adventures of an american housewife in the south of france

2011: Year in Review

It's hard to believe that another year has gone by since last year's Year in Review.  I had a rough start to 2011, but it was an important reminder of my mantra, no day but today.  As 2011 comes to a close, I feel very grateful for how this year has turned around and I'd like to share my thoughts with you all. I am grateful for my family.  For my family by blood, my family by marriage, and my family of...

Ciao & Auguri!

And we're back!  I hope you all had a lovely holiday with friends and family.  Michael's office is closed this week, so we've been taking it easy, relaxing and recovering after our 8-day, nearly 2,000 km road trip through Italy.  We traveled along the Cote d'Azur to Riomaggiore, up to Firenze, back down to Siena, and then up to Torino, before heading back to Montpellier on Christmas Eve.  I can't wait to tell...

Annecy City Guide: Dos, Don’ts, Eats

I've fallen in love.  Don't worry, Michael knows all about it.  In fact, we've both fallen in love - with Annecy.  Seriously, I am obsessed with this town.  I don't think I've stopped talking about it since we got back two weeks ago:  the mountains, the canals, the quiet side streets, the lake.  Even in the cold, slightly gray of winter, this town charmed me completely. It's...

Marché de Noël: Christmas in France

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas over here! I'm really enjoying how festive the town has become.  We've been going on a tour of the Marché de Noël, or Christmas markets.  About a week and a half ago, we visited the small, beautiful town of Annecy on the border of France and Switzerland and had a lovely time at their Marché de Noël. This past weekend, we visited...

Hump Day: Vin Chaud

About two months ago I started getting really annoyed that there was no apple cider here.  Not hot, not cold, not anything.  I whined about it a lot (just ask Michael).  I finally bit the bullet and just made my own hot apple cider on the stove whenever the craving hit, and I managed to get through the fall without too many tears. And now it's December and Vin Chaud entered my life, and I could give a flying...

Stockholm City Guide: Dos, Don’ts, Eats

For Stéphanie and Simon's final farewell in October, the four us took a quick trip to Stockholm.  Why Stockholm?  Well, why not!  It's a beautiful city made up of 14 islands connected by 57 bridges.  The food is hearty and the drinks are strong.  We still had some time before the sun went away for the winter and the off-season fares were too good to pass up.  We rented an apartment in the central area...

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