vivre sa vie...

as we drove home the moon sparkled in the dusk evening sky, lighting up the few whisps of clouds that attempted to interrupt it... i was full to the brim on a feast of delicious food... earlier we'd driven for about an hour outside of lille to a tiny little village... we entered this adorable looking house that was actually one of the most quaint restaurants i have ever laid eyes on -- it was like stepping into the past, with antiques devouring each wall, a fireplace burning bright while the chef cooked on the open flame... mismatched wooden chairs were crowded around old tables and the place smelt like home... beer; easily the most tender beef stew i've ever tasted; roasted potatoes right from the fire... after dinner, ice cream and a tarte made from all local ingredients which tasted like heaven...

the last two days have been incredible... first, francine and i went to vimy ridge on thursday where we toured the grounds and marvelled at the gigantic memorial... from there we drove along the northern france coast to wimereux -- a gorgeous seaside town with a stunning beach and adorable houses dotting the shoreline... we basked in the sun while munching away on a pre-packed picnic, catching up on life and remembering back to days at gordon graydon secondary school...

driving back we explored the view at cape greynose, gasped at the rolling green hills of the french countryside and realized how exhausted we were... we hit the grocery store leaving with our arms filled with a variety of european beer and went home for a quiet dinner and a much needed laundry session for yours truly...

today we took a little extra time to sleep, but still hit the road in good time to make it to bruges by about noon... there we wandered the picturesque streets for hours, stopping to take photos, grabbed a sandwich to eat along the canal and stopped for a beer when our thirst was unbearable... i picked up some belgian lace as a sweet parting gift and we hit the road again... on the way back to lille we stopped in at ieper and to our surprise the european rally car championships had taken over the tiny town... the roar of cars filled the streets and it seemed like everyone was out enjoying the day... a visit to the menenpoort -- a memorial for soldiers that died in WWI -- had me silenced, as did a visit to a few graveyards along the rest of the trek home... rows and rows of headstones on flanders fields; flowers blooming at the base of each... some of the lost ones as young as 20 years old, if not younger...

now i am perfectly full and tired... plus, i need to be up in about six hours for a day of canoeing on a river about an hour and a half away from here tomorrow...

as francine and i said to each other at the beach in wimereux -- "life is good."