Oh..for the love of Paris...

24 hours in Paris.

I had one day...and (nearly) all of one night before my Eurostar home.

There was time, in theory, to cram in some culture, see the sights, neck a cocktail and catch a can-can; an intoxicating city sharpener after a lazy few days in the Normandy countryside.

But a snooze on the train had been irresistible after my early start, so with tourist map still unfolded, I emerged like a sleepy mole at Montparnasse into blindingly bright spring sunshine; still not sure how to pace this trip.

My guidebook had scores of ideas on how to get a taste of the city--from bitesize to the whole damn baguette. With time ticking away; I considered a quick, double shot espresso, a speedy sprint to the starting blocks, and following a suggested route.

And then I took a deep breath--of second hand smoke, mainly, but at that moment, it didn't matter. Looking around, you remember. Paris isn't an `all you can scoff` buffet, with the next sitting waiting in the wings. It might be busy and bustling; pacy and passionate. But it's a city to savour. Slowly.

So....I strolled across the station square for a lazy cafe au lait ; catching conversations, watching people watching me, watching them. Guide book packed away, I headed back across the square into the Tour Montparnesse for a better way of deciding what to see; where to go: its 56th floor viewing platform. A perfect panorama of Paris; which almost moved me to tears. Breathtaking; and on this gloriously sunny day, quite beautiful.

After a easy Line 12 ride to my hotel at Saint- Georges to leave my bag, I drank in the view from my window. Balconies, shutters, taxis, mothers taking chirruping children to the little park in the square across the way. I ambled up the Rue des Martyrs to find lunch and watch the world go by. Well..I tried.....through another little twirl of smoke, from the man at the table next to mine. Somehow... it still didn't matter; didn't bother me; I was too busy watching a pair of local estate agents squeeze their Smartcars in to the tiniest space,together, at rightangles to the kerb.

Soon, because I'd caught a glimpse of its most famous church, I was heading up the hill to Montmartre and the funicular car to the stunning Sacre Coeur, and yet another heartstopping view of the city below. I jumped on the Disney-esque little Montmartrain for its six euro tour; its toytown appearance strangely out of place as it bumbled past the Moulin Rouge and the sex shops.

More coffee stops followed as the afternoon turned into early evening. I watched lovers at neighbouring tables still languishing over their late lunches, and each other, then, map still unfolded, dawdled through the cobbled streets and their little independent, boho shops, chatting with the owners; picking up treasures to take home, listening to live music on the corner of a square and wondering just how soon it might be decent to return.

Around 11, I was packed, showered, mellow and tired after my day of map-free meandering, and set my alarm in good time for my 5 am taxi.

Around 12.....the shrieking of the hotel's fire alarm; and the shrieking of an American woman, banging at my door for a coat before we dashed down the stairs. "It`s not so much the cold, " she said, as I handed her the duvet runner from my room. "It's the fact that I wear THIS in bed on a trip to Paris with my husband. If this is a fire and it makes it to CNN, all America's gonna know I sleep in "Hello Kitty"...`"

Luckily, there was no emergency; just someone having a sneaky cigarette in their hotel bedroom. Some smoke; no ire. It meant I got to stand out on a Paris street for a while, in trench coat, boots and...not much else, really, not *that* far from the Pigalle ; tweeting furiously to look busy, and trying not to shiver too much, or laugh too much at the cutely attired American lady. (Who says romance is dead?)

Soon after dawn; it was all aboard the Eurostar. We were four strangers round one table on the train...a couple of businessmen, and opposite me, a portly Frenchman with a newspaper, and a battered London A-Z, priced 3/6. I'm kind of hoping he didn't bother with his map, either.....

Your own French hideaway---for under £60,000!

Hello--just to let you know our little French cottage is now on the market. Walks, wine, Paris by 9, and nestling in one of the prettiest corners of Normandy, close to the stunning Roche D`Oetre. Could be sold fully furnished and fitted ! If you`d like to find out more, or book a viewing, let me know, and please spread the word. Don`t forget that between stays, it`s also been rented out successfully--something you might want to consider. Just to give you a taste, here`s my blog offering you a little guided tour. Thanks for reading!




Fancy a last minute break to France--but don`t have time for a full week? Want somewhere that`s perfect for two-- comfy, tasteful, peaceful...and right in the heart of the Normandy countryside? Somewhere you can find gorgeous walks that start at the front door--but still within a short drive of ferries, shops, bars, markets, days out and the train to Paris?

