~ our joyful moments - week 24 ~

Classic images from Italy and France this week. 

We've just arrived in Italy and the gelato is the BEST. This is strawberry and straciatella. 

Karin had a little holiday in France and found lavender fields in the Luberon valley. 

#ourjoyfulmoments is a 52 week photography project where we share done of the little joys of our daily lives. 

~ some French blues ~

I like France better than Spain.

Mainly because it's prettier (which is an incredibly shallow reason for choosing one country over another but there you go).

There are some other reasons;

     I love the hearing the French speak french (I can even understand a little bit)

     The food is to die for (that bread, the cheeses, citron tart...)

     I can operate the postal system - ie I can find an open post office, purchase stamps and post items

     They keep more civilised hours ( we can put the children to bed earlier)

     We've had better weather here and everyone knows the index for liking a country is weighted towards those countries with a higher blue sky incidence

     Ummm....Paris

We've been driving without purpose for much of this week

Stopping next to fields with white horses, interesting signs, pretty wheat or towns with great names

The weather has been kind and the adventuring is good.  

~ this week ~

This week we;

- climbed the Eiffel Tower (well, caught the elevator actually but we did walk down the 700 steps from the second stage).  It is simply amazing how captivating the tower is - every time we catch a glimpse I'm still all girlishly excited by it. 

- wandered through Monmartre

- ran into more than a few spring weddings...how cute is this couple?

- gasped at pretty windows, doorways and even garden sheds (so much more romantic than ours!).  My camera roll is full of shots if walls and windows (and strategically placed bicycles) 

- ate the best breakfast ever

- turned up at the Louvre twice (it was shut the first time...it may have been our last gallery/museum visit too as Grace has declared that "museums are boring and only for really old people")

- walked into far too many boulangers and consequently ate a ridiculous number of croissants/ crepes/baguettes

- drove on the wrong right side of the road for 700 km (the Doc not me, I've got road fright)

We're now in the Dordogne region- it's so pretty. We've got a week here exploring and then we head further south.