit to the wax museum was very disappointing, except for the costumes which are quite beautiful; the wax models are not of very good quality and don’t resemble the people portrayed. Given the number of foreign visitors, I thought the video at the beginning could have been offered in English as well.
16th century farm at Chenonceau with wisteria and climbing roses in bloom
But the biggest surprise was the 16th century farm, including Catherine de Medici’s stables, which I had never seen before. At 7 pm, we were the only visitors. Wisteria, climbing roses and trumpet creepers grace several very charming little houses organised around a circular lawn.
Flower & vegetable garden at Chenonceau with clematis in bloom
Behind the farm is the vegetable and flower garden which supplies the château’s superb floral arrangements, one in each room, which are worth a post of their own.
One of the many bouquets at Chenonceau
We didn’t see Catherine de Medici’s Italian maze as we ran out of time, but we’ll make sure we see it next time!
Open all year round, 9 or 9.30 am to 5 to 8 pm, depending on the season. 11 euros for the château and grounds, 13 euros including the wax museum, plus 2 euros for an audioguide.
The Basque Coast extends from Bayonne in France to San Sebastian or Donostia in Spain and contains some of the best surfing beaches on the Atlantic, the best known of which is Biarritz. There is a walking path from Ciboure to Hendaye with spectacular views that we were not able to take because of the rain but on the last day of our stay, the sun came out and we were absolutely enchanted by the coastal drive from Hondarribia to San Sebastian with its beautiful muted landscapes and plunging views.
BiarritzTaken from the heights of CiboureBetween CIboure and HendayeBetween CIboure and Hendaye with people this timeBetween Ciboure and HendayeBetween Ciboure and Hendaye with Jean de Luz in the background
Above HondarribiaCoast between Hondarribia and San SebastianBetween Hondarribia and San SebastianBetween Hondarribia and San SebastianBetween Hondarribia and San SebastianSan Sebastian
When I met Americans Elizabeth and Stuart, who have chosen to spend their retirement in France, at a get-together of the Loire Connexion, I was immediately fascinated by their story and wanted to share it on My French Life as an inspiration for other Anglophones who would like to live the French dream.
Sunset on the Loire, photo by Stuart Byrom
We’re at ‘The Shaker’ on l’Ile d’Or, the little island in the middle of the Loire River, with its stunning view of Amboise Castle, at the monthly meet-up of the Loire Connexion. Two newcomers arrive. We start chatting and I learn that Elizabeth and Stuart, both retired Americans, divide their time between their small apartment in Paris where they’ve been living for four years, and their bigger and more recently acquired house in Amboise. Read more
One of the things I like best about the Basque Coast is the architecture. The typical Basque home in the Saint Jean de Luz area where we’re staying is the Labourdine – white with dark red, dark green or blue half-timbering and shutters and red roof tiles. Although each house is different, it gives an overall coherence that appeals to my sense of the aesthetic.
Traditional architecture in Ciboure
The dark red was initially produced by coating the timber with ox blood reputed to protect it from insects and rot. The blue apparently was paint left over from the fishing boats but I haven’t been able to find out where the green comes from.
Blue details in Ciboure
The houses are usually quite big and built directly on the ground without cellars. The older ones have mullion windows, stone door surrounds and no shutters. The bottom floor was usually used as a stable.
One of the oldest houses in Ciboure with no shutters and mullion windows
There are very few houses older than the 16th century because of the many wars that raged in the area.
Narrow apartments in Bayonne
There are also a lot of very tall apartment houses, just one room wide, often separated from each other by stone columns to prevent fire.
Apartments in Ciboure with traditional details
Even the modern buildings are based on traditional architecture and are usually white with red, green or blue details. Railings and lampposts are often red too.
Traditional houses in Sare with greater presence of stone and green details
As you go further inland, stone is more present but the white and red combination is still very popular.
San Estebenia, Ravel’s birthplace, is on the right
In Ciboure, there are two notable exceptions : San Estebenia and Villa Leihorra.
San Esebenia is the Dutch-style housebuilt by shipowner Esteban d’Etcheto where the composer Maurice Ravel was born in 1875. Cardinal Mazarin was also a guest there when Maria Teresa of Spain married Louis XIV in 1660 in the nearby church of Saint Jean de Luz. Today, it houses the tourist office.
Art deco Villa Leihorra
Villa Leihorra, now a listed monument, was built by the architect Joseph Hinart in 1926 on Bordagain hill overlooking the Atlantic ocean, and is a prime example of Art Deco. It is now a luxury hotel and it’s worth taking a virtual tour.
