24 hours in Chicago
Exploring a new city is always such a thrill, I like to walk its’ streets and avenues acquainting myself with its atmosphere and vibe. I have just had a mere 24 hours in Chicago where I was instantly surrounded by …
Recipes to warm your heart and soul
Spoiled as we are by the continuing warm weather in Northern California, there are still signs everywhere that Autumn has danced her way back into our lives. Leaves carpeting the ground, acorns scattered below the trees and a distinct chill …
A visit to Market Hall in Rockridge, expect the unexpected!
I have found in life that things often happen when you least expect them. Yesterday morning I stopped in a wonderful store, I am seldom in the neighborhood to visit, Market Hall in Rockridge, (just along College Avenue from Berkeley) As soon …
Entertaining, not about the cooking but the caring!
I love to entertain, all of it! Planning a menu, buying the food, preparing everything, arranging the flowers, laying the table, making everything as inviting as I can. To me, it is a way of saying ‘I care’, ‘I want …
Pumpkins to make you happy!
Pumpkins are such happy things, when I see them arranged in a pile as they are so often are at this time of year, well pumpkins make me smile! Life is a journey, a journey, that regardless of how well …
D-Day: The Normandy Beaches, June 6th 1944
“We shall fight on the beaches……..but we shall never surrender” the immortal words of Sir Winston Churchill. And fight on the beaches is what thousands of brave Allied troops, did. Under the joint command of Generals Montgomery and Eisenhower, thousands of men …
A magical place to stay, Provencal ambience at La Bégude Saint-Pierre
Two years ago I looked at this deserted property, nowLa Bégude Saint-Pierre, just 6km, from Uzès and wondered ‘what if”? What if I bought this, risked some capital and created a tiny ‘jewel box’ hotel. My head spun as a deluge of questions …
Mont Saint Michel, Normandy, France
Mont Saint Michel, Normandy, France, first settled in 709, is a fairy tale island, uniquely situated in an enormous bay off the north coast of France. In 966, at the request of the Duke of Normandy, a small church was …
Notre-Dame de Senanque Abbey, in the Luberon, Provence
As any visitor to the Luberon Valley in Provence will tell you, beautiful photos of L’Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque are everywhere. For every postcard stand proudly exhibits stunning images of the abbey, taken in early summer when it is surrounded by its’ spectacular carpet …
The Luberon Valley, fitting my life into this place…….
The Luberon Valley is a gently folded landscape resplendent with vineyards, abundant fruit trees and timeless perched villages. When I am there I never want to leave. Have you ever contemplated moving somewhere else and living a totally different life? Especially …