aBeauty aBroad
From the east of Canada to the north of France
If there’s one thing I’ve been infatuated with since arriving in France, it’s how richly steeped in centuries of history this part of the world is. Not taking anything away from beautiful NB and of course the lovely PEI, but we just don’t have the scope of time, events, and architecture to compete. When the opportunity to move to France presented itself, we immediately decided to pursue it. It felt like we were in a perpetual sea of paperwork and bureaucracy for months upon months, and we learned a lot about the process of moving to a new country. We did a few things right and a lot of things wrong, and hopefully our experience will provide a bit of insight to any other potential travellers, and a laugh to our friends and family back home. Any pain along the way was well worth it for the new adventure we’re getting to have now!
Why France?
We moved to Arras, France for three years because of an amazing job opporunity for Ocel. He is working as the Visitor Experience Manager for Veterans Affaiars Canada European Operations, which includes The Canadian National Vimy Memorial, The Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, and multiple other smaller sites. Of course I was quick to support him because this is also an incredible experience for me, and together we are having a great adventure.
Recent Musings
From the glamor of traveling in a new land to the frustrations of navigating in a second language, check out my blog for the latest tales of a small-town gal living a super-sized dream.
Ghent
Bobby and I took a quick visit to Ghent, the sister city of Bruges in beautiful Belgium. Canals lit by an award-winning sustainable lighting plan. An overwhelming amount of delicious restaurants to choose from. Winding streets perfect for meandering among medieval architecture. It was a wonderful two days, and already tops my list of places to revisit.
15 Shopping and Grocery Differences Between France and Canada
This list describes discrepancies between typical small-city French and Canadian shopping experiences. Sure, in many larger cities there will be a store for just about anything, but I’m not a big city gal. So here we go, my list of big and little grocery and shopping differences between France and Canada.
5 Reasons to Vacation in Northern France
If you want to get away from the big city life, breathe some fresh air, and meet some friendly folks, the Regional Wildlife Parks in Northern France are perfect spot for your next vacation. We spent a long weekend enjoying the amazing accommodations, the wonderful local artisans, and even popped over to Belgium for a quick visit!
Beautiful Arras
A few snaps from our lovely new home city.
