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Ral Joseph's avatar

If you're open, I know you'd love this - We're curating our 24th Issue THE VIBE CULTURE this weekend, and I'm inviting everyone to share 1-3 raw photos of your favorite spot to go outside of home (or a photo of you in it) alongside a 50-100 words on what you love about it and how the place makes you feel. I can share the email here or please DM.

It's gonna be fun and have a lovely week 🌝💛

Letters From Paris's avatar

That would be great. Yes please.

Ral Joseph's avatar

I just sent a DM

Ral Joseph's avatar

Reading your article right now brought me back to life. It made me feel so much Spark that I haven’t felt in the last one week and your photography skills is just so amazing. i’m a sucker for good photos especially lovely places. I mean, your writing so warm. I’m happy you’re sharing this journey with us and sharing this beautiful details of your life with us. It’s amazing.

Letters From Paris's avatar

Thank you Ral! You are too kind. You’re comment made me smile broadly; it’s so encouraging when people actually say they like your work. ❤️❤️

Martha's avatar

Wonderful historic gardens near Varangeville : les Moutiers landscaped by Sir Edward Lutyens, and le Vasterival created by the Princesse Sturdza, who introduced tree-pruning in the japanese "nuage" style to French gardens

Letters From Paris's avatar

The garden we visited, that I speak about, is Les Moutiers… Antoine, our guide is the great grandson of the man who built the place. Stunning. There were several well known landscapers who influenced the property over the last 150 years. A remarkable place. Truly.

Martha's avatar

Thanks for the lovely photos and text about les Moutiers. I did not recognise the place in the brilliant summer sun! It is always an inspiration.

Letters From Paris's avatar

It’s truly one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever visited…

Véronique Savoye's avatar

Merci Marie for this delightful trip to Normandy. I have never visited that area (you’d better hope influencers don’t read your story!)

It did bring back fond memories of my early Parisian years: The company I worked for (American Express) owned two lovely studio apartments on the bluff outside Trouville. I can’t tell you how often I booked overnight stays and weekends there. Normandy remains a popular destination for Parisians I suspect — It’s particularly obvious when hordes of city dwellers descend upon trendy Deauville on the weekends.

The heat is almost over. We made it (this time) ;-)

Letters From Paris's avatar

Thank you Véronique… I know you are correct about both Deauville and those pesky influencers! I just think there is not enough shopping, of any sort, for the influencers…. 🤞🏻.

Your escapes to the Trouville bluffs sound magical. There is something very captivating about this coastline.

Vivement la pluie qui arrive!

Tina Lemna's avatar

What a beautiful place!

Letters From Paris's avatar

Thank you for the restack @Sherry Lee 🙏

Sherry Lee's avatar

Always a pleasure!

Debra Has All That Free Time's avatar

I wondered how you and the other people I know who live in Paris were coping with the unprecedented heat; escaping to the beach is a great solution! I’ve never been up there and the area seems lovely, so this is on the list when I can again spend a month or so in France.

I’m so concerned about the city and how people will cope as I suspect this is not the last heatwave Paris will experience. I’ve heard much talk about air conditioning and it seems that may be a necessity, though gosh how to reconfigure all of those older buildings? And are the zinc roofs soon going to be a thing of the past? Time for our smartest engineers to get to work.

I’m glad you were able to escape and cool off for a while. I’m laughing about the cold showers as I remember how cold the shower was in your apartment when the gas went out. Tough for me back then but now, I’m sure I’d be feeling grateful!

Bonne chance - j’espère que la canicule finit bientôt.

Lucy Hearne Keane's avatar

What a Great Escape. I have been to the western coastline of Normandy during the summertime, from Honfleur to Mont St. Michel,and loved its mix of beautiful countryside and coastline. The area you visited sounds equally appealing.

Letters From Paris's avatar

Like you, I was familiar with many other parts of Normandy and that Atlantic coastline. This area is remarkably beautiful. I wasn’t expecting it at all.

Betty Carlson's avatar

Those hydrangeas are gorgeous!

Letters From Paris's avatar

If you are a fan of Hydrangeas, this is the place for you Betty! They are literally everywhere! Heaps and piles in blue, pink, red, white and green… and a variety of shapes too.

Betty Carlson's avatar

There were lots of hydrangeas in my home town of Olympia WA, which has a climate similar to Normandy. My grandmother had lovely ones. Here we don’t see too many — even if it’s cooler than most of the south, I don’t think the climate is really suitable.

Letters From Paris's avatar

Hydrangeas seem as good a reason as any to pick a place to live!

Mikel Adair's avatar

Looks like a fun little getaway.

Letters From Paris's avatar

It was… wish I was there right now instead of parked in front of a fan at 8:45pm 🤣🤣

Jody Van Rein's avatar

Marie,

Thanks for this confirmation of the weather in normandy during the heat wave there. I'm moving to Evreux in a few months. The weather, beauty, and affordable proximity to the ocean are why. I can't wait to cook in france with the bounty available there in my light filled new kitchen!!!

Jody

Letters From Paris's avatar

At this moment it is 95° in Paris, 85° in Evreux and 70° in Vatengeville. Life does improve closer to the sea 👍

We Wander France's avatar

I didn’t know the temperature fluctuations were that great from Paris to Normandy. I would think it would be mobbed with Parisians escaping the heat. I know that’s what I’d do. Thank you Marie.

Letters From Paris's avatar

We were rather amazed by the temperature difference too! And there were very few Parisians that we noticed… mostly locals everywhere we went. It’s not at all trendy, “influencers” don’t go there, they don’t make wine… works for me.