Le Printemps

          And for once, I'm not talking about shopping.

Be on the lookout for Ville Fleurie signs as you travel, because they represent how beautiful the public flower arrangements are in the town. The highest mark is four out of four flowers, and this town, Cassis, scored 3/4. 

          Spring has sprung, thank God, and I can happily see proof all around me. There are daffodils next to my bus stop, they're replanting the rose gardens in the Parc de la Tete d'Or, and leaves and blossoms are sprouting on the trees lining the avenues and the rivers. As someone who has never spent more than a month and a half outside California, I'm filled with the reassuring sense that things are becoming normal again.

The lake behind my favorite château of the Loire Valley, Château Azay le Rideau.

          Fall in France will always remind me of scarves, beautiful walks to school, and exploring the Loire Valley as it turned red, orange, and fold. Winter was a frightening time for me, and will always remind me of being bewildered and shivering, lost in dismal alien territory, clutching my numb fists in my pockets and pacing as I waited for the bus so that I wouldn't freeze in place. 

          But with spring, the tourist attractions are now open both earlier and later. The shops are filled with coral, white, and khaki clothes that I'm stocking up on as if they'll soon be currency. (Ok, so maybe I'm talking about shopping a little.) Everyone can eat outside at the cafes, which makes my neighborhood seem much more alive. If I so choose, I can go to work in my new, light-weight white trench coat, flats, and only one pair of pants, and I won't freeze to death! Life is good.

Flowers in Cannes