Spring and fall in Texas, with their cool weather, remind me of the French summer weather and entice me to plant flowers like those in French gardens and flower boxes.

French Boulangerie or Patisserie?

Every town in France, regardless of size, has at least one boulangerie (bakery) that sells freshly baked croissants, baguettes, éclairs, and/or tartes.  To be called a pâtisserie, the bakery must employe a licensed maître pâtissier (master bakery chef) who has completed extensive training and passed a written examination.

The Maison COLLET Boulangerie/Pâtisserie is in Paris.

Notice the two freshly baked baguettes partially wrapped in paper that the customer is hand carrying. That's how baguettes are carried all over France.

The green bag she is carrying contains carefully packaged pastries. Even the smallest shops hand wrap pastries with the same care.

Old French House in the Countryside

While visiting the Dordorgne region of France we stayed in 

a house attached to an
old French house in the countryside
just outside Carsac.


The house has been added onto over the years (many years.)

The original old house on the far left was not habitable.

A Small French Town

No trip to France is complete without visiting one or more

small French towns.

All towns have their own personalities; no two are alike.

Carsac, France, six hours from Paris, is in the Dordogne region of France.

While visiting there last year, we were delighted to find that Carsac has all of these shops within two blocks on its main street.

• Une épicerie (small grocery store) 
• la boucherie (butcher shop) 
• la boulangerie (bakery) 
• la pharmacie (pharmacy) 
• la poste (post office)

We felt very French each day as we made our purchases.  

Buying just what we needed for the day...

No big impersonal supermarkets...

"Bonjour, madame. Bonjour, monsieur."

Greeting the shopkeepers with smiling faces...

Love the curved roofline on la poste... 

French Lavender

Visiting the lavender fields of France is a joyful experience for all the senses.