Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

Who’s Your Neighbor? Mine is Italy.

Red vespa

Italy is less than two hours from our doorstep. My neighbor. Seductive enchanting Italy. I love that. Zip across the border, Italian enchantment rushes up, grabs me, Bacio qui! Limoncello in the afternoon, and back to oh la la France in the evening. 

 

Italian lunch

 

San Remo is a lovely seaside town. Every Tuesday and Saturday morning there is a market. Yeah, yeah I know markets galore in France, so why drive two and a half hours for a market?

 

Downtown San Remo, Italy

Italy that is way!

Thick hot chocolate,

Lunch,

A change of scenery,

The smell of Pizza, garlic and oregano,

The Italians,

Licking windows,

Happy stroll.

 

L'erbolario

L'Erbolario, one of my favorite shops. Natural products, wonderful fragrances, soaps and the best herb tea, red fruit tisane. Christmas gifts.

 

Black coat

J'adore this black coat. Hidden buttons, the back side of the stand up collar was in leather.

Sleek, chic, yum.

Do I need a coat?

No.

Christmas shopping was the goal, and that coat stopped almost got me off track.

Taking a photo of it helped me feel like I put it in my closet.

Silly me with silly ideas.

 

San remo market

 

San Remo market is every Tuesday and Saturday morning, 8 am until 1pm.

In the town center next to the tower.

Cashmere scarves for 10 Euros, cashmere sweater for 35 Euros, beautiful leather belts for 20 Euros… leather gloves 8 Euros…

Though the quality is superior than the price lets on.

My favorite is the food! Massive pieces of two year old Parmesan cheese, people were lined up for a fifteen minute wait.

 

 

Animal print style

Animal print purses …everywhere. Then of course LMAO song started playing in my head

"…animal print pants out of control… wiggle wiggle wiggle yeah".

Like I said silly me.

 

San remo old meets new

San Remo: Old meets new.

Note those new street lamps next to the old facade?

I wished those street lamps would disappear.

If I was on the city planning I would be barking against those sort of lamps.

I like new things, I do… but not this style of new.

 

San remo market, italy

For example new things like gadgets.

French Husband loves gadgets, or I should say sorting through gadgets.

I do not like this sort of shopping…

But, I must say if finds the best things! Techy can of cool stuff that I do not even know what it is until he explains it, then I want it too!

San Remo market has its share of gadgets. 

 

San Remo, street down town

Oh Italy.

You just know how to romance life,

Conversation outside, bundled up in love with hot chocolate and hand holding…

Italians just ooze sensuality. 

Then France came along and took me home.

(I'll announce the winners of the French Antique Guessing Game tomorrow. So many great, funny answers!)

 

 

 

Comments

32 responses to “Who’s Your Neighbor? Mine is Italy.”

  1. Chris Wittmann

    Oh how I envy you Corey! My dad’s immigrant parents came here from Naples and Sicily, and I’ve never once been to Italy. I am drinking in the sights and smells and sounds through your wonderful photos. How wonderful to live so close to so many different countries!

    Reply
  2. Chris Wittmann

    Forgot to mention my neighbors 🙂
    Yes living here means I’m close to Vermont, Maine, Mass. and Canada…I can live without Massachusetts 🙂 but love the coast of Maine, the rolling hills of Vermont, and actually Canada isn’t looking too bad either right about now 🙂

    Reply
  3. Anjanette

    How fun!! I was smiling while reading through your escapade! Then thought it took Dean and I longer to drive to Reno this weekend!!

    Reply
  4. Diogenes

    The coat is awesome. The dress next to it isn’t bad either.
    I know you will be sad to here that LMFAO split up. Yes, RedFoo and SkyBlu, as they are known, decided to go their separate ways.

    Reply
  5. Zosia

    Provence every day, Italy 2.5 hours away – lucky duck!

    Reply
  6. Alan

    Our neighbor is Cuba. I wonder what it would be like today if we didn’t have such a unreasonable policy towards it.

    Reply
  7. implumcute

    We spent 61 days on Sicily in the Summer of 2011…it stole my heart. I fully understand the seduction of Limoncello and the smell of a good pizza. I often tell my husband that Italy is where I wish to retire.

    Reply
  8. Christine

    Spent 3 weeks in Tuscany in Oct/Nov in 2003 and fell in love with Italy. Can’t wait to return. I also remember a trip to Marseille and then driving the coast to Nice and back up through Grasse. So wonderful. Love the town of Cassis! My neighbor is the Pacific Ocean.

    Reply
  9. Paulita

    Show Off! My neighborhood is Indiana. I don’t go for the shopping, or for anything really.

    Reply
  10. Rebecca from the pacific northwest

    Wait, you were LICKING windows?
    And yes, I agree with Paulita who calls you a “show off.” Sort of I agree. Being 2 hours away from Italy is the good side of having to live so very far from all the family in Willows.
    If I drove 2 hours in any direction, I’d still be in the state of Washington. Which isn’t too shabby, but not as spectacular as Italy. How fun for you!
    Did you find presents that suited you?
    (PS. Nice swing-y coat! I like it too.)

    Reply
  11. Vickie in Oregon

    I’m going to go pour olive oil all over myself after this – even if it is california olive oil (yum)!

    Reply
  12. betty parker

    My closest neighbor is Tennessee. It’s a good place….but Italy! I’ve visited there twice and would go back tomorrow.

