Dreaming of France -- Cheese Shops

Please join this weekly meme. Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to An Accidental Blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo in France? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even just a pastry? Or if you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it.

Americans sometimes imagine cheese as flat slices of yellow wrapped in plastic. But the image of cheese is changing here in the United States. We have larger cheese selections in the grocery stores, but we still have nothing that compares to cheese shops in France.

Here's a photo from a cheese shop in Nantes, France. 

From the street it only takes up a smidgen of space, but look how long and full of varieties of cheese it is. Along the top shelf, you can see some cheese houses. The French leave their cheeses out of the refrigerator, so they need a way to keep the flies off. 

The cheesemonger is even wearing a beret. How stereo-typically French is that?

Thanks for playing along today with Dreaming of France. I hope you'll all visit each other's posts to see more France pictures or learn about books and movies. 

Dreaming of France - The Loire

Please join this weekly meme. Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to An Accidental Blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo in France? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even just a pastry? Or if you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it.

First, let me redirect you to Sim's blog Chapter1 Take 1 where she is featuring my novel I See London I See France if it were a movie. She let me pick the actors who would play the characters. That was such fun. I hope you'll visit and comment.
Sunday was a beautiful sunny day in Ohio, but it still wasn't France.
When Earl and Grace visited our friends in Nantes, they spent a sunny day on a cruise along the Loire River, near where it empties into the Atlantic.
Here are a few shots from that gorgeous outing.

These pictures just make me dream of France even more.

Dreaming of France -- Apartments in France

Please join this weekly meme. Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to An Accidental Blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo in France? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even just a pastry? Or if you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it.
Does anyone else ever watch House Hunters International on HGTV? We love when they feature a house in France, even though my husband grows highly agitated when they complain about not having an elevator or inadequate bathrooms.  
Sunday night, I saw an edition of House Hunters International set in Nantes, France, which is where our friends live. I even saw a shot of their apartment building which is just across the street from the Chateau de Nantes (Chateau des ducs de Bretagne).

Our friends have lived in a few different apartments in Nantes, but the current one is on the top floor, which is the fourth floor. They walk up those many flights of stairs every day and have beautiful views.

Don't you just love the rooftops in France. I don't know what the deal is with all those upside down flowerpots, but they say France to me. 

Last time we were there, we stayed in the master bedroom and this is the view of the chateau out the window.

On the other side of the apartment, the view is of the Nantes cathedral. 

I think I'd be willing to walk up all those stairs everyday for views like this, but I'd probably be better at planning my outings to minimize the number of trips up and down the stairs. 

I Love France Meme -- Rooftops

This week, I'm starting the I Love France meme that is sponsored by Words and Peace. I know this won't shock many of you who read my blog regularly.
So what to share about France? It's so hard to choose.
I thought I'd go with a simple photo that definitely says France to me.

This photo was taken from our friend's apartment in Nantes. They have a top floor apartment that overlooks both the chateau de Nantes and the cathedral. Everything is perfect, except that 5-floor walk up, but that's probably what keeps them healthy.
Obviously, the other view is of rooftops. Why do these roofs look so French?

French and Strong Constitutions

Somewhere, in the many blogs I stop by, someone was planning to focus on France and all things French for July. I can't find it right now, but I'll link to it once I find it again. Okay, I found it and it's called Paris in July, as Esme from Chocolates & Croissants pointed out.  And Paris in July is sponsored the Thyme for Tea and Bookbath. Do you think that since it's Paris rather than France I'll have to narrow my focus? Nah, I'll just stick to France.
You know I'm in for focusing on France in July, or any other month, although I may get distracted by things like my kids or sports or teaching.
I thought I'd start with a photo I love from our friends' apartment in Nantes.

Our friends live on the top floor, which allows for gorgeous views of the cathedral on one side and the castle on the other. And guess what? Their building does not have an elevator. They walk this circular flight to the top floor (5 floors, I think) everyday, several times a day. They don't complain. It is probably what keeps them so healthy.

When Earl and I watch House Hunters International, we always scoff at the American couples who refuse to buy a place without an elevator.

I don't want you to feel like you walked up this winding staircase for no reason, so here's a shot of the sunset out one of the windows.

 Happy France month.

P.S. I have electricity back, but still no Internet service.

Saturday Snapshot -- Water and Sun

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post on Alyce's blog At Home With Books. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.
Earl took a lot of good shots on his weeklong trip to France. I loved the sunshine on the water in this one as he took a boat tour along the Loire near Nantes.