22 Comments
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Maree Giles's avatar

Another terrific post Karen! Thanks for sharing your experiences! Good luck with band practice!

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Karen Bussen's avatar

Merci merci !! I am so happy you wrote me!!

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Jane Frost's avatar

So excited to hear about your upcoming “gig”! I knew you could do it. Look at all that you have accomplished since you moved to France. And since you left Ohio!! My very best, Jane

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Karen Bussen's avatar

Merci Jane 😘😘Gotta keep growing, right ?❣️Preparing now for rehearsal eek!! 😂🎶

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Theresa Conroy's avatar

Bummer! I have something schedule for each of your Salon dates. See you in the next round, I hope!

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Sacha Cohen's avatar

It would be fun to see you at a salon!

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The French Life Journal's avatar

Wow, being on an all-female wine judging panel sounds like fun. I just looked up Beaune on Google Maps, as I haven’t visited that part of France before. However, I’m planning a road trip through the area this summer, so it looks like a fantastic place to stop. Good luck with the band.

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Karen Bussen's avatar

Oh yes, Beaune is so pretty. Try to go to the market on Saturday morning, and if you like wine you can do tastings in the city or drive around to all the great names in Burgundy (but it may be difficult to taste in fancy domaines)

Very nearby is Dijon, also a great town to see! If you get near Lyon, I love it there too! If you do go to Lyon, make sure to reserve for restaurants as they fill up quickly. Thanks for leaving me a note and merci for the encouragement with the band :-)

Being a "dégustatrice" was super cool and I met some very accomplished other women as well. A new adventure and lots of good wine!

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The French Life Journal's avatar

Thanks for the advice. I really like the look of Beaune. And Dijon is on the list too, so I'm looking forward to seeing some new areas of France.

I look forward to reading about your adventures with the band! It's great getting out of your comfort zone like this! I want to do more of this kind of thing myself :)

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Karen Bussen's avatar

Whatever your dream, you likely won’t regret going for it! The way I look at it, worst case scenario, I’ll always have a funny story to tell!! 😘

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The French Life Journal's avatar

C'est vrai 😘

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Betty Carlson's avatar

Oh no for the restaurant mix-up! I thought I read everything, but did you explain how the mix-up happened? The guy was pretty rude, I admit. You could have had a "cas de force majeure" and both been in the hospital!

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Karen Bussen's avatar

Yes so rude and unnecessary — if he had just put the name of his resto in his email address or in his signature that would’ve prevented everything. But still, it was I who went to the wrong restaurant in the end and so despite his anti-hospitality tone, I wasn’t as scathing in my reply to him as I could’ve been. I’m just here to spread joy! Next time I’ll have to have Monsieur B make the rez bc I think I’m on the s*** list now 🤣😂

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David Gemeinhardt's avatar

Should I ever be in Paris when a salon is scheduled, I'll definitely sign up. Bon courage pour la répétition!

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Karen Bussen's avatar

Right now the Le Salon meet-ups are all online! But I do hope to arrange some « en présentiel » à Paris dans le futur 😊

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Debbie's avatar

I enjoy reading about your experiences and love the way you add French expressions. Well, I have something to share. Years ago I went to St. Sauveur-en-Puisaye, known for being the birthplace of the writer Colette, one of my favorite writers. Her childhood home is there along with a beautiful museum about her life and works with multimedia displays. It would be worth visiting for you and Mr. B.

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The Mister B's avatar

Exactly, the Puisaye is a very nice area. While there, don’t forget to visit the historic Saint-Fargeau castle and Guédélon.

https://www.chateau-de-st-fargeau.com/

https://www.guedelon.fr/les-incontournables/

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Karen Bussen's avatar

Merci merci for writing me! I just asked Monsieur B and he says thanks for the idea bc this is not far from our country place 💕💕

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Debbie's avatar

St. Sauveur en Puisaye is very beautiful. It is a small town that has maybe two restaurants. If you need to stay over night there is a cute B & B called Maison Marthe that is right near the museum and house. I stayed there years ago when it first opened up. The owners are lovely people. Unfortunately the word has gotten out how great it is to stay there that I haven't been able to book with them since then. There is a cafe in the museum and a gift shop with her novels and other memorabilia located near the house.

I'll be in Paris the first week in November. Maybe we could meet for lunch.

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The Mister B's avatar

Halfway between Chablis and Sancerre is always good. You’ll have the choice between Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

I already know Karen’s choice !

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Karen Bussen's avatar

Chardonnay all day !

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Karen Bussen's avatar

Thank you ! Keep me posted on your travels and maybe we can get together 😊

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