A Simply Fab LifeA second major life change happened when we fell in love with the picturesque village of Cotignac, Provence, in the South of France, during a 4-month sabbatical. Enjoy how this experience unfolded …
Getting to understand village life! Winter in Provence: no tourists, just locals, friendly French interactions, grabbing bits of sunshine
A nice lie-in after a fab Christmas dinner with Patricia. Around lunchtime, we took the leisurely route to St. Tropez, enjoying the sunshine
Wow. You wait 365 days a year for it, and then suddenly it’s here. Christmas Day. And here we are in the South of France, with our great buddies, celebrating Yuletide.
What a lovely way to enjoy Christmas? Cozy and warm with candles and a lovely fire, amazing smells emanating from the kitchen and a relaxed vibe. Life is Good!!
It was after 5pm when Rob, Diana and Naomi trundled into town. Bienvenue chers amis!
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” ~ Dr. Seuss, author of Cat in the Hat
It’s been raining solid for 2 days. I’m not complaining. We’ve had amazing sunny weather, and the land needs rain. But when it stopped today, Patricia and I…
Watching Breaking Bad late into the night and meeting a 90-year-young legend, Patricia’s Mum.
The final DIY touches, decorating for Christmas and a slow-cooked “best dish I’ve made” lamb curry
If this post is a blurred mess, please forgive me. I think we got about half an hour’s sleep last night. Don’t ask me why. Just couldn’t sleep.…
Gosh, we’re in week 4 of our sabbatical! Time is flying by. And finally we’ve managed to move into Pen’s room and unpack!!
Installing a 4-metre Christmas tree into your lounge is a lot easier with more than two hands. Marcel and I lent ours. Even if I say so myself, it all ran very smoothly.
Maggi and Derek have done their very best to recreate an “vieille maison” using Provencal features and techniques, and the result is marvellous!
I adore mirrors. Not because I enjoy spending hours looking into them. But because of reflections are like memories.
Sidsel gave us a tip for the washing machine, Darty. And that you can order online. But we thought we’d go check it out in person.
Last night’s carol service took me back 3 decades to watching my parents sing in Pretoria. One of my proudest moments, they have both got such beautiful voices.…
I froze my socks off. And then my toes defrosted! It turns out that not all socks are equal … the fuzzy socks that I normally sleep in…
I woke up early to get some bookkeeping done. What do you mean it’s Saturday? Really? Patricia collected me around 11 am for our stroll down to the village
“Is it 12 o’clock yet?” Marcel was trying to read himself to sleep, and I kept asking until he said yes. “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you,…
Maybe it was all the fresh air, olives and excitement, or maybe it was sheer exhaustion, but I slept like a baby. We woke up late 🙂 Even…
3am and I can’t sleep. Wide awake and thinking about everything and nothing at all. A little blue light on the screen casts a lovely shadow of Marcel…
A sunny Sunday perfect for a day of rest, or vin rouge in the village.
It’s amazing the difference between being a guest and being a caretaker. Don’t think I got a wink of sleep last night.
Our sabbatical in Provence officially begins. We find ourselves settling in to the farmhouse without auntie and uncle, and pinch ourselves again … is this real?