Partager La Rentrée

La Rentrée - has arrived once again in Paris.  
This will be my 12th, I think ...

Life begins again in France; the stores open, our favorite restaurants are serving again, the sidewalks are full, and places on the bus are harder to find.

It is the time of the year when you review what you want in your life, rid yourself of those activites that didn’t quite work out, and replace them with others that are more interesing, maybe more lucrative, and at least more fun.  A time to begin again ... 

Life is but a dream, you know.

The talk on the street during the first weeks of La Rentrée is called les raconter, bascially to recant your summer vacation.  An adult version of “what I did on my summer vacation” by ... 

Friends and neighbors organize parties around this “Raconter”.    I’ve learned to take notes at these gathereings, so I can begin planning my next bridge weekend.  There are so many holidays in this part of the world, that one should always have a list ready of places to go and things to do in the coming year.  

Do not be caught with No Plan and No where to go.  

and another rule of French etiquette I learned while away:

"Never turn down the cheese course"

Here are a few raconters of my own during some time in the south 

in Ville-les-Avignon and Agde... 

with Mr. T, of course!!

Dream house in Burgundy 

Along the way, we decided to take a small detour thru the Burgundy region.  I highly admire the wines of this region, the land rolls with vineyards in every direction, and the small stone houses make me dream. 

Villeneuve-les-Avignon  La Prieure

A real dream place to stay.  We had never stayed at a Chateau-Relais before, and if La Prieure is an example of the standard of service and beauty of the surroundings, we have been missing it!  The Prieure is a renovated convent in the city of Villeneuve-les Avignon.  A lovely little city with many nooks and crannies to investigate.  The  hotel itself was absolutely lovely, with a Michelin 1- star restaurant available in the gardens of the convent.  The service was pleasant and always present, but carefully hidden from your view.  A sense of calm was felt under the trees in the courtyard that I wish I could have taken with me in a small bottle to be worn around my neck.  In the hopes that one of the "pont weekends"  will bring us back, I've circled it in red on my Where to Go List.

Plus, I turned down the cheese course.  I must make amends.

Avignon Bridge

Famous!!

Rooftop Terrasse in Agde

Agde is one of the oldest towns in France.  I would run up to the rooftop to watch the sun come up ... and search for other roof dwellers like you would find in Istanbul ...
A city with winding streets and a market that takes up the whole town!

Welcome back and hope your Rentrée starts with a bang!

Life is but a dream,

PPxx