SALUT!

Guess who has been nominated for The Liebster Award!

  I have been enjoying 'une petite' sabbatical, but now, thanks to  A Hole in my Shoe 's very kind nomination , I am inspired to share my love for France via blogging once more!  I wasn't far away!!.....Only a hop skip and jump over  here at  Gigi's French Window , my facebook page :)

So this is how it goes!

The   Liebster Award nominees answer 10 questions that  are asked by the blogger who nominated them.  This is a lovely way of getting to know a little more about the bloggers and their passions :)


The Nominee will then nominate  10 bloggers with under 200 followers(or 3000 followers, on further inspection of guide lines !) and ask 10 questions of their own.
When acknowledging award nomination, make sure you link back to  the blog who nominated you :)



A Hole in my Shoe, a fabulous travel blog,  asked the following questions :) So here goes!

1-    What or who inspired you to travel?

        Way back in primary school (another century ago!) our class was given an assignment. Choose a                   country and write about it. I chose France and have been obsessed with  her ever since !

2-    Have you had any life changing moments whilst traveling?

       Yes..two!  The first was when I arrived in Paris for the first time, and was driven to my hotel via the Champs Elysées.  I was rendered speechless!! (An extremely rare occurrence!) I was so blown away by the beauty and architecture , and truly felt I had been teleported  to a foreign world ...which indeed I had :) The second moment was on departure day on that same trip. As  the airplane lifted off the tarmac, I became overwhelmed with sadness, being separated from french turf was proving much harder than I would ever have expected! I knew at that moment I would always return.

3-    What is your best lesson learned whilst traveling?

        The fact that my daughter and I couldn't find our way out of the Rome metro station simply because we didn't recognize the word for exit (Uscita), suggests  all travellers should try to learn some basic language skills  in regard to the country of destination! :)

4-     Do you still base yourself in the country where you were born, or do you call somewhere else          'home'  now?

       I still live in my homeland Australia, but I would love to spend  some extended time in  France..surprise surprise!!

5-   What other languages do you speak, or which language would you like to be fluent in?

       I speak french and have just started to dabble in a little Italian...don't tell France!

6-    If you could time travel, where and when would you go?
      
       I would probably visit the Roaring 20's in Paris..pop into the Moulin Rouge etc :)

7-    What is your worst travel experience?

        Both my husband and I woke up in the middle of the night, the night before our longhaul flight, extremely ill from something we had eaten. Thankfully, there was a pharmacy opposite our hotel, so we were  able to fill ourselves with all sorts of medications and make that flight...and a loooooong flight it was!

8-     Describe your blog in three words.

         All things French. :)

9-    What is the best cuisine you have had?

       I am not a 'foody', nor particularly into seafood, but the Coquilles St Jacques (Scallops in a mushroom and white wine sauce ) served up in the port side restaurant in Cassis, south of France was amazingly delicious!

http://www.kraftcanada.com/recipes/coquilles-saint-jacques-124761



10-  Who have been the friendliest people you have met in your travels?

       Mmmm....well the french have had a bad rap over the years for being unfriendly, but I'm here to say  that is simply NOT true! :)  Over the last 15 years of french travel, I have had but one incident, and it  was out of my own ignorance. Plop yourself down for a leisurely lunch in a busy restaurant in the business district and expect Monsieur le waiter to be patient whilst you try to work out the french menu? well....it just isn't going to happen  :) The french are not rude, in general, I find them more reserved and prefer to go about their own business. Always attempt their mother tongue, smile (they find that weird  from strangers and will get their attention...works for me!) Also acknowledge them with a Bonjour Monsieur/Madame, its the polite thing to do right? :)  Having said that, I would rate the Italians as the  friendliest people... sometimes too friendly ;).

 So there you have it, a little look into my French window :)



I am very happy to nominate the following 5 blogs :)

(I tweaked the rules a bit!)

1. A White Farm
2. Piaf Vintage French
3. Girl at the ironing board
4. Lisa Addinsall Artist
5. Belle Provence Travels

So, to these lovely bloggers, I ask the following questions:

1.  Why did you start blogging?
2.  What is your favourite form of social media?
3.  What makes you laugh out loud?
4.  Who has the biggest influence on you?
5.  Describe your blog in 3 words.
6.  If the sky was the limit, what would you do next?
7.  Where is your favourite place on earth?
8.  If you could time travel, where and when would you go?
9.  What is one of your talents?
10.What is your most prized possession?

I hope you enjoy checking out these blogs, and look forward to see you back here soon!
     

A bientôt, Gigi