Patricia Sands

Author

Debbie Ross

July 1st ~ Happy Canada Day

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How are you celebrating Canada Day? It’s a bit chilly in Toronto today. A sweater is probably a good idea if you’re going to have a barbecue and watch fireworks this evening. I know, eh? Where’s summer?

I’ve just returned from three weeks in the beautiful south of France and I have to say the weather there was perfect. Apparently, I just missed the heat wave that appears to be setting in this week throughout that country. I’ll write more about that trip in my Friday post.

But today it’s all about Canada. In spite of my obvious love affair with France, I want to be clear that it does not preclude my pride in  being Canadian. As I’ve done in the past, I want to share a link to one of the best videos about our country that I’ve seen … and the credit for it belongs to our neighbours to the south.

Please click right here, sit back and enjoy as Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans.

This time last year, I celebrated Canada Day at a cooking class in Avignon with the great group of ladies on our south of France tour with the Womens Travel Network. What a good time that was! We may do it again, so be sure to contact Debbie Ross if you think you would like to join us!

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Breathe in. Breathe out.

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Bonjour and hi there!

It’s great to be back on the blog! How’s your summer going? IMG_5911

The past 8 weeks have flown by for me. You know how I love to travel … but now it’s time to slow down, get caught up and just breathe for a while  …

It’s also time to get home and hug the grandkids, although I got to hug two of them here in Vienna for a few days and that was very special!

 

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

Well, it is Friday … but it’s Vienna for three more days  … (also a lovely place to be … )

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… and I’m on my way home from five weeks in France. During that time I was fortunate to co-lead two women’s tours of the south of France that were based upon the locations in The Promise of Provence.

What a pleasure to travel with two groups of interesting, enthusiastic women, along with my friends, author and marketing expert Susan Sommers and Womens Travel Network owner, Debbie Ross! It was magnifique!

Here’s a taste of where we were and what we did.

As you can see, we caught the sunflowers and lavender in bloom! (If the slideshow isn’t appearing right here, you might have to wait just a minute for it to load.)

Merci mille fois to each and every one of you on the tours for helping to make our adventures so memorable!

For more photos and details, just click right here on the Womens Travel Network blog! I’ll even wait while you do!

2015 is going to bring more exciting trips from WTN so stay tuned. It would be great to have you join one!

While I was away, as well as participating in some super giveaways, here are a few other items that kept us busy:

*we completed the new website you are visiting now ~ thanks to the talented tech knowledge of  Barb Drozdowich, who is also an author, book blogger and author consultant . Check out her site too! We hope you like the new look here and look forward to your comments!

*I wrapped up my edits (hopefully …) for Promises To Keep and am waiting for the final return from my editor … we’re edging closer to publication, honest!

*Instagram got stuck on “waiting”, whatever that means, and I wasn’t able to keep posting photos each day … I whined about that! Now I have to figure out how to unstick it.

*Amy Cooper, who handles all sorts of necessary social media for me, kept me afloat and stayed on top of things in her usual brilliantly organized fashion ~ A BIG THANK YOU to her and to everyone who participated in our super successful Goodreads Giveaway, Summer Splash Blog Hop and Book Rhythm Kindle Giveaways. Congratulations to all the winners of excellent books and cool prizes! These are such fun and great opportunities to connect with you!

*I feel so fortunate every single day of my travels to be in such beautiful surroundings and to have the priceless friends and support helping make it all possible … without  me falling down the writer’s rabbit hole! Thank you!

Note-taking, photographing and researching for future writing projects is a big part of these trips. Now to begin planning for 2015 … new book, new travels, and who knows what else! What’s on your agenda?

For some reason there’s no “like” button here, which I always use when I visit blogs and to leave a comment you have to scroll back up to the top of the post and click on the “Leave A Comment” link. Sigh … there’s always something!

A sweet taste of France

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If it’s Friday (or even Saturday), it must be France …

The Promise of Provence now has a book trailer! After sifting through my photos and collaborating with the creative ( … and patient … ) Kristen Kress at Brain Fry Productions, we are on YouTube. Chalk up another learning experience … it just never ends …

When you have a spare 1:34 minutes, take a look!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc1RStjTARg

Are you joining me in France in June 2014? I’m already counting the days until we begin the first “Promenade En Provence” organized by the Womens Travel Network in Toronto. The first tour sold out immediately and 14 women from the U.S. and Canada will  meet in Nice on June 12 to begin our 10-day adventure.

My speaking partner, author Susan Sommers, will be co-leading the first tour with me and Debbie Ross, the Womens Travel Network founder, will join me for the second tour. Trust me, you are going to be in very good hands!

At the moment there are no more than four spots remaining on the second tour, from June 25 to July 5. They won’t last long which is why I am mentioning the trip here, in case any of you or your friends or family might be interested.

I’ve received enthusiastic emails from several women who have signed up and their excitement is already mounting. Mine too! There’s no question it will be a trip to remember, so join us if you feel tempted.

One of our stops … and the lavender will be in bloom!
One of our stops … and the lavender will be in bloom!

Lunch with Journeywoman!

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Some days are a little more special than others and yesterday was one of those!

Some people you meet are a little more special than others and the woman I met yesterday was indeed one of those!

Evelyn-bio-picEvelyn Hannon, aka Journeywoman, and I spent a couple of hours  yesterday chatting over a light lunch we picked up in Whole Foods at Hazelton Lanes in Toronto. Seriously … just the two of us … lucky me!

Through a conversation we were having online about promoting The Promise of Provence on her site, the next thing we knew we were arranging to meet. I am so delighted we did. As smart, funny and down-to-earth as Evelyn appears in her writing online, she is even more so in person.  This is a woman experiencing life to the max and sharing her energy and enthusiasm with all of us. Lucky us!

In a word: INSPIRING.

I loved the fact we share the same philosophy that age should not be a deterrent to anything you wish to do in life. We looked at each other and laughed as we agreed that getting older is simply an opportunity to have time to follow more of your dreams. Just do it!

No wonder Time Magazine included Evelyn in a list of “this century’s most innovative thinkers”. As a woman way ahead of her time, she recognized the power of the internet and began blogging about travel for women in 1997, expanding her reach from the magazine she began in 1994. She now has over 70,000 subscribers to her newsletter and over 30,000 avid followers on Twitter.

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Click right here to read how her personal journey began.

As a serial traveler, I’ve followed Evelyn’s Journeywoman.com website for several years and always found interesting, helpful and/or entertaining travel information there. Although the website is geared to women traveling on their own, the information is valuable for anyone planning a trip or, truly, for people interested in learning more about this wonderful world of ours.  The number and variety of articles on this site will keep you engaged for a very long time.

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Just ignore the fact I’m in my track suit as I dashed over right after tennis!

I’m pleased and proud to have The Promise of Provence occupying a little space of its own on Journeywoman.com for the month of November. We’re also going to talk about the WomensTravelNetwork ‘Promenade in Provence’. I will be on the tour … will you?

If you haven’t yet discovered Evelyn’s Journeywoman.com site, I am suggesting that you get yourself over there as quickly as you can. Here you go … CLICK!  You will be writing me to say thanks. I know it!