In the French Countryside

Marie Antoinette's Hameau at Versailles

In my last post I told you a bit about our time in Paris in 2012.  J'adore Paris, bien sûr, but I'm a country girl at heart, and there is nothing that compares to jumping into our rental car and heading out of Paris into the French countryside.  And that is exactly what we are doing today as we join Anita's Party in the French Countryside

Simply Irresistible!!!

We headed out of Paris, down to Versailles on July 14, Bastille Day. I had read that on that day everyone wore white, with a tricolor cocarde, and that Versailles was quite the place to celebrate that day. So rather than face the crowds at the palace, we entered by the lesser known Queen's gate, where parking was a breeze. We then walked down a long allée of trees to arrive at Marie Antoinette's hameau.

This is the enchanting farm built for Marie Antoinette, where she played at being a shepherdess.

Today it has been restored and is as charming for us as it must have been for her and her children

These are not my usual edited photos, but just
snapshots.  Still, it is such a lovely spot I think you will enjoy just seeing the buildings.

All of these snaps were taken around noon, and yet,despite it being Bastille Day, there was no one there except us!!!

The Moulin

Tour de Marlborough

The Cottage

If you would like to see an article I wrote for Belle Inspiration magazine on this magical place, with some of its history and a lot more photos, you can click here

When we left Versailles, we headed out into the deep country of Normandy, to our favorite region, le parc du Perche... 

...where we stayed for a week in this romantic chateau...

...and visited many public gardens, such as this...

Manoir de Lormarin, Nocé

... and visited beautiful manoirs such as this one...

...French cottages out in the countryside are positively adorable!  Peek through any gate...

...and let out a great big sigh!

 Every house has the sweetest shutters...

...called "les volets"

I'm smitten with the heart-shaped cutouts!

This area is so bucolic, so peaceful, so visually beautiful, that I will only give you a tiny taste, and will save the rest for an entire future post...

And so, now we head even further out into the countryside, heading toward Bretagne, with a stop here...

The artist's village of Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei 

And marvel at all we see along the way

Châteaux at every turn!

and the reason why French bread is so delicieux!!

In my next post I will share some more of why we all love France and why we all love this party of Anita's!!  Thank you, Chérie for inviting us!!

Please remember that due to my Google glitch, I cannot comment on blogger, but I would love to trade comments with you on my facebook page, 

French at Heart 

Now I'm off to visit you!  See you

 "dans la campagne"!!!

à la prochaine,

dawne

Beautiful Belle Inspiration!

a p p r o a c h  t o  t h e  h a m e a u

from the story  "L'Hameau de la Reine Marie Antoinette"

I am thrilled to have my photo story on Marie Antoinette's hameau featured in this month's issue of 

Belle Inspiration Magazine!

You can see the article here

from Belle Inspiration's Facebook page

And what a beautiful issue it is, filled with all things romantic, feminine, fun, and French!

I've found lots of new Etsy shops I need to visit, and also several new blogs I need to check out.  And at under $20 for not just one, but TWO subscriptions, it makes the perfect gift for yourself and a friend!

Thank you Mimi Bleu, for doing such a wonderful, creative job with your magazine!

**********

I haven't posted in two weeks because my internet has been down.  While that was sort of frustrating on one hand, on the other, it was just what I needed to get me off of Pinterest!!!


God's in charge, even with the internet!


So, while I had some time, I finished a 
Mixed Media art piece

played with BooBoo...

And I read a lot of French books...

Cleaned out one of my art storage closets in the mudroom, which looked like this

and now looks like this

except that the counter and sink are now gone, and tomorrow the darling Monsieur Master Carpenter who lives here will begin to transform this space into a new powder room.




I also switched out the stuffing in my globes de mariage, on the fireplace mantle, 

Oh, but I lost that tall one when the big picture frame to the right blew off the wall from the explosion in my fireplace...
I will not tell you about that, except to say


I AM NO LONGER ALLOWED AROUND FIRE!!!!


And I was also tagged by the ever-so-sweet Irina, and have to answer some probing [fun] questions, but that will take some thinking...


There is still room in our 
Photography Workshop in Paris and Normandy
July 6-11

scroll down  to see more samples of our photographic technique
and contact me for more details
iluvfrance@wildblue.net

au revoir,mes belles

dawne

Let Zem Eat Cake!

marie antoinette's hameau at versaille
photo by my husband, romanced by me [ The photo.  Not my husband. Although that has been known to happen,too.]

When last I left you, chers lecteurs, we were headed for Versaille. I taught about Versaille in my Art History class for years from this BOOK, which I bought for the class in 1991. 
[ It really is the best book, and I think I'll buy it for myself.]  But seeing this palace in a book, and seeing it in real life, are very different things. It's mind-blowing, isn't it? We went for the first time in 1998, and we've been there several times since.  This time we didn't feel like going into the rooms, so we parted company with Marie and Christine, and headed for the"backyard".





Even in late autumn, in the rain, with no flowers in the beds, the gardens and grounds are breathtaking.

The original gardens were designed by Andre Le Notre


Now, I am always the navigator, because I always know where I'm going.  Except when I get lost.  And lost, I got.  I took a wrong turn, Zigged when I should have zagged, and we ended up in a place where



NO Man Has Ever Gone

or so it would appear, because as we followed this path

through this hedge, and into what is known as

The King's Garden


The most peaceful park, with color to rival Vermont, and huge, majestic trees,

...there wasn't a tourist to be seen.  Just a private place of touching beauty.  Do yourself a favor, and get lost over on the left side of the back yard and wander into this private garden.  I'll bet it's equally marvelous in the Spring.


After this we strolled back to the Petite Trianon and my favorite of all places on earth, the Hameau of Marie Antoinette. I won't write about the hameau here, as it opens a Pandora's Box of feelings about the rich, decadence and artificiality, and but do click on the link if you have an interest.

choux et poireaux

marlborough tower
m a r l b o r o u g h  t o w e rm a r l b o r o u g h  t o w e r
As for me, I'm just entranced with the fairytale feeling that this spot evokes.It's a photographer's dream.
And as for my title above, did Marie really say  "let them eat cake"?  Popular wisdom today says no, but who can say for sure?  Here's one take on the subject. Personally, I think I prefer this take on Marie and Her Cake from the oh-so-talented Wendy.
I have more pix of the hameau to work on, and tomorrow we'll go to Chartres.
Thank you so much for all your sweet comments on my last post!  We all love France, don't we!!!! 

A bientôt,mes douces!

dawne

Joyeux "La Fête Nationale" or Happy Bastille Day

I'm sorry, but I forgot to wish you a. well, what it says up there...If you're French you say "La Fête Nationale", but here in America we call it Bastille Day.  July 14 is the day the French celebrate the storming of the Bastille, like our Independence Day, but they don't really wish each other a "Happy July 14" like we do.  So in honor of that day I'll post a photo I took in France last summer at Marie Antoinette's Hameau.  

Possibly the most enchanting place I've ever visted.  Someday I'll post  several photos from there [at Versailles] on the Paris page.  But for tonight...a magical French fantasy...