The Snow Man and the most Charming Village in the French Alps

My snowman

I must confess

kissing and being with this man

no matter where 

is always good. So why did I doubt going to the snow mountains would be any different?

I must confess, that if he was a handyman he would be perfect.

I won't mention my thoughts about his newly grown beard… 

 

Au Hameau de Fouillouse

The Snow Man that made me come to the snow, the Hautes Alpes (French Alps), said this morning, "We are going for a drive." I know him well, and snorted, "Are we going to hike in the snow?" He shook his head, then he took my hand, "Today we will do what you want to do."

 

French Alps, Vars

 

Being the brat that I am I did not think twice to say, "Oh no darling, you love to ski, today is a beautiful day, you should ski, go ski… " Instead I jumped at the chance, "Okay, let's drive around so I can take some photographs." 

The Snow Man drove to a small village called: "Au Hameau de Fouillouse".

I must confess that I am loving it on this snow mountain.

The sky, I swear it could not be any more blue.

Majestic yet natural, hand in hand.

 

French Alps small town

We came to this little town. The road narrowed, wall to wall stone houses lined it, the snow made it even more enchanting. I cannot believe I am saying that, "The snow made it more enchanting!"

I begged my Snow Man to stop the car, "I have to get out."

I wasn't cold because the overwhelming feeling of happy was stronger.

 

French Alps#Church tower

 

What spoke to me: The old structures, some abandoned, villages that use to thrive, lifestyles gone, but history intake. Photogenic.

 

French Alps blue wagon

 

 

The silence that wrapped around it all, atmospheric.

 

 

Fluffy Cat

 

The fluffiest cats! This one I could have called my friend. Those eyes. As I took its photo I thought what is happening to me… I am walking around in the snow, loving it, taking photos of cats, kissing a Snow Man with a beard?

What next?

 

Snow covered church yard

 

A church yard… covered in snow, snow deep enough it went into my boots and up my pant leg, did it stop me, hell no… 

Maybe I'll go skiing.

Maybe French Husband will shave his beard.

Maybe I'll move here and have a cat.

I love surprises that wake me up to that which is good.

 



Comments

50 responses to “The Snow Man and the most Charming Village in the French Alps”

  1. That bridge – wow!

  2. E n c h a n t i n g !
    Fabulous Exkursion. Your snowman earned some good brownie points today, methinks. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  3. what a surprise. i love your french husband. so thoughtful and in love with you..
    your pictures capture the happiness you must feel being with your best friend and doing what you love.
    the photos are singularly stunning. merci beaucoup, corey

  4. and that cat! Can you photograph a sunny snowy stream in the woods Corey??

  5. Thank you for sharing your land of wonderment and enchantment!

  6. Rebecca from the pacific northwest

    Okay, you finally outed me with this one so I’m not lurking silently in the background as I’ve been doing lately, but MUST comment.
    I love this. I love that FH said that today is your day. I love that you (grumpily) went with your crazy action-loving family. I love each of these photos.
    (I love that it was YOU who got snow down your boots and up your pants legs instead of me, in order to capture these images.)
    And that cat looks straight out of Alice in Snowy Wonderland!
    PS. Why has FH decided to grow out his beard? What a huge effort to shave that daily, when he does so, with that thick growth. For the record, my darling husband has had a large beard for all 30 years of our life together except one day when he shaved it off for a skit and I said, “that was funny, NOW GROW IT BACK.” Ta da! No rough whiskers in the morning!

  7. I would love a snowman like yours! He’s a keeper, can you find one for me, minus the beard!! although it looks good on your snowman, I’m just not into the bristly stuff!!

  8. Sighing in California. Pure Shangri la.

  9. Thanks for sharing these wonderful pictures. I’m sure that village must have been very isolated until the 20th century.
    That cat looks just like our tabby, Scarlet. Just as well fed too.

  10. Beautiful! I believe this is where we drove one fine day when we were in France a couple years ago. No snow at that time of year, but still so beautiful. How lovely that you FH would give you the day to play in the snow.

  11. I have missed your fun loving comments!
    Yann why are your growing a beard?
    I’ll answer for him,
    because he can.
    No reason.
    xx

  12. I want the cat!!! ๐Ÿ˜€

  13. Lucy will be jealous! OMG I wanted to kidnap this cat!

  14. Massilianana

    Oh le beau chat roux ! Get a cat ! Get a cat ! Oui get a cat !

  15. Anjanette

    Giggling

  16. You are definitely drunk on hot chocolate and must be cut off immediately ! ๐Ÿ™‚
    Carol
    P.S. Get a dog

  17. It is easy to love the snow when you are only visiting it. If you had to deal with it for three or four months, you would learn to hate it. I haven’t visited a snowy place now for at least 24 years. I think I could stand a couple of hours of bright fluffy snow.

  18. Such lovely scenery in EVERY photo (LOL!). Le chat reminds Farmboy Husband and me of our kitties — they all denied they were fat, and insisted they were just “fluffy”!!! P.S. I bet Yann really did want to go sightseeing in the scenery too.

  19. Ha, ha, the Cheshire Cat in the French Alps :-).
    Why do the man I live with has a beard? “Because whoever thought of scraping his face with a razor every morning was mad” – his words, not mine.

