À la prochaine Nora!

Change is in the air here in Cluses. This past weekend we said goodbye to Nora, the German assistant who has been at the centre of our household here in France. She's off to new adventures, including a visit to Lyon and then the start of another semester at University. Meanwhile, the girls who are left are starting the countdown until it's our turn to say "Aurevoir". It's sad, but at the same time refreshing. I've come to love transition times where possibilities open themselves up again, decisions must be made, and there is the opportunity to steer life in any direction you want.

To send Nora off, we put together a photo project with memories of Cluses and portraits of many of the people who would have made her time here special. Nora, if you're reading this, I hope that life post-language assistant has gotten off to an amazing start and that you are enjoying every bit of the journey.

À la prochaine!

Stairwell inside our residence

Yann the plumber

Hannah outside Nora's favourite bookstore

Our train station

Hannah waiting for a lift

La Reine des Tartes: the pest pies in town

Rue Ballaloud, our street

Fiona with Nora's Smart car

Me in my natural environment (Photo: Elena Giovenco)

A view of Cluses

Fiona and Elena

Majo in a classic pose

Alexa

Grand Frais, the best supermarket in town

Melina and myself in the bakery

Melina at the Mayor's Office

Elena in the staff room

Fiona sitting pretty!

Dee happy it's springtime! (Photo: Elena Giovenco)

The whole family (except Melina)

Tête des Bécus

Last night was the first proper night of spring in Cluses. Rain, thunder, and that distinct energy in the air that is literally electric, pumping life into the earth after a long winter's slumber.  With the rain, colour has been injected once more into the world; blossoms in striking shades of pink and yellow and the grass a vibrant shade of green up in the alpine meadows. The waterfalls that were a trickle in winter are now gushing to feed the new life sprouting everywhere. The seasonal rhythms in France aren't far off of Canada's, so it feels like a piece of home.

Before the rain came, myself and my roommate Fiona went out on what might well have been our last snowshoe of the season. That being said, it was patchy; it felt like every half hour, we were either strapping on or peeling off our snowshoes, as the snow sticks to shady areas, and was completely gone from those areas that see a lot of sun. All of the hassle was worth it for (once again) the view from the peak. No matter how many times I climb to a mountain top in the Alps, I'm still stunned by the beauty.

As usual, at the top there was a cross. At this time of year, with Easter around the corner and spring in the air, it represented for me a celebration of life and renewal. Happy Easter and lots of love to all of my family and friends!

Zig zag to the top

Fiona at the top

Cross

Still going down

Statue of Mary in a grotto along the way

Almost home