One of France's most beautiful villages: Gourdon

Perched on a steep mountain peak in Southeastern France sits Gourdon, a tiny medieval village that begs you to stay awhile and take in its quiet expansive beauty. Initially not on my list of places to visit in Provence, a local had recommended Gourdon, insisting that it is the one destination not to miss in the region...

Gourdon is designated one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (the most beautiful villages of France). It has an unobstructed view of the valley of the Gorges du Loup below and the Mediterranean Sea just beyond. On clear days you can even see the contours of the Island of Corsica on the horizon. Within its walls of magnificent stone is a centuries old chateau, narrow streets filled with the vestige of a simple provincial life and artisanal shops selling local delicacies, perfume, lavender, glassware and soaps. I love the working sundials projecting time on sun bathed façades. 

So allow me to pass on to you this must-see mountain-top village. The winding drive toward the summit alone will take your breath away...

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Printable Calendar: November | Novembre 2012

merci seemed appropriate for November, the month of Thanksgiving... choose between the two calendars and share one if you'd like... simply download (below), print and cut on the dotted line. Enjoy!

Download from my file cabinet: November | Novembre 2012 (pdf: 43k)

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Writing | l'Écriture

The rigorous writing exercises called l'écriture in the French school system begin in the early years of maternelle (preschool). However numbing it is for my son to labor through lettres and chiffres (numbers), I must say that in the age of computing and typewritten words, I find it wonderfully gratifying to see so much attention paid to handwriting...

Apart from being so lovely to look at - especially on those chalkboard menus beautifully decorated in flourishes and pretty loops - did you know that many of France's businesses still routinely use graphology (handwriting analysis) to identify the character of prospective employees? It's really true! And even though many believe it is highly unscientific, isn't it worth putting pen to paper every now and again...

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La Maison: French shelter magazines

Maison Française Jul/Aug 2011. Photos by Bruno Comtesse

Art & Décoration, Oct 2012. Photo by Christophe Rouffio

This is the first post in a new series called La Maison, posts that I hope will tickle and inspire your palette for a French-inspired home. Through my French family and travels within France, I've been greatly influenced by the way the French decorate and live in their homes, and this space is to share with you observations, ideas and resources I've picked up along the way. Some of the most striking things I've noticed and love is how history (through personal artifacts and mementos) and nature (taking outside elements indoors) play a healthy role within the French home; how they upcycle and display old and worn materials; their creative and simple ways of using textiles and color; and their natural way of layering textures. It all makes for a warm inviting living space.

So today's resource are some of my favorite French shelter magazines, the ones I  read like good novels with worn and dogeared pages. Particularly inspiring are the Côté Maison and Maison & Déco publications (below). Regardless of the season or year, their content is swooning material that continues to inspire long after issue dates have passed...

The nice thing is if you can't get your hands on a print edition, many French shelter magazines are now  viewable online. Plus they include sections from their newsstand counterparts, sharing scrumptious recipes, regional trends and profiles. Here are my favorites:

• Côté Maison - which includes Maison Francaise, Côté Sud (South Coast), Côté Ouest (West Coast), Côté Est (East Coast) and Côté Paris
• Maison & Déco - which includes Art & Décoration

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French Flea Markets (Part II): A Social Affair

So French vide-greniers aren't just about a village's annual purging of (common household but often very beautiful) unwanted wares and collectibles, creating a buying and selling bonanza where almost anything can be bought and sold,... no. Like every good market, the atmosphere is also filled with tasty food and rekindled friendships. Stands in the middle of parking lots are set up like zinc bars, where you can step up to the counter and request un café or an Orangina, for example. Cotton candy machines are strewn about advertising the sinewy pink gold in bold letters: Barbe à Papa! Tables are loaded with batter and jams serving up warm Nutella crêpes. And last summer, my husband's family friends (who rented a table for about 10 euros to sell their children's old toys), served up chips and Kir (crème de cassis with white wine) for a surprisingly early aperitif cocktail - it was around 9:30am when we showed up!

At the end of the day shoppers and vendors alike, along with their bundle of new treasures and a bit of extra cash, reacquaint themselves with old friends, share a drink and some laughs - which maybe what some were actually seeking after all...

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