BACK AT LAST!

Hello everyone….I bet you thought I had disappeared somewhere in France!!  Well, apologies for that but I am back! 

First observation…… I NEVER want to travel with so much luggage again, oh my gosh what a mission to carry it all and rush for trains et al, but, Team Carle aced it, well sort of, thought I may get left behind when my suitcase’s wheel jammed.

Our first few days were a blur of everything new!  There are so many things to see.  It was like a kaleidoscope of new colours and sights and sounds and tastes! I thought I would never be able to absorb it all!

Autumn was very evident when we arrived and there were amazing contrasts between the bight greens and the beautiful oranges, yellows and reds. That’s something we never really saw much in KwaZulu Natal. Everywhere you look the trees were slowly turning colour and then ultimately loosing all their leaves.

Winter had its own magic but it definitely rains A LOT here.  I also am not surprised to learn that I will take the cold and rain any day to the heat and humidity!

Spring was amazing with wild flowers bursting from every nook and cranny and along the road sides for miles. I just loved it and of course had to buy a book (or two) to identify them all and another book to press them and paint them too!

Summer was a blur as that is when our business is at its peak with all the holiday makers arriving from all over Europe. We worked 7 days a week and were on call 24/7. I learnt a lot and met some fantastic people and we grew our business very satisfactorily!

It’s absolutely enchanting here in Quimper’s old city where we are living. Over Christmas there are masses of lights and decorations.  Every tree along the Odet River has lights in it and in the square in front of the St Corentine Cathedral there is an enormous open air ice rink. Of course, each shop does their own decorations as well. I feel like I am living in a magic world. Even outside our lounge windows there are mistletoe and fir branches decorating the walls.

Various scenes of Quimper

I was absolutely blessed to be able to take part in an artisan’s Christmas market (Marche de Noél) which was for 10 days in the street where we live. It took place  in an enormous , beautiful old studio which had recently been vacated.  There were 11 of us exhibitors, all the absolutely nicest people who made me so welcome! I was nervous to introduce my designs but I had a really positive feedback.  We also introduced some South African fabrics which everyone loved.  All in all a very excellent experience. I have some pictures which are somewhere on my computer but I can't for the life of me find them!!!  I will locate them and post them another time!!!

So I have been here for just over a year now and so had a lot to tell you.  From now on I will try to be more diligent and show you some of the things I have been working on…quite different from my normal  things!

Take care