The first day in our home exchange in Ciboure on the Basque Coast gets off to a good start with breakfast on the terrace overlooking the Pyrenees. There’s so much sun we even have to open up the awning.
Breakfast on the terrace
After breakfast we go into the centre of Ciboure to buy fresh fish directly from the stalls representing the people who caught it. We choose a dorade rose (red sea bream) which is supposed to be the best of the sea bream family.
Ciboure
We then go to the Coopérative Maritime which sells clothing brands such as Saint James, Cap Marine and Armor Lux, very popular on the coast in France,particularly in the summer. I find a navy zippered cotton cardigan which will be perfect for cooler evenings by the sea.
Typical Basque architecture, even for recent homes
We go home and change into our cycling gear and set off by car to join the cycle path to Bayonne, a nice easy ride for the second day of the holidays. Jean Michel tries a couple of different places and then decides it’s the right one. Theoretically we’ve cycled along this path before but I don’t recognise it. But that’s not surprising – I don’t remember a lot of places we’ve been …
A stop along the hilltop cycle path
Instead of the flat path I thought we were taking, it starts with a steep hill. OK, I think, now it’s going to get flatter. But it doesn’t. We whizz downhill which is always worrying because there is inevitably a hill going up on the other side. Jean Michel then realises he’s somehow confused Saint Jean de Luz with Biarritz and the roller coaster bike path is not going to stop for quite some time. I groan inwardly.
View from the hilltop path
The coastal scenery is admittedly very beautiful but I’m so busy changing gears that I can’t really take it in. I also can’t take many photos because there is no way I’m going to stop on the way up a slope or I’ll never get going again. Also, my first gear isn’t working which doesn’t make things any easier.
Le C restaurant, Plage de Cenitz, Guéthary
After a while, I realise that if we don’t stop soon, we’ll never get lunch. It’s already 1.30. I see a sign that says “restaurant” just before another hill. We’ve only done 6 ½ kilometers but I’m exhausted. The road goes downhill and we come to a concrete building with a sort of garden tent attached to it and tables and even deckchairs on the grass in front, with a stunning view of the sea.
Tables and deck chairs on the grass at Le C, Cenitz Plage Guéthary
We don’t hesitate. I go inside to find a table as there are no sunshades over the outside tables and it’s about 28°C in the sun. I gradually start to recover and my beetroot shade slowly disappears (I’m not burnt as I’ve slathered on sunscreen). I look at the menu. Twenty euro for harmburger meat and French fries seems a little exaggerated.
Café gourmand at Le O
Then I spy the set menu for 19 euros – dish of the day, a glass of wine (will I ever get up the slope?) and café gourmand. The dish of the day is Spanish: small sweet peppers stuffed with garlic cream and cod, served with rocket. Sounds perfect. The waiter very sweetly brings us bread and some sort of spread while we’re waiting.
Jean Michel congratulates me on all the hills and suggests we go back to the car, load the bikes again and go to the place he meant to go to in Biarritz in the first place. Sounds like a good idea to me. I manage to cycle back up and down the hills, only getting off and pushing the bike twice.
The flat path
When we finally get to the flat bike path, I’m not sure my legs are going to cooperate. But apart from a few initial undulations, the bike path really is flat. It’s also shady and I begin to wonder whether I was right to leave our sweat shirts in the car. After those horrible hills, it seems dead easy though. The sky isn’t as blue as it was when we started out.
Along the Adour near Bayonne
At Bayonne, we find the café where we had a cold drink last time we cycled from Biarritz, next to the Adour River with a lovely view of the old town opposite. Afterwards we cycle around a bit. The sky is looking more and more threatening so we decide we’d better start making tracks.
Having a drink on the riverside in Bayonne
We stop and put our jean shirts on. The tide is turning and the air is much cooler. We hope it won’t start raining before we get back to the car because we obviously don’t have our rain capes. About 3 K before we reach our destination, we feel the first drops. We’re nearly back at the car when they start getting heavier and, thankfully, IN the car when it really starts to rain.
Storm brewing on the cycle path
However, it doesn’t last that long and we follow the coast road back to Saint Jean de Luz, congratulating ourselves on not having to go up and down all those hills again.
This post is part of the Lou Messugo monthly All About France blog link-up. For other entries, click here
Welcome to Wednesday’s Blogger Round-up, on 1st May this time, so very appropriately, Phoebe from Lou Messugo introduces us to the May Day celebrations in the city of Nice. Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike reports on the Paris to Mont St-Michel bike route while Jo from Frugal First Class Travel gives us a packing list for spring travel in Europe that goes into a rolling backpack. Enjoy!
