
I honestly think the older I get, the harder that jetlag thing becomes. Maybe it is simply that each time it becomes a tad bit more significant in emotions and events. I did give myself the weekend off to do the mundane "back from vacation" routine and spend some time with B. and our friends getting re-adjusted.
I also took time to write down some sort of schedule as my work time is pretty much spoken for until this April. I look forward to come here on this page and unwind with more recipes and stories!

In that spirit and to tell you "Thank you" from the bottom of my heart for reading, laughing, frowning and smiling with me, I put together a little basket of French goodies I picked up on my trip to give away today. Head to the end of the post for instructions on how to enter...!

In the meantime, on to the Southern part of my trip back home. I do hope my aunt and uncle won't mind my posting about their gorgeous home and the wonderful meal we had when we stopped there on our way from the Alps to Aix-En-Provence. I am so proud of the work they have done, I can't help share some pictures.

I have always thought my aunt Agnes should have been a stylist or an interior decorator and this visit proved it once again. They basically bought a ruin in Provence with 4 walls, a roof and pretty much nothing you could call a home inside. Today, they have turned it into possibly the most peaceful retreat one could think of.

I don't tend to carry my camera to every meal I attend but I knew that lunch at their place would be the perfect opportunity to make you part of an everyday meal for us. French food and cooking is always surprising. A perfect mix of intricate, controlled preparations, detailed methods and a more relaxed, everyday cooking which makes going out a true fete and dining in a celebration of simplicity.

With the myriad of regions, provinces and history in France, it's not uncommon for visitors to go a tad bit crazy over the fantastic food. I know I do everytime I come home but really French cooking is nothing but a strong appreciation for seasonal foods and the cooking methods that bring out the best of it. Simple, fresh, fragrant. And Provence is naturally perfect for that.

I just wrote myself a sticky note to ask my aunt for her confit de carottes recipe. Melt in your mouth slow cooked carrots that held their shape perfectly right up until you'd close your mouth upon them. Then it was an explosion of sweet and savory, garlic flower and thyme.


We ate and drank and took our time to appreciate the scenery before us. So much so that we made our way to Aix-En-Provence in the later part of the afternoon. The sun falling down over the city was casting a gorgeous golden glow on the house fronts and pebbled streets.


Going back there was a treat for all of us. My father went to school at the Institute of Political Studies there and got a bit emotional showing me his first apartment right on the Cours Mirabeau. We spent quite a bit of time in that area retracing steps to stores, restaurants, and other places we used to visit.


Things have inevitably changed since we used to live in the area but a few things remain as we remembered. The markets, the plazas, sitting at a cafe listening to an open air classical concert. Fountains, facades, shops...it was good to be back even for such a short stop but we had somewhere more important to be.

Going back to my old village of Calas-Cabries was amazing in ways I can't explain. In the five minutes I was out of the car, everything came back. The streets, the turns, the walkways, the shortcuts. My first bike fall, my first crush, my first dive...Trees and bushes had taken over the front lawn in my old house and that was just as well. I could almost hear us play in the pampa's grass again and not think about the pool newly installed.

Time and life change things. I did not expect anything upon returning home. Expectations ruin things most of the time. The old village had not changed however. The church where I did my communions, the central plaza where I did my ballet recitals. All these years spent there becoming the person I am today. I finally started making sense of myself to myself.

The chapel on the hill where we'd have Scouts meetings. It was good to be home and take a walk under the pine trees and to hear the kids running around at recess. Nothing like a trip home to reset the human clocks right.

It's good to be home now although I am already planning another couple of trips out West! First is BlogHer Food in San Francisco October 8th and 9th. I am honored to be back as a speaker on a photography panel with my buddy Jen from Use Real Butter as we share the same view about conferences being teaching tools not mere presentations of what is or should be. Sharing is key. We hope to see you there!

