From Paris, with Love
So of course I sent Percy to Paris.
And tried not to be jealous. For not only did he visit Paris, he actually started in the French countryside, at the cottage home of Laila and Terry, two American ex-pats. (Well, Laila is actually Norwegian-American, and Terry is “North Carolina, Born and Read.”)
“Being voluntary immigrants and living abroad has also given us an appreciated dual view on our American citizenship and the rights and privileges that carries,” Laila writes. “It has also allowed us to have certified opinions on immigration, both here in France and also in the U.S..”
Laila arrived in Paris in the 1990’s as a college student and was soon in love – with the city and with Terry, who proposed to her at the Eiffel Tower. They were married in Paris in 2000, took jobs (he is an attorney, she is a project manager), and settled their with their Parson Russell Terrier Freya Sophie and their cat Josephine “Josie” Amora.
A love of fresh air led their family to seek a home outside the city.
“One random search on the Internet revealed a small cottage-like farmhouse with accompanying barn for sale that had us at ‘bonjour,’” writes Laila. “A hop, skip and very complicated jump later we were the proud owners of La Maison M-J, located south-west of Paris. A fixer-upper in the country means our current adventure is learning the ropes of renovation, rural life in France, and a whole hell of a lot of new vocabulary!”
Percy’s adventure with La Familie M-J began at their country home. Laila and Terry took Percy into the town of Le Mans– an ancient city first mentioned by Ptolemy in 47 BCE. Le Mans (“Le Maine” in antiquity) has been conquered by Romans and fought over by the English and French. It is the birth place of Henry II Plantagent, king of England, and home to Cathédrale St-Julien, where he was baptized.
Percy knocks on the M-J's favorite Medieval door. See how it suits him? -- Look closely.
Touring the Sarthe countryside Percy gets up close & personal with the Chateau de Montmirail-15mins from our house.
Point of penguin infiltration!
And what visit to France would not complete without a little accordion music?
Percy & his Percheron.
Percy phones home!! He just wanted to tell the fam how much fun the cider festival & exploring the village of Anville was!! + the phone was free...who knew?
Itty bitty Percy.....Giant entry door.
Percy tries to climb the bell tower! The tower's total stone construction, including the roof, shows its incredible age & presence!
Just in case you couldn't find Percy -- here's where he was making his move!
“What we love best about the countryside,” writes Laila, “is the discovery of all things at their basics. Cheese made from a neighbour’s goats, seeing nature at her finest and remembering the feeling of discovery you had as a child. Our 300 year- old farmhouse with all its quirks … the owl in our giant oak trees, the bats at night, the webs the spiders weave on every surface on Spider Party Night as they glisten in the morning dew … we have never felt so alive and happy to be so.”
As a special treat for Percy (and a super-special one for my readers) they took him to their neighbor’s dairy for a demonstration on the making of chèvre– goat cheese.
Percy jumps in for a quick photo op while the goats eat one of their favourite treats...cauliflower leaves! Note the Monsieur goat eyeing pretty Percy....run Percy run!! (just kidding)
Percy gets up close and personal with cepes--lucky bird! These were picked in the forest by Mme who owns the goats & is incidentally the mother of our closest neighbour. And yes, they taste as delicious as they look!
Percy learned all about how goat cheese is made! Here he sees the ash flavoured cheeses ageing...1Euro per cheese, any takers?
Percy looks up in awe at Nicolas the dairy farmer...what a cool job he has...and thanks for showing Percy how it's done, French dairy style!
And then of course, it was on to Paris.
Arc de Triomphe.
Percy risks it all to stand in the middle of the Champs Elysees and get 'the' shot...what a daredevil penguin!
Here Percy meets up with some fellow travellers....two Polish gents eager to be in his album.
Bonjour, Notre Dame!
And what would a visit to Paris be without a little culture? Here Percy follows the DaVinci code secret tour...never say that in front of a French culture connoisseur!
Percy visits the Peugeot showroom...he's not really impressed with their actual cars, but the concept ones got some pizzazz!
At Suffren -- the best brasserie in Paris to get oysters. Those are the biggest you can get...Fine de Claires #1 (smaller the number, bigger the oyster
And here Percy arrives at the beautiful Eiffel Tower (where incidentally his host parents got engaged and thus have some freakish obsession with it. As Percy wears Peace on his heart I could think of no better representation of his visit to Paris then a shot of him & the Peace monument.
