Lake Como- Summer 2019

It is with bittersweet feelings that we venture into our last August trip as ex-pats here in Europe. I'm sure it would be hard to draw up much sympathy when I say that knowing it is our last big trip, we have felt a bit sad thinking about all the "lasts" for now. But, there…

Bittricks in Paris

Our neighbors from Greenville, the Bittrick family were planning a trip to Europe this summer and it just so happened that they'd be in Paris the first week that the boys were out of school/ our first week of summer! Finn is one of Wells' best buddies from Greenville and when they were smaller, they…

Bordeaux

We arrived to Bordeaux as our 3rd stop on our western France adventure. As usual, we arrived mid-afternoon and wasted no time setting out to find an afternoon treat- for us, it's always coffee. We were happy to read about La Pelle Café which was listed as one of the top best coffee shops in…

Mont St. Michel

After we left upper Normandy, we stopped in Nantes overnight before stopping at Mont St. Michel before continuing on to Bordeaux. It was a cool and rainy morning when we left and we were hoping to have a dry afternoon when arriving to the island. Mont St. Michel is famous for its unique appearance and…

Normandy

  One of the biggest surprises about living in France has been the incredible differences between each of the different regions throughout this relatively small country. Every region has its own personality- each is known for different specialty foods/wines while having their own own natural and historical landmarks as well, it's as if each region…

California girls

I'll never forget the day when my sister Maureen told me she was moving to Los Angeles. She, her husband, Nathaniel and their 2 little girls had been living in New York City for years and, while it had been a possibility for a long time, this was a big opportunity to move closer to…

Cyprus

  After our long cold gray, dreary winter last year, we decided that for our February break, we would look for somewhere warm and sunny. In February, almost all of Europe is still typically cold and winter-y, so we had to go way down into the Mediterranean in search of warmer temps and sun. That's…

Méribel 2

When we first came to Méribel last February, it was one of the best weeks we have ever had as a family. It was the first place we had ever visited where we would spend an entire week in one place. Ever. Even in the summer, back home, limited vacation time meant maybe 5 days…

Strasbourg

As summer turns to fall and we head into winter, the days become shorter, greyer and night comes early. The closer we get to Christmas, the darker it is getting as we walk home from school at 4:45. When it's cold and grey, this family of homebodies likes to curl up with blankets, watch movies,…

Charlie

It's hard to believe that this summer marked our first year of life here in France. So much has happened this year, we have been catapulted into a whole different world. We do our best to keep life in our apartment unique to who we are, but it seems that almost every detail of life…