The beginning.

     I’ve been thinking about how I’m going to write this blog, and the more I plan it out in my head, I realize some of it’s most likely going to sound like I’m writing a story whether I want it to or not. So bear with me if I start to ramble or describe things in detail – it’s worth it. I don’t plan on posting every day. But when I have time or a great story to tell, I’ll share. I plan to post more pictures than anyone will want to see, only because I don’t know if I’ll ever take the beauty of this place for granted, and I want to share it. So, this is my story…

   

     For those of you who have been under a rock, I have moved to France to become an au pair for a family in the village of Les Avenieres in the Rhônes-Alps region. I live in their home and help take care of the children. The mother and father, Stéphanie and Frédéric, have 3 sons – twin 11 year olds, Mathieu (Matthew) and Thomas (Thomas), and 6 year old Antoine.  There’s also a dog and a cat, Frilouz (free-looz) and Picou (pee-koo), inside and some chickens out in the garden… I don’t know yet if they have names.

Mathieu (left) and Thomas (right)

Frilouz - she's loves to cuddle nonstop

Picou - she loves to talk nonstop

The chickens whose names I have learned are Darth and Vader - "comme les Star Wars!"

 

     Stéphanie and the twins picked me up at the airport and we drove the 45 minutes to Les Avenieres. We hadn’t even made it home before we stopped at a Boulangerie (bakery) and picked up half a dozen baguettes and a few petits gateaux (small cakes, or as my mom calls them, “tartlettes”) – I felt so French already.

     I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting, but this house goes far above and beyond anything I could have imagined. It’s a 3-story, 250 year old, completely restored villa… enough said. It’s the quintessential “French countryside” home on a tiny hillside road, which I’m pretty sure an American-sized car wouldn’t fit on. Everything about this place is so quaint, yet grand in its own way. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. 

I'm told that the front door is about 150 years old.

A swimming pool in production.

Stéphanie has a ridiculous amount of fruit trees and flowers and whatnot. She said they should bloom soon and it won't look so "triste" (sad).

What is left of the garden after they made room for the pool. They grow their own fruits and veggies.

We feed Darth and Vader the leftovers from our meals, and in return they give us yummy eggs.

I was informed that we "mangerons les bébés" (will eat the babies)... not looking forward to that. Fortunately, these pidgins don't have names. I don't think I could bear to eat their babies if I knew their names.

My room - thank goodness I get a big bed, I was worried I would be on a twin bed with my feet hanging off.

My desk and window

The mud room - we take off our shoes here and trade them for slippers to wear around the house

Kitchen

Living room

Dining area with a view of the garden

The never-ending staircase

The family closet - all the walls look like this

The boys' bathroom

The adults' bathroom - yes, I'm an adult

This is the original sink and faucet which are over 200 years old

The toilets have two buttons on top... luckily I chose the one that flushes. I've been too scared to try the other one.

My shower - one of the coolest showers I've seen. It's up on a platform and it only has a glass wall, no door, and 3 shower heads.

The kids' playroom up on the 3rd floor with the twins' bedrooms

     I think that's enough for one post. If I start talking about anything else, no one will read all of it. 

À bientôt

love love

Lo