The road to the chateau was serene.....

Brides were sprinkled throughout the gardens taking wedding photographs.

This bride was heading towards the beautiful chateau.... 

I found this beauty just inside the garden.... 
Class and elegance at such a young age

I think she found her groom.....

Another couple.....the men always holding our flowers or purses...makes me laugh

It takes a village....

It seems like yesterday (kind of) when Dan and I got married.  The wedding was one of the best days of my life. 

It took place in my hometown.  Our pictures were taken in my parents yard and garden, the cermony was in our neighbors beautiful backyard and the reception across the street at another neighbors home under an old oak tree.

I always cry at weddings!  I love love!

This will be our last weekend in Paris and we have heard over and over that the Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte should not be missed.  The french call it a "mini- Versailles", minus the crowds.  

We are leaving bright and early this morning, the weather is beautiful.  The kids will be able to run around the grounds and we will breathe in fresh air. 

Have a wonderful weekend.

Approximately 10 miles from Fountainebleau is a small medieval town named Barbizon.  It is best known for its artist's who lived and painted nearby.  There is one narrow, winding street that takes you through town.  It is lined with art galleries, boutiques and restaurants. 

It puts the "ch" in charming!

Max loved looking at the small exposition of artwork in the center of town.  He also admired the mosaics posted like street signs throughout the village.

Every menu deserves and easel and frilly umbrella

Max and I found this tiny church and fell in love with the unique stained glass.....he loves stained glass too....I just love this kid, he notices and appreciates most everything!

If you have the chance to visit Fountainebleau, try to swing by Barbizon.  You only need a couple of hours to get a feel for the village.  There are also some charming villages nearby; Avon and Moret sur Loing to name two.  

I will leave you with a few more images to start your day off in the right direction.   Have a good one! 

What an absolute gift to drive an hour south of Paris and find this beautiful city and Chateau.  It was incredibly quiet and peaceful.  To be honest, I enjoyed this Chateau more than Versailles.  In my opinion, the crowds take away from Versailles beauty. 

Cheateau Fontainebleau if much older, over 700 years and the grounds, although not as manicured, are beautiful. 

Isn't it funny how they both put one foot in front of the other?
I thought so....

Max always carries a little bag with paper and pencils,
He loves drawing the Chateau's and gardens that we visit.
He is all about the details

I have to admit that I am not one who loves strolling through the interior of Chateaus and Castles.  I find it very frustrating to see such excess.  Practically everything that you see inside of these beautiful structures was plundered and pillaged.  There were a select few that got to enjoy such wealth and beauty.  Such injustice. 

We decided to forego a visit inside and instead spent the day enjoying the beautiful grounds of this Chateau (I know, I know; they had to loot and steal to get the money for the property, grounds, etc.) 

This is what we saw as we entered the gardens.  Isn't it restful?   It was extremely peaceful and the few that were visiting were quietly enjoying the gardens as much as we were. 

Wide open spaces

I think most Mom's are hard-wired to be prepared for anything.  I always bring a backpack with water, paper towels, and food.  So many of these Chateau's and/or small villages do not have cafe's, or if they do, they close at 2pm and don't open again until 7pm for dinner.  We have learned to be prepared. 

We read that the gardens were a perfect spot for a picnic (although you can't sit on the lawn), so we packed sandwiches and sat on this little bridge for lunch.

They had a horse and carriage ride through the grounds. 

This was Sophies expression the entire ride.

Fontainebleau did have a cafe, they had pre-made salads and sandwiches along with coffee and baked goods.  We just had to stop for a french pastry.

We read about the gigantic fish jumping out of the water for food so we  brought an old baguette and the kids fed them along with ducks. 

We spent the entire afternoon exploring these grounds (it is nearly 50,000 acres).  I am enjoying discovering these smaller villages and they are just as pretty as the large tourist draws. 

We also LOVE getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life.  There is something about wide open space and nature that has a calming affect on all of us. 

This beautiful city is an hours drive north of Paris.  It is known for it's whipped cream and black lace but let's not forget about the horses.  Today, it is most popular for it's horses.  In fact, it is nicknamed the Capital of Horses.  Chantilly boasts some of the most beautiful race tracks, museums and we even saw a jockey school. 

My little girl is crazy about horses.  She wants to be a horse in the worst way, she gallops around the house and naaaah's just like them.  She talks about horses 100 times a day.  We knew we had to visit this city and we were so glad we did. 

