Being Buttons

Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence
You’ll probably see that there is a common thread in my posts about the South of France… each of the places I have blogged about so far (Toulon and Nice) I’d like to return to, and Aix-en-Provence is no exception. We headed to Aix as soon as we arrived at Marseille airport so were slightly tired, definitely acclimatising to the heat and I was trying to get my brain in gear to speak French, but despite these less than ideal conditions I really enjoyed our brief time in Aix for several reasons. View Post

24 hours in Nice

24 hours in Nice
24 hours isn’t a particularly long time to stay anywhere, let alone a city that you’ve wanted to visit for a significant amount of time. In a way I’m quite pleased I didn’t do too much research before we arrived as it meant that we chose to do things as they came and took the time to enjoy it rather than marching our way through a list of pre-planned activity. That said, there is clearly plenty more which can be done than we fitted into our 24 hours so hopefully another trip to Nice will be on the cards for the future… View Post

Exploring Toulon

Exploring Toulon
When you talk about visiting the South of France most people will instantly think of the glamorous French Riviera, or the Provençal countryside filled with lavender fields or vineyards. Despite being described as the sunniest city in France by some of the people we met, the city of Toulon is unlikely to be anyone’s first guess of where you might be headed. A port city which was largely destroyed during the Second World War due to its large naval base, Toulon isn’t as pretty or as famous as the towns and cities further down the coast. However the sea is just as blue and the area is still interesting to explore – and with fewer tourists doing so! View Post

A day out in Amiens

A day out in Amiens
Last week I was lucky enough to visit the wonderful country of France. If anyone follows my Instagram feed you’ll be able to tell that I was particularly taken by the pastries and sweet treats on offer. However, my love of France goes further than the food. I also love the language, and although I’m still not particularly confident speaking French, it was a huge delight and surprise to discover how much I could understand. I also quite like the way of life. The experiences I have had at least have proven it to be family-orientated, traditional and fairy easy-going. Certainly the town of Abbeville where I was staying felt very french and unused to foreign tourists, which made it all the more impressive that my friend has made it her home for the past year. Anyway, whilst Abbeville was lovely (and we were certainly blessed by the weather!), one of… View Post

Welcome to the land of patisserie

Welcome to the land of patisserie
Last week I was lucky enough to travel to France for a short break. The main purpose of the trip was to visit a very good friend who is currently working as an assistant de langue, however somehow the trip became very food orientated. Visiting France was just what I needed and provided me with a chance to have a proper break and fully relax. But I think the food definitely helped! View Post