Summer in France is a feast for the eyes with every village and town adorning the streets, shops and homes with a marvellous array of colourful, scented blooms. I was out driving this morning running mundane errands yet when I saw these flower displays I simply had to stop and snap a few photos to share.
The French celebrate life. Last Saturday we went to our local town pig and lamb barbeque. It took place in the square adjacent to the community centre where they had set out long tables, the band was setting up and the legs of lamb were swinging above the open firepit. Frites were cooked in a rusty oil drum (quite delicious by the way) and when dinner was served it was of course a 3 course affair including the essential wine (Bordeaux) cheese, baguette and eclairs for everyone!
With dinner done it was time for dancing off the calories. Never having been fully immersed in French songs it was very easy to get into the swing of it as the choruses repeated and there was a lot of arm waving and laughter. It is so refreshing to see a culture where the (very) young and the old mix and mingle with no thought of age discrimination; the appreciation for the entertainment was multi generational. The evening culminated in a fabulous fireworks display, all this in our little town with a population of just over 1200 people.
With Summer upon us we are looking forward to the Medieval Days in Domfront, horse racing in the spa town of Bagnoles de l’Orne and of course the races in very fashionable Deauville. We are truly living the dream.
