On Returning to Oregon

October 02, 2015 by Michele Cherie in French Language Learning, Travel, Cultural Reflections, French Culture

We're back in Oregon! I'm a bit embarrassed to tell you that we've returned because I wasn't able to blog consistently from Lyon like I had hoped, but now that we are home I can still share posts about France in retrospect. How are you? Have you settled into a school routine? Can you believe it's already October and we're entering the last quarter of the year?!

Winding down and preparing to leave Lyon was emotionally difficult because our rented apartment felt like home from the start, particularly because we loved getting to know our new neighbors and we jumped right into school and meal routines.

French Schools Follow-Up: Summarizing My Children's Immersion Experiences

September 16, 2015 by Michele Cherie in French Culture, Travel, Education, French Language Learning

This week marks the third week my children have attended school here in France, with my preschooler attending public school and my elementary-age child attending a private school. I'm extremely grateful that they've had this opportunity, and yet we're all glad that we will return to homeschooling (back in the U.S.) by next month. The flexibility and individualization allowed by homeschooling is wonderful, but we still feel that our time here in Lyon is wrapping up too quickly!

Meal Planning and Grocery Shopping in Lyon & Paris, France

September 09, 2015 by Michele Cherie in Cultural Reflections, Travel, Home Management, French Culture

Bonjour again from Lyon! This is my family's first extended stay in France, so it's also the first time I've had the role of preparing meals for my children here. Living here has improved my meal planning skills and expanded our palates, I'm glad to say! I've consistently tried to plan French meals so my children can enjoy one of the best aspects of living in France--the food and the culture surrounding it. Here's what I'm doing differently here:

Un Petit Mot from the Alps

August 19, 2015 by Michele Cherie in French Culture, Travel, Contentment

Bonjour les amis! I've just posted the winner of The Little Bookroom Guide to Paris with Children, signed by author Kim Horton Levesque. (You can read the interview with her here if you missed it.) It was a bit tricky to post that information since we're currently in the Alps with no WiFi access! Honestly though, it's refreshing to finally be somewhere with almost no Internet access. Instead of occasionally checking email and social media accounts like Instagram, I'm taking walks with my children and my former host family, and cooking and cleaning and playing--you know, living, but with no online distractions.

An Interview with Kim Horton Levesque, Author of Paris with Children (plus a book giveaway!)

August 11, 2015 by Michele Cherie in French Resources, Travel, Parenting Books, French Culture

Les amis, I'm delighted to share this interview featuring Kim Horton Levesque, whose sweet and informative guidebook Paris with Children was published in 2013. Actually, the full title is The Little Bookroom Guide to Paris with Children: Play, Eat, Shop, Stay. A dear friend sent me this book before our current stay in France, and I couldn't have been more thrilled! Kim's informative, pocket-sized guide is a mama's dream guide to Paris, listing kid-friendly cafés, children's shops, favorite family parks, and more. Even better, you can win a signed copy of her book by leaving a comment on this blog post (details below). Without further ado, here's my interview with Kim:

Life in Lyon: Settling in as a Family

August 10, 2015 by Michele Cherie in Travel, Cultural Reflections, Contentment, French Culture

Bonjour, mes amis, from Lyon! it's been seven years since I was last in this city. It's wonderful to be back and to see Lyon looking vibrant with its squares and monuments restored. Because it's August, many residents are on vacation and tourists have taken their place, but still, the city just shines with its lovely architecture and views. Maybe it also shimmers because of the heat--It was 35-39 degrees Celcius all last week (95-102 degrees F) until a weekend thunderstorm rolled in and brought relief.

My husband ran the 100m dash this last week in the World Masters track meet--I'm so proud of him, and impressed that he ran it in 11.74 seconds despite the scorching heat! He'll long jump this week as well. The Masters' meets are open to non-professional adult athletes age 35 or older with an official mark to submit. Participants compete against others in a five-year age range. A few days ago, for example, I watched a a group of 85-90 year old women from around the world run the 100m, and they looked amazingly fit. It's so inspiring!

A Family Visit to Cité du Chocolat in France

August 03, 2015 by Michele Cherie in Education, Learning Resources, Travel, French Culture

Bonjour les amis! We've just returned from an extended weekend spent visiting dear friends in la Drôme, a region in southeast France. Our friends took us to La Cité du Chocolat in Tain-l'Hermitage (near Valence) and even though none of us were true chocoholics beforehand, we left this place feeling like chocolate connoisseurs--and gourmands who enjoyed far too many of their abundant samples! Here's why it's such a deliciously informative place to visit, and why we'd enjoy visiting it again anytime:

Family, Food, and Friends: One Week in Bretagne

July 27, 2015 by Michele Cherie in Travel, Contentment, French Culture, French Language Learning, International Exchange

I'm writing you with a full stomach and a contented heart because we've just spent a week in Bretagne (Brittany in English). Bretagne is on France's northwestern coast below Normandy, and it's a popular vacation destination for Parisians who want get out of the city. It's an area with Celtic culture that can be seen in the age-old erected menhirs and dolmens--great Stonehenge-like monoliths that you might recall from Asterix comic books. We didn't see those rocks, though we enjoyed hiking among similar ones with my distant relatives. Actually, I should say my probable relatives--we haven't proved we're related, but genealogy suggests we are and we share a variation of my maiden name. I enjoyed staying with this retired couple ten years ago, and this past week my husband and children got to join me in experiencing their amazing hospitality.