Maybe you`re finding that holiday websites and property owners are scoffing at your idea to chuck everything into the car and head for the channel for a spontaneous few days away...especially with midweek start dates...with no notice at all.

Don`t worry. Here`s your hideaway. Almost everything you`ll need is here, waiting for you, so you can literally contact me....throw some clothes in a bag...and leave. That`s what I love to do, and if you`ve got a couple of days or more free and fancy staying here, get in touch. I only release selected weeks for rental on lettings sites to keep plenty more free for me....and friends and family.

Oh...and I`ll offer you Twitter mates` rates, and a discount code to use on Brittany Ferries.

So...come in....grab a glass of vino and a look around?

It`s a small, detached Normandy stone cottage, called Les Deux Sabots.
Probably something to do with the footwear the farm workers wore, way back when.There`s even a tiny pair of clogs nailed to the front door, as a reminder.

Vino veranda looking down on garden

Opens out into large double!

Wooden steps lead up to the main front door and to the tiny vino veranda where you can sit out and have a bottle or two, or a cup of coffee and a quiet read, and another set of steps, in stone,lead back down from this level into the garden.

Step inside the front door and you`re on the middle level of this three storey cottage. It`s a beamed and full height sitting room, with a large, open log fire and a basket of logs ready to use if it`s chilly, (plus two highly effective radiators--full central heating throughout.... ) a couple of comfy sofas,in cream/neutral shades, loads of cushions and throws, and a dining table overlooking gardens and apple orchards beyond.

One of the sofas opens out into a good size double bed, and you can curtain off this area if separate sleeping accommodation`s needed on this floor. There`s a television with both French and English satellite channels, maps, books, CDs and tourist guides.

  

Breakfast in bed...? Or at this end of your bedroom

There are open, twisting wooden steps up from the sitting room to a large, light, airy bedroom, with the same neutral shades and a few splashes of blue. 

At one end there`s the double bed, wardrobe and chest of drawers, and at the other end, a Velux window overlooking those garden and apple orchard views, plus a little sofa and a wicker chest , perfect for you to put your feet up and read, or rest your morning breakfast tray. 

Breakfast table in the kitchen

There`s another set of open, twisting wooden steps down from the sitting room into the beamed kitchen.  It`s a bit lower in height than the other two floors, but has everything you need...cooker and microwave, coffee maker, breakfast table and chairs, fridge and separate freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer, coat hooks and utility store, also the loo/shower room, and a lower door out into a tiny gravelled area and the lane beyond that. The cottage is cosy for couples, and a secret, spacious escape for solos but has had one or two adults plus a couple of kids too. Bear in mind that the steps make it unsuitable for toddlers or if you`re frail though--and the `feel` of the place is pretty open plan.

From the veranda down into a private, sunny garden

The garden, which is at the side of the cottage, is very private, with a parking spot and double gates opening onto the lane, and a little garden store under the stone steps with a barbecue and chairs and a parasol or two. On the other side of the cottage is a stone garage and log store. It`s on a quiet little lane with just five houses,one of them owned by the lovely Jacques and Annick, who keep an assortment of chickens, ducks and geese, and seem to be almost self sufficient in fruit and veg, like so many other families in rural French communities.


The lane leads straight into a network of footpaths and ramblers` routes--all just metres from the front door. Walkers, cyclists and horseriders amble past from time to time--some asking if they can rent the place, which is nice!

Breel`s bloomin` lovely--this was a cycling festival

The paths take you to some beautiful, breathtaking scenery with stunning views, woodland routes and the occasional beautiful house along the way, some of them thatched. Just up the road is the famous Suisse Normande beauty spot, the Roche D`Oetre--you can stand on the cliff top and gasp at the sheer drop below and hear the rushing waters of the River Rouvre. Then scoff an ice cream at the restaurant/coffee shop adjoining the tourist centre there.

The cottage is in the pretty village of Breel. It boasts a collection of stone houses and cottages, the Mairie`s (mayor`s) office with the French flag flying proudly outside, and the most beautiful 16th century Church--the perfect place to visit and cool down on a hot summer`s day. Your fresh croissants and crusty baguettes (and a pastry or two for later...) are just a few minutes` drive away in the village of Segrie Fontaine, where there`s also a butcher`s shop, a little convenience store (avec vino, naturellement....) a hardware shop, a village school and church, and more lovely views.

