Le Bric à Brac: Odds & Ends (n°3)

Happy Sunday readers! Up to this point, Le Bric à Brac has been a Friday thing, but with our bags unpacked and the laundry done it seemed the perfect time to compile some of my favorite findings from the last few weeks and share them with you! 

⚜I've been loving my e-mails from Eurolinguiste. She recently shared some advice to help language learners simply get started. Her philosophy is that if a task can be completed in under two minutes, do the task right then and there. She adds:

"Obviously, you’re not going to finish your language study task in two minutes, but this idea is based on inertia. Once you get moving, there’s a good chance you’ll stay in motion and that two minutes will quickly become five, then ten, then twenty."

I'm also loving this Language Learning Reading Challenge. I don't think I will follow the challenge exactly (after all, it's already July) but I love the book suggestions! If you are a language learner and you haven't already, check out Shannon's site!  

⚜I recently read this article (10 Cliches About French Eating Habits That Are Actually True) and was shocked to read this quote:

"In the old Parisian cafés, where waiters are dressed in black and white, don’t expect any smiles or kind words of welcome. Don’t be surprised if the waiter show impatience if you take too much time to choose your plate. And don’t be surprised if, after that, he expect a tip from you."

Tony and I found our service in Parisian cafés to be some of the best we had on our entire European trip, and our servers always showed gratitude for our tips. I guess this goes to show you not take a stereotype at face value. It's best to experience for yourself. 

⚜I am constantly inspired by Rebecca Plotnick of Every Day Parisian. She recently posted for her one year blog anniversary, and as a fellow blogger this specific quote brought me much comfort:

"Throughout the last year, people have reminded me that they aren’t expecting a perfectly edited post it is more about the content." 

I try to edit very carefully when I post, but sometimes I can get too hung up or frustrated when I look back later and notice a small error. Rebecca's reminder that content can shine even if a few human errors slide in here and there is something I will be keeping in mind as I continue to write. This idea of perfection is something I will be exploring in a future post.

⚜ Just a fun little francophile tidbit from Frédéric of Talk in French:

"Many French couples will text their significant other on their way home «Tu as pris du pain? J'ai pris du pain.» (Did you get some bread?/ I bought some bread). Almost as a way to say "I am on my way home."

I always love these fun little sayings in other languages. :)

I hope you enjoyed these finds! 

Warm wishes from me to you,

July Giveaway: J'adore les livres!

Bon weekend readers! Tony and I are in the Copenhagen airport and beginning our journey home. Our time in Europe has been unforgettable, and we are excited to bring our memories and new ideas back to our every day lives.

It will be a few days until I get some fresh content up on the blog (get ready for skincare, makeup, travel wardrobe, and PARIS) so I wanted to give you a chance to enjoy some of the older posts... with a little added fun! It's time for the Fleur de St. Louis July giveaway! Last month I focused on one of my missions here: creativity. This month's give away will focus on learning, and one of my favorite ways to learn is to read. 

Here's how it works: 

⚜Between now and Monday at midnight CST, spend some time exploring the blog. Your task: to find a book that I have mentioned here that also interests you. :)

⚜Return to this July giveaway post and leave a comment with your name, e-mail, and the title of the book you would love to receive. Bonus entry if you also subscribe to Fleur de St. Louis by e-mail (current subscribers will also get this)! 

⚜Wait patiently until Tuesday to find out if the winner is you! One Fleur de St. Louis reader will receive the book of their choice in the mail with a few extra surprises!

Merci for being a part of this community. I hope this giveaway brings you a little weekend fun. Enjoy! I look forward to your comments. 

Warm wishes and happy reading from me to you,

Bon Voyage: Zermatt

(Photo by Tony Clawson)

Ciao from Italy! It has been several days since I've posted, but with some downtime at the home of my Italian family I am excited to catch up on the blog. I'm going to skip stories from Paris for now as I would like to save those and completely relive it when we return to St. Louis! Between Paris and Italy we made a stop in Zermatt, Switzerland. The mission: relax and restore. After 10 days of nonstop travel and site seeing, we knew a moment of rest would be needed before the final leg of our journey. We referred to these few days as our "engagement-moon". Zermatt was the perfect place to recharge and simply enjoy being an engaged couple. It also provided time to read, work on the blog, and begin wedding plans! 

We could not have asked for better accommodations than we found at Hotel Bellerive. Long story short, this was not the original hotel we booked. We had a little hiccup in our planning but I am actually glad that we did. For starters, our room had an absolutely stunning view of the Matterhorn and a skylight above the bed for stargazing. We had planned to do some hiking, but we were exhausted and didn't feel the need after walking out onto our balcony to this view. 

Everything we needed was within walking distance (Zermatt is very small) and we enjoyed snacking on street food and checking out the selection in the local grocery stores. Of course, we had to pick up a famous Toblerone so we could get this shot (and enjoy the delicious chocolate...).

Another incredible feature of our hotel was the wellness center. Each night before dinner we enjoyed time decompressing in the sauna and jacuzzi. When I say this was an "engagement-moon" I really mean it! Our room also included a complimentary mini-bar and Nespresso machine which we used frequently to enjoy coffee breaks. We enjoyed coffees as we watched the colors of the sunset on the Matterhorn. 

We woke up early on Thursday, our final morning in Zermatt, to see if we could catch the view of the sunrise on the Matterhorn. WOW was it a view! The sun lit up the tip of the mountain, and it looked as vibrant as a blacksmith's glowing hot steel. It was breathtaking. 

Last but not least (and another incredible feature of this hotel), we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast buffet before making our way to the train station. Planning this time in Zermatt was one of the best ideas we've ever had. It was just what we needed with views of a lifetime.

Ciao for now, but I will be back soon with another Bric à Brac post, as well as a recap of our day in Modena. I can't wait to share more with you! 

Warm wishes (or should I say caldo?) from Italy,

 *Note that all opinions in this post are mine. I was not paid to write about or advertise Hotel Bellerive, but I would personally recommend it!