Oostende/Ostende

What's the best remedy for a week that's left you a little out of sorts?

A quick road trip to the coast of everyone's favorite county-without-a-government  for sun, buckets of moules et frites, and lots of girl talk.

There was also a quick detour to James Ensor's house, the 19th century flemish artist who lived and died in Oostende.

You see, when I was 16, my dad showed me Ensor's famous painting 'Christ Entering Brussels' during a visit at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. And believe it or not, it was seeing this piece that planted the seed that studying the history of art could actually be, really quite fun.

You better believe it was just as wonderful to see that this artist, with his quirky, crazy paintings, was just a colorful in his day-to-day life. And I bet he was a phenomenal dinner guest.

la vacance de fevrier

Well, once again it's time to go on holiday! This Saturday I'll be leaving for Gascogne, a region in the south of France. Miss L. Smith and I will be Wwoof-ing for two weeks on a small vineyard/sheep farm, collecting interesting (I can only imagine!) stories and wonderful experiences.

Wwoof is an organization that is dedicated to networking in around the world through an exchange of skills. Their website states "WWOOF allows volunteers to stay on organic farms and join in with the various projects hosts are busy with. There is a variety of properties spread throughout France, in which organic growing plays some part."

So stay tuned for the next post, detailing our adventures! Laura and I are hoping to make some new French friends, discover a new section of the country, and of course, have plenty of opportunities to sample the wine!

image courtesy of www.eddieross.com