Made in France

Saint-on-corner

Photo and text by: Corey Amaro

Will this love affair with France ever end? Will the painted shutters, cobblestones, saints on the corner, hand door knockers, and statues popping up in the middle of nowhere ever become mundane? Will the whole mise en scene, theatrical performance of day-to-day life in France, bore me? Is it possible that after eating enough baguettes to look like one myself, brocanting in every village, and birthing two babies in this country, I might wake up and find it ordinary?

Wooden-shutters

Will the stone walls stop talking? And the geraniums of the window sill stop waving hello?

Eventually, will I focus on the dog poop, graffiti, incredible taxes, small containers, lack of public bathrooms, unsmiling faces, and cigarette smoke more than I pronounce empty glasses on the abandoned cafe table as art?

 

Tapestry-arles

Will my senses become matter-of-fact?

Will I notice the big picture and not the thread count?

 

Yellow-bistro-chairs

Honestly, how many French cafes does it take to make one say,

"Yeah, Yeah, been there done that?"

Bistro chairs,

Water jug,

Zinc counter,

Paper-cubed sugar,

Long white aprons…

 

Blue-shutter-arles

How many blue shutters… before one slams shut?

 

French-shop

 

When will fast food replace Epicerie? When will France lose its touch? When will I begrudge the bakery that closes between 12:30 and 3:00?

Do you think someone can have a change of heart because they cannot buy a pain au chocolate at 2 pm?

 

 

Bicycle-with-basket

Black bicycle leaning on the wall…

How fast could I ride from "Point A to Point Z" if I did not notice the adjective-

The

Quintessential,

Definitive,

Archetypal,

…one after another, typical soulful thing that spells French every step I take.

 

How fast? What a boring question.

 

Stain-glass

How does one measure light? Is it in the shadows or in the reflections?

 

 
Roof-tops

I am in it for the long run: Dark leafy places, red clay roof tiles, the change of seasons that weave history, the narrow streets, the stone step, and the four o'clock hot baguette.

 

Romeo-kathy

 

I am glad family and friends come to France with an open mind. Taking in France with gusto, soaking up the old, the deep, the wonder, the history, the day to day beauty.

Latch 

The dictionary defines blasé:

1. Uninterested because of frequent exposure or indulgence (Hard to imagine that… But then I have a fixation with frequent exposure.)

2. Unconcerned; nonchalant: had a blasé attitude about housecleaning, oui?

3. Indifferent to something because of familiarity.

4. Lacking enthusiasm; bored with the same old, same old…Moi?

Potted-flowers

Can one's sensibilities deadened by French excess? God help us if it is true.

I pray I never wake up and find it ordinary.

 

 



Comments

59 responses to “Made in France”

  1. I hope you’ll never fall out of love with France because I will miss your posts so very much! I’m looking forward my next visit there…..

  2. christine

    Thank you for this Corey – you’ve put the spring back into my step on this freezing cold day ! How clever you are to define these simple but oh so special details that embroider our daily lives. When you have time to be a guest yourself, please remember our door is open to you and you can show me Beaune through your eyes ! Btw, “blasé” is my two teenagers’word of the moment. As in ” ça me blase….”

  3. ah… Gracie’s words reflect my own thoughts.. I need to live vicariously through you.. so hope never.. But I suspect we are safe as France I believe is your passion and therefore now part of your DNA… thanks for all the lovely posts.. xx Julie

  4. Corey,
    this is one diamond post amongst many other ones you write,
    but here you really nailed something that is hard to grasp or describe. I feel the same about Itay, lately about Vienna too.
    I have, however, fallen in love with France, only a few weeks ago, when I visited your beloved adoptive country for the first time. Evian and Lyon, I am smitten.
    May your sense of wonder never cease to help you through life’s challenges,
    Merisi

  5. Paulita

    Living life with gusto whether in France or Willows. I can’t imagine you would ever be blase about life, but I’m glad you have the opportunity to live in France and share it with us.

  6. jend’isère

    Five year old asked his teen sister, “What does bored mean? Her stare out the window into the rain was the very definition. I immediately chirped like a tour guide on all of the details we should admire. Merci for sharing your love affair.

  7. As if you could….
    *

  8. methinks you would find the spectacular in the ordinary wherever you were…
    jackie
    bliss farm antiques

  9. g coughlin

    you falling out of love with france— JAMAIS!! you seem to appreciate and learn from each and eery situation you are in whether here or there… and that is truly living. g

  10. kelleyn

    It is certainly lovely.

  11. It is a gift to see the beauty in the tiniest of details…you have that gift and would see the beauty wherever you lived…
    …who could tire of weathered blue shutters?
    🙂

  12. Beautiful post, Corey!

  13. Chris Wittmann

    I felt the same about England Corey..and their shops (all of them!!) closed for 1 1/2- 2 hrs. every afternoon too. When I flew home to America to visit my father who was very ill, I fretted about leaving England…when I was back home with dad I fretted about leaving America. My heart was truly in both places. If you were to go home again for a while I think you too would feel the same. You will never stop loving France. I never stopped loving England…but America is my home.