Lu Festin de Nissa – Nice celebrates May
by Phoebe from Lou Messugo, a traveller, francophile, expat, mum and foodie now living in Roquefort les Pins where she runs a gîte after many years of travelling and living in Asia, Eastern Europe and Australia.
On the 1st of May and then every Sunday throughout the month, Nice celebrates the arrival of spring. This custom dates back to Roman times when a “Mai” (a large pine tree felled in the nearby forest) was displayed in a temple and decorated with garlands of flowers and laurel leaves. Over the centuries the celebrations evolved to include dancing around the Mais placed in symbolic locations in the old town, while eating local specialities and playing “pilou” or “vitou” (two traditional Niçois games). A May Queen is usually elected too. Read more
Veloscenic Cycle Route Update: Paris to Mont-St-Michel by Bike
by Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history
If you are planning to be near Paris or Mont St-Michel this summer, and you are looking for a challenging bike adventure, look no further than the Veloscenic, one of the newest long distance bicycle routes. The resources for the Veloscenic have improved a lot since the last time I updated the route last summer. The main benefit for those interested in the route is that the website is finally available in English, and it is full of helpful information on stages of the route and other information to help with trip planning. Read more
Real life one bag travel – my packing list for spring in Europe
by Frugal First Class Travel, an Australian who loves to travel – especially in Europe – and who has gradually learned how to have a First Class trip on an economy budget, without missing out on anything!
I’m always working on ways to refine my packing and work out how to take even less on my travels. So I’m approaching things a bit differently on my upcoming trip. It’s early spring and things are still pretty cold so I need to pack warm. I’ve bought a new bag (a rolling backpack). It’s much lighter than my old international carry on, but on the downside it’s quite a bit smaller. So, I need a tight list of multitasking clothing that will take me from a week in London for a work conference, to a weekend in the South of France and four days of walking in the Cinque Terre with perhaps a day trip to posh Portofino. All that will need to fit into my new, tiny bag. Read more
Jean Michel and I have just had lunch at Café Diane in the Tuileries Gardens for the first time this year. It was wonderful sitting under the trees on the edge of the duck pond lined with sweet-smelling pink hyacinths and vibrant red tulips.
View of the Louvre from Café Diane in the Tuileries Gardens
Spring has been a long time coming this year, but I’m sure it makes us appreciate it even more. It was even warm enough at 20°C to take off my sweat shirt. Our Australian friends Redfern and Saint Vincent are visiting Versailles today, experiencing sun and warmth at last.
Chestnut trees with their thick leaves
On Monday, I went powerwalking in the Tuileries around 5 pm. The first thing I noticed were the chestnut trees which are one of the earliest to sprout new leaves, along with the linden trees.
Ice-cream vendor in the Tuileries Gardens
There were enormous beds of multi-coloured tulips and purple hyacinths. The ice-cream vendors had appeared around the fountains, but surprisingly, no sailing boats for the kids.
Bridal party in the Tuileries
I saw several photo shoots of bridal parties all speaking foreign languages. Getting married in Paris in the spring is definitely romantic!
Chess tournament in Carré des Sangliers in the Tuileries Gardens
On Monday, I noticed a sign indicating the Paris-Saint Petersburg 2013 chess championship in the Carré des Sangliers from 21st to 25th April, so after lunch, we wandered down towards the Orangerie to a temporary pavilion to see what it was all about.
Tulips with the Louvre as a backdrop
It’s the same spot where the Ahae photographic exhibition was held last year that I loved so much. We went through a lobby first where we were asked to turn off our phones, then into a second room with two commentators but no players. An usher came over and took us into a small dark corridor where we were given headsets and sent into the next room.
Ahae exhibition last summer in the Carré des Sangliers
About six tables with chess boards were lined up on a podium, five of which had only one player. I don’t know where the others were. Our headsets meant we could hear the commentators next door and a screen above the players showed a projection of each board. It was all very hush-hush.
Linden trees in the Palais Royal gardens
We didn’t stay long, first because we’re not chess players and second because it seemed criminal to be inside when there was so much sun outdoors!
Super-duper grass cutter
As we strolled back up the gardens, we saw a very sophisticated-looking lawn-cutting machine that rolls the grass at the same time. Nothing like the basic electric model I use to mow the grass at Closerie Falaiseau in Blois!
View from Café Diane looking towards the pond
And now Jean Michel is back at work and I’m about to attack my professional tax declaration which means finishing off the accounts first. Not one of my favourite activities at the best of times and definitely not on a perfect spring day. Sigh.
You may remember my desperate attempts to make cappuccino during the winter. Well, now I know the truth. It’s the espresso machine that makes all the difference.