1303 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 400 of 1303 Newer› Newest»this basket of goodies looks wonderful!
it's so kind of you to bring back all these wonderful things for a lucky reader!
Beautiful pictures and what a lovely basket!
Your photos are a treat!
Wow!!! I love France:)))
Thank you!
What lovely things you brought back!
I love the photo of the stairs - amazing post, thank you. :)
How sweet of you! Those photos are just stunning. I've been dying to go to Italy my entire life. You just made me want to go even more..
gorgeous gorgeous pictures!! love your blog!
I love your site and that basket looks amazing!!
I've only been lucky enough to visit France once many years ago but your pictures sent me right back to my 17 year old self in Saint Raphaël with the heavenly scent of lavender thick in the air. Thank you for helping to remind me why I need to make my way back Côte d'Azur!
as always - beautiful pictures!
I would love to go to France!
my dream destination...
thanks for the giveaway!
keren
kerenayash@gmail.com
oh Helen, these pictures are incredible! To have grown up in an area with such history...I am awestruck. What a beautiful place you can call home! It must be so difficult to leave. Thank you so much for sharing with us :)
Tears are running down my face. I wish I could get back to France. I'd love this basket of goodies to take me there, just a little bit.
You're a wonderful person to give away a basket so full of thought and meaning.
Looks like it was an AMAZING trip!! I'm jealous but good thing you are making it up to us with great photos and a super giveaway!!
What a generous giveaway! I love the juxtaposition of the fish and figs pictures in this post.
I would happily give up any of the shopping malls in my area for a chance to visit these little shops and cafes :)
Gorgeous photos...looks like your trip was so much fun! :)
I love your photos, and this basket looks gorgeous!
I love France and I really can't wait to visit Provence as soon as possible! But I'm also in love with your wonderful blog!!! Hugs, Erika from Italy
This post took me back to when I was last in Provence. Thank you for the happy memories today :)
Gorgeous photos!!!
it made a great combination:
this music> http://www.myspace.com/filiperaposo and your photos!
best wishes from portugal!
Breathtaking pictures! No wonder you love it there :)
Love love LOVE your photos. Looks like a fabulous time in France!!
Your eye for making such bright, clear, fresh-looking photographs has made me rather jealous for some time - and your current post is no exception. I love in your work what I cannot create in my own. :D
Gorgeous! I want to go! :)
Your pictures are BEAUTIFUL!!! And thank you for taking the time to put together such a wonderful gift basket!
Oh my! I desperately want to go to Provence after reading your post!
I've enjoyed your photos and stories so much! I would love to visit this area.
Thank you for sharing your trip home, Helene. What a beautiful part of the world!I have enjoyed reading all of your posts and in a way felt that I was there. Thanks for the giveaway. The basket is lovely. Barb
Your photos are stunning! Thank you for such a lovely giveaway.
When I look at pictures like that I just want to leave everything and just go away for a journey!
Lovely giveaway.
xx
m_kokosz[at]vp.pl
m_kokosz [at] vp dot pl
Your photos have made me add Provence to our list of places to visit soon. Beautiful!!
What a beautiful post! There really is no place like home, even if sometimes home changes a little bit while you're gone... :)
All those treats in the basket sound delicious; whoever wins those is going to have to share with all of us exactly how they ate them, so that we can all live vicariously!
Your photos just enforce the fact that I NEED to go to Provence. What a beautiful trip!
Your trip sounds like so much fun! I am envious.
The basket looks incredible, and so does your trip! Viva la France!
Amazing photos!!! I wish mine were like yours :'(
Here's my comment, wish me luck :)))
Helene, your blog is quite an inspiration! Could you please list a few things that you must bring back from France with you, because you cannot find them here in the States? (food, etc) And possibly add a link where they can be found.
Keep up the good work! Thank you.
What lovely pictures! And the items in that basket sound and look spectacularly delicious
Beautiful, as usual. I recently went to my home town too. Yours is definitely more interesting looking! :)
this is such a beautiful post! i've yet to go to europe, but now all i want to do is go to the french countryside and eat and relax!
Sometimes I think I should have been born in France. I homeschool my 16 year old daughter and she is learning French this year. She seems to have acquired my love for France through osmosis. I love it.
Oh my gosh. I was in Provence this summer, and I miss it every single day, with every fiber of my being. Most charming, wonderful, lovely place in the world.
xxx
I recently discovered Richard Olney's The French Menu Cookbook, and I imagine those very terroir-based and seasonally inspired menus being served and savoured in settings just like the ones you've captured in these photographs. What a lovely collection of images.
Merci pour ces magnifiques photos de notre beau pays. Je vie en Suède et ici il ne fait deja plus tres beau et vos photos m'ont apporte le soleil qui n'est deja plus tres present ici. Je n'ai pas encore eu l'occasion au cours de ma jeune vie d'adulte de passer des vacances en provence (j'y suis allee etant petite avec mes parents) et vos photos m'ont vraiment donne envie d'y enmener mon mari (suedois) qui ne connait que le nord et l'ouest de la France d'ou je suis originaire. J'adorais recevoir toutes ces jolis goumandises moi qui suis si gourmande.
Absolutely stunning - France is at the very top of my to-visit-someday list. What a beautiful culture.
Beautiful. We are planning a trip to Europe next summer to explore where my family came from. The best part of trips is the food, the local hidden places and the pastry shops that you wish you could eat at every day. Love your blog.
Your photos are beautiful as always. I long to go back to France and your remembrances and photos are only strengthening that longing!
Oh I love the photos and hope to win the giveaway!
Amazing photo's!!!! I wish I could have you as my tour guide :-)
Beautiful, as usual. I recently went to my home town too. Such memories! :)
What a beautiful trip! You've made me want to go to Provence! It's definitely on my list now. It would also to be so fun to get all those goodies!
That is a basket of heaven.
OMG, that sounds like such a wonderful basket. I'm hungry after reading the list of goodies!
i wanted to say that your series back home and specially the one today brought tears and inspiration both for my eyes and heart. You tante agnes reminds me of my tanate vicky and not only was she gifted in design/clothing but in the simple way she preapred the most memorable meals.
Your photograph took me back, i can honestly say they made me want to run back home and see it all again!
you have take the lovelist of photographs and honored a place ilove so much.
A beautiful post to wake up to, I visited South France in 2008 for a roadtrip and it was absolutely breathtaking :)
What a lovely post and an even lovelier giveaway! I just moved into a new place, so this would be perfect. Fingers crossed!
I've never visited France but it looks absolutely beautiful!
Your posts always makes me want to travel right away! I love them & thanks for sharing such beautiful pictures.
Chouette! What lovely photos and a basket of goodies...I'd love to win :)
The basket looks gorgeous :)
This entry reminds me of the summers and holidays I spent in Plasscassier as an au pair. I miss the area so very much!
Gosh, your photos are just so evocative. "Going home" is such an emotional experience. It looks like you had a wonderful time with family and memories.
You make me want to revisit my childhood in England and Wales. Sigh.
And love the idea of this giveaway basket! Such a sweet and thoughtful giveaway.
amazing photos! i do love watching your pictures, you're a great photographer, Helen.
i've never been to France yet, but i hope i would see these lovely land as soon as posible.
Oh my goodness, what a wonderful basket. I would so love it, and I'd so love to visit France. *sigh* someday.
Even the dead fish look really cute. :D
what an incredible giveaway. Beautiful pictures. :)
Oh how I ache to visit Provence! Beautiful photos Helen, especially the one of the figs. Truly stunning and thanks for the great prizes :)
I only recently started to follow your adorable blog and immediately fell in love with it. I hope you keep up with it so I can enjoy it some longer=) I am German but right now I am on my semester abroad in Brazil and I really love to try food from all over the world. It's always an adventure and very inspiring. Over here, however, I do not have the means to cook and bake a lot as it is just a student type of kitchen but it does also inspire to try very unique stuff in a very unique way. These days, that kind of limit me in trying all recipies that I find, I feel that following your blog is a fun way to compensate for that. Thanks for that=)
These pictures are gorgeous!! And the basket contents- what a culinary dream.
Okay, this post totally makes me want to go to France. It looks absolutely adorable. And your basket of goodies looks divine.
I love Aix En Provence. Your pictures are lovely.
i love france! one can never spend too much time there nor forget the experience.
Looks like an amazing trip!
Beautiful photos. Want the basket...
I spent my entire lunch hour enjoying your post. Lovely photos. I hope the take my three children to France when they are older. :)
I love your blog, thanks for sharing great recipes, stories and beautiful pictures!
Thank you for sharing your trip with us! I've loved every poetic thought and image.
Some day, I'll go too. :)
Thank you for sharing your trip to France, home. Your beautiful photos inspire my photography, and I relate to the sentiments expressed in returning "home."
Blessings.
Your pictures have been amazing as always, I'd love to go to France now that I've seen them all!
Your pictures brought back such wonderful memories for me of a summer I spent in Aix-en-Provence when I was in high school! I haven't had the chance to go back, but I so hope to one day!
Oh my God.. I'd give almost everything for anything from this basket! And your photos are so amazing. That makes me even more greedy..
hightechartist: I can't for many reasons but primarily because customs vary with each country and taste vary with each person. What I may find appealing may not suit another person. Look through shops as you visit and pick things *you* know you might enjoy.
Tigerlill: well good thing I started my bog in 2007 - there are 3 years of archives for you to flip through :)
Oh my goodness! BEST giveaway ever!! That is a gorgeous basket full! (totally inspired by your photography and cooking!)
Oh, how lovely. The light in your photos always stuns me.
This was a beautiful post. I always love your photos, but the way you wrote about your hometown reminded me of my own. I only spent 2 years of my childhood in Japan, but whenever I go back to visit my grandparents, it takes me back instantly to the best times I had during my youngest years. Thank you so much for sharing. xoxo
I love France and would love to go back now!
J'adore tes photos et ton blog en général. Je reve de vacationner en Provence un jour avec ma famille (mon mari, mes petits enfants) et ce post-ci ne fait qu'augmenter mes envies
d'y voyager. :)
What beautiful pictures! The basket looks amazing too.
I have recently found your blog and fell in LOVE - my hubby and I are planning on making some of your delish recipes this weekend. I've lived in America all of my life and during the last year or so I've started to step out of my processed food comfort zone and WOW - who knew that food could not only look but taste so good :)
I love the pictures you took of your trip - I felt as if I were walking along w/you during your vacation - thank you for sharing and thank you for hosting this beautiful giveaway (so generous!)
Wishing you must success and happiness! - Barbara
Gorgeous... such a lovely place to have grown up.
(had troubles posting a comment, so if this is a second post - my apologies)
Beautiful pictures! Thanks for taking the time to share!
Felt in love with the view of the two chairs under the tree. Made me dream!
Ah que c'est joli!!! I have some of the same photos, the cire and the square in Aix, it makes me want to go back so badly! Thanks for sharing the beauty and the memories with us.
France is at the top of my visit list, right after moving back to England. SO jealous of all the wonderful adventures.
Helen!
This post is just sooooooo amazing! Lovely photos, gorgeous places, delicious food. It's good to know where you are come from. One day if I visit this area of France I won't forget to check this post to get ideas what to see, what to eat and where to go.
The giveaway is OMG! I would love to win it! :)
My dad and I have been discussing a trip to France next summer... how nice to know there are such wonderful views and foods to look forward to!
Ur photographs are amazing Helen! Truly breath taking!
Your photos as always are so gorgeous, I have taken a better interest in baking after being inspired by your blog for sure!
this is by FAR the best giveaway i've seen on a blog, and i read a LOT of blogs.
beautiful pictures, as always!
withbluesatinsashes@gmail.com
I am so happy to enter this giveaway! I love French things {though I have never been to France}...a girl can dream though right?
CherryBlossomsDesign AT hotmail
Bonjour!
Your descriptions of France are beautiful - thanks for the contest!
Long time reader, first time commenter! Great photos as always!
Your pictures make me want to go to France even more. They are beautiful!
Oh my~ i"m incredibly envious. The landscape is so beautiful, and the food all sounds incredible- I also want your aunt's carrot recipe... badly...
Thanks for hosting this giveaway!
What gorgeous photos! I long to travel to France and experience the markets and the food but for now am waiting on residency in Canada. Thanks for sharing with us
I so want to go to Provence, if I win, I at least get a little flavour of it...!
Beautiful pictures, I always enjoy your photography!
Beautiful, just beautiful! Ahhh to have lived in France. *sigh*
The photos you take are inspirational and lovely to look at, I find myself always checking for updates! The basket looks gorgeous, thanks for the chance!
Provence is still on my list of "places to go" and your photos just reinforced that!
I so miss my home country, these reflections have caused me to reminisce about my country.
Beautiful photos, and SUCH an exciting giveaway!
I went to France this summer....LOVE the pictures!!
Wow! Everything in that basket sounds great!
I've fallen in love with France, even though I've never been there! I just love the old masonry buildings and the landscape in your photos.
Wow! Your trip looks amazing.
This looks magical! A beautiful post.
Your photos of the shops are amazing. Love the way everything is displayed.
Everything looks so amazing, reminds me of the summer I spent in the south of France doing my stage at sanofi-aventis, reminds me I should never have moved away from southern Europe...
Your site is so exquisite. I think I know where my next big vacation will be!
Patti
patricia1_may@yahoo.com
Looks beautiful!
Oh, how lovely! I'm looking forward to the carrot recipe, too.
Everything looks so rustic to me.
It's so nice of you to share a bit of Provence with us.
I wish our stores in the States could look as amazing as the visual treats that European stores give. Love reading about your trip!
A huge fan of your blog. All the best
I love your blog!
What a great giveaway! Beautiful piccies too!
I definitely got a little misty-eyed reading your post. I studied in Aix and it is truly my home away from home. I am salivating over the possibility of getting your goody bag to bring me back to all that yummy food!
France is truly one of those places where memories and pleasant times seem to meet.
love the photod, love the food, love your blog
Congrats on speaking at BlogHer Food. We won't be there, but surely we'll see lots of tweets. :) What a beautiful trip too!
The photos are gorgeous and made me want to take off and travel as soon as possible.
Oh, these photos are lovely! The glass bottles especially. Thank you for sharing!
The pictures make the story thank you
it looks like you had a lovely trip :)
This looks divine! How lovely to share in a basket of your provencal memories!
Your pictures are breathtaking. You made me feel like I was walking in France with you. Thanks for the giveaway!
i always love reading your blog but i've especially liked the posts about france. your photos are fantastic and the food makes me drool all over my keyboard. you're awesome! : )
--Alex
http://twolittlehornes.blogspot.com
I can hardly resist anything fig, and I find it totally cute that sugar comes in croissant shape. Good job on selecting items for the basket.
I think my favorite picture you've posted is the last one. The faded purpleish sign. Nice.
everything in there looks amazing! pick me :)
The tranquility and vibrancy of Provence is alluring. The photos are stunning and enabled me to step-away from my workday and completely immerse myself in the moment. Thank you for the peaceful interlude!
Last year I had the loveliest time in Provence. Your pictures instantaneously brought my memories to the forefront of my mind. I had one of the best meals of my life in Isle Sur La Sorgue. Thank you for sharing your trip with all of us!
As always - I love your pictures, your stories and your recipes!! And above all this time the chance to win this wonderful gift! :-)
What gorgeous goodies! The photos are, as always, beautiful. Px
Some day, I hope to visit France. In the meantime, I'll definitely settle for some French goodies! : D
you are such an inspiration. and this giveaway would just make my whole month! love me a little bit of france. :)
lovely picture, lovely story. What I remember everytime go back to see my parent, 'the hospitality' and how humble people in every vilages I've been visited. :)
J'aime la provence!! Your pictures are lovely =) sign me up for the giveaway!
Gorgeous as always! And so wonderful to have you back!
My husband and I took our honeymoon to the Provence region of France almost 3 years ago to this day! Your pictures bring me back to the wonderful feel of Fall and all the sights we saw. Thank you for sharing your vacation and beautiful pictures!
What gorgeous pics! Your pictures of Aix brought back memories of the best peach I have ever eaten! Blushing, firm, juicy, and sweet. Swoon... didn't know peaches like that existed until I bit into that Aix peach. Sounds like you had a lovely trip! Welcome back!
My husband and I took our honeymoon to the Provence region of France almost three years ago to today! Your pictures take me back to the feeling of Fall and all the sights we saw. Thank you for sharing your vacation and beautiful pictures!
Unbelievably gorgeous photos! Looks like a wonderful trip. And thanks so much for the basket of goodies to give us a taste of your trip.
Great giveaway and lovely piccies!
I so wish I could make it to Blogher! Once of these day I WILL make it to some event where I can learn from you!
There is nothing like going home to reset your body, mind and soul. Beautiful photos as usual!
Best/sweetest/most unique giveaway ever!
Gorgeous photos, I looked at them twice! Looks like you had a lovely trip. :)
Oh your trip was so beautiful, than you for sharing it with all of us! I have never been to France, but am anxious to go ...just waiting for the right time. Thank you for sharing your home and family with us.
What a sweet gesture and give away. Would love to be picked, and I would give it to my parents for all the good France holiday memories.
Greetings from Holland,
Elise
What a beautiful trip. I love to travel and hope to do more in the future. The basket is so intriguing.
What a beautiful post! I've always wanted to travel to France, and this just makes me want to go even more. :)
The giveaway looks divine and it is so kind of you to include your readers.
i love reading your blog, and your pictures are so inspiring (as is all the food!!). thank you!
--carol
carolcatherine[at]gmail[dot]com
I can think of nowhere more restful than a place of desiccation restored to quiet. Your photographs are so beautiful, we just have a lack of luster in the states that, it seems, Provence has! I would so dearly love to visit, thank you for the post!
The basket looks great!
Hi!
What a sweet gesture and give away you have put on your blog!
I would like to be picked; for I can share it with my parents when I visit them the next time. When young, they took me camping in France,nice memories of the nature and the baguettes and crepes and the sea, along with the feeling of the future ahead of me.
Greetings from Holland
Your pictures always make me miss France so much. I loved when I lived there for a summer and would go back in a heartbeat. However, if I could take pictures like yours too, I'd be even happier. Hopefully I'll get to one of your classes soon...
Thank you so much for the "photo visit" - it looks as lovely as I have always imagined it! Revisiting the past can be so rejuvenating and sweet.
What a lovely basket! Love your photos from France! It's absolutely beautiful.
Wow, such lovely pictures! I want to pack up my suitcase and go!!
Natalie
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing! I am making your brownies/ice cream/salted caramel for my husband's birthday tonight. I can't wait to try it.
How absolutely beautiful. I already wanted to travel around Provence; now I absolutely must! I can't believe your aunt & uncle actually live in that house - it seems to gorgeous and dreamy!
Thank you for sharing the memories of your trip - the pictures are absolutely beautiful!
this dotted chocolate looks divine... :)
have a nice time!
Paula
Your photos are really breathtaking!! How fortunate to have such a wonderful place to visit! Thanks for all your posts.
i loved the photos!!! I can't stop looking at the collors of the tomatoes!!! they are soooo red!!! I never saw one like that! I'd love to win those presents! :)
Thanks so much for sharing your recipes and travel photos! I love your blog!
You're photos are so beautiful and inspirational. Thanks for sharing!
Merci pour cette ode à la France!
Je joue moi aussi!
Such gorgeous pics! I visited Aix a 5 years ago and it was absolutely beautiful there.
My sister lived in France for a year and a half, and these pictures remind me so much of her home in Montpellier. Of course, just the photos I saw then too. Someday I hope to have the chance to go and visit.
What a fantastic trip, Helene. I'm so happy for you that you were able to take the time and enjoy it.
Fantastic, simply fantastic, those places are amazing....thanks for the giveaway
Thank you for taking me back to my university days when I spent some month in Lyon and visited Provence.
Your blog provides constant inspiration for me to try new things and is always a delight. This post is especially beautiful; thanks for sharing!
Great post! Thanks so much for thinking of your readers during your travels.
What a beautiful post! LA Cure Gourmande looks like a divine place to shop and pick up some treats!
Love and enjoy your blog so much. Your photos are amazing! How nice to spend part of the summer with your family, in such a beautiful place!
So lovely and peaceful looking. I am envious.
Simply beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Great photos; hope to visit some day...
Thanks so much for sharing. Your photos are awesome. Your blog incredibly inspiring.
Ohhhhhh, *sigh*!!! These photos make my heart absolutely ache to go there. And ummmm, stay there. It must be hard to leave such a lovely place? Just wandering in and out of those shops would be enough to keep me happy for years! Your give away looks to die for! Crossing my fingers and my toes!
Yum!
Beautiful pictures as always!
Welcome back!! As always, gorgeous, inspiring and yummy :-)
Love, love, love your work and hope that one day you'll host your own photography workshop!
Lovely photos! Brings back so many memories of my days in Aix. I spent 6 months there a few years ago. It was one of the best and most beautiful experiences of my life.
It looks wonderful. Basil olive oil with caprese salad sounds perfect because I have great tomatoes from the farmer's market this week
Thanks for the great giveaway!
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