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When I asked Laila what was the most challenging aspect of her life in France, she was circumspect. Most of the challenges she and Terry have faced, she said, have taught them to appreciate each other and not to worry about the little things of life. She likes that their health care and job security are covered by taxes and does not mind the loss of 52% of her income in exchange. But she finds inequality is a way of life in France.
Percy in the dead center of all of France. All route measurements start from this exact point. “Point Zero des Routes de France”
“The French like to preach their country’s motto ‘Liberté, égalité, fraternité’ (liberty, equality, fraternity) in all things public,” she writes, “and yet it is so very far from the truth. If you are not of a certain class, with a certain parentage and schooling, you will not rule.”
“Their blatant patriarchal inequality drives us totally bananas,” she says. “Being raised and educated in an anglo-minded manner makes it all the more difficult. Thank god for the good, cheap wine!” she adds.
And is it true what they say about the French being rude?
“ The stereotype of the grumpy French should mostly be attributed to the Parisians,” Laila writes. “They are a beast unto themselves-for the rest of the country has very friendly, helpful people…who after a while do welcome you and we are happy to call France home when thinking of them.”
To learn more about La Familie M-J, visit their website. You can also follow Laila on Twitter, but I am warning you: it will make you hungry.
My deepest gratitude to La Familie M-J for hosting my penguin, for giving us such gorgeous pictures, entertaining and interesting captions, and a close view of their corner of the world.
My last question of Laila was, “What do you want Percy to take from your part of the world into his journey?”
She replied, “A love of freakin’ food!!…and a love of a sense of adventure to explore the world and all the delicious things (food and not) it has to offer. We’re hoping P-bird spreads those penguin wings far and wide and takes home the little things people maybe don’t know about where he goes.”
Terry and Freya
And with that, Laila put our friend Percy back in his box, with his bag and his travel journal and his stack of envelopes and shipped him … northward.
This brings back many memories of my own time spent in France… can’t wait to see where Percy goes next!!
Ohh, I’m jealous…And thinking ‘holy crap, my home isnt that interesting! Wtf are Percy and I gonna do when its our turn!?’
What an awesome post! The pictures are amazing =)
Great job Laila!!! Wow, those pictures brought back memories … I lived outside of Paris for a while, and I MISS IT! Gorgeous photos – what a wonderful life you have!!!
Ok, jealous, hungry, and wondering exactly what would be so exciting about our town…
Great Post!
Oh, WOW! He certainly had an interesting time!
Great photojournal, can’t wait to show it to the kids! This confirm why I have not yet ask for Percy to come to my house. We are so boring compared to Paris.
Love the Percy posts! if you ever want to send him southward I´ll be happy to show him around
Gigi from Caracas, Venezuela
Bon Voyage, Percy!!
We Love Percy! Also brings back memories, my hubby and I also got engaged on the Eiffel Tower. It is a wonderful city…. Where will he go next I wonder……? Can’t wait to find out
WOW! This is so much fun, what great pictures from a beautiful place. I get so excited seeing Percy in these photo’s. My heart is with him on his travels! and I travel vicariously through this story! Thank you Elizabeth!
Laila did a wonderful job! But you all shouldn’t be so worried about your own towns being boring. Even the simplest places can be fresh and enjoyable to those of us who have never before seen them.
What a great journal entry- and beautiful photos!
Lucky Percy – I love Paris! Great entry – I loved the photos.
The photographs are amazing, Laila. (You guys should see the ones that didn’t make the cut — she gave me over 65 to choose from!)
“But you all shouldn’t be so worried about your own towns being boring. Even the simplest places can be fresh and enjoyable to those of us who have never before seen them.”
Yes!
What made Laila’s post so terrific was her passion. Find what you love about your home, and share it!
P.S. Um? Laila? … How did you stick Percy on that glass wall??
Ooo lalalala! Lucky Percy!
What a wonderful adventure he’s having! Can’t wait to read more in this ’series’…he’s welcome to come visit our place in Thailand, too!
Beautiful! I’m never been one who’s wanted to travel abroad because I’ve always thought there were so many interesting things to see right here in the U.S., but that seriously makes me want to spend a week in the French countryside!
beautiful. love how it reads like a children’s book!
What a great adventure for Percy! It is real hard not to be very jealous. Even though I have been in Paris several times…
This was so great. What a very small world this really is. I am an American expat, from Florida, living in France. The funny thing is that my husband is the Chef at Suffren where Percy had the pleasure of eating lunch with his fabulous oysters! When he gets home from work I need to show him his famous lunch guest!