We found a horse museum housed in the most glamorous of stables.  Chateau de Chantilly is across the street from the stables.  The stables were built between 1719-1735.  The rulers at this time were very fond of horses and believed in reincarnation.  They built the stables for 240 horses to be fit for a king.  It was unbelievable.

Sophie couldn't wait to go inside and say hello to "her people".   This horse looks like me most mornings......

We were just in time to watch the horses workout.........

There was a small museum where Sophie learned all about her favorite animal.

And then......we got to see an amazing Russian horse show in a tiny arena.  Oh, the fun of it all.  (Flashes were not allowed inside)

I don't think Sophie blinked once during the show, she was mermerized.



Let's not forget the stunning Chateau, architecture and beauty of Chantilly.

I am sorry to say that photographs were not allowed in Monet's home.  I more than made up for it with photographs of his garden.  (Even though many were overexposed, sorry).

Let's go for a walk.

Goodbye you pretty pink house

My favorite part of the day wasn't the beautiful drive or lunch or Monets house and garden..........

It was seeing these three around every corner, giving me the space to quietly enjoy this paradise and drink it all in.  I can't begin to explain the way that I feel about them; they are my heart and I love them beyond love.

This guy has had my heart for a long time.  Look at the way he holds my colorful straw bag? 

Swoon....

I still get butterflies when I look at you baby.  You are THE best looking man to me with the biggest heart and I love you!

Thanks for an amazing day!

Just an hours drive from Paris is this peaceful pocket of paradise.  I felt so relaxed from the minute we parked our car.  I even commented to Dan, "even the parking lot is pretty", with it's canoped trees shading the small cars.

Paragraph.

We walked the dirt road and sidewalks into small rooms of color surrounded by green hedges seperating them. 

As we were watching the butterflies and bee's enjoying the lavender we spotted this restaurant...........

"Table for four under the wisteria vine please."  We had an absolutely delicious lunch in this peaceful and beautiful setting.  Dan had fish, I had the potato pie and the kids had pork skewers.  We licked our plates. 

When the kids were finished with their lunch, they played on the grass and tried to catch butterflies while Dan and I enjoyed each other........bliss.

After lunch, we meandered down the dusty road, admiring the flowers thriving along the side of the road along with typical french scenes that I never tire of....

I'll be back tomorrow with photographs of Monets beautiful garden.  For all you gardeners out there, you will be impressed.

It's the weekend and The Johnson's are going to "hit the road" again.  We only have a handful of weekends left in France and we are going to make the most of them.

I will forever have the best memories of our "road trips".  I love our little car which is littered with sand, magnetic hangman and checkers and bits of this and that. 

I love piling into the car, Dan plugging in his ipod, the kids tucked in the backseat with their stuffed animals and off we go on the open road, music blaring. 

Within an hour someone has to use the bathroom, if there isn't one close by, we pull off the side of the road.  We are now use to the little children on the side of the road; pants down, little boys spraying the road and Mom's cradling their little girls; hands tucked under their knees, so the little darlings don't soil themselves.  The Johnson children need a bit of privacy and head towards a tree or the grassy areas along the road. 

Within another hour, everyone is hungry and we choose from one of many gas stations.  The gas stations are large and clean and all have fresh sandwiches.  Many have cute little backpacks with child sized lunches and a toy to grab; Max and Sophies personal favorite.  They also have coffee machines with AMAZING coffee.  They are used often and very fresh.  If you missed a souvenir at the town you visited, you can surely find it at the gas station, which always sell products from the region you are in or coming from. 

Have a great weekend, give your family a hug and enjoy them!  I'll let you know where the road takes us....... 

What is it about the beach that makes everything feel better?

We spent the entire day at La Havre on a rocky beach flying kites, discovering sea creatures and looking for heart shaped rocks.     

We are driving 10 minutes to Deauville to spend the day on the sand relaxing and then heading home to Paris tonight with everyone else.

Goodbye, for now, Kerfany.  You will always hold a special place in my heart. 

Dear God,
Thank you for the joy that swelled within our children..........

Thank you for the gift of peace and relaxation.........

Thank you for bright, vibrant mornings stretched out before us; full of color and birdsong.

Thank you for family dinners together every night on our patio. 

Thank you for the gift of my eyesight to see the many colors of the sun setting every evening............

Thank you for lavashing your love on me and my family as we enjoyed each other.  We are so undeserving, yet, you freely gift us with more than we could ever imagine.........Amen