My French countryside home

 

I dream of a stone manor house

 in the French countryside...

  

I see an abundance of greenery

 with splashes of color at the windows,
 which of course, are always open.

 (there are no insects in my dreams)

I pick fresh flowers from the gardens

 for every room, every day

using simple stoneware to contain their blooms.

 
there are large windows
 to welcome in the morning sunshine,

and a winding staircase

leads to a cooler, more private space.

  

 rustic wooden benches blend with nature

 

and the fragrance of lavender

 floats through the air.

 

 I savor my morning cup of black coffee,
and maybe a small croissant with jam,
 while watching the morning mist lift away at sunrise.

  

there's a stash of practical vintage linens

to use with the elegant unmatched crockery.

I enjoy all the local cheeses,

pairing them with crackers and bread

 from the village boulangerie,

 and visit a nearby vineyard

 to purchase their fruity table wines.

 

the mode of transportation for these errands...

french chic meets peasant style,

and I wave to the local livestock

 

along the way. 

 
spontaneous meals with family and friends

 are simple but hearty,

 under the late afternoon sun,

where easy conversation continues
 long after sunset gives way to twilight,
 and the first stars appear.

sounds good doesn't it...

Will have to subscribe
to keep the dream alive

"Je souhait"....I wish

The longère is one of the most quintessentially French property types. It is a rural property type found in many regions of France and, as its name suggests, is built in a rectangular shape, normally with its back facing the most likely wind direction. As traditional properties, they are commonly built with regional materials (granite in Brittany, for example). They are most common in Brittany and Normandy. Many are one-storey and have converted attics to make a first floor.

The longère is one of the most quintessentially French property types. It is a rural property type found in many regions of France and, as its name suggests, is built in a rectangular shape, normally with its back facing the most likely wind direction. As traditional properties, they are commonly built with regional materials (granite in Brittany, for example). They are most common in Brittany and Normandy. Many are one-storey and have converted attics to make a first floor.

one small part of my genealogy research into my own French heritage (France to Canada to the US) 

Zacharie Cloutier was born around 1590 at Mortagne au Perche, France.

 On July 18,1616 he married Xainte Dupont.

 The family emigrated to the tiny settlement of Quebec in 1634.

 They had five children of whom Louise, their last born, is one of my direct ancestors. She was only 2 years old at the crossing.

  Her second marriage to Jean Mignault(Mignot) dit Chastillon (a soldier and tailor) produced 13 children (the poor woman).

 the medieval city Mortagne-au-Perche in Normandy, France

the local countryside,

and a "stone manor house", 
 now a hotel there

here's a "fleur de lis" tiara