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.

We have all heard about these books, and for the most part, french women are quite slim.    

After living in France, I can see why they stay so slim.  One thing is for certain is that they take great pride in taking care of their bodies.  It is something that is passed down from generation to generation by Mothers and Grandmothers.  

Something else that you can't miss is that everything in France is tiny; from bistro tables to the chairs to the packaging of food.  

They love yogurt and have entire walls of it on cool shelves in the market.  However, the containers are small, they contain approximately 3 oz.  They also love smoothies, the pre-made containers are also tiny, apx. 3 oz.   You will be hard pressed to find "non-fat or low-fat" yogurt.  Everything is "full fat" in this country.....but in limited amounts.

Something else that I have noticed is that they don't put butter on their bread and they don't munch on it before the meal comes.  It is to be enjoyed with the meal and it is typically one piece. 

They do not snack like Americans.  The grocery stores have a limited variety of potato chips and pretzels, and that is it.  Unlike the smorgasbourg of variety down our "snack aisle" in the U.S. 

They adore chocolate, every sweet contains chocolate.  They have long shelves of every imaginable chocolate bar conceivable.  They are large bars and the french are able to have a square every now and again.  Unlike me, who tried this at home and ate the entire large bar in a day.  Ah ha, I sure did.  

They do sell pre-packaged cookies, which of course I bought.  I was surprised that each cookie is individually wrapped.  Isn't that brilliant?  That way, you know that you can have just one for a treat.....unlike eating an entire sleeve of Oreo cookies while watching reality TV. 

I have watched the french woman at lunchtime at the park.  They are very well-balanced eaters.  They typically will eat a sandwich with a piece of fruit and yogurt.  They drink mostly water or fruit juice.  (It is so frustrating to see them eat so well and then light up a cigarette after lunch.) 

Another reason why they are so slim is they walk everywhere.....and fast!  I tell you, I have a hard time keeping up with them.  It's like speed walking in heels.  Let's not forget all the stairs in the city as well.   There are a few gyms sprouting up and I do see runners in the parks but for the most part, it is just their lifestyle.  

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I will hopefully take away some of their tips.   They definately have the "everything in moderation" mantra down. 

The noise


Not being able to express myself the way I'd like to


Body odor (I'm just saying)


Second hand smoke


Dog poop on the sidewalks


Gray skies


All the stores closing on Sunday (it does sound charming but is terribly inconvenient)


The many trips to the grocery store every week (Les Wheels and my children can only carry so much)


The laundry; the washer tends to shred our clothes (yes, it's true) and the dryer doesn't work worth a darn......plus the washer cycle alone takes 1 hour and 45 minutes people.   Then 20 more minutes for the dryer to spit hot water all over our clothes..........then having to hang the laundry on our make shift clothesline down our hallway.   Do I sound a bit irritated?  LOL


The staring (the French LOVE to stare....I wouldn't mind if when I smiled, they smiled back or nodded.  Nope, most of the time they just look away real fast and then when "they think" you aren't looking ......they stare again...LOL)



The traffic


The crowds 


The cutting in line in front of you, (I have gotten quite good at holding my own though.....right Mom and Sally?)


The unruly children (sorry but 'tis true).  I've never seen so much whining, biting, kicking and screaming in my life......and that was from the parents....LOL....kidding.


The walking up and down five flights of stairs every time I  need to toss our trash in the trash cans.


The blasted plastic wrap which never tears (except the skin on my fingers from trying to pull it off)


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  I think I would sum up "the negative side" of living in Paris as terribly inconvenient. 


Now go do a load of laundry for me with your snazzy washer and dryer.  Drive your big ole suburban to Costco and stock up.....on Sunday...... AND smile at the people in the store for me, no cutting in line either.   Pick up some saran wrap for me while your at it.

Have a good one!

       

Our neighborhood church

 
Watching the many wedding and funerals take place weekly


Beautiful flower markets on every corner


Rose petals scattered near the stores


THE most amazing lemon yogurt with bits of lemon rind


The bread


The smell of bread everywhere 


Seeing Max and Sophie tear of the end of the baguette and eating it while walking down the sidewalk


Seeing the kids pulling Les Wheels


Warm pain au chocolate


Having tea parties with the kids when the weather was cold WITH fresh french pastries


The open markets showcasing shiny fruits and vegetables


Smelling the sweet fruits as I walked past


Our apartment
Although small, I enjoyed being so close with the family (most of the time)


Our balcony with the dreamy view


Our geraniums and flowers on our balcony


Window boxes hanging from apartment balconies


Architecture (everywhere!)


Culture

Feeling like I was in a classroom while living in Paris
I read interesting books, researched people and buildings that I would never have if not living in France


No TV, it was wonderful
We kept up with world news via internet


Home and garden boutiques


French decorating magazines
I devoured these!


Being able to talk to the kids in their bedroom while we lay in ours


Listening to their conversations at night...hilarious!


Traveling the countryside


Traveling to nearby countries


Smelling our neighbors dinner (most of the time)


Wonderful health insurance in France (we needed it)


The most amazing toy stores in France and in Europe


Manicured flower beds throughout Paris, changing with the seasons


The parks


The view of the rooflines out our windows


Watching "life" outside our window


Having the birds wake us in the Spring and Summer


Seeing the Eiffel Tower from the freeway after a road trip, our indication that we were back in Paris


Meeting some interesting and kind people


Our dry cleaner (he always had the warmest smile for me....he was Chinese)


The checker at Carrefour grocery, she always asked how we were doing and had the sweetest face (she was from Cambodia)


Some of the lovely people at the open markets who would give the kids a piece of fruit or scarf (just because)


French soap




I am sure there are more that I will remember later.  I might add them so I don't forget when I go back and read this blog years from now.



If you have visted Paris, what do you miss about it?   If you have never been, what are you looking forward too seeing about Paris?
 

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. 

We are going to drive to Fontainebleau for the weekend.  They say it's a real beauty with it's Chateau and forest.  We will be dodging the riders on the Tour de France as they make their way to Paris on Sunday.  

Have a great weekend.

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.

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.