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| Where Heaven Meets Earth, Viens, France |
It's been some time since I wrote a blog for Pavé. My time has been needed elsewhere...since we will soon be launching a division of Pavé - an e-commerce site called Historic Decorative Materials. But this is not the point of this blog...that one will surely come.
This blog is something personal - from where I get constant inspiration...from François' birthplace and our summer trips to Provence...Apt, France to be more specific.
Being an American - I partly define myself as a Francophile. I was a French high school teacher - but beyond that - the French language always holds a passion for me. The words do fall from my tongue. I finally understand more nuances than during my college years studying l'imparfait. Married to a Frenchman for nearly 17 years - I still have not accomplished the upside down smile - although my daughter has. The standards and exactitude of the French cultural when it comes to food, beauty, architecture - it's all very real. We can spend upwards of 15 minutes discussing what is the perfect angle to slice un gâteau that has an irregular form. Sentences like, "ce n'etait pas mauvais" discussing the cake afterward - the most amazing cake I have yet to experience...was qualified as, "it was not bad". This is exactitude. This means that surely someone else somewhere can make a more delicious and more beautiful cake. The bar is always that high. Maybe unachievable...
Circling back to my life - Pavé, François - creating art and providing beauty...we are always searching to perfect our products....we see the standard of beauty in our minds...we know it exists...and we want to reach that high. We follow our passions - we follow our instincts....and we get inspired from our summers in Provence.
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| The Light in Provence...It's Like no Other |
Walking in Provence - in small villages like Oppedette, Viens, Vachères, Céreste is the most favorite and crucial "loisir" François and I do when we are in Provence. We take it in - most times in silence...the beauty leaves us speechless.
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French Limestone Paradise, Oppedette, France
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This unsurpassed beauty from an artisan so long ago...is there a more beautiful entry elsewhere? I believe not...but I'm not French....
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| Harvesting Lavender with Oliver, François' First Cousin |
A day spent with Oliver - François came home smelling like lavender fields and sleeping like a baby that night.
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| Saturday Morning Market, Apt, France |
Aside from our famous walks - the second best "loisir" is spending hours Saturday morning in Apt...Le Marché d'Apt.
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| What to cook tonight???? |
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| Merci, Monsieur for having your bar raised so magnificently high for your bread!! |
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| Les Melons de Cavaillon...soooo good!!! |
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| Where's François? |
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| Summers Fruits in Provence |
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| Just a normal everyday cheese stand...there's that bar again....oh so high.... |
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| Le Mistral - as seen through my daughter's hair. |
I hope you enjoyed this blog as much as I did writing it. I am still in awe of the beauty. I will forever be running after that bar...achievements of beauty that may only be found in the Heavens....
A Bientôt,
Emmi Micallef
Co-owner Pavé Tile, Wood & Stone, Inc.
