This morning it was raining, so struggling to think of something to do, I decided to sit down and read through the little book in which I write all my favourite poems. Said book is a pocket-sized gold notebook, and one of my favourite possessions. Flicking through the well-loved and much thumbed pages I came to one of my favourites, a french poem called "Les Roses de Saadi" by Marceline Desbordes-Valmore: "J'ai voulu, ce matin, te rapporter des roses;
Mais j'en avais tant pris dans mes ceintures closes
Que les nœuds trop serrés n'ont pu les contenir.
Les nœuds ont éclaté. Les roses envolées
Dans le vent, à la mer s'en sont toutes allées.
Elles ont suivi l'eau pour ne plus revenir.
La vague en a paru rouge et comme enflammée:
Ce soir ma robe encore en est tout embaumée:
Respires-en sur moi l'odorant souvenir."
My french is far from perfect so I won't attempt to translate line by line but the poem starts "This morning I wanted to bring you roses" and goes on to tell the story of how the narrator picked so many flowers that they burst the knots tying them. The flowers then get taken by the wind and into the sea, turning the waves red as though on fire. The poem ends by saying that despite the lost flowers, that evening she can smell them on her dress, a sweetly smelling reminder of the roses she had wanted to pick.
To me the french language is beautiful, and is one of the reasons I so love that country across the Channel. The poem got me thinking about what France means to me, and why it is a country I will always love...
Amelie, one of my favourite films, and my favourite character of all time... 
A young woman who loves the feel of plunging her fingers into a bag of seeds, and whose life is made up of dreams...
Marion Cotillard... one of my idols
The Moulin Rouge, the namesake for my all time favourite film...
La mode...
French Vogue, a reliable style-bible...
The chic simplicity and ease of french brands such as Chloe...
A history of fashion... Dior's New Look that shook up the fashion industry and created an elegance and grace that, for me, will never be replicated...
Coco Chanel : "Fashion fades, only style remains the same"
Yves Saint Laurent and le smoking...
Cool style on the high street that we English seem to struggle to emulate (there's just something about a french woman that makes a t-shirt and trousers seem effortlessly perfect)... Comptoir des Cotonniers...
Ladurée macaroons that are just as sweet as the colours they come in...
My best friend...
And, of course, the magic of Paris...
(Jewellery by Les Nereides at accessoriesonline)
My home may always be England, but sometimes I think my heart is in France...
Libby
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