A Visit To the Aubazine Abbey In Corrèze

First, I must apologize for the long silence. Though it was my intention to post regularly from France, I must admit that it is harder to find time to sit at the computer when there is so much to do, so much to explore. I hope that the photos above of a visit to Aubazine in the Corrèze will make up for the lack of recent posts.Aubazine is roughly two hours from our house in the hills of the Auvergne. It is the site of a splendid 12th-century...

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A Visit To A Beautiful Old House In The Auvergne

Once a year, while I am in France, I get together with my friend Violaine. Violaine and I went to middle school together in Clermont-Ferrand and, together with our classmates Ghislaine and Marie-José, we spent many great times together. After my family moved to the United States, we continued corresponding and finding ways of checking in with each other in the summer.This year, Violaine invited me to her family's country home here in the Auvergne....

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Of Sunflower Fields And Daily Bread

 The Auvergne may not have fields of lavender like Provence, but the fields of sunflower are perhaps even more spectacular.  The last few days have been absolutely gorgeous here, and the sunflowers are in full bloom.  It is quite a sight, especially under a clear blue sky.Our life here consist of going to the market, cooking, eating, taking walks and visiting friends.  Sometime soon, we will have to start working on the house,...

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Market Day In Issoire

One of the greatest pleasures of spending time in France is the weekly visit to the market.  One of my favorite is in Issoire, a beautiful little town, whose past goes back to Roman times.On market day, vendors put up their stalls along the winding roads that lead through the old part of town and display their products.Though prices in France can sometimes seem astronomical, especially given the unfavorable exchange rate, I always found that...

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