When you have a large camera in your hands there is little room to hold an iPhone at the same time… which is a shame because I love my iPhone camera but often forget to use it.

But when I do remember it and turn off the sound people usually don’t know I’m taking their picture and in this case spying on what they ordered for dessert.  Tarte Tatin, Panna Cotta, no one was dieting at that table.

Except my French boyfriend, you can’t fool him, he doesn’t let a photo opp get away.

A big camera is a lot of fun but even a small camera can catch a big moment.

Enjoy!

Leslie

Even with unpredictable weather, I’m still a fan.  Auvergne is famous for Cantal, Saint Nectaire and blue d’Auvergne cheese…Yum!  The region probably has more cows and goats than people and is home to Les Chaines des Puys, the oldest geological mountain range in France.

The area is also part of France’s largest national park, the Parc Naturel Regional des Volcans d’Auvergne, and is a destination for outdoor enthusiasts.

At 1,465meters tall, Le Puy de Dome is the highest of the dormant volcanos in the area with extraordinary panoramic views.  With it’s large antenna the mountain is a landmark for the region and in the past could easily be viewed on the label of Volvic Water which comes from the region.

You can’t visit this region without visiting the Puy de Dome but as rain, snow, wind or fog can quickly leave you in a precarious situation you hesitate before committing to a hike.  But last year clear weather allowed Claudine and I to hike the Puy de Pariou, a massive grass filled crater with incredible views of the region and the neighboring Puy de Dome.  It is one of the most impressive landscapes in all of France.

And this year was monumental because after ten years of visits to Clermont Ferrand I finally visited the summit of the Puy de Dome.  It’s not a long hike but the ascent is a killer because the climb is steep but the views at the top are well worth the pain.

If Claudine and I are lucky and mother nature cooperates our next girls weekend will come to a close with another hike in this beautiful region.

Enjoy!

Leslie

PS:  The picture with no watermark was taken last year from the Puy de Pariou.

I love Claudine’s French kitchen and the weekly deliveries of freshly prepared food from her mother-in-law Mamie Nicole (Grandma Nicole).

Mamie Nicole is a rock star!  She will be turning 80 this year and she still prepares home cooked meals daily with fresh ingredients from her garden.

Her carrots, peas, and baby potatoes are amazing. They are sweet yet savory and are probably prepared in best quality lard and butter Auvergne has to offer.  Julia Child would be proud.

I like to think Mamie Nicole likes me too because when Claud and I return from the girls weekend I verify with Richard the size of the weeks delivery.  Extra-large!

For le petit déjeuner et le goûter (breakfast and afternoon snacks) Mamie Nicole sends delicious buttery Madeleines from her local boulanger but Mamie Morissette (Grandma Morissette), who is also a rock star, has these meals covered with fresh baked cookies that Claudine stores by the truckload in her freezer.

I don’t know what’s in those cookies (possibly something from the local pharmacy) but there is no stopping at one.  And although I couldn’t tell you how many I eat, I will admit that the tin is usually empty the day Claudine brings me back to the airport.

I’ve been lobby for overnight delivery to NY for a while.  Mamie Nicole and Mamie Morissette would make a killing (who wouldn’t want Grandma Direct?!?!).   But even with overnight delivery of the Grandma’s’ goodies I can’t imagine a year that I don’t visit Clermont.

It’s not the place or the food it’s the people.  See you next year Claud!

Leslie

This post is less about photos and more about the serious part of the girls weekend when we talk about our goals and objectives.  This always happens at our last main meal together.

All three of us have some big goals to work on and even though we won’t see each other for another six months we are constantly sharing updates, advice and support, while cheering each other on (even during the crappy weeks) via email.

My goals include securing steady income from my consulting, being able to afford health care coverage and continuing to grow my photography skills for potential income.

This week the NYTimes.com’s second most emailed article is “But Will It Make You Happy?”.  In the past twelve months I’ve happily given up almost all the extras and instant gratifiers in my life to save everywhere and anywhere I can for travel. I prefer risks to regrets.

Photographer and blogger Karen Walrond posted in February “100+ Things I’d Like to Do Before I Go”.  Her list is wonderful and it made me stop and feel grateful for the goals I’ve already accomplished like  #6. Scuba dive in Bali – (I’ll never scuba diving but I’ve been to Bali), #9. Visit Tokyo – (two trips and hopefully more in the future) #19.  Visit the very top of the Eiffel Tower – (many times, just not recently) and the ones on my list still waiting to be checked.

Travel may not be on your list but what goals do you want to accomplish before you go?  The girls and I have gotten started on ours, have you started on yours?

Merci les filles!!!  See you in six months!!

Leslie

One of Mapie’s friends gave us a list of restaurant options for dinner. I don’t know how the girls selected it but they chose a small local seafood restaurant tucked into a hidden corner of Marseille.

