Category: Travel & Vacation
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A Rich Interior Life
Based on the storybook exterior, I anticipated a magical interior. And knowing the artists/potters Claire and Andy Squire, I expected it would be personal, handmade, intriguing and fun. Their living space, workshop and gallery are housed in La Maison des Sangliers, an iconic 15th-century, half-timbered building bordering the village square in Noyers-Sur-Serein, France. Like most… Read more
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Dear Mr. Gopnik
16 September 2012 Mr. Adam Gopnik, Author, “The Table Comes First: Family, France and the Meaning of Food” c/o The New Yorker, New York, NY Dear Mr. Gopnik, I discovered Through the Children’s Gate on a trip to New York for Number Two Son’s 6th birthday. So it seemed fitting that I bring along The… Read more
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Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn
I don’t care that the official last day of summer is the 21st of September or that it is still hot as Hades here in Rome. For me, once the calendar flips from August to September, fall begins. The kids prepare for school, marking the start of my new year. Two more sleeps and we… Read more
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Celebrating Happiness
It seems the entire population came out for the annual summer celebration of village life in Noyers. I took the little ones home around midnight and my eldest wandered in around 1:00am. Apparently there was still a crowd of people in the square until 3:00am, when they shifted to the local after-party. Getting together en… Read more
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The Beginning of All Things
Although Marco told me stories about his village, I tucked them away until I arrived in Noyers. Then I tugged on a thread and the people came tumbling out. * “Are you from New York?” I asked the young girl cycling towards me. I explained who I was and my train of thought. I told… Read more
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The Sounds of a House
I’m in bed and Husband’s downstairs making coffee when we hear a jangle of keys and the turning of the front door handle. A young man lets himself into the house and is startled to find it occupied. He hastily explains that a neighbour told him that the house was empty and it was okay… Read more
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French Architectural Eye Candy
There’s little point in snapping pics of Marco and Rod’s house here in Noyers-Sur-Serein, Burgundy, France when there’s a ShutterFly page crammed with great photos. Not a bad shack, I think. And here’s a sneak peek at the greater village. Read more
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Winging Away
I realized that it isn’t obvious I’m away for the summer. Husband and I have taken all the squids to France/Italy, returning in September. We spent five days in Paris, moved on to Normandy and have just arrived for an extended stay at my brother-in-law’s house in Noyers-sur-Serein. After, we’re off to see the rellies… Read more
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The Bed Bug Registry
Bedbugs. Say that word in a crowd and watch everyone take two giant steps backwards. While I’ve not experienced a bedbug infestation, I did unknowingly introduce a nasty case of fleas into a friend’s apartment once while travelling overseas. Not good. Obsessing about bedbugs seems like a terrific way to ruin a holiday.… Read more
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The House of Alone-ness
For being alone is not only the worst we can experience; it is also the inevitable moment of some of our greatest experiences. In the solitude of our selves we learn something that is otherwise unavailable to us – how to become who we are. – Thomas Dumm, Loneliness as a Way of Life On… Read more