Hello there! How are you? If you are in the UK then it’s likely that half term was last week or this week just gone, so you may have been enjoying some holiday time. We didn’t have a break over the half term holiday as Bugsy is only 3 years old and is with a childminder on my work days, meaning that we are not following the traditional school year just yet. We wanted a short break though so have come to France for 5 days. I’m here at the moment and it’s a lovely change! It’s very different from our life back home in London as we are in a very rural area in Normandy, which isn’t hugely populated. It’s calm, peaceful and tranquil and we are very much surrounded by nature. There are fields at the back and sides of the house we are staying in which contain horses. We feed them apples pretty much everyday and it’s been great to see Bugsy grow in confidence around them.
I’ve found the quiet really refreshing and it’s given me lots of time to think. I’ve realised that my mind is incredibly busy when I’m at home and I’m always thinking about my part-time work at University, or planning ways to grow my interior design business. More than all of that though I’m usually thinking about daily life stuff, like food shopping; cleaning the house; or what Bugsy and I will do together on the days that I’m at home. It’s good to come away and be free from all of that for a while. I also find France a very inspiring country design wise. I love the history and architecture of the buildings and also the uniformity of French style, such as the ways in which most homes have shutters and trees are planted in straight lines to frame the road.
We are very close to Honfleur too, which is great place to visit for a coffee and a wander around the cobbled artisan streets. We even managed to take Bugsy into a cafe for lunch. Lunch! Out in public! With a 3 year old! We felt very French at that moment. He was in his element as he got to eat a hamburger and chips followed by ice cream. Not at all usual for us, so I’m guessing his good behaviour was more to do with that than a reflection of our wonderful parenting skills.
All in all it’s been a brilliant time away. We head home tomorrow back to work, daily life and trying to sell our house – which is not proving easy at the moment due to all the uncertainty around Brexit. But that’s a conversation for another day. For now, I’m happy to head home with the guys feeling refreshed and relaxed.
Images all Celebrate Creation
Claire Parkin Interior Design 