un petit week end

So, in reference to my all things petits, I would like to address a certain social phenomenon that happens each Friday in Paris (aside from in August when they migrate South).

"Petit Week End"

I was first introduced to this concept when I started work as a fille au pair for a Parsian family in September 2010. Whether rain or snow or sick children, the family would stuff their Peugot full of bedsheets every Friday and drive 2 hours (depending on the amount of other Parisians frantically leaving the city for the week-end) to their country cottage to spend 2 days à la campagne. A part of my indentured servitude was to accompany them every other week-end and amuse the children while the parents slept and/or read magazines.

Safe to say I did not fully profit from these particular petits week ends as I spent my time chasing after small children, cooking, cleaning and, on my time off, trying to convince myself that their friend's were not complete assholes.

Contrarily, as my relationship with my host family took a downwards spiral, I began to grow exponentially closer to Julien and his family. Although I could not understand much of the conversation going on around me at first, I had a much warmer and positive feeling when I was with them.

I was invited me to the family's countryside home for Halloween, Christmas, and two weekends this summer. This is where I experienced a real weekend  à la campagne.

This place is my eutopia. I have been horseback riding and biking through the windy roads. I've been swimming in a river and I even braved a rope swing for the first time in my life (took A LOT of coaxing). I've watched shooting stars, celebrated Christmas, drank too much rose, and stayed in bed until 2pm. I saw fireworks in the charming Chablis. I toured castles and strolled through royal gardens. The comparison between the country's capital and the countryside is enormous, the dialect, the dress, the decor... and the air quality.

A normal day in the countryside looks a bit like this:

2PM get dressed and eat lunch

3PM nap

4PM fun activity (i.e. horseback riding, various light sports, swimming, making cakes)

7PM apero

9PM dinner

11PM drunken board games

Safe to say, I think that I have finally understood the point of these seemingly rushed countryside weekends. Even Parisian's know deep down inside that Paris tends to be a bit suffocating at times. 

Check out my reviews on the most Hipster bars in the world coming up soon :)

xo July