Loving Village Life

My  Little Garden

Sunset Over Monflanquin
View from Terrace

 Have you ever loved something so much, you are afraid it will be taken away? I feel so fortunate and grateful to have found Monflanquin.  Those of you who have read my book, MY LITTLE FRENCH VILLAGE, www.amazon.com know the back story and why this place means so much to me. Really, it's the little things which alone would be enough, but the little things are happening in French, which makes my heart sing. A French couple strolling by around 10 P.M. wished me "Bonne Nuit" as I closed my shutters for the night.  A French friend went out of her way to make me paella because I told her I had a craving for fish. This dish takes a massive effort and strain on the budget.  I taught her how to make a crumble, so happy to contribute in some way. It is my turn for Sunday lunch this week.  No way will it be the 6 hour paella extravaganza. Stay tuned for the menu, ethnic not French and the guests' reactions.

A friend made me paella. Amazing!

I taught my friend to make a raspberry apricot crumble.

 Over the weekend the village not only celebrated the Fete de la Musique in honor of the summer solstice, but also launched the first ever Festival of the Arts. Forty artists around the village opened their homes to the public. Some even offered workshops. The village came alive and hopefully people purchased an art object to take home.

 This week the chimney sweep came by, "a pinch me experience" in 2018. His wife scampered to the top of the roof and did most of the hard work. She offered that climbing on roof tops suits her just fine due to the beautiful views! My chimney got a clean bill of health and a certificate for insurance purposes.

Chimney Sweeping

By necessity and perhaps laziness,  much of our house decor comes from Amazon.fr. It's always a risk to order sight unseen, but after much study and some mastery of the metric system, online shopping works out well.

I ventured into the big city of Villeneuve -sur-lot last week and stumbled across Aldi, Trader Joe's German parent. How comforting to see the Trader Joe's brand, and yes, the prices are good. Aldi's feels like a warehouse and carries every thing from French cheese to bathing suits.

So there you have it. If you have any tips on conquering the fear of losing what you love, please send them my way. And to all of you, I hope you have someone or something you love as much as I love Monflanquin.

Be well!

A Taste of Home at Aldi's

My best  friend is amazon.fr