I now have intimate knowledge of three different machines: the cheap-O model we bought new in a second-hand shop somewhere near Blois, the superduper expensive Pavoni that grinds the coffee as well and a mid-range non-grinding DeLonghi bought for Closerie Falaiseau when the cheap-O one gave up the ghost. From the very first cup, the DeLonghi produced perfect milk foam.
Perfect foam with the Delonghi
Initially, I thought it was because I had acquired the requisite skills but when our first guests arrived at the Closerie and we moved into the kitchen of the little house, I used the cheap-O one that Jean Michel had repaired in the meantime. The first foam was a complete failure. Just sticking the milk jug under the wand no longer worked.
The superduper Pavoni
We got back to Paris and I used the superduper Pavoni again, the results were just as disastrous. It took me a few days to remember the method I had precariously developed previously. But the results are still not as good as they are with the DeLonghi.
Now what is it that makes the DeLonghi so much better than the others?
Stainless steel jug and half-cream milk
For all three, I’m using half-fat milk and I’m putting my little stainless steel jug in the fridge. All three wands are straight although I’ve read that they’re supposed to be at a 45° angle. I still can’t see why tipping the jug to form the same angle with the milk doesn’t achieve the same result, by the way, but maybe someone can supply the reason.
When I first saw the DeLonghi in the shop, I was very dubious. The wand is much shorter than the other two and has a thick almost cone-shaped skirt but the guy selling it at Darty in Blois assured me it would be perfect. He said he’d worked as a garcon de café in Paris in his previous life. Not that that was really a recommendation. We all know how terrible coffee is in most French bars.
One of my early attempts
Anyway, when I tried it out, it was perfect. It’s also very easy to clean – you just unscrew the skirt and rinse it under the tap. With the cheap-O one and the Pavoni, you need a wet cloth to wipe off the milk immediately.
Cheap-O machine
So what do you do if you don’t have a wand with a little cone-shaped skirt? The trick is to keep the tip of the wand just under the level of the milk, so that it’s not making big bubbles. You can see the milk sort of being sucked into the tip of the wand. As the foam develops and the milk takes up more volume, you have to move the jug down so that the tip remains just below the surface.
Once you feel the milk heating up (you need to keep your hand around the jug), you have to turn off the steam quite quickly or you’ll scald the milk which gives it a sickly sweet taste. With the Pavoni, it happens really quickly. I don’t have the same problem with the DeLonghi.
Substitute foam with detergent
Of course, it’s not that easy to practice without using up lots of milk but someone came up with a brilliant substitute. Just one tiny drop of washing up liquid in water will, astonishingly, produce the same results. Well, at least it gives you a better feel of what’s going on without wasting lots of milk.
The real thing – Tom’s latte at Telescope
I haven’t made it to latte art yet. What I really need is a lesson. And I’m not even sure what the difference between cappuccino and latte really is! So I’m off to Téléscope in rue Villedo to find out. I’ll tell you all about it in Part 2 next week.
We stopped for the night in Vitré, about 40 K east of Rennes, on the way back from Brest on the western tip of Brittany one summer. We discovered a very pretty little town with a mediaeval granite castle, one of the first castles in France to be classified as a monument historique. There are many beautiful granite, slate and half-timbered houses and colourful façades, mainly in Rue de la Baudrairie. I can’t remember the name of the hotel as it was nothing outstanding, but we had a view of the castle from our window. However, we were given a very useful free Michelin guide to “secondary” towns in France that we’ve been exploring ever since.
The castle in Vitré is one of the most imposing mediaeval castles in France. Here you can see one of the towers of the old ramparts
South façade and Place Saint YvesRue de la Baudrairie, from the French “baudroyeurs” or leathermakersTypical juxtaposition of granite, slate and half-timberingTypical colourful street windowMediaeval manor houseMore granite, slate and half-timberingInteresting outside staircaseLa Soupe aux Choux where we had a very pleasant mealGatehouse and Saint-Laurent Tower at dusk
One of the great things about living in the French Alps is that it’s so totally different to life in big French cities. When I go to Paris, I’m a tourist: loud noises grap my attention, the Metro is confusing, and I need a map to know where I’m going.
At the moment I’m working my way through a book titled Creating the French look by Annie Sloan, which covers eight different french decorating styles, inspirational ideas and 25 step-by-step projects. A great read.
This weekend, I was invited to the beautiful wedding of two close friends at the Château de Méry in Méry-sur-Oise, located about 30 kilometers or 45 minutes north of Paris on the SNCF (local train) in the Parc Vexin. With its traditional château and chapel and ultra-modern hotel on the château grounds, this made for the perfect wedding venue. Congratulations, my friends!
