Springtime in France–A Friend Shares Her Travels

Honestly I have had the best time following my friend Sarah Gayle Carter blogging around France that I feel guilty keeping it a secret. Her photos are sublime–she is an artist after all–and her commentary is pithy, interesting and often funny. Here below is her latest. You can also click on the link sign up to follow yourself.

You may recall I wrote about Sarah’s work–her dog portraits in particular–here. Now see her in action on the road. And call me clairvoyant, but I bet we’ll see some wonderful paintings from this adventure, and I for one can’t wait.

Here you go:

I observe, I eat, I create – therefore I am.

Spring in France (or: Carry Me Back to Old Virginia)

Spring has arrived in Southwest France.

And if I didn’t know better, I’d swear I was home in Virginia.

Daffodils nodding, clumps of sunny Forsythia and coral Quince, all set against richly greening grass, and still bare trees. Even with my eyes shut, the smells alone convince me it’s late March in Virginia: lightly flowery, moist earth, new grass, all dampish and warmish and……home.

Then I open my eyes and here I am. Red tiled roofs, cobbled streets, half-timbered houses, ancient churches set among freshly plowed fields and freshly pruned vineyards. France, in all it’s early spring glory.

It won’t look – or smell – like this in Maine until early May.
See below for on the ground, up to date photo-weather report from neighbors at home in Maine. (Hmm…..maybe we need to stay in France a bit longer. Or go to Virginia.)
From the earliest puffs of blooming Almond in the Languedoc, to greening willows, pink flowering Cherry, peeking crocus, hyacinth and primrose in window boxes, we’ve watched Spring creeping with us across France, slowly but surely pushing out the last days of winter. It’s moved with us across this wide and diverse region – and now it’s ” Pâques” . Easter. Who needs church when you’ve got Chocolate animals of every shape and size? The not so religious French may or may not be going to church today, but from the looks of the windows we’ve seen in shop windows, they’re eating a lot of chocolate.

Who doesn’t love chocolate?

There is, after all, more than one kind of religion.

“Joyeux Paquantes” to you all.
And may include at least one chocolate rabbit…or chicken, or fish, or lamb, or duck, or egg, or baby (??)
All photos by Sarah Gayle Carter, via sarahgaylecarter.com.

 

12 comments

  1. Frances,
    Opening this makes me think I found the Faberge egg. What an Easter gift to enjoy. So beautiful to see…ah, France!
    thank you and Happy Easter from Dick and me
    xo, Lynn

  2. Frances, these pictures are wonderful and you are so generous to share them with us. You and your friends are all very special and all so talented and full of joy. I hope that some of this magic rubs off on me!

  3. Well thank you Miss Frances (I know, you’re “Mrs” now, but it just doesn’t have the same ring 🙂

    I’m so glad you’re enjoying my travels in France blog, and many thanks for sharing with your followers!

    Hope you and His Grace had a truly “joyeux Paques”.

    xoxo – moi

    1. Will always be Miss Frances – and thank YOU Miss Sarah for your gifts of beauty and grace to us all. xox F

  4. Oh my heavens! My favorite ” blog” yet! Those photos! I am off to see my precious daughter in France … Just a couple of weeks… We will be in Paris and the Bordeaux region… Hope I can get a few pics as wonderful ad Sarah’s pics!!! Just beautiful! And I have the most heavenly black lab… Mr. Bean… Do I need a portrait?!?

  5. The flowers in the photos are just stunning!! All the wonderful chocolates…. Just looked at Reggie Darling’s blog of Easter in Paris……..
    The French can make any food look and taste wonderful. Gained a pound gazing at the pictures !!
    Off to find a left over bunny. xo Becky

  6. Oh, wow, just saw this post. Those lambs, flowers, landscapes, oh, my! However, the chocolate fish and lizard eggs are, I must admit, my very favorite. Now, where did I hide my chocolate bunny with the partially eaten ears???

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