Monday, January 13, 2014

City Too Noisy? The Countryside is Within Reach!




I love living in the city, but sometimes it can become a bit noisy and tiring… and that means… Time for a quick escape to the countryside! Even one day will do. Luckily, a train ride brings me from Paris to my calmer destination in an hour (just the time to check what's going on on Twitter). Once I've arrived, however, I put the smartphone aside and focus on a day of relaxation.

It's amazing that such a short distance separates the big city from villages with only a few thousand inhabitants. Since France is a relatively small country, I suppose it's logical that you don't have to go very far for a change of scenery.

Our weekend jaunt took us to Coulommiers, home to the eponymous cheese. Although it isn't a tiny village, it certainly falls into the category of countryside! Our friends C. and B. delighted us with a lovely lunch (yummy, homemade wild blueberry tarts for dessert, see photo) by the wood-burning stove.

The hens pecking away outside (you can get a glimpse of them in the other photo above) provided entertainment for our daughter. And she was especially impressed with the freshly laid eggs… a lot different from the carton we buy at the grocery store down the street.    

An afternoon that made us forget all of the things on our "to do" list, the frenetic pace of the past few months and the promise of the same in the months to come and the daily stress of subways and crowds.

And then, a quick train ride, and we are back to our reality. But we are different than we were just a few hours ago. With us, we bring a hint of the peaceful calm found in the countryside.

6 comments:

  1. France small eh? The Hexagone seems large to us, being 4 times the size of England.... Still, you're right. Texas is 2.5 times the size of France, so it's all relative. But I think we can agree that a day in the countryside with fresh eggs and blueberry tart takes some beating.

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    1. Yes, it does indeed depend on which countries we are comparing. As an American, I often think of that Texas comparison :) I know you have wonderful blueberries in Ariege. During the season, I would be eating them daily!!

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  2. That sounds like such a lovely day! Where I stay isn't exactly beautiful countryside but I do have access to some nice parks and the sea, and it really restores me getting to escape back to my quiet town after working in the noisy city all day!

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    1. I think seeing the sea is just wonderful... I really miss not being on the coast. The river just isn't the same! :)

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  3. I just did a big sigh as I read this. Please post more pics of your day. I would love to see what you see every day in Paris!

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    1. Thank you, Rhiannon! I promise I'll start posting more Paris photos... sometimes I say "Oh, I should have taken a photo of this or that" once it's too late! Often, just the daily things are nice too. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for visiting my blog :)

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