For our 23rd wedding anniversary, we went to Corsica–to a hotel that looked very tempting as it was recently renovated… Unfortunately, it was not ready to welcome us in the best conditions. At the end of our stay, we can truly say we "wiped the plaster" with our very own clothes! Find out the meaning of today's expression essuyer les plâtres–and read about our trip … Continue reading France’s “Island of Beauty” and the expression “essuyer les platres”

Our son, Max, and my Mom are safe in Mexico after yesterday's earthquake. We are saddened by the news and our thoughts and prayers go out to Mexico. Before hearing the news, I had planned on sharing the story of my 90-year-old reader from Florida who is traveling solo in France…looking to start a new chapter in Antibes, considering a job, and maybe a French girlfriend. Inspiring story below. EN … Continue reading Family Safe in Mexico + Secret to traveling/working in France at the age of 90!

Our retro yellow kitchen here in lively La Ciotat makes a catching backdrop for JM's catch: a Mediterranean sar ("saar" in English. Not that that's any help for most of us trying to figure out just what kind of poisson this is!). They do, however serve sar in many seaside restaurants here along the south coast. la canne à pêche     fishing pole, fishing rod Listen to the … Continue reading Another way to get French strangers to talk to you + Canne à pêche

Woke up this morning to a heartwarming story in the online journal France Bleu. A baby dolphin was helped back out to sea after getting lost in the the old port of La Ciotat (dolphins in La Ciotat!!). What a sight he was among the colorful wooden fishing boats, or "les pointus" (sorry the little dauphin is not seen here, in this file photo. But you can see … Continue reading A Happy Ending in La Ciotat + Donner du fil à retordre

A native of Arizona I never imaged I'd one day live at the beach. Walking down the promenade, I saw this beautiful scene. Farther down, there was a shop selling bathing suits, beach towels, and giant rafts–one of them, bright green in the shape of a saguaro cactus, caught my eye…. I had an urge to drag it home and lie on it in the … Continue reading How Egg rolls are Eaten in France & L’appétit vient en mangeant