It’s mid-October yet at midday you’d be forgiven for thinking we were still in the midst of summer; but by evening there is a discernible feel of autumn in the air, a decisive nod of acknowledgement towards the cooler months ahead. However, if you rise with the lark the crisp early morning chill is unmistakable. I’ve put the heating on in the car for the school-run, I’ve found a scarf to wear over a t-shirt and when I return home I firmly shut the front door behind me. Continue reading “Falling into Autumn”
I had my blog post for tomorrow half-written; I’ve been taking photos and preparing it all week but then Matthew came into the equation. How could I write about the tranquility of our autumn in France when lives have already been lost and people are suffering so greatly from the devastation caused by a hurricane churning it’s way slowly northwards through the Caribbean and into the Bahamas? The answer – I couldn’t – we have many friends in the islands and many in Florida, and although we may not be there we’re thinking of you all a lot right now. 
During this long hot summer we’ve had plenty of friends from abroad visiting us; not surprisingly at some stage the topic of conversation has been food, in some form or another. Almost without exception this in turn has lead to discussions about French school lunches. Despite everybody proclaiming to know that the French system is indeed excellent, everyone, without exception, has been both astounded and fascinated when I explain exactly what the children eat for lunch and how the meal is taken. The quality of school lunches in France is just so high it’s about time I explained a little more to those of you who have never stood outside French school gates!
Our French Oasis 