Pendant Les Vacances, Je Suis Allée...

Last Friday leading into Spring Break, my students would ask me, "Madame, où allez-vous aller pendant les vacances?" Before I could open ma bouche, they would proudly recount their parents' plans to circumnavigate the world. However, none of their projects to travel the world over intrigued me as much as the itinerary of those dedicated little Francophones that were going to Paris



to enjoy themselves in an authentic immersion setting



and savor the taste of French life



while acting as fluent tour guides for their monolingual parents.



"Nulle part" I would say, leaving them utterly confused



oui, c'était complètement incomprehensible WHY MADAME WASN'T GETTING ON A PLANE TO GO SOMEWHERE.



But little do they know that their maîtresse is a dreamer, and les rêveuses can launch off from the most unlikely places



put on their magic hat



and go anywhere they want.









So I decided to dream big and little by little, the image appeared enveloped in the faint distance of my mind



and suddenly, there I was



at Le Château de La Reine Blanche



where a sumptuous melon-colored dining hall invited me



to sit down and indulge in a refreshing





and rejuvenating meal.



I could get to my next destination in the beat of a bluebird's wings



But I don't mind driving when the route is a magical labyrinth



leading to a place where I just have to take off my shoes in order to meander through an undulating garden of Boxwood hedges



towards paradise



at Le Château et Les Jardins de Marqueyssac.



As spring break gently came to a close, so did my dream



but not before I took one more dip into the revitalizing waters of imagination



and prepare for the journey back from wonderland



to my home where I am writing to tell you all about my spring break



and to get ready to go back to the job I love so!



HAPPY SPRING!

Images from Google

Last llustration by my art hero, Jean-Jacques Sempé, "Le Petit Nicolas" 1964

(Don't you just love the simplicity and the minimal amount of lines used to communicate the message? There are times when this is what my classroom looks like!)

CIAO!