The L-List » South of France

Wrapping Up

Leslie — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:48:04 +0000

Every year the girls weekend ends with a coffee or cold drink.

And a little bit of back to reality gloom…

Until we start planning the next girls weekend.

I think we are ready to start the planning.

See you soon girls!

Enjoy!

Leslie

Ready to Eat

Leslie — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 13:44:25 +0000

Our picnics are pretty simple.

A mix of a little pain (bread), fromage (cheese), saucisson (sausage) and fruit.

Sometimes we go a little crazy and include some yogurt…

But if we don’t we are fine without it.

Not only is it all very simple, it is very delicious.

Enjoy!

Leslie

Market Favorites

Leslie — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 03:15:48 +0000

I always have a few market favorites.

The cheese…

And the local jam…

Yum!

Enjoy!

Leslie

Before We Eat

Leslie — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 14:14:49 +0000

Before we eat, we have to shop for the goods.

Well the girls shop for the goods, I watch, shake my head to confirm their choices and take pictures.

Next year they said I should do the shopping to test what I have learned from them.

We can try… as long as I can still take photos.

These were a few of my favorite shots from our visit to the market.

Enjoy!

Leslie

Le Palais de Papes

Leslie — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 02:35:13 +0000

In 1309 Avignon became the residence of the Popes during a period of chaos in Rome. Located in southern France this historical palace is one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe.

Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Popes returned to Rome in 1377 yet the palace stayed under Papal control until the French revolution.

The palace is physically impressive but what struck me most was the organization created to build and run the palace. This was a full-fledged company with cooks, security, controllers, doctors, and a CEO at the top to make decisions.

Even though the girls had already visited the palace, it was still a nice cultural excursion.

And an opportunity for all of us to take a few photos.

Enjoy!

Leslie

Visit to Avignon

Leslie — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 02:40:10 +0000

As New York gets hit hard with rain I’m thinking about vacation.

And the photos I want to review and share from my time away.

As my Italian friends say “poco a poco” (little by little).

Maybe I should have said that in French… either way I’m getting there.

Enjoy!

Leslie

A Table

Leslie — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:25:45 +0000

A sign of a good French host is the beauty of their table, the linens, the stemware, and sometimes the table itself.

And when it comes to breakfast this would include the quality of the bread, the fresh croissants, the local fruit, the coffee, and my personal favorite the homemade jams.

As you can see, our host Monique sets high French standards for her table.

Her communal table was a beauty… and breakfast was so delicious it was followed by a thorough review of the number of rolls and croissants we each ate and with which jam.

We even spoke to our neighbors, every morning! A strange experience, because our table neighbors were French.

I’m certain it was Monique’s table, why move from a table this perfect?

Enjoy!

Leslie

Here We Go…

Leslie — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 02:37:38 +0000

These photos may not be so obvious.

But for me the Viaduc de Millau is a yearly ritual. It is a yearly bathroom break and snack stop.

As the world’s highest bridge tower, peaking at 343 metres (1,125 ft), it gets yearly coverage on The L-List and as you may know a sign the girls weekend has officially started.

Enjoy!

Leslie

My Summer In Review: I Heart Faces Photo Challenge

Leslie — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 06:12:43 +0000

I Heart Faces – one of my favorite photography blogs offers a weekly photo challenge.

This weeks theme is “My Summer In Review” and I’m taking on the challenging with a few more photos from my time in Europe.

Although my summer has been filled with a lot of stress searching for work my time in Rome and France was a reprieve from all the problems and gave me time to focus on my camera.

I’m lucky to have good friends in beautiful places.

And although the travel is great I can’t forget how I kicked off my summer…

How cute is he!

Enjoy!

Leslie

Goals and Objectives

Leslie — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 01:59:14 +0000

“As you grow older, you’ll find that the only things you regret are the things you didn’t do.” -Zachary Scott

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.

It isn’t an easy conversation because not only do we look back over the past six months at what we have or haven’t accomplished, we look forward and recommit to the six months ahead.

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.

I love Elizabeth Gilbert’s quote “To travel is worth any cost or sacrifice.”. Continuing to travel is another goal and it’s one of the most important things I do but unfortunately there is no trust fund or gifts supporting it (there never has been), just a healthy mix of know-how, sacrifice, and risk taking.

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