yoga by the lake, balance and cooking together

inspired by my calm evening last night, I started today with some yoga at the lake.

when things are feeling crazy, its totally ok to get in the car and just go..... not anywhere in particular, but somewhere away from where you were..... I think its good for the soul, and helps to get some balance back

we cooked together tonight, we really don't do it often enough, it's a lot of fun :)

recipes, sunset watching and calm

so so happy to have my recipe books back..... its like catching up with old friends you haven't see in ages

watched the sunset tonight at the beach whilst Jeff was surfing.....so beautiful

sometimes its only when you stop, and put yourself in a place where you can't do anything but relax (no people, no computers, no phone, no tv) you can just totally switch off and enjoy the calm surroundings

ocean swim, tiki tour and love

what an awesome Saturday !!!! way more than 3 beautiful things, but here are the best... we started the day off with a swim in the ocean and some time just lying on the beach soaking up the sun

then we went on a tiki-tour down to the Pyrenees, took a little train up to the top of a mountain and checked out the beautiful views

we then drove through the countryside back towards the coast, and finished the day off with a delicious dinner, with an even more delicious bottle of rosé and an even more delicious sunset view !!!!

end of week, dinner out, and lovely husband

wow, the weeks are going so fast now... its always like this in the run up to an event...friday again,I can't believe it !! felt good to know we were going to have a bit of a wind down weekend though !

we went out for dinner with some friends at 'le surfing', a cool little place at the beach. Super yummy dinner, lots of laughs

came home for a very well earned sleep, and my lovely husband tucked me into bed and wished me sweet dreams

2 surfs, amazing package and happy day

we surfed early this morning, and again after work..... such a gorgeous day, super fun waves, super warm water..... very happy Linzi

when we were driving back home after our first surf, I said to Jeff 'it feels like a parcel sort of a day doesn't it ...' and sure enough, later on, the parcel that I have been waiting on for 3 months, the one that has now done 3 round trips from australia to france, was sitting on the floor in our apartment...... wooooohooooo my recipes and I are reunited at last !!! and a whole bag of clothes.... felt like Christmas !!!

we had a great working day today.... really productive, really happy and fun

4 mins, truth and an old couple holding hands

I woke up super early so ran around the lake... it was so gorgeous this morning....super crisp and fresh, the lake was so still and all the colours seemed to be brighter... the sky bluer and the trees greener.... anyway, it was a great run and I took 4 minutes off my best time....pretty happy about that !

so today, we got to the bottom of it all.....the truth..... the truth is sometimes the hardest thing to say but it makes life so much easier once its been said

after work I cruised into town to pick up a few things for dinner....there was a buzz around town, people were having drinks in the sun after work, others, like me were getting a few things done before going home to cook dinner......but the thing that really shined, was an old couple walking down the street holding hands. It made me smile.

gorgeous flowers, sunbaking break and swapping stories

I had to go into town this morning, and as I was walking to the boulangerie, I noticed the beautiful flowers in boxes all round town. I don't know why I've never looked at them before, because they're super pretty and bright

in the middle of our work day, we took 15 mins out to go and sit by the pool in the sun.... I felt like someone recharged my batteries and added a (much needed) element of calm to my day

today was a bit tough on the communication front....so after some intense conversation, we went out for a meal and swapped stories...'remember the first time we went to the Maldives', 'remember when we rented that bungalow in Mexico', 'remember your birthday'..... it was so good to focus on some good memories to inspire us to create some more

sunny days, meditation and chickpea tagine

at last, the sun is here to stay.... and the temperature is set to keep rising all week

this afternoon I downloaded a new meditation about awareness, it was amazing

tonights dinner reflected my mood....healthy, simple and whole.....mmmmm chickpea tagine

lakeside yoga, market day and swimming in the pool

woke up to a gorgeous sunny day so I grabbed my bike, cycled to the lake and did about an hour of yoga in the sunshine...it was bliss

then I cycled into town with my 'sunny, happy days' playlist playing on my ipod and cruised around the market.... I love our market.... I bought Jeffo a tshirt, me a cookbook, us a deeeelicious roast chicken and a nice bag to put it all in !!

We lounged by the pool this afternoon.... it was nice

job done, squirrel and off the cuff dinner

I try not to work on weekends but I had such a huge 'to do' list by the end of this week that I really wanted to get a head start on next week. So I sat down, and in a relaxed, weekend working way, smashed the whole list....and emptied my inbox....and my follow up box..... in 4 hours...wow

The view into the forest from this apartment is super beautiful.... but it has been ages since I saw a squirrel...until tonight, when I opened the kitchen window, and saw him sitting on a branch, his red fur glowing in the evening sun...stoked !