I-spy a bar...in historic Falaise 

There are other little villages close by, offering a pizzeria and a couple of bars, and a beautiful cider farm run by a young family. You can buy apple and pear cider here--it`s great to support them and brilliant to bring home a bottle or even a box or two for your friends. When you need supermarkets , the bigger towns of Flers and Falaise are only 15-20 minutes drive away.

Falaise is particularly rich in Normandy history--its castle with strong William the Conqueror connections is well worth a visit. The railway station  at Flers takes you off to the coast in one direction (an easy beach day out at Granville) or straight into Paris if you head east. There`s a train around 7am from Flers which gets you to the capital around 9--plenty of time for a warm croissant, strong coffee and an entire day out in this fabulous city. Oh and the parking`s free all day at Flers as well.

Fromage at one of the great shops in nearby Flers

Both of those towns, and plenty of others,such as Conde Sur Noireau, have vibrant,bustling markets which are perfect for fresh fish, meat, fruit, veg, spices, pastries, cakes and most things you`ll need to rustle up a French feast. Delicious.

Frites with your mussels? Honfleur is a beautiful day out 

 The cottage is also well placed for visits to the cities of Caen and Rouen, Monet`s Giverny, (art fan? Check out Normandy`s Impressionists festival this summer!).... the Normandy landing beaches, dotted with stark, chilling reminders of conflict,the classy, chic coastal towns of  Honfleur (above), Deauville and Trouville, and further south, the chateau studded Loire Valley.

If it`s spring and summer, check out a vide grenier or two, the French equivalent of a car boot sale (a different kind of clutter...really good fun to browse and haggle...). Most have coffee and hot, barbecue style food stalls with tables for a lunchtime re-fuel. Occasionally there`ll be a band playing too, and even a little impromptu dancing...!

Pastries on board your Brittany Ferry (discounts available!)

Breel`s within an hour of the ferry port at Caen-Ouistreham, with an excellent Brittany Ferries service to Portsmouth (ask me for a discount code if you`re thinking of staying here, so you can get a quote online), or you might prefer to book the shorter, cheaper crossing from Dover to Calais and drive down to Normandy. You can choose dates and length of stay.....from a night or two, to a leisurely few weeks--and there`ll be a couple of bottles of wine waiting for you on the kitchen table.You won`t find the cottage on loads of holiday websites because just enough bookings to cover some bills and my vino/ fromage habit will do nicely, thankyou.

If you`re not there,I almost certainly will be: out in the garden reading a book, walking the local footpaths, catching some rays in the garden or getting a shot of city culture in Paris. Book a break? Bet you`ll  love it as much as I do. 

Want to find out more? www.romanticnormandycottage.co.uk

@normandycottage on Twitter

@janemcintyre12   on Twitter
writerjane17@hotmail.com

Or call me: 07791 669889

What`s your view? Win chocolate !!!

Harlech`s perfect. Don`t tell a soul. 

Say you lived in a beach house. Maybe you do. Every day, you wake up and see wintry waves crashing against the shore, or shining and shimmering in the sun.

It`s dynamic; changing...so you`d never tire of it, right? Or can you have too much of a good thing?

This train of thought rolled in on a chilly, bright walk along the seemingly never-ending stretch of sand at Harlech yesterday. It was a bit of a change from my regular haunt at Aberdovey, but if you time it right at either beach, it`s just you and a dozen or so other people -- and a few dogs darting in and out of the water.

Harlech, Wales.

And I always look back at the nearest houses with envy, thinking that if I could pick my favourite view to wake up to...it would be this one: sea and sun, clouds and rain but always a calming, mesmerising seascape stretching into infinity.

And then I heard about a couple I know,who`d had just that. An incredible house, high on a hill, not far from where I was standing, with a clear view of the sea. They`ve just sold up. In their early sixties, they started wondering how much of a comfort the coast would be if they fell ill. So they`ve moved inland, to a town with a hospital, shops and a station close by.

I remember sitting with friends beside the pool in their idyllic garden in rural France. Over a barbecue and a few glasses of wine, everyone gazed at their enviable view--bucolic, beautiful, unbroken.....but..boring? `It IS lovely`, said our friend. `But it never really changes. We know it so well now.` I didn`t get it. It seemed like paradise. They`ve sold the place now, and, admittedly for all kinds of reasons, are back in Britain.

