A Day Trip to Ribeauvillé

Today I wanted to show you another of my favorite villages nearby. 

We were out and about a few weeks back and Frenchie proposed a trip over to Ribeauvillé. 

I had no problem going along with that idea! 

Ribeauvillé is a very old and very picturesque village dating back to at least the 8th century. 

It was the home of bishops and lords, the stuff of fairy tales! It is nestled among the vineyards and there are several notable wine makers who reside in the village. 

It is always full of tourists and the village thrives on their business. 

I can well see why. It is worth the visit. 

The houses are charming... 

and there are lots of interesting little shops to visit. 

We entered the village through tiny winding streets....

and happened upon a horse and wagon!

The day we visited we arrived a bit late for a meal. In France if you don't eat at lunchtime you are out of luck until dinner time. All the restaurants quit serving and you have to search for a place that might have something quick. We lucked upon a bakery that was willing to make a tarte flambée for us. I think it was probably one of the best I have had. The secret to a good tarte flambée is the crisp light crust with slightly browned edges, sometimes even burnt! No one gives the edges a second thought seeing as they are baked in a wood burning oven.

After our satisfying treat we took the scenic route home, wandering through many a vineyard

with castles nestled up on the slopes

and sleepy villages dotting the landscape.

All in all it was a wonderful trip.

I grow to love this land more and more every day. Life is simple here and gazing on this beautiful landscape brings me peace.

I hope you enjoyed another little taste of France today, hope to visit with you more soon!

Fairyland~Bourgogne

I told you all I would post some pics of my trip to Scotland  and I certainly took my time getting back here to do it. Since my last post I've left again, this time for Paris and I had a wonderful time there. September was a fun filled month and I was very fortunate to get to visit two very beauiful places. Both inspiring in their own ways. I can't even tell you how many amazing Impressionist paintings I got to view at teh Musee D'Orsay. I still get choked up thinking about it. It was that good.
Since coming home I have discovered that my allergy symptoms have almost completely disappeared. I have been out of my studio for a bit over a month now with the door shut tightly. I am finding myself more and more reluctant to open that door and go back in even though it is preventing me from doing any but the smallest jobs. I so fear the return of the crushing headaches. The other symptoms were aggravating but tolerable. Headaches so bad I can't think though...those are not.  It seems lately that I have had one thing after another barring my way and I feel frustrated by it all. I am an artist though and even though I have created little these last months it is still screaming to get out so soon I will steel myself and enter into that room again. If I find the allergy comes from my dyes then I will move on and find another outlet. I have so many things I love to do in that room that dont involve the dye.
I did do a small study in pencil this last week. I plan on refining it and I did enjoy getting the pencils out again. I am not sure where this is going but here it is:

And here are a few shots of Scotland. I hope you enjoy them :)

Weekend Festival

This last weekend we traveled to a small town in Germany called Emmendingen to the African Music Festival. I had a fantastic time! Most of the festivals I have been to usually involve a large open space like a field that is fenced in with a stage or two, some booths for merchandise and that's it. This one was in the city center. There were tables and benches under trees and a nice grassy upraised area with a stone ledge you could also sit on. Lots of interesting African food vendors and lovely authentic African wares. The atmosphere was laid back and enjoyable. We spent the afternoon poking around in the booths and eating good food. Lots of nice beverage offers too. Prices were reasonable. The bands were good and the last band was one of my favorites 'Dub Inc'. They put on a stellar performance and even though it started raining right in the middle of their set I don't think a single person left. They were just THAT good. I was really surprised to see them at such a small event because they can draw a crowd easy. I have seen them twice at Reggae Sun Ska in the south of France and it is NOT a small event. This was so fun though, since it was small we were able to get very close to stage and it was the best fun I have had in a long time. 

     I have been cripping around all week due to pulling out my back the weekend before and I was very worried about going. I spent the afternoon being careful because I wanted to make it through the concert without too much pain. Well..when they started playing it was electric. We were all jumping up and down and I didn't stop the whole time. I was getting sore but didn't care. On the way back to the tent that night I wondered if I would be able to move the next morning. Well I woke up the next day and I felt GREAT! I think I actually popped my bones back in place. Since I arrived home my back continues to feel good so I am quite happy about it all :D Who would have known, Dub Inc, the cure for all my woes!

Home again, home again, jiggedy jig!

I am finally home and glad to be back to civilization. I love the mountains, the view is breathtaking. I am not one that loves the cold too much though. The fireplace was my best friend! The trip up was a big scary. Once we hit the mountains the snow was coming down at a fair clip.

The storm that came through a few weeks back has done considerable damage to the trees throughout the southwest of France. Just the small storm we had this weekend caused several more trees to topple since their root systems were so weakened. So on our trip up we actually drove UNDER more than a few toppled trees!

This is the cabin, which is actually an old stone barn that D and his family restored. The work is ongoing, so each time we go it changes a little. Last time we were here the entire upper story was like one big dormitory. Now they have built a new wall to seperate the master bedroom from the rest.

The view out the livingroom is nice

but the view off the balcony upstairs is stunning!

We took a trip down into the valley to St. Girons on the third day there.

It's a beautiful little village with a river running right through the middle of it. The views all around are just wonderful.

It's full of winding little streets with cute little shops. We had a nice meal there at one of the restaurants and just wandered around most of the afternoon.

Afterwards we drove up to Lac de Bethmale. What a beautiful place.

D made me a valentine in the snow :)

D and friend did much snowboarding and the weather was perfect.

He did hit his head pretty hard at the end of the last day and went to bed early complaining of neck pains. Today he seems much improved.

All in all it was a wonderful trip. I am glad to be home to my warm cozy hole though!