  20. What a beautiful village! I know what you mean about the blue sky and snow. Such a gorgeous contrast. The cat is beautiful as well. Do they only allow beauty in France? LOL! Perhaps some snowshoes to trudge around the village? Have fun!

  21. I love this post and this quaint village!

  22. This village is beautiful. I love the happiness that oozes from this post. You and Yann are a great pair. Best friends and loves forever. You both chose wisely. ๐Ÿ™‚
    Thank you for this dose of happiness!
    carol

  23. Yes. to it all.
    *

  24. Love FH drinking his miracle draught. Gorgeous photos. Go skiing – guard that wrist. Have fun. P.S. FH beard – handsome, but definitely aging. You won’t have any snarks in the brocante asking if you are his Mum!

  25. Laurie SF

    If want to ski faster FH, shave off the beard. You’ll be more aerodynamic.

  26. Corey, I love your post and all the fun comments of others too! Best I love your comment “I wasn’t cold because the overwhelming feeling of happy was stronger”. Fabulous! I know that feeling in the snowy mountains.
    Happy New Year!

  27. Love this! Enjoy!

  28. Yes to the pics.
    But . ..
    No to the beard.
    Sorry Yann.

  29. Non, non, non Corey, The beard is very sexy, let it stay! Creates a mysterious aura about him!

  30. Chico Sue

    Geez Corey, you are killing me with the sexines of the snowman and the snow. Both of my children were concieved during blizzards; one in Michigan and the other in Minnesota. I LOVE the snow!

  31. Great photos – snow does make everything more enchanting – I’m actually going to a nearby ski resort tomorrow so my FH (no beard) can ski (while I observe and read over a glass of wine or two!)

  32. Great photos and yes, the snow does make everything more enchanting! I’m actually going to a nearby ski resort tomorrow so my FH can ski, while I observe and read, while sipping a glass or two of wine!

  33. Gorgeous, gorgeous photos!

  34. The beard not so much!The pictures stunning! The kitty, soooo cute + your FH is a doll(without the beard)and so sweet. I loved your comment “into my boots and up my pant leg, did it stop me, hell no” atta girl. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com…

  35. Oh thank you for the photos!
    These are so gut-wrenching to see though; so bitter-sweet.
    This is what we used to do during our years in Geneva… just a half hour, an hour, from the house, there was this magical world to explore. The French Alps, the Juras. Abandoned villages, majestic scenery, a village bakery, blue skies, stone bridges over amazing gorges. Sunday evenings, we would make our way home, satiated and nourished in a way I cannot begin to describe.
    These pictures made me cry… First, because they are so beautiful, and second, because through them I can almost touch the memories of our recent past. But they make me sad too, because they make it painfully clear that I am in the wrong place, and don’t know how to get back to where I feel I belong. It is not so easy…
    p.s. With that beard, French Husband looks like my former Director General, who had an, umm, definite aura about him…!

  36. I’m Team Beard!

  37. You what? Want to adopt that big cat? Start skiing? Yes, it’s the altitude. Nice snowy pictures for a day excursion. Now back to that warm place in front of the fireplace sipping hot chocolate.

  38. Corey!
    OH BRAVA!I own that oxen drawn cart you took a photo of!Its in my garden.Brought back from ITALY 18 years ago!How marvelous you are having fun when you thought………”UGH!”French husband looks pretty good with the facial hair!(SORRY)I know my husband has one too has for years wish he would banish it!That cat I have the same.Same color fur and eyes!Cats are wonderful………..I wonder why you donot enjoy!Thats the one thing we donot share.I keep being amazed at how much we share in common.Tomorrow will we see you skiing??????????????

  39. Fabulous photos! And love the fat cat ๐Ÿ˜‰ Hubby’s beard…well I’m used to that; my hubby has one and you just get used to it as long as they keep it trimmed…lol! Village in the French Alps…nice to visit and ski but probably too far from the brocantes!

  40. I so enjoyed these photos Corey! Tell your hubby the beard makes him look 10 years older ๐Ÿ™‚
    My hubby has a small one, hardly noticeable. actually it improves his looks ๐Ÿ™‚ but some guys just look older!
    That cat is gorgeous! He needs a fluffy coat in the cold, our feral barn cat, whom I named “Linoleum” has a nice thick fur coat now too. It’s been very cold here.

  41. But will be warmer !

  42. Corey — you have a wonderful husband. Don’t hate me for this – but I like the beard. It looks amazing with his hair. The sunglasses just perfect the photo. sorry, sorry!
    Love the cat, the town, the snow. What an amazing little town.

  43. Seriously fabulous photos Corey

  44. Have you ever thought of making greeting cards from your amazing photos? I would buy them! You could add them to your shop…just a thought…

  45. This is H-E-A-V-E-N!

  46. I want to second what others have said, “Those are really good photo, Corey.”

  47. Nan Carlson

    Corey,
    Have you thought of putting together a calendar with one of your stunning photos highlighted for each month?
    My husband was between jobs and I bought him a camera to encourage him to develop a new hobby, since he had more time on his hands. Well, he developed into a wonderful photographer!!! We fortunately live near the Pacific Ocean and have wonderful views from our back door and windows.
    Our next project is to design a calendar with his photographs!!!
    Nan in southern California

  48. Nan Carlson

    I would also buy your greeting cards. Many times when I go to an art show I pick up blank cards with photos and use them for short note to my friends. There is nothing more exciting than receiving a hand written note from a friend.

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