July 22, the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, remains a popular and sprit filled celebration where many will gather in the Basilica of Saint Maximin la Sainte Baume and near her grotto in La Sainte Baume for several days in southern France, to honor Saint Mary Magdalene, as they have for ages. For me, July …
Saint Mary Magdalene and La Sainte Baume; A Very Mysterious Place Indeed Read More »
Walking the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral is a really wonderful mystical experience for those open to connecting to their soul path. I made it my sole purpose of going there to walk and spend the night to take in their famous light festival. I wanted to share my rather strange, unsettling and spiritual experience. …
My longings to return to Rocamadour took on a rather sudden mysterious calling again about 7 days ago. Out of the blue, I decided to go back to Rocamadour for another procession of Notre Dame de Rocamadour, this time to celebrate her nativity on September the 8th, which is a major feast day for Catholics …
I felt a longing to be around an abbey in the silence of the countryside as Thursday was All Saints Day, a holiday here in France and the next day the celebration of the dead, a difficult weekend for me, even more so since the death of my son. Families go to the cemeteries to honor their …
Ancient Abbey, Soup Festival, And Healing Vichy Waters Read More »
Truffle hunting in Champagne? I had never heard of truffles from Champagne before, except the chocolate ones made to look like Champagne corks of course. Truffles generally come from two areas in France, Provence, and the Perigord region, and I have never even thought I going truffle hunting before. While on my recent grape picking adventure …
Hunting Truffles And Other Discoveries In Champagne Read More »
The lovely village of Merano, or Meran is geographically in Italy, but is a bicultural town, with a decidedly Austrian soul and more rooted in the Austrian Sud Tyrol culture. This is not at all surprising , given that Merano was in the Austrian Hungarian Empire until it was turned over to Italy after WWI. …
The Venice Carnival and Italian thermal spas were my well planned getaway to help get through the death anniversary of my son last week. He would have loved to have been with us. Maybe Italy called me because it was the last place Andre traveled with us a few years ago. I followed my own …
Aimée’s birthday celebration was for her as difficult as Christmas and New Years. Despite my best attempt for distraction and evasion, it is impossible to blot up the grief that seeps through the fabric of our lives. Plus there is always a sibling’s survivor’s guilt at play too, though not always expressed at every turn. …
Aimée’s Birthday Celebration At Grease And The Sea Read More »
Bessie Coleman was really an extraordinary woman who had to fight against tremendous odds stacked against her to accomplish all that she did. This woman who grew up in the piney woods of East Texas made her dream come true in a time when it was plain unthinkable of doing what she did. Her story …
Bessie Coleman, First African American Female Pilot Read More »
My trip to Nantes was unplanned and frankly not one I would have chosen for myself. This is not a bias against Nantes, which has its merits, like an adorable chateau, but I was more interested in the Atlantic coast! Aimée, my daughter had a chance to go on a “formation” paid by her hospital, …
My Trip To Nantes And Pornichet To Changer L’Air Read More »
Frankly, I hadn’t planned at all to write much about Granville and Christian Dior’s boyhood home. Why? I had other grand plans for even going to Granville on the Normandy coast, and they had nothing to do with this very famous couturier. I had this great idea of doing the “traversée” of bay Mont Saint Michel …
My Trip To Granville And Christian Dior’s Boyhood Home Read More »
Twice a year I am royally tempted by this extravagant garden show at Château Saint Jean de Beauregard, and this time I gave in. Right now, as autumn approaches, my grief brain needs all the flower power I can soak up. It is the oldest and largest garden show in France. I always found the …
Superb Garden Show At Château Saint Jean de Beauregard Read More »