Gorges du Verdon, lac Esparon (Verdon Canyon, Lake Esparon) i went canoeing (or kayaking if you are british) today! don't laugh out loud please. seriously, i got in a little canoe with two other gals (Rachael and Vicky) and two dogs (Ruby and Napoleon) and rowed down a river. without tipping the canoe, screaming bloody…

went to the dentist the other day, i've seen many dentists the last few years…but this is my first french one. he speaks some english, with deadly comic timing. he asked (as did all the office staff) what part of the states i'm from. "oh, i'm from Chicago" "oo, Meeshigan?" "um, no, Illinois" "Lahs Veegaahs?"…

a local choral group meets across the street (which here means six feet away) every week to practice what seems to be a collection of american folk and gospel songs. today's set had a new number…i'm not sure if it's the title, but the repeated line is "oh, happy day.." (if you know the one,…

i was getting complaints (um, comments) that there weren't enough pictures of moi on the blog…being as i am usually behind the camera. so, mom obliged my vanity with a few nice shots of me and miss Ruby (and dazed Uncle Bert) at Le Cameo, our usual afternoon gomme (light beer with lemon syrup, very…

i've been swimming in the sea (at the Gravette and Salis beaches, just around the corner) a few times, was looking forward to making it a regular thing..i love the water, and ooh…floating in warm salt water, view of the old town, hot sunny beach..lovely, right? mom and bert informed me last night during their…

i was warned that it gets mighty hot around here in the summertime, but i brushed it off..no biggie..i'm used to the tropics of Savannah (up to high 90's, 100% humidity, overnight lows in the 70's)! i made one major miscalculation…air conditioning. it doesn't exist here. Ruby is a little black puddle on the tile…

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR LARGER VIEW IN NEW WINDOW Aunt Suzanne and Cousin Jack are coming to visit us in two weeks! we are all very excited, have many outings planned…the beach, the boat, a little gambling, etc. Jack so enjoyed the postcard of Antibes i sent earlier, i thought he (and anyone else who…

this one is for Miss Dawn..remember that expensive habit i left you with? (in the form of the leftover goat's cheese from my fridge). you ain't had nothing like this baby! it is young goats cheese, delicately sweet and wrapped in white raisins..it's like creamy dessert meets cheese meets white wine spritzers…absolutely gorgeous. would that…

ah, the sublime, sophisticated life i lead. spent the afternoon today sunning on the beach, took a dip in the sea, enjoyed a proper espresso (complete with little cups and little stir spoons from the beach-side vendor trucks!). this is so fabulous i'm thinking, i am so fabulous in my hot pink sunglasses and my…

our plans to visit Haut de Cagnes (gorgeous little nearby town) were dashed by the continuation of the huge strike (en greve) across France…it has even made the international news..Paris was jammed by 600km of gridlock as folks tried to get into work, shopping, etc in their cars…no trains, buses, flights, poste, and so on……