06 October 2010

Next Stop: Auvergne Region

We are fortunate to have friends in who holiday every year at the family farm house in central France (she is Parisian and married one of my hubby's schoolfriends, the now live in the next susburb so we see each regularly).

We timed our holiday with theirs and met up with them for a week. It was divine: a bit of site seeing, lots of delicious eating, reading and sleeping.



The beautiful farmhouse owned by our friends' family for a few generations.  "A Year in Provence", eat your heart out.






A typical day of eating wonderful locally sourced food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, reading in the afternoon sun, the kids loved checking out the local cows in the backyard and after a long day (this photo was taken around 10pm) the kids would all chill out in front of the TV before crashing for the night.









A bit of site seeing in the nearby town of Herisson.  France just has the most picturesque towns, my boys loved the medieval castle (once lived in by the kings of France) which is currently undergoing restoration.



Our friends were married in one of Herisson's medieval churches, L'eglise de Chateloy.  It has stunning frescos and sits on top of a cliff overlooking the town.




And they had their reception at this chateau, a moat and beautiful gardens (with a cute garden shed - last picture) included. A local family owns this chateau and they still live in it and rent out the grounds and some rooms for functions such as weddings. A medieval church and chateau, a dream wedding come true I think.




Of course no trip to France would be complete without a trip to the local brocante (flea market). After our week in central France, we drove back to Paris where we caught the TGV and the Sud Express for the next stage of our holiday, four sunny, hot weeks in Portugal.

8 comments:

  1. What prettiness! Thanks for sharing, Engracia. I really enjoyed going on a virtual holiday with you. One day I'll get back to France. Sigh. J x

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  2. It looks idyllic. It's so nice that you were able to stay with friends on your trip. It's so much more enjoyable than staying in hotels.

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  3. I discovered your blog while you were away on holidays and read the entire thing! Your holiday sounds amazing, looking forward to hearing more! Emma

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  4. Wow, the pictures are so pretty. The table setting is just like a book or scene from a movie. Lovely.

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  5. oh, every picture looks amazing...great food, amazing house, relaxed kids and happy times. welcome home and looking forward to more holiday pics.

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  6. Good grief - my jaw hit the floor and stayed there when I saw that farmhouse! How fabulously wonderful to stay somewhere so lovely, and in the french countryside to boot! I'm well behind on my blog-reading but loved reading about your trip - your friend's house in Paris looks so pretty, and your plane trip post made me smile. Thank goodness one can look back and see the at times craziness of life (and travel) with children - I try and console myself after an 'eventful' trip with the rowdies, that what doesn't kill me makes me stronger :)
    I hope you're having a fab weekend, and Sydney is treating you to some sun-shiny weather.

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  7. oooh and i meant to say thank you for your kind works on Turtle & Mu - I hope getting back to (pre)school next week goes well.

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  8. Oh wow, that farmhouse you stayed at looked perfect for a family!! Love the photo of all the kids realxed on the lounge together :) How lovely to have been able to relax, wander through the lovely little towns and to go to a flea market while you were in France (did you get anything there?) x

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