Old & New

Little Lord Miles has a smart new cap.

My new Milk Magazine is full of inspiration.

Oh more vintage treasures from our poster lady!

Montpellier at it's best, the old quarters, the city centre.

A gentle breeze, not too crowded, 

Everyone's gone to the beach.

Today #9

Today,

Was a scorcher, but fun!

Been playing tourists with my Mum in Montpellier.

It's almost 25 years since I first came here

And I never tire of seeing La Place de La Comédie come to life.

Today #4

 

Today was excellent!

Colour My Monday #21

Today

Started off as usual in our white and grey home

The weather was so-so,

So we decided to head to Montpellier and visit the zoo

 Nothing like a walk in the country to brighten up your day.

Happy Monday!

Here Comes The Sun

It's here, feels like Summer,  

26°C in Montpellier yesterday,

Sitting in café in the shade with Dylan,

La Place de la Canourge

Dreamin' of the beach,

Planning picnics by the sea,

Sailing lessons,

New sandals, 

Old espadrilles,

A cossie or two...

Love this Beach Stamp Set by Yellow Owl Workshop.

Vivement les vacances ! 

P Pour...

P pour Printemps, Spring and Summer too

P Pour Princesse, Petit Pois, Petit Bonhomme with ribbon blue

P Pour Poupée as pretty as can be

 

 P Pour Paradis, oh so heavenly...

Acte 1 of Alexandra's Spring / Summer 2011 Collection  is now online.

Acte 11 will be unveiled tomorrow.

 

P is for Perfection

 

La Princesse au Petit Pois

 

***

photos by Claude Basler

A New Perspective

Nîmes
20 mins a way

Montpellier
20 mins a way

Les Cévennes

40 mins a way

Sommières
5 mins a way

I spent the day in Montpellier yesterday. I go there most weekends, or to Nimes, it depends. However, yesterday it felt different.

I have lived in or around Montpellier for the past 23 years, longer than I lived in England. Last week I realised how much I took my life here for granted, how I'd stopped admiring, taking photos and generally gasping at all things French. I realised how lucky I am to live in the South of France, in such beautiful light, such a beautiful place.

Why the change? Mary Gaudin.

Mary is a photographer / life book maker from New Zealand currently living in Montpellier. I stumbled upon her blog last week and so enjoy her posts, especially those about our region, and London, where she travels to frequently. Browsing her photos, such as those shown above, I realised how I'd stopped "really seeing" things. Montpellier and Nimes are both wonderful, very different cities, the Cévennes mountains are breathtakingly beautiful, - my husband grew up in this region and we used to have a second home there - and Sommières , a small Medieval town, where Dylan goes to school, is just down the road.

So, yesterday, while shopping for Miles' 5th birthday, I opened my eyes, and soaked up the atmosphere. I stopped for a while to look at all the old book stalls along the Esplanade, enjoyed un café outside under the Plane trees, walked through the windy narrow streets in the old part of the city and felt thankful to be living in France.

Mary and I plan to meet after Easter. I think we're both looking forward to it. I can't wait to find out about her busy, globetrotting life, discover what brought her here and say thank you... Merci Mary!


Mary's Flickr photostream
Mary's portfolio
Mary's images via Getty

All images copyright: Mary Gaudin.

Looking for paint

I went into Montpellier today on the tram to buy a sample pot of paint.

It's really, really hot here at the moment. Montpellier's central Place de la Comédie was almost empty, everybody must have been at the beach.

The shop I was looking for is just past the opera house,


tucked away in the old part of the city.

I love these narrow, winding streets and the shade.
I love these paved pedestrian areas, chic boutiques and cafés.

Of course, the shop was closed for a summer break. No paint and no finished chest of drawers, dommage...