Month-aversary

Today makes one whole month since Tito and I came to France. Eric may think I'm crazy for making it a point to celebrate today, but any excuse is a good excuse to get a bottle of wine, baguette and pastry! The month flew by, but at the same time it feels like we have been here for a lot longer. We have settled in perfectly and couldn't be any happier! Vitré is such a great little city and our apartment really feels like home. I'm proud to say, I haven't been homesick.. I just miss people I left at home (and my bed, I really miss that). This blog has also been great, I've had so much fun reflecting on different aspects of life in France and it's been so cool to see where it's been reaching. Besides home, it's made its way around the world, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Japan, Tanzania (?!), and a few islands. Seriously, that's super cool. I truly appreciate every single person who takes the time to read, so thanks guys!

Today turned out to be the best kind of Tuesday on top of it being our month-aversary for a few reasons~ 

The sun came out

The past few days have been a bit dreary with rain on and off but today the sun came back! Even though it was only a few minutes + Tito and I still got rained on, we saw the sun! 

I can drive! 

I hadn't driven since I've gotten here. We have a great Volkswagen Golf but I've been so intimidated by the streets & French drivers so I have stayed in the passenger seat. Over the weekend I had to run home from the arena to grab something for Eric before his game, and driving was terrifying. I couldn't even get the car to start.. But anyway, today I  finally felt comfortable driving and actually considered aimlessly driving for a minute. Even though I didn't, it's the thought that counts. Right? 

JOYCIE IS COMING! 

This made my day. My best friend, angel of a mom is booking her flight to come visit! She will be here in a few weeks! And if the weeks fly by like this past week did, she's going to be here like tomorrow! I'm seriously so freaking excited. I miss her so much and can't wait to squeeze her! I've spent all day planning all of the fun things we are going to do. Hurry up and get here Joycie!! 

I hope everyone's Tuesday is as happy and full of deliciousness as mine is~ 

Saint Malo

Over the weekend we decided to start exploring some of the places around us, in northern France. Eric has Sunday's off and we had heard so many great things about Saint Malo, so we hopped in the car with Tito and lots of snacks (I never go anywhere without snacks). I had done a little research to try to figure out what we were going to do & where we were going to go once we got there but ultimately we just went to check it out and see what it was like. 

We put a random address into the GPS and ended up outside of some gated house/community.. Not where we intended but it got us far enough! From there we drove towards the water and found a parking spot. As soon as we got out of the car Tito was high tailing it to the beach. It was amazing, and again, pictures don't do it justice. 

This beach was SO pretty and cool. It was low tide, the amount space was unbelieveable. There were so many families picnicking, playing, dogs running, kids riding bikes, even a wedding party taking their pictures! Out on the water there were wind surfers and tons of little sailboats, there were even a few brave/crazy people who went swimming. We walked out pretty far and still didn't reach the water. Tito had a blast running around and chasing rocks. At home, he's obsessed with rocks and lives for the beach so he was the happiest camper! & it was so hard to get a decent picture of him 

From there we knew we wanted to definitely get to check out the castle and the main part of the town and on the other side there were some huge cliffs I was dying to go see. We had no where to be and just planned to wander around so we headed towards the castle and center of town. It seems like a huge vacation destination with hotels lining the beach and tons of people wandering the streets and eating in the cafes and creperies. 

Next time we go, I definitely want to spend more time checking out the streets and shops. It was insanely crowded and we had parked in a possibly reserved parking lot so we didn't want to risk the car not being there when we got back! It looked like they had great food and I got to drool as we walked past everyone eating outside. The castle is right on the water and you can climb up and walk along the walls, the views do not disappoint!

With an antique car show, some sort of radio station "party" that involved a lot of segways, tons of tourists and people it was crazy crowded and I was even more excited to get to the cliffs. They were amazing. 

If you're ever in Brittany, definitely take the time to explore Saint Malo. We can't wait to go back! 

When in France.. Order Pizza?

We have been working on learning and practicing French. Which is honestly a lot harder than I was anticipating, but I/we are getting there.. Slowly but surely. Last night, we decided to start checking out some of the resturants. We got recommedations from a couple friends and decided to choose from those. I was so nervous I would order something and have no idea what would be coming out. So, we took Tito for a walk and went to check out/take pictures of the menus of the resturants we were choosing between. 

After getting home and translating words I didn't know, both places sounded so good. Apparently Wednesday's aren't just for relaxing (like last week's siesta Wednesday) they're also for eating out and our first choice Resturant was full.. Bummer. Turns out, our second choice was a great option too! We ate a ton and really really enjoyed it! 

They had a ton of pizzas on the menu and I couldn't help myself. Next time we are going to hunt down some great French food. But you know your meal is going to be good when you see the chef taking pictures of it before it's served! 

We couldn't turn down dessert.. I've started justifying indulging in all of the deliciousness with "I'm doing it for the blog.." So, in my mind that (kinda) makes everything okay! 

On the way home we stopped by a bar where some friends were watching a rugby game, and then looped down to the center of the city to walk by the fountain. It really is like another world at night, so quite and calm. Overall, even though we didn't get into our first choice Resturant or order "French food" it was a great meal and night! 

Seems like the food buzz stuck around for today! Happy almost Friday~ 

Weekend-ing

Weekends are nice, really really nice. Even though everyday is like a weekend day for me, I love Saturday & Sunday. There are so many things do:

1. Farmers Market-ing 

Every Saturday there is a farmers market right down the street from our apartment. It couldn't be more convenient or perfect. We've been trying to get as much as we can for the week there. I'm biased and my love for farmers markets is a little over the top. But seriously, the freshness, the prettiness and the sense of community is the best. I'm all for supporting local/small businesses, it's a plus they usually have the best products! So we loaded up on fruits, veggies, Apple cider and flowers this weekend. It was perfect. And helped us remember we definitely need to step up our game learning French! 

We got the prettiest flowers that grew in the garden of the woman selling them. And extra delicious apple juice, cider and honey from a local orchard. 

2. Exploring & Adventuring 

I'm counting Friday in the weekend, because before Saturday & Sunday, there's nothing better than a Friday! Eric had the afternoon off so after a park trip, we hopped in the car and explored. After a bunch of random turns, we ended up in the country side. Super pretty, I wish pictures did it justice! 

Then, Saturday night Eric had an away game so Tito and I took a nice long walk. We got to sit and enjoy our favorite back road/countryside view, enjoy the energy of the shops and check out the street fair (for the second time that day). 

3. Relaxing 

As much as I love every single weekend activity, relaxing and lazy-ing around is up there on my list. Movies, naps and lounging were also on our agendas. I'm pretty sure napping is one of Tito's favorites (after the park & walks of course!). 

4. Picnicking

Sunday was beautiful, 70 and sunny. Since everything closes here on Sunday's it's slow, quiet and resembles a ghost town. I'm so curious as to where everyone goes. But anyway, we headed to the park with a few sandwiches and cider. Everyone else had the same idea, about the park, so maybe that's where everyone goes? It's such a pretty park, with so much open space. There are so many kinds of trees, flowers, an herb garden, a pond with its own island. The Palm trees are my absolute favorite!  

Happy weekend!