  14. Julie Ann Evins

    Never never never Corey, not for you nor for me. Nothing else touches it. There are great wonders and enchanting beauty to be found all over this world, but nothing and nowhere can hold you in it’s spell like Provence, Luv Jx

  15. Theresa

    …sheer poetry today….both visually and in written word…you nailed it!

  16. Eileen @ Passions to Pastry

    Is that the coliseum in Arles? No, I don’t think I could ever tire of France.

  17. Catherine

    Simply, you were meant to live there.

  18. Cheryl ~ Casual Cottage Chic

    I agree with Jackie…wherever you are, you take it all in with a positive view. Merci for the lovely pics!

  19. Alison Whittington

    I don’t think home – if it’s truly home (and it’s possible to have more than one true home) – is ever ordinary.

  20. Lorelei Lane

    You sound a little sad today, my friend. Remember home is where your heart is and your heart is in France. Looking forward to your next post. (Love the geraniums!!!)

  21. Cy Todd

    One of your best posts yet!! It should be the beginning of your upcoming book!! 🙂

  22. Brenda L from TN

    Ah, Corey…never leave France as this is how I visit that beautiful countryside with all of it’s splendors thru your eyes and words…every town, city, country has it’s drawbacks and ugliness but they also have their lovely people,coulture and heart. That’s what I see and feel everytime I read your daily blogs. Keep up the good work. I enjoy it immensely.

  23. Delores

    Haven’t visited or a long time. Love this post. I for one will never get tired of France, especially Provence. I don’t think you will either. You are living the life my dear!

  24. I LOVED the statement on seeing the big picture and not the thread count. Corey, I go through life looking at the thread count. The beauty is in the detail of everything. No matter how grand or how simple. Thank you for putting a name on my view of life.
    Instead of telling people I just live in Yuba City, I add, I live 1/2 between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, I live 1 1/2 hours from the wine country, 35 minutes from the Sacramento Airport and I live only 1 hour from Nantuckets. Even people from here are suprised at how wonderful our location is. It’s all in the description and how I love your descriptions. Here’s to looking at the Thread count. Beautiful Post.

  25. One word. No.
    Love the beautiful photos that allow me to share the many flavors of your corner of the world. I hope you never tire of sharing a glimpse with the rest of us.

  26. Hi French Girl, Thanks for giving us a little peice of heaven each day! I would love one of those bikes…how fun!

  27. AmyKortuem

    Thank you for these confessions, Corey! It’s so beautiful to hear that you’re still enamored with what makes France FRANCE and oh-so-unique after 20 years. I don’t feel like I’m just going through a year-long “French phase” now – if you’ve been bitten and are still feeling the itch after 20 years, then I have a long affair ahead of me!

  28. Rhonda P.

    Your passion will always keep your romance with France alive. Most people do not have passion for anything, I feel so sorry for them.
    My passions allow my feet to hit the ground getting out of bed every single morning and yell WOO HOO let’s do this again!
    Beautiful pictures thank you so much for them.

  29. cynthia Wolff @Beatenheart

    really how could you…

  30. Jenny N

    Nahhh. Not gonna happen to you. I am sure. And if for any reason your bloggy buddies sense you getting blase, I know we will lovingly send you a virtual “shake” and tell you “Snap out of it!”, we care for you and your Provence too much.

  31. shelley@decoragain.blogspot.com

    Nothing ordinary about you or your observations…..you see beauty, love it, and document it….now get to writing that book!!!!

  32. Corey, I think wherever you live, you would always see the positive! As for me, I’m afraid I would see the lack of restrooms, smoke, unsmiling faces and nothing else!

  33. Gosh. So many BEAUTIFUL pictures. Thank you for sharing images from France. I LOVE them.

  34. NEV-AH!!!

  35. Marilyn

    If you found it ordinary, you wouldn’t have all the delightful things to share with us. It would never grow old or ordinary. France has so much beauty, I love it.

  36. Corey, I believe you will NEVER tire of living in France and were it not so you would lose an essential part of who you are.
    Thank you, as always, for sharing your beautiful pictures and thoughts. Your blog is such a wonderful gift each and every day!

  37. Lieselotte

    You are a real philosopher, Corey !!!

  38. How could your life EVER be ordinary with FH at your side? 🙂 In love with the shutters, the saints…ahhhhhhh

  39. Ida from South Africa

    Ohhh… beautifully written! You’re making all of us planning to visit France… someday…

  40. Beautiful post, Corey.
    I feel the same about our mountains and the pelicans wheeling overhead.
    But I’d love to come back to France one day and have a chance to get familiar enough with it to see if I’d become blase…I think not – now I just enjoy it through your posts, love all the photographic details of ancient stone and weathered board.