    Reply
  13. Kathie B

    Who’s our neighbor? well, there are multiple states within an hour’s drive or so, but if you didn’t see the “Welcome to…” signs but the side of the highway or overhead, you’d never realize you’d crossed a state line, because the states all look alike in our region.
    OTOH, it’s only a half-day’s drive to Canada, which has all the advantages but none of the drawbacks of being a foreign country (except for having to exchange currency for walking-around money, but that’s easy).

    Reply
  14. Joanna

    My neighbors? Silicon Valley galore! Palo Alto (Stanford), Mountain View (Google), Cupertino (Apple), etc. After having travelled in Europe, I realize how great America is. I am also feeling that your blog, Corey, not only inspires me about Europe. I am beginning to suspect that you inspire me to find beauty wherever I am stationed in life. I am beginning to suspect that even if YOU had ended up in the boonies or Plain Town USA, you’d somehow find a way to make it seem enchanting. Perhaps, that is the greatest gift of your blog and French do for me: to find beauty, joy, pleasure everyday, wherever you are. I make it as romantic as the French have discovered how! That is a priceless gift you have given us, Corey.

    Reply
  15. TEXAS FRANCOPHILE

    You live a charmed life my dear Corey. Guess that’s why it’s so fun to follow. I can drive 2hrs in any direction and still b in Texas. My neighbors are New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Not Italy but not bad. SouthFork, Cowboy Stadium, bricks and mortar. Did you receive my email on the French Weight Watchers? FRANCO

    Reply
  16. Leigh NZ

    Two hours each way I’d still be in the South Island of New Zealand…our closest neighbour is Australia only a 3 hour flight away. However we Kiwis do travel far and I’ve just returned from a month in Italy and the French Riviera including time in Aix en Provence. The day before we arrived in Aix you went to California!! The Mistral blew through and the large brocante we were to visit was cancelled; can you believe after a year of us planning our trip. We still had a wonderful time travelling about with your friend Jill. You lucky girl with France and Italy at your doorstep!!

    Reply
  17. Tongue in Cheek

    Hi Liz
    Sorry I missed you! The Mistral is a cold machine that can put everyone in a foul mood. I have seen many beautiful old things shatter to the ground when the Mistral hits!
    C

    Reply
  18. Tongue in Cheek

    Hi TXF
    No? I’ll check my spam folder, Weight Watchers is a bad word…lol 😉

    Reply
  19. Tongue in Cheek

    Hi Joanna
    I try.
    But I do not always succeed. That is one of the reasons I have a blog: To help me stay focused on what it beautiful.
    Thank you for saying that you find that I am doing a good job, of finding beauty everywhere.
    C

    Reply
  20. Tongue in Cheek

    lol!

    Reply
  21. Tongue in Cheek

    Hi Rebecca
    I would take a 22 door to door flight any day to go to Willows if it cost me the same amount to drive two and a half hours. You nailed that one.
    We bought some gifts at the market and the L’Erbolario. Our gift to each other was spending the day in Italy together, it was wonderful.
    C

    Reply
  22. Tongue in Cheek

    Oh! I guess the leopard printed pants came between them!

    Reply
  23. Kathleen

    I agree with Zosia completely,you are one LUCKY DUCK!!
    I live in Ireland so am surrounded by water on all sides so would have to sail or fly to arrive in another country.I have been lucky enough to be in St.Remo at the markets having travelled from our holiday base in Nice,loved it too.Last Oct.we were in Ventimiglia but missed the market day,again based in Nice.How lucky to live in your area and being able to travel north,south,east or west and land in beautiful places!
    I love those Vespa scooters too!

    Reply
  24. Gracie

    Isn’t it funny, you crave for italian things, I crave for french things?…..You went abroad to Italy, I went abroad to France…..And Yes, I bought Xmas gifts at L’Erbolario too!

    Reply
  25. judyo

    I love your everyday adventures, Corey! If my husband and I want a day trip we can drive two hours north and almost be in Canada, two hours west in Vermont, two hours south Boston, and if we sail two hours east, in the middle of the Atlantic. I like where you live, but love my corner of the world too!

    Reply
  26. Brother Mathew

    You trying to stir it up with the lamp posts?

    Reply
  27. Amy Kortuem

    Oh, lucky you – Iowa is my neighbor! Not that Iowa doesn’t have its own beauty, but compared to Italy…you know…

    Reply
  28. peggy braswell

    Adore Italy! + the photos of the market looks divine! so much to see here in LA. Happy Wednesday. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

    Reply
  29. LibbyWNZ

    Well said, Joanna, my heart too. The Pacific Ocean is our neighbour – on all sides of New Zealand!! Australia is often known as ‘ across the ditch’. A ditch in New Zealand is a very small water course, a drain.

    Reply
  30. Marilyn

    I wish I could have been there in person for those cashmere sweaters. Nice coat too. How fun to be so close to Italy you can just take off for the day.

    Reply
  31. Sel

    Love, love your blog today….keep intriguing us with more of this kind….i live close to San Francisco, Ca..a wonderful city by the Pacific….lots of ex pats from Europe here. By the way, what kind of fabric was the short coat? Price? i loved it….thank you!

    Reply
  32. Linda P.

    I fell in love with that coat, too.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions