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I touched the tops of the creamy roses to soak in their faint papery perfume. We had been too late to offer them at the church where other bouquets dotted the altar and so they were nestled against my knees. I smiled, thinking back to the ceremony echoing through the tiny, ancient church. How quickly it  was over and our friends, Nathalie and Laurent were now married. 

With a diva-worthy wave, Nathalie beckoned le cortège to follow their beribboned convertible and half of the village of Manou watched as we took our leave…

…through a countryside perfect for rolled-down windows and fingers splayed in the wind. The kind you can shout “Hello!” to for no reason.

With more than a dose of relief, we unfolded ourselves out of our lunch-box rental (a Ford!) and breathed in the open expanse of Le Moulin St. Agnes. Light shimmied through the leaves and across the lake, hinting of the evening to come.

For le vin d‘honneur, champagne flutes were presented to each new arrival…

…along with a warm welcome from the beautiful bride!

Ah, but there was also an oyster bar to tuck into…

…along with a truly impressive variety of hors d’oeurves and delicately layered verrines, spoons of smoked salmon, a mountain of crudités…

Brochettes of  marinated chicken and shrimp were grilled to order à la plancha…

…and of course, this being France, there was much silky foie gras to be consumed…

…wines to be savoured…

…and even a tiny mini foie gras burger on a brioche bun to be inhaled tout d’un coup! Ah yes, thank you, don’t mind if I do.

As I am shy, I let my camera do the talking as I strolled the grounds, listening to the relaxed chatter of Nathalie and Laurent’s friends…

So many friends, so many loved ones, gathered to celebrate. 

However, my nerves did a little twinge as we were called into dinner. Oh my, was a stuffy, more forks than you can count, prisoner of the table type of experience ahead of me? Would I be trapped next to strangers that would raise their eyebrows sky high at my accent?

I needn’t have worried. Within minutes, napkins were being twirled in the air, accompanied by boisterous hollering and pounding on the table. I knew that I was in the clear. The evening was by all accounts…really…fun…a word that is not so applicable in France most of the time! While the dinner itself was certainly excellent (émincé de veau accompagnée d’une verrine des champinons), what fascinated me the most was all of the delights sprinkled in between the courses–sing-a-longs (of which yours truly did a wee solo for the end of “Stand By Me”), musical jams (oddly called un boeuf de musique in French. A musical cow?) games, and seriously funny toasts. Unbeknownst to me, apparently weddings are where these folks really let their hair down.

Nathalie and Laurent beamed even brighter than their spectacular cake. 

And then they opened le bal. Their First Song?

Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky”

Now seriously, how fabulous is that?! It was exactly what I had been looking forward to dancing to (I know, I know, expectations…) and so we gave it our all. Then, I stuck to my motto as a former NYC Disco Baby–“Always Leave The Party When It Is Good”–and so that is what we did, bowing out immediately after, just past 12:30am. 

At  the brunch the next day (a relaxed affair sweetened by several chansons française delivered by an 80 year-old relative), we discovered that the dancing had lasted until 4 and that dawn was welcomed by many a guest.

Nathalie et Laurent, vous avez partagé votre amour et votre joie de vivre avec nous tous! And that, my friends is the Charm of a French Country Wedding. Long may they follow together on la route du bonheur…

My sincere thanks to les mariés for letting me share their big day with you all and I know that they will appreciate the lovely wishes that many of you have passed on to them.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone…

There is such a fine line between dreaming and pushing the dream. As someone whose mind is roaring and running from the moment my lids open to the instant when my brain coaxes them to stay closed, I do a fine amount of talking in my head. No, not of the Sybilaphile kind–at least not yet–but rather a wishing and wondering, dashing and retreating dance. “What will the afternoon hold?”, I wonder while running through the days list in my head…and automatically, ideas are attached to each item until it effectively becomes a Wish List. 

I remember telling my “Uncle” Tom (who is related to me only because he has known me “before you were born”) at the brass bold age of thirty that I had it all planned out. I was going to keep working “one hundred percent” on my career for this many years, meet the man of my dreams at such age while following up by hopefully having one child (only) within the next few years. How sure of myself I was! He looked at me calmly and said, “Life doesn’t work like that, Heather.”

How right he was. The unpredictability of life has often left me delighted, offering something beyond what my pirouetting imagination could have served on a silver platter but it has also left me in tears of utter disillusionment. And yet I keep needing to learn it on levels little and big. 

Buddhism reminds us that expectations can only lead to disappointment. So when is “looking forward to something” different than trying to make a moment other than what it is? I want things to be exactly how I hoped but of course that happens so rarely. This note is a little reminder to myself to just be present and push away the smokey clouds that pollute with their noise of braying to be heard. Just breathe. For there is nothing but peace in our heart rising and falling and cool air splaying over our lips with each exhale to know that all is well. All is well.  

Everything is fine and dandy, I just caught myself in the act as storm clouds have gathered before going to see Melody Gardot in concert, my little dress put aside for something more reasonable and whining on the verge of escaping. I wondered if anyone else does the same…

I will be back to the wedding festivities on Friday. 

We arrived just in time to see the couple emerge from le Mairie or town hall, where the mandatory civil ceremony was performed. 

It was only a quick dash across the street to the churchyard…

…where friends and family took turns giving bisous and saying hello.

I felt the energy of anticipation gather as the priest emerged to call everyone into the church…

…and a flutter of my heart as Nathalie entered it graciously on her Father’s arm.

As Remi was the official photographer for the ceremony, I sat in the back and took it all in…the warm and steady voice of the priest, the silvery notes of a flute, the helpless fit of giggles of three parisiens in the pew beside me.

It was simple, genuine and deeply moving.

Afterwards, we gathered at the entry to wait, each with a fistful or rose petals or rice to throw…

…the bells rang out…

…and the Newlyweds did not disappoint.

A circuit of happiness…

…shined through us all…

…zapping in celebration…

…for the inherent hope of Love.

Félicitations, Nathalie et Laurent! I wish you many, many great years together ahead.

I hope you will join me for my next post as the wedding dinner was surprising and wonderful…

Have a wonderful week everyone.

…so little time. For we were already off, streaming through the rolling hills and tracing the Yonne River and then with a woosh, we had dived into the Caves de Bailly Lapierre.

The caves are in an underground quarry that feels a tiny bit like entering the tunnels of The Lord of the Rings…

…just thankfully ever so much friendlier!

This domaine is known for their crémant de Bourgogne, a sparkling wine that I adore.

Ask the goddess of the grape, she’ll tell you. A fine crémant beats many a champagne hands down.

And so a toast! To dreaming and living our dreams, to health, happiness and hope!

Have a wonderful weekend. But before you go, you might want to pop over to the guest post that I mentioned, it is just over here...Cheers…

Let freedom ring.

I am sharing one of my favorite photos from the wedding last weekend as Liberty was somehow a subject that Remi and I were talking about quite a bit in the car and so it applies. Independence. Freedom. What is the cost to create an existence in which one is libre? What are you willing to do and what are you willing to go without to have that? To know that you are the owner of your life, your will, your heart?

Is today Egypt’s Independence Day? Only time will tell. But how right for the millions to stand in the streets and say, “We want our rights respected now.” No army could face that down.

To all of my friends and family in the States, I am wishing you a Happy Independence Day.

And you know what? For all of you that live in a free country, I am wishing you the same too…