Jeff called from the pub and asked if we could have some friends for dinner.... it was already 6pm so it felt like a bit of a gameshow mission...race to the shops, cook 3 course meal, clean house and get ready in under an hour..... ha ha ha...ended up being a super fun night all round...even the chaotic bit before everyone arrived !

sleepy exercise mission, togetherness and super fun birthday drinks

I love that all running involves is walking out of your front door with your trainers on.... so easy to do. So often I wake up, put my trainers on and start running before I'm really even properly awake.... this morning was one of those....a run to Garth's house in the rain to pick up my bike followed by a nice cycle home...all before 8

when you work with someone and are married to them, you can take your love for one another for granted... but this morning, after a late night last night, my awesome husband said some very special things that made me realise how lucky I am.

We rounded up the troops and had super fun birthday drinks at the Cream Cafe tonight.... lots of pitchers of beers, lots of plates of nachissimos (man sized nachos) and lots of laughter.... grommets running around, and good friends catching up ..... felt like a big family

birthday presents, nutella and awesome dinner

Jeffos birthday today.... I love birthdays.... so much fun.... giving presents gives me a lot of joy !!

Mmmmm... the local boulangerie makes it's own nutella...how good is that ?!

We went out for the most amazing dinner at Loom....mojitos, then a delicious dinner; I had goats cheese salad, which sounds boring but was soooo good, goats cheese wrapped in jambon de Bayonne and a piquillos salsa... Jeff had an asparagus terrine...the I had fillet of pork with caramelised apples and a sweet potato mash, and Jeff had lamb shank with a hazelnut cream and crushed haricot beans with piquillos..... all washed down with some beautiful rose, and finished off with a white chocolate pannacotta, fresh raspberry coulis and cheesecake sorbet for me and a coffee and armagnac for Jeff...............mmmmmmmmmmmm

rainy run, long chat with an awesome friend and new recipes

the surf was huge and choppy again this morning, so I ran around the lake in the rain... so good to start the day with a run :)

had a super long chat with an amazing friend on the phone today.... so important to stay connected with the people you care about. I'm pretty lucky to have such beautiful people in my life.

life has been a bit hectic of late, so it felt really nice to be at home, testing out a yummy new recipe and enjoying dinner an a glass of wine with my husband

sunshine, new folders, and lush dinner with friends

after a few days of rain it was nice to see the sunshine this morning whilst checking the surf

i'm a geek.... today it felt good to buy new folders, file a whole load of paperwork and put the nicely coloured folders back on the shelf...

we had a super fun dinner with friends tonight, which made me feel really content.... so looking forward to having our own place again down here

make time for yoga, laundry section, roast chicken

this week is my 'make time for yoga' week.... I was inspired by Peggy Hall, the founder of yoga for surfers (yoga DVD's that I love, and have been using for years)...

there's something about the smell of the laundry powder section of the supermarket that is very comforting... maybe it's a childhood memory thing...

at lunchtime, I couldn't resist buying a rotisserie chicken... it just smelt too good..... we devoured it in a baguette with garlic mayo for lunch and in a yummy salad for dinner

remembering balance, head start, cycling

this morning I spent a bit of time thinking about balance..... and how I need to be more mindful of it. The past few weekends have been all about resting after crazy weeks...and I realised today that maybe my weeks need to become less crazy .... its all about balance...

I got a head start on next weeks work today...sneaky I know, but it felt good to be ahead of the game

We watched the Australia v Germany world cup match tonight (don't ask about the result)....my favourite part of the night was cycling to the pub.... it was a grey, windy evening and I could smell wood smoke in the air.... I was wearing boots which made it tricky to cycle, but also made me feel very french

movie about love, walk voucher and slowing down

we had a lazy morning and watched a movie in bed..... it was called 'Did you hear about the Morgans'.... cute film that reminded me that love can conquer all......

for my birthday Jeff gave me some beautiful vouchers.... today was the first time I used one.... we had a super nice walk around the lake in the sunshine.... and I've still got a 100 to go :)

ha ha we went to the supermarket this arvo to decide what we'd eat for dinner... and instead of doing the usual speedy mission, we cruised around checking everything out, taking it slowly...it was actually a lot of fun !

good week, package arrives and clean, empty home

wow, Friday again...time is just flying now.... but it's a good moment to pause and reflect on the past few days. We've had a great working week, achieved heaps, complained very little and got on together very well :)

well, who would believe it... the first of my aussie parcels has actually arrived, in France, in Hossegor....its waiting for me at the post office ...woooopa

My folks left today, so I did a bit of a cleaning mission and then collapsed on the couch to watch the France world cup game with a glass of wine... nice

mountain view, warm wind and walking in the rain

When we checked the surf this morning, the view down to the mountains was clearer than we've ever seen before. Amazing.

The wind was blowing, but it was a warm wind, and it felt nice.

We went out for dinner tonight, and decided that despite the rain, we'd walk to the restaurant. Yes, it was pouring, yes, it would have made more sense to drive but it was actually really fun !

early start, love,and feeling content

We got up early again to check the surf..... it was MASSIVE !! Jeffo and the boys planned their surf mission for later, and I put on my trainers and ran home. I arrived just as the sun was starting to shine and the sky was turning blue. Early morning exercise is great.

This week, we've worked like crazy..... but we've done it calmly, happily and without too much bother....I feel very grateful for this and think that love has a lot to do with it.