`Top of the Rock`, NYC.

Fast forward a couple of years to New York and the observation deck at the Rockefeller Center. Call me fickle and pitch me a one woman tent on top and I`d be pretty happy waking up to that view, too. Ten seconds of the stunning sights and sounds of the city that never sleeps gets  my blood pumping faster than an espresso triple shot. One of the most exciting places on the planet. . But then .......looking out at London--my birthplace, has the same effect. And Paris. Oh, actually, and the Cumbrian fells. See--I told you I was fickle.

Shropshire: up my street.

Maybe it`s just a case of the other man`s grass being greener. Or just nicer than no grass at all. When I was stuck in suburbia I dreamt about living in a place like Shropshire. In a little house with trees front and back. I`m here.

So how about you--what`s the view from your home or office right now? Does it inspire you or depress you? What would be your perfect view?

Send me a picture of the view from your window today, or the view you`d love to have, and I`ll add some to the blog. And because I`m feeling generous and happy after my seaside escape, there`ll be a lovemymondays.blogspot.co.uk  prize of chocolate for the best one; from gifted Shropshire chocolatier Julia Wenlock, who runs www.tootsweetschocolates.co.uk at Shrewsbury Market Hall. OK?

Please send your pic and a note about your view... to: janemcintyre1@btinternet.com  . Pictures from anywhere in the world would be just great, and the more the merrier...so thankyou in advance.

IMPORTANT (quite large, actually ) SMALLPRINT: If nobody sends me anything, I do, of course, reserve the right to eat all the chocolate myself. Every chunk. And I`m dieting.So save me. 

FAT CHANCE!!! YOUR PICS HAVE COME IN THICK AND FAST... NO MORE FOR NOW PLEASE AS WINNERS` PRIZES ARE NOW ACTUALLY BEING MADE BY JULIA THE CHOCOLATIER.  THANKS SO MUCH...HERE THEY ARE:

Judy Mansfield: nr Banbury

From Mike Howell in Folkestone :
Hi Jane
You wanted pics from people`s houses. Ok here are 2 views from my flat in Folkestone
View 1 (left) is looking over the English Channel, on a clear day I can see across to France.
The second view (below) is overlooking the town towards Caple le Ferne the site of the Battle of Britain
Museum and statue.

Thanks Mike. Envious!

And these from Kerry in Shrewsbury:

Kerry says: This (above)  is my favourite scenic view - I just have to look at it and I feel instant relaxation - It is at Llandanwyg Beach, I go down the road towards that beach and it feels like I am going home, even now just thinking about it I can feel  the waves of relaxation taking over me.  To sit there and the big rocks at the entrance to the beach and just look out over into the sea, listening to the waves gently rolling in, bliss! :)  Saw a Dolphin in the bay the last time I was there back in September, that was a fantastic sight. 

But she adds: This is my favourite of all views, never fails to bring a smile to my face, I will never tire of this view :)

And Kerry`s third pic; added because: " I thought I'd better include another of my favourite views - This (below)  is Porth Beach just outside Newquay in Cornwall, Sunsets here are beautiful!" Thanks Kerry! And Luke!!

Thanks to Scott Stephenson (aka @wasinthenavy on Twitter,)  for this picture, below . Scott`s description: "the view from Scott's Snack Shack in Shrewsbury!... Not the most picturesque"... (but thanks for sending it, Scott...you`re also in the draw!!)

Nita`s in Pwhelli. Which, in spite of having blog readers in Taiwan, Russia, Malaysia, Texas, New York, Uzbekistan and Germany, is the closest (SO FAR) to an international entry. Nita braved subzero temperatures, (she claims...) to net these gems (er...and the one of her laundry, which has its own charms...) Anything for chocolate, probably....!

But like Kerry.....Nita`s not averse to having a go at the awwwwwwwww factor....Here`s little Livvie...`dong yoga with the Waybuloos` !! 

And back to bucolic. Or possible Friesian. Anyway...it`s peeping through the kitchen blinds at Roy Williams in Longdon on Tern in Shropshire. No privacy, sometimes, is there?!

And thanks to Cathy Brown for this one.She might live in Shropshire...but today she`s a city girl in the smoke, working close to one of the capital`s most beautiful landmarks. Cathy says: " Can't see it from my desk but the wonderful sight of St Paul's Cathedral will greet me when I go out :-) 

How about yours? ( Come in, Belize.....over....) 

