Here we are at the end of the summer, already! Our stay here in Villevieile was shorter this year than usual --7 weeks instead of 12 (due to Covid of course!), but it was still a continual spark of joy to be here.

Once we arrived, our travel was of course restricted. There was no way we wanted to even try to visit another country. Getting here was enough of a hassle, but worth it.

We easily adapted to France's new Anti-Covid system called "le passe sanitaire", where to enter any kind of indoor event, you must show:
1. proof of vaccination
2. or a negative Covid test within 48 hours
3. or proof that your antigens are still keeping you safe if you've had Covid.

For some "anti-vaxxers" it was an infringement of liberty, but for us it was reassurance that France will make it out of this mess. Their vaccination rate has been steadily increasing since July 16, when the pass went into effect. We are hopeful that we will be able to return to a normal summer of 12 weeks in 2022.

We did visit several of our favorite cities & the museums we so love In them. We ate out about 4 nights a week, & discovered some wonderful new places. We met our Swiss friends in Nice & spent some good time with them. We even had houseguests, which was a wonderful treat, since we live in separate parts of the US, & don't get to see them often.

If you plow through our picture galleries, you will see where we went & what we did. And you will notice a common theme of LOVE for this wonderful country, with its many options for expanding your horizons. Whether it's our Sunday morning hikes, our visits to the mountains or the Mediterranean Sea, our daily routine of gardening (for me) & a full work day for Les, & generally absorbing the art & culture of France, our summers give us the change of pace we really need to rejuvenate.

And best of all, the view from our terrace doesn't change, nor does our love for it.

We wish you all a good fall, & hope it finds you healthy & ready to stay that way.

Bisous,
Elise & Les