After a super yummy dinner (tapas to start then a delicious salad) we all strolled down to the lake.....really nice family time, checking out beautiful homes, chatting, laughing.... At one point I said to Jeff 'I'd like to put concrete on my feet so I can stay here forever..'

calm surf, watching the rain, hot shower

Had the most serene nights sleep last night...and that calm feeling carried on throughout my surf. We got up early and surfed Bourdaines, it was pretty small, but super clean and the sky was a beautiful dark blue/grey colour.

Today was one of those manic work days, when one job just follows another and you feel like you're playing catch up. It wasn't until I looked outside and saw rain falling and heard it trickling through the forest that I realised that it was 5pm and time to stop work. So I did, and I just watched the rain for a while.

Its amazing what a good, hot shower can do. I feel like I'm escaping from the world.

breathe in and breathe out, pique-nique and zzzzzz's

staying calm is all about being mindful of your thoughts and making sure you take the time out to breathe in and out slowly.....

we had a picnic by the lake tonight...super fun

after a really good day's work it felt sooo good to fall into bed after walking back from the lake

running in the rain, picnic blanket and chores finished

I woke up with an urge to run this morning, so I sneaked out of the apartment super early and started running around the lake.... thunder was rumbling above me but it wasn't until about halfway round that it started to pour with rain. I loved every second of it.

We have been searching for a picnic blanket for a few weeks now..... my big Guatemala rug is in oz, and a picnic just isn't a picnic without a nice big blanket... we strolled round the market this morning (the rain has stopped) and found a beautiful one. Just got to have a picnic now....

My folks arrived tonight so we had a few chores to do before they arrived....laundry, cleaning, cooking.... but it felt so good when they arrived to a super clean, organised home !

surf surf surf, sunshine, and new generation

wow we surfed a lot today, first thing this morning we drove up to Casernes and had the funnest surf, hardly anyone out, super clean and tonnes of fun, the later in the afternoon we surfed Bourdaines which was pretty sizey on the sets, and kinda crowded, but I was stoked to be out there and getting my fair share of waves !

the sun was shining so bright today.... my nose and cheeks are glowing

we cruised round to say hello to a bunch of Jersey grommets who are staying here at the moment... was so funny to step into their world. Made me realise that we were just like that 10 years ago...in Hossegor, going out every night, drinking too much, surfing heaps and generally having the funnest summer trips ever.... makes me really stoked that because I am in love with Hossegor now as I was then (probably more..)

end of week, light at the end of the tunnel and date night !!!

wowzers, what a week.... lots of jumping through hoops and writing lists... but pleased that it's over.... achieved a lot :)

pretty excited that from next week we'll actually have a member of staff...wow, that means we can actually delegate and spend time doing the stuff we're supposed to be doing !

Date night tonight..... aperitif at the lake followed by amazing dinner at Chez Monette with good friends..... I think I need to get a tatoo to reming myself how important it is to have a date night every week.... its so easy to brush it aside when you're busy, but I swear it was the best bit of marriage advice I ever got. So much fun too xxx

bubble bath surf, scrummy dinner and evening stroll

the surf today was pretty big, and I spent more time paddling than I did surfing.... at one point, the sets seemed to be coming non stop and I was paddling through the craziest amount of bubbles... it was like another world... sunshine, blue water and bubbles.... all I could hear was the bubbles

Tonight we ate organic salmon with a fennel, chilli and lemon rub and garlic rice ......mmmm

Even though he was shattered after training, I persuaded Jeff to walk to the lake with me after dinner....my folks are big believers in the after dinner walks... and now I know why...

perfect leaves, postal saga and beer/nachos combo

there is a bush that runs all the way down the gravel track where we park our car.. it has leaves that seem too perfect to be real

so it turns out, my recipe books are now on their way back to Australia a 2nd time thanks to 'La Poste'... they are really clocking up some airmiles... I should be annoyed, but i'm actually stoked that they are still winging their way around the planet (albeit in the wrong direction again) and that they're not lost

so, after a day filled with rather long calls to the post office on top of a pretty hectic workload, we drove to the Creme...a super nice bar at the beach...and ordered beers and nachos.... thank goodness

warm sand, new shampoo and a glass of wine

we were checking the surf this morning and the walk up the dune was made even more pleasant because the sand was so warm, felt like it was hugging my feet !

there's something great about opening a new bottle of shampoo..... a little treat...today's was lemon and nettle and it smelt lush

we've had so much work to do recently, so whilst I was waiting for Jeff to come home, after I'd finished working, hoovering, washing up, doing laundry, filing and preparing dinner for when they guys get back, I enjoyed a large glass of red wine

moving furniture, the good stuff and new book !

this morning I moved some furniture around in the apartment.... its amazing how much difference it made. I remember moving stuff around a lot when I was younger... always shifting beds, wardrobes and book cases. I wonder if it means something...

Came back from the supermarket and felt pretty good about all the good stuff we eat !

This evening I settled down with a new book.... finished Shantaram this morning (great book, pretty heavy reading at times) so I'm on to an easy going, murder mystery..