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Bons Moments in Brittany
Hello, friends. If you read my last blog post, you know that I am back in my beloved Brittany. I arrived in Paris on June 14th and in Brittany the 15th. I can’t express how happy I was when I got off the train in Rennes and was reunited with my dear friends. A short time later, I was back in my apartment, looking out the window, content to see the granite houses with their grey slate roofs and colorful wooden shutters. Such homes are found throughout this region and I find them simply charming. The next day I spent a good few hours walking, breathing in the crisp air…
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Traveling to France During a Pandemic
I am in France. Enfin! While information and protocols seem to be changing by the hour – certainly by the day – I wanted to give you an overall idea of what it was like to travel internationally during a pandemic. I hope that this blog post gives you a better understanding of what to expect if you are traveling soon and determine whether it is the right choice for you. Of course, this was my experience during and after my flight one week ago and your comfort level may be different than mine. As many of you know, French President Emmanuel Macron announced in late April that vaccinated Americans…
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Beyond Brittany: A Visit to Mont St Michel
When visiting Brittany, one simply must travel to nearby Normandy for a visit to Mont St Michel. Sitting just 1 km from the mainland, it is one of France’s most beloved islands. Today’s post will give you some tips as to how and when to travel to Mont St Michel to get the most pleasure from your visit. Mont St Michel lies just outside Brittany, about one hour from St Malo and a smidge over an hour from Rennes. If Dinan is your home base, it too is only about an hour away. If staying in Paris, there are numerous tours that run from the city, though that tends to…
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A Visit to Saint Suliac, Bretagne, France
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Must-see Castles in Brittany
Let’s take a trip back in time, shall we? Imagine for a moment a scene of lords dressed in long tunics and leggings and ladies in their fine gowns. They are seated around a grand fireplace, wine or ale in hand, the smell of grilled smoked pork, nutmeg, and cardamom lingering in the air. Musicians and captivating storytellers entertain their guests. Ah yes, what it must have been like to live in medieval times! (Well, for lords and ladies anyway.) If castles, medieval history and lore appeal to you, read on. Brittany is home to over a dozen castles, all with a different personality. Today, I will walk you through…
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A Visit to Saint Suliac, Bretagne, France
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A Coastal Drive in Brittany
The days are growing longer, reminding us that spring is just around the corner. Spring is my favorite season, as it is always full of the promise of new life. This year, I think that rings even more true. With some encouraging news about vaccines, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief, knowing that we may see some sense of normality yet this year. Those of us with a serious case of wanderlust are beginning to imagine – and dare I say plan – for the day that starts with an early check-in at the airport, and ends with our feet touching the soil of a foreign land.…
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Spend a Day with Me in Dinan, Brittany
It is the beginning of February, and we are midway through the “grey days of winter”. The days are getting noticeably longer and the promise of spring is within sight. Today, we happen to be blessed with clear, blue skies and plenty of sunshine. While I need to put on several layers on from head to toe just to take a brief walk with my dog, I am happy to breathe in the brisk air and feel the sunshine on my face. As often happens, my mind drifts off to my beloved Brittany, and what I would be doing if I were there today. I imagine that I’m in the…
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Best of 2020
Yes, I know, the title is somewhat …. interesting. Did we have a best of anything in 2020?! Like many of you, I had goals and plans for the year that went, shall we say, a little off course due to a little thing called Covid 19. For one, I planned to spend spring break and the summer holiday in Brittany. I would have taken you along on my many adventures, we would have tasted delicious cuisine, and we would have learned some useful French phrases along the way. Alas, this was not the year for adventure. No, this was a year to just keep going, and some days, even…
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Interview with Christine Todd, Teacher and Entrepreneur (in English and French)
The most important things in life are the connections you make with others. – Tom Ford Les choses les plus importantes dans la vie sont les connexions que vous établissez avec les autres. – Tom Ford I had the immense pleasure recently to meet up with une amie, Christine, who is embarking on a new adventure that brings people together for the purposes of language learning, cultural understanding, cooking, connection, and, most importantly, fun! Christine and I met through the graces of social media at the beginning of 2020, and had plans to meet in person over the summer. While our get together wasn’t quite as we had originally planned…
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On Gratitude
“Enjoy the little things. For one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault I received a message from an acquaintance last week, a fellow Francophile who, like me, is waiting with bated breath for news that we can travel again. She said she had been missing France more than usual and made herself feel better by going to the grocery store and purchasing some delicious bread, cheese and wine. She planned to spend the evening watching a good French film while savoring her fromage and vin. While not quite the same as being there, it was as close as she had…
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Why Brittany?
If Paris is the heart of France, then I dare to say Brittany is its soul. That is a rather bold – and perhaps controversial – statement given Brittany’s history with France, but I’m going to say it anyway. At least that is how Brittany feels to me. While it would take considerably more time and pages than one blog post to say why I believe that to be true, I’ll try to summarize it here in a few paragraphs. The Climate Brittany is green and lush, thanks to its moderate oceanic climate. It just feels good, like you’re wrapped in a warm green blanket. I have visited Brittany at…
