Over the course of the last two months my suitcase has had its fair share of bumps and bruises.  Over 8k miles just between December and February alone.  That’s what happens when you take a Texas gal out of the Lone Star state and plop her down on the iceberg coast of Maine 😉  (just kidding..I actually LOVE Maine)

You’d think this blog would be oozing with travel goodness.  It really should.  Sorry, I’ve been slacking.  Just too darn busy between the budding photog hobby/career,  Zumba addiction and French lessons, the blogging kinda took a small vacation.  The Chef’s been busy too–out to sea for weeks on end.  So to catch up, here’s a quick look at what we’ve been doing and a glimpse of where we’re about to jet off to!

Making the best of the gray winter days along Midcoast Maine

Marveling at the amount of snow that continues to fall {Mainers are even perplexed}

Saying hello to the the newbies at Aldermere Farms

Loving on my Belgian stud muffin {Oyster River Winegrowers}

And when in Texas:  Enjoyed the big blue skies

Watched a swallowtail sip nectar from a blooming Texas Mountain Laurel bush

Fascinated by these bright yellow huisache buds

Dipped my unpainted winter white toes in the cool San Saba River

Explored a 1878 brownstone in Mason, Texas…total fixer-upper.  For sale $400k

Visited Mom’s old stomping ground

Roamed the country roads near my parents property

Played hide and seek with Mom’s favorite Brahman cattle

Watched a Texas sunset cast brilliant hues across the back pasture

Played paparazzi at the Chateau du Park (Park Hotel) for these two beauties {my BFF and her little princess–the Champagne who Went}

And now…the Chef and I take the skies once more for…

It should be a no-brainer

Of course…Paris!

But only for a few days, then we’re hitting the road and rails with Marie Z. Johnston,  French Market Maven, for the regions of the Loire and Poitou-Charentes to chase chateaux and thousands of years of history, eat oysters till we pass a pearl, or get sidetracked taking pictures of sheep and other randomness.

Then off to Bretagne (to visit our French Texas friends who are now back in France ) and then a jaunt over to Basse-Normandie (to spend the day with the coolest shepherdess in France who guards the only 18th century structure besides Versailles or the Petit Trianon that I would give my right arm to own).

A few more days in Paris and a visite privilege of the Petit Trianon with a fellow Texas gal and blogger, Madeleine, who writes about her Marie Antoinette obsession here: Important To Madeleine .   We lived in the same town in TX (The Woodlands) and had no idea each other existed until after the Chef and I moved to Maine.  Nutty!

So in between all that, if anyone cares to see some other places they’d like us to explore (in Paris), drop us a line on Facebook or Twitter! Until then…

À bientôt,

TTP