Vide Grenier

Our little village had it's first very own vide grenier on Sunday.

After the extreme high temperatures of last week the overcast day was a relief from the heatwave & a perfect atmosphere for the event. 

We had our very own sign to proclaim the day & quite a large number of participants for such a tiny village. Vide grenier means quite literally "empty the attic" & that is just what everyone did.

There was a little bit of everything & certainly something for everyone.

From trinkets to cast off treasures 

Young & old alike found some little something to bring home.

But mostly it was just a happy occasion for neighbors to gather together & enjoy each other's company & celebrate the life of the village. 

I am connecting this post to Paulita's weekly meme

Dreaming of France

because sometimes dreams are all about real life experiences.

Retard à la Fête

Oops! I totally spaced out yesterday & forgot to wish everyone in France a 

Bon 14 Juillet

 Sorry I am late to the party but I do hope it was a fabulous day all the way 'round.

Not much happens where I am here in the countryside to celebrate the day, which might explain my forgetfulness. There are no fireworks here, although I have, on a number of occasions, had the opportunity to see the beautiful "feu d' artifice" in Paris. That is an amazing & memorable experience to be sure with the

Eiffel Tower as backdrop.

I did see this acrobat performing her acrobatic stunts to old French tunes in the square of Gaillac recently, which called to mind a festive France of an earlier epoch.

A lot of visitors do come to this area for the holiday though. They come to hike, ride bikes, picnic in the countryside, kayak down the river or just relax in small riverside cafes. It is definitely  a more low key sort of celebration here in the country, which for many is the start of the official summer vacation. 

So Happy Fête Nationale    

a day late & happy summer vacations to all!

Des Petits Chose

For me the beauty of France is in the small things. An artichoke flower on an old chair in a French garden for example.

A basket of lavender brought to me by a friend....

The first peaches of summer & rose petals to make a potpourri....

Or a little bird on the weathervane of the house across the road, there to greet me as I throw open my window to the morning sunlight.

I hope you also take pleasure in the small things when you are 

Dreaming of France.

Sweet Sixteen

Happy Birthday to my sweet, beautiful, smart, thoughtful, loving granddaughter who turns sweet 16 today. 

I love you Emily!

Claire de Lune

Last weeks beautiful night sky with it's golden full moon & planets Venus & Jupiter aligned  made for enchanting walks around the village.

The moon light gave a lovely warm glow to the surrounding countryside.

Although the amazing phenomenon of Venus & Jupiter aligning in the sky was astonishingly visible I was only able to capture this funny squiggle with my camera.

The moon had already risen too high to capture it with more earthly visions below. So I collaged together a shot of the moon & one of my favorite photos of the surrounding farmland bathed in it's light to create this image.

Sometimes 

Dreaming of France 

is no more than that, sweet, silent,

 fuzzy dreams flooded in moonlight.

Happy 4th!!

                          Happy 

                        4th of July 

       weekend to everyone in the USA

                               &

     happy lazy crazy days of summer 

                                to 

                       all the rest!!

Cordes sur Ciel

  One travels over the years without quite knowing what one is searching for, wandering amid the clatter, caught up with desires or regrets, and one arrives unexpectedly in one from those two or three places which await each one of us in this world. The traveller who, from the terraces of Cordes, looks at the summer night sky, knows that he needs to travel no further, because the beauty here, day after day, will remove any loneliness.

Albert Camus

I made a recent visit to the beautiful hill top town of Cordes sur Ciel, the medieval village that 

Albert Camus

found so compelling. 

The little Saturday market at the foot of the village was bustling & is always fun for a change of venue.

The climb to the top is steep & requires some real exertion but it is a lovely climb non the less & well worth the effort. It certainly gives you pause to think about life in the Middle Ages & what it must have been like. 

Although it has become much more of a tourist town over the years I still value the beauty that Camus once saw in this historical treasure.

So if you happen to be 

Dreaming of France 

You might want to put this spot on your wish list.