Monthly Archives: December 2011

The Silver Net on the French Ministry of Culture

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Rosemary Kneipp

I’m sure you’ve noticed this building across the road from the Louvre on the corner of Rue Saint Honoré and Rue Croix des Petits Champs, just down the road from Café Louise, and wondered what it is. Well, it’s the … Continue reading →

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Holly and Mistletoe

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Rosemary Kneipp

I know it’s supposed to be holly and ivy though I don’t know why because most of the ivy – well, the Viriginia creeper anyway – loses its leaves around here in winter. Our holly and mistletoe come from Normandy. … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, France, French customs, Paris | 2 Comments

Two Types of Luxury in Paris

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Rosemary Kneipp

I just went to Place Vendôme, not to buy Dior perfume (not my scene) or Mikimoto pearls (I already have a double string, inherited from my mother) or a Boucheron watch (I’d be too scared of losing it) or even … Continue reading →

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Flowers to Brighten a Grey Day

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Rosemary Kneipp

I’ve been receiving all these emails from Australian family and friends positively flaunting their blue skies and high temperatures while we have boring nothing, not even snow or sleet or something even vaguely interesting. The fountain in the Palais Royal … Continue reading →

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No Boxing Day in France

Posted on December 26, 2011 by Rosemary Kneipp

Unfortunately, there is no Boxing Day in France. We had to pack up everything in Normandy and leave last night which was very sad. I couldn’t believe how much stuff we’d acquired in just over a week! There were all … Continue reading →

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Christmas Tree’s Up!

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Rosemary Kneipp

When I was a child in Townsville, our Christmas tree was an athel pine. Well, I think it was anyway. You certainly couldn’t buy fir trees or go out and cut them down in the forest as Relationnel and his … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Croatia, Family, France, French customs, Slovenia | Tagged | 9 Comments

A Country Market in Normandy

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Rosemary Kneipp

We always go to the market in Le Neubourg in Normandy on the Wednesday before Christmas. Definitely not a tourist venue, but it’s a real country market with lots of little old ladies selling what they can spare from their … Continue reading →

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Rouen in the Rain

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Rosemary Kneipp

One of the sad things about Normandy is that it rains a lot. For the last four years, we’ve had snow at Christmas with particularly heavy falls last year. This year, however, it’s not cold enough so we’ve got rain … Continue reading →

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Santa Climbing up the Wall

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Rosemary Kneipp

I love the Christmas decorations on individual homes in the French countryside. It’s amazing how many Santa Clauses (père noël) you see climbing up the walls! I don’t know how they explain it to the kids. Apart from the Father … Continue reading →

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Je chine, tu chines, nous chinons

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Rosemary Kneipp

There’s actually a verb in French – chiner – for poking around in junk and antique shops looking for treasures! Now that we have a house in view, we’ve started doing the rounds of “brocantes”, “dépôts ventes” and “antiquaires” though … Continue reading →

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