  41. Olive and Branch

    I’ve been thinking the same thought recently? You are preaching to the choir! Love the post – I think it gets in your blood….

  42. Throughthemilkhousedoor

    At times, I feel the same for my city, San Francisco. Cable cars, sourdough bread and dungeness crab. Blah! Been there, done that. What keeps me in the city? It’s essence and soul. It’s got a vibe and I dig it. As,for France and Corey? Two peas in a pod!

  43. pauline

    I can’t imagine that happening to you, TICA. You and France and beauty and brocantes – it’s a lifetime love affair.

  44. Michelle

    Every time I read your blog, I fall in love with France again and again!
    I love seeing France through your eyes, and I hope I get to see it through my own again some day!
    Thanks so much for these little tidbits of beauty and charm every day!

  45. I’m not sure if I’ve ever posted on your blog, or how I found your blog in the first place, but I LOVE it! Thank you for sharing your labor of love!

  46. Your photos today made me swoon. Honestly, I’m in love. I am praying Heaven looks like your France, then I will enjoy its beauty for all of eternity. And I promise I’ll never tire of the sight of it. I especially love the photos of the geraniums, they made me happy, and I forgot about my health worries. Thank you for posting everyday, even when it is not convienient, and a chore to do it. I so look forward to your post; they are a treat to the eyes and the heart.Have a lovely day!

  47. Elaine L.

    I don’t think France could ever become ordinary. The best thing is when one knows someone and can visit, otherwise it can be a somewhat unfriendly place filled with beauty. I didn’t find the French “touchy feely” with Americans, when I was there, although I did love every minute of being there and appreciated it.
    ~elaine~

  48. joanne nixon

    i have a feeling that wherever you are, you will always find the interesting,,,,the extraordinary….the special places and things that many take for granted….you bloom where planted….don’t change..your view is spectacular !

  49. cynthia

    Hi Corey,
    Merci bien a million times for your perspective and mostly for your generosity to share it with us. My own sentiments for France are always reflected in your words so beautifully. I have traveled to Paris and various surrounding areas through the last 10-15 years as a flight attendant. I no longer fly for physical reasons.
    I can only say the closest I have come to saying the same thing about my feelings for
    France is “I need a Paris fix”. My gratitude is like a river ever flowing with many tiny inlets of water and several dramatic waterfalls coming seemingly out of nowhere for your wonderful postings about your life. Of course I envy your place in life….I live near Willows, CA…and am contemplating my next life move…being 55 , single again…with 3 miraculous sons in their 20’s who feel much the same way as I do about France. So I continue to dream and know my dreams will absolutely come true….and am so grateful for your visions of reality. My humble friendship extended to you and yours.
    My jumbled message so less eloquently expressed compared to you falls so short….but it doesn’t matter ….it is all good. Thank you so much for sharing your life with all of us. C

  50. I hope you never will Corey!! I Love France, though I have never been there, yet..And through your eyes I love this country even more. Home is where the heart is they say. And your words tells me that this is the case. Love is forgiving about downsides. It is easy to take everything for granted, it is a gift not to. It is a strength you have, to review all errors and deficiencies. Hopefully the people that lives there feels the same.
    Have the best day in France!
    Aina
    Ps: Did you receive the e-mail I sent you? I hope that you did.

  51. Jane Ann

    Having just returned from our first visit to Paris, I am so appreciative of your writing. We wandered the streets of Paris absolutely awestruck. We fell in love with France with just seeing the little part we did. Thank you for expanding our appreciation of France and for keeping our “Oh my!” going. I think I will never tire living in your photos and stories.

  52. I have to add my 2 cents- I can’t imagine that you will ever be bored or blase about your adopted homeland. It is the most beautiful place I have ever been. Your photos and commentary capture it so well, and seem to reflect my own delight with the country and people of France. I keep thinking that maybe in my next life I can be born there. As for now -I plan to return as soon as possible!

  53. I really enjoyed this post, thank you. It summarized so much of what I have been feeling lately.

  54. Marie-Noëlle

    Sometimes I wonder what I like better : your words or your pictures. I try hard to find arguments favouring the one or the other.
    I always end up giving up :
    Both and together – alike two lovers…

  55. Very nice post, you express yourself in such a lovely way! tnks! And for the superb snaps too!

  56. Alexandra

    Great post! Here’s hoping the little beauties and joys (which seems to be what France is made up of) never get boring or tiring. Beautiful pics too, I love the blue shutters.

  57. I think it is wonderful to never fall out of love with a place. Even if you focus on all the romantic and positive aspects. That’s how I feel about my hometown.

  58. vicki Boster

    these photos are so beautiful – almost like we were there! I am in love with your blog!
    Vicki

  59. Blasé about France? How can that ever be? Every turn is a new picture. Isn’t it fun?

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