We just came home from a five day vacation in Normandie. Normandie is famous for its Camembert cheese, apple cider, Calvados, butter and cream. In addition to these gourmet treats, Normandie is also known for many historic events (like D-Day) and people (like William the Conqueror).
We were very lucky to have the opportunity to stay with a French family, the Guinamards. Although Christopher has corresponded with Romain Guinamard (the dad) for many years, this was the first time they had met in person.
Romain and his wife, Odile live in an enchanting house in the town of Caen with their children Aubert, Beryl, Hilaire, Evroult and Lazare. Their home is a magical place, reminiscent of the Weasley House, of Harry Potter fame. The house is chock full of personality and a terrific place for children to play.
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| the Guinamard Home |
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| Bienvenue! |
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| a whimsical trail of animals climbs along the stairwell |
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la cuisine, le coeur de la maison
(the kitchen, the heart of the home) |
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| view from the back yard |
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| best playroom in the whole entire universe |
My favorite times in Normandie were spent sitting around the kitchen table with the Guinamard family. It seems that the family motto (for guests, at least!) is "comme tu veux" or "do as you please." We were so comfortable there. It wasn't until the second night that we realized that we had been sleeping in the master bedroom (best room in the house), while Romain and Odile had been staying in their guest room downstairs. Talk about hospitality! Wow!
The church bells down the street would begin to ring each morning at 7 am, a natural alarm clock! Breakfast with the family was so French! Look at the size of the bowls of hot chocolate that the kids get in the morning. Isn't that the coolest thing you've ever seen? Note also the big jar of Nutella!
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| saturday morning breakfast |
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| Gaius' bowl of hot chocolate is bigger than he is! |
The dinners were delicious, and the company very lively! One of our favorite French things is how they end the meal with a cheese course.
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| Aubert, Romain, Beryl, Evroult, Me, Lazare, Hilaire, Odile & Gaius |
On Valentine's Day, the family surprised us with these gifts!
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| surprise valentine presents |
Gaius had a lot of fun spending time with Beryl. Beryl is learning English at school and would like to find an English-speaking pen pal.
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| Gaius & Beryl |
On our last night there, Beryl had a dinner party of her own for her girlfriends. They set up their dinner in the big dining room and the rest of us had our dinner in the kitchen. It was a busy night!
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| gourmets in training |
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| Beryl & Friend setting the table for their all-girl dinner party |
In the picture above, you'll notice that in France, the fork is placed with the tines facing down when you set the table. Isn't that interesting?
Gaius also had a lot of fun playing with the boys. Gaius' French really improved, living with a French family. When I hear him speak French now, his sentences are much more complex and descriptive.
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| playing with the boys (who are hiding from the camera) |
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| Lazare is six years old |
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| this canoe is in the play room! |
Overall, we had a wonderful time living with the Guinamard family.
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| Aubert helping Christopher compose a letter in French |
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| heart and soul |
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| christopher making crepes |
After spending time with them, I feel like we will now try to be more generous, more easy-going, and eat more cheese!
à bientôt!
1 comment:
"I feel like we will now try to be more generous, more easy-going, and eat more cheese!"
Awesome words to live by. We should all be so French!
P.S. I want a playroom like that for ME to play in.
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