After A Glorious Summer In France, It's Time To Return To Carroll Gardens

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My dear Readers,
I have been in France for a very, very long time. After a glorious summer high in the hills of the Auvergne,  it is time to come home to Brooklyn.

Though I spent my summers in the Auvergne every year, I have not been here at the beginning of September for a long time. It was very special to see the first signs of fall began to appear. The nights were getting very chilly,

and the days markedly shorter.

The light became less intense,

while the foliage was slowly turning into the most beautiful golden hues.

Even the vine on our house here in the Auvergne took on the most stunning red color.

With a heavy heart, my husband and I had to acknowledge that it was time to prepare for our departure.

We began to tackle the last projects before closing the house,

which includes pruning the vine, which had grown almost to the roof.

Here is Mr. Pardon Me sitting in one of the new  attic window openings that were completed by a local craftsman this summer.

and for which my husband made new shutters.

In the meantime, I busied myself in the garden.

The lavender had bloomed all summer long, but it was time to prune it as well.

The harvest was so bountiful that I was able to make lots of little bouquets, so that the scent could be captured for months to come.

The dried lavender blossoms were also placed into sachets, which i left a bit all over the house.

The hardest part of leaving is always to say good-bye to our friends, and especially to the neighbor's cat Caramel, who made himself quite comfortable at our table during the summer, as you can see.

So, after one last glorious day in our little village, we packed the car and headed back to city life.

We spent last night in Lyon,

which is a hopping place on a Friday night

and which has one of the most vibrant restaurant scene in all of France.

Next stop is Paris, and then, its directly back to Brooklyn.

I will probably need a few days to get back into the swing of things when I get home, but will begin posting news about Carroll Gardens as soon as I have settled in and gotten over the unavoidable jet lag.
Can't wait to walk down Court Street and to run into some of you to catch up.  See you soon.