Oh. Not Belize, really, or anywhere near it...but *this just in* from another (nearly) foreign correspondent who loves chocolate but clearly thinks I was born yesterday. Yes, Ian, you may have used a telephoto lens but this isn`t *the view from your window* and you`re fooling no one ;) 

OK...back to reality now...and chilly winter driving, with a picture from Alec Dyche from a different kind of of window. Here`s what he saw, and what he has to put up with as he clocks up the miles.

And a couple of late entries from Tracey, who runs Hoboflorist in Oswestry . I`ll put Tracey`s pictures in the `views I`d like to have` category --as they hold special memories:

"Allan and I married at Niagara Falls in Canada.We walked up past the Falls the day after we got married back up to the Botanical Gardens where we were married outside in the rose gardens. On our way we saw the "Dalai Lama" and his friends, followed 5 minutes later By a family of Mennonites! Wonderful memories!"

2012: The best bits

2012: Truly a life changing year. From  Mexico (in my kitchen)...to Aberdovey...to a little hideaway in Normandy, to Paris,  New York , Trafalgar Square, Bath , Kent, Blackheath, Greenwich, Soho.... and  many other places in between.  If you had anything to do with these smiles....or are one of my army of fantastic friends, old and new, thankyou.
Wishing you and yours health, happiness and lots of love, fun and frolics in the year ahead xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Tweets by @janemcintyre12

Precious time; precious people.

There`s nothing like a `health scare` to make you really appreciate the time you have, and how you spend it.

And because mine was exactly a year ago this week, I`ve been thinking hard about what would have happened if the outcome of my operation had been different. If the high grade but still pre cancerous area they found...had been more advanced. If it hadn`t been so easy to `zap it` with three weeks of radiotherapy.

People get bad news about cancer every day. News that can knock them for six; make them re-evaluate what, and who, is important to them.It`s happened to plenty of my loved ones and I was pretty damn sure it was happening to me this time last year.

And so today I`ve been reflecting on that. Taking my time.Choosing who to spend that time with, and how.

Family`s a good place to start.Our eldest daughter`s finished her university finals, and so last week we decided to spend time together in a little French cottage in the Normandy countryside. Reading, shopping, cooking...eating... OK, we threw in a day trip to Paris but there were plenty of opportunities even there to stop and watch the world go by. We avoided the sights, the big glitzy stores and the museums and galleries and pottered round the Latin quarter, and its smaller, independent shops. It was like a colourful but quiet oasis, offering us respite while the rest of the buzzing, throbbing city carried on in the fast lane, just blocks away.

Sometimes it`s just the simple stuff which can make your time with someone feel really precious. Just days before at the cottage, we`d decided on a recipe, and scoured the market stalls in a place called Conde Sur Noireau, to find vegetables we`d need to cook our meal that night.

The food cost just pennies, but the pleasure we got, taking our time to select our produce and hold brief conversations in French with the market traders, was immense.

Today was another gem. A simple lunch out with a former colleague; who`s become a friend. A fantastic couple of hours catching up on news we`d missed. Precious time. And another reminder that it`s not just time, but people who are precious.

In my extended family, there`s a band of 20 first cousins who, if put in a room together right now, would be a party all by themselves. Funny, loving, lovely and there for each other. And now the next generation of cousins are proving to be just as much fun. You can`t choose your family...but this is the one I`d choose.

Like the friend I met today, if I don`t see them for months, or even years, you can just pick up the pieces. People like that shine on your life like diamonds; offering you genuine friendship and above all, loyalty. Others might attract you...shimmer a little....draw you forward...but you find they`re fake; not what they seem and they end up, like the words of the song `just somebody that I used to know`. Sometimes it takes years to work out who you really shouldn`t waste your time on.

So that`s my conclusion on this contemplative day. If there`s someone in your life who you know, in your heart of hearts, would race you to the lifeboat, rather than help you into it...don`t waste your time on them.

But if there`s someone who sticks by your side and makes you smile, and will be there for you come rain or shine; treasure them.

Here endeth the thoughtful stuff.

Oh...and back in that Normandy kitchen....here`s our fab tea that Juliet cooked in that cottage in Normandy. She`s quite a diamond actually....