It was a typical seaside restaurant, overlooking a scenic cove filled with leisure and fishing boats.

It was perfect and the food delicious.   The girls and I are very lucky when we are together.

I hope you’re lucky enough to find and visit the restaurant Au Bord de L’Eau too, but if not take a minute to enjoy a visit right here.

Enjoy!

Leslie

The owner of our B&B highly recommended Marseille’s tourist train (he was very excited about it).   We weren’t convinced as we are not the guided tour kind of group.

But Marseille is a sprawling city and outside of Le Vieux-Port (The Old Port) the main attraction is Notre-Dame de la Garde (Our Lady of the Guard), a Neo-Byzantine church that sits on the city’s highest peak at 162 m (532 ft) high.

Given the distance and the incline, we took the owners advice and got on the tourist train.

The basilica is known as the city’s guardian and protector and although it has not always protected the city properly, it’s incredibly beautiful.

What surprised me most about Marseille is the plague of stereotypes that often overshadows the city’s beauty and history.

Similar to tourist trains the city often gets a bad rap yet it is really worth a visit… At the minimum for the tourist train ride, it was excellent.

Enjoy!

Leslie

The original goal was for me to discover new regions of France but now it’s really about finding a place where we will enjoy our time together.

Each year is completely different and this year I had another incredible discovery… On the coastline between Cassis and Marseille in the Bouches-du-Rhône département of France is the area of Les Calanques.

A calanque is a formation of limestone inlets in the form of a valley, with hair raising-cliffs, that are partly submerged in the sea.

Between Cassis and Marseille there are thirteen different calanques varying in difficulty to reach and enjoy the Mediterranean Sea down below.

We visited one of the easier calanques to hike, picnic, and swim.

You won’t see all the photos (the girls would throw me to the guillotine) and given the rocky terrain the pictures with no watermark were taken with my Point and Shoot.

Last year we visited the village of Cassis but I never would have imagined that just beyond its port would be one of the most beautiful regions in France.

Physically speaking, hiking Les Calanques is not for everyone (there are also boat tours) but if you don’t mind working up a sweat on rocky terrain (where foot trails are not always well marked) the stunning landscape and clear blue water will definitely reward your efforts.

If you decide to hike be sure to bring a picnic, a lot of water and avoid the week-end crowds (My French team knows how to prepare, thanks girls!).

If you haven’t gotten away this Summer, I hope this gives you a quick visual getaway or maybe an idea for your next vacation.

Enjoy!

Leslie

Our picnics are about relaxing, gossiping, horoscopes and of course good food…but the relaxing is the key.

Each year the location may change but, the slow relaxing ambiance of the south is always the same.

As we enjoy our time together…Claudine will always say “On est bien les filles.” (Girls, we are good here)…which I translate as “How lucky are we!”.

As you can see, there is nothing difficult about our French picnic.

And it’s true “On est bien.” (We are very lucky!).

The last three images on the post were taken by Mapie with my Point and Shoot and the film below by Claudine with the same camera!  They are beautiful!!!  Thanks girls!

View more images from the French picnic on my Flickr homepage.

Enjoy!

Leslie

Whenever I take pictures of food, the number of images quickly multiplies.

And the amount of images to cull through can be overwhelming.

And it obviously was overwhelming because I completely overlooked sharing one of my favorite images from the market.

The cheese! I forgot the cheese!  My pictures don’t do it justice but I promise it was beautiful.

And although the aroma was slightly potent, the cheese itself was not only beautiful it was delicious… Have you ever seen moldy cheese look so beautiful?

See more market photos on Flickr!

Enjoy!

Leslie

Our pique-niques are fun, relaxing, and delicious.

And just as nice as the pique-nique is the search for the pique-nique…at bakeries, road-side stands, butcher shops and small epiceries (grocers).

But in France there is no better place to shop for fresh fruit, cheese, saucisson (sausage), and bread than at the weekly market

And the weekly Saturday market in Aix is the place to shop for local goods.

It’s one of the best markets in the south, servicing locals and tourists, with quality produce from the region.

Well to be honest the girls do the shopping, my job is to wander behind, enjoy the action and try to focus on taking pictures.

When we cross paths the conversation goes like this… “Les t’as vu les saucissons? Il faut que tu le prennes en photo!” (Les did you see the saussage?  You have to a picture of them!)… “Et le pain?  C’est superb!” (And the bread?  It’s incredible)…

The team is always watching out for me (merci les filles!)

And as every year, when the shopping is done we wrap up the morning with a coffee on the terrace of a cafe to talk, rest and take in the ambience.

I love this post, it makes me feel like I’m back in Aix with the girls.

If you have never been to Aix I hope these close-ups help inspire a visit. Visit my Flickr page to see more images from the market.

Enjoy!

Leslie