Well… maybe these meringue cookies.

He recently commented on one of my food posts, “Elles sont belles tes photos, ou tu les as prises?” (Your photos are beautiful, where did you take them?).  ”Je t’aime Leslie, a bientot.”  (I love you Leslie, see you soon).

Merci Edgar, je t’aime aussi.

Leslie

That wouldn’t be any fun.

Just gazing through a glass pastry case makes me happy.

Although shooting these sweet treats and sharing them with you makes me just as happy.

Hungry?

Leslie

When traveling lunch can be the best meal of the day.

Especially when the restaurant and the company are good.

Hungry?

Leslie

They love to play together.

Especially at le parc (the park) where they challenge the jungle gym…

Or maybe it’s the jungle gym challenging them.

Either way I agree with my French boyfriend… there is nothing better than time at le parc with French friends.

Enjoy!

Leslie

I have a lot of ideas for City Hall and the Office of Tourism to improve the city’s look and appeal to tourists.

I love Clermont’s small size of just 150,000 people, it’s a village compared to New York.

And although the dark volcanic stone of many buildings is not very pretty, nor the industrial outskirts of the city, the city’s center harbors tranquil cafes and old medieval streets that allow you to disconnect from the buzz of a big city.

My French boyfriend is a connoisseur of the local cafes and enjoys them most when he has a chocolate sable from the boulanger.

Spending time hiking and enjoying the surrounding volcanic countryside in Clermont is a given but what may be overlooked is the quantity of galleries and artisans located in the city’s center.

I think the abundance of creativity has something to do with the local cuisine and the continual risk of cold wet weather.

Either way I think this city and its surrounding countryside are worth a visit.

No need to confirm, I’ll be back next year to eat, hike, disconnect and take in the local culture.

Enjoy!

Leslie

Our long distance relationship can be challenging but we still have a lot in common. We both like the goodies at the boulanger, we really like le goûter (an afternoon snack of preferably Mamie Morissette’s homemade cookies) and sitting at outdoor cafes enjoying a coffee – usually his idea because he gets the cookie not the bad coffee.

My French boyfriend also likes verifying how his picture looks on my camera’s LCD screen, “Ouaiss, c’est bien.” (Yeah, it’s nice) and asking questions like “Est-ce que c’est l’appareil de ton marie?” (Is that your husband’s camera?)… sometimes it’s better to just respond “Oui”.

I visit Clermont in July to celebrate his birthday but this past Sunday he celebrated without me.  He had requested a camera for his birthday and Papa came through with a low-cost digital camera.  His Mom reported the camera hasn’t left him since and Sunday night he told his parents “Je fais comme Leslie” (I’m like Leslie) and he started snapping pictures of all the plates of food on the dinner table.

I miss my French boyfriend (and the boulagner).  If business doesn’t pick up soon I have threatened to hire myself as his personal English teacher and his Mom has just advised photography classes will also be needed.   Not a bad combination knowing I will have unlimited access to the boulanger and Mamie Morissette’s homemade cookies.

Enjoy!

Leslie

The French are wondering and maybe worried why I’m visiting a city known for dark colored stone, volcanos and Michelin tires.

I visit Clermont every year… first and foremost to visit my friend Claudine, followed by my French boyfriend, Mammi Nicole’s cooking, Claudine’s kitchen, hiking in Le Puy de Dôme, and my newest discovery Claudine’s boulanger (baker).

“How did I miss the boulanger ?!?!”.  Claudine explained I always visit in July when the boulanger is on vacation.

But as it was June Claudine introduced us and explained why I’d never been to see him before.   He communicated through Claudine in French to tell me he loves me, confirm if I like les bons choses (to eat well) and gave us the details on how the boulangerie is managed and run since he retired and sold it.

As the line continued to grow behind us and the boulanger continued to talk, the clientele waited patiently. There was no grumbling, impatient humming or walking out…a small French price to pay to ensure you get some of the best bread and pastries in Clermont.

As you can imagine I’m also in love and I’m looking forward to my next visit to Clermont which definitely won’t be in July.

Enjoy!

Leslie

If you are visiting Paris I can recommend pastry shops, budget or four star restaurants, hidden neighborhoods, small hotels, almost anything Italian and everything in between.

But when I visit Paris there are a few French things I can’t go without.  No fancy brands just my favorite French basics.

Monoprix for shower gel from Le Petit Marseille, T-Shirts from Petit Bateau, a Pharamacie or Parapharmacie (preferably Pharmacie Fouhety at 26 Rue du Four – for the best selection and prices) for Anthelios Sunscreen and La Roche-Posay Lip Balm.

This is not what most people think of when they are heading to Paris.  But for a city known for sophistication sometimes the basics are really the best.

For those of you heading to Paris…  Enjoy!

Leslie

Happily…here are a few more highlights for you to enjoy with a big thank you to Mapi and Claudine for another great girls weekend.

…And a very special thank you to Richard, who helped save my photos so I could continue posting.  Merci Richard!!!!!

Aix en Provence…culture, food and yes a little shopping…

Another Village Inconnu… no restaurant, 2 bars, 1 boulangerie (bakery), 1 epicerie (small supermarket), 1 newstand and a lot of beautiful homes all link together in a winding hilltop town in the shape of a snail.

Our Chambre D’Hote (Bed & Breakfast), a refuge for rest and relaxation…

The seaside Village of Cassis – I think the pictures say it all…

The Team!

Bye Girls!!!  See you next year!!!

Bises (Kisses)

Leslie

The idea of speaking a foreign language, especially French or Italian, usually excites people, “Oh la la….French!”.   For me speaking a foreign language is pure enjoyment.

People are usually suprised when I tell them I was a horrible French student, my parents can vouch.  I was consistently tutored to pass required high school and college coursework…but a trip to France changed everything.

I can’t really say what changed me during that first visit except I couldn’t imagine not speaking French.  So I bought a phrase book, called my parents and announced “I am going to speak French.”.  My mother kindly asked if this was her daughter.

My friend Dan says “Learning and speaking a foreign language is like exercise, you have to do it everyday to see the benefits”. He is right!

I am still a horrible student but I work at it almost everyday.  I love the ability to communicate in another language.  It is fear, joy and sometimes exhaustion all rolled in one.

Moving forward you can click on the category Language Lessons to see all postings where I have used and translated words in French or Italian… to have a little language escape of your own.

In the future I hope to offer a word of the month, one in French and one in Italian…because who doesn’t enjoy saying a few words in a foreign language.

I hope you agree!

Enjoy!

Leslie